279: Chapter 277 is definitely not about this person named Ye Changge!

Seeing her act so strong, Ye Changge's heart softened once more.

He nodded and said in a low voice:

"Alright."

---

Ye Changge watched Lu Shiyin board the flying boat and slowly fly towards Longmai Mountain with the children. He only withdrew his gaze once the flying boat turned into a tiny speck of light and vanished into the clouds.

"Xiao Jin."

He called out softly.

Behind him, that peerless golden giant eagle let out a clear, high-pitched cry. It flapped its wings, flew to his side, and affectionately rubbed against his arm.

Ye Changge jumped onto the eagle's back and patted Xiao Jin's neck:

"Go."

"Let's take a look around."

Xiao Jin let out a long cry and flapped its wings, kicking up a gale. It turned into a streak of golden light and sped off in the opposite direction of Longmai Mountain.

The wind howled past his ears as Ye Changge sat cross-legged on the eagle's back. He looked into the distance, a deep look flashing in his eyes.

"I hope... no one actually comes looking for death."

He muttered to himself in a calm tone, yet it carried a faint hint of killing intent.

---

Meanwhile, at Lingxiao Market.

Inside Lingyuan Pavilion.

Shangguan Yun was sweating profusely as he flipped through the ledgers, his fingers quickly sliding across row after row of records.

"Found it!"

He suddenly cried out in a low voice, his gaze fixed on a single entry.

Then, he hurriedly ran out of Lingyuan Pavilion and found several senior and Junior Brothers he was on good terms with to indirectly ask for information about that "stranger."

Half an hour later.

Shangguan Yun returned to Lingyuan Pavilion with a jade slip packed full of information and tremblingly handed it to Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande, who had been waiting for a long time.

"Elder... this Disciple has found it."

His voice was trembling:

"The information on that man... is all here."

Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande snatched the jade slip and swept his Divine Sense inside.

The moment Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande's Divine Sense entered the jade slip, a flood of information rushed into his mind—

Ye Changge, Old Ancestor of the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain, approximately twenty-four or twenty-five years old.

From the Ye Family of Biluo Lake, originally the eldest son of the first branch of a declining cultivation Family. He rose abruptly after his eighteenth birthday.

He first gained prominence through the Dao of Talismans, having successfully drawn second-rank talismans while still in the Qi Refining Stage, shocking White Bird Market. Later, he opened a Ye Family Talisman Shop in White Bird Market, monopolizing the low-level Talisman market and accumulating a vast amount of resources.

He already possessed a second-rank spirit pet and second-rank talismans during the Qi Refinement Stage, and his combat strength was formidable.

He successfully reached Foundation Establishment in his twenties, with a solid Foundation.

In the Battle of Qingzhu Mountain, he single-handedly killed two Foundation Establishment Old Ancestors of the Li Family using a Talisman Array. With thunderous methods, he seized the spiritual land of Longmai Mountain and established the Longmai Mountain branch of the Ye Family, becoming a renowned figure in the region.

He has many wives and concubines, and his progeny is flourishing.

Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

As Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande looked at the information in the jade slip, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

He read it over three times, confirming he hadn't missed a single word—there was no mention of hidden cultivation, no record of killing enemies of a higher stage, and no clues that could prove this person was capable of killing a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Sword Cultivator.

Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

A Family Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

How could he possibly kill his Late Foundation Establishment Stage great-great-grandson?

Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande put down the jade slip and looked up, his gaze shooting toward Shangguan Yun like a blade:

"Have you checked thoroughly? Is it this person?"

Shangguan Yun trembled under that gaze and hurriedly bowed, saying:

"In response to the Elder, this Disciple has checked thoroughly. The stranger who entered and left the Immortal Cave with Senior Sister Xia that day is indeed this Old Ancestor of the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain, Ye Changge. This Disciple also specifically sought out three Junior Brothers for confirmation, and their descriptions all match the portrait in this jade slip."

Hearing this, Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande's expression became even more unsightly.

He stood up abruptly and paced back and forth within Lingyuan Pavilion, the soles of his boots making a "tap-tap" sound on the bluestone floor, each step carrying a sense of suppressed agitation.

Something was wrong.

This wasn't right.

An Foundation Establishment Early Stage killing a Late Foundation Establishment Stage?

And a Sword Cultivator at that?

Furthermore, his great-great-grandson had a talisman treasure he had personally bestowed upon him?

This was simply impossible!

Unless—

Unless that Ye Changge was hiding his true cultivation.

But although the information in the jade slip wasn't exhaustive, it had been verified from multiple sources. If this person were truly a Pseudo-Core Cultivator, it would be impossible for there not to be even a whisper of it.

Moreover...

Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande stopped pacing as another thought surfaced in his mind—

No, that's wrong.

Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

The most important thing now was not to make wild guesses here, but to find conclusive evidence.

But the problem was—

He couldn't find any.

There were no witnesses, no aura residue left from the battle, and no clues that could point to the killer.

The only thing that could be considered a "clue" was the man Shangguan Yun mentioned who was "close to Xia Qingyue."

And that man—

Ye Changge.

A Family Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't be the killer who took his great-great-grandson's life.

Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande's face was ashen.

He knew he could easily disregard everything and simply capture that Ye Changge, using severe torture to force a confession.

Such things were not rare in the Cultivation World.

The strong are respected; whoever has the stronger fist has the final say.

As a False Core True Person, there was no difference between him capturing an Foundation Establishment Early Stage Family Cultivator and crushing an ant.

But the problem was—

He couldn't.

It wasn't that he didn't dare, but that he simply couldn't.

If this didn't concern him and was someone else's case, Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande would have done so long ago. If a minor Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator was wronged, then so be it; no one would care.

But the one killed this time was his own grandson!

If he just randomly grabbed someone to take the fall, the real killer would remain at large and might never be found!

He couldn't lose the big picture for the sake of a small gain.

He couldn't let a moment of anger throw away the only chance to avenge his grandson.

"Hmph!"

Outer Sect Elder Meng Tiande gave a cold snort and flicked his sleeve, spiritual light surging around him.

Without saying another word to Shangguan Yun, he turned into a beam of light and shot out from Lingyuan Pavilion, disappearing into the horizon.

Shangguan Yun stood where he was, watching the departing beam of light, and secretly sighed in relief.

He knew that his life had been saved.

---

Meanwhile.

Thousands of miles away from Longmai Mountain, in a remote and deserted mountain range.

The dense primeval forest blotted out the sky, and the canopies of towering ancient trees were layered, cutting the sunlight into fragments that scattered onto the thick withered leaves. The air was filled with the scent of earth and humus, and occasionally the cries of unknown Yao Beasts drifted from afar before quickly vanishing into the depths of the forest.

Inside a hidden cave.

Ye Changge sat cross-legged on a flat bluestone, with the Storage Pouch he had taken from that young Sword Cultivator spread out before him.

He had set up layers of Restrictions at the cave entrance—Hidden Spirit Talismans, Sound-Isolating Talismans, and Warning Talismans were all present, ensuring that nothing would go wrong.

"Come, let me see what this 'wealthy Young Master' brought with him..."