Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 4075: Sending In Ashy

Having confirmed that his three companions were in position, Lin Mu turned his attention toward Ashy. The tiny black bird had remained hidden within his shadow throughout the confrontation.

’Ashy.’ Lin Mu called in his mind.

’Yes, Master?’ The bird replied.

’It’s time. Slip inside.’ Lin Mu ordered.

’On it!’ Ashy’s response was filled with excitement.

She had been waiting for this opportunity ever since Lin Mu assigned her the infiltration mission. The conversations taking place outside were already interesting, but she was certain that the people inside the Vault Division would have far more exciting things to say.

And she had every intention of listening to them.

Lin Mu’s enormous body cast a long shadow across the ground below. The late afternoon sunlight illuminated the surrounding wilderness at an angle, causing the shadows of the assembled cultivators to stretch across the courtyard’s outer perimeter.

Several of those shadows overlapped and Ashy immediately took advantage of the opportunity. A faint movement passed through Lin Mu’s shadow, so subtle that even the nearby Wild Peak disciples failed to notice it.

The tiny nightingale slipped into the shadow of one of the Vault Division elders standing near the defensive barrier. The elder was busy communicating with his companions and had no idea that something had entered his shadow.

Ashy remained perfectly still for several breaths. She could sense the fluctuations of Immortal Qi surrounding the elder, along with the faint spiritual pressure produced by the defensive formations.

’Hehe, this is easy,’ she thought.

However, she did not rush.

Lin Mu had repeatedly reminded her that infiltration required patience, especially when dealing with powerful cultivators. She waited until a nearby guard turned and began walking toward the compound’s entrance.

Then she moved right at the moment when the guard’s shadow briefly intersected with the elder’s. Ashy passed between them without producing the slightest disturbance. The guard continued walking, completely unaware that a tiny black bird was traveling within his shadow.

A moment later, he approached the defensive barrier and several runes appeared along the entrance as the formation verified his identity.

WENG!

The barrier opened just enough to permit his passage while Ashy remained concealed. The guard stepped through, and with him, Ashy entered the Vault Division’s compound.

’I’m in!’ she reported excitedly.

Lin Mu smiled inwardly. ’Good. You know what to do.’

’Yep!’ The tiny bird immediately began moving again.

She slipped from the guard’s shadow into the shade cast by a nearby stone lantern, then crossed into the darkness beneath a wooden railing. From there, she moved through several smaller shadows until she reached the side of one of the administrative buildings.

The building cast a broad shadow across the courtyard, providing an excellent place for her to conceal herself. Ashy entered it without hesitation. Her presence became almost impossible to distinguish from the surrounding darkness.

She then began searching for a route deeper into the facility.

Lin Mu was satisfied.

This was precisely why he had remained patient despite the Vault Division’s repeated attempts to delay him. The compound’s visible buildings were only a small portion of the entire facility.

Beneath the courtyard lay numerous underground chambers, administrative halls, storage areas, and restricted passages. There were undoubtedly far more people working belowground than those currently standing outside.

If the Vault Division was hiding something, Ashy might be able to discover it before the elders realized that their internal activities were being observed.

’Let’s see what they’re doing down there.’ Lin Mu returned his attention to the confrontation.

The Vault Division elders were still discussing the situation among themselves. Several continued exchanging messages through communication talismans, while others occasionally glanced toward the administrative buildings.

Daoist Bone Ruler stood nearby with an increasingly impatient expression. He had already made his position clear, and he expected the Vault Division to cooperate. However, the elders seemed determined to delay providing a proper answer.

Five minutes passed when Zhenyu finally sighed. "Well, youngsters?"

The Vault Division elders turned toward him.

"I’ve given you enough time. Are you going to produce Taegong or not?" His voice was calm, though the impatience contained within it was unmistakable.

One of the elders stepped forward. "Senior, we have been attempting to confirm Elder Taegong’s current assignment."

Zhenyu raised an eyebrow. "Attempting?"

"Yes."

"Does it normally take this long to determine where one of your own elders is?" Zhenyu asked.

The elder’s expression stiffened. "The Vault Division handles numerous sensitive assignments, Senior. Certain matters require additional verification before information can be disclosed."

Zhenyu chuckled. "How convenient."

Another elder hurriedly intervened. "Senior, please understand that we are following established procedures."

"Then your procedures are terribly slow." Zhenyu said with a roll of his eyes.

High Elder Shatter Peak laughed. "Perhaps they need another five minutes to remember where they put him!"

Several Wild Peak disciples snickered and the Vault Division elders looked increasingly uncomfortable. Finally, one of them seemed to receive a message through his communication talisman and his expression changed slightly.

He looked toward his companions before stepping forward. "Senior Mengli Zhenyu, we have confirmed that Elder Taegong is currently undertaking a special mission."

Zhenyu stroked his beard. "Oh?"

The elder continued, "Unfortunately, he cannot be summoned at the moment."

The Wild Peak cultivators immediately became restless. "What kind of excuse is that?"

"A special mission?"

"Then tell him to return!"

High Elder Shatter Peak’s expression darkened. "Are you trying to make fools of us?"

The Vault Division elder hurriedly raised his hands. "Please calm yourselves. Elder Taegong’s assignment is important, and interrupting it could cause complications."

Zhenyu smiled faintly. "Really?"

He leaned forward slightly. "What kind of mission is so important that he cannot be summoned even when the Head of the Law Division is present?"

The elder hesitated and Daoist Bone Ruler’s expression became stern. He had also found the explanation rather strange, as Taegong was merely an elder of the Vault Division. Although his position granted him certain privileges, his authority remained considerably below that of the Head of the Law Division.