Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2921: Investigating The Hollow Eye Sect

Lin Mu was not one to back down from an open provocation like today.

Those opposing him might be just probing right now, but they had no idea whom they had provoked. For Lin Mu wasn’t the same person he was few years ago.

He was much stronger. Even in the banquet, he had held back considerably. If he wanted to he could’ve eliminated all of them in a single attack. But with Elder Mingshi there, he knew better than to do that.

it was best to keep some trump cards hidden. After all, the enemy had set a trap for them and Lin Mu would in turn prepare one for them.

The quiet fire in the hearth crackled softly. Outside, the moon began to rise higher into the night sky, casting long shadows over the city’s rooftops.

None of them slept easily that night.

The next morning came quietly, with no sign of the chaos from the night before. The city had resumed its usual rhythm—merchants hawking their wares, street performers attracting crowds, and the distant clang of blacksmiths at work. Yet for Lin Mu and his companions, the air remained tense with purpose.

They moved through the Golden Scales City in pairs, each taking a different section of the city to inquire about the Hollow Eye Sect.

Daoist Chu and Meng Bai took to the eastern district, where the older cultivators, retired wanderers, and informants often lingered in teahouses. Lin Mu and Little Shrubby took the western quarter, home to traveling traders, item appraisers, and some discreet underground contacts.

Ashy was also sent away to look into gossip with her own methods.

It took the better part of the day, but when they reconvened in a rented private room above a quiet inn, their findings began to paint a strange, fragmented picture.

”They’re like ghosts,” Meng Bai muttered, sipping a cup of bitter tea. ”No official records, no disciples out in the open, and no visible presence in the city. No sect flags, no inns, no trade routes. Just a name and a shadow.”

Lin Mu nodded. ”Same on our side. We spoke with a few merchants who’ve dealt in high-grade talismans and odd herbs—things you’d expect an unorthodox sect to be interested in. A few mentioned clients with strange robes and shadowy behavior, but they never gave a name. One merchant said he sold them dreamroot powder and cursed jade, but it was all anonymous.”

Daoist Chu sat with a small notebook in hand. ”From what we gathered, the Hollow Eye Sect used to be much more well-known. A thousand years ago, they were already in decline, and most believed they faded away completely.”

”And then?” Lin Mu asked.

Daoist Chu flipped a page. ”Then they reappeared... slowly. Rumors say they started accepting disciples again, but only in secret. They don’t go to recruitment tournaments or sect alliance gatherings. They don’t fight in territory battles. They stay hidden. No official alliances, no sect competitions, no rivalries. Just... observers.”

”Where are they based?” Lin Mu asked.

”Only one consistent answer,” Daoist Chu said, tapping the notebook. ”Shadow Whisper Valley.”

Daoist Chu sighed. ”A cursed place.”

Lin Mu narrowed his eyes. ”You know it?”

”I’ve been near it once, when I first came to the Silent Lotus World with Monk Hushu.” Daoist Chu said grimly. ”It’s a treacherous region to the northwest. Fog-choked ravines, shifting paths, and strange fog that mess with your senses. No one builds there. Even Immortal beasts avoid it.”

”I think I’ve read about it of it,” Lin Mu said remembering one of the travelogues he had bought back at the Lotus Prefecture. ”A place where sound travels too far, and shadows linger longer than they should.”

Daoist Chu nodded. ”And that’s why it fits them so well. People say the Hollow Eye Sect isn’t evil... but they aren’t righteous either. Some call them unorthodox. Others say they’re simply neutral.”

”Neutral?” Meng Bai scoffed. ”They watched people get attacked last night. Did nothing. That’s not neutral—that’s indifferent.”

Little Shrubby growled softly from his corner. ”The one with the crimson eye... he wasn’t watching. He was savoring it.”

Silence settled in the room for a moment.

”What about you Ashy?” Lin Mu asked.

”Nothing. No one really talks about them. Other than the news of the banquet attack last night, there isn’t anything else.” She added.

”I see...” Lin Mu muttered.

A while later, Lin Mu folded his arms. ”We can’t trust their claim of neutrality. Not with that kind of behavior. But it does explain their strategy. They’re hiding in a region few dare to explore, avoiding affiliation, and staying just visible enough to spread fear—but not enough to be hunted.”

”Classic tactic,” Daoist Chu muttered. ”Low-profile corruption. Infect from the shadows, avoid detection.”

”And now they’ve become bolder,” Meng Bai added. ”They’re entering cities, showing their mark at public events. Either they feel invincible... or they want to draw someone out.”

Lin Mu’s gaze darkened. ”Someone like us.”

”They’re probing,” Daoist Chu said. ”Seeing how strong we are. Seeing what we’ll do.”

”We can’t strike yet,” Lin Mu said. ”Not without more information. We don’t know how many they are, who their allies might be, or what their real goal is. Not even the Union dares confront them directly without evidence.”

”Then we need to dig deeper,” Meng Bai said. ”And fast. Because next time, they might not be watching from a balcony.” Having spent time with Lin Mu, the boy had developed quite a bit and could look into matters deeply.

He was no longer as naive as he used to be.

Daoist Chu stood. ”I still have a few old contacts—rogue cultivators who owe me favors. Some of them might have entered the Shadow Whisper Valley at some point or know someone else that did. I’ll reach out.”

Lin Mu nodded. ”Good. I’ll spend tomorrow checking the local sect registries. Even if they’re not listed officially, maybe someone filed a complaint or a request for investigation. Anything at all.”