Chapter 607: Warnings Left by the Exorcist

To Ji Yuan, the aquatic creatures showed no fear of Gao Tianming and his wife, Xia Qiu. However, their liveliness wasn't entirely without reverence; despite their activity, the central area remained clear, allowing the couple to quickly approach Ji Yuan and pay their respects.

"Lake Lord Gao, Madam Gao, it's been a long time. Had I known Tian Shui Lake was so vibrant, I would have arrived sooner."

As Ji Yuan spoke, he politely returned their greetings. Beside him, Yan Fei also cupped his hands and offered a brief salutation.

"Lake Lord Gao, Madam Gao!"

"Hahahaha, Mr. Ji, your presence at my Tian Shui Lake brings great honor to my humble dwelling. And Great Hero Yan, seeing your radiant spirit and perfectly composed demeanor, it seems your martial arts have advanced significantly. Both of you, please come quickly and rest inside!"

"It would be disrespectful to refuse!" "Thank you!"

At the fervent invitation of Gao Tianming and his wife, and amidst the curious throng of aquatic creatures, Ji Yuan and Yan Fei entered the splendid and magnificent water residence just ahead.

The moment they entered the water residence, Yan Fei distinctly felt a change. The water inside instantly became much clearer, and the current was so light it was almost imperceptible. Compared to moving on land, advancing through the water required very little effort.

"Please, Mr. Ji. This water residence has been built and improved upon little by little over many years. I wouldn't dare claim it's extraordinary, but among all the water domains in the entire Zuyue Kingdom, Tian Shui Lake is undeniably the most suitable for aquatic life."

As they walked, Gao Tianming pointed to different areas, explaining the purpose of each structure to Ji Yuan and detailing which mortal architectural styles inspired their designs, as if he were discussing works of art.

"Mr. Gao, those aquatic creatures seem to show little reverence for you and your esteemed wife, don't they?"

Ji Yuan posed the question deliberately, and Gao Tianming chuckled in response.

"They're just children; a bit of curiosity is normal. If they have offended you, Mr. Ji, I apologize on their behalf!"

Gao Tianming spoke while cupping his hands, and Ji Yuan merely smiled and shook his head. This secretly delighted the former, who felt that Mr. Ji must now hold him in higher regard.

Much of Gao Tianming's knowledge about Ji Yuan came from Ying Feng, and he knew that the condition of Tian Shui Lake should favorably impress Mr. Ji. It seemed his assumption was correct. Naturally, this wasn't an act; Tian Shui Lake had always been managed in this manner.

To Ji Yuan, the Tian Shui Lake residence appeared exquisitely grand from the outside. Yet, upon entering, it felt like a vast amusement maze, with novel designs and peculiar structures hidden throughout, and various fish playfully darting to and fro.

After a leisurely tour, they finally reached the grand hall of the water residence, illuminated by vibrant, fluorescent aquatic plants. Ji Yuan, Yan Fei, and the Gao Tianming couple took their seats, and various pastries, fruits, and wines were brought forth by the lake's aquatic inhabitants.

"Mr. Ji, does my Tian Shui Lake still meet with your approval?"

Ji Yuan sipped the fine wine from his cup and replied, though not directly answering the question.

"No wonder Prince Ying enjoys visiting you so much."

"Hahahaha, Mr. Ji, you flatter me greatly. By the way, when Prince Ying visits, he spends more than half his time praising you. He speaks effusively of your marvelous techniques, and more importantly, he deeply admires your character. The Prince has even said that if there is only one immortal cultivator worthy of respect, it is undoubtedly you, sir!"

"Indeed, my husband speaks truly. Prince Ying genuinely holds you in high esteem and praises you to everyone he encounters!"

This was quite an exaggeration; the couple's effusive praise for Ying Feng had become rather ostentatious. Ji Yuan pondered why it felt as though he usually neglected or even mistreated Prince Ying.

"Mr. Ji, when Prince Ying and I gather privately with others, he is always subtly troubled, wondering about your opinion of him. Prince Ying might be a bit thin-skinned and perhaps too timid to ask you directly. Would you mind revealing your thoughts to me?"

Ji Yuan couldn't help but smile. He could clearly see and feel Prince Ying's profound respect for him, but "thin-skinned" was hardly an accurate description for the Prince.

"I will tell Prince Ying about this directly the next time I see him."

"Ah, yes, that would be fine too, haha, yes, that's perfectly fine!"

Ji Yuan's response made Gao Tianming feel a bit awkward, so he shifted the topic, proactively mentioning the recent turmoil in Zuyue Kingdom. Naturally, his concern wasn't with the political intrigues or livelihood issues of the mortal realm, but rather with the situation beyond human society in Zuyue.

It would be most fitting to describe Zuyue Kingdom as being overrun by all manner of malevolent spirits. As the saying goes, "When a nation is about to perish, evil omens appear," and this accurately reflected Zuyue's current state. While powerful demonic entities dared not act too openly, various evil spirits and ghosts began to emerge due to the weakening of the divine path. Horrific legends in remote villages slowly materialized, leading to the rise of a new profession in Zuyue: the exorcist masters.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan, though he had his own thoughts, specifically asked a clarifying question.

"Exorcist masters?"

"Precisely, exorcist masters. They possess some cultivation abilities, though quite shallow. Typically, they combine martial arts skills with minor spells to combat malevolent spirits and ghosts. While they consider themselves cultivators, strictly speaking, it's a profession for livelihood, not significantly different from that of farmers, artisans, or merchants."

"Oh, I believe I understand the type of people you're referring to."

Ji Yuan understood after hearing this. In fact, he had encountered many individuals of this type before; Du Changsheng, from earlier, was quite similar, and even had a slightly higher cultivation level, though Du Changsheng's martial arts foundation was rather weak.

The emergence of exorcist masters essentially compensated for the weakened divine path. In these chaotic times, several schools of exorcists began widely recruiting apprentices, training a large number of disciples over fifteen to twenty years. They then continued to flourish, traveling through various regions, thereby maintaining a degree of public order while also earning their livelihood.

"Most of them don't have access to orthodox immortal cultivation. Some even believe that the immortals in this world are just like them. I have also interacted with many exorcist masters, and truthfully, most of them lack any true aspiration for the Dao."

Earning a living is understandable. Ji Yuan felt no contempt for such individuals, much like the master he encountered by the sea long ago, who possessed certain remarkable qualities.

However, a successful demon cultivator like Gao Tianming would typically not even deign to look at such low-ranking masters. So, why he would suddenly bring up this topic with Ji Yuan and emphasize it struck Ji Yuan as somewhat peculiar.

Before Ji Yuan could even inquire, Gao Tianming's tone shifted. He leaned in and spoke to Ji Yuan in a low, solemn voice.

"However, Mr. Ji, among these exorcist masters – or more precisely, within one particular school of exorcist masters – there is a legend that has always greatly concerned me. It mentions strange phrases such as 'The evil star appears in the Black Waste, the heavenly domain splits, the earth crumbles, the ten realms rise from ancient desolation, and the sun disc cries out, scattering the celestial sun.'"

"The Black Waste?"

Seeing Ji Yuan grasp the crucial detail, Gao Tianming nodded.

"Precisely. This school of exorcist masters employs crude and unremarkable methods, yet they know of 'the Black Waste'. I occasionally visit mortal cities to purchase goods, and after inadvertently overhearing the phrase once, I deliberately approached one of their masters. Through subtle probing about the Black Waste, I discovered that this person didn't actually know the veracity of their school's saying, nor did he know the location of the Black Waste. He only knew it was a place where malevolent entities gathered, a place mortals absolutely must not go."

Ji Yuan frowned deeply, remaining silent, waiting for Gao Tianming to continue speaking. The latter, without pausing his narration, proceeded.

"After my repeated inquiries, I understood that they merely knew this saying passed down within their school, with no further explanations, treating it solely as a prophecy of a great calamity. This branch of exorcist masters has been continuously migrating from extremely distant lands since ancient times, only settling when they reached Zuyue Kingdom. It's said that an ancestral instruction commanded them to come here, stipulating that they could stop at least south of the Three Veins Land. Their lineage has been in Zuyue Kingdom for at least a thousand years, though I'm unsure if that's an exaggeration."

"South of the Three Veins Land?"

Ji Yuan repeated the phrase in a deep voice. He had never heard that specific term before, but in Gao Tianming's eyes, Ji Yuan's frowning repetition suggested he was pondering something significant.

"Does Mr. Ji perhaps know something?"

Seeing Ji Yuan gently shake his head, Gao Tianming did not press for more, and continued.

"That school of masters doesn't know either; they only know their ancestors reached a place where they could stop, perhaps encompassing some boundary of Zuyue Kingdom. It's precisely because of this that I have frequently contacted these exorcist masters, though I haven't encountered anything similar since. This matter has left me feeling uneasy, like a bone stuck in my throat, but I had no one suitable to confide in. I had intended to inform the Dragon Lord, but in recent years, I haven't even encountered the Prince, let alone the Dragon Lord..."

After Gao Tianming finished speaking, he noticed Ji Yuan remained silent for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. After waiting a moment, he glanced at Yan Fei, who had been bewildered throughout the conversation, before gently calling out.

"Mr. Ji, Mr. Ji? What are your insights?"

Ji Yuan was not distracted; he was simply pondering Gao Tianming's words. Regardless of his internal thoughts, when he heard Gao Tianming's question, he merely shook his head.

For the remainder of their time there, Ji Yuan was largely in a state of contemplation, responding only vaguely to the songs and dances in the water residence or to Gao Tianming's new topics. Conversely, Yan Fei and Gao Tianming became engrossed in conversation, and their discussion about martial arts grew quite animated.

It was merely a customary visit, and Gao Tianming simply wished to maintain a good relationship with Ji Yuan, holding no extravagant expectations. That afternoon, after his attempts to persuade Ji Yuan and Yan Fei to stay proved fruitless, he politely escorted them directly to the shore of Tian Shui Lake.

At that moment, Gao Tianming and his wife stood upon the water's surface, with ripples emanating beneath their feet, while Ji Yuan and Yan Fei stood on the shore. The two parties were about to part ways after exchanging bows. Just before leaving, Ji Yuan suddenly addressed Gao Tianming.

"Lake Lord Gao, does the exorcist you mentioned earlier have a specific residence?"

Gao Tianming seemed to have anticipated the question. He promptly retrieved a triangularly folded talisman paper from his sleeve and, using both hands, presented it to Ji Yuan.

"Mr. Ji, this is an amulet sold by the exorcist I spoke of. Three years ago, they resided in a large house in Shiliu Lane, Shuanghua City."

"Understood. Thank you, Lake Lord Gao. I shall take my leave." "I, Yan, shall also take my leave!"

"Farewell, Mr. Ji, and farewell, Brother Yan. I shall not escort you further!"

After exchanging bows once more, Ji Yuan led Yan Fei away along the distant shore, while Gao Tianming and Xia Qiu slowly submerged themselves into the lake.