道罗邪皇子 (邪神之道 B5)

986

"Right so where can I find that guy?"

[He should be in the core region that is a few minutes' walk away from my residence. Just keep going straight.]

With his mood calmed Li Wen kept his complaints to himself as he mulls over who he should hate more between the fifth elder and his former disciple.

But the more he thought about the matter-

(...If I didn't hide in my residence for so long would things have turned out differently?)

The more he became aware that the root cause of everything had stemmed from his decision to hide Li Wen felt like he ultimately only had himself to blame for what had happened.

"Were you that close with your former disciple?"

[It's not a matter of how close we are. It's a matter of face.]

"Face for whom exactly?"

[Both me and him. A disciple who betrays his master would only give others the impression that he is a dishonest character. As for the master who was betrayed it would give others the impression that he is incompetent. In the end both of us will suffer a loss in reputation.]

"..."

Despite having taken in two disciples Ye Gui Feng could hardly consider himself to be a proper master when all that he has given to Yao Mu Ya and Mo Xuan Yong is a prestigious identity.

Thinking of the two Ye Gui Feng finds it difficult to even remember the last time he managed to find the time to sit down with them and give them some pointers like a proper instructor.

(...Looking back at it all I had practically taught everything to myself. All that Xie Mo Xin gave to me is just a bag of treasures.)

Recalling the relationship that he had with his master Ye Gui Feng sighs.

(I suppose being a master to someone else has its own set of difficulties...)

[You're already in the core region. Turn right after three buildings.]

Following Li Wen's instructions on finding the sixth patriarch's residence Ye Gui Feng eventually arrives in front of a large estate that is more than five times the size of Li Wen's residence.

The central residence of the estate is a three-floored building with two secondary buildings of lower height set to the side.

Standing in front of the estate's entrance are two disciples of the Spirit Crane Sect with medium sized body builds.

"Hm?"

Looking at the two disciples Ye Gui Feng finds them to resemble trained soldiers more than actual practitioners.

[I heard that prior to him becoming a practitioner he was a military general.]

"They do give off the air of two disciplined mortal soldiers."

Seeing the odd way in which Ye Gui Feng is looking at the two disciples Li Wen points out a bit of the sixth patriarch's history.

"Do you have business here?"

"Tell the patriarch that the fourth elder is here to see him."

With a nod one of the two disciple immediately heads inside to report leaving Ye Gui Feng to look to the second disciple and-

"I've been in seclusion for far too long. Youngster anything interested happened in recent months?"

Finding this to be a good chance to probe for some minor details Ye Gui Feng casually asks the disciple in front of him for recent topics of interest.

"If it's something major then it would have to be the sixth elder's death."

[Ah?]

Shocked to discover that one of the targets for his revenge had died Li Wen looks to the disciple in disbelief.

"How did he die?"

"He was sent on a mission by the patriarch. As for the details of that mission that's not something that a minor disciple like me would know of."

(A mission? I wonder if the reason this guy is always asking about when Li Wen will emerge from seclusion has anything to do with it...)

[...]

Realizing the same thing as Ye Gui Feng Li Wen can't help but make an uneasy expression on his face.

"Did that death have anything to do with the Xia family?"

"I'm not certain."

(If it's not the Xia family then... Is there another hidden faction here?)

Continuing to have a casual conversation with the second disciple Ye Gui Feng didn't wait long before the first disciple returned with the sixth patriarch's permission to invite him into their residence.

"..."

Moving through the residence in accordance to Li Wen's memory Ye Gui Feng takes his time to slowly arrive in front of his destination that is located at the far back.

And upon his arrival to the backyard garden Ye Gui Feng immediately sees the figure of a black robed elder who is watering the plants in front of him.

The style of this garden is rather traditional in which it is built within an artificial pond with rocks of unusual shapes positioned in locations that will create a favorable presentation.

"Finally emerged from your seclusion?"

The first to speak is the sixth patriarch who continues to water the plants without turning his body around to face Ye Gui Feng.

"..."

In response to the sixth patriarch's display of putting on air Ye Gui Feng readily rolls his eyes with annoyance.

Having weathered through the storm that he did anyone who is bold enough to put on air in front of his presence can only be labeled as a frog that dwells in the bottom of a well.

"..."

It was also in that instance that an idea struck Ye Gui Feng as he begins to approach the sixth patriarch with a smile of ill intent.