Abbess Ding Yi, along with her nineteen Hengshan disciples, bid farewell.
Many of the disciples kept looking back as they left, muttering how they couldn't find their junior brother Lian Cheng, causing Abbess Ding Yi's face to turn as black as the bottom of a pot.
Of course, there were also some disciples who looked at Linghu Chong with a hint of reluctance, such as Yi Qing.
Even nuns are susceptible to the allure of youth.
Their daily lives were filled with quiet contemplation and ancient Buddhist scriptures, offering little opportunity to interact with men. Recently, however, they had been acquainted with excellent young heroes like Linghu Chong and Lian Cheng. While not necessarily harboring romantic feelings, they had developed a degree of fondness.
It was natural to feel some reluctance at having to leave.
Ning Zhong Ze felt incredibly awkward and looked at Abbess Ding Yi with an apologetic expression.
If they were simply ordinary female disciples, it would be one thing, but they were all nuns. They were not allowed to engage in romance or marry, unless they were willing to renounce their vows. But once they renounced their vows, they would no longer be Hengshan disciples.
The Hengshan disciples had come to assist the Huashan sect, but now it seemed they had developed feelings for some of the Huashan male disciples.
Wasn't this like the Huashan sect repaying kindness with treachery?
Ning Zhong Ze cleared her throat several times and said with a strained voice, "Abbess, we truly appreciate your assistance. If there were any shortcomings in our hospitality, please forgive us. Please be careful on your journey, and do not hesitate to contact Huashan if you need anything!"
"Very well, we shall take our leave then."
Abbess Ding Yi's expression improved somewhat, since Ning Zhong Ze had subtly apologized. She wouldn't press the matter further.
Besides, this situation was the fault of the Hengshan disciples. Seeing these handsome young men, they had failed to guard their Buddhist hearts. She would have to severely punish them upon their return.
It wasn't until Abbess Ding Yi and her disciples were far away that Ning Zhong Ze finally relaxed.
She turned and gave Linghu Chong a stern look, admonishing him, "Chong'er, you and Cheng'er must keep your distance from the Hengshan disciples. They are Buddhist disciples!"
Linghu Chong scratched his head awkwardly but could only obey, "Yes, Shi Niang, I understand. I'll also warn my second brother."
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Abbess Ding Yi and her disciples successfully returned to the Hengshan sect and sent a carrier pigeon message.
Ning Zhong Ze and Linghu Chong learned that Abbess Ding Yi and her disciples had been ambushed by a group of Hei Yi Ren (black-clad figures) on their way back. They had almost gotten into a fight. Fortunately, Abbess Ding Xian and Abbess Ding Jing had arrived with reinforcements, and the Hei Yi Ren retreated immediately.
No battle took place and no one was injured, which was fortunate.
But all three Abbesses were certain that it was the work of Zuo Leng Chan!
Now they had a better understanding of their enemies' tactics. If it was the Mo Jiao (Demon Cult) who attacked, they would be brazen and openly reveal their identities, without any attempt to hide their evil deeds. They wouldn't wear night clothes in broad daylight.
The fact that these attackers were masked meant that they had familiar faces, or would be familiar faces in the future, and couldn't afford to be recognized.
Who else could it be besides the Songshan sect, besides Zuo Leng Chan?
In her letter, Abbess Ding Yi vehemently cursed Zuo Leng Chan and warned the Huashan sect to be cautious.
The letter also mentioned Abbess Ding Xian's proposal. Regardless of whether there was any major news, both sects would send a carrier pigeon message at least once every five days to ensure each other's safety.
The Huashan sect naturally agreed. The Hengshan sect was truly a reliable ally.
As for the Hengshan sect, Mo Da Xian was a master of hiding in plain sight, elusive like a dragon, so it was difficult to maintain frequent communication.
Meanwhile, at the Songshan sect.
Lu Bai knelt before Zuo Leng Chan again, "Senior Brother, I am incompetent. I failed again. The old Abbess Ding Yi was prepared. She had Ding Xian and Ding Jing bring reinforcements. I know the mission failed, so to preserve our forces, I chose to retreat."
Zuo Leng Chan sighed helplessly, helped Lu Bai up, and comforted him, "Junior Brother, this is not your fault. Those old nuns are too cunning. Last time, Ding Yi saw your face, so she naturally guarded against our Songshan sect. You can't underestimate Ding Xian's wisdom. It's a good thing you were decisive and led your men to retreat in time, otherwise, we would have suffered significant losses!"
Lu Bai's eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Zuo Leng Chan.
His senior brother was so kind to him!
He had failed multiple missions, yet his senior brother never blamed him. Instead, he comforted him. Where could he find such a good senior brother?
However, Lu Bai felt a deep sense of frustration. He wanted to complete the tasks his senior brother assigned to him, but his repeated failures made him feel humiliated. Even in front of the other twelve Taibao, he couldn't hold his head up.
He truly desired to achieve a major success, to earn praise from his senior brother instead of consolation!
Then, he remembered another mission, and his face stiffened.
But he still spoke up, "Senior Brother, there's one more thing. The spies I arranged to scout Linghu Chong and Lian Cheng in the Huayin County area were mysteriously killed, nearly all of them..."
"What?!"
Zuo Leng Chan narrowed his eyes, "What's going on? Was it discovered by the Huashan sect?"
Lu Bai shook his head helplessly, "The attacker's actions were covert and their strength was overwhelming. They killed with extreme speed. Our men didn't even have time to send out a distress signal. I originally thought we could identify the killer by examining the bodies, but every time the Huayin County government took the bodies away for cremation before we could get to them. We can't openly confront officials from the imperial court."
"Why is the county government involved? Is the imperial court interfering in martial arts affairs?"
"Uh, probably not. I bribed someone to investigate. The Huayin County officials said that those who died were petty thieves, with dirty hands, so they had to be cremated quickly to prevent an epidemic."
Upon hearing this explanation, Zuo Leng Chan fell silent.
The officials' reason was ridiculous, but incredibly strong. There was no way to stop them.
The county government claimed they were petty thieves, so it had nothing to do with martial arts. They even used the excuse of an epidemic, which the people would naturally support 100%. No one could object.
It was clear that the Huayin County government and the Huashan sect were on very good terms.
At least, their cooperation was very smooth.
A simple request like handling corpses, the Huayin County government readily agreed. As long as they could come up with a good excuse, it wouldn't be considered imperial interference in martial arts affairs, leaving no room for complaint.
As for who secretly carried out the murders, it was difficult to guess, as there was absolutely no evidence.
Zuo Leng Chan pondered for a while and finally came to a conclusion: "It must be Yue Buqun!"
Lu Bai suddenly realized, "It's Yue Buqun!"
Zuo Leng Chan said firmly, "That's right! The Huashan sect has been facing constant trouble lately, even the Hengshan sect sent people to help, yet Yue Buqun is still nowhere to be seen. It's obvious that this fellow is deeply suspicious of us. So, he chooses to hide in the shadows, like a venomous snake, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Our spies must have all been killed by Yue Buqun!"
"That explains everything!"
Lu Bai was filled with resentment, "Although we don't know Yue Buqun's strength, he's definitely not weak. Only he, near the Huashan sect, could kill so many of our spies without being noticed. And the Huayin County government is so cooperative. It must be Yue Buqun who made it happen! This damn guy!"
Both of their eyes were filled with murderous intent.
It was ironic, they were the ones who targeted Huashan first. Now that someone was dead, they blamed someone else.
Zuo Leng Chan finally decided, "Suspend our operations against the Huashan and Hengshan sects for now. Shift our target. The Hengshan and Taishan sects should not be allowed to rest easy either."