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Chapter 168: Tracking Mark

His mannerisms, tone of voice, and every small detail in body language were so accurate that they were as good as the real thing.

"As long as I avoid saying anything out of character, even those closest to the deceased would struggle to see through the disguise," Lan Chang\'an concluded.

This was a stark contrast to the disguises he\'d used before, such as when he impersonated "Junior Brother Cheng" by merely replicating his appearance and aura. Back then, any close acquaintance of Cheng\'s might have noticed something was off if they were observant enough, as he had lacked the real essence.

Fortunately, since Junior Brother Cheng had been expelled from Huanglong Mountain years before, Lan Chang\'an had managed to avoid any major slip-ups by keeping a low profile and speaking minimally.

After a long while, Lan Chang\'an removed the Hundred Illusions Mask. For a brief moment, his mind felt disoriented, as though he was emerging from an immersive role-playing experience back into his true identity.

For an average cultivator, the sudden shift could induce a strong sense of dissonance.

However, compared to the reincarnations and rebirths he\'d experienced through the Nine Seal Stele, this was nothing for Lan Chang\'an.

Squeak, squeak!

Seeing that Lan Chang\'an had returned to his original form, the Earth Burrowing Rat was overjoyed. Its fur relaxed from the previous tense, bristling state.

It stretched out its claws and affectionately touched Lan Changan\'s body, as if to confirm he was not a fake.

...

In the months that followed, the chaos and violence around Wuqi Mountain gradually subsided, likely due to the deterrent effect of the Flame Departing Palace’s interventions.

The spirit stones that Lan Chang\'an gifted to Song Wenshu as a "hardship fee" (shared among the three peak masters) were well-spent.

Occasionally, Song Wenshu would lead a patrol of Flame Departing Palace law enforcement cultivators through the area around Wuqi Mountain and stop by Little Turtle Peak for tea.

In the eyes of outsiders, this highlighted the good relationship between Wuqi Mountain and the cultivators of the Flame Departing Palace.

However, incidents where Wuqi Mountain’s guests were ambushed and killed en route couldn’t be completely prevented. These occurrences were less brazen than before, with the attacks happening at least a few dozen li away.

Compared to the chaos around most market towns or immortal cities, this was already considered relatively safe.

The main issue was the overall environment.

As the war in Feng Kingdom dragged on, more and more shady characters and opportunistic scoundrels were taking advantage of the chaos, stirring up trouble and fishing in troubled waters.

Among these troublemakers, the true rogue and evil cultivators were only a fraction. Many of the incidents involved ordinary cultivators "moonlighting" as bandits, like the late Pei siblings.

If not for Lan Chang\'an\'s long lifespan and ample wealth, he might have been tempted to engage in some underhanded activities himself, playing the part of a wolf in sheep’s clothing to fish for greater opportunities.

One day, the three peak masters of Wuqi Mountain gathered in Little Turtle Peak’s cave mansion to discuss recent developments.

This meeting was initiated by Lan Chang\'an.

"Recently, there’s been an increase in incidents of robbery and murder around Wuqi Mountain, with a growing trend toward chaos and lawlessness," Lan Chang\'an said.

What he didn’t mention was that over the past two months, his powerful soul had vaguely sensed unknown cultivators spying on Wuqi Mountain from a distance.

These intrusions might not have been targeting Wuqi Mountain directly but could have been tracking some of their guests.

As a cultivator with a long lifespan and the Crystal Condensation Pill in hand, Lan Chang\'an demanded a stable and peaceful cultivation environment.

"I’ve noticed it too," Fairy Shi agreed. "The guests who were ambushed recently were mostly those without significant strength or backing, and most incidents occurred at night."

Given the broader context, where public security was declining across the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world, this was a common issue, especially near smaller marketplaces or gathering places.

With so many cultivators away at war, the sects couldn’t possibly handle every minor incident.

The deaths of a few ordinary cultivators didn’t create a significant impact and wouldn’t draw the sects’ attention.

Song Wenshu had been quite busy lately, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to bother him with these relatively minor issues around Wuqi Mountain.

"I suspect there’s a group of bandits operating near Wuqi Mountain, possibly with a fixed base of operations. Our guests on the mountain are one of the targets they have their eyes on," Lan Chang\'an said, voicing his suspicions.

There were several small spiritual vein sites and minor cultivation families within a two-thousand-li radius, and Wuqi Mountain served as a modest trading hub for the area.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, since you’ve called us together, do you have any suggestions?" Ye Fei asked with a smile.

Having been neighbors for so many years, he was familiar with Lan Chang\'an’s approach to things.

"I have two proposals," Lan Chang\'an said after some thought.

"The first is that if we don’t want to take any risks, we could hire an expert to come and eradicate the bandits’ base nearby."

"The second is that if the bandits’ strength is manageable, we could take care of them ourselves, as a warning to others."

The other two peak masters nodded in agreement.

With their combined wealth and strength, the three peak masters of Wuqi Mountain could realistically consider either option.

"The key is determining the bandits’ strength," Fairy Shi mused. "But tracking isn’t my strong suit."

Lan Chang\'an and Ye Fei exchanged a glance.

"Leave that to the two of us," Lan Chang\'an offered.

With his second-rank rat demon, Lan Chang\'an had an excellent tracker, capable of sniffing out clues and investigating hidden threats.

Ye Fei, in addition to his knowledge of medicine and poison, had also mastered a mysterious insect control technique.

"Fairy Shi, with your higher cultivation and superior skills, we might need to rely on you if it comes to a fight," Lan Chang\'an added.

...

Over the next few nights, Lan Chang\'an and Ye Fei quietly conducted their investigation.

They started by sweeping a twenty-li radius around Wuqi Mountain but found no traces of the bandits’ base or any clues leading to it.

One afternoon, Lan Chang\'an sat by the lotus pond at Little Turtle Peak, enjoying the spirit tea served to him by the maid.

The Profound Water Turtle lounged beside the pond, gazing longingly in a particular direction, its eyes tinged with a subtle longing.

Lan Chang\'an suddenly recalled that he hadn’t received any letters from Guan Qiaozhi in years.

"Twenty years," he calculated roughly. It had been more than twenty years since Guan Qiaozhi had left.

She had left when Lan Chang\'an was one hundred and seven years old.

Now, Lan Chang\'an was one hundred and twenty-eight.

In a few more years, Guan Qiaozhi would also reach the age of one hundred.

Given that she hadn’t engaged in any significant conflicts, had taken good care of herself, and had even consumed a first-rank Life Extension Pill, Lan Chang\'an estimated that she could live close to the upper limit of the Qi-Refining stage.

Swoosh!

A streak of Foundation Establishment-level light flew through the air from outside Wuqi Mountain, interrupting Lan Chang\'an’s thoughts as it made its way straight toward the mountain.

"Uncle Lan!"

A soft, melodious voice called out.

A slender, graceful young woman in a green dress landed in front of Little Turtle Peak.

She had bright eyes, neat white teeth, and a delicate, jade-like appearance.

This familiar voice and appearance stirred twofold memories within Lan Chang\'an.

The more distant memories had faded over time, but the more recent memories were of one of the two maids who had once served on Little Turtle Peak—a lonely and resolute girl in a green dress.

"Bingyun, you\'ve come," Lan Chang\'an said with a gentle smile as he stood up.

He opened the formation, allowing Mu Bingyun to enter this once incomparably familiar home.

Twenty-something years had passed, yet the mountain’s layout, every tree, and blade of grass, remained nearly unchanged.

Only the Profound Water Turtle had grown larger.

The revered Uncle Lan, still clad in white, appeared ageless, his aura calm and serene.

His tall and upright figure seemed like an ancient tree deeply rooted in the earth, his presence growing more profound and steady with the passage of time.

In that moment, whether due to her emotions or a trick of the mind, Mu Bingyun couldn’t help but perceive him as a towering, almost monumental figure.

...

"Bingyun greets Uncle Lan."

Mu Bingyun stepped forward, her tone respectful as she bowed with her hands clasped in front of her.

As the disciple of an old friend and a former maid who had once served here, Lan Chang\'an skipped the usual pleasantries and invited her to sit casually in the cave mansion as she pleased.

As she entered the cave mansion, Mu Bingyun almost slipped back into her old role as a maid, instinctively preparing to serve Uncle Lan tea.

She quickly realized how much the years she’d spent on Little Turtle Peak had influenced her life, leaving an indelible mark.

"The area around Wuqi Mountain has been quite chaotic lately. You shouldn’t be traveling here so freely," Lan Chang\'an remarked as he sipped his tea, studying the former maid who had once served him.

Mu Bingyun had successfully advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment, likely in the past two years.

This was faster than he had anticipated.

"Uncle Lan, is there truly any place left in Liang Kingdom that can be called safe, outside of the sects’ territories?" Mu Bingyun sighed.

She then explained the purpose of her visit to Wuqi Mountain.

"A few months ago, the already turbulent Bamboo Leaf Mountain Market Town was attacked by a group of cultivators, both from within and outside the market. They overran the market, leaving destruction in their wake. Our family’s shop suffered significant losses, with several casualties..."

Lan Chang\'an hadn’t expected the situation in Bamboo Leaf Mountain to be so much worse than in Wuqi Mountain.

Around Wuqi Mountain, there were at most a few scattered bandits, and nothing major had occurred.

"The owners of Bamboo Leaf Mountain are the Huang Family. Didn’t Huang Yingchun\'s late-stage Foundation Establishment partner put up a fight?" Lan Chang\'an asked, his eyes narrowing.

"No, he didn’t. That late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator is nearing the end of his lifespan and has become quite frail. Two years ago, Huang Yingchun had distanced herself from him, so he wouldn’t risk his life for this..." Mu Bingyun explained.

"During the battle at the market, the Huang Family’s recently cultivated Foundation Establishment disciple, who they had worked so hard to train, was unfortunately killed."

Hearing this, Lan Chang\'an was convinced that Bamboo Leaf Mountain was becoming a hotbed of trouble.

"Feiyue Lake is a nearby Foundation Establishment family. The safety of our family’s cultivators is at risk. After discussing it with Uncle Erqing, we’ve decided to enhance the clan-protecting formation around Feiyue Lake."

"Uncle Lan, I know that Fairy Shi is a third-rank formation master and has a good relationship with you. I was hoping to ask for her help with the formation." Mu Bingyun explained her request.

"That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll take you to see her later," Lan Chang\'an agreed with a nod.

His relationship with Fairy Shi was anything but shallow.

"By the way, Bingyun, did you feel like someone was watching you as you made your way to Wuqi Mountain?" Lan Chang\'an asked.

"I think I might have felt that at some point," Mu Bingyun replied, though she wasn’t entirely sure.

Given what she knew about Uncle Lan, she assumed he wouldn’t ask such a question without reason.

In the current chaotic state of the world, it wasn’t unusual to feel like someone was spying on you during a journey.

However, as a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator and a second-rank talisman master, Mu Bingyun believed that no ordinary bandits would dare to target her.

Without proper planning, even a late Foundation Establishment cultivator might struggle to defeat a mid-Foundation Establishment talisman master.

However, at this moment Lan Chang\'an discovered a subtle tracking mark on Mu Bingyun\'s body.