Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 608 - 549 Parents

The reputation of Lu Li Academy was powerful in Huainan Dao and Jiangnan East and West Road. The academy disciples went to each room to wake up all the travelers and gather them in the inn’s lobby.

The lobby was somewhat crowded with so many people present. Several disciples from the Lu Li Academy used their Telekinesis to disassemble the tables and chairs in the lobby into wooden planks, which they then nailed to the windows, thereby freeing up space and sealing the inn from the outside.

A Lu Li Disciple reported, "Twenty elite rooms, housing forty-six travelers in total. Thirty premium rooms, housing seventy-seven travelers. Forty standard rooms, housing one hundred and two travelers."

Ji Xingwang nodded and asked, "What about the lower-grade rooms?"

"Uh," the waiter raised his hand and said, "Our inn does not have lower-grade rooms, only elite, premium, and standard."

"Why aren’t there any lower-grade..." Ji Xingwang paused, then decided not to dwell on this trivial matter. He turned to Lu Qingya to report the situation, "Mountain Master, all two hundred and twenty-five people in the inn are accounted for." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"The guest registry! The guest registry is missing!" Manager Liu’s voice came from behind the counter. After searching thoroughly, he stood up, his expression panicked. "Someone has stolen the registry."

Some murmurs of confusion arose from the crowd, with many casting suspicious glances at the manager.

Manager Liu hurriedly pulled out a broken string from underneath the counter and explained, "Last autumn, to guard against spies from Zhou Kingdom and Jing Kingdom, the court ordered that inns keep a registry of the travelers’ names.

"Our registry was tied with a rope and placed under the counter. You should have all seen it when you checked in."

"Only someone who has infiltrated the inn and wishes to conceal their identity would steal the registry," Ji Xingwang mused. He then turned to his disciple, Guan Anyan. "An Yan, can you see anything?"

Guan Anyan, gifted with Innate Divination, could predict fortune and misfortune.

She closed her eyes and performed a serious visualization for a moment, then hesitantly said, "I vaguely see many bodies lying on the ground. The Mountain Master stands atop the pile... crying?"

Everyone’s gaze shifted to Lu Qingya, uncertain and alarmed.

Could it be possible that Lu Qingya, one of Yu Country’s strongest Candle Cloud Mages, was also powerless against the Ghost Realm unfolding before him?

"Let’s not panic," a woman in her thirties, with a beautiful face and wearing a skirt, stepped forward calmly and spoke gently. "Innate Divination can indeed foresee many future scenarios, but it has its limitations.

"Remember last time? An Yan, you said you saw me pale-faced and severely injured, which scared everyone into thinking that the Demon Sect might be attacking the academy.

"It turned out I was just having some complications during childbirth."

"Indeed, madam is right, that did happen." Ji Xingwang nodded, remembering how he and his disciples had set up protective wards on Lu Mountain to guard the Mountain Master’s wife.

"No matter what demon it is, Dad can blast it to smithereens." A childish voice, still full of innocence, sounded beside Lu Qingya. A boy about five or six years old was holding Lu Qingya’s hand, swinging his little fists. "My dad is unbeatable in the whole world!"

The boy’s confident voice brought a smile to the faces of the disciples from Lu Li Academy. The little junior brother is indeed adorable.

Lu Qingya looked at his lovely wife and child beside him and also nodded with a smile.

Something wasn’t right.

Something wasn’t right.

Something wasn’t right.

Standing in a corner of the lobby, Li Ang watched Lu Qingya’s warm and affectionate family and couldn’t help but cover his forehead.

Something was wrong.

There definitely was something wrong!

"Ang’er, are you alright?" His mother, Cui Yi, called his nickname while walking over, worriedly supporting Li Ang’s shoulder. "Has your headache started again?"

"Let him lie on the ground for a while," Father Li Hanquan said. "Cui Qiao, did you bring the pills?"

Before Chai Cuiqiao could answer, Mrs. Chai responded, "Yes."

Mrs. Chai untied the package she was carrying, took out a square iron box from it, and then poured a pill from the box, handing it to Li Hanquan.

Chai Cuiqiao stood still, blankly watching her mother.

Mother?

Oh right. When the Zhou Kingdom was in chaos, her parents took her and her siblings and fled to Yu Country. Desperate, they sold her to the Li Family. Fortunately, the Li family, including Li Ang, were all kind people and treated her as their daughter. Half a year later, her parents returned to Yizhou and found her. After that, they simply stayed in the Security Hall to take care of Li Ang’s household.

"I thought that once Ang’er started his Cultivation at the Academic Palace, this headache would heal on its own, but it seems it hasn’t," Cui Yi said, looking worriedly at Li Ang, whose face was pale. She quietly wiped away tears.

"The Mountain Master said it himself, this is caused by his innate trigram. Just like Princess Guanghua’s heart condition, it’s difficult to heal with medicine or stones," Li Hanquan sighed. "We can only lessen the use of the Qi Sea as much as possible to suppress the condition. Come, take your medicine."

He brought the pill to his son’s mouth. Li Ang, looking at his kind parents, felt a chill spread throughout his body. He grabbed the pill and crushed it forcefully.

CRACK.

The pill turned to powder, emitting a strong herbal scent. Li Ang brushed the powder in his palm, smelling the aroma.

Ginseng, Atractylodes, Angelica, Poria, Jujube, Roasted Licorice... All normal herbal medicines for nourishing the spleen and boosting qi, as well as regulating blood and qi.

"You child, why are you suddenly making trouble?" Cui Yi grumbled, then turned to Mrs. Chai. "Jieyu, please bring another pill."

"Yes, madam." Mrs. Chai took out a second pill from the iron box and handed it over.

On the other side of the hall, the people from Lu Li Academy were discussing their strategies.

Ji Xingwang said, "The Alien surely resides within the Ghost Realm it created. If we find and destroy it, the Ghost Realm will be resolved.

"Currently, it has only trapped us and hasn’t attacked yet. This is suspicious."

Lu Qingya’s wife said, "We were returning from an exchange at Songzhou Academy, took a train, and then randomly chose an inn to stay in.

"The bridge collapsed, the train was obstructed, the roster was stolen, and the Ghost Realm was formed.

"Assuming all these events are connected by someone’s scheme, they will likely make a move soon."

"Who would dare attack us? The Mountain Master is here. Could it be Zhao Ming?"

"It’s hard to say. Unfortunately, on this trip, I didn’t bring the Sealing Spirit Rope that could have blocked Spiritual Energy; otherwise, we could have controlled all the passengers first and discerned who might be guilty."

Hearing the conversation of the Lu Li Academy members, Jin Wusuan, who was allowed to sit because of his weak condition, slightly raised his hand and said weakly, "Gentlemen, if there is no Sealing Spirit Rope, will Du Stone Shackles do?"

Hearing Jin Wusuan’s words, Ji Xingwang turned around, frowning and hesitantly asking, "Manager Jin, you brought Du Stone Shackles?"

"Six sets. Borrowed from a friend at the garrison." Jin Wusuan forced a slight smile. "When one is away from home, one will always encounter some troublesome matters, so one must take precautions."

Du Stone Shackles, specifically designed for Cultivators, can Seal the Qi Sea and suppress Cultivation. For a prominent merchant like Jin Wusuan, known as the richest man, it was common to face threats, even kidnapping. Besides hiring guards, he also purchased various types of equipment to ensure his and his family’s safety.