Chapter 158: Jiang Qiong’s Return, The Hidden Hand Beneath the Night

Elder Kusong is dead?

When Gu An heard Gu Zong's voice, he felt momentarily dazed.

Although his relationship with Elder Kusong wasn't particularly close, they had shared a pleasant conversation at the Inner Sect's Library Pavilion on several occasions.

The news of Kusong's death gave Gu An a strange feeling.

"An Elder has fallen... I remember that Elder Kusong had reached the Profound Heart Realm, right?" Zhen Qin furrowed her brows as she spoke.

Back when the Ephemeral Blossom Sect attacked, Elder Kusong had fought against Red Qian Zun, making his name known throughout Tai Xuan Sect. His reputation had only been second to that of Sword Master of Dao.

Even Zhen Qin, who had little contact with Elder Kusong, felt a wave of sorrow at the news of his passing.

Gu An lifted his gaze toward the horizon, seeing dark clouds gathering, heralding the arrival of a storm.

The death of Elder Kusong sent shockwaves throughout Tai Xuan Sect, and soon, the news spread across the cultivation world.

Three days later, Gu An attended the memorial ceremony in the Inner Sect City. Tens of thousands of disciples stood in silence, listening as the elders recounted Elder Kusong's life and contributions. Even the newest disciples, who barely knew him, felt a sense of grief.

After recounting Elder Kusong's life, Tai Xuan Sect also publicly disclosed the impending Demon Catastrophe, which was expected to erupt in the coming decades, shocking all the cities involved.

In the following days, other sects under the Tai Cang Dynasty also announced the coming calamity, shattering the brief peace that the cultivation world had enjoyed. All cultivators began to feel a sense of looming danger.

A Profound Heart Realm elder had already perished; this catastrophe would be far more terrifying than the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's invasion.

As autumn turned to winter, snow began to blanket Xuan Valley.

One day, Gu An sat inside his pavilion in Xuan Valley, waiting patiently. He could sense a familiar presence approaching.

Late into the night, a figure appeared outside his window.

Gu An walked over and opened the window to let the person in.

The newcomer was a woman dressed in white, wearing a wide-brimmed hat. After stepping inside, she removed her hat, turning to watch Gu An as he set up a protective array. She smiled and asked, "My dear disciple, have you missed me?"

Once Gu An completed the array, he approached her and asked curiously, "Where have you been all these years? Are you well?"

He cast a Lifespan Investigation spell on her.

[Jiang Qiong (Nascent Soul Realm, Level 6): 243/700/5490]

Huh?

Five thousand four hundred ninety years of lifespan!

Gu An clearly remembered that Jiang Qiong's maximum lifespan had only been around two thousand four hundred years before.

It seemed she had encountered a significant opportunity in the Nine Nether Path.

Jiang Qiong chuckled and said, "I went to a mysterious place and obtained a great fortune. Your master is not someone who would easily fall into hardship."

Seeing Gu An's concerned expression made Jiang Qiong feel a warm sense of affection. It was nice to know that someone in this world still cared about her.

Gu An motioned for her to sit while he began preparing tea.

"And how have you been, disciple?" Jiang Qiong asked as she glanced around the room.

With his back to her, Gu An replied, "The same as always, tending to my plants and reading books. Oh, by the way, I entered the top 500 in the Golden Rankings last time. Thanks to the sect granting me some artifacts…"

He couldn't help but show off a little, clearly proud of his achievement.

In the past, Jiang Qiong might have been surprised, but after experiencing the turmoil of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's attack and traversing the Nine Nether Path, her perspective had shifted dramatically.

Now, she simply found his boast amusing but also heartwarming. Seeing that this young man was doing well brought her a sense of joy.

After finishing his tale, Gu An brought the tea to the table, poured a cup, and asked, "What about you? Care to share your experiences?"

Jiang Qiong smirked mischievously and said, "I've offended some powerful figures and need to hide out in the Eight Views Heavenly Cave for a while. Are you sure you want to know more?"

Gu An's eyes widened at the mention and quickly shook his head, "In that case, forget it. If you need to hide, then hide. I certainly won't betray you."

After all, Jiang Qiong had taught him a great deal, and the Eight Views Heavenly Cave belonged to her in the first place. Offering her refuge wasn't an issue.

More importantly, Gu An already knew who was chasing her.

Before visiting the Gu Hao Sect, Gu An had, during a divine sense exploration, caught a glimpse of Jiang Qiong. One reason he had accepted the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's leader token was to eventually give it to Jiang Qiong.

She clearly had ambitions!

The ones pursuing her were two Void Crossing Realm experts, but they had already lost track of her and were now wandering near the Great Yu Dynasty.

Jiang Qiong smiled at Gu An's words and summoned a small white jade bottle, saying, "This contains a precious elixir. Drink a drop every month—no more, or it might disrupt your energy and blood. It will enhance your natural constitution and aptitude."

"How can I accept this? You should keep it for yourself," Gu An said, feeling embarrassed.

"I've already consumed plenty of it, and this is just the remainder. It no longer benefits me. You'd better take it, and don't refuse!" Jiang Qiong said sternly, her tone brooking no argument.

Gu An had no choice but to accept.

They chatted for half an hour before heading to the Eight Views Heavenly Cave.

Gu An casually mentioned that the Ancient Vine Tree had already developed intelligence, but Jiang Qiong wasn't surprised, saying that the Thousand Autumn Pavilion also housed a similar vine.

Before arriving, Gu An had already warned the Ancient Vine Tree, telling it what it could and could not reveal.

Once they entered the Eight Views Heavenly Cave, Jiang Qiong could sense that the spiritual energy was denser than before, leaving her quite satisfied with Gu An's efforts.

"Disciple, the Thousand Autumn Pavilion has been disbanded, and all my family members have perished. From now on, I'll have to rely on you. You won't mind, will you?" Jiang Qiong said teasingly, resting her hand on his shoulder.

Gu An quickly stepped to the side and replied, "How could I mind? In fact, I'd like to learn more about formations from you."

He then handed Jiang Qiong a tome from the Ji Family, which contained the Heavenly Dao Qi Divine Ability.

Jiang Qiong had stolen this during a banquet at the Ji Family. It held the secrets of the Heavenly Dao Qi technique.

Gu An had long since mastered this ability, even upgrading it to the Primordial Qi. Now, even if an enemy of the same realm ambushed him, it would be hard to defeat him in one blow, as the Primordial Qi would protect him automatically.

Looking at the ancient scroll in her hands, Jiang Qiong felt a mix of emotions.

Gu An, seeing her expression, thought to himself, Oh no. Don't tell me she's getting sentimental?

He immediately made an excuse to leave.

Watching him walk away, Jiang Qiong sighed inwardly, This kid is so foolish, not even bothering to study the scroll himself.

She could tell the seals on the tome hadn't been broken, meaning Gu An hadn't tampered with it, leading her to believe he hadn't used it at all.

So naive. He's bound to run into trouble someday.

I'll have to teach him!

...

Jiang Qiong's return didn't change Gu An's daily life. He continued to visit the Eight Views Heavenly Cave every seven days, bringing with him prepared herbs and making sure Jiang Qiong didn't harvest anything. He preferred to handle all the harvesting himself.

Jiang Qiong knew of his peculiar habits long ago, so after returning to the cave, she didn't interfere. Since Gu An had already prepared everything, why bother?

With the passing of Elder Kusong, this winter felt even colder for Tai Xuan Sect than in previous years.

At the end of the year, a major event shook the world. The Han Lu Dynasty surrendered, and the Tai Cang Dynasty annexed their territory, shattering the long-standing balance of the Nine Dynasties.

Li Xuandao's prestige soared, and even the Outer Sect of Tai Xuan Sect was abuzz with discussions about him.

If he truly managed to unify the Nine Dynasties, his name would be immortalized in history!

Gu An overheard rumors that Li Xuandao had begun mobilizing troops toward the Wu Zhen Dynasty. This time, the public had no complaints; instead, they praised him.

It was also said that far to the west, the Tian Wei Dynasty was engaged in a war of its own, with its emperor harboring ambitions to rival Li Xuandao.

Interestingly, the death of Elder Xing Yan hadn't stirred any reactions, and the Tian Wei Dynasty had not sought justice for Si Zong's demise at the hands of Tai Xuan Sect. It seemed they were willing to swallow this bitter pill in silence.

These matters didn't concern Gu An directly; he just listened as background noise.

As the new year approached, Ye Lan, Zhen Qin, and Xiao Chuan came to celebrate the festival with Gu An. Taking advantage of the occasion, Gu An divided the precious elixir that Jiang Qiong had given him into three portions, handing them individually to Ye Lan, Zhen Qin, and Xiao Chuan. He made them promise to keep this a secret from everyone else.

Shortly after the spring festivities ended, Tai Xuan Sect began recruiting disciples to explore the Demon-Infested Territories. Faced with the inevitable Demon Catastrophe, the sect couldn't afford to sit idly by, so they offered generous rewards to motivate volunteers to scout the demonic lands.

Those disciples who were nearing the end of their lifespan or had hit bottlenecks in their cultivation were especially eager to sign up. Gu An, however, told Ye Lan and Zhen Qin not to participate, and fortunately, both heeded his warning.

In the following months, reports about the demon activity trickled into Tai Xuan Sect. Across the Nine Dynasties, the presence of demons was increasing—an unmistakable sign of the looming Demon Catastrophe.

Time passed swiftly, like a fleeting shadow.

Two years later, in the deep autumn.

Beneath the shroud of night, Di Xie walked through a darkened forest.

He suddenly halted in his tracks as a flock of black crows emerged from the darkness, swooping past him and landing on a large tree behind him. The crows coalesced, forming the eerie silhouette of a man—his figure dark and ominous, his true form concealed.

"His Majesty is looking for you. Are you not going back?" the mysterious figure asked.

Di Xie scoffed, "Go back for what? Isn't it inevitable that we'll march south eventually?"

There was an unmistakable tone of mockery in his voice.

"Why do you resist His Majesty's plans so much?" the shadowy figure pressed.

Di Xie sneered, "Isn't the world big enough already? Even in the Demon Realm, there are countless unclaimed territories beyond His Majesty's control. Why must we insist on wiping out the humans completely?"

The shadowy figure's voice deepened in warning. "The demon and human races are mortal enemies. Only by eradicating the humans can we ensure our survival."

"Humans exist across the seas as well. How long do you plan to keep exterminating? I think His Majesty has fallen under the Demon Master's spell," Di Xie retorted.

"Watch your tongue! Do not slander the Demon Master!" the shadowy figure barked.

"Either way, I don't care. I'm not going back. I want to continue cultivating in Tai Xuan Sect. Don't come looking for me again. If Sword Master of Dao catches you, I won't lift a finger to help you, even if you're skinned alive," Di Xie said dismissively, turning his back and walking away.

The shadowy figure's cold voice echoed after him, "Sword Master of Dao? Elder Kusong was killed by me. If I ever run into Sword Master of Dao, I'll make sure he ends up just like Kusong—boiled into soup!"

Without turning around, Di Xie vanished into the shadows.

The mysterious figure let out a snort of disdain before dissolving into a flock of black crows once again, the birds taking flight and heading north.

The crows flew at breakneck speed, swiftly leaving the boundaries of the Tai Cang Dynasty.

Half an hour later, the flock soared over the North Sea Mountains, crossing into the territory of the Tai Chen Dynasty.

The black crows swooped down into a secluded forest, landing beside a small river. There, they reformed into the same eerie figure, this time revealing his true form—his head that of a crow, his body covered in black feathers, and his large wings folded behind him.

He crouched down by the riverbank, submerging his hands in the cold water.

The night air was chilly, and the surface of the river shimmered under the pale moonlight.

Suddenly—slap!

A hand abruptly pressed down on his shoulder, causing the crow-headed figure to freeze.