Chapter 181: Rift

The morning mist had not yet dispersed, but the Spirit Medicine Garden on the mountainside of Biluo Palace was already in complete chaos.

Su Yun was awakened by a rapid knocking on the door. Zhao Lanxin poked her head out from his embrace, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Su Yun threw on his outer robe and opened the door. Fairy Biluo stood at the doorway, her expression grave.

"Master, the people from the Star Pavilion and Taixu Hall are fighting in the Spirit Medicine Garden."

Su Yun frowned. "What is going on?"

Fairy Biluo said, "The Star Pavilion claims that Taixu Hall stole their Star Spirit Grass, but Taixu Hall denies it. Both sides are sticking to their own stories, and the argument is getting worse. They have already started fighting, and over a dozen people have been injured."

Su Yun finished dressing, tied the sash Zhao Lanxin had newly made for him, and followed Fairy Biluo out the door. Zhao Lanxin wanted to follow, but he pressed her back onto the bed. "You sleep a while longer; I will be back soon."

The Spirit Medicine Garden was located on the east side of the mountainside, covering a hundred acres and planted with all kinds of Spiritual Plants. At this moment, the garden was in a mess; the medicine fields had been trampled, the Spiritual Plants broken, and the air was filled with a strong scent of medicine mixed with the smell of blood. Two groups of people were confronting each other across a gravel path. On the left were the female Disciples of the Star Pavilion, wearing silver-white long dresses and holding long swords. On the right were the female Disciples of Taixu Hall, wearing golden martial attire and holding short blades. Both sides were injured; some were clutching their arms, others were supporting their companions, and several people were lying on the ground, unable to get up.

Su Yun walked to the middle of the two groups. The leader on the Star Pavilion side was called Xing Yao, a Mahayana Initial Stage cultivator, a middle-aged woman with a stern face. The leader on the Taixu Hall side was called Xu Ling, a Lianxu Peak Stage cultivator, a young woman in her early twenties. Both of them had red eyes, glaring at each other like fighting cocks.

Xing Yao spoke first. "Master, the people from Taixu Hall stole our Star Spirit Grass. That batch of Spiritual Plants was cultivated personally by our Pavilion Master. There were thirty-six in total, and twelve are missing. We found six in the Taixu Hall's storehouse, but we don't know where they have hidden the other six."

Xu Ling sneered. "Xing Yao, don't make false accusations. Those six Star Spirit Grasses were found by us in the Northern Wilderness. What right do you have to say they are yours? Your Star Pavilion lost things, and instead of catching the thief, you come to blame us?"

"The Northern Wilderness?" Xing Yao's voice grew colder. "Star Spirit Grass only grows in Starfall Lake; it doesn't exist in the Northern Wilderness at all. You didn't even prepare your lie properly."

Xu Ling's expression changed, and she opened her mouth but couldn't say anything.

Su Yun looked at Xu Ling. "Where did the Star Spirit Grass actually come from?"

Xu Ling lowered her head, her voice becoming quieter. "Someone sold it to me outside Biluo City. I did not know it was stolen goods."

Su Yun asked what the person who sold it to her looked like. Xu Ling said it was a man, face covered, age indistinguishable, with cultivation roughly at the Soul Transformation Stage. Su Yun turned to look at Fairy Biluo. "Have there been any suspicious people appearing outside Biluo City recently?"

Fairy Biluo thought for a moment. "I will have someone investigate."

Su Yun nodded and looked back at Xing Yao. "What is the value of the lost Spiritual Plants?"

Xing Yao said, "Star Spirit Grass is the main ingredient for refining Star Spirit Pills. One stalk is worth at least five thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones. Twelve stalks make sixty thousand."

Su Yun looked at Xu Ling. "Sixty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones; you will pay for it."

Xu Ling bit her lip, not daring to refute. The Taixu Hall Disciples behind her looked grim, but no one dared to speak.

Su Yun continued, "From today on, the Qinghe Sect will establish a Law Enforcement Hall. Fairy Biluo will serve as the Hall Master, responsible for handling internal Sect disputes. Any further cases of theft, fighting, or framing will be handled by the Law Enforcement Hall. Minor offenses will be fined with High-Grade Spirit Stones, and major offenses will result in expulsion from the Sect."

Fairy Biluo bowed to accept the order. Su Yun swept his gaze over the two groups. His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable pressure. "All of you, disperse. Go back and tend to your wounds; pay what must be paid, and accept the punishment that must be accepted. If there is private fighting again next time, both sides will be punished together."

The crowd lowered their heads and dispersed one after another.

Su Yun stood in the Spirit Medicine Garden, looking at the mess everywhere, and remained silent for a long time. Fairy Biluo walked behind him and said in a low voice, "Master, these old grudges cannot be resolved in a day or two. The feud between the Star Pavilion and Taixu Hall has lasted for hundreds of years, and I am afraid that trouble will arise again in the future."

Su Yun nodded. "I know. That is why it takes time, and it also takes rules. The Law Enforcement Hall is just the first step. Later, we will establish a Scripture Lecture Hall, a Martial Arts Hall, and a Karma Hall. Let them Cultivate together and work together, and they will slowly get used to each other."

Fairy Biluo asked what the Scripture Lecture Hall would do. Su Yun said to have the Elders of each Sect take turns giving lectures, talking about Cultivation Techniques, sharing insights, and teaching the rules. It is not for the sake of learning things, but to make them sit together and listen to the same person. Fairy Biluo nodded thoughtfully.

Su Yun turned and walked back to the main hall. Zhao Lanxin was already up, sitting on the steps in front of the hall waiting for him. Seeing him return, she stood up and gestured to ask if he had finished handling the matter. Su Yun said he had. She nodded, took his hand, and walked into the hall. On the table were a few small dishes and a bowl of hot porridge. She gestured for him to eat first. Su Yun sat down at the table, picked up the porridge bowl, and took a sip. The porridge was made from Spirit Rice, very thick, with red dates and goji berries added; it was sweet. After he finished one bowl, Zhao Lanxin ladled another for him.

As he drank the porridge, he suddenly remembered something. "Where is Elder Han Yue?"

Zhao Lanxin gestured that she had gone to Cultivate early in the morning in the bamboo forest behind the mountain. Su Yun finished the second bowl of porridge, stood up, and said he would go see her.

The bamboo forest behind the mountain was very quiet. Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground. Elder Han Yue stood in the open space in the center of the bamboo forest, holding her Moon Brilliance Sword, practicing sword techniques. Her swordplay had improved significantly compared to when she was in the Lower Realm; every strike carried a faint power of moon brilliance, and the sword light flowed like water, weaving through the bamboo shadows. Su Yun stood at the edge of the bamboo forest, not making a sound to disturb her.

Elder Han Yue practiced for half an hour before sheathing her sword. She turned around, saw Su Yun, and was slightly stunned. "Husband, why didn't you call out to me when you arrived?"

Su Yun walked into the bamboo forest. "I was watching you practice your sword techniques and didn't have the heart to interrupt. Your swordplay has improved a lot."

Elder Han Yue shook her head. "It is still not enough. Every Disciple in the Immortal Realm is stronger than me, and I do not want to hold you back, Husband."

Su Yun looked at her. Her cultivation was still at the Initial Stage of Soul Transformation, which was indeed not enough in the Immortal Realm. However, her Sword Intent was very pure, her Foundation was very stable, and she only lacked Opportunity and resources. He said, "I will have Fairy Biluo find you some suitable Cultivation Techniques later, and with some Medicinal Pills, you will be able to have a Breakthrough soon." Elder Han Yue nodded, a trace of gratitude flashing in her eyes.

Su Yun stayed in the bamboo forest for a while, accompanied Elder Han Yue for a few words, and then returned to the main hall. Fairy Biluo was already waiting inside the hall, holding a list in her hand.

"Master, the person who sold the Spiritual Plants outside Biluo City has been found."

Su Yun took the list and glanced at it. "Just one person?"

Fairy Biluo said, "One person, but there is someone behind him. I interrogated Xu Ling, and she said that after that person sold her the Spiritual Plants, he also told her to stir up more trouble within the Sect, preferably causing the Star Pavilion and Taixu Hall to fight. I followed the clues, and discovered that the person was sent by a force called the 'Shadow Pavilion'. The Shadow Pavilion is an underground organization in the Immortal Realm, specializing in sowing discord among various Sects to profit from it. Their Pavilion Master is a mysterious person whose true face no one has seen, and it is said that their cultivation is at least at the Peak Mahayana Stage."

Su Yun narrowed his eyes. "Peak Mahayana Stage? There are such figures in the Immortal Realm?"

Fairy Biluo said, "This is the first time I have heard of it too. The Shadow Pavilion acts in secret and never engages in direct conflict, specializing in assassinations, theft, and instigation. The Seven Great Immortal Sects have all suffered losses because of them, but they have never been able to catch them in the act."

Su Yun placed the list on the table. "Continue investigating. Find out the stronghold of the Shadow Pavilion and tell me."

Fairy Biluo acknowledged and turned to leave.

Su Yun leaned back in his chair, looking at the sky outside the hall. Peak Mahayana Stage, Shadow Pavilion, mysterious Pavilion Master. The waters of the Immortal Realm were deeper than he had imagined. But that was fine; things being too smooth would be boring instead. He closed his eyes. Inside his Dantian, the feedback of spiritual energy from over a hundred thousand Enslavement subjects was still slowly circulating. His Late Mahayana Stage cultivation was already stable, and he was only one step away from the Peak. He needed more spiritual energy and stronger opponents.

The Shadow Pavilion might just be the Opportunity for his Breakthrough.

In the evening, Zhao Lanxin walked in carrying food. Su Yun opened his eyes and saw beads of sweat on the little girl's forehead; she had clearly been busy all afternoon. He stood up, took the tray from her hands, and placed it on the table. Zhao Lanxin gestured to ask if he was tired today, and Su Yun said he was not. She did not believe him, but she did not ask again; she just held his hand and let him sit down to eat.

Su Yun picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of Spirit Beast meat into his mouth. The meat was stewed until very tender, melting in his mouth, and the taste was much better than before. He praised her for her improved cooking skills, and Zhao Lanxin lowered her head, blushing, but the corners of her mouth curled up.

After eating, Su Yun walked out of the main hall and stood by the cliff. The night breeze blew over, carrying the fragrance of flowers and plants. In the distance, the lights of Biluo Palace flickered in the night, like a quiet galaxy. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.