Pursuit of the Truth

”Zhuo Ge was mixing around with some questionable company and was used by others… but since he was the person who did it, he has to be responsible for his actions!

”Henceforth, Zhuo Ge is no longer a member of Phantom Dais Tribe. Whether he lives or dies will be decided by you, uncle master!” Phantom Dais’ Elder stated calmly.

Once he finished speaking, he cast a glance at Zhuo Ge, and a chilling glint appeared in his eyes. With one wave of his arm, Zhuo Ge was instantly swept away by wind and blown towards Su Ming and the others. When he crashed onto the ground before them, the dark skinned man laughed viciously and lifted him up.

A pleased look appeared on Tian Xie Zi’s face and he stroked his beard before letting out a fake cough.

”Eldest disciple nephew, look. Your uncle master and junior brothers didn’t manage to control ourselves and destroyed a lot of your houses…”

”It’s fine. Those are physical objects and can be rebuilt. I was just thinking that these houses looked rather old lately. I’d have to thank you for clearing them out for me, uncle master.” Mo Shan continued smiling and not much change could be seen from his expression.

”Is that so? Then I don’t have to worry about it anymore. But eldest disciple nephew, your junior brothers injured quite a number of people and even killed some of them…” Tian Xie Zi put on a troubled face.

”It’s fine. That just means their power was not great enough. It has nothing to do with others. Even if they didn’t die today, once we fought against the Shamans, they would have still died there. They can consider this a lesson.” Phantom Dais’ Elder’s face continued looking as passive as ever as he spoke with a smile. It was as if anger could never be found on him.

Yet no matter how well this sort of person presented himself, he could still not hide the sinister nature in himself. Su Ming stared at Phantom Dais’ Elder, standing not too far away. He knew clearly that with this person’s power, he must have known when he and his second senior brother had come to this place. He must also have known who they were looking for.

Yet at that time, he pretended not to have known. He had even simply allowed his tribe members to attack, and was only forced to come forth when Su Ming and the others walked up to this place and Tian Xie Zi appeared.

He even let them have Zhuo Ge. All of this was clearly because he was incredibly wary of Master. Perhaps it could even be said that this wariness manifested in the form of hesitation and observation, yet now, when this person appeared before them, judging by his current attitude, it was clear that he had made his decision.

”Uncle master, I have something to give you. Consider this Phantom Dais Tribe’s apology for this matter.”

Phantom Dais’ Elder smiled when he spoke and brought out an item from his bosom. That thing was a wooden slip, and as he held it in his hand, he drew a few lines on it with his right hand to write a few words. Once he did so, he held it out respectfully to Tian Xie Zi.

When Tian Xie Zi took it and lowered his head to look at it, he started grinning from ear to ear.

”Not bad, not bad at all. Next time, if anyone says I’m a lunatic again, I’ll have one more proof I can show them.”

Mo Shan smiled and wrapped his fist in his palm to salute Tian Xie Zi.

”I still have some matters to deal with in the tribe, so I won’t be able to send you off, uncle master. If you have the time, feel free to come to my tribe and be our guest.”

Right up till the end, he did not spare even a single glance to Su Ming or the others, neither did he mention them at all in his words. It was as if Su Ming and the others did not exist in his eyes, or perhaps more accurately speaking, they did not have the right for him to take note of them. The only person that deserved his attention here was Tian Xie Zi.

”You’re far too courteous. It’s fine, you can go back now. I’ll also be leaving.”

Tian Xie Zi quickly and carefully put away the wooden slip before he patted his chest, looking completely contented. He was just about to turn around and walk towards Su Ming and the others to leave when a glint appeared in Su Ming’s eyes.

He took a step forward.

”Master, I have something to say.”

”Hmm? Fourth, what is it?” Tian Xie Zi looked towards Su Ming.

Phantom Dais’ Elder continued smiling and still continued ignoring all the people around him. Even if Su Ming had just spoken, he still did not look at him and only continued looking at Tian Xie Zi.

”When I was fighting just now, I lost a bag. There was about 500 golden stone coins in there. I also had some enchanted Vessels stored inside. At that time, I saw a Phantom Dais tribe member taking it away.

”Could you please get it back for me?”

The moment Su Ming’s words were voiced, before Tian Xie Zi even spoke, Phantom Dais’ Elder swiftly turned his gaze towards Su Ming. This was the first time he looked athim properly. The smile on his face vanished for an instant, but it soon returned.

Yet the freezing glare that appeared in his eyes for that one instant could be clearly felt by Su Ming, who had been watching his expression all this while.

”Huh? Something like this happened? You lost 500 something golden stone coins? That’s a lot!” Tian Xie Zi widened his eyes. He turned his head around to look at Phantom Dais’ Elder and a stern look appeared on his face. ”Eldest disciple nephew, that’s your fault, isn’t it? Come on now, hurry up and bring back that bag my disciple lost.”

Phantom Dais’ Elder fell silent for a moment, then quickly brought out a bag from his bosom and took out 600 golden stone coins from within. Those stone coins might not be as striking as the one Tian Lan Meng had given Su Ming, but they were about the same, and the large amount of those coins along with their value was something Su Ming had never seen before.

”There’s no need for that. There are 600 golden stone coins here. Junior brother, will you accept it?” A smile appeared on Phantom Dais’ Elder when he looked at Su Ming.

”The stone coins are good, but this entire area is under Northern Frontier’s jurisdiction. We’re now almost to Sky Mist Shaman Hunt now, so it’s only natural that we will go out shopping. If anything happens to us…” The one who spoke was not Su Ming, but his second senior brother standing nearby.

His voice was no longer cold and aloof, but gentle like spring wind. The moment he uttered his words, Su Ming immediately turned to look at his second senior brother.

He saw that the aloof look on second senior brother’s face was gone and he had returned to the gentle man who loved having sun shine on his body while he positioned himself so that the side of his face was turned towards it.

With a gentle smile on his lips, he nodded to Su Ming. That handsome face, the brilliant smile, and the gentle demeanor made it hard for Su Ming to associate his second senior brother to how he was just moments ago, and also made it difficult for him to truly believe that this second senior brother of his had truly come back.

The instant he spoke, Phantom Dais’ Elder cast his gaze towards second senior brother. There was a brief moment where his expression turned dark before he spoke languidly.

”That’s easy. If anything happens to any of you outside Freezing Sky Clan before Sky Mist Shaman Hunt, Phantom Dais Tribe will be held accountable for it!”

”Is that so? Now I have the courage to say it. Master, in truth, I also lost some stone coins…” Second senior brother smiled gently.

”Huh? You lost it too? Bloody hell, why do you people bring all your money with you when you come out to fight? That’s… good! That’s very good! Er… Second, make sure you write that down under ninth summit’s rules as well!” Tian Xie Zi nodded his head in a very satisfied manner.

Second senior brother looked quite abashed as he turned towards Phantom Dais’ Elder, whose face had turned completely dark.

”About that… I didn’t lose too many things. It’s also 500 golden stone coins, and a Phantom Fork, and 10 other enchanted Vessels, and also 100 something medicinal liquid used to heal injuries… It’s not much, it’s really not much. I won’t bother about the other items, I’m not that nitpicky, I can give them up.

”Fourth, what else did you lose?” second senior brother smiled and asked softly as he looked at Su Ming.

Mo Shan’s face grew increasingly darker.

Su Ming had originally thought he was asking for a lot, but once he heard his second senior brother speak, only then did he know exactly what it meant by demanding an insane amount of things...

”Er… I remember I lost around 100 ice rocks, um… and also Merging Bone Grass, Three Scented Branches, Dust Orchid Leaves…” Su Ming mentioned dozens of herbs of the top of his head.

”And also seven bones from beasts equivalent to that of the Awakening Realm, and eight puppet bodies with power equal to that of the Awakening Realm, and…” Su Ming continued speaking until he did not know what else he wanted.

Phantom Dais’ Elder’s face was so dark that it had practically turned murderous by then. He glared at Su Ming and the others coldly. The other Phantom Dais tribe members were also seething in rage.

”Ahem, Fourth, your memory is really horrid. I remember you had a Phantom Fork in your bag as well.” Second senior brother let out a few fake coughs by his side.

”That’s right. I just remembered. I also lost a Phantom Fork.” Su Ming blinked and quickly spoke.

The Phantom Dais Elder became so angry he started laughing, but once he took a few deep breaths, he closed his eyes. Once he reopened them, his eyes had already calmed down and he nodded his head with a smile.

”But I’m curious, how did you manage to store those eight puppets in your bag..? And how exactly did you have our tribe’s unique treasure, the Phantom Fork, in your bag as well..?

”But since you lost them in Phantom Dais Tribe, then we will return it to you!” The moment Phantom Dais’ Elder finished speaking, he suddenly lifted his head and looked into the distance.

From the distance, a man holding a big axe could be seen running rapidly towards them. As he ran, he started shouting at the top of his lungs.

”Wait! Wait..! I also lost some things!”

Second senior brother smiled. The grass in his palm shattered and turned into dust. There was in no way he would forget to tell his own junior brothers in the same Sect when there were good things to get. In Hu Zi’s case, he woke him up and told him…

”I lost a pot of wine! That’s all I lost, nothing else! Give me back my wine!” Hu Zi panted harshly as he ran to stand beside Su Ming, then yelled at Phantom Dais’ Elder. There was great eagerness and thirst in his eyes.

The Phantom Dais Elder clenched his hands instinctively. He remained silent for a moment before he waved his arm and turned around to walk towards where Phantom Dais Tribe’s city was located beyond the snow plains.

”Give it to them!” His words echoed in the air, and anger could be heard within his voice.

Yet the moment he finished speaking but before he managed to take a few steps forward, a thought struck Tian Xie Zi’s head. He let out a few fake coughs and spoke to Phantom Dais’ Elder.

”Er… eldest disciple nephew? Look, I’m old now, and I don’t remember things that well. I just remembered that I also lost quite a few things…”

The Phantom Dias Elder’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Although his face was turned towards the crowd and could not be seen, they could still feel that he was seething with an anger that could burn the skies, as if he could no longer tolerate them.

Yet the moment that anger appeared, suddenly, crunching sounds as if someone was stepping on snow came from beyond the snow plains, and they were soon followed by a person dressed in a purple robe that covered even his head, walking slowly forward until he stepped onto the snow plains.

”We’ll give you everything you lost… but I want to talk to him... alone…” That person lifted his right arm, which was as dried up as a bone. His fingers had incredibly long fingernails. The person he pointed at… was Su Ming!

His voice was hoarse, as if it traveled through the passages of time, and it drifted in the air…

”Phantom Equal!” Tian Xie Zi’s face instantly became stern, and the white hue on his robes started showing signs of change.