zhǐ bāo bú zhù huǒ ， bàn tiān yǐ hòu ， fèi dān fáng bèi xǐ jié de shì qíng zhōng yú hái shì dōng chuāng shì fā le 。
纸包不住火，半天以后，废丹房被洗劫的事情终于还是东窗事发了。
Fire cannot be concealed by paper. Half a day later, the matter of the waste pills room being plundered finally came to light.
cǐ shí ， zài jīn dān fēng jué dǐng de mǒu jiān lóu gé lǐ ， qī bā míng xiū shì jù jí zài yī qí ， shāng liáng zhe shén me 。
此时，在金丹峰绝顶的某间楼阁里，七八名修士聚集在一齐，商量着什么。
At the peak of the Golden Core Peak in a certain pavilion, several cultivators gathered and were discussing something.
zhè xiē xiū shì yǒu nán yǒu nǚ ， nián líng dà xiǎo yě shì bù yī ， dàn xiū wèi què dōu dá dào le lí hé ， jīn dān fēng suī rán mò luò ， zhèng chǔ yú qīng huáng bù jiē de shí kè ， dàn yě jǐn jǐn shì méi yǒu dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， lí hé jí bié de cún zài hái shì bù shǎo de 。
这些修士有男有女，年龄大小也是不一，但修为却都达到了离合，金丹峰虽然没落，正处于青黄不接的时刻，但也仅仅是没有洞玄期修仙者，离合级别的存在还是不少的。
These cultivators had both men and women, with varying ages, but their cultivation levels all reached the Separation Stage. Although the Golden Core Peak was declining and currently lacked Core Formation cultivators, there were still quite a few individuals at the Separation Stage.
yuǎn bù zhǐ yǎn qián zhè diǎn rén shù ， zhǐ bù guò dà bù fèn dōu zài bì guān kǔ xiū lái zhe ， yǎn qián zhè qī bā gè ， zé shì yīn wèi shēn fù sī zhí ， bù dé bù wèi běn fēng chǔ lǐ rì cháng shì wù 。
远不止眼前这点人数，只不过大部分都在闭关苦修来着，眼前这七八个，则是因为身负司职，不得不为本峰处理日常事务。
There weren't just these few people present; most were in seclusion for intensive cultivation. The seven or eight here were due to their responsibilities, which required them to handle daily affairs of the peak.
zuò zài shàng shǒu de ， shì yī shēn chuān huī yī de lǎo zhě ， lí hé hòu qī ， róng mào suī rán kū gǎo ， yī shuāng yǎn jīng què líng dòng yǐ jí ， zhèng shì jīn dān fēng dài fēng zhǔ 。
坐在上首的，是一身穿灰衣的老者，离合后期，容貌虽然枯槁，一双眼睛却灵动以极，正是金丹峰代峰主。
Seated at the head was an elderly man dressed in gray clothes, who had reached the late Separation Stage. Although his appearance was withered and gaunt, his eyes sparkled with vitality. This was none other than the acting Peak Master of the Golden Core Peak—Master Wan, who Lin Xuan once used to scare Luo Yunjie.
lín xuān céng yòng lái xià hǔ luó yún jié de nà wèi wàn shī zǔ 。
林轩曾用来吓唬罗云杰的那位万师祖。
"Regarding the matter of the waste pills room, do any of you have thoughts on it?" The elderly man withered face swept over the crowd and he slowly spoke.
“ guān yú fèi dān fáng yī shì ， zhū wèi shī dì kě yǒu shén me kàn fǎ me ？” nà miàn róng kū gǎo de lǎo zhě mù guāng cháo xià miàn sǎo guò ， huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu le 。
“关于废丹房一事，诸位师弟可有什么看法么？”那面容枯槁的老者目光朝下面扫过，缓缓的开口了。
"Hmph. This is obvious. The corpse left behind in the waste pills room was clearly a member of our sect, but it had been possessed by a substitute devilish corpse technique. Looking at the entire Frost Heaven Prefecture, only the Heavenly Corpse Sect would have such a vicious secret technique. Could anyone else from other sects frame us with this?" A man with a waxy yellow complexion spoke indignantly. He was an intermediate Separation Stage cultivator and seemed to be of a short temper.
…… hēng ， zhè hái yòng shuō ， cán liú zài fèi dān fáng de nà jù shī tǐ ， míng míng shì běn mén dì zǐ ， zhǐ bù guò bèi rén zhǒng xià le tì shēn mó shī **， ér fàng yǎn tiān shuāng jùn ， huì zhè zhǒng dǎi dú mì shù de ， wéi yǒu tiān shī mén yī jiā ， dào zǒu fèi dān de ， chú le gāi pài de xiū xiān zhě ， hái yǒu bié rén ma ？” yī liǎn sè là huáng de dà hàn ， fèn fèn bù píng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， cǐ rén nǎi shì lí hé zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， ér qiě yī kàn jiù shì pí qì bào zào de rén wù 。
……哼，这还用说，残留在废丹房的那具尸体，明明是本门弟子，只不过被人种下了替身魔尸**，而放眼天霜郡，会这种歹毒秘术的，唯有天尸门一家，盗走废丹的，除了该派的修仙者，还有别人吗？”一脸sè蜡黄的大汉，愤愤不平的声音传入耳朵，此人乃是离合中期的修仙者，而且一看就是脾气暴躁的人物。
"Brother Qiang has a point. The substitute devilish corpse technique is the Heavenly Corpse Sect's exclusive secret, and no other cultivators could possibly imitate it even if they wanted to," another elderly man with a white face stroked his beard as he spoke.
“ jiāng shī dì yán zhī yǒu lǐ ， zhè tì shēn mó shī **， nǎi shì tiān shī mén de dú mén mì shù ， bié de xiū xiān zhě ， jí biàn xiǎng yào zāi zāng jià huò ， yě shì wàn wàn mó fǎng bù lái de 。” lìng yī bái miàn lǎo zhě yě fǔ xū chén yín zhe kāi kǒu le 。
“姜师弟言之有理，这替身魔尸**，乃是天尸门的独门秘术，别的修仙者，即便想要栽赃嫁祸，也是万万模仿不来的。”另一白面老者也抚须沉吟着开口了。
"The two brothers have spoken well. However, given that the opponent can use such a secret technique, their cultivation level likely won't be weaker than ours. They might even be a Core Formation elder. Why would they stealthily infiltrate our sect just to steal waste pills? Moreover, why leave a corpse here. Don’t you find this strange?" The Wan cultivator's eyes flashed with sharpness as he questioned the oddity.
“ liǎng wèi shī dì yán zhī yǒu lǐ ， kě duì fāng jì rán néng shī zhǎn zhè zhǒng mì shù ， xiǎng bì xiū wèi bú huì bǐ nǐ wǒ ruò ， shí yǒu bā è jiǔ shì dòng xuán qī lǎo zǔ ， duì fāng zài wǒ pài jīng xīn qián fú ， nán dào jiù shì xiǎng yào tōu dào fèi dān me ， ér qiě jū rán hái fú shī cǐ chù ， zhū wèi bù jué dé yǒu xiē qí guài me ？” zuò zài shàng shǒu de wàn xìng xiū shì yǎn zhōng jīng máng shǎn guò ， wèn chū xīn zhōng de yí wèn le 。
“两位师弟言之有理，可对方既然能施展这种秘术，想必修为不会比你我弱，十有八垩九是洞玄期老祖，对方在我派精心潜伏，难道就是想要偷盗废丹么，而且居然还伏尸此处，诸位不觉得有些奇怪么？”坐在上首的万姓修士眼中精芒闪过，问出心中的疑问了。
"Indeed..."
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
The other Separation Stage cultivators exchanged glances. This matter was indeed peculiar and even seemed full of mystery. However, due to too few clues, they could only speculate wildly here.
qí tā lí hé qī xiū shì miàn miàn xiāng qù ， zhè jiàn shì qíng què shí yǒu xiē xī qí ， shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō chù chù tòu zhe guǐ yì ， rán ér xiàn suǒ tài shǎo le ， tā men gēn běn jiù wú cóng tuī cè ， wéi yǒu zài zhè lǐ hú luàn chuǎi mó 。
其他离合期修士面面相觑，这件事情确实有些稀奇，甚至可以说处处透着诡异，然而线索太少了，他们根本就无从推测，唯有在这里胡乱揣摩。
Silence prevailed for a moment.
yī shí jiān ， méi yǒu rén jiè kǒu 。
一时间，没有人借口。
"Have we interrogated all the disciples guarding the waste pills room? Were any suspicious?" Seeing that the atmosphere had become tense, the Wan cultivator changed his question.
“ kān shǒu fèi dān fáng de dì zǐ ， kě dōu shěn wèn guò ， qí zhōng yǒu méi yǒu kě yí de ？” jiàn chǎng miàn jiāng zhù ， wàn xìng lǎo zhě yòu huàn le yí gè wèn tí 。
“看守废丹房的弟子，可都审问过，其中有没有可疑的？”见场面僵住，万姓老者又换了一个问题。
"No, there are twenty-one disciples guarding the waste pills room. Apart from the one possessed, I personally interrogated the other twenty. The latest among them has been in our sect for over ten years and shows no signs of anything amiss," the man with a waxy yellow complexion replied.
“ méi yǒu ， kān shǒu fèi dān fáng de dì zǐ gòng èr shí yí gè ， chú le bèi fù shēn de nà míng dì zǐ wài ， qí tā èr shí rén ， mò mǒu dōu yī yī qīn zì shěn xùn le ， tā men zhōng zuì wǎn de ， rù mén yě shí zài yǒu yú ， kàn bù chū yǒu shén me wèn tí 。” nà liǎn sè là huáng de dà hàn rú cǐ zhè bān de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ 。
“没有，看守废丹房的弟子共二十一个，除了被附身的那名弟子外，其他二十人，莫某都一一亲自审讯了，他们中最晚的，入门也十载有余，看不出有什么问题。”那脸sè蜡黄的大汉如此这般的声音传入耳朵里。
"The technique 'Questioning Heart' that Brother Mo cultivates is extremely mysterious. Even Core Formation cultivators might not be able to deceive you. Since he says there's nothing wrong, it should indeed be fine," the Wan cultivator stroked his beard.
“ mò shī dì xiū liàn de “ wèn xīn ， shén tōng xuán miào yǐ jí ， jiù suàn shì dòng xuán jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， yě bù yí dìng néng jiāng nǐ mán guò ， nǐ jì rán shuō méi yǒu wèn tí ， nà jiù yīng gāi shì wú shì dì 。， wàn xìng lǎo zhě mō le mō hú xū 。
“莫师弟修炼的“问心，神通玄妙以极，就算是洞玄级别的修仙者，也不一定能将你瞒过，你既然说没有问题，那就应该是无事地。，万姓老者mō了mō胡须。
"However..." The man with a waxy yellow complexion revealed an odd expression on his face.
“ bù guò ……”， rán ér nà dà hàn de liǎn shàng què lù chū yī sī gǔ guài zhī sè。
“不过……”，然而那大汉的脸上却lù出一丝古怪之sè。
"What? Could Brother Mo have discovered something amiss?" The Wan cultivator asked curiously.
“ zěn me ， nán dào mò shī dì hái fā xiàn le shén me bù tuǒ ？” wàn xìng lǎo zhě yǒu diǎn qí guài de kāi kǒu le 。
“怎么，难道莫师弟还发现了什么不妥？”万姓老者有点奇怪的开口了。
"It can't really be said to be amiss. However, as for your esteemed brothers, you should know that the disciples in charge of the waste pills room are usually those with poor prospects and little promise. But this time, it's different. Among these twenty, there is a disciple named Lin Xuan who entered thirty years ago as an unaffiliated cultivator and has now reached late Foundation Establishment stage. Logically speaking, his future should be bright, but he applied to manage the waste pills room," the man with a waxy yellow complexion continued.
“ yě bù néng shuō bù tuǒ ， zhǐ shì jǐ wèi shī xiōng yīng gāi xiǎo de ， lǐng qǔ fèi dān fáng zhí shì de dì zǐ ， yì bān dōu shì zī zhì tài chà ， qián tú wú liàng de nà zhǒng ， kě zhè yī cì ， què yǒu bù tóng ， zài nà èr shí rén zhōng ， yǒu yī míng jiào lín xuān de dì zǐ ， nǎi shì sān shí nián qián rù mén de sàn xiū ， rú jīn yǐ shì zhù jī hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， àn lǐ shuō ， qián tú hái shì pǒ wèi yuǎn dà de ， kě tā què zì jǐ shēn qǐng qù fèi dān fáng zuò guǎn shì le 。，“ sān shí nián jìn jiē zhù jī hòu qī ， zài mén zhōng méi yǒu zhǎng bèi tí xié de qíng kuàng xià ， xiū liàn yě suàn xùn sù ， tā pǎo qù fèi dān fáng zuò shén me ？” wàn xìng lǎo zhě liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī yì wài zhī sè。
“也不能说不妥，只是几位师兄应该晓得，领取废丹房执事的弟子，一般都是资质太差，前途无亮的那种，可这一次，却有不同，在那二十人中，有一名叫林轩的弟子，乃是三十年前入门的散修，如今已是筑基后期的修仙者，按理说，前途还是颇为远大的，可他却自己申请去废丹房做管事了。，“三十年进阶筑基后期，在门中没有长辈提携的情况下，修炼也算迅速，他跑去废丹房做什么？”万姓老者脸上闪过一丝意外之sè。
"Thirty years to reach late Foundation Establishment in our sect without any help from elders? What could he possibly need to do at the waste pills room?" A look of surprise flashed across the Wan cultivator's face.
“ shī dì wǒ yě wèn guò ， cǐ zi shuō ， shì yīn wèi fèi dān fáng jù jiào ān jìng de yuán gù 。，“ ān jìng ， zhè ge lǐ yóu dào yě miǎn qiǎng shuō dé tōng ， shī dì kě yǒu zǐ xì pán chá guò ， cǐ zi hái yǒu bié de wèn tí me ？”
“师弟我也问过，此子说，是因为废丹房具较安静的缘故。，“安静，这个理由倒也勉强说得通，师弟可有仔细盘查过，此子还有别的问题么？”
"I asked him, and this disciple said it was because the waste pills room is relatively quiet," the man with a waxy yellow complexion continued. "Quiet does make sense as an excuse. Brother Mo, have you thoroughly examined this disciple for any other issues?"
“ méi yǒu 。， liǎn sè là huáng de dà hàn yáo le yáo tóu ：“ wǒ shì tàn le shù cì ， zàn shí méi yǒu fā xiàn bù tuǒ ， suí hòu yòu pài le liǎng míng dì zǐ àn zhōng jiān shì ， nà lín xuān yì zhí bì guān xiū liàn ， bìng méi yǒu yǔ wài jiè dǎ jiāo dào de 。， huà yīn wèi luò ， què tīng “ chī ” de yī shēng qīng xiào chuán rù ěr duǒ ， páng biān yī shēn chuān xuě bái gōng zhuāng de nǚ zǐ kāi kǒu le ：“ mò shī xiōng hái zhēn shì dà shǒu bǐ ， jū rán pài liǎng míng yuán yīng qī de dì zǐ ， qù jiān shì yī zhù jī qī de hòu qī ， nǐ bù xián tài gǎo xiào le me ？”
“没有。，脸sè蜡黄的大汉摇了摇头：“我试探了数次，暂时没有发现不妥，随后又派了两名弟子暗中监视，那林轩一直闭关修炼，并没有与外界打交道的。，话音未落，却听“嗤”的一声轻笑传入耳朵，旁边一身穿雪白宫装的女子开口了：“莫师兄还真是大手笔，居然派两名元婴期的弟子，去监视一筑基期的后期，你不嫌太搞笑了么？”
"No. I probed several times but found nothing amiss. Then I sent two disciples to secretly monitor him. Lin Xuan has been in seclusion and hasn't interacted with the outside world," the man with a waxy yellow complexion said.
“ wǒ ……， nà dà hàn liǎn shàng yī hóng ， liǎng míng qīn chuán dì zǐ bèi fēn pèi dào rèn wù de shí hòu yě shì yī liǎn de bù qíng bù yuàn zhī sè。
“我……，那大汉脸上一红，两名亲传弟子被分配到任务的时候也是一脸的不情不愿之sè。
Before he could finish, a light laugh sounded from beside them. A woman dressed in white robes spoke up: "Brother Mo really went all out by sending two Core Formation disciples to monitor a late Foundation Establishment cultivator. Don’t you find that too amusing?"
yuán yīng jiān shì zhù jī ， shuō chū qù ， què shí ràng rén yǒu xiē wú yǔ 。
元婴监视筑基，说出去，确实让人有些无语。
"I...," the man with a waxy yellow complexion turned red as his two direct disciples had also shown reluctance when assigned this task.
“ hǎo le ， rú jīn shì fēi cháng shí qī ， mò shī dì zhè yàng ān pái ， yě shì xiǎo xīn wú dà cuò ， méi shén me hǎo fēi yì de 。” nà wàn xìng lǎo zhě cóng páng kāi kǒu le 。
“好了，如今是非常时期，莫师弟这样安排，也是小心无大错，没什么好非议的。”那万姓老者从旁开口了。
Monitoring a Foundation Establishment cultivator with Core Formation ones was indeed somewhat absurd.
xiǎn rán zuò wéi dài fēng zhǔ ， tā zài tóng mén zhī zhōng hái shì pǒ yǒu wēi xìn de ， tīng tā zhè me shuō ， qí tā xiū shì yě dōu bì zuǐ le 。
显然作为代峰主，他在同门之中还是颇有威信的，听他这么说，其他修士也都闭嘴了。
"Alright, it's an extraordinary time now. Brother Mo’s arrangement is cautious and without fault; there’s nothing to criticize," the Wan cultivator said from the side.
yòu guò piàn kè 。
又过片刻。
Clearly, as acting Peak Master, he still had considerable influence among his peers. Hearing this, the other cultivators fell silent.
“ wàn shī xiōng ， yī nǐ zhī jiān ， rú jīn wǒ men yīng gāi rú hé ？” nà bái miàn lǎo zhě zhēn zhuó zhe kāi kǒu le 。
“万师兄，依你之间，如今我们应该如何？”那白面老者斟酌着开口了。
After a moment:
“ suī rán bù zhī dào duì fāng de zhēn zhèng mù dì shì shén me ， dàn jì rán qiān chě dào tiān shī mén de dà lóu xiū xiān zhě ， nà jiù bú shì wǒ jīn dān fēng yī mài kě yǐ yìng duì de ， wéi yǒu jiāng cǐ shì bào shàng qù ， qǐng mén pài wèi wǒ děng zuò zhǔ 。， wàn xìng lǎo zhě huǎn huǎn de shuō 。
“虽然不知道对方的真正目的是什么，但既然牵扯到天尸门的大髅修仙者，那就不是我金丹峰一脉可以应对的，唯有将此事报上去，请门派为我等做主。，万姓老者缓缓的说。
"Brother Wan, according to your judgment, what should we do now?" The white-faced cultivator pondered and spoke up.
“ bào shàng qù ， qí tā sì fēng ， yòu bù zhī dào yǒu duō shǎo xián yán suì yǔ ， hé kuàng wǒ jīn dān fēng suī rán shàn cháng liàn dān shù ， dàn dān yào zī yuán què shì mén pài gòng yǒu ， rú jīn suǒ yǒu de fèi dān bèi xǐ jié yī kōng ， qí tā sì fēng ， kěn dìng bú huì shàn bà gān xiū ， zhè ge zé rèn shuí lái dān ne ？” nà gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ xiù méi yī tiāo ， kǒu qì míng xiǎn shì bù zàn chéng zhè me zuò 。
“报上去，其他四峰，又不知道有多少闲言碎语，何况我金丹峰虽然擅长炼丹术，但丹药资源却是门派共有，如今所有的废丹被洗劫一空，其他四峰，肯定不会善罢甘休，这个责任谁来担呢？”那宫装女子秀眉一挑，口气明显是不赞成这么做。
"Although we don’t know the true intentions of the opponent, since it involves Core Formation cultivators from the Heavenly Corpse Sect, this is beyond our sect’s ability to handle. We must report this matter to the main sect for them to make a decision," the Wan cultivator said slowly.
“ shī mèi de dān yōu wàn mǒu qīng chǔ ， kě zhǐ bāo bú zhù huǒ ， zhè ge shì qíng ， yǒu tiān shī mén chā shǒu ， yǐ jīng tuō lí le nǐ wǒ de zhǎng kòng ， yǐn nì bù bào ， zhǐ yǒu gèng zāo ， zhì yú zé rèn …… bù guò shì yī xiē fèi dān ér yǐ ， lǎo fū yī lì dān xià jiù shì 。，“ shī xiōng ， bù kě ， fèi dān fáng yòu bú shì nǐ zài fù zé ， zěn me néng ràng nǐ dān zé rèn ne ？，“ nà yòu rú hé ， nán dào ràng yī qún zhù jī qī de xiǎo bèi qù dǐng zuì ， nà bù ràng qí tā sì mài xiào diào dà yá le 。”
“师妹的担忧万某清楚，可纸包不住火，这个事情，有天尸门插手，已经脱离了你我的掌控，隐匿不报，只有更糟，至于责任……不过是一些废丹而已，老夫一力担下就是。，“师兄，不可，废丹房又不是你在负责，怎么能让你担责任呢？，“那又如何，难道让一群筑基期的小辈去顶罪，那不让其他四脉笑掉大牙了。”
"Reporting it? The other four peaks might spread idle gossip. Besides, although we excel in alchemy techniques, the resources of medicinal pills are shared by the entire sect. With all our waste pills plundered, the other four peaks won’t let this go easily. Who will bear the responsibility?" The woman in a palace robe raised her eyebrows and clearly disapproved.
“ kě ……，“ hǎo le ， bú yào duō shuō ， cǐ shì jiù cǐ zuò bà ， mò shī dì ， yī huì er nǐ suí wǒ shàng tiān jiàn fēng ， shuō míng shì qíng de jīng guò ， qí tā shī dì shī mèi shǒu zài jiā lǐ ， yě yào xiǎo xīn zài yì ， qiān wàn bù kě gěi yǐ dí rén kòng xì 。”
“可……，“好了，不要多说，此事就此作罢，莫师弟，一会儿你随我上天剑峰，说明事情的经过，其他师弟师妹守在家里，也要小心在意，千万不可给以敌人空隙。”
"I understand Sister’s concerns, but fire cannot be concealed by paper. This matter has already been influenced by the Heavenly Corpse Sect, beyond our control. Hiding it would only make things worse. As for the responsibility... It's just some waste pills; I’ll take full responsibility," the Wan cultivator said.
“ zūn fǎ yù 。”
“尊法谕。”
"Brother, you can’t do that. The waste pills room isn’t your responsibility. How can you bear the blame?" the woman asked.
suí hòu wàn xìng lǎo zhě yǔ liǎn sè là huáng de dà hàn gè zhǎn shén tōng ， fēi chū le gé lóu ， wàng zhe tā men de bèi yǐng ， nà bái miàn lǎo zhě què tàn le kǒu qì 。
随后万姓老者与脸sè蜡黄的大汉各展神通，飞出了阁楼，望着他们的背影，那白面老者却叹了口气。
"How? Should we let a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators shoulder the blame and risk offending the other four branches?"
“ shī xiōng ， zěn me le 。，“ wǒ zài xiǎng ， wàn shī xiōng cǐ xíng ， kǒng pà bú huì shùn lì ， tiān jiàn fēng luó lǎo ér de dí xì hòu rén ， liàn gōng tū rán zǒu huǒ ， yǐ bù zhì shēn wáng le ， luó lǎo ér zhè jǐ tiān ， zhèng dà fā pí qì lái zhe 。，@。
“师兄，怎么了。，“我在想，万师兄此行，恐怕不会顺利，天剑峰罗老儿的嫡系后人，练功突然走火，已不治身亡了，罗老儿这几天，正大发脾气来着。，@。
"But...," "Enough, don't say any more. Let’s put this aside for now. Brother Mo, follow me to Sword Peak to explain the situation. The rest of you stay at home and be vigilant; don’t give our enemies any openings."
The Wan cultivator and the man with a waxy yellow complexion then revealed their true forms and flew out of the pavilion. Watching them depart, the white-faced cultivator sighed.
"I’m thinking that Brother Wan's mission won’t be smooth. The direct descendant of Old Man Luo from Sword Peak had an accident during cultivation and has died. Old Man Luo has been in a rage for days," @.
Fire cannot be concealed by paper. Half a day later, the matter of the waste pills room being plundered finally came to light.
At the peak of the Golden Core Peak in a certain pavilion, several cultivators gathered and were discussing something.
These cultivators had both men and women, with varying ages, but their cultivation levels all reached the Separation Stage. Although the Golden Core Peak was declining and currently lacked Core Formation cultivators, there were still quite a few individuals at the Separation Stage.
There weren't just these few people present; most were in seclusion for intensive cultivation. The seven or eight here were due to their responsibilities, which required them to handle daily affairs of the peak.
Seated at the head was an elderly man dressed in gray clothes, who had reached the late Separation Stage. Although his appearance was withered and gaunt, his eyes sparkled with vitality. This was none other than the acting Peak Master of the Golden Core Peak—Master Wan, who Lin Xuan once used to scare Luo Yunjie.
"Regarding the matter of the waste pills room, do any of you have thoughts on it?" The elderly man withered face swept over the crowd and he slowly spoke.
"Hmph. This is obvious. The corpse left behind in the waste pills room was clearly a member of our sect, but it had been possessed by a substitute devilish corpse technique. Looking at the entire Frost Heaven Prefecture, only the Heavenly Corpse Sect would have such a vicious secret technique. Could anyone else from other sects frame us with this?" A man with a waxy yellow complexion spoke indignantly. He was an intermediate Separation Stage cultivator and seemed to be of a short temper.
"Brother Qiang has a point. The substitute devilish corpse technique is the Heavenly Corpse Sect's exclusive secret, and no other cultivators could possibly imitate it even if they wanted to," another elderly man with a white face stroked his beard as he spoke.
"The two brothers have spoken well. However, given that the opponent can use such a secret technique, their cultivation level likely won't be weaker than ours. They might even be a Core Formation elder. Why would they stealthily infiltrate our sect just to steal waste pills? Moreover, why leave a corpse here. Don’t you find this strange?" The Wan cultivator's eyes flashed with sharpness as he questioned the oddity.
"Indeed..."
The other Separation Stage cultivators exchanged glances. This matter was indeed peculiar and even seemed full of mystery. However, due to too few clues, they could only speculate wildly here.
Silence prevailed for a moment.
"Have we interrogated all the disciples guarding the waste pills room? Were any suspicious?" Seeing that the atmosphere had become tense, the Wan cultivator changed his question.
"No, there are twenty-one disciples guarding the waste pills room. Apart from the one possessed, I personally interrogated the other twenty. The latest among them has been in our sect for over ten years and shows no signs of anything amiss," the man with a waxy yellow complexion replied.
"The technique 'Questioning Heart' that Brother Mo cultivates is extremely mysterious. Even Core Formation cultivators might not be able to deceive you. Since he says there's nothing wrong, it should indeed be fine," the Wan cultivator stroked his beard.
"However..." The man with a waxy yellow complexion revealed an odd expression on his face.
"What? Could Brother Mo have discovered something amiss?" The Wan cultivator asked curiously.
"It can't really be said to be amiss. However, as for your esteemed brothers, you should know that the disciples in charge of the waste pills room are usually those with poor prospects and little promise. But this time, it's different. Among these twenty, there is a disciple named Lin Xuan who entered thirty years ago as an unaffiliated cultivator and has now reached late Foundation Establishment stage. Logically speaking, his future should be bright, but he applied to manage the waste pills room," the man with a waxy yellow complexion continued.
"Thirty years to reach late Foundation Establishment in our sect without any help from elders? What could he possibly need to do at the waste pills room?" A look of surprise flashed across the Wan cultivator's face.
"I asked him, and this disciple said it was because the waste pills room is relatively quiet," the man with a waxy yellow complexion continued. "Quiet does make sense as an excuse. Brother Mo, have you thoroughly examined this disciple for any other issues?"
"No. I probed several times but found nothing amiss. Then I sent two disciples to secretly monitor him. Lin Xuan has been in seclusion and hasn't interacted with the outside world," the man with a waxy yellow complexion said.
Before he could finish, a light laugh sounded from beside them. A woman dressed in white robes spoke up: "Brother Mo really went all out by sending two Core Formation disciples to monitor a late Foundation Establishment cultivator. Don’t you find that too amusing?"
"I...," the man with a waxy yellow complexion turned red as his two direct disciples had also shown reluctance when assigned this task.
Monitoring a Foundation Establishment cultivator with Core Formation ones was indeed somewhat absurd.
"Alright, it's an extraordinary time now. Brother Mo’s arrangement is cautious and without fault; there’s nothing to criticize," the Wan cultivator said from the side.
Clearly, as acting Peak Master, he still had considerable influence among his peers. Hearing this, the other cultivators fell silent.
After a moment:
"Brother Wan, according to your judgment, what should we do now?" The white-faced cultivator pondered and spoke up.
"Although we don’t know the true intentions of the opponent, since it involves Core Formation cultivators from the Heavenly Corpse Sect, this is beyond our sect’s ability to handle. We must report this matter to the main sect for them to make a decision," the Wan cultivator said slowly.
"Reporting it? The other four peaks might spread idle gossip. Besides, although we excel in alchemy techniques, the resources of medicinal pills are shared by the entire sect. With all our waste pills plundered, the other four peaks won’t let this go easily. Who will bear the responsibility?" The woman in a palace robe raised her eyebrows and clearly disapproved.
"I understand Sister’s concerns, but fire cannot be concealed by paper. This matter has already been influenced by the Heavenly Corpse Sect, beyond our control. Hiding it would only make things worse. As for the responsibility... It's just some waste pills; I’ll take full responsibility," the Wan cultivator said.
"Brother, you can’t do that. The waste pills room isn’t your responsibility. How can you bear the blame?" the woman asked.
"How? Should we let a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators shoulder the blame and risk offending the other four branches?"
"But...," "Enough, don't say any more. Let’s put this aside for now. Brother Mo, follow me to Sword Peak to explain the situation. The rest of you stay at home and be vigilant; don’t give our enemies any openings."
"Your command."
The Wan cultivator and the man with a waxy yellow complexion then revealed their true forms and flew out of the pavilion. Watching them depart, the white-faced cultivator sighed.
"Brother, what’s wrong?"
"I’m thinking that Brother Wan's mission won’t be smooth. The direct descendant of Old Man Luo from Sword Peak had an accident during cultivation and has died. Old Man Luo has been in a rage for days," @.