Upon investigation, they discovered that it was indeed possible the Wu family was responsible for this incident. Liu Chun's background was relatively clean—decades had passed without any unusual occurrences, and his relationships were simple. The only significant conflict was the one that had occurred at the Xiangxiang Pavilion in Yuanling City between Liu Chun and Wu Sanbao of the Wu family.
This incident had taken place just a year ago, and almost anyone in Yuanling City would remember it, so it wasn't difficult to uncover. Moreover, it was said that Wu Sanbao was a vengeful and malevolent individual, likely to cause trouble over even minor conflicts.
Recently, it was also noted that the Wu family had become increasingly arrogant in Yuanling City. Previously, they had been subordinate to the Yuan family, the leading family in the city. However, in the past two years, the Wu family had begun to openly challenge the Yuan family, behaving as if they had nothing to fear. The Yuan family, dealing with internal issues related to their ancestor, found themselves constrained on many fronts, allowing the Wu family to act more brazenly.
Given these circumstances, the Wu family of Yuanling City became highly suspicious. With strong suspicions in mind, Lianyingtang immediately dispatched people to Yuanling City for a thorough investigation.
However, upon their arrival in the city, they were met with shocking news: the Wu family had been exterminated! The entire family had been wiped out, with no survivors.
Hearing this, the members of Lianyingtang and the powerful sects behind them were stunned. From the time of the incident to the investigation, only a few days had passed! They had acted as quickly as they could, but before they could follow the trail of their suspicions, someone had already struck—decisively and ruthlessly, wiping out an entire family with a long-standing presence in the city.
Moreover, the annihilation was thorough. Not only were there no survivors, but even the ashes of the Wu family members were gone. Their souls had been completely eradicated, leaving no trace behind. Even high-level tracking artifacts failed to uncover any evidence, as if the Wu family had never existed in the world.
"At least we can be certain of one thing."
In Lianyingtang, the leaders of several powerful forces had gathered, relinquishing their usual seats and taking the lower positions in the grand hall. Seated at the forefront were the heads of these influential sects, with the most prominent seat occupied by Taihua Daojun, the leader of the Supreme Sect of the Northern and Southern Spiritual Regions—Fuzong.
It was Taihua Daojun who spoke, his expression calm as he addressed the group:
"And that is, the fact that someone has indeed gained control over the Soulstone and intends to use it for some nefarious purpose."
The leader of the Tianxuan Sect, seated beside him, nodded in agreement:
"Taihua Daojun is correct. Who would have thought that after over ten thousand years, the Soulstone would resurface? The motives of those behind it are still unclear..."
The head of the Disha Sect snorted lightly and interjected:
"What else could they want with that cursed thing? Obviously, they intend to expel spiritual energy and return the world to the hellish state of ten thousand years ago!"
He clenched his fist and lightly struck the armrest of his chair, his face full of anger. A more tempered sect leader nearby spoke up:
"In any case, since they've exposed themselves, there must be some trace left behind. We must investigate thoroughly and root out the mastermind before the situation escalates."
——
Over the past few days, Liu Chun had come into contact with many members of Lianyingtang, through which he had made the acquaintance of an elder from the Tianxuan Sect. This elder, also a talisman enthusiast, had taken a liking to Liu Chun. After multiple interactions, he found Liu Chun to be a sincere and straightforward individual, and he sought to establish a closer relationship.
Liu Chun, for his part, also sensed the elder's intentions. In truth, he was also eager to build a connection with the elder. Although he no longer aspired to join Tianxuan Sect, as he was now a member of Lingxian Sect and had no desire to leave it, he still needed to find his sister. The best way to do that was to get to know people within Tianxuan Sect, especially those with influence and connections, to help him in his search.
The Tianxuan Sect elder, surnamed Zhang, learned from his conversations with Liu Chun that he had spent ten years serving the Wu family as a humble talisman provider, all in hopes of gaining entry into Tianxuan Sect and finding his sister. This made Elder Zhang appreciate Liu Chun's loyalty and sense of duty even more.
"Liu Daoyou, in that case, I suggest this: I can go back and speak to the sect on your behalf, and perhaps we can have you join us. What do you think?" Elder Zhang proposed happily, coming to find Liu Chun after the day's competition, just as twilight began to fall.
Liu Chun was taken aback by the offer and then gave a wry smile as he shook his head:
"It's not that I don't appreciate your kind offer, but after what happened with the Wu family, I've become wary of joining any sects or clans. Over the past year, I've come to appreciate the freedom of being on my own. The only thing I still care about is finding my sister..."
Elder Zhang, understanding the trauma Liu Chun had endured at the hands of the Wu family, sighed and nodded:
"I see your point. After everything you did for the Wu family, they not only betrayed you but treated you so horribly. I suppose it's just as well that their entire family met its end..."
He trailed off, then quickly changed the subject. "So, do you have any clues about your sister? Which of our sect's members did she apprentice under? I can help you investigate! When it comes to connections within Tianxuan Sect, I, Old Zhang, am second to none!"
He gave Liu Chun a thumbs-up, clearly proud of his network.
Seeing this, Liu Chun smiled, though a hint of worry crossed his face as he replied, "I appreciate your kindness, but wouldn't it be too much trouble for you..."
Elder Zhang waved his hand dismissively:
"No trouble at all! It's just a matter of asking around. Besides, I really like you, Liu Daoyou—you're the kind of friend I want to have! Helping a friend find someone is no big deal!"
With that, Liu Chun immediately stood and bowed deeply to Elder Zhang:
"Then I'll be counting on you, Elder Zhang. I'm truly grateful, and if you ever need anything in the future, I won't let you down!"
After seeing Elder Zhang off, Liu Chun closed the door and sat alone in his room, staring at the candlelight.
It took him a long time to snap out of his daze, letting out a faint sigh.
He felt a bit guilty. Although he genuinely liked Elder Zhang, his intention to befriend him was undeniably driven by a strong ulterior motive. But he had to find his sister. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving Lingxian Sect.
In his heart, Liu Chun resolved that if Elder Zhang ever asked for his help, he would do everything in his power to repay this kindness...
The candle on the table gradually burned out. The pale moonlight filtered into the room, casting a shadow of solitude and guilt.