Chapter 280: Thank You for Your Hard Work
The muscular man, Xuan Ming, fell into deep thought.
It had been some time since the matter with the old Nascent Soul cultivator was resolved, but the events were still vivid in his mind.
He could clearly recall his reaction when he witnessed the old cultivator's demise.
He had been utterly stunned.
The young man had thrown out a broken sword that transformed into that terrifying Soulblade Specter, which then effortlessly tore through the sword formation and, in an unsettling display, finished off the old Nascent Soul cultivator.
How could such a method exist?
Unlike the old cultivator, who hadn't fully witnessed the Soulblade Specter subjugation earlier, Xuan Ming had seen Luo Wusheng use the broken sword to deal with the Soulblade Specter firsthand. It didn't take long for him to realize something.
The Soulblade Specter formed from the broken sword bore an uncanny resemblance to the special Heavenly-grade Soulblade Specter from before.
This likely meant that the previously subdued Soulblade Specter wasn't simply absorbed as blank sword intent but had instead become something like "nourishment" for the broken sword artifact.
Recalling how the black mist from the broken sword had taken on the form of the old Nascent Soul cultivator before departing, Xuan Ming's gaze toward Luo Wusheng underwent a profound change.
So this is the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect? The one Her Majesty the Empress pays attention to, as mentioned by Night Crow and Wutong?
With such strength and methods, who wouldn't pay attention to this prodigy of the Demon Sect?
Given his power and status, who would dare to become his enemy? The Six Sword Daoist had already served as a cautionary tale.
Xuan Ming couldn't help but feel that he should be the one at the Golden Core Perfection stage, while this young man was more deserving of the title of Nascent Soul master.
Just as his chaotic thoughts continued to swirl, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"...You're a Six Gate Bureau Golden Ranked member, aren't you?"
The young man's calm voice was laced with a revelation so startling that it completely froze Xuan Ming's already turbulent mind. He couldn't even suppress the fluctuations in his emotions.
The voice came again.
"As I thought, you are indeed a Six Gate Bureau Golden Ranked member… But judging by your reaction, this is our first meeting."
"In that case, your subsequent interactions with me must have been prompted by messages sent from the Royal City by the Six Gate Bureau, or perhaps even orders from Her Majesty the Empress herself to track me down. Did you receive instructions from Night Crow… or one of the other Golden-Ranked members?"
"Although I've worked well with Six Gate Bureau in the Royal City and have had dealings with three Golden-Ranked members, this is my first time seeing the face beneath one of your masks…"
"So, why not introduce yourself? There's no point hiding it now. Even if you put the mask back on, I'd still recognize you."
With only seven Golden-Ranked members in total, narrowing down the identity of one of them wasn't difficult once you knew one was present.
Caught entirely in Luo Wusheng's rhythm, Xuan Ming found himself full of questions.
How exactly did I expose myself?
...
Luo Wusheng never did provide an answer to Xuan Ming's question.
After all, he couldn't very well explain that it was the Empress who had unwittingly given him away, could he?
Normally, Luo Wusheng wouldn't have been able to easily connect the muscular man with the Six Gate Bureau. At most, he might have been suspicious, but he wouldn't have been confident.
However, after seeing the Taoist Alter Ego of the Empress appear, his certainty skyrocketed.
First, there was no way that the Taoist Sect's current chief disciple was merely "passing by," as claimed. If Luo Wusheng didn't know about the Empyreal Qi Synthesis: Trinity of Pristine States technique or the true identity of the Taoist Alter Ego, he might have been forced to accept the reasoning due to a lack of alternatives.
But he knew the script.
He was aware of her identity, which led him to the conclusion that she had deliberately come to find him.
Since she had come specifically for him, it was natural for the Empress to mobilize her forces in the Royal City. Among these, the Six Gate Bureau, which she had personally fostered, would undoubtedly be involved.
This meant that the Taoist Alter Ego's ability to locate him likely indicated that his general whereabouts had already been reported back to the Royal City and that he had already come into contact with someone from Six Gate Bureau.
Adding in the sudden shift in the muscular man's behavior, where he began probing Luo Wusheng's identity, combined with his suitable cultivation level, the fact that Luo Wusheng hadn't seen all the Six Gate Bureau Golden Ranked members in the Royal City, and the lingering traces of suspicion…
It all led to Luo Wusheng's final conjecture.
And he was right.
As a result, he gained all the information he needed about this overly honest Golden-Ranked member.
Ahem, the one who called himself Xuan Ming was, indeed, a bit too straightforward. He laid out almost everything: when he received information from Night Crow, when he reported back to the Royal City, and how he used the information to probe Luo Wusheng's identity.
There might have been some things Xuan Ming kept hidden, but Luo Wusheng had no need to dig further.
In the end, the embarrassed Xuan Ming grudgingly thanked Luo Wusheng for his earlier assistance during the sword formation incident. He also implored him not to disclose his identity as a Six Gate Bureau Golden Ranked member.
Xuan Ming's feelings were complicated.
Outside of a select few close individuals and his employer—the Empress herself—this was the first time someone had uncovered his identity as a Six Gate Bureau Golden Ranked member.
He had always been cautious. When donning his mask, he would alter his appearance, even refraining from using his signature greatsword. Combined with the mask's ability to conceal his aura, he had thought it was virtually impossible for anyone to recognize him.
Yet here he was, caught off guard today.
When Xuan Ming made his request via voice transmission, he glanced meaningfully at the young woman beside Luo Wusheng, Ji Yanyao.
…
'Looking won't help, she's the one who's known everything from the start.'
On the outskirts of a new mountain range, Luo Wusheng glanced at the stunning young woman who had just finished speaking and mused silently.
The Nascent Soul incident with the old cultivator had already been resolved, and after some brief discussion, it was relegated to the past.
Since they were still relatively unfamiliar with one another, no one delved too deeply into the matter. Luo Wusheng skillfully evaded any lingering questions with some carefully worded explanations.
Once that was done, Ji Yanyao naturally "joined the group" since she was also heading toward the Royal City.
Meanwhile, Xuan Ming used voice transmission to inform Luo Wusheng that his vacation was nearly over, and it was time to prepare for Six Gate Bureau' duties during the Human Immortal List.
Luo Wusheng sensed that Xuan Ming might still be probing for something unknown, but he didn't reject the idea of him joining the group.
Under these circumstances, Xuan Ming felt the need to use a secret technique to report the recent events back to Six Gate Bureau. However, while the technique was swift, it required preparation and the use of both his Golden-Ranked member seal and mask.
Not wanting to reveal his identity or lag behind the group, Xuan Ming fell into deep thought.
Luo Wusheng, however, came up with a solution for him.
Boom!
A muffled explosion echoed through the mountains.
In a flash, Luo Wusheng's hand extended forward, and a peculiar glow materialized in his palm. Wrapped in his spiritual energy, it quickly condensed into a jade stone that seemed to hold the shadow of a green mountain within.
Moments later, Xuan Ming, with a dark expression, emerged from the mountains in a flash, greatsword slung over his shoulder. His gaze fell on the jade stone in Luo Wusheng's hand, and his mouth twitched.
A hand patted his shoulder.
"Thank you for your hard work, Daoist Da Zhuang," the young man said earnestly.
The sincerity in his voice only made Xuan Ming's face darker.
"…It's just part of my duty. Let's hurry to the next destination, Daoist Wusheng."
The originally robust voice now carried a distinct hint of bitterness.
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Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD
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