17: Tianyang Daoren

After leaving the Treasure Artifact Pavilion, Zhou Kaiding went to the place selling Talismans and replenished a few of his own Talismans. After all, he was preparing to leave tomorrow, and the journey was long, so it was better to be prepared.

He returned to the inn and rested for a night.

The next morning, Zhou Kaiding got up, left the inn, exited the city gate, and departed from Qianye City.

Mo Xuan, as usual, shrank into Zhou Kaiding's sleeve.

Zhou Kaiding looked back, filled with emotion, paused, and then hurried away.

Not long after he started running, a few Cultivators gathered ahead. Zhou Kaiding only glanced at them, not intending to be curious, and prepared to change direction to avoid the crowd.

"Hmm?"

Zhou Kaiding stopped and sent a message to Mo Xuan:

"Brother Mo, isn't this the Spell that Daoist Tianyang used back then?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Xuan also shifted his attention, and in his consciousness, he saw two people in front of the crowd.

One of them was a handsome young man in brocade robes, with an extraordinary bearing. Treasure light emanated from him, and a palm-sized bronze bell spun above his head, emitting ripples that protected his entire body.

He wore a mocking smile, and with one hand, he condensed a large Spiritual Qi handprint, striking towards the person not far away. It was precisely the One Qi Grasping Handprint that Daoist Tianyang had used that day.

The other person was also a young man, with an ordinary appearance, disheveled hair, a slightly pale face, and somewhat unstable Qi. He was in a sorry state, with golden light attached to his body, struggling to resist the incoming handprint.

Mo Xuan nodded, confirming Zhou Kaiding's judgment.

Zhou Kaiding's face showed hesitation, his heart far from calm. Could it be that the person he killed back then had a powerful background? Wouldn't that mean he had brought disaster upon himself?

"Let's go take a look."

Mo Xuan spoke, interrupting Zhou Kaiding's hesitation. Since they had encountered it, they might as well go see, gather more information, and prepare early just in case.

Zhou Kaiding then made up his mind and walked towards that spot.

Approaching the two, Zhou Kaiding slowed down and silently blended into the surrounding crowd. The people around him didn't find it strange.

He looked closely and realized that the two were engaged in a Spell duel, and the Spells they used were similar to those of Daoist Tianyang.

Zhou Kaiding found a kind-looking young Cultivator and leaned over: "Fellow Daoist, do you know the identities of these two fighting?"

The young Cultivator was slightly surprised, glanced at Zhou Kaiding, and replied:

"The young man in brocade robes is Mo Haiyuan, the grandson of Xuanjin Sect's Grand Elder Mo Chengkong. As for the other person, from their conversation, he should be an Outer Sect Disciple of Xuanjin Sect."

Zhou Kaiding's heart trembled violently. He had only learned about the Xuanjin Sect from conversations between Cultivators at the auction.

He heard that it was founded by a Golden Core True Person. Although there was no Golden Core True Person presiding over the Sect now, its strength was still not to be underestimated.

He felt a little uneasy. If Daoist Tianyang was a Disciple of the Xuanjin Sect, and the news of him being killed by himself and Mo Xuan spread, he feared that the entire Zhou Family would be annihilated.

Zhou Kaiding was uneasy, but he hadn't lost his composure. He then asked with doubt:

"Since they are both Disciples of the Xuanjin Sect, why are they fighting here? From the looks of it, it doesn't seem like a sparring match between fellow Disciples."

"Heh~"

The young Cultivator chuckled, and the laughter in Zhou Kaiding's ears felt like it carried a deeper meaning.

"This has to start with Mo Haiyuan. This Mo Haiyuan, relying on being the grandson of Elder Mo, acts arrogantly and bullies men and women within the Sect. This person is overbearing and extremely lustful."

"I heard he has harmed many young female Disciples within the Sect, causing widespread resentment, but who in the Xuanjin Sect can trouble him?"

"Now, this Xuanjin Sect Outer Sect Disciple seems to be enduring great humiliation. He must have suffered immense indignity from Mo Haiyuan."

"That's why he tracked Mo Haiyuan when he left the Sect to come here, invited him out of the city, and challenged him."

Listening to the man's description, Zhou Kaiding looked at Mo Haiyuan differently. Mo Haiyuan appeared extraordinary, yet he was such a person, which was laughable.

He then asked: "Since this person has such immense power in the Xuanjin Sect, how could he allow these rumors to spread? Wouldn't that diminish the Xuanjin Sect's reputation?"

"The Xuanjin Sect naturally tried its best to cover up such scandals. However, a few years ago, a Genius Inner Sect Disciple of the Xuanjin Sect defected and exposed all of his deeds, which is how outsiders learned about it."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Zhou Kaiding's mind. It seemed things weren't as bad as he had imagined.

"Since he was a Genius Inner Sect Disciple, he must have been highly valued by the Sect. Why would he defect without reason?"

Zhou Kaiding feigned confusion and slightly questioned.

"This matter is almost common knowledge. Mo Haiyuan, while that Inner Sect Disciple was out on a Sect mission, got drunk and actually harmed his Dao Companion. His Dao Companion couldn't bear the humiliation and committed suicide."

"When that Inner Sect Disciple returned to the Sect and learned of this, he caused a huge uproar throughout the entire Sect, demanding Mo Haiyuan's life."

"However, as the direct grandson of the Xuanjin Sect's Grand Elder, how could he possibly pay with his life? In the end, he was only punished with half a year of confinement, and the matter was hastily concluded."

"What kind of world is this, you ask?"

At the end, the young Cultivator sighed, his face showing indignation. He clearly despised Mo Haiyuan, but his voice was extremely low, fearing that Mo Haiyuan might hear him and take out his anger on him.

"Later, that Cultivator, dissatisfied with the Sect's judgment, originally wanted to kill this person to avenge his Dao Companion, but he didn't succeed. He could only defect from the Sect and flee for his life."

"I heard that the Xuanjin Sect sent out many Cultivators to clean up the Sect, but he still managed to escape."

Zhou Kaiding had already confirmed that Daoist Tianyang was that Inner Sect Disciple who had defected from the Xuanjin Sect.

Mo Xuan was also silent after hearing this. He had a deep impression of Daoist Tianyang, originally thinking he was just a mentally deranged madman, but he didn't expect him to be a person of spirit.

No wonder he called himself 'Tianyang,' born of heaven and earth, without father or mother, without relatives or friends. It must be that in his heart, he had already died, and all that remained was hatred.

No wonder he was so moody and temperamental.

So there was such a story behind it. If this had happened to him, he might have made the same choice as Daoist Tianyang, fighting with all his might to seek revenge.

Zhou Kaiding's expression was complex. He had no good feelings for either the Xuanjin Sect or the young man in brocade robes, Mo Haiyuan. He just hadn't expected that he and Mo Xuan, by accident, had removed a hidden danger for the Xuanjin Sect.

This was truly not what he wanted. For someone like Mo Haiyuan, Zhou Kaiding had no empathy. It was a great pity that Daoist Tianyang hadn't killed him back then.

However, since Daoist Tianyang had tried to kill him, dying by his hand could only be considered his own fault.

Zhou Kaiding had resolved the doubts in his heart and obtained the information he wanted, completely erasing his unease.

He then thanked the man and quietly watched.