I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 379Book 2: : Misfortune Comes from the Mouth: The Art of Persuasion
Vol 2 Chapter 379 Misfortune Comes from the Mouth: The Art of Persuasion
Rogue Immortal Luo looked quite displeased.
He held the Trapping Immortal Sword tightly, his gaze fixed straight ahead, the corners of his mouth pressed so tightly it seemed he would never smile again.
The Trapping Immortal Sword seemed somewhat sentient, trembling lightly in his hand as if trying to comfort him.
Luo’s eyes grew even more frustrated, as if he had just seen his own son return from traveling the world dressed as a woman—unable to acknowledge him, yet unable to deny the deep blood connection.
On Divine Fire Mountain, no one spoke.
Everyone silently stared at the Trapping Immortal Sword in Luo’s hand, swallowing nervously.
Everyone understood—this was a big deal!
Haori Mountain had spent an entire era researching and countless spirit stones refining a true Immortal-grade Trapping Immortal Sword into a Nascent Soul treasure...
Not to mention the devastated spirit veins on Haori Mountain’s side.
The losses were so severe that even Haori Mountain, one of the Five Great Sects, could only feel deep pain.
Message talismans poured down like raindrops, coming from Haori Mountain—some for Luo, some for Shi Nandang, and even the young driver from before received dozens.
Not only these three, but many other Nascent Soul and Divine Spirit cultivators on the mountain also received numerous message talismans.
Such a huge incident at Haori Mountain naturally drew inquiries about the cause.
But none of the people on the mountain could explain the situation clearly;their minds were in chaos, confused beyond words.
“This formation has a problem.” Luo’s face darkened as he said coldly.
Everyone was stunned, exchanging glances, then Luo continued, “The spirit veins that were supposed to be destroyed belong to the Hundred Immortals Alliance... but the damaged veins are mostly within Haori Mountain’s territory.”
He pinched a message talisman and his tone grew even colder: “Preliminary estimates show that Haori Mountain’s spirit veins have been destroyed by about twenty percent, suffering heavy losses.”
Shi Nandang’s heart tightened upon hearing this. Though only twenty percent, the affected area was twice as large as that of the Hundred Immortals Alliance. This formation had drained spirit veins twice as much as previously estimated.
He naturally had no idea why:
Haori Mountain had only wanted a Trapping Immortal Sword they could control.
But Zheng Fa was perfectionistic, demanding a complete, undiminished true Immortal-grade Trapping Immortal Sword. As for the extra spirit vein consumption caused by this pursuit of perfection, it wasn’t his Hundred Immortals Alliance’s loss, so he didn’t mind.
“But... Patriarch, didn’t you inspect the formation before?”
Shi Nandang anxiously asked.
On one hand, he was truly confused.
On the other hand, he wanted to remind Luo that when he handed over the formation, it was fine!
The inspection passed!
This matter had nothing to do with them!
Luo’s expression froze, seemingly at a loss for words. He frowned and glanced at Shi Nandang and the three others in front of him, gently shaking his head.
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“You four were indeed not inside the formation...”
Shi Nandang sighed with relief.
Luo then turned his suspicious gaze to the seven Divine Spirits before him.
“Sacred Ancestor! I...”
The young driver also felt uneasy and shouted.
Luo said nothing but curled his five fingers downward.
A hemispherical light shield appeared.
The five red dragons that had been pulling the carriage roared to the sky, circling the shield, chasing and tailing each other.
The shield descended with the sound of dragon roars, capturing the six Divine Spirits operating the formation.
The young driver Luo had brought breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his Sacred Ancestor still trusted him.
Luo seemed to think of something else, turning to look at Elder Ba, who stood blankly on the mountainside. With a finger, a red dragon flew out, extended its claws to seize him, and threw him into the light shield.
In an instant, except for Zheng Fa’s group of four and the young driver, all cultivators above Nascent Soul level on Divine Fire Mountain were captured by Luo.
Shi Nandang’s face tightened, clearly anxious.
Luo frowned at him and suddenly said, “The Trapping Immortal Sword was destroyed, and I am not exempt from blame. I must return to the sect to explain.”
“They will also face interrogation to uncover the truth.”
“You four are less involved in this matter. Someone from the sect will definitely question you. Just tell the truth.”
Shi Nandang immediately understood Luo’s meaning.
This problem was huge;Luo didn’t dare to say he could handle it and was somewhat suspicious himself. Capturing these people was partly to pass the blame, partly to investigate the truth.
Fortunately, the four of them were some distance from Divine Fire Mountain, clearing most of their suspicion.
Understanding this, Shi Nandang slowly bowed his head, clenching his fists, seemingly lamenting the loss of the Trapping Immortal Sword.
Zheng Fa watched coldly beside him, somewhat worried:
Shi Nandang had barely escaped this mess;if he laughed now, it would be hard to explain.
Fortunately, Shi Nandang was valued by the Lu clan, with deep cultivation, so he forced himself to suppress his laughter.
The young driver, however, lacked experience. Seeing Luo spare him, he relaxed and asked,
“Sacred Ancestor, should we still go to Jiushan Sect?”
Luo’s expression stiffened, and he lowered his head to look at the Trapping Immortal Sword in his hand, silent for a long time.
A red dragon leapt out from the shield’s surface and grabbed the young driver’s mouth, throwing him into the shield.
Luo seemed to realize something, said nothing more to Shi Nandang’s group, and swiftly flew out of Divine Fire Mountain. Judging by the direction, he was clearly not heading toward the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
...
Watching Luo’s retreating figure, everyone on the mountaintop was silent for a long time before Shi Nandang laughed bitterly, “That Luo clan Divine Spirit really doesn’t understand the saying ‘misfortune comes from the mouth.’ If the Trapping Immortal Sword were fine, he might have dared to go to Jiushan Sect... but now that it’s like this, and he still dared to ask that question, isn’t he making it hard for Patriarch Luo to save face?”
It was clear that even though he narrowly escaped disaster, he still held some resentment toward Luo and that young man.
“Sir... what should we do now?”
The Zhongxuan Sect Leader looked at Shi Nandang with deep worry and bitterness on his face.
Shi Nandang’s smile gradually turned into bitterness as he shook his head slightly.
“I thought it would be an achievement, but I didn’t expect such a mishap.” He said to the three, “I think the sect won’t easily let this matter go.”
This was exactly what the Zhongxuan Sect Leader feared.
Although their suspicion was light, the loss of a true Immortal treasure was huge, and someone had to be held accountable. Haori Mountain would certainly send more people to investigate.
“It’s worse now. The merit I was supposed to gain is gone. For your Zhongxuan Sect, returning to the sect seems difficult. We truly share the same misfortune.”
The Zhongxuan Sect Leader’s expression darkened further.
This was also his worry.
Haori Mountain only coveted Zhongxuan Sect because of geography. In truth, their sect did not truly interest Haori Mountain.
Now that the Trapping Immortal Sword had issues and Haori Mountain’s spirit veins near the Hundred Immortals Alliance were almost completely severed, the problem became huge for Zhongxuan Sect—
Don’t mention Haori Mountain possibly abandoning Zhongxuan Sect;even if they didn’t want to, it would be much harder to contact Haori Mountain now.
Moreover, the powerful cultivators at Haori Mountain probably thought of the Trapping Immortal Sword the moment they saw them, making it extremely troublesome.
The Zhongxuan Sect Leader felt deeply ashamed;with such a useless group, he did not want them either.
“Sir, even if you are not a direct descendant of the Lu clan, you are a disciple of Haori Mountain. What about us?” His voice was almost mournful. “Nowhere to return to on the mountain, and facing the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s retaliation...”
Shi Nandang had lost all hope for the future.
Their Zhongxuan Sect might lose its very life.
The Zhongxuan Sect Leader looked sorrowfully at the sect without a single disciple, then glanced toward Luo’s departing direction and lowered his voice slightly, “Did you see how fast Patriarch Luo fled?”
“Bi Xia, what do you think?”
“Bi Xia?”
He looked at Elder Jiu, who appeared detached and unconcerned.
Elder Jiu, noticing the Zhongxuan Sect Leader’s gaze, realized he had been careless due to Luo’s departure and cast a tense, apologetic glance toward Zheng Fa.
Zheng Fa naturally felt the tension and apology in Elder Jiu’s eyes.
But honestly, he didn’t care much.
At this moment, Li Hao’s identity was useless:
He had taken Li Hao’s form only for the Trapping Immortal Sword. Now, the sword was safely inside his sea of consciousness, and further disguise was pointless.
He nodded slightly to Elder Jiu, signaling all was well.
Elder Jiu was stunned but then seemed to understand Zheng Fa’s thoughts and laughed lightly in relief.
Shi Nandang and the others were no fools;they could clearly see the problem.
“You... you all?”
The Zhongxuan Sect Leader’s voice trembled as if he understood something.
Shi Nandang’s eyes widened in disbelief.
But the Li Hao before him shimmered with golden light, which faded to reveal a face he was very familiar with.
“Zheng Fa!” Shi Nandang flew back ten yards in shock, “So it was you!”
“No wonder!”
“No wonder the formation malfunctioned!”
Not only him, even the Zhongxuan Sect Leader now understood part of the truth.
Before Shi Nandang’s words finished, he tried to escape on his cloud step.
But when he turned, he saw a pitch-black, very familiar immortal sword blocking him.
“Trapping Immortal Sword!”
The sword’s killing intent slightly intensified. Shi Nandang’s face paled as his aura collapsed to the ground, utterly powerless.
The Zhongxuan Sect Leader’s knees buckled as he collapsed, unable to move.
Shi Nandang was dizzy for a few breaths before regaining composure and smiling bitterly, “So the formation had no problem after all.”
Zheng Fa agreed, “Haori Mountain’s Heaven and Earth Divine Fiend Array, researched for a whole era, is indeed effective.”
“...”
Shi Nandang was silent for a moment before seeming to give up struggling. “I just don’t understand why Patriarch Zheng can cultivate my Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual’s technique. Aren’t you afraid...”
Zheng Fa smiled but didn’t answer.
His smile clearly said two words—‘Not afraid.’
Shi Nandang understood this expression and sighed slightly. “At this point, Patriarch Zheng, whether you kill me or spare me, I am at your mercy.”
Beside him, the Zhongxuan Sect Leader’s face also turned pale, obviously preparing for the worst.
Although Haori Mountain schemed, the Hundred Immortals Alliance was unharmed, but in reality, the two factions were now mortal enemies, sworn foes.
Since Patriarch Zheng had appeared, they naturally had no chance of survival.
Zheng Fa ignored the two, pointing at the Trapping Immortal Sword, which suddenly transformed into a black portal. Out came Junior Sister Ye and other disciples.
“Master!”
Ye and the others were also confused, even more so seeing Zheng Fa, clearly not understanding the situation.
“I intend to seek justice from that Luo Immortal. No time to explain to you.”
Zheng Fa spoke quickly, fearing Luo’s swift escape.
Shi Nandang’s expression was like seeing a ghost. He glanced at the Trapping Immortal Sword and thought, ‘Seek justice? Who will give Luo justice?’
Zheng Fa didn’t say more and stated bluntly:
“You have two choices. The first is death.”
The Zhongxuan Sect Leader quickly said, “The second! The second!”
Shi Nandang glared angrily at the sect leader, clearly thinking this man was weak-willed and embarrassing to be with.
The sect leader turned his face, seemingly unable to meet his gaze.
Zheng Fa glanced at the two and continued, “The second choice is to secretly work for my Jiushan Sect.”
Shi Nandang immediately rejected harshly, “You want me to betray my sect? Impossible! I will never betray the Sacred Ancestor!”
Zheng Fa wanted to keep Shi Nandang mainly for Haori Mountain intelligence.
Now that the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor was causing trouble at Tianhe Sect and had cut ties with Zheng Fa,
this was bad news for Jiushan Sect:
Zheng Fa now had few sources of information about the Tianhe Sect’s battle conditions. If Haori Mountain withdrew from Tianhe Sect, Jiushan Sect would face a new crisis.
Previously, with “Li Hao” and Zhongxuan Sect, Zheng Fa had kept tabs on many of Haori Mountain’s moves. Now, with Zhongxuan Sect useless to Haori Mountain, they naturally would not let it know about internal movements.
Shi Nandang’s value as a Lu clan Divine Spirit grew significantly.
His identity and cultivation allowed him to hear news far beyond Zhongxuan Sect’s reach. The fact Haori Mountain sent Shi Nandang to the Five Sect Alliance meeting meant he still had some status in Haori Mountain.
But Shi Nandang was still somewhat loyal to Haori Mountain and, though not fully understanding Zheng Fa’s plan, firmly refused.
“So Shi Elder is really not the Alliance Leader’s man...”
Before Zheng Fa could speak, Elder Jiu whispered doubtfully nearby.
Shi Nandang’s expression stiffened.
Elder Jiu then laughed, “Shi Elder raised Alliance Leader Zheng;this time he made a great contribution to the Hundred Immortals Alliance... I had thought...”
Shi Nandang’s loyalty stiffened further.
The previously ashamed Zhongxuan Sect Leader suddenly straightened up and glared at Shi Nandang, silently scolding him:
“I’m weak-willed. And you? You’re blind! Who got us into this mess?”
Shi Nandang turned his face away, looking up at the sky, unwilling to meet the sect leader’s gaze.
But he still wore a stern face, seeming unwilling to betray Haori Mountain, even stubborn to the death.
“Elder Bi Xia is right;Shi Elder made great contributions to our Hundred Immortals Alliance.”
Zheng Fa, as if moved by Elder Jiu’s words, shook his head and smiled, “If you are unwilling, then so be it.”
Shi Nandang was stunned, looking at Zheng Fa in confusion.
Zheng Fa turned aside as if making way, genuinely wanting to spare him.
Shi Nandang’s expression was slightly suspicious as he cautiously flew out of the mountain. But Zheng Fa truly didn’t stop him.
He was delighted and again summoned his cloud step, hoping to take advantage of Zheng Fa’s momentary softness to escape Zhongxuan Sect.
Behind him came a voice so familiar it couldn’t be more familiar:
“If you don’t know Jiushan Sect, then Haori Mountain truly deserves its name among the Five Great Sects.”
Shi Nandang froze and slowly turned back. A light screen stood atop Divine Fire Mountain.
In the screen, his image was vivid, with an extremely resentful expression—
Exactly the image of him complaining to Zheng Fa about Haori Mountain before.
Shi Nandang’s cloud dissipated, and with a thud, he knelt before the screen, staring at his face in utter despair.
The Zhongxuan Sect Leader and others watched him, their expressions strange and full of confusion—
You say others don’t understand that misfortune comes from the mouth?
