Inside a secret room in Listening Rain Pavilion.
Yan Zongli, with a severed arm and a pale face, was bowing and explaining something to a young woman.
"Pavilion Master, your subordinate was incompetent. I cannot complete this order!" Yan Zongli handed over a Storage Pouch full of spiritual items, shamefully admitting his failure.
"Yan Lao, are you sure you don't know who was wielding that sword?" Yan Ling's brows furrowed, and she didn't take the Storage Pouch, asking with concern.
"Yes! Perhaps it was a sword wielded by that person's elder, Divine Sense attached to the sword, attacking from afar. That is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's method, Pavilion Master. Your subordinate has already lost an arm and is truly unable to complete this order. This is the Spirit Stone the employer compensated, fully returned." Yan Zongli's face was filled with lingering fear, his heart aching.
Yan Zongli had been a killer for so many years and was considered an experienced Jianghu veteran. This mission had been a brutal failure! Not only did he lose two Tier 2 Lightning Escape Talismans, but after twenty days of staking out, he also lost an arm, barely saving his old life.
"Understood! Yan Lao, take these Spirit Stones for your recovery! I will reconsider this order." Yan Ling glanced at Yan Zongli's severed arm and motioned to him.
"Thank you, Pavilion Master!" Yan Zongli thanked her gratefully, retrieved his Storage Pouch, and left the secret room.
Watching Yan Zongli's receding back, Yan Ling's brows were tightly furrowed, finding this order troublesome.
Yan Lao was at the Peak of Qi Refining and experienced. Even he failed. To complete this order, wouldn't they need to deploy a Foundation Establishment Cultivator?
If a Foundation Establishment assassin were used, this business would result in a huge loss!
However, the employer had already compensated a large sum of Spirit Stones, and it concerned the reputation of Listening Rain Pavilion, so this order could not be canceled...
Yan Ling was in a dilemma for a time. After much deliberation, she decided to reconfirm the intelligence. Yan Lao's failure was due to inaccurate intelligence. Now, with the appearance of the Foundation Establishment method of attacking with a remote sword, this order could not be rushed.
Soon, Yan Ling summoned her subordinates to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the target's intelligence.
...
Time flew by, and half a month passed in a blink of an eye.
Listening Rain Pavilion's powerful intelligence gathering capabilities finally collected comprehensive information on the target, placing it on Yan Ling's desk.
Yan Ling looked at the intelligence provided by her subordinates, her brows tightly furrowed. No matter how she looked at it, there were problems.
Zhao Huairen, age: eighteen, Qingxuan Sect Utility Disciple, spirit rice farmer, Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root, Cultivation Technique: Qingmu Spell, Cultivation: Qi Refining Seventh Level (abnormal, it is said that he consumed a spiritual fruit and his Cultivation greatly advanced), frequently enters and exits Wanbao Pavilion, Liu's Spirit Talisman Shop, purchasing talisman paper and selling Spirit Talismans. A few months ago, he sold Spirit Talismans (possessing the ability of a Tier 1 High Grade Talisman Master). He suddenly stopped setting up his stall, suspected to be related to Liu's Spirit Talisman Shop hiring the Lei Brothers Three to attack him (the Lei Brothers Three are still missing, suspected to be dead!); Xiao Liang Mountain has a large number of Formations (suspected to be laid by him)...
Father: Zhao An Yang, passed away unexpectedly. Mother: Ye Hui Lan, died of illness. Grandfather: Zhao Da Yi, deceased...
Qingxuan Sect Deacon Disciple - Xu Lijin, Outer Sect Disciple - Zhou Guangzhi, failed to hunt a demonic bear on Xiao Liang Mountain and died unexpectedly, suspected: related to him.
Qingxuan Sect Deacon Disciple - Wang Feng, Outer Sect Disciple Lin Qiuhai, hired the Xuan Wolf Gang's Three Hungry Wolves to attack Xiao Liang Mountain, were trapped by a Formation, and the two sides became enemies...
...
Coupled with the remote sword attack method that attacked Yan Lao, this person harbored many secrets!
Did he accidentally discover an Immortal Cave?
Or did he find a Legacy Cultivation Technique?
Or did he apprentice himself to a famous master?
Yan Ling flipped through the intelligence, various thoughts of fortuitous encounters popping into her mind. She was greatly surprised and interested that a Utility Disciple suddenly possessed so many profound abilities.
"Is there anything else missing?" Yan Ling looked up at the two subordinates in front of her and asked.
"Pavilion Master, since the Lei Brothers Three disappeared, the target has been staying on Xiao Liang Mountain, and his activities have greatly decreased, making it difficult to obtain new intelligence. Xiao Liang Mountain is covered by a Formation, and we cannot go up."
"The intelligence on the Lei Brothers Three was hard-won. It is highly probable that they perished while ambushing the target! Now, the target is holed up on Xiao Liang Mountain, and we know nothing about the situation up there."
The two intelligence agents responded with grim expressions.
"Alright, I understand! You may leave!" Yan Ling nodded, finding this fellow, who was like a turtle, troublesome.
Due to the presence of the grand Formation, Yan Ling was hesitant about how to deal with the situation on Xiao Liang Mountain, fearing that even sending a Foundation Establishment assassin would not be enough.
As soon as the two intelligence agents left the room, a subordinate outside the door immediately requested, "Pavilion Master, the employer - Wang Feng has arrived, he wants to see you."
Upon hearing this, Yan Ling sighed and replied, "Alright! Let him in!"
The servant hurried away, and soon after, led Wang Feng, who was full of anger, into the room.
"Pavilion Master, how is the situation? Why hasn't it been resolved after all this time! I compensated a large sum of Spirit Stones!" As soon as Wang Feng entered the room, he questioned angrily.
During this time, he was filled with rage from being targeted by the two leaders of the Xuan Wolf Gang, and Wang Feng's injuries hadn't fully healed. If it weren't for the Qingxuan Sect's reputation shielding him, those two fellows wouldn't dare to act recklessly, and he wouldn't have lasted until now.
Since Wang Feng was not doing well, he naturally didn't want Li Mu to have an easy time either, so he once again urged Listening Rain Pavilion to expedite matters.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, you should read this intelligence first!" Yan Ling chuckled and handed the intelligence directly to Wang Feng.
Wang Feng frowned and took the intelligence to read.
Before long, Wang Feng's expression changed dramatically: "Xu Lijin's death is related to him?"
Wang Feng was able to get this lucrative position because of Xu Lijin's accidental death. However, he was now facing the murderer of Xu Lijin.
A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Wang Feng's forehead.
Should he report this matter to the Sect?
The intelligence only stated suspicion, and the Sect's investigation concluded that Xu Lijin died accidentally while hunting a Tier 2 demonic bear. Such intelligence could not be used to accuse him at all.
"This guy is harder to deal with than we thought. We've already lost someone to him. Now, he's holed up on Xiao Liang Mountain and won't come down. He's also set up a large number of Formations on the mountain, so we can't do anything about him, unless you can create an opportunity for him to come down the mountain." Yan Ling looked at Wang Feng and reminded him.
"There is! There is! In another month and a half, it will be time to pay the next year's Sect land rent. He must come down the mountain to pay the rent, otherwise, he will be expelled from the Qingxuan Sect and will no longer be able to stay on Xiao Liang Mountain." Wang Feng thought of something and said excitedly.
"Alright then! We'll wait until your Sect collects rent to make a move! We'll try our best to resolve it for you in one go!" Yan Ling nodded and signaled.
Wang Feng nodded, revealing a happy smile.
However, Wang Feng looked down at the intelligence document in his hand and immediately lost his smile. He regretted it. He had provoked this ruthless character for a few acres of spiritual fields. If Listening Rain Pavilion couldn't handle it this time, how would he clean up the mess then?
Wang Feng couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
