The Shadowed Trail to Gu Sect

Lin Xingjian’s face was solemn as he locked his gaze on the pill in the man’s hand.

The man didn’t notice, only the corners of his mouth rose slightly in a faint, gentle, and harmless smile.

The man mused inwardly.

The expression on the person before him mirrored those disciples he had previously swindled, their faces etched with suspicion yet also a palpable struggle, unwilling to let a potential opportunity slip away.

He knew intimately that all cultivators considered themselves exceptional, invariably clinging to a sense of hoping for a lucky escape, reasoning, “The world is vast; surely calamity would not single me out.”

All too often, this very blind confidence was what led them, step by agonizing step, into an abyss of eternal damnation.

“Are these pills truly genuine?”

Lin Xingjian finally spoke.

“Absolutely genuine! One hundred percent authentic!”

The man reacted swiftly, promptly responding.

“If they prove false, you can find me at any time.”

“This is my Xuantian token. I am a cultivator from the neighboring Gu Sect. If you don’t believe me, feel free to verify.”

Having said that, the man, with practiced ease, casually pulled out a flat token made of rare spirit wood from his bosom.

The token was not large, and a faint spiritual glow emanated from it.

Adorned with a red cord and green silk, it was shaped like an ancient, square sword, bearing the characters “Xuantian” from the Xuantian Dao Sect deeply carved into its front.

The characters were strong and vigorous, imbued with boundless spiritual energy.

Lin Xingjian reached out and steadily took the token, turning it gently in his hand, meticulously examining its material and craftsmanship.

He then flipped the token over, looking at its reverse side.

Beneath the Xuantian Dao Sect’s iconic emblem, a line of small characters met his gaze.

It meticulously detailed the token holder’s specific information.

This included their name, gender, cultivation level, age, date of joining the sect, and current position.

Lin Xingjian’s gaze meticulously scanned each character, and as his eyes fell upon a familiar name, his heart seized with a sudden jolt.

Memories related to his previous disguised investigation quickly surfaced in his mind.

He concluded that the token was genuine.

However, the person before him was definitely not the individual recorded on the token.

As for the true owner of the token, they had likely long since fallen into the clutches of these malevolent individuals.

“I’ll buy it.”

Lin Xingjian casually took out spirit stones from his storage pouch, smoothly handing forty pieces to the man.

With lightning speed, he snatched the pills and vanished into the bustling crowd.

The other party confirmed the payment, a satisfied smile spreading across his face as he hummed a little tune, preparing to leave.

He remained utterly oblivious that Lin Xingjian, like a leopard concealed in shadow, had silently fixed his gaze upon him.

After selling the pills, the man acted with extreme caution, no longer operating in the same location.

Like a cunning fox, he moved to other selling points, peddling pills twice more in quick succession.

Given the limited number of pill vendor shops nearby, the man was well-versed in the strategy of “a cunning rabbit has three burrows.” (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning to have multiple escape routes or backup plans.)

This individual was meticulous and cautious in his dealings, utterly devoid of greed.

The disciples who had purchased the Demonic Foundation Establishment Pills each wore expressions of wild ecstasy.

Lin Xingjian watched all of this from afar, shaking his head inwardly, forcefully restraining himself from revealing his identity.

Indeed, as the adage advised, “cast a long line to catch a big fish.” (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning to take a long-term approach to achieve a greater goal.)

Had Lin Xingjian impulsively stepped forward to stop the man after merely one or two transactions, he would never have uncovered the dark forces truly lurking behind him.

Lin Xingjian consistently maintained a distance of no more than a hundred meters from him, ensuring he wouldn’t lose track yet also avoiding arousing suspicion.

After finishing his sales in the vicinity, the man sought out a quiet corner to count the spirit stones he had received.

Once he had confirmed his day’s earnings, the man swaggered away from the nearby sect, heading towards the outskirts.

Lin Xingjian did not rush; he waited for a while, estimating that the man had relaxed his guard, before trailing him all the way.

In their line of work, patience was among the most crucial qualities.

Often, the time and effort expended on tailing and investigating far exceeded that required to directly eliminate an enemy.

Observing the direction the man was heading, could he be making his way to the Gu Sect?

Following this path, only the Gu Sect remained.

The Gu Sect was originally situated in a relatively remote area of the Xuantian Dao Sect, encircled by dense mountain forests, a forgotten corner of the mundane world.

Perhaps due to the unique cultivation methods of the Gu Sect, cultivators had always been sparse there, and those from other sects were generally reluctant to approach it.

The Gu Sect’s location was far from comparable to the Sword Dao Sect, which was situated in the core region of the Xuantian Dao Sect, boasting convenient transport and bustling popularity.

Establishing their hideout within the sparsely populated Gu Sect was indeed an excellent choice for extreme concealment.

Lin Xingjian had previously dismantled an exceptionally peculiar hideout.

Those individuals had taken an unconventional path, choosing not to establish their base in a remote sect, but instead selecting a populous Confucian Dao sect.

“It truly is the Gu Sect,” Lin Xingjian murmured. “I never imagined their hideout would be here; they certainly know how to conceal themselves.”

“To run so far every day just to sell demonic pills, and then trek all the way back on foot,” Lin Xingjian muttered, lowering his voice.

Even though the man was a demonic cultivator, Lin Xingjian couldn’t help but admire the meticulousness with which he conducted his affairs.

He was not greedy, knowing when to stop with each transaction.

Most importantly, he would travel such great distances to sell pills every few days, yet still return on foot.

He deliberately covered his tracks on the road, erasing every possible trace that might reveal his whereabouts.

After trailing him for approximately an hour, the man arrived before the gates of the Gu Sect.

He did not enter grandly through the main gate; instead, like a cat sneaking a fish, he cautiously sought out a highly concealed, broken opening, acting furtively.

Witnessing this scene, Lin Xingjian chuckled inwardly.

The man warily scanned his surroundings, and only after confirming no anomalies did he awkwardly bend over and squeeze through the hole with considerable effort.

Lin Xingjian deployed his exceptional movement technique.

Like a nimble swallow, he silently glided over the sect’s three-meter-high wall.

He landed without making the slightest sound.

Upon entering the Gu Sect, the man, like a rat intimately familiar with the terrain, wound through the intricate streets for several rounds.

Only after the man had exhausted every anti-tracking method and confirmed his safety did he finally enter a particular Pill Sect shop that appeared somewhat out of the ordinary.

The Gu Dao Sect naturally also possessed Dao Sect shops.

These shops, typically venues for sect disciples to trade pills and magical artifacts, might now be serving as a front for demonic forces.

Lin Xingjian had not expected the man to be so audacious, entering with such brazen openness.

“It seems this man is no small fry,” Lin Xingjian mused inwardly, his mind racing as he connected all the clues. “The Pill Sect shop has already finished selling pills for the day, and coupled with his audacious actions, it’s likely this very shop serves as a cover for their hideout.”

This single clue alone was enough for him to meticulously ponder over.