Chapter 4052: Old Ambitions Reignited

The words carried a mocking edge, though Lin Mu deliberately allowed some disappointment to show as well.

The Grand Elder did not attempt to argue.

"Senior is correct," he admitted. "The sect failed to learn from that lesson. Perhaps the passage of time caused people to forget why the Righteous Onslaught Division had been disbanded in the first place. Perhaps the circumstances of that era convinced them that the benefits outweighed the dangers."

He sighed. "Whatever the reason, the Lightless Hall was established. And eventually, we came to regret it."

Zhenyu studied him for several moments. "Regret it, huh?"

"Deeply." The Grand Elder’s answer came without hesitation.

That alone told Lin Mu that the consequences had been severe.

He had initially wondered whether the Lightless Hall had simply been exposed and disbanded after attracting the attention of the Eastern Immortal Court. Yet the Grand Elder’s tone suggested that something far more serious had occurred.

Zhenyu fell silent for a few breaths before speaking again. "I’m guessing the Lightless Hall wasn’t an official division."

"Correct."

"Its members were probably drawn from the other Peaks and Divisions."

The Grand Elder nodded. "Indeed. The Lightless Hall had no formal position within the sect’s publicly acknowledged structure. Its members maintained their original identities and responsibilities, allowing them to operate without attracting suspicion."

Zhenyu’s eyes narrowed. "Which parts of the sect supplied its members?"

"Essentially all of them," the Grand Elder answered. "There were cultivators from the Sword Peak, Clarity Peak, Beast Division, Vault Division, Formation Division, and several others. Some were elders, while others were disciples who had been selected for their particular talents."

He paused before adding, "Even the Wild Peak had a few members."

Zhenyu raised an eyebrow. "My Wild Peak?"

"Yes."

"Hmph." Lin Mu found that particularly interesting.

The Wild Peak was famous for its straightforward and aggressive approach to conflict. Its cultivators generally preferred overwhelming strength and direct confrontation, though that certainly did not mean they were incapable of subtlety.

A body cultivator with sufficient strength could be an exceptionally effective assassin, especially if their target underestimated their speed or physical abilities. Still, the fact that Wild Peak members had joined a secret organization suggested that the Lightless Hall had possessed considerable influence.

"Who recruited them?" Zhenyu asked.

"The Hall had several individuals responsible for identifying suitable candidates," the Grand Elder replied. "Recruitment was conducted through personal recommendations and carefully arranged assignments. Most members knew only a portion of the organization’s structure."

"Compartmentalized," Zhenyu muttered.

The Grand Elder looked at him.

Zhenyu scoffed. "Of course. Keep everyone ignorant of what the others are doing, and when someone gets caught, they can’t reveal much."

"That was part of the reasoning," the Grand Elder admitted.

"And who gave the orders?" The question made the old man pause.

Lin Mu immediately noticed. ’Another sensitive point.’

The Grand Elder eventually answered, "There was a small group responsible for directing the Hall’s activities. Their identities were concealed even from most of its members."

Zhenyu frowned. "You’re telling me the sect allowed a secret organization to operate for thousands of years while hiding the identities of the people controlling it?"

"Certain senior authorities knew of its existence." The Grand Elder said.

"That’s a very convenient answer." Zhenyu mocked.

The Grand Elder sighed. "It was an arrangement that developed gradually. The Lightless Hall initially handled relatively limited assignments. As its usefulness became apparent, its authority expanded."

"And nobody thought that might become a problem?"

"Some did."

Zhenyu’s expression sharpened. "What happened to them?"

The Grand Elder remained silent for a moment. "Some objections were overruled. Others were addressed through internal agreements."

Zhenyu laughed without much humor. "Internal agreements. What a wonderful phrase. You can hide almost anything behind it."

The Clarity Peak Head looked displeased, though she offered no objection. Lin Mu was becoming increasingly certain that the Lightless Hall had eventually grown beyond the control of those who had created it.

There was another possibility as well. If the organization’s leadership had been concealed, its members might have developed loyalties that extended beyond the Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect itself.

That would explain why its eventual downfall had become such a sensitive matter.

Zhenyu stroked his beard. "So what happened?"

The Grand Elder’s expression darkened. "The Lightless Hall eventually became involved in several incidents that threatened the stability of the sect. The most serious problems were caused by a relatively small number of its members."

"How small?"

"That is difficult to determine precisely."

Zhenyu gave him a flat look. "Try."

The Grand Elder hesitated. "Only a handful were directly implicated in the events that led to the Hall’s destruction. However, their positions allowed them to influence many others."

Lin Mu carefully considered those words. ’A handful of people caused the entire organization to collapse?’

That was certainly possible, especially if those individuals had possessed access to the Hall’s leadership or its most sensitive operations. Yet something still seemed strange.

The Grand Elder had previously said that certain names were removed from the sect’s history. If the Lightless Hall had merely committed crimes, the sect could have publicly condemned those responsible and used their punishment as an example.

Erasing an entire organization suggested that revealing its existence would have created problems of its own.

Zhenyu appeared to reach a similar conclusion. "Let me guess. When those fellows caused trouble, the rest of the Hall got dragged down with them."

The Grand Elder nodded gravely. "That is essentially what happened. Although the greatest offenses were committed by only a few individuals, the entire Lightless Hall became implicated. Its structure made it difficult to separate those who were directly responsible from those who had unknowingly assisted them."

"And so?"

"The Hall was abolished. Its remaining operations were terminated, its facilities were sealed or dismantled, and its records were removed from the ordinary archives."

Zhenyu’s eyebrows rose. "All of them?"

"As many as could be recovered."

"That’s quite an undertaking."

"It was."

Zhenyu gave a slow nod. "So rather than simply punishing the guilty, the sect decided to erase the entire Hall."

The Grand Elder’s expression grew weary. "The decision was made to prevent further consequences."

"Consequences from whom?" The Grand Elder did not immediately answer.

Lin Mu’s attention sharpened.

The old man’s hesitation was becoming a useful indicator. Every time the conversation approached a particularly important detail, he became noticeably more careful with his words.

Zhenyu leaned forward. "Was it the Eastern Immortal Court again?"

The Grand Elder shook his head. "The Eastern Immortal Court was involved in certain aspects of the aftermath, but the decision to erase the Lightless Hall originated within the sect."

"Then the matter must have been quite serious."

"It was."

"Serious enough to make the sect destroy eighty thousand years of history?"

The Grand Elder frowned. "The Hall itself did not exist for that entire period, Senior. It was established eighty thousand years ago, but its dissolution occurred considerably later."

Zhenyu waved his hand. "You understand what I mean."

The Grand Elder nodded. "Yes."

Lin Mu quietly took note of that distinction. The Lightless Hall had been created eighty thousand years ago, but the Grand Elder had yet to reveal when it had been destroyed. That meant its activities could have continued for a very long time.

Perhaps long enough for the organization to develop considerable influence within the sect.

Zhenyu looked toward the Clarity Peak Head. "You’ve been awfully quiet, child."

The woman raised her eyes. "I have been listening, Senior."

"Good. Then perhaps you can answer something."

"What would Senior like to know?"

Zhenyu pointed toward the Grand Elder. "He says the Lightless Hall had members from every part of the sect, including your Clarity Peak."

"That is correct."

"And he says the entire Hall was erased because of the actions of a few people."

"Yes."

Zhenyu’s gaze sharpened. "Then why do you look more concerned about the Hall’s history than he does?"

The Clarity Peak Head froze for the briefest moment and the Grand Elder turned toward her. Lin Mu carefully watched their reactions. He had been waiting for an opportunity to question the woman directly.

The Grand Elder’s connection to the Hopeful Star Pavilion was understandable because of his ancestry, but the Clarity Peak Head’s familiarity with the matter remained unexplained.

She recovered her composure quickly. "Senior is mistaken. I am merely concerned about the implications of discussing such sensitive matters."

Zhenyu chuckled. "Perhaps."

He leaned back slightly. "Or perhaps your Clarity Peak remembers the Lightless Hall rather well."

The woman’s expression tightened.

Lin Mu noticed it immediately. ’There’s definitely something there.’

The Grand Elder intervened before the exchange could continue. "Senior, the Clarity Peak Head’s concern is understandable. The Lightless Hall’s history is tied to several matters that remain sensitive even today."

Zhenyu turned toward him. "Then stop circling around them."

His enormous frame seemed to become even more imposing as he folded his arms. "You’ve told me when the Hall was founded, what it did, how it recruited members, and how it eventually disappeared. Yet you’ve carefully avoided telling me who caused its downfall."

The Grand Elder’s expression grew solemn.

Zhenyu continued, "You said there were several major individuals involved. Surely you remember their names."

The old man remained silent and Lin Mu knew he was finally approaching the information he wanted.

The Grand Elder had begun by speaking about the Hopeful Star Pavilion, only to reveal the existence of the Lightless Hall. The two organizations were apparently connected through certain members, though the exact nature of that connection remained unclear.

And if the Virtuous Calamity Daoist had been involved with either organization, this conversation could finally reveal something about the mysterious cultivator’s past.

Zhenyu’s eyes narrowed. "Come now, junior. You’ve already gone through the trouble of sealing us inside this fancy bead. Nobody outside can hear us." He spread his massive hands. "So tell me."

The Grand Elder looked directly at him.

"Which members of the Lightless Hall caused enough trouble that the Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect decided to erase an entire organization from its history?"

For several breaths, neither the Grand Elder nor the Clarity Peak Head spoke.

Then the Grand Elder slowly exhaled. "Senior, before I tell you their names, there is something you must understand."

Zhenyu frowned. "What now?"

"The Lightless Hall was never supposed to become independent of the sect’s authority. Its original purpose was to serve the Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect, and for a considerable period, it fulfilled that purpose."

The old man’s voice grew heavier. "However, certain members eventually began pursuing objectives that had little to do with the assignments they were given."

Lin Mu’s eyes sharpened.

The Grand Elder continued, "They used the Hall’s resources, contacts, and secrecy to investigate matters that had been deliberately restricted by the sect."

"Restricted matters?" Zhenyu repeated.

"Yes."

"What kind?"

The Grand Elder glanced toward the Clarity Peak Head before answering. "Ancient inheritances, forbidden cultivation methods, and certain secrets left behind by the earliest generations of the sect."

Lin Mu felt his interest surge. ’Ancient inheritances again.’

The same subject had appeared twice now and that was unlikely to be a coincidence.

Zhenyu stroked his beard thoughtfully. "And these people belonged to the Hopeful Star Pavilion?"

The Grand Elder hesitated. "Some of them were connected to individuals who had once belonged to it."

Lin Mu immediately noticed the distinction. The Grand Elder was being extremely precise with his wording.

Zhenyu narrowed his eyes. "So the Lightless Hall inherited more than just the Righteous Onslaught Division’s bad habits."

The Grand Elder gave a faint, reluctant nod. "It would be fair to say that certain old ambitions resurfaced within it."

For the first time since entering the Clarity Reversal Bead, Zhenyu’s expression became completely serious.

"Old ambitions?"

The Grand Elder met his gaze. "Yes, Senior. Ambitions that had already caused disagreements among members of the Hopeful Star Pavilion long before the Lightless Hall was established."

Lin Mu felt the pieces of the mystery beginning to shift into place.

Zhenyu slowly nodded. "Now that sounds like something worth remembering." He looked directly at the Grand Elder. "Tell me which fools revived those ambitions, junior. I want to know whose names were troublesome enough to make the sect bury its own history."

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