Chapter 39: A Hidden Threat in the Shadows

Lu Yan’s footsteps halted as he turned around.

A gaunt young man dressed in a brown long robe stood behind him, his face alight with surprise and joy, as though he had just run into a long-lost friend.

Lu Yan frowned slightly, searching his memory and confirming that he didn’t know this person at all.

But the skinny young man strode forward enthusiastically and exclaimed:

“Fellow Daoist Lu, don’t you remember me? I’m a friend of He Dongsheng’s. When you bought the First-Rank Spell Compendium, I was selling spirit herbs right next to him!”

With that, Lu Yan immediately recalled the incident.

Back then, He Dongsheng had tried to trick Lu Yan into buying Treatise on the Dao of Heaven, and this young man had pretended to expose the fraud, only to end up helping He Dongsheng make the sale.

In a way, he was part of He Dongsheng’s fake goods operation.

“Inferior Luoyuan, at your service,” the man introduced himself.

“So it’s Fellow Daoist He,” Lu Yan responded with a polite smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

He had a minimal connection with He Dongsheng, and as for He Luoyuan, they’d only met once.

Now this man was approaching him on his own initiative, showing such enthusiasm—there had to be an ulterior motive.

“Those seven rogue cultivators targeted me so early. They must’ve had a source of information. Could it have been this He Luoyuan who leaked it after that brief encounter?”

By now, Lu Yan had already begun associating He Luoyuan with the seven bandits.

Though his face remained calm, internally Lu Yan was already on high alert toward this man.

“Haven’t seen Fellow Daoist He around,” Lu Yan said casually, as if just making conversation.

He wanted to see whether He Dongsheng was also involved.

“Didn’t you teach He Dongsheng some counterfeiting techniques? He’s gone down to a mortal city to try them out. Probably won’t be back for a while,” He Luoyuan replied without the slightest hint of abnormality.

But Lu Yan’s sharp mind instantly caught the problem.

When they’d talked about forging antiques, Lu Yan had deliberately used a Sound-Isolating Talisman. Only he and He Dongsheng had known.

Even if Luoyuan was a partner in their scams, He Dongsheng wouldn’t risk exposing that secret. With his personality, he would never share it.

Something was wrong here—very wrong.

Lu Yan’s heart tensed, but on the surface, he simply gave a regretful sigh and said:

“Didn’t expect He Dongsheng to be away. I was hoping to make a trade with him.”

He turned as if to leave.

He Luoyuan’s expression changed, and he quickly moved to block Lu Yan’s path.

“Even if He Dongsheng isn’t around, I can still trade with you.”

Lu Yan paused and gave the man a once-over. Though he was part of the same counterfeiting crew, He Luoyuan was only at Fifth Layer Qi Refining—clearly weaker than He Dongsheng.

Lu Yan shook his head.

“Let’s wait for Fellow Daoist He to return.”

With that, he stepped around He Luoyuan and continued walking toward the cave dwelling district.

Being brushed off left He Luoyuan slightly annoyed, but he hurried to catch up and said anxiously:

“Even if He Dongsheng isn’t here, I still know all his contacts.

If Fellow Daoist Lu is looking for any manuals or texts, I can help find them. I have some influence here in Qinggu Market.”

Lu Yan gave no reply. The cave dwelling district was just a hundred meters ahead.

Anyone who hadn’t rented a cave dwelling wasn’t allowed inside, and He Luoyuan, who lived in an outer wood cabin as a mid-stage cultivator, didn’t have the qualifications to enter.

As the distance narrowed, He Luoyuan panicked and leaned closer, lowering his voice:

“Fellow Daoist Lu… I have a way to get my hands on Red Lotus Demon Sect manuals.”

Lu Yan finally came to a stop.

His sharp gaze fell on He Luoyuan, and suddenly, everything started to click.

If He Luoyuan were truly connected to those seven rogue cultivators, he would’ve realized something was wrong the moment he saw Lu Yan return. There was no way he’d still be sticking around so openly.

And up until now, Lu Yan had only asked He Dongsheng about sects that cultivated karmic power—he had never mentioned the Red Lotus Demon Sect or its texts.

For He Luoyuan to bring it up now meant one thing: he knew Lu Yan was looking for Red Lotus Demon Sect material.

That was suspicious—deeply so.

Lu Yan immediately thought of the storage pouch.

Its original owner had seemed extraordinary, so much so that even the shopkeeper had been afraid to use it and had hidden it in the basement.

Lu Yan’s current cultivation was almost entirely due to the talismans, spirit stones, and manuals from that pouch.

“Could the power behind the pouch’s original owner be tracking it down now? But afraid of offending Qingwu Sect, they’re trying to lure me out of the market first?”

“Still… I never revealed the pouch in public. How did they identify me?”

Understanding He Luoyuan’s likely motive brought Lu Yan some peace of mind.

He casually circulated his spiritual power and set up a sound-blocking barrier, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously:

“The Red Lotus Demon Sect? That’s one of the top demon sects. How could you possibly have their manuals?”

He Luoyuan was already regretting his slip of the tongue. In his desperation to keep Lu Yan from leaving, he had blurted out the name of the sect.

But now he had no choice but to go along with it.

“The Red Lotus Demon Sect is different from other demonic sects. Their path focuses on gaining karmic merit through worldly experiences. They often travel to mortal kingdoms.

In the past few millennia, their disciples have repeatedly stirred up wars between mortal empires, letting them slaughter each other to accumulate karmic energy.

While some succeeded, others failed and perished. The manuals on them were scattered in the mortal world.

Here in the Southern Border, few know about this due to distance. But near the sect’s territory, these manuals for anyone below the Golden Core realm aren’t even considered secret.

In fact, the sect intentionally leaks some low-level manuals to find talented individuals with strong karmic energy.”

Lu Yan appeared intrigued by the explanation.

“So where is this manual you mentioned?”

“A cultivator in Yingshan Market has it. If you’re interested, we can leave right away.”

Lu Yan narrowed his eyes again.

“Why are you so invested in this deal, Fellow Daoist?”

“It’s just for the commission,” He Luoyuan said hastily. “After all, you seem to be the only one in Qinggu Market interested in Red Lotus Demon Sect materials.”

Lu Yan paused in thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“As much as I want that manual, I have urgent matters to attend to. I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.”

He Luoyuan immediately panicked.

“What is it? I can wait!”

“I plan to return to my cave dwelling and attempt a breakthrough to mid-stage Qi Refining. That will take at least a month.”

He Luoyuan visibly relaxed.

He patted his chest and said:

“No problem! I’ll have them hold onto the manual. We’ll go fetch it after your breakthrough.”

The two agreed to meet in a month, and He Luoyuan stood outside, watching as Lu Yan walked into the cave dwelling district.

But he didn’t see what happened just after Lu Yan turned around.

The faint smile on Lu Yan’s face vanished without a trace. In his eyes, a deep, dark mist seemed to stir.

“A probable Red Lotus Demon Sect tracker? If they’re not daring to make a move inside Qinggu Market, then at most he’s a Foundation Establishment Stage demonic cultivator.

One month should be enough time to prepare.”

(End of Chapter)