Seeing the Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor's thoroughly uninterested expression, the Nine Crow Old Ancestor refused to give up. He put on a shameless grin and said, "Fellow Daoist Purple, that's hardly sporting of you."
The Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor replied with an exasperated huff, "You old fool — you come all the way to my Purple Smoke Sect for no reason, and all you want to do is dig up gossip?"
The Nine Crow Old Ancestor chuckled. "Well, naturally I have business of my own. But I just happened to spot an emperor-realm senior leaving, and I couldn't help being curious! In a backwater like the Phoenix Cry Lower Domain, emperor-realm seniors are rare visitors. Who would have thought your Purple Smoke Sect had such clout as to invite one? Could it be that your Purple Smoke Sect has... grander ambitions regarding the Sunken Fragrance Valley matter?"
"What's this? Are you probing my Purple Smoke Sect?" The Old Ancestor's tone turned cold.
"No misunderstanding, no misunderstanding!" The Nine Crow Old Ancestor waved his hands hastily. "My Spirit Crow Pavilion has no ambition whatsoever regarding the Sunken Fragrance Valley. It's just that when I saw that emperor-realm senior, I couldn't help letting my imagination run wild. To think your Purple Smoke Sect managed to befriend an emperor-realm senior!"
The Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor blinked. "You know that senior?"
The Nine Crow Old Ancestor blinked right back. "You don't?"
The Old Ancestor waved dismissively. "When would I ever have had that kind of fortune? Since you're so desperate to know, I'll tell you — that emperor-realm senior came here to make trouble for my Purple Smoke Sect. Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared up before anything serious came of it."
"What?!" The Nine Crow Old Ancestor was utterly stunned. He stared at the Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor for a long time before finally managing, half-laughing, half-crying, "Old Purple, Old Purple — you can't be serious, can you? Even emperor-realm seniors, and your Purple Smoke Sect dares to offend them? I have to say, your luck really is something. That particular senior is famous for being absolutely ruthless."
"All right, enough showing off. You know that senior? You know who he is?" The Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor was still very curious.
"Heh heh, I'm almost embarrassed to say — I've only ever caught a glimpse of that senior from afar, once. He doesn't know I exist," the Nine Crow Old Ancestor said with self-deprecation. "But here's what I don't understand — why did he come alone? He has a brother, and those two are practically inseparable. How did they end up splitting up?"
"Two brothers? He has a brother who's also at the emperor realm?" The Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor was shocked.
"Don't be ridiculous — of course he does! The Huai Mountain Two Jiaos! They're famous throughout the rogue cultivator world, second only to the Six Great Powers among emperor-realm seniors! Old Purple, you really are something — daring to offend even the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos, the most fearsome pair among all rogue cultivators. Your Purple Smoke Sect wasn't obliterated. That is nothing short of a miracle."
At these words, the Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor's face changed drastically.
The Huai Mountain Two Jiaos — among emperor-realm rogue cultivators, they were exceedingly well known. Besides the Six Great Powers themselves, the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos were absolutely at the very top of the remaining emperor-realm rogues.
Most importantly, the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos were brothers. When brothers fought side by side, their combined combat power was comparable to any one of the Six Great Powers. Even the strongest among those six could not claim they would necessarily defeat the Two Jiaos fighting together.
And so, the name "Huai Mountain Two Jiaos" carried enormous weight across the human territories.
The two brothers were known for their savage temperament — vindictive men who brooked no insult and bore grudges to the bitter end. In the human domain, they enjoyed a fearsome reputation indeed.
Hearing that the one who had visited the Purple Smoke Sect today was none other than the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos, the entire sect was naturally shaken to its core.
Given the Two Jiaos' temperament, a single wrong word could have led to the annihilation of the Purple Smoke Sect in the blink of an eye.
"Old Purple, it's one thing for your Purple Smoke Sect to throw your weight around here in the Phoenix Cry Lower Domain. But how on earth did you manage to go and provoke someone like that outside?" The Nine Crow Old Ancestor was genuinely puzzled — how could the Purple Smoke Sect possibly have offended an august figure of the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos' stature?
The Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor could only smile bitterly. This was the sort of thing he had no idea how to explain.
"Old Crow, let's not dwell on the past. In any case, my Purple Smoke Sect would never deliberately provoke an emperor-realm senior. It was all a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? Offend the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos and they don't care about your 'misunderstandings.' You were lucky to run into the Two Jiaos during this particular phase of their lives. If it had been the old Huai Mountain Two Jiaos, your Purple Smoke Sect would have been wiped off the map."
"What do you mean?" Everyone looked alarmed.
"Surely you've heard of the Glazed Royal City?" The Nine Crow Old Ancestor grinned.
"Of course! The Glazed Royal City is the most powerful force in the entire human domain — who hasn't heard of it?"
"Then surely you've also heard that the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos have pledged themselves to the Glazed Royal City?" The Nine Crow Old Ancestor smiled. "Back in the day, the Two Jiaos had close ties with Emperor Dan Ji of Dan Fire City. But at some point, for reasons unknown, they switched their allegiance to Young Master Jiang Chen of the Glazed Royal City."
"Word has it that Young Master Jiang Chen is a man of principle and righteousness. The Huai Mountain Two Jiaos, now that they serve him, have likely curbed their old ways. Otherwise, your Purple Smoke Sect would certainly not have gotten off so lightly this time."
The Nine Crow Old Ancestor had only recently left the Phoenix Cry Lower Domain to venture into the wider world, and had happened to attend the most recent Dragon-Tiger Summit. At the time, he had been traveling incognito among the rogue cultivators and hadn't drawn attention to himself. It was precisely because of that that he had picked up all manner of gossip about the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos and even witnessed them in person.
The entire Purple Smoke Sect finally understood upon hearing this. The reason the Huai Mountain Two Jiaos had suddenly reined in their behavior and refrained from killing was not because they had become merciful or kind-hearted — it was because Young Master Jiang Chen of the Glazed Royal City kept them on a leash.
The Purple Smoke Sect Old Ancestor smiled bitterly. "Who could have imagined there were so many twists and turns behind all this. Fortunately... fortunately."