Chapter 4077: Willing To Help The Vault Division
Chapter 4077: Willing To Help The Vault Division
The surrounding Vault Division elders nodded approvingly as their High Elder had presented the matter elegantly. He had maintained the dignity of the Vault Division while giving Daoist Bone Ruler a reasonable explanation.
Furthermore, the danger posed by cursed artifacts was a legitimate concern. Even powerful cultivators could suffer serious consequences when dealing with improperly contained curses, especially those originating from ancient treasures.
For a moment, the atmosphere became noticeably calmer and Daoist Bone Ruler considered the explanation carefully.
It was certainly plausible.
The Vault Division regularly handled dangerous objects, and there were established procedures for preventing interruptions during sensitive containment operations. However, the timing remained suspicious.
’Taegong just happens to be involved in a restricted assignment when the Wild Peak comes looking for him?’ Daoist Bone Ruler wondered and glanced toward Zhenyu.
The enormous body cultivator had remained unusually quiet throughout the High Elder’s explanation. His expression was thoughtful, and he continued stroking his long white beard. Seeing that Daoist Bone Ruler felt a faint sense of unease.
He had already learned that Mengli Zhenyu’s silence could be considerably more dangerous than his laughter. Meanwhile, Lin Mu was examining the High Elder with renewed interest.
The explanation concerning cursed artifacts had caught his attention for several reasons. He had recently learned about the ancient repository containing dangerous belongings gathered by the Hopeful Star Pavilion.
He had also discovered the Justice Crushing Cestus within the Wild Peak’s forbidden vault. And now the Vault Division was claiming that Taegong was occupied with studying newly acquired cursed artifacts.
’What an interesting coincidence,’ Lin Mu thought.
Of course, he had no evidence that the artifacts mentioned by the High Elder were connected to the ancient repository. The Vault Division handled countless treasures, and cursed objects were hardly unheard of within a sect of this size.
Still, the explanation deserved further investigation.
Lin Mu quietly contacted Ashy. ’Ashy, did you hear that?’
’Yep, Master!’ the tiny bird replied. ’Cursed artifacts!’
’Find out whether they’re actually studying them. I want to know where the research is taking place and whether Taegong is involved.’
’Okay!’ Ashy’s excitement was unmistakable.
She had already entered the deeper passages beneath the administrative buildings and was moving through the shadows cast by the underground corridors. Several cultivators were hurrying between chambers, carrying documents and communicating through jade slips.
There was plenty for her to investigate so for the time being Lin Mu returned his attention to the High Elder.
Zhenyu finally stopped stroking his beard. "Well, well."
The High Elder looked toward him. "Senior?"
Zhenyu smiled. "So Taegong is studying cursed artifacts."
"That is correct."
"And interrupting him could be dangerous."
"Indeed, Senior."
Zhenyu nodded slowly. "How troublesome."
The High Elder maintained his polite smile. "We do appreciate Senior’s understanding."
Zhenyu’s smile widened slightly. "Oh, I understand perfectly."
For some reason, Daoist Bone Ruler felt his unease deepen. The High Elder, however, appeared relieved. He had seemingly managed to provide an explanation that even the aggressive Interim Peak Head of the Wild Peak could accept.
Unfortunately, Lin Mu had already begun considering how best to use the information. ’If he’s telling the truth, then there should be records of these artifacts and the research assignment.’
His gaze briefly shifted toward the administrative buildings. ’And if he’s lying, Ashy might find something far more interesting.’
Zhenyu looked back toward the High Elder. "Tell me, youngster."
The old man cupped his fists. "Yes, Senior?"
Zhenyu’s expression remained cheerful. "These cursed artifacts of yours sound rather troublesome. I imagine keeping them sealed must be quite difficult."
The High Elder nodded. "Indeed. That is precisely why we must exercise caution."
Zhenyu gave an approving grunt. "Good. Then it’s fortunate that I came."
The High Elder blinked. "Senior?"
Zhenyu’s smile grew broader. "After all, I’ve dealt with plenty of troublesome things during my time in the Mad Demon Depths as well as my many excursions before that."
Daoist Bone Ruler slowly closed his eyes and he could already sense where the conversation was heading. He now had a terrible feeling that the High Elder’s carefully prepared explanation was about to become a problem of his own making.
Meanwhile, the Vault Division High Elder looked at Mengli Zhenyu with a growing sense of uncertainty.
The ancient body cultivator had been smiling ever since hearing about the cursed artifacts, and the old man’s instincts told him that something troublesome was about to happen. He had carefully explained the situation surrounding Elder Taegong’s assignment, ensuring that his words remained consistent with the Vault Division’s regulations.
He had even offered to provide the relevant records to Daoist Bone Ruler, confident that the Law Division Head would recognize the importance of maintaining proper containment procedures.
Under ordinary circumstances, that should have been sufficient to delay the investigation. However, Mengli Zhenyu seemed to have developed an unusual interest in the matter.
"Senior, may I ask what you mean?" the High Elder inquired politely.
Zhenyu stroked his long white beard and gave him a generous smile. "Well, you’ve already explained how troublesome these cursed artifacts are. And since your people are having such a difficult time dealing with them, I thought I should lend a hand."
The High Elder blinked. "Lend a hand?"
"Exactly!" Zhenyu nodded enthusiastically. "After all, I’ve only just returned to the sect after spending a hundred thousand years in the Mad Demon Depths. I should do something useful for the youngsters who have been looking after the place in my absence."
His smile widened. "So I’ve decided to sacrifice some of my precious free time and help your Vault Division deal with these cursed artifacts."
The High Elder stared at him and several of the Vault Division elders exchanged bewildered looks. Even High Elder Shatter Peak seemed momentarily surprised.
Zhenyu continued before anyone could respond. "Once I’ve taken care of those troublesome artifacts, Taegong won’t have to worry about them anymore. He can leave the research to me and come answer our questions."
He nodded to himself, looking thoroughly pleased with the arrangement. "See? Everyone benefits. Your cursed artifacts get handled, Taegong gets relieved of his burden, and we get to finish our investigation."