162: Chapter 161 Two Deacons

This time, there were two.

One man and one woman, both at the Golden Core Middle Stage.

The man was surnamed Zhou; he had a dark complexion, a lean build, and sharp eyes, clearly someone who spent the whole year traveling.

The woman was surnamed Liu; she had fair skin and delicate features, appearing easier to talk to than the man, but when her eyes swept over him, the hair on Xiao Wangzhou's back stood on end.

The two didn't exchange pleasantries or engage in formalities. After obtaining Qian Jin's last known location and related information from Xiao Wangzhou, they only rested in the Sect for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before setting off.

Xiao Wangzhou stood at the door, watching the two departing streaks of light; his legs went weak, and he nearly sat on the ground.

He held onto the doorframe and stood for a good while before slowly walking back.

He only hoped this fire wouldn't burn him; he really just wanted to honestly look after his own small patch of land.

On the other side, the two deacons were flying very fast.

The streaks of light sliced across the sea's surface, so fast that even the sea breeze couldn't catch up.

They spoke as they flew, their voices not loud, yet on this open sea, they sounded exceptionally clear.

"What do you think?" Deacon Zhou asked.

Deacon Liu was silent for a moment and said, "I know Qian Jin. Although he is a bit greedy in his dealings, he never neglects serious business. There are only two possibilities for him staying here so long. One is that he discovered something and couldn't leave. The other is that he is already dead."

Deacon Zhou nodded. "Regardless of which it is, we must investigate thoroughly."

The two stopped speaking.

Each took a Bronze Mirror from their robes; as the two mirrors faced each other, a faint glow emanated from their surfaces.

That light wasn't ordinary spiritual light, but a certain special Tracking Technique.

Qian Jin had cultivated in Wanze True Mansion for many years, and the aura he carried was like invisible threads scattered between heaven and earth.

Ordinary people couldn't see them, but this Bronze Mirror could.

Even from ten thousand miles away, it could find a trace.

The light grew brighter, and a blurry image appeared on the mirror's surface—on the sea, a point of light was slowly moving, its trajectory winding, as if circling or searching for something.

Deacon Liu narrowed her eyes and identified it carefully for a moment. "He circled this area for a long time."

"Let's go."

The two changed direction and flew following the guidance of the Bronze Mirror.

Islands on the sea passed beneath them one by one; some were deserted, while others were inhabited.

They didn't bother looking, focusing only on chasing that light.

After flying for about half an hour, the point of light on the Bronze Mirror suddenly stopped.

The two looked down—below was an archipelago, over a dozen islands of various sizes scattered across the azure sea.

On the largest one, there was a mountain of moderate height in the center, and a small building was faintly visible at the peak.

At the foot of the mountain was a fishing village; smoke curled from chimneys, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard.

The point of light on the Bronze Mirror was right above this archipelago, densely packed and going back and forth, circling several times. Deacon Liu frowned. "He stayed here for a long time."

Deacon Zhou nodded. "He circled at least several times. It's as if he was looking for something, or perhaps waiting for something."

The two suspended themselves in mid-air, spreading out their Divine Sense to scan the archipelago inside and out.

There was nothing.

No aura of Yao Beasts, no traces of fighting, no abnormalities whatsoever. Those Mortals were dirt poor, without even a decent Magical Artifact on them, let alone anything valuable.

The two looked at each other, both seeing the confusion in the other's eyes.

"Qian Jin circled here for several hours and then just left?" Deacon Liu said. "What was he doing here? Looking at the scenery?"

Deacon Zhou shook his head. "His mission wasn't finished; it's impossible for him to be wandering around. Unless—he discovered something."

"Discovered what?"

"I don't know." Deacon Zhou glanced at the islands below. "Maybe there's something here worth stopping for. Or maybe someone was here and said something to him."

Deacon Liu followed his gaze down to the fishing village. "Are you saying those Mortals?"

"Qian Jin isn't the type to waste time with Mortals. But if he couldn't find a clue here, maybe he would ask these Mortals." Deacon Zhou paused. "These Mortals make a living from the sea every day; maybe they saw something."

Deacon Liu thought for a moment and nodded.

The two descended, landing beneath the large banyan tree at the village entrance.

Several elderly people were enjoying the shade under the tree; they were startled to see two people descending from the sky.

But they quickly calmed down—they had seen many Immortals over the years; Mr. Yun on the mountain was an Immortal, so they weren't afraid.

Old Chen stood up leaning on his cane, squinting at the two people. Just as he was about to speak, Deacon Liu waved her hand, signaling him not to talk.

Her attitude was somewhat arrogant.

Her gaze passed over the elderly people and swept across the entire village entrance.

Some villagers were weaving nets, some were drying fish, some were with children, and some were chatting.

They were all stealing glances at these two Immortals who had descended from the sky; some were afraid, some curious, and some indifferent.

Deacon Liu's gaze swept over these faces one by one, finally landing on one person.

It was a woman.

She looked to be in her thirties, wearing coarse cloth clothes washed to a pale shade, her hair casually held up with a wooden hairpin. She was coming out of a house carrying a basin of clothes, seemingly on her way to wash them by the sea.

Her pace was neither fast nor slow. Reaching the courtyard gate, she saw the two people at the village entrance, paused slightly, and then continued walking out.

Her face was kind, her eyes calm, and there was little expression on her face; no fear or tension could be seen.

She just took a glance, as if looking at two strangers, and then went about her business.

Deacon Liu's gaze remained on the woman, not moving away.

She felt this woman was somewhat different from the surrounding villagers.

She couldn't say exactly how, but she was different.

Perhaps it was her temperament, her gaze, or that neither-submissive-nor-overbearing posture.

When other Mortals saw Immortals, they either knelt, hid, or crowded around to watch the excitement.

She didn't.

She just took a glance and then continued with her own tasks.

Like someone who had seen the world, like someone who had dealt with Immortals before.

Deacon Liu narrowed her eyes slightly.

She walked toward the woman.

Carrying the basin, the woman neither approached nor retreated, just standing there, watching Deacon Liu draw near.

Deacon Liu stopped in front of her and sized her up.

"You," she spoke, her tone neither cold nor warm, "come here for a moment."

The woman put down the basin, nodded, and followed Deacon Liu to the banyan tree.

Her steps were steady, her gaze level, and her face still wore that faint, neither-submissive-nor-overbearing expression.

Old Chen opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it again.

He glanced at the small building on the mountain and then at these two Immortals, feeling a faint unease in his heart, but he didn't know what to say.

Mr. Yun wasn't there, and he didn't know who to turn to.

Deacon Liu stood under the banyan tree, looking at the woman before her, just about to ask—

At the same time, on the distant sea, a moon-white Escape Light was flying toward them at high speed.