Naked Sword Art

Chapter 479: Red Lotus Faction

Meanwhile in the Black Paradise sect, Muffled moans came from Matriarch Shi Lan’s quarters as she drove herself to a near climax several times. Thinking about Xiao Fang’s hands on her, and his thrusting cock wasn’t hard to forget. Her mind had been occupied by it all day.

’I need to feel him finish me. I need it.’

"Mymm~"

Her pussy made wet sounds as it pulsed. Every inch of her was craving him, even now as the day was coming to an end.

’But what could he want from me?’ she pondered. ’He told me Li Lian would know, but all she told me was that he wanted an old book I received from an old friend.’

There were many old books in her possession, but not many old friends.

’Book... friend...’

Shi Lan finally collapsed thinking about it.

She eventually sat back up.

’Ah, forget it. I’ll just ask Li Lian again. Maybe there was a detail she forgot to mention. But first...’

Seeing the mess she made, she quietly sat in the lotus position, then began to absorb the surrounding Qi.

Although she wasn’t a Dual Cultivator, she did have a unique body constitution, and learning the ability to reabsorb yin-yang Qi like this was extremely beneficial to her. This was partly the reason why she was able to increase her realms so quickly and eventually become the Matriarch of this sect.

Little did she know, she was also making her body the perfect vessel for a Dual Cultivator to Dual Cultivate with, which was why Xiao Fang was able to make a breakthrough to the Profound realm after Dual Cultivating with her.

[ Yin Yang Gathering ]

This was a technique she had learned from Yu An many years ago to advance her cultivation.

Suddenly, Shi Lan’s mind paused.

’Old friend...’

Quickly coming to a realization, she hurried over to her drawer, and took out the Dual Cultivation book Yu An had given her many years ago.

’Could this be what he wanted?’ she thought. ’Then, wouldn’t that mean that he’s...’

It made sense now. His ability to sway so many hearts, even her own. And to conquer her in the bedroom so effortlessly.

’That boy, could he be a Dual Cultivator?’

Just as the thought crossed her mind, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Matriarch, may I come in? It’s urgent."

That voice was familiar, it was her friend—Supreme Elder Yao Wu.

"Just a minute," Shi Lan replied, before changing and stepping outside.

"What is it?" Matriarch Shi asked.

Yao Wu tried her best to explain as they walked.

"It’s better you come and see it for yourself."

...

Rain poured steadily over the shattered land — a quiet, endless drizzle that did little to wash away the scent of blood and scorched earth.

The battlefield stretched before them in ruin: craters still steaming, trees reduced to ash, and the faint remnants of Divine Qi twisting in the air like ghosts.

Several figures stood silently amidst the devastation — amongst them was Supreme Elder Yao Wu of the Disciplinary Department along with other Elders of the Black Paradise Sect — all gathered beneath the cold glow of the moon. Their robes fluttered in the wind as they surveyed the carnage, their faces pale with disbelief.

This was without a doubt a fight amongst Divine Realm cultivators, if not more.

As shocking as the destruction was, what froze them most was what lay at its center: two corpses clad in Heavenly Fate Sect robes. One was a Divine Realm cultivator, the other Heavenly.

The silence deepened. Even the rain seemed hesitant to fall too loudly.

"There’s no mistake," one investigator said quietly, kneeling to inspect the bodies. "The residual Qi here... it’s Illusory Qi. A Black Paradise member did this."

The others exchanged uneasy looks.

"But who," another murmured, "could possibly kill two members of the Heavenly Fate Sect... one of them a Heavenly Realm cultivator?"

That question lingered in the air like a curse. None dared to answer.

Then, soft footsteps approached. Umbrellas parted.

The Matriarch of the Black Paradise Sect stepped forward — her expression unreadable beneath the soft patter of rain. The moonlight caught the edge of her pale face, her gaze fixed on the ruined battlefield before her.

For a long moment, she said nothing. Then her eyes narrowed, cold and sharp as a blade.

"What have you uncovered so far?" she asked, her voice low and composed.

"There were three Heavenly Fate members," one investigator reported. "They fought against three individuals of unknown origin. Among them, one displayed a lightning spirit attribute, another a wind-type spirit attribute."

Matriarch Shi glanced toward Yao Wu. She knew Xun Wei, Yao Wu’s disciple, possessed a Wind-type Spirit Attribute — but the thought of her being involved in something of this scale was too ridiculous to believe.

Trying to cut the tension, Yao Wu stepped forward and spoke in a steady tone.

"We’ve confirmed the presence of a spear user and a sword user," she said. "And there are clear traces of Illusory Qi here as well."

"What should we do?" Yao Wu asked, her expression tense. This wasn’t a matter the sect could handle quietly — not when it involved members of the Heavenly Fate Sect.

Matriarch Shi Lan’s voice was steady but grave. "This could implicate the entire province. Summon Elected Head Quan Liuxian. She needs to see this for herself."

Once the orders were given, she dismissed the lower-ranked investigators, leaving only herself and a few Supreme Elders to wait in the rain. The storm had begun to calm, but the air still felt heavy — as if the heavens themselves were holding their breath.

Moments later, space distorted, and an elderly woman appeared without warning. Her nightgown clung to her shoulders, a sign that she hadn’t even stopped to dress properly before coming. Her arrival alone stirred the Qi in the air.

Her eyes swept over the battlefield — the scorched craters, shattered terrain, and the two Heavenly Fate Sect corpses lying lifeless in the mud.

"What in the world..." Quan Liuxian muttered, her tone low — a mix of disbelief and weary concern.

Her gaze swept across the ruined clearing — charred soil, shattered stone, and two motionless bodies draped in the robes of the Heavenly Fate Sect. The devastation itself didn’t impress her, but the identities of the dead did.

"Who could be so foolish?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"We don’t know yet," Matriarch Shi Lan replied carefully.

Quan Liuxian stepped closer, kneeling beside the corpse of the young man whose golden insignia still glimmered faintly beneath the rain. The moment she recognized him, her face darkened.

"Of all people..." she whispered, "why did it have to be one of them?"

Matriarch Shi’s expression shifted. "You know who he is?"

Quan Liuxian nodded slowly, her tone grave. "It’s not the boy that worries me. It’s the faction he belongs to."

She straightened, her hands clasped behind her back as she spoke. "The Royal Court is divided into several factions — all competing for control of the Heavenly Fate Sect’s authority. When a disciple ascends to the Heavenly Realm, they must choose one to serve. This one..." she gestured toward the fallen cultivator, "...belonged to the Red Lotus Faction — one of the most politically ruthless of them all."

The elders around her exchanged uneasy glances.

"If word of this reaches them," Quan Liuxian continued, "they won’t seek justice — they’ll demand blood."

Matriarch Shi’s expression grew grim. "Then what should we do?"

Quan Liuxian’s gaze lingered on the corpses before shifting toward the mist-covered horizon.

"For now," Quan Liuxian said evenly, "we keep this quiet. Not a word leaves this forest until I’ve spoken with the Royal Court myself."

Her tone grew heavier, each word deliberate. "As for the survivor — he’s likely already on his way to report what happened. I’ll go personally to see what story he spreads... and what truth he dares to twist."

She paused, glancing back at the scorched battlefield. "If there truly were both a sword user and a spear user involved, then it’s possible this wasn’t the work of our sect at all. It may be the doing of the Divine Sword Sect and Divine Moon Pillar Sect."

The gathered Supreme Elders exchanged tense looks, murmuring in uneasy agreement. It was a convenient explanation — one they all wanted to believe. After all, it was far easier to imagine two elite sects ranked third and fourth in the nation clashing with the Heavenly Fate Sect... than to accept the idea that anyone from their thirteenth-ranked Black Paradise Sect could have done this.

Quan Liuxian drew a precise inscription circle in the air, golden lines etching themselves into its center with practiced ease. With a subtle flick of her fingers, the formation activated — light flaring briefly before both bodies were enveloped and stored within the inscription array.

"Good work coming to me. I’ll take it from here."

With that, Quan Liuxian was gone.

"What now?" Yao Wu asked.

"Speak to your disciple."

"Xun Wei?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I don’t want anything overlooked."

"Mn, I understand."