Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 138: Chapter 115: Rage_2

He took out his Identity Jade Disc, wanting to contact Qiu Tan.

Strangely, there was no response from Qiu Tan, which might mean he had left the sect’s boundary.

However, Li Shiming was aware that even if Qiu Tan had left the sect’s boundary, if any cultivator tried to contact him, the call would still be redirected to his store, and his assistants would receive it on his behalf.

Qiu Tan was skilled in business; it was unlikely there would be a mistake in this area.

Qiu Tan often said that he liked to provide the best service to his customers, and he did just that, often personally delivering goods to them.

Li Shiming felt a growing unease; looking at the map, he saw that he would soon pass by Changming Island, and he decided to make a detour there.

Today, Changming Island was under the jurisdiction of Sun Workshop, with few cultivators around.

Walking through the market, Li Shiming felt a tense atmosphere.

He soon saw Qiu Tan’s Spirit Plant Store, but the store was not open. Glancing at the time, it was around nine in the morning, precisely when the store was supposed to open for business.

He went to the store next to the Spirit Plant Store and took out two Spirit Stones, slipping them to the clerk standing at the door.

“Is there something wrong with Qiu Tan’s store?” he quietly asked.

The clerk joyfully accepted the Spirit Stones, but upon hearing Li Shiming’s question, his expression changed. Still, glancing at the Spirit Stones in his hand, he pulled Li Shiming to a secluded corner.

“Mr. Qiu has disappeared, not just Mr. Qiu, but also the two assistants from the store; they all disappeared ten days ago!” the clerk whispered, checking that no one was around.

When Li Shiming left Changming Island Market, his heart was heavy.

He thought about the hundred catties of Spirit Rice inside Baili Jin Yan’s storage bracelet, which were planted in a chamber space.

Back then, he speculated that Baili Jin Yan sought him out probably because of something he heard from Qiu Tan.

Now that Qiu Tan and his two colleagues had disappeared, it could be connected to Baili Jin Yan’s affairs.

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, making him extremely cautious on his way back to Eagle Beak Island, constantly wary of a sudden attack by cultivators.

Nothing happened all the way till he reached Eagle Beak Island, but when he stood in front of it, trouble arose.

Li Shiming’s Identity Jade Disc was unable to activate the island’s formation, and without the formation being activated, he could not enter the island.

This situation should not have occurred; even if the cave dwelling was rented, it was still the private property of a cultivator, and even if a cultivator disappeared for a while, the sect would maintain the rental for many years.

One could say that a cave dwelling is a cultivator’s home, the place they feel most secure.

Why do cultivators join a sect? Because a sect can provide resources and safety to cultivators, giving them the most fundamental assurance.

Since the Identity Jade Disc couldn’t activate the formation, Li Shiming used it to check the situation.

To his shock, he found that his ownership of Eagle Beak Island had been transferred to Han Tianlei.

“No wonder the formation wouldn’t activate!” Li Shiming stared at the familiar Eagle Beak Island in front of him, his heart burning with rage.

Eagle Beak Island was very important to him; the spiritual spring and the Low Grade Spirit Vein beneath it were his secrets, especially the spirit fish in the spring, which were critical for his cultivation of the ‘Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.’

Without the spirit fish, and considering his lack of influence within the sect, it would be difficult for him to obtain resources for practicing the ‘Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill.’

He gazed coldly at Eagle Beak Island, wondering if the cultivators inside knew he had returned.

He was no longer a fledgling without a backing; he was now an Intermediate Spirit Plant Cultivator and a Basic-level Array Master, even owing favors to two junior masters.

After some thought, he decided to go to the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion first to see which junior master was available.

The Spirit Mechanism Pavilion was the domain of array masters, who held a higher status within the sect; seeking help from a junior master there would likely be most effective.

Li Shiming turned and flew towards the Jing Peak, using his Identity Jade Disc to enter, and arrived at the main entrance of the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion.

This time, there were no arrays in front of the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion, as he walked in and saw Junior Master Zhuge, who had conducted his assessment earlier.

“Greetings to Junior Master Zhuge!” Li Shiming approached Junior Master Zhuge, bowing respectfully.

“Is it you? Has there been a problem with your research into formations? I haven’t seen you undertake any formation tasks!” Junior Master Zhuge nodded, recognizing him and spoke with a smile.

From Junior Master Zhuge’s words, it seemed that he had been keeping tabs on Li Shiming.

“Junior Master Zhuge, I have encountered an injustice and have come to the Spirit Mechanism Pavilion seeking help!” Li Shiming maintained his bow and spoke solemnly.

“Someone dares to bully our formation mages within the sect? Let’s hear it—if you have a reasonable case, I’ll stand up for you!” Junior Master Zhuge straightened up and warmly helped Li Shiming to his feet.

“Having just entered the Qi Refining Fourth Level, I was assigned a compulsory task by the Law Enforcement Hall’s Han Tianlei to go to Nanshan Country. On the necessary path of the mission, Han Tianlei, with ten Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators from his worldly family, set a trap and ambushed me.”

Li Shiming was interrupted by Junior Master Zhuge waving his hand.

“Do you have evidence that these ten Han Family Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators set a trap to kill you?” Junior Master Zhuge asked gravely.

Many cultivators, especially those in the Qi Refinement Realm, often operated freely within the sect, focusing on self-cultivation aside from mandatory tasks.

This led to frequent squalid interactions among Qi Refining cultivatees within the sect, but such issues had seemingly never reached the formation mages previously.

“At the time, Master Du Yuan was passing by and can testify to this!” Li Shiming bowed as he spoke.

“Master Du Yuan, no wonder you managed to survive the hands of ten middle-level cultivators!” Knowing who Old Monk Du Yuan was and that Li Shiming would not lie about such a matter, Junior Master Zhuge also understood.

Even if one wanted to lie, they wouldn’t dare use the name of Old Monk Du Yuan, a Buddhist master who holds the same rank as the sect elders.

“Later in Nanshan Country, along with the stationed cultivators, I discovered the Han Family colluding with Xuanming Sect cultivators. This matter should have been reported by the stationed cultivators after the mission. When I returned to my dwelling on Eagle Beak Island, it was no longer mine but had been transferred to Han Tianlei!” Li Shiming did not explain that he had killed the ten Han Family cultivators, but continued on.

Junior Master Zhuge silently took out his Identity Jade Disc and checked some details, confirming the truth of Li Shiming’s claims.

“Follow me. First, to Eagle Beak Island!” Junior Master Zhuge waved his hand, enveloping Li Shiming in spiritual power.

Li Shiming felt a repulsion from the sect formation, and soon he and Junior Master Zhuge appeared a hundred li outside of the sect’s grand formation encompassing the nine peaks, seeing that they weren’t too far from Eagle Beak Island.

Li Shiming was truly surprised; he had not anticipated that the sect formation also possessed this capability, to directly transport a cultivator out by over a hundred li.

Without needing to fly, Junior Master Zhuge carried him at a speed surpassing his Sword Escape, and in an instant, they arrived above Eagle Beak Island.

“Open!” Junior Master Zhuge extended his hand towards the defense formation of Eagle Beak Island and commanded lightly.

The defense formation of Eagle Beak Island automatically parted to create a passage, and Junior Master Zhuge led Li Shiming onto the island.

As soon as they entered the island, Junior Master Zhuge paused in shock while Li Shiming detected a foul odor.

They saw a corpse dressed in Sky Sea Sect’s robes lying at the entrance of the dwelling. Junior Master Zhuge approached and examined it closely.

“He has been dead for at least nine days. See if this is Han Tianlei?” Junior Master Zhuge instructed Li Shiming.

Li Shiming looked at the decomposed and distorted corpse, and from both the clothing and the features, he could assert that it was not Han Tianlei.

“It is not Han Tianlei!” he replied, shaking his head.

“The Law Enforcement Hall is really in a mess, seizing the dwelling and then recklessly killing someone within. Come, we must seek justice for you today!” Junior Master Zhuge said once again, enveloping Li Shiming in spiritual power.

The corpse was left where it fell as their figures vanished from Eagle Beak Island once again.

The death of a Qi Refinement disciple wasn’t a significant issue in itself, but the problem was that this disciple died on a sect island only two hundred li from the nine peaks, which was a slap in the face for the sect.

Moreover, the death of the Qi Refinement disciple occurred while Li Shiming, the original owner of the dwelling, was away on a compulsory task assigned by the Law Enforcement Hall—a task that was effectively a death sentence.

Li Shiming could clear himself of the suspicion of killing a fellow sect member, thereby significantly implicating the Law Enforcement Hall.