Volume 1: Youths Meeting in Humble Times - Chapter 150: The Path of Faking Death 5

On the other hand, Tianmen Town had now become a blessed land of the Dao, enriched by the lingering legacy of so many sages. For a considerable time to come, it was bound to be a rare and treasured sanctuary. How could the Zhang family possibly withdraw from it and fail to secure their share of this windfall?

Fortunately, there was no pressing need for Zhang Jingzhong to make an immediate decision. The Li family naturally valued the Zhang family's capabilities—or rather, Zhang Jingzhong himself—without demanding a definitive arrangement right away. For them, the most urgent task at hand was to locate the Daoist's youngest disciple.

After Zhang Jingzhong handed over the information regarding Li Yu, as well as the details of the families that had dealings with the Daoist, Li Zhonghong experienced a profound shock the very moment he laid eyes on Li Yu’s description. The person depicted in the portrait was unmistakably none other than that young member of the Li family who had perished in a dark conspiracy years ago! Although Li Yu's appearance had altered somewhat, that gaze—those distinctive grey eyes—spoke volumes, leaving no doubt that they were one and the same person.

Li Xi'an knew that Li Zhonghong had recognized Li Yu's true identity, but he chose to keep his counsel. Some matters were not his to bring up lightly. Had Li Zhonghong known that Li Xi'qing had died as a result of Li Yu's careful plotting, his obsession with finding Li Yu would surely have intensified tenfold. Yet, Li Xi'an secretly hoped that Li Yu would not be brought back to the Li family. It was not out of fear of Li Yu's innate talent, nor was it a concern that Li Yu might threaten his own status. He simply felt that given Li Yu's current strength and standing, returning to the Li family would spell absolute misery for him. Even if he had mastered the Li family's soul-controlling arts, those elders would never let him go without extracting every last secret connected to the Daoist!

By then, Li Yu would likely face a fate far more terrifying than death itself.

Li Zhonghong forcefully suppressed the turmoil in his heart. He could not fathom why a child who had supposedly died seven years ago had suddenly reappeared in Tianmen Town, and had even become the disciple of the continent's most formidable expert. What terrified him even more was whether the boy could cultivate now, and if so, what formidable skills he had acquired under the Daoist's tutelage.

In the past, Li Zhonghong had paid little attention to Li Yu. However, he knew that the moment Li Yu was born into the Li family, he had shocked the family elders, setting a rare precedent where his spiritual roots were awakened before he was even a year old. Alas, things had turned out contrary to expectations; contrary to all hopes, Li Yu had possessed no spiritual seal, and subsequent tests revealed that he lacked heavenly apertures altogether.

Consequently, the Li family had cast him aside like a discarded shoe. Had it not been for his grandfather's remaining influence within the clan, Li Yu would have been banished from the family outright and left to fend for himself against the elements.

During the three years Li Yu subsequently spent within the Li family, his innate talent had gradually manifested—he possessed knowledge from birth. Li Zhonghong was well aware of this, but such a gift was undoubtedly a tasteless chicken rib to someone incapable of cultivation: flavorless to chew, yet a pity to throw away.

Ultimately, Li Yu had perished at the age of three amidst factional infighting. When the news had reached him back then, Li Zhonghong had sighed with a tinge of melancholy, lamenting that his grandfather’s lineage had been completely severed of its incense and heritage.

Yet here he was, seeing Li Yu once more in Tianmen Town. How much did Li Yu actually know about the events of the past, and what realm of cultivation had he attained by now?

As Li Zhonghong read further down the document and saw the record stating that the Daoist's youngest disciple possessed a half-dragon constitution and was considered a half-demon, his confusion only deepened.

Judging solely by this detail, he would never have suspected the person to be Li Yu. Yet those eyes of Li Yu had left an indelible impression upon him.

The real Li Yu could never be a half-demon. But if he was not a half-demon, why would the Zhang family record him as such in his dossier? Could it be that the Zhang family was so incompetent they could not even distinguish whether someone was human or demon?

No, that was impossible. That left only two possibilities: either this person was not Li Yu, though he had an undeniable connection to him; or this person *was* Li Yu, but through some unknown means, he had managed to make others believe he was a half-demon.

Either scenario sent a chill through Li Zhonghong's heart. He had always known Li Yu was no ordinary person. To unravel this mystery, the only way was to find him.

Once Li Yu was found, every riddle would be solved effortlessly!

Li Yu, Li Yu, Li Xiyu. It seemed merely the omission of a single character, yet it happened to be the clan character that represented membership in the Li family. To claim that he had no relation to that Li Xiyu was something Li Zhonghong would never believe.

Just as he finished organizing his men to deploy in search of Li Yu, Elder Luo of the Luowang Peak asked, "What if he escapes from Tianmen Town? How are we supposed to find him then?"

Indeed, that was the crux of the matter. If Li Yu truly managed to escape, where on earth would they ever find him in such a boundless world?

At this thought, Li Zhonghong turned his gaze toward Elder Chen and said, "Elder Chen, if I recall correctly, your Heavenly Mystery Sect possesses an art known as 'Tracing the Root to Inquire into Existence.' It uses a mere scrap of information to track down a target's location, or whether they are alive or dead."

Though phrased as a question, it was delivered as an absolute command.

Elder Chen had not yet fully recovered his internal energy, but he could not refuse. He could only reply, "I shall do my utmost!"

Li Zhonghong added coldly, "Furthermore, you may divine what you are permitted to know, but do not pry into what you are not. Should you calculate something you shouldn't, and it reaches the ears of the Li family, it won't be me negotiating with you next time."

This warning was transmitted directly to Elder Chen's mind. Before Elder Chen could fully comprehend its meaning, a flash of insight struck him during the divination process. He stared at the target's name—Li Yu—and the character for the Li family. Could they possibly belong to the same Li?!

He had never expected that merely tracking down an individual would entangle him with the Li family, and it appeared there were hidden depths to the matter.

Elder Chen felt thoroughly aggrieved. He had never imagined that representing the Heavenly Mystery Sect in Tianmen Town would land him in the middle of so many complications, each one more overwhelming than the last.

Yet, he was already riding the tiger and found it impossible to dismount; stepping away at this point was completely out of the question.

Relying on the information provided by the Zhang family, Elder Chen performed the divination once more. The art of Tracing the Root to Inquire into Existence used a trace of the target's aura to uncover their movements, fortune, and mortal state. However, it could only provide a general direction; to learn more, one would need to employ the Eye of Observing the Heavens.

Then, an unexpected twist occurred.

Elder Chen later reflected that none of the divination hurdles he had encountered before coming to Tianmen Town had ever been as turbulent as this one.

This time, he did indeed catch sight of Li Yu. However, it was neither the present-day Li Yu nor his current whereabouts, but rather a scene of Li Yu studying Daoist scriptures alongside the Daoist himself.

He never imagined he would catch a glimpse of Li Yu's past. Such an anomaly had never happened before, and he could not fathom why it was occurring now.

Sensing no immediate danger this time, he decided to observe Li Yu a little longer. Lowering his perceptive gaze toward the skies above the Youyi Temple, just as he was about to examine Li Yu closely, the boy abruptly raised his head, fixing those grey eyes directly upon him.

That gaze was devoid of any emotion. One could not even call it unfeeling, for being unfeeling presupposed an understanding of what feeling was. Instead, it was sheer detachment—an absolute indifference that looked past everything in existence. It was not lifeless, nor was it icy; it was simply profound detachment.

The moment Li Yu cast that look at him, his projection was violently repelled.

When he snapped out of his meditative trance, his face was drenched in sweat. He gasped for air, accepted a cup of tea handed to him by a trembling subordinate, and drank deeply before finally addressing the anxious inquiries surrounding him. "I cannot see where he is, nor do I know whether he is alive or dead at this moment. However, while performing the divination, I could sense that his aura is still within Tianmen Town, and not far from us at all."

Tracing the Root to Inquire into Existence relied on aura to track an individual's whereabouts, fortune, and fate. Since he had detected it within such a brief span, it could only mean one thing: Li Yu was still inside Tianmen Town.

Having confirmed this, Li Zhonghong wasted no time. He hastily mobilized all available personnel, dividing them into four search teams to hunt down Li Yu.

The first team was assigned to search the Youyi Temple. The second team was dispatched to the Shen family mentioned in the dossier; they knew the Shen family had a young girl who had not been sacrificed, making it highly probable that Li Yu would seek her out. Moreover, even if they failed to find Li Yu, capturing the girl would serve as an effective hostage to coerce him later. Li Yu might be able to run, but could the girl escape as well?

The third team consisted of ordinary disciples ordered to comb through every nook and cranny of Tianmen Town, just in case Li Yu had gone into hiding. The final team, led by Li Zhonghong himself, along with the core members of the Li family and other elites, headed toward the coastal waters leading out of Tianmen Town.

Although they calculated that Li Yu had not yet escaped the town, what if he was currently on his way out while that stretch of territory still fell under Tianmen Town's jurisdiction? Such a possibility could not be ruled out. Refusing to leave any contingency unaddressed, Li Zhonghong made what he believed to be the most meticulous arrangements. In his estimation, Li Yu should be like a startled bird at the moment, solely focused on fleeing the town rather than doing the opposite.

Yet, in truth, Li Yu was waiting for them with complete composure.

Among these four search parties, the ones dispatched to the Youyi Temple and the coastal waters were the strongest. As fate would have it, Li Yu was right at Shen Tang's home. The pursuers had calculated every possible angle, but they failed to account for Li Yu's deep sense of loyalty and his propensity to defy convention. Even before he had ever set foot on the path of cultivation, he had dared to challenge illusion and mountain demons with the intent to perish alongside them. Having been meticulously nurtured by the Daoist for years, his composure and daring far surpassed his past self by leaps and bounds.

Inside Shen Tang's house, Li Yu looked at her and asked, "Elder Sister, are you afraid?"

Shen Tang looked around the room, etching her home deep into her memory before replying, "I'm not. What do we have left to fear?"

Li Yu clenched his fists, as if bolstering his own resolve while simultaneously infusing Shen Tang with strength. "Indeed. We truly have nothing left to fear."