Chapter 4047: Questioning The Grand Elder Now

The Grand Elder’s silence did not last particularly long, yet Lin Mu noticed it all the same. For someone who had maintained such remarkable composure throughout their entire exchange, even a few breaths of hesitation were valuable.

The old man had questioned him about ancient sect matters, thrown false information into his questions, mixed official records with private knowledge and even tested him with events that Mengli Zhenyu could never have witnessed.

He was clearly someone accustomed to guarding his thoughts carefully. That made the slight change in his expression when Deng Siqi was mentioned all the more interesting.

Zhenyu stroked his long white beard and looked at the Grand Elder with mild amusement. "You are quite curious about Deng Siqi for someone who should already know more about him than nearly anyone standing here."

The Grand Elder’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Zhenyu continued before the man could respond. "Your great-grandfather was his disciple, wasn’t he? That is what I was just told. You are also the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect. If anyone in this generation should have access to records concerning Deng Siqi, it should be you. Yet here you are asking me how well I knew him."

The Sword Peak Head looked toward the Grand Elder while the Clarity Peak Head remained quiet.

The Grand Elder answered after a short pause. "There is nothing unusual about my curiosity, Senior. Much of the Great Ancestor’s early history has been lost with time. You claim to have known him personally during that period. Naturally, I would wish to confirm what you know."

"Hmm." Zhenyu gave a slow nod, though his expression made it obvious that he was unconvinced.

The Grand Elder continued, "There is another reason as well. The Great Ancestor is currently the only person alive who could personally recognize Mengli Zhenyu. If your identity must eventually be confirmed beyond all doubt, his testimony would carry greater weight than any surviving record."

That explanation was reasonable.

’Perhaps a little too reasonable.’ Lin Mu watched the Grand Elder carefully.

The man’s breathing remained steady. His Immortal Qi showed no fluctuations and his expression betrayed almost nothing. Yet Lin Mu had spent years dealing with people who hid their intentions behind carefully chosen words.

Lady Kang alone had taught him how much could be concealed behind a pleasant smile, while the various schemes he had encountered across the Immortal Realm had made him considerably more suspicious than he had once been.

The Grand Elder had answered his question without truly explaining his interest.

’He’s hiding something.’ Lin Mu did not know what that something was yet, and directly pressing him would only make the man more cautious.

Zhenyu suddenly shrugged. "Then call him."

The Grand Elder blinked. Daoist Bone Ruler’s head turned toward Zhenyu so quickly that Lin Mu wondered whether the old man’s neck would survive.

"Senior?" the Grand Elder asked.

"You said Deng Siqi is the only living person who can recognize me." Zhenyu spread his arms. "Then call him. Tell that little brat to come here and take a look at this old man himself. That should settle everything."

Daoist Bone Ruler closed his eyes for a moment. He had already endured Zhenyu casually calling the Heavenly Stream Immortal a little fellow earlier. Apparently that had only been the beginning.

The Sword Peak Head’s face darkened. "The Great Ancestor isn’t someone you can simply summon whenever you please."

Zhenyu turned toward him. "I wasn’t talking to you, child."

The Sword Peak Head’s jaw tightened.

The Grand Elder raised a hand before another argument could begin. "Senior, contacting the Great Ancestor is far more complicated than you assume. He holds the position of Supreme Elder within the Eastern Immortal Court. His responsibilities extend far beyond our sect, and there are long periods where even the Patriarch cannot freely contact him."

Zhenyu raised an eyebrow. "That troublesome?"

"Very."

"Hmph. Deng Siqi always did have a habit of finding more work for himself."

Daoist Bone Ruler stared toward the ground. He had decided that looking anywhere else was safer for his state of mind. Lin Mu, however, had gotten what he wanted from the exchange. The Grand Elder was unwilling or unable to contact the Heavenly Stream Immortal casually.

That removed one immediate danger from his disguise. More importantly, the conversation had provided him with an opportunity to approach the matter that had interested him since his time in the archives.

The Hopeful Star Pavilion.

Lin Mu allowed several breaths to pass before his expression changed. A small smirk appeared beneath Zhenyu’s beard.

"Though now that I think about it," Zhenyu said, "if you’re descended from one of Deng Siqi’s disciples, perhaps you can answer something else."

The Grand Elder looked at him. "What?"

Zhenyu tapped one thick finger against his temple as though searching through memories that had gathered dust for a hundred thousand years.

"What was that ridiculous group called again?" Nobody spoke as they waited for his next words.

Zhenyu frowned theatrically. "The one those ambitious youngsters were gathering around. Stars... Heaven... Hope..." Then he snapped his fingers. "Ah, that’s right."

Lin Mu’s spatial perception, immortal sense and ordinary vision focused upon everyone around him at once.

"The Hopeful Star Pavilion." The reaction was almost disappointing.

High Elder Shatter Peak simply looked confused.

High Elder Palm Saber frowned as though trying to remember whether he had ever encountered the name. The other Wild Peak elders displayed similar reactions. All of the disciples clearly had no idea what Zhenyu was talking about.

The Sword Peak Head showed mild curiosity while Daoist Bone Ruler actually looked puzzled.

’He doesn’t know.’ Lin Mu found that particularly interesting.

Daoist Bone Ruler was the head of the Law Divisions across all three courts. His position granted him access to information that most elders would never see. If even he failed to recognize the name, knowledge of the Hopeful Star Pavilion had become exceptionally obscure.

Yet two people reacted differently. The Grand Elder’s expression barely changed, though Lin Mu caught the slight tightening around his eyes.

’Recognition.’

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