Unlike the Death Gate passage where one couldnât see their hand before their face, the resting gate corridor was built magnificently, similar to the style of the Zhao Palace in the secret realm of the Western Queen Mother.
Whether it was the intricate and bright wall relief or the Everbright Lamps set at intervals, everything highlighted the uniquely ornate style of the ancient era of Cultivating Immortality.
The end of the corridor led to a spacious room, completely furnished with tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets.
There were also fur rugs spread on the floor, cotton drapes hanging before the beams, and soft cushions beside the bed, which felt thick and comfortable as well as soft and warm to lie on, making one immediately feel all fatigue dissipate and wanting nothing more than a good sleep.
Ling Yunpo sat down by the bed, briefly organized his thoughts, and asked in a deep voice,
âSenior Sister, can we produce any evidence at the moment to prove that Master is indeed in closed-door cultivation and couldnât possibly appear in the outside world?â
An Zhisu fell silent for a while before sitting down beside him and sighing,
âWe cannot.â
This was only natural since the place where Su Jian was currently in closed-door cultivation was a black box, and no one had any information about the situation inside.
Conversely, if it could be confirmed that Su Jian was still alive, then the state of Qingluo Peak wouldnât be as desolate as it was now.
Ling Yunpo also sighed.
The true frustration in this matter lay in the fact that it was clear that the perpetrator couldnât possibly be someone from Qingluo Peak, but since there was absolutely no clue or lead regarding the murderer, blame was temporarily placed on Qingluo Peak.
The reason for choosing to bring Senior Sister An to the rest gate was to try and reduce the Shushan Sect disciplesâ vigilance as much as possible.
Of course, if the murderer took this opportunity to strike again, both of them could use it to completely clear themselves of suspicion⦠although, the chances of that happening were slim.
If it comes to it, weâll just keep on resting like this!
In reality, the only places they truly needed to visit were the twenty-eighth and thirtieth floors.
The twenty-eighth floor had a Blood Pool, in which Marrow Cleansing Rank Sword Immortals could bathe to swiftly cleanse their meridians and veins, furthering their Marrow Cleansing progress.
The thirtieth floor had a cocoon forest, where Refining Mansion Rank Sword Immortals could cultivate to quickly perfect their Jade Mansion and advance their Refining Mansion progress.
Apart from these two floors that Ling Yunpo and An Zhisu needed to visit, the trials on the other floors, despite offering various rewards and Strange Objects, were not critical and could be forsaken if necessary.
As for Ling Yunpo at this time, his ambitions were already too high. Not to mention the materials of Demonic Beasts used for Alchemy and crafting, even if Tenth Rank Flying Swords were bundled up and tossed before him, he might not give them a second glance.
âSenior Sister,â Ling Yunpo sighed, and seeing that there was still a long way to go until an hour had passed, he sought out a topic and asked, âTell me about Masterâs past, would you?â
âIt seems that whenever the other Various Peaks mention Qi Sha True Person, their attitude is one of both hatred and fear. What exactly did Master do back then that provoked such spiteful and petty people?â
âMaster,â An Zhisu said with a sigh, âwas actually not fond of killing or fighting; he was just stubborn by nature.â
âThe reason he didnât hold back when sword fighting with others was because he believed that Sword Immortals should give their all. Holding back was an insult to his sparring partners.â
âFurthermore, regarding those who challenged him and were easily killed by him, Master actually complained privately, saying that these people clearly lacked skill in swordsmanship yet instead of diligently cultivating the path of the sword, they were impetuous and belligerent, clamoring to fight and kill with him, leaving him quite perplexed.â
Ling Yunpo: â¦â¦â¦
Man, this cheap Master really doesnât care about face!
He was just like the high school top student who would say, âIf your grades are so bad, why donât you stay up all night studying?â
âHowever, Master was not being sarcastic.â As if afraid Ling Yunpo wouldnât believe her, An Zhisu emphasized again, âMaster really felt perplexed.â
âYou see, when others challenge him to a duel, he canât really refuse. But to go easy on them during the duel wouldnât be in line with his principles. If he goes all out, the opponent is too weak to withstand even one of his strikes.â
âSo when outsiders accuse Master of indiscriminate killing, I think thatâs an unfair assessment. Itâs clear they canât win, yet they insist on challenging Master to a duel. Isnât that just seeking their own demise? How can they blame Master?â
Ling Yunpo had no reply.
Senior Sister Anâs argument seemed logically flawless, yet upon reflection, it was sophistical.
You kill someoneâs senior brother or junior brother, and they, bearing a grudge, come to seek revenge to the death. Could it still be their own fault?
But of course, Senior Sister would defend Master, so making far-fetched arguments was quite normal, just as I am bound to unconditionally defend Senior Sister.
âIâll tell you a secret, Master actually has a weakness.â An Zhisu blinked and whispered to him, âYou canât tell anyone else.â
âWhat weakness?â Ling Yunpo perked up his ears, âI promise not to tell anyone.â
âMaster canât hold his liquor,â An Zhisu said with a smile, âIf he doesnât use his True Yuan to refine the alcohol, heâs practically guaranteed to get drunk from the slightest drink.â
âAnd when heâs drunk, he starts to confess, crying out everything that has made him feel guilty. To take care of him when he was drunk, my mother had to put in a lot of effort.â
Hearing this, Ling Yunpo chuckled to himself.
The idea of a cultivator getting drunk and acting crazy was simply a joke.
But he understood that Su Jian was just using this as a way to relieve stress. For him to speak freely, he and An Zhisuâs mother must have shared a very deep connection.
âIn any case, Master is not the cold-hearted and ruthless person that outsiders claim he is,â An Zhisu concluded, âIf he has to kill for our sake, he does so openly, he would never hide and leave room for speculation⦠Thatâs just not his style.â
âTrue Person Jinghua must also understand this,â Ling Yunpo sighed, âBut as to who the murderer is, we still have no clue.â
âSpeaking of which, I think Guan Shanyueâs words make some sense.â An Zhisu said gravely, âThat Chief Disciple from Kunlun, Qiu Changtian, disappeared without a trace as soon as he entered the Demon Locking Tower, isnât he the most suspicious one?â
âMoreover, True Person Jinghua is covering for him in every possible way, itâs really hard not to be suspicious⦠Hmm, Junior Brother, what do you think?â
What do I think? I think itâs completely absurd, okay? Why would the future me want to cause trouble for myself?
Of course, I canât tell Senior Sister An that, so Ling Yunpo could only pretend to agree and then raise a question:
âSo, that makes Qiu Changtian a bit suspicious, but observing his behavior, he seems to be a fairly upstanding Cultivator and it doesnât seem likely for him to do such things.â
âI donât think so,â An Zhisu frowned and said, âYou see, he could have come earlier, but instead he deliberately arrived late, waiting for everyone to arrive before making an exaggerated, pretentious entrance⦠Just like someone with a frivolous style.â
Ling Yunpo became instantly enraged upon hearing thisâwhat did she mean by a frivolous style?
Prestige, Sister, itâs called prestige, okay!
But since Senior Sister had said so, Ling Yunpo couldnât directly argue with her, so he had to persuade her circuitously:
âItâs said that you canât judge a book by its cover. I think itâs better for us not to jump to conclusions too hastily and just wait and observe his future actions.â