บท 36: Chapter 36: Bai Sheng’s Grandfather?
Shen Mi understood the hint and said to the others, "The Second Elder's behavior has driven Mr. Lu away. I will report this to the Sect Master and let him seek justice!"
He then followed Lu An and ignored the others.
Shi Zhi stood dumbfounded. He had only intended to cause a bit of trouble, but he never expected Lu An to turn and leave immediately. Since Lu An was invited personally by the Sect Master, if he left because of Shi Zhi, Shi Zhi would surely be punished, regardless of the Second Elder's protection.
He quickly caught up and awkwardly said, "Third Senior Brother, considering the circumstances, I won't hold you accountable for using the teleportation array."
However, the two ignored him and continued walking.
Shi Zhi, anxious and sweating, said repeatedly, "Third Senior Brother, it was my fault. Can I apologize and make amends?"
He was already sweating profusely. If Lu An really left, he would face severe consequences.
Shen Mi thought to himself, "Mr. Lu is truly extraordinary; it only took one move to subdue this person."
He did not show any emotion on his face and continued to feign anger, "My own matters are of little concern. However, if Mr. Lu is upset, I am not in a position to make decisions."
Shi Zhi looked at Lu An with a pleading expression. Lu An stopped and frowned slightly.
"Do you understand your mistake?"
"I understand my mistake."
"Where did you go wrong?"
"I should not have made things difficult for Mr. Lu and delayed important sect matters."
Lu An shook his head, not agreeing with that answer.
"Your mistake is not just that. It lies in failing to see the true nature of the Second Elder."
"Have you ever thought about why he sent you here?"
Shi Zhi scratched his head. Why did he send me here? Of course, it was to give you a hard time. But he couldn't say that and fell silent.
Lu An continued, "The Second Elder knew I was invited by the Sect Master, yet he sent you to make things difficult for me. If I had really left, who would be punished?"
Before Shi Zhi could answer, Lu An provided the answer himself:
"The one punished would be you, and only you!"
"Do you expect him to clear you of blame? To openly defy the Sect Master? You are not valued; you are merely a sacrificial pawn."
"That's all I have to say. Reflect on it yourself."
With that, he and Shen Mi headed into the sect, leaving Shi Zhi standing there in a daze.
The other disciples exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. They knew Lu An's words were meant to sow discord, but on reflection, they felt there was some truth to it and didn't know how to respond.
Shi Zhi's expression changed several times as he squinted, deep in thought.
Lu An and Shen Mi continued forward and soon arrived at the Sect Master's secluded meditation area.
This was a cavern with two massive stone doors at the entrance, each estimated to weigh a thousand pounds.
Shen Mi made a hand seal and cast a communication talisman, then stood quietly by the side.
After a moment, an elderly voice came from within:
"Come in."
As soon as the words fell, the stone doors rumbled open slowly, revealing a stone path.
A Firefly Talisman floated in the air along the path, providing illumination. Lu An observed with interest. This talisman, known as the Firefly Talisman, could move along with the user and provide light.
Though he had only heard of it and never collected it, it was a common First-Level talisman.
Stepping into the cavern, Lu An found Shen Mi waiting behind and continued alone towards the inner depths, clearly illuminated by the Firefly Talisman.
Soon, the light grew brighter, and a square stone chamber came into view.
The chamber was furnished with a stone table and chairs, and there were several stone statues in the corners. In the center were two meditation cushions, one of which was occupied by an elderly man with white hair, who was meditating with his eyes closed.
Lu An approached and bowed respectfully, saying:
"Junior Lu An greets the Sect Master of the Spirit Talisman Society."
Rumors had it that this person had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, just a step away from the Core Formation stage. Seeing him up close, Lu An felt his aura was as deep as the sea, even stronger than Gu Chuanfei, proving the rumors true.
The Sect Master slowly opened his eyes, showing a faint smile, and gestured to the cushion opposite him:
"Young friend, there is no need for formalities. Please, have a seat."
After Lu An sat down, the Sect Master asked:
"Are you curious why I invited you here?"
Lu An nodded in agreement. If he was only coming to explain the talisman techniques, there would be no need to meet in advance; he could simply give the lecture the next day. However, the Sect Master did not provide a direct explanation and instead asked another question.
"I wonder, where does your esteemed master come from?"
Lu An was taken aback and slowly answered, "I do not have a master."
The Sect Master seemed disbelieving, and his tone grew colder. "The talismans sold by Spirit Talisman Society are clearly from the Fang family's heritage. Are you still not going to admit it?"
Lu An's heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged. "The Fang family? They are nothing but petty thieves, unworthy of being my master."
The Sect Master fell silent, and the atmosphere in the cave seemed to drop to freezing point. After a while, he suddenly chuckled.
"Quite impressive. I did not mistake you."
"However, why do you consider the Fang family as petty thieves?"
Lu An's demeanor was calm, though he was not at ease, his clothes already soaked with cold sweat. A late Foundation Establishment cultivator could easily crush him; he was not a match for such a person.
Fortunately, the Sect Master was merely testing him and meant no harm. Lu An straightened his clothes and began to speak slowly.
"The Fang family's inheritance came from their ancestor who stole from a talisman family and served as a slave, unable to perform the duties of a servant. If they are not petty thieves, then who are?"
Upon hearing this, the Sect Master's eyes lit up, and he asked urgently, "How do you know about this?"
Lu An was a bit surprised by his attitude but answered, "I have someone by my side who is a descendant of that talisman family."
The Sect Master stood up abruptly, his voice trembling. "Is this true? Who is that person?"
Lu An was even more puzzled about why the Sect Master cared so much about this matter. He was about to reveal Bai Sheng's name when he suddenly remembered what Shen Mi had said before—the Sect Master also had the surname Bai.
Could it be...
Maintaining a calm demeanor, he replied, "The person's name is Bai Sheng. He is a colleague at Spirit Talisman Society and a descendant of the Bai family."
The Sect Master was so excited that he slammed the table, causing splinters to fly everywhere. "Bai Sheng, Bai Sheng, I never expected that the Bai family still had surviving descendants."
He kept murmuring, his eyes reddening.
Lu An realized his guess was correct. The Sect Master was indeed a descendant of the Bai family—perhaps Bai Sheng's grandfather? However, this could not be confirmed. With such a large family as the Bai family, there were many direct and collateral lines. Even if both shared the Bai surname, it did not necessarily mean they were from the same lineage.
After a while, the Sect Master gradually regained his composure and said, "The talismans you sell are all from my Bai family, but they were later stolen by that old servant."
"I invited you here to clarify this. If you were from the Fang family, you might not have walked out of this Spirit Talisman Society today."
"Now that it's confirmed to be a misunderstanding, I must apologize for my rudeness."
Lu An understood the Sect Master's intentions and finally felt relieved.
"It is indeed a happy thing for you to find your descendants after many years. A bit of questioning is nothing."
The Sect Master shook his head and said seriously, "I always distinguish between kindness and grievance. The actions of the Fang family will be dealt with appropriately in the future. As for your care of my descendants, I will not let you work in vain."
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