“ zhè jiù shì yù shòu zōng de dài kè zhī dào me ？” bái xiān shēng hǎo tīng de shēng yīn xiǎng chè tiān dì jiān 。
“这就是御兽宗的待客之道么？”白先生好听的声音响彻天地间。
"Is this how the Beast Taming Sect receives its guests?" Mr. Bai's pleasant voice echoed through the heavens.
méi yǒu bàn diǎn nù qì ， dàn shì què lìng hù zōng qīng lóng gǎn shòu dào le jí dà de wēi xié ， nù mù ér shì 。
没有半点怒气，但是却令护宗青龙感受到了极大的威胁，怒目而视。
There was no trace of anger, but it still posed a significant threat to the sect-defending Azure Dragon, causing it to glare fiercely.
chū yú zì shēn de fáng wèi běn néng ， yǎn kān qīng lóng jiù yào dòng shǒu ， zhè qiān jūn yī fà zhī jì ， yī dào shēn yǐng hū de zì dì miàn téng kōng ér qǐ 。
出于自身的防卫本能，眼看青龙就要动手，这千钧一发之际，一道身影忽的自地面腾空而起。
Driven by its instinct for self-defense, as the Azure Dragon was about to strike, a figure suddenly leaped up from the ground at this critical moment.
“ a a a a a ！”
“啊啊啊啊啊！”
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
bàn suí zhe cǎn hū shēng ， yī lù jìng zhí fēi dào bái xiān shēng miàn qián 。
伴随着惨呼声，一路径直飞到白先生面前。
With a scream, the small figure flew straight towards Mr. Bai.
níng zhòng jǐn zhāng de qì fēn shà shí bèi dǎ pò 。
凝重紧张的气氛霎时被打破。
The tense atmosphere was instantly broken.
tiān dì jiān wú shù de mù guāng shà shí quán dōu jí zhōng zài nà dào yòu xiǎo de shēn yǐng shàng 。
天地间无数的目光霎时全都集中在那道幼小的身影上。
Countless gazes in the sky immediately focused on that tiny figure.
“ shì xǔ kè a ……” bái xiān shēng xiào le xiào 。
“是许克啊……”白先生笑了笑。
"It's Xǔ Ke…" Mr. Bai smiled.
xǔ kè zé shì mō le mō hòu nǎo sháo ， tǎn tè bù ān 。
许克则是摸了摸后脑勺，忐忑不安。
Xǔ Ke scratched his head, feeling uneasy but still asked as Li Fan had taught him: "Mr. Bai, why have you come? Are you here to see me?"
bù guò hái shì àn zhào lǐ fán jiào de ， miǎn tiǎn de kāi kǒu wèn dào ：“ bái xiān shēng nǐ zěn me lái le ， shì lái kàn wǒ de ma ？”
不过还是按照李凡教的，腼腆的开口问道：“白先生你怎么来了，是来看我的吗？”
Before Mr. Bai could reply, a flash of blue light suddenly streaked from the horizon and blocked their path.
bái xiān shēng huán wèi huí dá ， yī dào lán guāng hū de zì tiān biān shùn xī ér zhì ， dǎng zài le tā gēn xǔ kè zhī jiān 。
白先生还未回答，一道蓝光忽的自天边瞬息而至，挡在了他跟许克之间。
"Big Brother Lù Yá!" Xǔ Ke was excited to see an old acquaintance.
“ lù yá dà gē ！” jiē lián jiàn dào jiù rén ， xǔ kè shí fēn xīng fèn 。
“陆涯大哥！”接连见到旧人，许克十分兴奋。
Seeing the wary expression on Lù Yá's face, Mr. Bai's eyes flickered with a hint of helplessness: "Lù Yá, it's been a long time."
ér bái xiān shēng kàn zhe liǎn shàng mǎn shì jǐng tì de lù yá ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī wú nài ：“ lù yá ， hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn 。”
而白先生看着脸上满是警惕的陆涯，眼中闪过一丝无奈：“陆涯，好久不见。”
Lù Yá asked, his tone cold and full of suspicion: "What do you want?"
lù yá dào ：“ nín yǒu shén me shì ？”
陆涯道：“您有什么事？”
Mr. Bai did not take offense and said slowly: "This visit is without ill intent. I just came to the Beast Taming Sect for something they can help with."
yǔ qì bīng lěng ， mǎn shì jiè bèi 。
语气冰冷，满是戒备。
Hearing this, Lù Yá hesitated.
bái xiān shēng yě bù yǐ wéi yì ， huǎn huǎn shuō dào ：“ cǐ xíng bìng wú è yì 。 zhǐ shì lái zhǎo yù shòu zōng ， yǒu yī shì xū yào tā men bāng máng 。”
白先生也不以为意，缓缓说道：“此行并无恶意。只是来找御兽宗，有一事需要他们帮忙。”
Just then, an old voice echoed: "A far guest is a welcome one; it's our fault for not properly hosting you."
lù yá wén yán ， chén yín bù jué 。
陆涯闻言，沉吟不决。
An elderly man with white hair and eyebrows appeared at that moment.
jiù zài zhè shí ， yī dào cāng lǎo de shēng yīn xiǎng qǐ ：“ yuǎn lái jí shì kè ， shì wǒ yù shòu zōng zhāo dài bù zhōu le 。”
就在这时，一道苍老的声音响起：“远来即是客，是我御兽宗招待不周了。”
"Senior Elder?" Lù Yá was surprised.
yī wèi bái fà bái méi de lǎo zhě ， bàn suí zhe shà shí chū xiàn 。
一位白发白眉的老者，伴随着霎时出现。
Emperor Sanmāo nodded in response. He then looked at Mr. Bai and said, "Please follow me, esteemed guest. If there's anything the Beast Taming Sect can do, we will cooperate."
“ dà zhǎng lǎo ？” lù yá yī jīng 。
“大长老？”陆涯一惊。
This courteous attitude left Lù Yá puzzled and hard to accept.
dì sān mò diǎn le diǎn tóu ， yǐ shì huí yìng 。 suí hòu kàn xiàng bái xiān shēng ：“ guì kè qǐng gēn wǒ lái 。 ruò yǒu shén me yù shòu zōng néng bāng de ， wǒ men yí dìng pèi hé 。”
帝叁貘点了点头，以示回应。随后看向白先生：“贵客请跟我来。若有什么御兽宗能帮的，我们一定配合。”
However, he respected his teacher and did not argue openly.
zhè shí fēn kè qì de tài dù ， ràng lù yá yǒu xiē bù jiě yǐ jí nán yǐ jiē shòu 。
这十分客气的态度，让陆涯有些不解以及难以接受。
"Thank you in advance for your hospitality," Mr. Bai also retracted his aura.
bù guò tā bì jìng hái suàn zūn shī zhòng dào ， méi yǒu dāng miàn fǎn bó 。
不过他毕竟还算尊师重道，没有当面反驳。
Following Senior Elder Sanmāo, they disappeared.
“ rú cǐ biàn xiān xíng xiè guò le 。” suǒ wèi shēn shǒu bù dǎ xiào liǎn rén ， bái xiān shēng yě jiāng zì jǐ sàn fà de qì xī shōu qǐ 。
“如此便先行谢过了。”所谓伸手不打笑脸人，白先生也将自己散发的气息收起。
"Why? Why are you leaving?" Xǔ Ke was disappointed when he realized that Mr. Bai would not take him along.
gēn suí zhe dì sān mò ， xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
跟随着帝叁貘，消失不见。
"You should have kept a distance from Mr. Bai! You rushed up to him the moment you saw him!" Lù Yá gently patted Xǔ Ke's head and scolded.
“ āi ？ zěn me zǒu le ？” yuán běn yǐ wéi bái xiān shēng huì dài shàng zì jǐ ， xǔ kè yī shí jiān yǒu xiē ào nǎo 。
“哎？怎么走了？”原本以为白先生会带上自己，许克一时间有些懊恼。
"He wasn't like what he shows in front of us," Lù Yá said, his expression darkening as he looked towards the Beast Taming Sect.
“ ràng nǐ bú yào gēn bái xiān shēng zǒu de tài jìn ！ hái shǎ hū hū de yī jiàn miàn jiù chōng shàng qù ！” lù yá qīng qīng pāi le pāi xǔ kè de nǎo dài ， xùn jiè dào 。
“让你不要跟白先生走的太近！还傻乎乎的一见面就冲上去！”陆涯轻轻拍了拍许克的脑袋，训诫道。
"Why do you say that, Big Brother Lù Yá? Mr. Bai is a truly good person!" Xǔ Ke was confused but earnestly stated.
“ tā gēn běn bú shì píng shí zài wǒ men miàn qián suǒ biǎo xiàn de nà yàng 。” lù yá kàn zhe yù shòu zōng yuǎn fāng ， miàn sè yīn chén dào 。
“他根本不是平时在我们面前所表现的那样。”陆涯看着御兽宗远方，面色阴沉道。
"You... sigh..." Lù Yá sighed deeply and finally revealed: "After Ningyuan City was razed to the ground..."
“ lù yá dà gē ， nǐ dào dǐ wèi shén me zhè me shuō a ！ bái xiān shēng tā zhēn de shì dà hǎo rén ！” xǔ kè yǒu xiē bù jiě ， dàn shì shí fēn rèn zhēn de shuō dào 。
“陆涯大哥，你到底为什么这么说啊！白先生他真的是大好人！”许克有些不解，但是十分认真的说道。
"Under his command, we called on the people to自救 (self-rescue) and helped transfer all the injured to a small temple."
“ nǐ …… āi ……” lù yá cháng tàn le yì kǒu qì ，“ bà le ， shì dào rú jīn wǒ yě bù mán nǐ le 。”
“你……唉……”陆涯长叹了一口气，“罢了，事到如今我也不瞒你了。”
"But that day..."
“ níng yuǎn chéng bèi yí wéi píng dì hòu ， wǒ men zài bái xiān ……”
“宁远城被夷为平地后，我们在白先……”
Lù Yá fell into reminiscence, his expression somewhat dazed.
“ zài tā de zhǐ huī xià ， hū hǎn mín zhòng zì jiù 。 bìng qiě bāng máng bǎ shāng yuán jìn shù zhuǎn yí dào xiǎo pò miào lǐ 。”
“在他的指挥下，呼喊民众自救。并且帮忙把伤员尽数转移到小破庙里。”
"A sudden outbreak of injuries among the wounded left one struggling for breath. Mr. Bai was not around at the time; our skills were insufficient to save him..."
“ dàn shì ， nà yī tiān ……”
“但是，那一天……”
"So we split up and searched the city for Mr. Bai."
lù yá xiàn rù le huí yì ， shén qíng yǒu xiē huǎng hū 。
陆涯陷入了回忆，神情有些恍惚。
Xǔ Ke suddenly added: "Right, I remember that happening. Soon after, your attitude towards Mr. Bai changed completely. Why?"
“ shāng yuán zhōng tū rán yǒu rén shāng qíng bào fā ， yǎn kàn jiù yào zhī chēng bú zhù le 。 bái xiān shēng qià hǎo yòu bù zài ， wǒ men de shuǐ píng gēn běn jiù bù liǎo tā ……”
“伤员中突然有人伤情爆发，眼看就要支撑不住了。白先生恰好又不在，我们的水平根本救不了他……”
Lù Yá took a deep breath: "Back then, I searched everywhere for Mr. Bai but couldn't find him. Suddenly, it came to me that he had once taken me to his home when I was seriously ill and treated me. I vaguely remember there being a basement in his house."
“ suǒ yǐ wǒ men zhǐ néng fēn sàn kāi lái ， zài chéng zhōng xún zhǎo bái xiān shēng 。”
“所以我们只能分散开来，在城中寻找白先生。”
"I wondered if he might be in the basement now. After much effort, I finally found the entrance to the basement near Mr. Bai's residence. Just as I was about to call out, I caught a faint whiff of blood. Thinking it was Mr. Bai injured, I rushed in without hesitation. What I saw..."
xǔ kè zhè shí hòu yě hū de shuō dào ：“ duì ， wǒ xiǎng qǐ lái le ， dāng shí shì yǒu zhè me yī huí shì 。 bù jiǔ zhī hòu ， lù yá dà gē nǐ duì bái xiān shēng de tài dù jiù chè dǐ biàn le 。 dào dǐ wèi shén me a ？”
许克这时候也忽的说道：“对，我想起来了，当时是有这么一回事。不久之后，陆涯大哥你对白先生的态度就彻底变了。到底为什么啊？”
"What did you see?" Xǔ Ke was fully engrossed by Lù Yá's description.
lù yá shēn xī le yì kǒu qì ：“ nà shí ， wǒ biàn xún bái xiān shēng bú dào 。 hū de xiǎng qǐ ， wǒ céng jīng bìng zhòng shí ， bèi bái xiān shēng dài dào tā jiā lǐ jiù zhì guò 。 yǐn yǐn jì de ， tā wū zi lǐ sì hū yǒu gè dì xià shì 。”
陆涯深吸了一口气：“那时，我遍寻白先生不到。忽的想起，我曾经病重时，被白先生带到他家里救治过。隐隐记得，他屋子里似乎有个地下室。”
"Dead bodies. The entire basement was filled with dismembered corpses. And he was holding a sharp blade, performing an evil ritual on the dead," Lù Yá said.
“ wǒ jiù xiǎng ， huì bú huì tā cǐ shí jiù shēn zài dì xià shì 。 fèi le yī fān gōng fu ， zhōng yú zài bái xiān shēng jiā fù jìn zhǎo dào le dì xià shì de rù kǒu 。 gāng yào hǎn huà xún wèn ， què yǐn yǐn wén dào le yī zhèn xuè xīng wèi cóng zhōng piāo chū 。 wǒ hái yǐ wéi shì bái xiān shēng shòu shāng le ， dāng xià gù bù dé qí tā ， lián máng chuǎng rù 。 què kàn dào le ……”
“我就想，会不会他此时就身在地下室。费了一番功夫，终于在白先生家附近找到了地下室的入口。刚要喊话询问，却隐隐闻到了一阵血腥味从中飘出。我还以为是白先生受伤了，当下顾不得其他，连忙闯入。却看到了……”
Xǔ Ke nodded.
“ kàn dào le shén me ？” xǔ kè yě bèi lù yá de miáo shù láo láo xī yǐn de xīn shén 。
“看到了什么？”许克也被陆涯的描述牢牢吸引的心神。
"At that time, they mysteriously disappeared. I asked Mr. Bai about them, but he claimed he hadn't seen any trace of them. But..."
“ shī tǐ 。 mǎn mǎn yī dì xià shì ， quán dōu shì zhī lí pò suì de shī tǐ 。 ér tā ， zhèng shǒu chí fēng lì dāo jù ， jiāng shī tǐ fēn shī 、 jìn xíng zhe xié è de yí shì 。 nǐ hái jì de gǒu zi yǐ qián hái yǒu jǐ gè xiōng dì me ？ dōu shì bèi rén qiáng xíng fèng le gǒu de shēn tǐ 。” lù yá wèn dào 。
“尸体。满满一地下室，全都是支离破碎的尸体。而他，正手持锋利刀具，将尸体分尸、进行着邪恶的仪式。你还记得狗子以前还有几个兄弟么？都是被人强行缝了狗的身体。”陆涯问道。
Lù Yá gritted his teeth: "I clearly saw them among those corpses in the basement!"
xǔ kè diǎn diǎn tóu 。
许克点点头。
"Really?" Xǔ Ke's eyes widened in disbelief.
“ dāng shí tā men jǐ gè mò míng shī zōng le ， wǒ wèn guò bái xiān shēng ， tā shuō yě méi yǒu jiàn guò tā men de zōng jì 。 dàn shì ……”
“当时他们几个莫名失踪了，我问过白先生，他说也没有见过他们的踪迹。但是……”
Lù Yá continued: "The scene in that basement was like a hell. Even now, I shiver just thinking about it. The bloodiness was so intense and horrifying that the ground was stained black with blood. At the very back of the basement stood an extremely eerie faceless statue!"
lù yá yǎo yá qiè chǐ dào ：“ wǒ fēn míng zài dì xià shì de nà jǐ jù shī tǐ zhōng ， kàn dào le tā men ！”
陆涯咬牙切齿道：“我分明在地下室的那几句尸体中，看到了他们！”
"Even though I only saw it once, it keeps appearing in my nightmares. You wouldn't believe how evil it is unless you've seen it yourself!"
“ zhè ……” xǔ kè dèng zhí le shuāng yǎn ， gēn běn bù gǎn xiāng xìn zhè yī qiè 。
“这……”许克瞪直了双眼，根本不敢相信这一切。
"He seemed shocked by my unexpected intrusion. But I immediately realized he might want to kill me to cover his tracks. Without a second thought, I fled the secret chamber like mad and returned to the small temple to uncover Mr. Bai's true nature. But he was too good at hiding! No one believed me!"
lù yá jì xù shuō dào ：“ nà jiān dì xià shì de chǎng jǐng ， jiǎn zhí rú tóng dì yù yì bān 。 wǒ zhì jīn huí xiǎng qǐ lái ， yī jiù gǎn dào hún shēn bīng lěng 。 bù jǐn xuè xīng wèi nóng yù dào hài rén tīng wén de dì bù ， dì miàn dōu yǐ jīng bèi xuè xīng zhān rǎn de hēi hóng 。 dì xià shì zuì lǐ miàn gèng shì chù lì zhe yī zūn guǐ yì zhì jí de wú miàn diāo xiàng ！”
陆涯继续说道：“那间地下室的场景，简直如同地狱一般。我至今回想起来，依旧感到浑身冰冷。不仅血腥味浓郁到骇人听闻的地步，地面都已经被血腥沾染的黑红。地下室最里面更是矗立着一尊诡异至极的无面雕像！”
Lù Yá sighed deeply.
“ jí biàn dāng shí zhǐ kàn le yī yǎn ， tā què jīng cháng zài wǒ de è mèng zhōng bù duàn chóng fù chū xiàn 。 ruò shì méi yǒu qīn yǎn suǒ jiàn ， nǐ jué duì bú huì xiǎng xiàng chū nà jiū jìng shì hé děng de xié è ！”
“即便当时只看了一眼，它却经常在我的噩梦中不断重复出现。若是没有亲眼所见，你绝对不会想象出那究竟是何等的邪恶！”
"Staying by his side would have put me in danger of being harmed. So I had to escape! Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried, only you agreed to flee with me."
“ tā sì hū duì yú wǒ de mò míng chuǎng rù ， shí fēn zhèn jīng 。 wǒ què lì mǎ fǎn yìng guò lái ， wéi kǒng tā yào shā rén miè kǒu 。 èr huà bù shuō ， lián gǔn dài pá zhe táo chū mì shì 。 fā fēng shì dé táo huí xiǎo miào nèi ， xiǎng yào jiē chuān bái xiān shēng de zhēn miàn mù 。 kě shì tā yí xiàng wěi zhuāng de tài hǎo le ！ gēn běn méi yǒu rén xìn wǒ ！”
“他似乎对于我的莫名闯入，十分震惊。我却立马反应过来，唯恐他要杀人灭口。二话不说，连滚带爬着逃出密室。发疯似得逃回小庙内，想要揭穿白先生的真面目。可是他一向伪装的太好了！根本没有人信我！”
"Fortunately, we met our teacher on the way and finally found a home here at the Beast Taming Sect. But now he's following us again like a ghost!"
lù yá cháng tàn yì kǒu qì 。
陆涯长叹一口气。
Xǔ Ke looked at Lù Yá's furrowed brow, feeling conflicted.
“ rú guǒ yì zhí dài zài tā de shēn biān ， dìng rán huì yǒu bèi hài de wēi xiǎn 。 zhǐ néng táo ！ kě xī wú lùn wǒ zěn me shuō ， yuàn yì gēn wǒ yì qǐ táo chū lái de ， yě zhǐ yǒu nǐ yí gè 。”
“如果一直待在他的身边，定然会有被害的危险。只能逃！可惜无论我怎么说，愿意跟我一起逃出来的，也只有你一个。”
"Maybe there's some misunderstanding?" Xǔ Ke tried to persuade him.
“ hái hǎo lù shàng wǒ men yù dào le shī zūn ， zài zhè yù shòu zōng zǒng suàn ān le jiā 。 kě méi yǒu xiǎng dào ， tā jū rán yīn hún bù sàn ， yòu gēn le guò lái 。”
“还好路上我们遇到了师尊，在这御兽宗总算安了家。可没有想到，他居然阴魂不散，又跟了过来。”
"A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding?" Lù Yá snorted coldly.
xǔ kè kàn zhuó lù yá méi tóu jǐn suǒ de yàng zi ， xīn zhōng dùn shí shí fēn jiū jié 。
许克看着陆涯眉头紧锁的样子，心中顿时十分纠结。
"You've met him in person now. Facing the sect-defending Azure Dragon, he remained unperturbed. You can imagine how terrifying his current strength is! He advanced so quickly within a short time; the only way I can think of is by using that evil sacrificial power!"
“ shuō bù dìng ， zhè qí zhōng yǒu shén me wù huì ？” xǔ kè réng rán shì tú quàn shuō dào 。
“说不定，这其中有什么误会？”许克仍然试图劝说道。
"Furthermore..."
“ wù huì ？ néng yǒu shén me wù huì ？” lù yá lěng hēng yī shēng 。
“误会？能有什么误会？”陆涯冷哼一声。
Lù Yá paused: "I also investigated that eerie faceless statue."
“ nǐ xiàn zài yě jiàn dào tā běn rén le 。 miàn duì hé dào jìng jiè de hù zōng qīng lóng ， jìng rán néng miàn bù gǎi sè 。 kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng tā rú jīn de shí lì jiū jìng yǒu duō me kě pà ！ duǎn duǎn shí jiān nèi ， jiù xiū xíng dào zhè zhòng dì bù 。 chú le shì yòng nà xié è jì sì de lì liàng huàn lái de ， wǒ xiǎng bù chū qí tā néng gòu dá chéng de fāng fǎ ！”
“你现在也见到他本人了。面对合道境界的护宗青龙，竟然能面不改色。可以想象他如今的实力究竟有多么可怕！短短时间内，就修行到这种地步。除了是用那邪恶祭祀的力量换来的，我想不出其他能够达成的方法！”
"It was an evil deity worshipped by the ancient dark cult, Xuantian Sect. The remnants of the Xuantian Sect must be eradicated by all of us practitioners!"
“ zài zhě shuō ……”
“再者说……”
Xǔ Ke did not know what the Xuantian Sect was.
lù yá dùn le yī dùn ：“ nà zūn guǐ yì de wú miàn diāo xiàng ， wǒ yě diào chá guò 。”
陆涯顿了一顿：“那尊诡异的无面雕像，我也调查过。”
However, he knew why Mr. Bai had progressed so rapidly in cultivation.
“ shì shàng gǔ xié è jiào pài ， xuán tiān jiào jì sì de xié shén ！ xuán tiān jiào yú niè ， wǒ bèi xiū shì 、 rén rén dé ér zhū zhī ！”
“是上古邪恶教派，玄天教祭祀的邪神！玄天教余孽，我辈修士、人人得而诛之！”
But as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered Li Fan's warning: "Never reveal the Heavenly Secrets!" and swallowed his words.
xuán tiān jiào shì shén me xǔ kè bù qīng chǔ 。
玄天教是什么许克不清楚。
(End of chapter)
"Is this how the Beast Taming Sect receives its guests?" Mr. Bai's pleasant voice echoed through the heavens.
There was no trace of anger, but it still posed a significant threat to the sect-defending Azure Dragon, causing it to glare fiercely.
Driven by its instinct for self-defense, as the Azure Dragon was about to strike, a figure suddenly leaped up from the ground at this critical moment.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
With a scream, the small figure flew straight towards Mr. Bai.
The tense atmosphere was instantly broken.
Countless gazes in the sky immediately focused on that tiny figure.
"It's Xǔ Ke…" Mr. Bai smiled.
Xǔ Ke scratched his head, feeling uneasy but still asked as Li Fan had taught him: "Mr. Bai, why have you come? Are you here to see me?"
Before Mr. Bai could reply, a flash of blue light suddenly streaked from the horizon and blocked their path.
"Big Brother Lù Yá!" Xǔ Ke was excited to see an old acquaintance.
Seeing the wary expression on Lù Yá's face, Mr. Bai's eyes flickered with a hint of helplessness: "Lù Yá, it's been a long time."
Lù Yá asked, his tone cold and full of suspicion: "What do you want?"
Mr. Bai did not take offense and said slowly: "This visit is without ill intent. I just came to the Beast Taming Sect for something they can help with."
Hearing this, Lù Yá hesitated.
Just then, an old voice echoed: "A far guest is a welcome one; it's our fault for not properly hosting you."
An elderly man with white hair and eyebrows appeared at that moment.
"Senior Elder?" Lù Yá was surprised.
Emperor Sanmāo nodded in response. He then looked at Mr. Bai and said, "Please follow me, esteemed guest. If there's anything the Beast Taming Sect can do, we will cooperate."
This courteous attitude left Lù Yá puzzled and hard to accept.
However, he respected his teacher and did not argue openly.
"Thank you in advance for your hospitality," Mr. Bai also retracted his aura.
Following Senior Elder Sanmāo, they disappeared.
"Why? Why are you leaving?" Xǔ Ke was disappointed when he realized that Mr. Bai would not take him along.
"You should have kept a distance from Mr. Bai! You rushed up to him the moment you saw him!" Lù Yá gently patted Xǔ Ke's head and scolded.
"He wasn't like what he shows in front of us," Lù Yá said, his expression darkening as he looked towards the Beast Taming Sect.
"Why do you say that, Big Brother Lù Yá? Mr. Bai is a truly good person!" Xǔ Ke was confused but earnestly stated.
"You... sigh..." Lù Yá sighed deeply and finally revealed: "After Ningyuan City was razed to the ground..."
"Under his command, we called on the people to自救 (self-rescue) and helped transfer all the injured to a small temple."
"But that day..."
Lù Yá fell into reminiscence, his expression somewhat dazed.
"A sudden outbreak of injuries among the wounded left one struggling for breath. Mr. Bai was not around at the time; our skills were insufficient to save him..."
"So we split up and searched the city for Mr. Bai."
Xǔ Ke suddenly added: "Right, I remember that happening. Soon after, your attitude towards Mr. Bai changed completely. Why?"
Lù Yá took a deep breath: "Back then, I searched everywhere for Mr. Bai but couldn't find him. Suddenly, it came to me that he had once taken me to his home when I was seriously ill and treated me. I vaguely remember there being a basement in his house."
"I wondered if he might be in the basement now. After much effort, I finally found the entrance to the basement near Mr. Bai's residence. Just as I was about to call out, I caught a faint whiff of blood. Thinking it was Mr. Bai injured, I rushed in without hesitation. What I saw..."
"What did you see?" Xǔ Ke was fully engrossed by Lù Yá's description.
"Dead bodies. The entire basement was filled with dismembered corpses. And he was holding a sharp blade, performing an evil ritual on the dead," Lù Yá said.
Xǔ Ke nodded.
"At that time, they mysteriously disappeared. I asked Mr. Bai about them, but he claimed he hadn't seen any trace of them. But..."
Lù Yá gritted his teeth: "I clearly saw them among those corpses in the basement!"
"Really?" Xǔ Ke's eyes widened in disbelief.
Lù Yá continued: "The scene in that basement was like a hell. Even now, I shiver just thinking about it. The bloodiness was so intense and horrifying that the ground was stained black with blood. At the very back of the basement stood an extremely eerie faceless statue!"
"Even though I only saw it once, it keeps appearing in my nightmares. You wouldn't believe how evil it is unless you've seen it yourself!"
"He seemed shocked by my unexpected intrusion. But I immediately realized he might want to kill me to cover his tracks. Without a second thought, I fled the secret chamber like mad and returned to the small temple to uncover Mr. Bai's true nature. But he was too good at hiding! No one believed me!"
Lù Yá sighed deeply.
"Staying by his side would have put me in danger of being harmed. So I had to escape! Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried, only you agreed to flee with me."
"Fortunately, we met our teacher on the way and finally found a home here at the Beast Taming Sect. But now he's following us again like a ghost!"
Xǔ Ke looked at Lù Yá's furrowed brow, feeling conflicted.
"Maybe there's some misunderstanding?" Xǔ Ke tried to persuade him.
"A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding?" Lù Yá snorted coldly.
"You've met him in person now. Facing the sect-defending Azure Dragon, he remained unperturbed. You can imagine how terrifying his current strength is! He advanced so quickly within a short time; the only way I can think of is by using that evil sacrificial power!"
"Furthermore..."
Lù Yá paused: "I also investigated that eerie faceless statue."
"It was an evil deity worshipped by the ancient dark cult, Xuantian Sect. The remnants of the Xuantian Sect must be eradicated by all of us practitioners!"
Xǔ Ke did not know what the Xuantian Sect was.
However, he knew why Mr. Bai had progressed so rapidly in cultivation.
But as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered Li Fan's warning: "Never reveal the Heavenly Secrets!" and swallowed his words.
(End of chapter)