Chapter 4056: A Common Method

Lin Mu finally understood the connection between the two experts. The Grand Elder had inherited knowledge through his family, while the Clarity Peak Head had learned about the Pavilion through her master.

That explained their earlier reactions.

Both possessed personal connections to individuals who had survived the organization’s downfall. Yet Lin Mu also noticed something else. The Grand Elder had said that the remaining members continued to preserve certain records and knowledge.

’What kind of records?’ Lin Mu wondered.

He had a feeling that the answer might be particularly important.

Zhenyu stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So your grandfather and her master were among the final remnants of the Hopeful Star Pavilion."

"Yes," the Grand Elder answered.

"And they continued maintaining its old connections?"

"To a limited extent."

Zhenyu’s eyes narrowed. "Then I have another question."

The Grand Elder looked at him. "Please ask, Senior."

Zhenyu leaned forward slightly, his enormous figure casting a shadow over the two experts.

"You said the Hopeful Star Pavilion was originally a gathering of promising cultivators. You also said that Deng Siqi was among its members."

The Grand Elder nodded. "That is correct."

"Then where was Deng Siqi when all this happened?" The question caused both the Grand Elder and the Clarity Peak Head to fall silent.

Lin Mu carefully observed their expressions.

The Grand Elder’s eyes narrowed, while the Clarity Peak Head seemed to grow uncomfortable.

Zhenyu continued, "He was already the Great Ancestor of this sect by then, wasn’t he? Surely he knew that his old companions were causing trouble."

The Grand Elder hesitated. "Senior, the Great Ancestor had already departed for the Eastern Immortal Court long before these events."

Zhenyu snorted. "That doesn’t answer my question."

The Grand Elder fell silent again.

Zhenyu’s expression became increasingly stern. "If Deng Siqi knew about the Hopeful Star Pavilion’s ambitions, why didn’t he intervene? And if he didn’t know, how did an organization founded by his old companions become so powerful without anyone informing him?"

The Clarity Peak Head looked toward the Grand Elder.

Lin Mu noticed the exchange immediately. ’There it is.’

The old man had explained the downfall of the Lightless Hall, the assassination of Wen Wu, and the fracturing of the Hopeful Star Pavilion. Yet he had carefully avoided discussing the Heavenly Stream Immortal’s involvement.

Zhenyu’s eyes narrowed further. "Don’t tell me you two are going to start looking at each other again."

The Grand Elder let out a weary sigh. "Senior, that matter is considerably more complicated."

Zhenyu gave a low chuckle. "Everything seems complicated whenever I ask something important."

The Grand Elder looked helpless.

Zhenyu continued, "Very well. Let me make the question simpler."

His voice grew deeper. "Did Deng Siqi know what the Hopeful Star Pavilion had become?"

The Grand Elder remained silent for several breaths, then he slowly nodded. "Yes, Senior."

Lin Mu felt his heart stir.

The Grand Elder continued in a grave voice. "The Great Ancestor knew. In fact, it was partly because of his intervention that the remaining members of the Hopeful Star Pavilion were able to survive the aftermath."

Zhenyu’s eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

Lin Mu’s interest immediately intensified. ’So the Heavenly Stream Immortal personally intervened.’

That changed things considerably.

The Grand Elder looked toward the Clarity Peak Head before continuing. "However, Senior, the Great Ancestor’s involvement did not end with protecting the innocent members."

Zhenyu narrowed his eyes. "What else did he do?"

The Grand Elder took a deep breath. "He gave the remaining members of the Hopeful Star Pavilion one final responsibility."

Lin Mu’s attention sharpened while Zhenyu stroked his beard. "And what responsibility was that?"

The Grand Elder’s expression became exceptionally solemn. "To preserve certain things that the Great Ancestor believed should never fall into the wrong hands."

For several moments, Lin Mu said nothing, then a thought appeared in his mind. ’Could one of those things be connected to the Virtuous Calamity Daoist?’

The Grand Elder’s revelation caused Lin Mu to fall into deep thought.

The Hopeful Star Pavilion had been responsible for preserving certain ancient belongings under the orders of the Heavenly Stream Immortal, but there was another matter that had caught his attention even before this.

It was the manner in which Wen Wu had died.

The talented Core Disciple had been lured into an inheritance ground, where he was ambushed by members of the Lightless Hall. Those responsible had apparently been following orders from higher-ranking individuals associated with the Hopeful Star Pavilion, who wanted to eliminate Wen Wu before he could become the next Patriarch.

It was a carefully planned scheme, one that had exploited the young disciple’s desire to obtain an inheritance.

And Lin Mu found the method disturbingly familiar.

’Wait a minute. Wasn’t Zhenyu also told that the Mad Demon Depths contained an inheritance of sorts?’ Lin Mu suddenly recalled.

According to the memories he had studied, Mengli Zhenyu had entered the Mad Demon Depths after learning about the possibility of obtaining a powerful inheritance. The ancient body cultivator had been exceptionally ambitious, and his desire to advance his cultivation had made such an opportunity difficult to resist.

Yet he had never returned.

’Could it be that they intended to get rid of Zhenyu in the same way?’ Lin Mu wondered.

The possibility was certainly worth considering.

Both men had been exceptionally talented cultivators with promising futures. Both had been directed toward supposed inheritances, and both had disappeared afterward. The major difference was that Wen Wu’s remains had eventually been recovered, revealing the treachery behind his death.

Zhenyu’s disappearance, on the other hand, had remained a mystery for more than a hundred thousand years.

’If they used this method on Wen Wu, and perhaps Zhenyu before him, how many others might have suffered the same fate?’ Lin Mu thought.

It was an unsettling possibility.

The Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect had existed for an extraordinary amount of time, and countless talented cultivators had risen and fallen throughout its history. Some had perished in battle, others had died while exploring dangerous regions, and many had simply disappeared while pursuing cultivation opportunities.

Ordinarily, such occurrences would hardly be suspicious as Cultivation was inherently dangerous, especially for those who sought extraordinary opportunities.

But now that Lin Mu knew the Hopeful Star Pavilion had contained individuals willing to eliminate promising disciples for their own ambitions, he could no longer regard every disappearance as an unfortunate accident.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.