Volcanic Age

Chapter 35: Missing (2)

Mount Hua, Shaanxi Province.

"Please, do not forgive me!" Qiu Feng bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the ground.

"Senior brother..." Liu Zhengmu's expression was conflicted.

Even if they were both third-generation members of the sect, Qiu Feng held a higher position in terms of seniority. This apology troubled Liu Zhengmu.

"I was unable to fulfill my duty as a protector of the Lotus Pavilion. Your disciple was sacrificed because of me... I'm truly sorry."

Qiu Feng's voice was filled with guilt. He wasn't even able to raise his head properly.

About three weeks ago, he miraculously defeated Lu Dalang and survived. However, he was unable to save Zhou Xuchuan. He immediately reported the incident to the sect, and they, along with the cultivators from the Martial Alliance, searched for days but were ultimately unable to find him.

He wanted to continue the search, but the sect urgently ordered his return, so he had no choice but to return to the sect with the members of the Lotus Pavilion.

Although the search continued, they were unable to find any clues and had only returned a few days ago. Essentially, Zhou Xuchuan was deemed dead.

"It is all my fault. If only I had trusted your disciple a little more, things wouldn't have been this bad."

During this time, the perceptions of Zhou Xuchuan had completely changed. No one called him All Bite No Bark anymore.

They were instead all shocked by his remarkable feats. They were surprised that he had hidden his skills and power, and how determined he was to learn despite the ridicule from those around him.

That made it even more unfortunate. They couldn't hide their disappointment at losing such a talented young man in vain.

"Hm..."

After reaching the Absolute Realm, Liu Zhengmu spent a considerable amount of time out in the world. One day, upon hearing the news about Zhou Xuchuan, he hurriedly returned to the sect, and he had only arrived today.

Qiu Feng, who was residing in the sect, visited Liu Zhengmu as soon as he was notified of his arrival and bowed in apology.

"I wish I could go find the Nine Water Gangs and seek revenge, but..."

He couldn't do as he wished because of the complex circumstances.

The Martial Alliance was also investigating this matter. Unless Lu Dalang had suddenly gone mad, there was no way he would attack the members of the Lotus Pavilion and the direct lineage of the Zhuge Family. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.comore, according to information they gathered, the ships and boats in the Yangtze River were intentionally removed, seemingly to prevent the group from splitting up and crossing the river. This meant that the ambush was planned, so they suspected someone was behind them.

"I have not taken a disciple myself, but I do know the sorrow, fury, and pain of losing one. I won't mind at all, so resent me."

A master was often compared to a parent to a disciple. Conversely, a disciple is seen as a child to the master. Although there were no blood ties between them, the connection between them ran deep.

"I will not forget this for the rest of my life..."

Liu Zhengmu hadn't been quietly listening for some time. However, Qiu Feng continued apologizing with similar words. It was like he was telling him to kill him.

"Senior brother."

In the end, Liu Zhengmu had no choice but to interrupt him.

"Yes." Qiu Feng replied with a resigned expression.

However, what he heard from Liu Zhengmu was totally different.

"I'm okay, so don't act like that."

"Junior brother."

"You acting like this only makes things even more difficult for me." Liu Zhengmu let out a bitter laugh. His eyes had a mixture of emotions. "It hasn't been long since I returned to the sect. I'm a little tired and need some time alone. Climbing the mountain has drawn a lot of attention."

"I have told the cultivators that they will be raiding a tomb."

"How did you introduce me to them?"

"I told them that you were an expert whose orders must be followed. They are unfamiliar with you and Young Master Zhuge's faces, so you do not need to worry about your identities being exposed."

"Well done. The treasury is in Chongqing. This is the exact location, so send people to a nearby village. I need a quick method of communication on the way back."

Zhou Xuchuan handed over an encoded map.

"This is the interpretation method of the code. Memorize it and burn it."

"Ooh! As expected of a great hero! Your knowledge surpasses that of Zhuge Liang! You truly are powerful both in mind and body!" Li Yicai exaggerated, tapping his forehead. "This little merchant is moved to tears!"

"Then cry."

"Men do not shed tears easily."

Li Yicai handed over a pouch for travel expenses.

"I will support your journey from every aspect and from places you can't see. Rob the Three-Eyed Godly Thief down to his bones. Of course, you know that wealth comes before bones, right?"

"Head merchant. wipe off your drool before speaking."

"Huh? Oops, my apologies. Well then, see you next time. I hope you have a safe trip.

*

Zhou Xuchuan left for Chongqing alongside Zhuge Shengji and the ten cultivators recruited by Li Yicai. Until recently, Chongqing had been filled with members of the Orthodox Faction searching for Zhou Xuchuan and Zhuge Shengji, but that was no longer the case.

There were no signs of river bandits either. The Eighteen Bandit Gangs had also ordered their men to stop pillaging for a while.

"He's telling us to trust a kid who's just grown his hair?"

Before setting off for the treasury, the cultivators found Zhou Xuchuan rather ridiculous. The so-called "expert" introduced by the head merchant appeared to be barely past the age of adulthood. In the Central Plains, adulthood was fifteen years old. Zhou Xuchuan couldn't even be considered a youth yet.

If they discovered that Zhou Xuchuan was only twelve years old, they might froth from their mouths.

"Shh, keep quiet. It seems to be true."

Among the ten cultivators, the only one who had reached First-Class put his index on his mouth, gesturing to them to keep quiet. An expert could recognize a rookie, but a rookie couldn't recognize an expert.

"Is that true, Brother Wang?"

Wang Yi, the First-Class cultivator, was addressed as Brother Wang. Although his name sounded like he was a country bumpkin, he was a First-Class cultivator near Peak Realm. He was someone who had climbed his way up from the bottom and earned a lot of respect as a result. He also had a lot of followers.

"Are you sure he's just an ordinary person and not a martial artist?"

Normal civilians did not learn cultivation, so they had no level to speak of. It was obvious that they couldn't be discerned.

"Didn't you see Captain Zhou's flawless walking stance?"

"Hmm."

"Don't let your pride cloud your judgment. And even if he's not an expert, we have to follow orders. Didn't you hear that from the head merchant before we left Weng'An?"

"I'm sorry, Brother Wang."

"You don't need to apologize to me. Go apologize to Captain Zhou when we take a break later. The head merchant may find fault with this later."