Chapter 194: Someone is Digging a Pit for Themselves

Chapter 194: Someone is Digging a Pit for Themselves

"The Great Nan Mountain?" Lei Jun asked slowly, "Master, as far as I know, the Great Nan Mountain is a fairly large mountain range in the Southern Wasteland, spanning multiple regions and boasting countless treacherous peaks. The information you have about the Celestial Master's Robe only mentions the Great Nan Mountain, which is like finding a needle in a haystack. Is there any more specific location?"

Yuan Mobai replied, "Approximately the western section of the Great Nan Mountain, near the solitary peak of Gucheng Ridge."

Lei Jun fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

Gu Cheng Ridge, a place that foretold a life of adversity.

In reality, it was equally dangerous.

Given the current situation, the divination foretold a perilous journey not just for Lei Jun but also for his master, Yuan Mobai, who would be accompanying him.

The fact that the divination still predicted a treacherous path filled with life-threatening challenges despite their companionship was a clear indication of the impending danger.

Considering the information Yuan Mobai had received, Lei Jun couldn't help but suspect that this might be a trap.

It was no secret that Dragon and Tiger Mountain was searching for the missing Celestial Master's Seal and Robe.

If their adversaries were aware of this, they might very well set an ambush.

With Xu Yuanzhen missing and Tang Xiaotang currently serving as the Celestial Master, wielding the Celestial Master's Sword and presiding over the Wanfa Zongtan, it was unlikely that they could leave the mountain easily.

The most likely targets for their opponents would be the three high-achieving elders: Yuan Mobai, Yao Yuan, and Shangguan Ning.

Given the emptiness of the Celestial Master's Mansion, even if someone were to venture out, it would be one of these three at most.

This could very well present an opportunity for their adversaries.

However, the divination indicated a middling outcome, leaving room for maneuver.

Moreover, the divination pertained specifically to Lei Jun and not Yuan Mobai, which meant the situation was slightly less dire for his master.

But there was no need to take any unnecessary risks.

The divination foretold only danger without any mention of opportunities, suggesting that the trap set by their opponents in the Great Nan Mountain lacked even a shred of authenticity. It was as if they didn't value their own lives... Lei Jun was quite disdainful of such a tactic.

"Heavy clouds?" Yuan Mobai looked at the silent Lei Jun and asked, "Have you heard any rumors?"

Lei Jun nodded, "Master, we must not go to Gucheng Ridge. It's very likely a trap!"

He now had a very convenient scapegoat, "During the gathering in the starry space within the book not long ago, I overheard someone mention Gucheng Ridge while exchanging information. Although they were vague, we should exercise caution."

Yuan Mobai's expression remained relaxed, and his smile didn't waver, "If it's a trap, do we know the identity of our enemies?"

Regardless of whether the information Lei Jun had received was true or not, Yuan Mobai would treat it with caution.

It wasn't a matter of confidence but rather the fact that the Celestial Master's Mansion had yet to recover its vitality after the recent calamity, so it was only natural to be cautious to avoid another devastating blow. Some things were better believed than ignored.

While the Celestial Master's Robe was indeed important, the information Yuan Mobai had received about Gucheng Ridge in the Great Nan Mountain was also based on unverified rumors.

"The specifics are unclear, but..."

Lei Jun quickly formulated a plan, crafting a somewhat plausible excuse for his assertion, even if it was a lie. His intention was to protect his beloved mentor from danger, "But the source mentioned that there have been sightings of not just one, but multiple cultivators at the Upper Three Heavens stage in Gucheng Ridge recently, including members of the Southern Wasteland's Witchcraft Sect and suspected Confucian cultivators from the Great Tang of the Central Plains!"

Based on the description in the divination, Lei Jun couldn't be sure who was setting up the trap using the information about the Celestial Master's Robe.

However, he had his suspicions.

The Celestial Master's Mansion currently had three distinct adversaries.

The first was their longtime rival, the Huangtiandao.

The second was the local power in the Southern Wasteland, the Witchcraft Sect of the Golden City Fortress, a holy site for the Ghostly Dao. The faction currently in charge had a longstanding grudge against the Celestial Master's Mansion.

As for the third, it was more general but also the most powerful.

It was the various prominent clans of the Great Tang in the Central Plains.

Currently, the focus of these clans was on the Academic Palace in the capital and the Xiao Clan beyond Long Province, with the situation reportedly on the brink of eruption.

However, one couldn't rule out the possibility of a feint.

This was especially true for the Ye Clan of Jinzhou, one of the six prominent clans of the four surnames, who had meddled in the internal strife of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Lei Jun was deeply wary of them.

Since it was unconfirmed speculation, Lei Jun decided to bring up the Confucian scholarly families as a target.

And since the location was in the Southern Wasteland, it was more likely that the Witchcraft Sect, as the local power, would be involved. Although he didn't explicitly mention the Golden City Fortress, it was sufficient to raise suspicion.

"Upper Three Heavens stage Confucian scholars and witches?" Yuan Mobai pondered.

Lei Jun continued, "Although we can't be certain, considering the sudden mention of the Celestial Master's Robe and Gucheng Ridge today, I believe we should take precautions, Master."

Yuan Mobai nodded slightly, "That's reasonable."

Suddenly, Lei Jun's heart stirred.

As he reread the divination, doubts began to surface in his mind.

If the middling outcome of the divination referred to a trap set by their enemies at Gucheng Ridge, the western peak of the Great Nan Mountain, what about the even worse outcome that mentioned the eastern peak, Chaoyang Peak?

According to the divination, Chaoyang Peak was even more treacherous than Gucheng Ridge!

However, the rumors Yuan Mobai had heard about the Celestial Master's Robe pointed to Gucheng Ridge and not Chaoyang Peak.

If it was the same group of enemies setting up a double insurance trap, that would be quite far-fetched.

The Great Nan Mountain range stretched for thousands of miles, with the western and eastern peaks being extremely distant from each other.

If a battle broke out at one end, the other end would be completely unaffected.

If they wanted a backup plan near the western peak of Gucheng Ridge, there were plenty of other locations along the lengthy mountain range to the east. Why would they need to go all the way to the extremely remote eastern peak of Chaoyang Peak?

Even if Yuan Mobai were to be deceived and found nothing at Gucheng Ridge, he would most likely search for alternatives in other parts of the western section of the Great Nan Mountain, or at most, venture into the central region. What were the chances that he would go all the way to the eastern peak of Chaoyang Peak?

Therefore, the sources of danger indicated by the middling and worst outcomes might be two different groups?

Were they aware of each other's existence...?

Lei Jun's thoughts reached this point, and an idea began to form in his mind.

"Master, I'll enter the starry space within the book again to gather more information.

Lei Jun looked at Yuan Mobai and said, "The information provided by the Seven Luminaries may not be entirely truthful, and further confirmation is needed."

Yuan Mobai replied, "Alright."

Lei Jun had no intention of verifying the matter with the other six Luminaries.

Without confirming each other's identities, it was best to avoid disclosing unnecessary information.

He was merely putting on a show, making it easier to explain things to Yuan Mobai later.

"It's highly likely that enemies are indeed using the information about the Celestial Master's Robe to set a trap for us in the area around Gucheng Ridge, the main peak of the western section of the Great Nan Mountain."

Lei Jun continued, "In addition, there is some unrelated news about Chaoyang Peak, the main peak of the eastern section of the Great Nan Mountain. It seems there is an extremely ferocious demon lurking there, but this information is also unverified."

If Yuan Mobai were to venture to the 'Bad Luck' side of the divination, the outcome would be uncertain.

However, even with Yuan Mobai by his side, Lei Jun knew that heading straight for Chaoyang Peak would mean certain death, and not even his master could protect him there.

Lei Jun was unaware of the reason for such a perilous situation, so for the time being, he attributed it to the presence of a powerful demon and informed Yuan Mobai accordingly.

Later, he would investigate other channels for any news about Chaoyang Peak, the eastern main peak of the Great Nan Mountain.

"Master, I have an idea..." Lei Jun spoke cautiously.

Yuan Mobai's smile faded, and his expression turned solemn. "Are you thinking of pitting the west against the east?"

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

"It's a risky move," Yuan Mobai remarked.

"The conflict between the aristocratic families and our sect's lineage is becoming more and more antagonistic," Lei Jun explained. "Setting aside the already-extinct Putisi, just look at our own sect. We've been schemed against, both openly and secretly, more times than I can count.

Previously, the Ye Clan of Jinzhou and the Chu Clan of Suzhou directly interfered in the Li family dispute within our sect. Now, there's also the trap set in the Great Nan Mountain.

I believe that our sect has been too passive, constantly reacting to threats. It's time to turn the tables and give our opponents something else to worry about so that we can finally catch a break."

He continued, "Our sect is currently at a low point and needs time to recuperate and rebuild. We should avoid direct conflict with our enemies, and instead, borrow the knife of others to strike them down. This is a tactic often employed by the Ye Clan of Jinzhou and the Lin Clan of Youzhou... We can use their own methods against them."

Yuan Mobai did not reject Lei Jun's proposal outright but asked, "How can we ensure that the person from the Seven Luminaries who gave you this information isn't one of our enemies this time?"

"Although I can't be completely certain," Lei Jun replied, "that person is most likely someone from the Tang Imperial Family."

The Tang Imperial Family wished to utilize the power of the sect's sacred site to counterbalance the influence of the aristocratic families.

However, for the Celestial Master's Mansion, the time was not right.

The Tang Imperial Family also intended to sharpen this blunt knife and put it to greater use in the future.

Otherwise, the Empress would not have personally visited Dragon and Tiger Mountain to show her support for the Celestial Master's Mansion.

"It can't be you who goes; I will make this trip," Yuan Mobai stated.

Usually, gentle and mild-mannered, Yuan Mobai had a daring side to him as well, as evidenced by his willingness to temporarily set aside his position as the leader of the Wanfa Zongtan and ambush the Lin Clan elder from Jiangzhou at the Xianliu Palace.

"Disciple wishes to accompany Master on this journey," Lei Jun said.

According to the 'Moderate Luck' divination, this trip to the Great Nan Mountain and even deeper into the Southern Wasteland would be relatively safe as long as they stayed away from the territories of Gucheng Ridge and Chaoyang Peak.

After further discussion, the master and disciple began their preparations.

Including Tang Xiaotang, no one else in the mansion was aware of their true plans.

Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai simply informed the others that they would be leaving the mountain together to search for the Celestial Master's Robe in the Southern Wasteland.

Although Tang Xiaotang wanted to join them, Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai eventually persuaded her to stay.

With few responsibilities and little work at the Chishu Pavilion, Lei Jun's short absence would not cause any issues. He instructed a few disciples to take care of things in his stead.

Without further ado, the master and disciple set out from Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

They did not head south immediately but first visited various branches of the Daoist Talisman lineage, including the Zixiao Sect, Tianxu Sect, and Yihe Sect, moving about unpredictably.

One day, after leaving one such place, the master and disciple suddenly went missing, and for a long time, they did not return to Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

Back at the Celestial Master's Mansion, there was no sign of panic, as if they had anticipated Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai's extended absence.

News of their disappearance spread, reaching the ears of those who were paying close attention.

In the vast wilderness of the Southern Wasteland...

"Mother, it's been quite some time since we lost contact with Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun, his disciple," said Ye Lingxi, the direct daughter of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou, as she stood behind her mother, Ye Han. "If they really came to this area of the Great Nan Mountain, they should have arrived by now."

Ye Han remained calm and replied, "Be patient and wait for further news. This was just a casual attempt, and if we missed the opportunity, then so be it."

Ye Lingxi lowered her head and said, "Yes."

Ye Han added, "We must maintain communication with the Golden City Fortress, but we also need to be on our guard against them."

"I understand," Ye Lingxi replied.

The Ye Clan and the Golden City Fortress shared a common target and enemy in the Celestial Master's Mansion.

However, that did not make them close allies.

On the contrary, when dealing with the people of the Golden City Fortress, the holy site of the Ghostly Dao, one had to be constantly vigilant.

For practitioners of the Ghostly Dao, what mattered when it came to the evil souls and corpses they commanded was quality, not background.

If they came across excellent materials for refining evil souls and corpses, they would certainly not let the opportunity pass.

Nevertheless, Ye Han had reached out to the powerful figures of the Golden City Fortress.

Firstly, they were the local power in the Southern Wasteland.

Secondly, when it came to dealing with the Celestial Master's Mansion, it was easier to cooperate on the surface.

And lastly, just like with the late Abbot Lianyuan of Putisi, if the conditions allowed, the Ye Clan of Jinzhou would prefer not to get their hands dirty.

The existence of the Golden City Fortress, a sect of the Ghostly Dao that opposed the Celestial Master's Mansion, in the Southern Wasteland, was something the Ye Clan of Jinzhou would not ignore.

This was a habit influenced by the former leader of the Ye Clan, who was one of the few remaining Nine Heavens stage powerhouses in the Great Tang. Despite his immense power, he rarely took action himself.

Ye Han and Ye Lingxi, his daughter and granddaughter, had only met him a handful of times.

Many of the stories they encountered went something like this:

The rise of the Li family of Xinzhou, their dominance within the Celestial Master's Mansion, a sacred site for the Daoist Talisman sect, and the successive internal conflicts between the Li family and outsiders had kept the Mansion in a state of constant turmoil for nearly two centuries.

The Hanging Temple, a sacred site for the Buddhist Precept faction, was becoming increasingly secluded and exclusive, with more and more disciples from aristocratic families joining its ranks.

The Shu Mountain sect, a sacred site for the Daoist Artifacts faction, suffered from severe internal strife and eventually erupted into a civil war a few years ago.

The Bodhi Temple, a sacred site for the Buddhist Zen martial arts faction, had just been wiped out by the calamity of the End of Dharma.

The Zhang and Tang imperial families' attempts to counterbalance the power of the aristocratic families by supporting various sects had been repeatedly thwarted.

What particularly caught Ye Han and her daughter's attention was the fact that even they couldn't be sure how much of the Western Regions demon chaos, which had directly ruined the late Emperor Zhang Qilong's fortune, had been pre-planned by the elderly man from Jinzhou, and how much had been simply riding the wave of events...

Of course, a lot of things depended on one's own cultivation and strength as a foundation.

You may choose not to use it, but you must have it.

The old man himself was one of the few remaining powerhouses at the Nine Heavens stage in the Great Tang, as if reminding his descendants of this principle.

That was why Ye Han had come south personally, instead of sending only her daughter, Ye Lingxi.

"Mother..." Ye Lingxi unfurled a scroll.

On the blank paper, words suddenly appeared as if by magic.

Ye Han turned her head to glance at it. "Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun? They've arrived as expected."

Later, Ye Lingxi opened another book, and words appeared on the paper, conveying a message from another source: "We've received news from the Golden City Fortress. They've also spotted Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun in the northern part of the Great Nan Mountain."

Ye Han nodded slightly. "Let's get ready. It would be best if we could capture Yuan Mobai this time. Lei Jun would be an unexpected bonus."

Ye Lingxi looked thoughtful.

"What is it? Are you feeling competitive?" Ye Han asked.

Ye Lingxi shook her head. "How could I? Grandfather and you have always taught us that scholars like us should be calm and composed, not vying for superiority with others. Whether it's dealing with the Bodhi Temple or the Celestial Master's Mansion, our goal is to cut off the source of chaos caused by Buddhism and Taoism for the sake of the world, and to establish a solid foundation for our clan for generations to come, not out of personal grudges or rivalry."

"It's good that you understand that," Ye Han said.

She turned and walked away. "To be fair, Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun, master and disciple, are both extremely talented. Precisely because of this, they should be eliminated as soon as possible. We cannot let them roam free."

"I understand, Mother," Ye Lingxi said as she followed. "I was just thinking that since Yuan Mobai is known for his affection towards his disciples, perhaps we can use that to our advantage. We can use Lei Jun to hold him back, making it more likely that we'll be able to capture him and prevent his escape."

Ye Han said, "Let's see what the people from the Golden City Fortress can accomplish first."

The people from the Golden City Fortress were feeling rather dejected.

They had set up an ambush at Gucheng Ridge, and there were also members of the Ye Clan from Jinzhou waiting in the outskirts, ready to lend a hand at any time.

However, Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun, who were supposed to be heading towards the Great Nan Mountain, had suddenly disappeared without a trace.

The Great Nan Mountain was, after all, a vast expanse of land with countless interconnected mountains.

The people from the Golden City Fortress, as the local power, couldn't possibly have eyes and ears everywhere, especially since they were currently acting so boldly and unabashedly.

Nonetheless, they remained patient and continued to wait quietly near Gucheng Ridge.

They were like hunters lying in wait for their prey.

Ye Han and Ye Lingxi also kept their cool, dispatching their spies to maintain a smooth flow of information.

A few days later, their patience seemed to pay off.

News arrived that someone had spotted Lei Jun and his master in the middle section of the Great Nan Mountain, but they soon lost track of them again.

"Do you think they've noticed or suspected something?" Ye Lingxi asked, looking at her mother.

Ye Han lowered her head to read the message that was conveyed through the 'seeing words as a person' technique on the scroll: "Don't worry. Let's wait and see how things unfold."

Later, new information arrived.

There was still no sign of Yuan Mobai.

Only Lei Jun had appeared alone, briefly showing himself in the middle of the Great Nan Mountain before disappearing again.

"One in the open, one in the shadows. Are they splitting up?" Ye Lingxi muttered to herself.

Ye Han took a brush and wrote a few words on the blank book: "It's more likely that they're heading straight for Gucheng Ridge in the western section. Now it seems more like they're splitting up."

The words appeared in ink on the blank paper and then quickly disappeared.

Mother and daughter continued to wait patiently.

Later, new information finally arrived: Someone had spotted a young Daoist who resembled Yuan Mobai in the western mountain range of the Great Nan Mountain, apparently searching for something.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun was heading in the opposite direction from his master, towards the eastern section of the Great Nan Mountain.

"For now, let's focus on Yuan Mobai. We'll stay near Gucheng Ridge and wait for him," Ye Han said. "As for Lei Jun, keep an eye on his movements, especially whether he shows any signs of leaving the Great Nan Mountain and heading north."

The Ye Clan from Jinzhou and the Golden City Fortress waited together near Gucheng Ridge, but there was still no sign of Yuan Mobai.

However, there were indications that Lei Jun had started appearing more frequently in the eastern section of the Great Nan Mountain.

"Do they sense the ambush at Gucheng Ridge?"

Ye Lingxi frowned. "If that's the case, why don't they just leave? Why go to the eastern section of the Great Nan Mountain? If they're planning to counter-ambush us... Tang Xiaotang from Dragon and Tiger Mountain shouldn't have brought the Celestial Master's Sword with her!"

Ye Han asked, "Has there been any recent activity in the eastern section of the Great Nan Mountain?"

"There haven't been any relevant rumors," Ye Lingxi replied.

Ye Han furrowed her brows. "Is there something there that's attracting them?"

"Hmm?"

Ye Lingxi took out a scroll and unfurled it, reading the contents and exclaiming in surprise, "The eastern section of the Great Nan Mountain? There's a peak there that's glowing with colorful lights, resembling the Celestial Master's Robe?"

Mother and daughter looked at each other.

They had spread the information that there were clues about the Celestial Master's Robe at Gucheng Ridge, the main peak of the western section of the Great Nan Mountain, but it seemed that they had unintentionally revealed the location of Dragon and Tiger Mountain's blessed land.

But was it really the blessed land of the Celestial Master's Mansion?

Or was it in the eastern section instead?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end