dà gài gǎo qīng chǔ shì qíng de yuán wěi zhī hòu ， xǔ bái què méi yǒu zháo jí shēng zhāng 。 ér shì xiān tōng zhī tiān liáng zhōu wèi shù yuàn de rén ， jiāng wú liàng shān zàn shí fēng suǒ ， bǎ fù xīng chí sān rén xiān xíng dài huí 、 guān yā 。 rán hòu àn bīng bù dòng ， zhǐ shì nài xīn děng dài tiān liáng chéng zhǔ nán gōng shì róng huí lái 。
大概搞清楚事情的原委之后，许白却没有着急声张。而是先通知天凉州卫戍院的人，将无量山暂时封锁，把傅星驰三人先行带回、关押。然后按兵不动，只是耐心等待天凉城主南宫士荣回来。
After gaining a clearer understanding of the situation, Xu Bai did not rush to make it public. Instead, he first informed the Tianliang Garrison Administration and had Wu Liang Mountain temporarily sealed off. He then brought Fu Xingchi and his companions back for detention before taking a wait-and-see approach.
jì rán tā lín xíng qián tè dì yǒu guò jiāo dài ， nà me zì jǐ zhè ge xià shǔ yě yīng dāng zūn shǒu cái shì 。
既然他临行前特地有过交代，那么自己这个下属也应当遵守才是。
Since he had specifically instructed this beforehand, his subordinate should follow suit.
gèng hé kuàng ……
更何况……
Moreover...
zhè xiē nián lái ， wú liàng bì tūn mò xiū shì 、 zhì shǐ duō rén shī zōng yī shì ， yán gé lái shuō ， gēn lǐ fán zhè wèi shàng sī ， yě tuō bù liǎo gān xì 。
这些年来，无量壁吞没修士、致使多人失踪一事，严格来说，跟李凡这位上司，也脱不了干系。
Over these years, the disappearance of cultivators due to the devouring of Wu Liang Wall was strictly speaking, also related to Supervisor Li Fan. After all, before becoming the Tianliang City Lord, Nan Gong Shirong held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Tianliang Garrison Administration. Such a significant incident happening within his jurisdiction yet he remained oblivious...
bì jìng zài dāng shàng tiān liáng chéng zhǔ zhī qián ， nán gōng shì róng shì dān rèn de tiān liáng zhōu wèi shù yuàn zhǐ huī shǐ yī zhí 。 jìng nèi fā shēng zhè me dà de shì ， tā què yì zhí méi yǒu chá jué ……
毕竟在当上天凉城主之前，南宫士荣是担任的天凉州卫戍院指挥使一职。境内发生这么大的事，他却一直没有察觉……
If attacked by others, even if it were unfair, he would still be guilty of dereliction of duty. Nan Gong had only recently become city lord and his foundation was not yet solid. At that time, stepping on Xiang Rongxin's toes had also offended many people. If a single misstep revealed any flaws, leading to a group attack, it might result in him losing the position before he could even warm up to it.
ruò shì bèi rén gōng jié ， zài zěn me yàng ， yí gè shī zhí zhī zuì zǒng guī shì shào bù liǎo de 。 nán gōng shì róng dāng shàng chéng zhǔ bù jiǔ ， gēn jī wèi wěn 。 dāng shí cǎi zhe xiàng róng xīn shàng wèi ， yě dé zuì le bù shǎo rén 。 rú guǒ yī zhe bù shèn ， lù chū pò zhàn ， yǐn dé qún qǐ gōng zhī 。 pà bú shì zhè ge chéng zhǔ de wèi zhì hái méi zuò rè ， jiù yào bèi rén gǎn xià qù 。
若是被人攻讦，再怎么样，一个失职之罪总归是少不了的。南宫士荣当上城主不久，根基未稳。当时踩着向容欣上位，也得罪了不少人。如果一着不慎，露出破绽，引得群起攻之。怕不是这个城主的位置还没坐热，就要被人赶下去。
As a trusted aide, Xu Bai naturally needed to shoulder some of this burden for his lord.
xǔ bái zuò wéi qí xīn fù ， zì rán yào wèi chéng zhǔ dà rén fēn dān cái shì 。
许白作为其心腹，自然要为城主大人分担才是。
He secretly backed up records of missing incidents over the years and then went to the Office of Finance to entertain Guan Xingxiu, who had come to seek an explanation again.
àn zhōng jiāng lì nián lái de shī zōng shì jiàn zī liào bèi fèn ， xǔ bái suí hòu jiù qù le bù zhèng táng zhōng ， zhāo dài yòu lái xīng shī wèn zuì de guān xíng xiū 。
暗中将历年来的失踪事件资料备份，许白随后就去了布政堂中，招待又来兴师问罪的关行修。
Unlike in his previous life when he saw him in a lazy state, Guan Xingxiu now resembled a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, radiating his own brilliance without reservation.
hé shàng yī shì zài lán lín zhōu jiàn dào tā de lǎn sǎn mú yàng bù tóng ， cǐ kè de guān xíng xiū yóu rú yī bǐng chū qiào de lì jiàn ， háo bù yǎn shì xiàng wài sàn fà zhe zì jǐ de fēng máng 。
和上一世在兰林州见到他的懒散模样不同，此刻的关行修犹如一柄出鞘的利剑，毫不掩饰向外散发着自己的锋芒。
"Meeting Master Guan..." Xu Bai bowed respectfully.
“ jiàn guò guān qián bèi ……” xǔ bái gǒng shǒu xíng lǐ dào 。
“见过关前辈……”许白拱手行礼道。
"Haven't you found any leads on Chang Ge's whereabouts yet?" Guan Xingxiu narrowed his eyes at Xu Bai. His previously aggressive tone softened slightly.
“ zhǎng gē de xià luò rú jīn kě yǒu méi mù le ？” guān xíng xiū kàn zhe xǔ bái de róng mào ， yǎn jīng wēi mī 。 yuán běn duō duō bī rén de huà yǔ ， yě bù yóu biàn dé shū huǎn le jǐ fēn 。
“长歌的下落如今可有眉目了？”关行修看着许白的容貌，眼睛微眯。原本咄咄逼人的话语，也不由变得舒缓了几分。
"We have found some clues. I believe we can give you a reply soon." Xu Bai replied with dignity.
“ yǐ jīng zhǎo dào xiàn suǒ le 。 xiāng xìn hěn kuài jiù néng gěi qián bèi yí gè dá fù 。” xǔ bái bù bēi bù kàng dào 。
“已经找到线索了。相信很快就能给前辈一个答复。”许白不卑不亢道。
"Such low efficiency, if this were in Tianyu Province, you would already be dismissed and investigated," Guan Xingxiu snorted coldly.
“ bàn shì xiào lǜ rú cǐ dī xià ， huàn zuò zài tiān yǔ zhōu ， zǎo bǎ nǐ men gé zhí chá bàn le 。” guān xíng xiū lěng hēng yī shēng dào 。
“办事效率如此低下，换做在天禹州，早把你们革职查办了。”关行修冷哼一声道。
Xu Bai lowered his head without replying.
xǔ bái dī tóu bù dá 。
许白低头不答。
"I will give you seven more days. If there is no definite result by then..."
“ zài gěi nǐ men qī tiān shí jiān 。 rú guǒ dào shí hòu ， réng méi yǒu gè què qiè jié guǒ ……”
“再给你们七天时间。如果到时候，仍没有个确切结果……”
A golden flying sword suddenly shot out and hovered above the Office of Finance.
yī bǐng jīn sè fēi jiàn huò rán fēi chū ， xuán yú bù zhèng táng zhī shàng 。
一柄金色飞剑豁然飞出，悬于布政堂之上。
"Then don't blame me for being unyielding!" Guan Xingxiu's tone turned ominous as he gradually vanished.
“ jiù bié guài wǒ bù jiǎng qíng miàn le ！” guān xíng xiū yǔ qì sēn rán ， shēn xíng zhú jiàn xiāo shī 。
“就别怪我不讲情面了！”关行修语气森然，身形逐渐消失。
Only leaving behind that small golden sword, radiating a chilling aura.
zhǐ liú xià nà bǐng jīn sè xiǎo jiàn ， zhàn fàng chū lǐn rán shā yì 。
只留下那柄金色小剑，绽放出凛然杀意。
...
“ luò xīng shén jiàn ……”
“落星神剑……”
"The Starfall Divine Sword..."
wǎn ruò shí zhì dì shā niàn jī hū cì de xǔ bái jī fū shēng téng ， bù dé bù zàn qiě yuǎn lí 。 tā tái tóu wàng zhe tóu dǐng de jīn sè fēi jiàn ， yǎn qián fǎng fú kàn dào le yī jiàn téng kōng 、 qún xīng zhuì luò de chǎng jǐng 。
宛若实质的杀念几乎刺的许白肌肤生疼，不得不暂且远离。他抬头望着头顶的金色飞剑，眼前仿佛看到了一剑腾空、群星坠落的场景。
The palpable sense of death almost made Xu Bai feel physical pain. He had to temporarily retreat. Looking up at the golden flying sword above him, he seemed to see a scene where a sword soared into the sky and stars fell.
zhè bǐng jiàn ， tā bìng bù mò shēng 。
这柄剑，他并不陌生。
This sword was not unfamiliar to him.
shàng yī shì tā gēn huáng fǔ sōng jié bàn ， qù lán lín zhōu pǔ jí jiàn zào tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de shí hòu ， jiù shì qǐng lái le guān xíng xiū de zhè yī bǐng 【 luò xīng shén jiàn 】， zhèn yā lán lín zhōu bù fú de běn tǔ xiū shì 。 bǐ shí guān xíng xiū suī rán yǐ jīng diē luò zhì huà shén jìng jiè ， dàn kào zhe zhè jīn sè fēi jiàn ， yī lù chàng tōng wú zǔ 。 jiù suàn lián hé dào xiū shì dōu bù dé bù bì qí fēng máng 。
上一世他跟皇甫松结伴，去兰林州普及建造天玄锁灵阵的时候，就是请来了关行修的这一柄【落星神剑】，镇压兰林州不服的本土修士。彼时关行修虽然已经跌落至化神境界，但靠着这金色飞剑，一路畅通无阻。就算连合道修士都不得不避其锋芒。
In his previous life, when he accompanied Huangfu Song on a mission to promote the construction of the Heavenly Xuan Lock Spirit Array in Lanlin Province, they had invited Guan Xingxiu's Starfall Divine Sword to suppress local cultivators. At that time, despite falling into the realm of Transcendence, Guan Xingxiu could still move freely with this golden flying sword, even deterring Convergence Realm cultivators.
zú yǐ shuō míng 【 luò xīng shén jiàn 】 de bù fán 。
足以说明【落星神剑】的不凡。
This sufficiently demonstrated the extraordinary nature of the Starfall Divine Sword.
cǐ kè xǔ bái kàn zhe zhè jīn sè fēi jiàn ， bìng wèi nǎo nù 。 ér shì rèn zhēn guān mó qǐ lái 。
此刻许白看着这金色飞剑，并未恼怒。而是认真观摩起来。
Looking at the golden flying sword now, Xu Bai did not get angry. Instead, he carefully observed it.
“ cǐ jiàn ， bù zài tiān jiàn zōng zhū zhǎng lǎo zhī xià 。 yě nán guài guān zhǎng gē huì xīn shēng yǎng mù zhī qíng 。”
“此剑，不在天剑宗诸长老之下。也难怪关长歌会心生仰慕之情。”
"This sword is not inferior to the other elders in the Heavenly Sword Sect. No wonder Master Chang Ge admired it so much."
gǎn shòu zhe cóng qí shàng chuán lái de nà ruì lì wú bǐ 、 shì yào pī kāi yī qiè de qì xī ， xǔ bái xīn shén chén jìn 。
感受着从其上传来的那锐利无比、誓要劈开一切的气息，许白心神沉浸。
Absorbed by the sharp and resolute aura that seemed determined to cleave through everything, Xu Bai's mind was immersed.
bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， nán gōng shì róng yǒu xiē fèn nù 、 yòu yǒu xiē jì dàn de shēng yīn ， bǎ xǔ bái jīng xǐng 。
不知过了多久，南宫士荣有些愤怒、又有些忌惮的声音，把许白惊醒。
After an indeterminate amount of time, Nan Gong Shirong's angry yet apprehensive voice startled him back to reality.
“ lǎo dōng xī ， qī rén tài shèn 。 yào bú shì dǎ bù guò tā ……”
“老东西，欺人太甚。要不是打不过他……”
"Old thing, being too overbearing. If I could have beaten him..."
xǔ bái zhuāng zuò méi tīng dào hòu bàn jù huà ， gǒng shǒu dào ：“ dà rén nín huí lái le 。”
许白装作没听到后半句话，拱手道：“大人您回来了。”
Xu Bai pretended not to hear the latter part and bowed respectfully: "Lord, you're back."
“ nán guài lǎo guān tā zhè me huǒ jí huǒ liǎo ， guān zhǎng gē qián jiǎo gāng chū shì ， tā hòu jiǎo jiù pǎo lái xīng shī wèn zuì le 。 yuán lái guān zhǎng gē zhè xiǎo zi ， shì tā lǎo qíng rén de ér zi 。” nán gōng shì róng huī le huī shǒu ， shì yì xǔ bái bù yòng duō lǐ 。 suí hòu yī pì gǔ zuò xià ， yǒu xiē xìng zāi lè huò dì shuō dào 。
“难怪老关他这么火急火燎，关长歌前脚刚出事，他后脚就跑来兴师问罪了。原来关长歌这小子，是他老情人的儿子。”南宫士荣挥了挥手，示意许白不用多礼。随后一屁股坐下，有些幸灾乐祸地说道。
"No wonder Old Guan was so anxious. Chang Ge just had an incident, and he rushed here to seek justice. Turns out that little Chang Ge is his old lover's son," Nan Gong Shirong waved a hand, indicating no need for formalities. He then sat down with a smug expression.
“ zhè me shuō ， guān zhǎng gē shì guān xíng xiū de sī shēng zi ？” xǔ bái yǒu xiē huǎng rán 。
“这么说，关长歌是关行修的私生子？”许白有些恍然。
"So, Master Chang Ge is Guan Xingxiu's illegitimate child?" Xu Bai seemed taken aback.
dàn shì nán gōng shì róng jiē xià lái de huà ， què shì ràng tā yǒu xiē cuò shǒu bù jí ：“ bú shì 。 tā men liǎng zhī jiān bìng méi yǒu shí jì de xuè yuán guān xì 。 zhǐ bù guò shì lǎo tào de 、 ài ér bù dé de gǒu xuè gù shì bà le 。 lǎo guān kàn shì shā rén bù zhǎ yǎn ， bèi dì lǐ què shì gè chī qíng zhǒng zi 。 jí biàn tā nà lǎo qíng rén yǐ jīng jià zuò rén fù ， yě yī rán shǐ zhōng niàn niàn bù wàng 。 shèn zhì ài wū jí wū ， duì tā de ér zi yě shì guān xīn 、 zhào gù de jǐn 。”
但是南宫士荣接下来的话，却是让他有些措手不及：“不是。他们两之间并没有实际的血缘关系。只不过是老套的、爱而不得的狗血故事罢了。老关看似杀人不眨眼，背地里却是个痴情种子。即便他那老情人已经嫁做人妇，也依然始终念念不忘。甚至爱屋及乌，对她的儿子也是关心、照顾的紧。”
But what followed from Nan Gong Shirong left him even more surprised: "No. There was no actual blood relation between them. It’s just an old-fashioned love story of unrequited love. Old Guan seems ruthless, but he is secretly a devoted lover. Even though his old lover has already married, he still remains deeply attached to her and even cares for her son."
“ yào bú shì zhè cì bài fǎng le jí chéng dà rén ， wǒ hái zhēn bù zhī dào zhè dàng zi shì 。” nán gōng shì róng sì xiào fēi xiào dì shuō zhe 。
“要不是这次拜访了极成大人，我还真不知道这档子事。”南宫士荣似笑非笑地说着。
"I didn't know about this until I visited Lord Ji Cheng," Nan Gong Shirong said with a smile.
xǔ bái zhǐ shì jìng jìng tīng zhe ， liǎn shàng bìng méi lù chū rèn hé yì yàng shén qíng 。 hé dào xiān zūn zhī jiān de hù xiāng nuó yú ， bú shì tā zhè yuán yīng xiǎo xiā mǐ néng gòu cān yù jìn lái de 。
许白只是静静听着，脸上并没露出任何异样神情。合道仙尊之间的互相挪揄，不是他这元婴小虾米能够参与进来的。
Xu Bai listened quietly, showing no unusual expression on his face. He was not part of the mutual jibes between Convergence Realm Immortals.
“ jí chéng xiān zūn ， wàn xiān méng wèi shù yuàn zǒng zhǐ huī shǐ 。 shàng yī shì zài gēn wǔ lǎo huì zhī jiān de dà zhàn ， zāo shòu zǔ zhòu ， zǎo zǎo shòu jǐn ér wáng 。 cǐ shì què yī jiù huó de hǎo hǎo de ， zhí zhǎng wèi shù yuàn dà quán 。 cóng nán gōng shì róng de yǔ qì lái kàn ， tā sì hū gēn jí chéng guān xì fěi qiǎn 。” xǔ bái xīn zhōng àn dào 。
“极成仙尊，万仙盟卫戍院总指挥使。上一世在跟五老会之间的大战，遭受诅咒，早早寿尽而亡。此世却依旧活的好好的，执掌卫戍院大权。从南宫士荣的语气来看，他似乎跟极成关系匪浅。”许白心中暗道。
"Lord Ji Cheng is the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Force of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. In my previous life, he suffered from a curse during the war with the Five Elders' Association and died prematurely. But in this life, he still lives on, wielding great power over the defense force. From Nan Gong Shirong's tone, it seems they have a close relationship," Xu Bai thought to himself.
“ guān xíng xiū nà ge lǎo dōng xī fā qǐ biāo lái ， yì bān rén hái zhēn dǎng bú zhù 。 jiù suàn shì jí chéng dà rén de miàn zi ， tā yě wèi bì huì gěi 。 hái shì yào kuài diǎn bǎ tā dǎ fā zǒu cái shì 。 guān zhǎng gē de shī zōng àn nǐ chá de zěn me yàng le ？” dí gū le yī zhèn hòu ， nán gōng shì róng cái wèn dào 。
“关行修那个老东西发起飙来，一般人还真挡不住。就算是极成大人的面子，他也未必会给。还是要快点把他打发走才是。关长歌的失踪案你查的怎么样了？”嘀咕了一阵后，南宫士荣才问道。
"Old Guan can be hard to handle when he gets angry. Even with Lord Ji Cheng’s backing, he might not give in. We need to send him off as soon as possible. How is the case of Master Chang Ge's disappearance progressing?" After mumbling for a while, Nan Gong Shirong asked.
yú shì xǔ bái jiāng zì jǐ fā xiàn de ， tiān liáng zhōu lì nián fā shēng de xiū shì shī zōng zhī shì xiáng xì huì bào le yī fān 。
于是许白将自己发现的，天凉州历年发生的修士失踪之事详细汇报了一番。
...
“ wú liàng bì ？” sì hū xiǎng qǐ le shén me ， nán gōng shì róng yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī jīng yà 。
“无量壁？”似乎想起了什么，南宫士荣眼中闪过一丝惊讶。
Xu Bai then detailed his findings on thehistorically missing cultivators from Tian Liangzhou incidents.
“ zhè jiàn shì ， chú le nǐ zhī wài ， hái yǒu shuí zhī dào ？” tā hěn kuài yòu wèn dào 。
“这件事，除了你之外，还有谁知道？”他很快又问道。
" Wu Liang Wall?" Nan Gong Shirong seemed to recall something and showed surprise in his eyes.
“ xiǎo rén bìng méi yǒu shēng zhāng ， yì zhí děng dài dà rén huí lái 。” xǔ bái huí dá de yě hěn guǒ duàn 。
“小人并没有声张，一直等待大人回来。”许白回答的也很果断。
"Who else knows about this besides you?" he quickly asked.
nán gōng shì róng shí fēn mǎn yì ：“ hěn hǎo 。 zhī qián de shī zōng shì jiàn ， jiù dāng méi yǒu fā shēng guò 。 zhǐ bù guò shì yī jiàn gè àn bà le ！ bù néng ràng qí tā rén chǎn shēng wú duān lián xiǎng ！”
南宫士荣十分满意：“很好。之前的失踪事件，就当没有发生过。只不过是一件个案罢了！不能让其他人产生无端联想！”
"I did not make it public, waiting for your return," Xu Bai replied resolutely.
“ jiē xià lái ， nǐ gēn wǒ yì qǐ qù tàng wú liàng bì ， kàn néng bù néng bǎ guān zhǎng gē nà xiǎo zi jiù chū lái 。” nán gōng shì róng fēn fù dào 。
“接下来，你跟我一起去趟无量壁，看能不能把关长歌那小子救出来。”南宫士荣吩咐道。
Nan Gong Shirong was very satisfied: "Good. Let's just pretend these incidents never happened! They were merely isolated cases that shouldn't spark unnecessary speculation!"
“ xiǎo rén zūn mìng ！”
“小人遵命！”
"Next, let’s go to Wu Liang Wall together and see if we can rescue Master Chang Ge." Nan Gong Shirong instructed.
bìng méi yǒu jí jié tài duō rén shǒu ， jǐn jǐn shì dài zhe xǔ bái yǐ jí lìng wài sān míng yuán yīng xīn fù xiū shì ， nán gōng shì róng lái dào le wú liàng shān xià 。
并没有集结太多人手，仅仅是带着许白以及另外三名元婴心腹修士，南宫士荣来到了无量山下。
"I will obey your command."
cǐ kè guāng huá de shān tǐ shàng ， méi yǒu rèn hé yǐng xiàng chū xiàn 。
此刻光滑的山体上，没有任何影像出现。
Without gathering a large group, Nan Gong Shirong only brought Xu Bai and three other Core Formation Realm confidants to the foot of Wu Liang Mountain.
bìng méi yǒu lí dé hěn jìn ， ér shì yuǎn yuǎn guān wàng 。
并没有离得很近，而是远远观望。
The smooth mountain surface showed no signs of any images at this distance.
“ zhè wú liàng bì ， wǒ hái shì yuán yīng xiū shì shí céng jīng lái guò 。 nà shí yě yǒu yī fān jì yù 。”
“这无量壁，我还是元婴修士时曾经来过。那时也有一番际遇。”
Observing from afar,
wǎn rú xiàn rù le jiù shí jì yì zhī zhōng ， nán gōng shì róng yǎn shén huǎng hū ， xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu cái huǎn shēng shuō dào 。
宛如陷入了旧时记忆之中，南宫士荣眼神恍惚，许久之后才缓声说道。
"This Wu Liang Wall, I came here as a Core Formation Realm cultivator before. There was also an encounter then."
qí tā sān wèi yuán yīng xiū shì jù shì bù dá ， wéi yǒu xǔ bái yǔ qì lüè dài diǎn jīng yà ， wèn dào ：“ nán bù chéng ， dà rén nǐ yě céng zài zhè wú liàng bì shàng kàn dào guò yì jǐng ？”
其他三位元婴修士俱是不答，唯有许白语气略带点惊讶，问道：“难不成，大人你也曾在这无量壁上看到过异景？”
Seemingly lost in old memories, Nan Gong Shirong's gaze seemed distant for a long time before he spoke softly.
nán gōng shì róng hē hē yī xiào ：“ bú shì kàn dào guò ， ér shì wǒ yě céng bèi kùn zài zhè wú liàng bì zhōng 。”
南宫士荣呵呵一笑：“不是看到过，而是我也曾被困在这无量壁中。”
The other three Core Formation Realm cultivators did not respond, but Xu Bai asked with some surprise: "Could it be that Lord also saw something unusual on Wu Liang Wall?"
“ bù guò wǒ dāng shí hěn kuài jiù pò bì ér chū le ， suǒ yǐ zhǐ dāng shì wù dào shí chǎn shēng de cuò jué 。 zhè xiē nián lái ， yě cóng wèi tīng shuō guò gēn wǒ yǒu xiāng tóng zāo yù de rén ， suǒ yǐ zhè jiù màn màn bǎ zhè shì gěi dàn wàng le 。”
“不过我当时很快就破壁而出了，所以只当是悟道时产生的错觉。这些年来，也从未听说过跟我有相同遭遇的人，所以这就慢慢把这事给淡忘了。”
Nan Gong Shirong chuckled: "Not just seen, I was even trapped in this Wu Liang Wall."
"But back then, I quickly broke free and thought it was a delusion during my enlightenment. Over the years, no one else has had similar experiences, so I gradually forgot about it."
After gaining a clearer understanding of the situation, Xu Bai did not rush to make it public. Instead, he first informed the Tianliang Garrison Administration and had Wu Liang Mountain temporarily sealed off. He then brought Fu Xingchi and his companions back for detention before taking a wait-and-see approach.
Since he had specifically instructed this beforehand, his subordinate should follow suit.
Moreover...
Over these years, the disappearance of cultivators due to the devouring of Wu Liang Wall was strictly speaking, also related to Supervisor Li Fan. After all, before becoming the Tianliang City Lord, Nan Gong Shirong held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Tianliang Garrison Administration. Such a significant incident happening within his jurisdiction yet he remained oblivious...
If attacked by others, even if it were unfair, he would still be guilty of dereliction of duty. Nan Gong had only recently become city lord and his foundation was not yet solid. At that time, stepping on Xiang Rongxin's toes had also offended many people. If a single misstep revealed any flaws, leading to a group attack, it might result in him losing the position before he could even warm up to it.
As a trusted aide, Xu Bai naturally needed to shoulder some of this burden for his lord.
He secretly backed up records of missing incidents over the years and then went to the Office of Finance to entertain Guan Xingxiu, who had come to seek an explanation again.
Unlike in his previous life when he saw him in a lazy state, Guan Xingxiu now resembled a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, radiating his own brilliance without reservation.
"Meeting Master Guan..." Xu Bai bowed respectfully.
"Haven't you found any leads on Chang Ge's whereabouts yet?" Guan Xingxiu narrowed his eyes at Xu Bai. His previously aggressive tone softened slightly.
"We have found some clues. I believe we can give you a reply soon." Xu Bai replied with dignity.
"Such low efficiency, if this were in Tianyu Province, you would already be dismissed and investigated," Guan Xingxiu snorted coldly.
Xu Bai lowered his head without replying.
"I will give you seven more days. If there is no definite result by then..."
A golden flying sword suddenly shot out and hovered above the Office of Finance.
"Then don't blame me for being unyielding!" Guan Xingxiu's tone turned ominous as he gradually vanished.
Only leaving behind that small golden sword, radiating a chilling aura.
...
"The Starfall Divine Sword..."
The palpable sense of death almost made Xu Bai feel physical pain. He had to temporarily retreat. Looking up at the golden flying sword above him, he seemed to see a scene where a sword soared into the sky and stars fell.
This sword was not unfamiliar to him.
In his previous life, when he accompanied Huangfu Song on a mission to promote the construction of the Heavenly Xuan Lock Spirit Array in Lanlin Province, they had invited Guan Xingxiu's Starfall Divine Sword to suppress local cultivators. At that time, despite falling into the realm of Transcendence, Guan Xingxiu could still move freely with this golden flying sword, even deterring Convergence Realm cultivators.
This sufficiently demonstrated the extraordinary nature of the Starfall Divine Sword.
Looking at the golden flying sword now, Xu Bai did not get angry. Instead, he carefully observed it.
"This sword is not inferior to the other elders in the Heavenly Sword Sect. No wonder Master Chang Ge admired it so much."
Absorbed by the sharp and resolute aura that seemed determined to cleave through everything, Xu Bai's mind was immersed.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Nan Gong Shirong's angry yet apprehensive voice startled him back to reality.
"Old thing, being too overbearing. If I could have beaten him..."
Xu Bai pretended not to hear the latter part and bowed respectfully: "Lord, you're back."
"No wonder Old Guan was so anxious. Chang Ge just had an incident, and he rushed here to seek justice. Turns out that little Chang Ge is his old lover's son," Nan Gong Shirong waved a hand, indicating no need for formalities. He then sat down with a smug expression.
"So, Master Chang Ge is Guan Xingxiu's illegitimate child?" Xu Bai seemed taken aback.
But what followed from Nan Gong Shirong left him even more surprised: "No. There was no actual blood relation between them. It’s just an old-fashioned love story of unrequited love. Old Guan seems ruthless, but he is secretly a devoted lover. Even though his old lover has already married, he still remains deeply attached to her and even cares for her son."
"I didn't know about this until I visited Lord Ji Cheng," Nan Gong Shirong said with a smile.
Xu Bai listened quietly, showing no unusual expression on his face. He was not part of the mutual jibes between Convergence Realm Immortals.
"Lord Ji Cheng is the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Force of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. In my previous life, he suffered from a curse during the war with the Five Elders' Association and died prematurely. But in this life, he still lives on, wielding great power over the defense force. From Nan Gong Shirong's tone, it seems they have a close relationship," Xu Bai thought to himself.
"Old Guan can be hard to handle when he gets angry. Even with Lord Ji Cheng’s backing, he might not give in. We need to send him off as soon as possible. How is the case of Master Chang Ge's disappearance progressing?" After mumbling for a while, Nan Gong Shirong asked.
...
Xu Bai then detailed his findings on thehistorically missing cultivators from Tian Liangzhou incidents.
" Wu Liang Wall?" Nan Gong Shirong seemed to recall something and showed surprise in his eyes.
"Who else knows about this besides you?" he quickly asked.
"I did not make it public, waiting for your return," Xu Bai replied resolutely.
Nan Gong Shirong was very satisfied: "Good. Let's just pretend these incidents never happened! They were merely isolated cases that shouldn't spark unnecessary speculation!"
"Next, let’s go to Wu Liang Wall together and see if we can rescue Master Chang Ge." Nan Gong Shirong instructed.
"I will obey your command."
Without gathering a large group, Nan Gong Shirong only brought Xu Bai and three other Core Formation Realm confidants to the foot of Wu Liang Mountain.
The smooth mountain surface showed no signs of any images at this distance.
Observing from afar,
"This Wu Liang Wall, I came here as a Core Formation Realm cultivator before. There was also an encounter then."
Seemingly lost in old memories, Nan Gong Shirong's gaze seemed distant for a long time before he spoke softly.
The other three Core Formation Realm cultivators did not respond, but Xu Bai asked with some surprise: "Could it be that Lord also saw something unusual on Wu Liang Wall?"
Nan Gong Shirong chuckled: "Not just seen, I was even trapped in this Wu Liang Wall."
"But back then, I quickly broke free and thought it was a delusion during my enlightenment. Over the years, no one else has had similar experiences, so I gradually forgot about it."