Chapter 54: The Difference Between Cultivators of Evil and Demonic Sects

Early the next morning, Hong An brought Cheng Yan and Jiang Ru to the Xuanshuang Pavilion to inquire about specific matters, while Luo Xing, Luo Han, and Dai Zifu remained in the Imperial Capital to negotiate with the Tianyan royal family, urging them to contribute their efforts as well.

After all, these were their own subjects who had gone missing. It would be inexcusable not to take it seriously.

But shortly after Hong An and the others left, a dragon carriage stopped at the entrance of the Cheng Mansion.

"Fellow Immortal Luo." After stepping out of the carriage, Zhao Chengyun first greeted Luo Xing, then bowed to Luo Han and Dai Zifu beside him. "I am Zhao Chengyun. It's an honor to meet the two immortal maidens."

Luo Han and Dai Zifu didn't know who this man was, but Cheng Yan's parents, standing behind them, recognized him immediately. They hastily knelt and kowtowed, shouting, "We pay our respects to the Third Imperial Prince!"

"Third Imperial Prince?" Dai Zifu frowned in confusion. "What business do you have here?"

Luo Han, however, noticed that Zhao Chengyun had greeted Luo Xing first and addressed him directly as "Fellow Immortal Luo." They clearly knew each other.

"Brother, do you know him?" Luo Han asked, puzzled.

That shouldn't be possible, right?

This was Luo Xing's first time in the Tianyan Kingdom. How could he have gotten acquainted with the Tianyan royal family so quickly?

"Uh... well..."

Luo Xing was momentarily at a loss for words. He couldn't exactly say he'd met Zhao Chengyun last night when he went to the Zhenyue Tower with Senior Brother Hong, could he?

But Zhao Chengyun immediately saw through Luo Xing's embarrassment and quickly explained, "Ah, it was yesterday. I happened to run into Fellow Immortal Luo on the street, and that's when I learned why you all had come..."

As he spoke, he stepped back and revealed the dragon carriage behind him. "After my father the Emperor learned of this, he specifically ordered me to come and welcome the several immortal masters into the palace for a detailed discussion!"

One had to admit, Zhao Chengyun was quite clever. His first sentence lightly glossed over how they'd met, and his second sentence smoothly changed the subject, saying he was here on the Tianyan Emperor's orders to welcome them.

The first sentence dispelled Luo Han's doubts, while the second used the Tianyan Emperor to divert Luo Han's attention...

Masterful!

Truly masterful!

"I see..." Luo Han didn't suspect a thing. She simply nodded slightly. "Then we'll trouble you."

"You're too kind, immortal maiden." Zhao Chengyun appeared extremely respectful. "Then please, immortal masters and maidens, board the carriage."

As he spoke, he secretly winked at Luo Xing, indicating he would make sure not to slip up.

Luo Xing: 'He's this attentive and this smart? The more I look at him, the more he seems like a villain...'

...

Before long, Luo Xing and the others rode the dragon carriage into the palace.

"Father."

In the grand hall, Zhao Chengyun announced in a clear voice to the middle-aged elderly man seated on the dragon throne, "These are the immortal masters and maiden from the Xuantian Sect."

Luo Xing looked at the Tianyan Emperor on the throne. Though he was over fifty, his temples were only lightly touched with frost-white. His face was composed, his posture straight, carrying a sense of authority without even trying.

"Several immortal masters have come from afar. I, Zhao Qian, am deeply honored." The Tianyan Emperor displayed no imperial arrogance before the three cultivators. Instead, he spoke in a steady tone. "Immortal masters, please take the seats of honor!"

He didn't say "be granted seats," but "please take the seats of honor." This revealed his attitude.

After they sat down, Luo Xing noticed a young man of about twenty standing beside Zhao Qian. He wore a python robe, his brows gentle, elegant and spirited yet tinged with calm dignity.

Seeming to sense Luo Xing's gaze, the young man stepped forward and bowed with clasped hands. "I am Zhao Chengze. Greetings to the three immortal masters and maiden."

Zhao Chengze—the Crown Prince of Tianyan, the heir to the throne.

As the saying goes, you don't hit a smiling face. Since their courtesy was done, even though Luo Xing and the others were cultivators, they shouldn't put on airs. So they introduced themselves as well.

"Fellow Immortal Luo." Zhao Qian spoke with a serious expression. "I have heard about the matter from Cheng Yun. This concerns my subjects of Tianyan. I will certainly do everything in my power to help. May I ask what Tianyan can do for you all?"

Perhaps because Zhao Chengyun had only interacted with Luo Xing, or because Luo Xing was the only male present, Zhao Qian addressed him directly.

After all, male superiority and female inferiority were unwritten rules of the mortal world that had never changed.

"Your Majesty of Tianyan, have any major events occurred in the Tianyan Kingdom in recent years?" Luo Xing asked directly.

Zhao Qian shook his head. "Nothing major. In recent years, Tianyan has enjoyed peace and prosperity, with favorable weather for the people."

"What about missing persons?" Luo Xing continued. "Has there been a large-scale disappearance of people at any time?"

Zhao Qian shook his head again.

The population of Tianyan was tens of millions at least. Even if a hundred or so people went missing, as long as it wasn't in the same place at the same time, it wouldn't attract attention.

In their view, two people missing here might be murder; two missing there might be eaten by wild beasts while chopping wood on the mountain. Such trivial matters likely wouldn't even catch the notice of local authorities, let alone an emperor far away in the capital.

"Fellow Immortal Luo." At this point, Crown Prince Zhao Chengze ventured cautiously, "Could this matter be the work of evil cultivators or demonic sects?"

Hearing this question...

Luo Xing immediately looked at the only "veteran" present, Dai Zifu.

Sorry, he was just a newcomer to the cultivation world and didn't know much about these things.

Dai Zifu thought for a moment, then slowly spoke. "It could be evil cultivators, but the probability of a demonic sect is low."

People often said evil ways and demonic paths were one and the same, but that wasn't the case.

There might be evil cultivators within demonic sects, but evil cultivators would never belong to a demonic sect.

Because the members of demonic sects acted arrogantly and aggressively. When they did evil, they feared others wouldn't know it was their work. For instance, the Joyous Union Sect belonged to the demonic sects, yet their style of conduct was such that even if the entire cultivation world despised and scorned them, they couldn't care less.

Evil cultivators, on the other hand, were insidious and vicious. They had no bottom line in their actions and were extremely secretive. Even cultivators found them hard to detect, let alone ordinary mortals.

This matter had been carried out so stealthily that if the Xuanshuang Pavilion hadn't been unable to recruit people, no one would have noticed. This kind of modus operandi could only be the work of evil cultivators.

If it were a demonic sect...

There was no need for Luo Xing and the others to come investigate. They would have charged straight to the capital, pointed at the Tianyan Emperor's nose, and said, "We did it."

Hearing Dai Zifu's analysis, the Tianyan royal family's faces showed difficulty.

Because even Dai Zifu herself had said it could be evil cultivators, but she wasn't certain. That meant they didn't even know how to ask the Starfall Sect for help.

Besides, Hong An had also said their trip was to help the Xuanshuang Pavilion, not the Tianyan royal family.

If they hadn't come, the Tianyan royal family wouldn't have even known about this matter. Even if the Xuanshuang Pavilion came to report and request assistance, they would only say, "I see. Alright, I'll note it. Go back and wait for notification."

As harsh as it sounded, it was reality. After all, the Starfall Sect was the one protecting them. If the sect didn't see any issue, what was a small sect like theirs fretting about?

As for asking the Tianyan royal family to seek help from the Starfall Sect...

That was even less likely. Their protection was for major events. As long as they weren't facing evil cultivators massacring cities or demonic sects destroying nations, they wouldn't go to the Starfall Sect to ask for help.

Losing one or two mortals with spiritual roots wasn't worth the Tianyan royal family calling in favors.

As for the Xuanshuang Pavilion failing to recruit people...

There was nothing they could do about that.

"Then let's start by investigating the missing persons in Tianyan over the past few years." This was Luo Xing's first time dealing with something like this, so he could only choose the simplest yet most troublesome method. "Notify all officials in Tianyan to collect and retrieve records of how many people in their jurisdictions have disappeared mysteriously in recent years."

"Start with those aged sixteen to twenty," Dai Zifu added. "This age range is the prime period for cultivation. No matter what the other party's goal is, their ultimate target can only be those people's 'spiritual roots.'"

She wanted to gamble on this. If those evil cultivators wanted to expand their strength by forcing mortals with spiritual roots to become evil cultivators, they would only target this age group, because it was the optimal time for cultivation. It was also the easiest age to deceive.

Although it was possible to cultivate past this age, it would be much more difficult. And if evil cultivators weren't afraid of hardship, would they still be evil cultivators?

But if it wasn't evil cultivators at work, then they could only see if there were other clues...