I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 474Book 2: : Sect Leader’s Benefit, Lu Clan’s Ambition
Vol 2 Chapter 474 Sect Leader’s Benefit, Lu Clan’s Ambition
The great Patriarch Shi Nandang had returned to his loyal Haori Mountain.
Zheng Fa passed through one city gate after another, seeing nothing but enthusiastic smiles, expectant eyes, and earnest greetings:
“Master Shi!”
“Patriarch Nandang!”
“Patriarch, you have returned!”
This scene involuntarily reminded Zheng Fa of his last visit to Haori Mountain:
Back then, he was a disgraced man, avoided by everyone;compared to today, his situation was like heaven and earth apart.
He walked from the outer city inward, secretly observing Haori Mountain’s situation. The cultivators he encountered were unwilling to leave and all followed behind him.
By the time they reached the jade steps of Haori Mountain, a dense crowd of disciples was already trailing behind Zheng Fa.
From the Three Palaces emerged more than a dozen figures. Seeing the thousands of cultivators following Zheng Fa as if to attack Haori Mountain, they silently exchanged glances, their expressions varied.
“Master Shi!”
“Master Shi.”
“Nandang!”
No matter what they thought inside, they all clasped their hands and saluted Zheng Fa with a slightly respectful attitude.
They still remembered Patriarch Shi Nandang’s battle on the jade steps, when he fought against over ten Luo clan Nascent Souls alone. Now, in terms of strength, few in Haori Mountain could contend with him.
Especially the Luo clan who had lost their patriarch—at this moment, their expressions were even more respectful. The “Right Patriarch” they called out was theirs.
The ones shouting “Nandang” were from the Lu clan. Shi Nandang’s master looked at Zheng Fa with a complex gaze, seemingly lost in thought.
But when he looked at the many disciples behind Zheng Fa, a smile immediately appeared on Shi Nandang’s master’s face:
“Nandang, you have finally returned!”
“Master.”
Zheng Fa lightly clasped his hands;unwilling to reveal his identity, his attitude was inevitably a bit perfunctory compared to Shi Nandang’s usual demeanor.
𝖗𝘈Ŋǒ฿ËṠ
Shi Nandang’s master’s eyes flickered with subtlety, but the curve of his mouth did not change as he nodded and smiled, saying, “No wonder you are in the Lu clan’s secret realm, having obtained the Sacred Blood Seal. Nandang, you have now become the center of Haori Mountain’s people’s hearts, unlike before.”
This man spoke in a sarcastic tone, with a hundred hidden meanings in one sentence.
What was this about the Lu clan’s secret realm, and “unlike before”? It was basically saying that everything Shi Nandang had was granted by the Lu clan, and now he had become an ungrateful white-eyed wolf.
Zheng Fa remained calm. If Shi Nandang scolds him, what does that have to do with Zheng Fa?
There was one thing, though—this man was right on one point: Zheng Fa’s huge momentum today was naturally due to his impressive past achievements, but more importantly, it was because of the Sacred Blood Seal he obtained from Nine Luminaries Heaven.
This thing held a very special status in Haori Mountain, giving him a faint future as patriarch. Because of this, many directly called him Master Shi.
At the current point when Immortal Yun had not returned, to those disciples unwilling to bow to the Demon Ancestor, or even resenting the Gu God, Shi Nandang was the number one figure in Haori Mountain!
“By the way, where is Immortal Yun?” Tang Shaowan suddenly smiled after seeing Zheng Fa’s shameless appearance and asked with concern, “Did I come back together with you?”
“The whereabouts of Immortal Yun, this disciple does not know.”
“So you escaped from the Underworld alone?”
“Yes.”
Shi Nandang’s master’s gaze suddenly changed as he stared at Zheng Fa, his tone suspicious: “That Nine Nether Emperor of the Underworld is formidable;many great powers of the Four Sects are trapped inside. Immortal Yun has not returned, so how did you...”
The laughter behind Zheng Fa abruptly stopped.
The cultivators who had come out of the Three Palaces also stared at Shi Nandang.
Countless doubtful eyes from the jade steps shot toward Zheng Fa.
Shi Nandang’s master’s words were a trap, inside and out!
Though he didn’t say it outright, everyone could tell that Shi Nandang’s master suspected Zheng Fa had defected to the Nine Nether Emperor to escape.
Otherwise, how could Shi Nandang, who hadn’t even reached Dao Fruit cultivation, have escaped the Underworld?
The problem was, the Nine Nether Emperor was the great enemy of Haori Mountain.
“Master, you misunderstand. I escaped from the Underworld entirely thanks to powerful monks from Leiyin Temple.”
“Leiyin Temple?” 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
“With my cultivation, I certainly couldn’t have escaped the Nine Nether Emperor’s grasp. I thought I would die in the Underworld, but by a stroke of luck, I met several high monks of Leiyin Temple there. We gathered together to watch and help each other.”
“By fortune, it seems a powerful monk of Leiyin Temple wanted to rescue one of their own. Using a lotus treasure, they broke into the Underworld, opening a gap through which I escaped.”
Upon hearing this, an elder from the Yun clan suddenly said, “I saw the situation that day. Indeed, a golden lotus attacked the Underworld. The Nine Nether Emperor seemed to suffer a great loss and even shouted ‘Leiyin Temple’.”
“No loss at all;it was just good acting.”
Before Zheng Fa left the Underworld, he had asked the Nine Nether Emperor to cooperate in releasing a few people.
He had thought about impersonating Immortal Yun for a more legitimate appearance.
But in the end, he chose to impersonate Right Nandang.
One reason was that he did not fully understand Immortal Yun’s personality and relationships, so pretending would be risky.
The main reason was the Sacred Blood Seal. Since he obtained it in Nine Luminaries Heaven and it was closely tied to this secret realm, it might help.
“If Master doesn’t believe me, you can ask Leiyin Temple.” Zheng Fa stared at Shi Nandang’s master, “The high monks of Leiyin Temple will vouch for me!”
He truly had witnesses!
“Why would I not believe you?” Shi Nandang’s master laughed nervously, “You’ve returned;now my heart can rest.”
Zheng Fa was silent for a moment, then, as if somewhat discouraged, spoke softly, “I was injured in the Underworld. I will take my leave and return to recuperate.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the Three Palaces.
Seeing Zheng Fa leave without looking back, the elders of the Yun and Luo clans exchanged glances with bright eyes.
.......
Zheng Fa sat in Shi Nandang’s cave dwelling, lightly tapping the desk as if waiting for something.
A message talisman flew to his hand.
“Luo Yun requests to see Master Shi.”
Here it came.
Though he did not know why his return to the mountain caused such fear in the Lu clan, he simply went along, showing a disappointed look toward the Lu clan, waiting for the other two clans.
Jiushan Sect collected very comprehensive intelligence on Haori Mountain and naturally knew the current conflicts among the three clans.
The Lu clan generally sided with the Demon Ancestor in Nine Luminaries Heaven, willing to act as the Gu God’s wings.
The other two clans were different—it wasn’t that they favored the immortal sects, but rather the Demon Ancestor did not want them.
Originally, the Lu clan was strong, but since Lu Mo was not in Haori Mountain before, the Yun and Luo clans could stand their ground.
Now, Haori Mountain was controlled by the Demon Ancestor, Immortal Yun was trapped in the Underworld, and Luo Sanxian had directly returned his soul to the netherworld.
Especially because Jiushan Sect had taken the territory of Haori Mountain’s sky region, the resources on this mountain had been dwindling, causing increasing conflicts among the three clans.
The worst off was naturally the Luo clan, which had lost its patriarch. If it weren’t for the previous accumulation of dozens of Nascent Soul elders, they would have long since faded into obscurity.
“Please come in.”
Luo Yun walked in quickly.
She was the youngest Yang Spirit of the Luo clan, unmarried, and well reputed on Haori Mountain.
Zheng Fa had heard she was single-minded in her pursuit of the Dao and had refused many marriage proposals from talented young men of the Lu and Yun clans.
Though Zheng Fa had fought the Luo clan before, Luo Yun immediately kowtowed low on the ground, with a humble posture and respectful expression.
“What is this for?”
“Master Shi, please save Haori Mountain!”
“Save Haori Mountain?” Zheng Fa’s heart stirred slightly, feigning surprise, “You want me to oppose Jiushan Sect? Although my strength is weak, I am willing to fight for the sect.”
“Jiushan Sect is indeed our sect’s great enemy, but those who caused Haori Mountain’s ruin are not outside the sect—they are inside!”
Luo Yun spoke sharply, showing she truly believed this.
“Luo disciple, isn’t that a bit alarmist?”
“Master Shi, with all due respect!” Luo Yun said bitterly, “Previously, the Lu clan captured people to feed the Gu God. We couldn’t bear it, but Jiushan Sect’s army pressed the siege, relying on the Gu God’s protection. We had no choice but to use this expedient.”
“But Jiushan Sect suddenly attacked the Gu God, seriously injuring her. We don’t know where she hid.”
“Moreover, she has grown even more demanding, asking for more blood offerings.”
Zheng Fa was stunned, “She is not in Nine Luminaries Heaven?”
“She probably isn’t. Nine Luminaries Heaven hasn’t opened recently.”
“So the Gu God is recovering?”
“Exactly.” Luo Yun’s voice grew angrier, “To heal, she demands more blood offerings. Those from the Lu clan have even set their sights on Luo clan disciples.”
“Now, the Gu God is no longer a help to Haori Mountain, but those from the Lu clan still willingly serve as the Demon Ancestor’s pawns, truly disgracing Haori Mountain!”
It was clear that the insects feeding on others was one thing, but feeding on the Luo clan was a stain on Haori Mountain’s dignity.
Zheng Fa also understood that the Gu God was indeed injured and recuperating.
As for why she was tormenting Haori Mountain’s people, it was probably because she couldn’t find other blood offerings.
She dared not go east to the Underworld, feared provoking the Taishang Dao in the south, and Jiushan Sect watched her in the west.
The only ones she could bully were those of Haori Mountain.
“What about the Yun clan?”
“Immortal Yun is still here after all.”
Zheng Fa nodded lightly. Although Immortal Yun had not returned, the Lu clan dared not act recklessly for now. Of course, the Yun clan was likely fearful—they were not afraid of the Lu clan, but feared the Demon Ancestor.
“Our entire Luo clan is willing to submit to Right Patriarch and obey his commands in the future.” As Luo Yun spoke, she suddenly stood up, her fingers trembling slightly as she untied the jade belt at her waist, letting her clothes slip down.
She lowered her eyes, her voice like a whisper, “I... am also willing.”
Does the sect leader of Haori Mountain have such good benefits?
If only I had joined Haori Mountain back then!
This burden, Shi Nandang cannot bear it;it still has to be me.
Of course, Zheng Fa also understood that the Luo clan was likely truly desperate and willing to use any means. Luo Yun’s face was genuinely filled with a heroic willingness to sacrifice.
Just as he was about to refuse, a message talisman flew outside the cave dwelling—it was from Shi Nandang’s master.
At this, Luo Yun hurriedly fastened her belt, looking left and right, as if trying to find a place to hide.
“You go in first.” Zheng Fa gestured to the inner room. After seeing Luo Yun settle herself, he produced a soundproof talisman from his hand and then opened the cave door.
Who came but Shi Nandang’s master, accompanied by three veteran Lu clan Nascent Souls whom Zheng Fa had seen before.
“Nandang.”
“Master, elders, what do you need from me?”
Shi Nandang’s master glanced around and suddenly asked, “Where is Luo Yun of the Luo clan?”
“…She left.”
Shi Nandang’s master nodded lightly and didn’t say whether he believed it. He sat down with the others and finally spoke: “I know she told you some things.”
Zheng Fa remained expressionless and quietly listened.
“But everything we have done is for Haori Mountain!”
“Even providing offerings to the Gu God?”
“Yes!”
Seeing Shi Nandang’s master speak so resolutely, Zheng Fa’s eyes still showed doubt, as if he did not believe him.
“We are the orthodox Haori Mountain. Since ancient times, Haori Mountain has been the Lu clan, and the Lu clan is Haori Mountain. How could we wish to hand over this mountain to the Demon Ancestor?”
“Then why is the Lu clan...”
“We want a treasure in Nine Luminaries Heaven!” Shi Nandang’s master whispered, “A treasure left behind by the Lu Patriarch!”
Zheng Fa’s spirit lifted but his expression grew more puzzled, “Lu Patriarch? Why hasn’t he returned, instead letting three Demon Ancestors occupy Haori Mountain?”
Shi Nandang’s master’s expression turned dark, “That Zao Hua Demon Ancestor says Lu Patriarch is neither alive nor dead. What we seek is actually Lu Patriarch’s... relic.”
Neither alive nor dead?
The Nine Nether Emperor had said that Lu Mo’s several reincarnations, the Demon Emperor, and the Primordial Demon Ancestor had all entered the Underworld.
Now even the Haori Mountain Patriarch was neither alive nor dead.
This statement matched what the Nine Nether Emperor had said.
If it was a relic, the appearance of the Reincarnation Cycle would have had a huge impact on Lu Mo—now it seemed he had abandoned Haori Mountain?
At least he left Haori Mountain to the three Demon Ancestors of Fate.
“What relic?”
“We don’t know.” Shi Nandang’s master shook his head, “But we do know that only the most orthodox bloodline of the Lu clan can obtain it.”
“The branch descended from Lu Patriarch?”
“Exactly!”
Zheng Fa fell into deep thought.
Seeing he did not speak, Shi Nandang’s master continued: “Now the Zao Hua Demon Ancestor and the White Bone Demon Ancestor do not leave Nine Luminaries Heaven because of that relic. You can imagine how great the opportunity of that treasure is!”
This coincided perfectly with Zheng Fa’s previous thoughts;he even knew a little about the treasure’s origin.
“So the Lu clan wants to enter Nine Luminaries Heaven to seize this opportunity?”
“Yes and no.”
“Hm?”
Shi Nandang’s master explained: “As I said, only the Lu clan bloodline has a chance to obtain the Lu Patriarch’s relic. We do not want to enter, but we have to. We might as well try our luck.”
To put it bluntly, they were panicked—at this uncertain time for the Haori Mountain Patriarch, the other two clans might not know, but the Lu clan did. Their situation was only slightly better than the Luo clan’s.
Now the Lu clan’s special status was based on the Patriarch’s bloodline. Of course, they wanted another strong cultivator to appear in the clan.
“But the three Demon Ancestors are not easy opponents?”
Zheng Fa still did not fully understand.
The Lu clan’s plan was good: only they could get the relic and refine it themselves, which would be great.
But did they think the three Demon Ancestors were fools?
With such a vast power gap, their little schemes were almost suicidal.
“That is why we cooperate with the Gu God.”
“Cooperate?” Zheng Fa suddenly had a flash of insight and understood the cause and effect, “You help her recover, and she helps you seize the treasure?”
“Exactly.”
So among the three Demon Ancestors, there was also scheming and rivalry.
“We owe that to Zheng Fa.” Shi Nandang’s master smiled, “If he hadn’t injured the Gu God, she wouldn’t have sought our help.”
“Is the Gu God trustworthy?”
Shi Nandang’s master smiled faintly, “She is just a predator swallowing wolves and tigers.”
Zheng Fa glanced at him and saw his inexplicably confident expression. He understood that the Lu clan dared to play tricks with three Demon Ancestors because they probably had some trump cards.
“Nandang, now we just need to endure humiliation for a while longer. Once we obtain the Holy Patriarch’s relic and produce an unparalleled strong cultivator, Haori Mountain’s crisis will be resolved immediately!”
“By then, what Demon Ancestor, what Jiushan Sect, will be nothing but ants.”
“Only then will Haori Mountain truly revive!”
Zheng Fa was silent for a moment before asking, “Then, Master, what do you want me to do?”
Suddenly a cold wind arose in the cave, causing the flames on the wall to flicker, shadows dancing on the faces of the four Lu clan members.
Shi Nandang’s master spoke softly:
“The other two clans do not understand our hardships and have been stirring up trouble in the sect. Since you have returned, why not join hands with us and help them restore the Gu God?”
