WALKER OF THE WORLDS

2722  Paying Respects And Beginning Investigation

Surrounded by such overwhelming figures, the Teng Clan Patriarch understood the truth—his clan was but a flickering candle before an approaching storm.

Any one of these figures could doom them. Together, they were an unstoppable force. And Lin Mu... Lin Mu stood at the center of it all, unmoving, unshaken, as if this was simply the natural order of things.

The Teng Clan Patriarch swallowed hard.

This was no mere cultivator.

This was a legend in the making.

"Return now," the Grand Elder spoke, offering the Teng Clan an escape. "Anything you do now will only make things worse. We'll handle this; it is our sect's responsibility."

Sigh

The Teng Clan Patriarch let out a long sigh, his face aging a decade in that single breath.

"Very well," he conceded, turning on his heels.

He had been utterly defeated today, and frustration bubbled within him with nowhere to go.

'That imbecile Teng Yi!' he cursed inwardly, quickly finding a target for his rage. 'I'm going to break all his limbs today! He's the one who started all this!'

With that thought fueling him, he stormed away, his confused and fearful clan members scrambling to follow.

Once they were gone, Lin Mu finally let out a measured breath.

While he had remained composed throughout, he knew that a prolonged battle would have been exhausting. He had already expended nearly forty percent of his Qi in the earlier skirmish, having gone all out from the start.

Had the Teng Clan pressed forward, he would have been forced to eliminate their leaders swiftly. The Teng Clan Patriarch was a Seventh Tribulation Stage cultivator—a formidable opponent, though thankfully, he was the only one of that level. The rest of his clan members were significantly weaker.

A few minutes passed as the last remnants of the Teng Clan vanished from sight. Now, only Lin Mu, the two elders of the sect, his companions, and the gathered entourage remained.

"Lord Lin Mu, please pardon me for not welcoming you sooner. Had I known you were an honored guest of the Great Kang Clan, I would have personally come to serve you tea," the owner of the Ten Petal Company said, stepping forward with a respectful bow.

"It's fine, Owner," Lin Mu replied, waving off the formality. "I wasn't aware of your connections with the Kang Clan either."

"Haha, how could I not know the Great Kang Clan? Our trade ties are extensive," the owner chuckled. "Oh, and Lady Kang sends her regards. She hopes that her assistance was of use to you." He glanced meaningfully at the Grand Elder.

Lin Mu's eyes gleamed with realization.

"No wonder…" Lin Mu murmured, a knowing smile forming. "Looks like I owe her a favor."

He now understood that it had been Lady Kang who had orchestrated the River Bending Axe Sect's downfall—all from a distance of several worlds away. The sheer financial power and influence of the Great Kang Clan was truly terrifying.

The Grand Elder, having heard everything, felt as though his soul was about to leave his body.

'We truly ruined ourselves this time. We destroyed centuries of our sect's legacy over a mere misunderstanding,' the Grand Elder lamented bitterly. "What foul curse befell our sect for us to act with such reckless abandon?" he wondered aloud, his voice hollow with regret.

"Speaking of that, there is something truly strange going on here," Lin Mu said, his brows furrowing.

"What do you mean?" Daoist Chu asked, intrigued.

Lin Mu proceeded to explain his suspicions, detailing the abnormal behavior of the sect members and his hypothesis about external influence.

When he finished, the gathered figures exchanged wary glances.

"This is indeed suspicious," the Ten Petal Company owner agreed. "Even if your sect members were reckless, this level of irrationality is unusual."

"Amitabha," the Abbot intoned, stepping forward. "I initially dismissed my unease, attributing it to the aftermath of battle. But now, focusing on it, there is indeed something ominous lingering here."

Lin Mu turned to him, his expression sharp.

"You can sense something, Abbot?" he asked.

"Yes," the Abbot confirmed with a solemn nod. "I believe I may be able to pinpoint the source."

"Please help our sect, Abbot. I beg of you," the Grand Elder implored, bowing his head low. "I know we cannot undo our wrongs, so take our downfall as payment. Just rid us of this affliction."

The Abbot sighed before nodding.

"Very well. If there is a malignant force at play here, it is our duty as Buddhists to purge it. Who knows how far it might spread?" he said gravely.

"Where do we start?" Daoist Chu asked.

Lin Mu considered the situation before offering a suggestion.

"Let's begin with the Grand Elder and the First Elder," Lin Mu proposed. "If something has influenced the sect, there may still be traces left in those most involved."

"I am prepared for that," the Grand Elder declared firmly.

"Come here," the Abbot instructed, placing his hands gently on their backs.

Closing his eyes, he began to chant, his voice a steady, rhythmic intonation that resonated through the air. A golden light emanated from his body, bathing the elders in a soft, radiant glow.

Minutes passed before the Abbot finally opened his eyes.

"You two are… clean," he stated simply.

"We are?" the Grand Elder asked, surprised.

Lin Mu frowned in thought before offering a theory.

"It seems whatever is affecting the sect did not take hold of you two. Perhaps your higher cultivation bases provided some resistance?"

"But the Patriarch was affected as well," the First Elder pointed out. "He shouldn't have suffered Qi deviation so easily otherwise."

"Then perhaps it has to do with the location of exposure?" Monk Hushu suggested.

"But we all live in the same core area," the Grand Elder countered.

The group fell into contemplative silence.

Then, Lin Mu spoke again, his voice firm.

"Let's check the disciples," he suggested. "We'll start with those who displayed the most extreme behavior first."

With that, the investigation into the sect's mysterious affliction truly began.

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