I Can Recognize Everything, But the Information is Wrong

Everyone working in the academy hall comes from aristocratic families, and they are influential figures in the Capital City.

Though these people are not true scions of aristocratic families, the power they can wield is not much less than that of ordinary family members.

After all, when those aristocratic families want to get things done, they rely on these servants to do it.

Particularly in the Capital City, these servants have formed a network, a web of interpersonal relationships. They can handle affairs for their masters while also using the family's power to deal with their matters privately.

Tian Lin was able to befriend a family servant in the academy hall, and after spending some Spirit Stones, had the servant use interpersonal connections to investigate Shang Yu.

"This Shang Yu person holds the badge of a patrol officer from the Demon Hunting Bureau. Although the Demon Hunting Bureau patrol role is passed down from father to son, oddly enough, I couldn't find Shang Yu's name in the Bureau's records, nor does his grandfather Shang Qiu seem to have this grandson under his name.

Yet this kid currently resides in Shang Qiu's old residence, appearing very much like a member of the merchant family."

While looking at the documents, Tian Lin listened to the servant speak.

Pausing, Tian Lin asked him, "Shang Qiu, is Shang Qiu really the patrol officer from the Demon Hunting Bureau? Did he acknowledge Shang Yu as his offspring?"

The servant replied, "Shang Qiu died many years ago, it's just that the court has not yet reclaimed the Bureau's waist card from his home."

"So, does this mean that Shang Yu might be impersonating someone else?"

The servant shook his head again and said, "The waist card from the Demon Hunting Bureau is quite special, and if you're not the original owner's offspring, you can't make the card recognize a new master. Clearly, Shang Yu has Shang Qiu's bloodline."

Tian Lin was momentarily speechless—

He associated Shang Yu with Liu Xuanfeng, the first master he acknowledged when he joined the Invitation Sect.

Although Liu Xuanfeng only had Golden Core Cultivation, he behaved strangely and secretly.

When he left the Yao Yue Sect, he first borrowed Xing Shanping and later released Zhou Shoufan. He even had Zhou Shoufan help him gather the Binding Immortal Rope.

But regardless of how he schemed, ultimately, it benefited Shang Yu.

He not only gave Shang Yu the Binding Immortal Rope but eventually had Shang Yu become a disciple of Elder He.

Conversely, as for his three sons in name and disciple Tian Lin, they didn't even get a piece of hair.

"Could Shang Yu's appearance here be related to Liu Xuanfeng? What about Liu Xuanfeng?"

Tian Lin flipped through the documents but found no trace of Liu Xuanfeng.

In fact, the records on Shang Yu indicate that upon arriving in the Capital City, Shang Yu rarely met with external guests and didn't seem to have much interaction with others.

"This merchant family's son has a very reclusive personality, spending his days practicing swordsmanship or drinking, hardly even meditating."

After saying this, the servant took out a booklet and handed it to Tian Lin: "Brother Tian, take a look at this."

Tian Lin received the thick booklet and was startled upon looking through it.

The booklet had colorful illustrations, all depicting Shang Yu.

The images included depictions of Shang Yu's house, his room, his sword practice, his eating habits, and his daily life.

"How did you manage to do this?"

The servant replied smugly, "This merchant's son is merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Even if we entered his room, he wouldn't sense our presence."

Clearly, the Capital City has long been under the control of aristocratic families. These families routinely gather intelligence, and even though Shang Yu is talented, he can't defend against the surveillance of these seasoned aristocrats.

Tian Lin was astonished by the power of these aristocratic families, but his gaze remained fixed on the images in the booklet.

He noticed the bell on Shang Yu's neck in the illustration.

Tian Lin recognized this wind chime; it had once appeared on Thirteenth Sister.

He also saw Shang Yu's sword in the illustration, which Tian Lin recognized as belonging to Shang Yu's convenient master, Elder He.

Then, the wine flask at Shang Yu's waist caught Tian Lin's attention, and he recognized it as the one his own convenient master Liu Xuanfeng used.

Seeing three familiar items on one person, things that originated from different individuals.

Tian Lin frowned and asked the servant, "This Shang Yu, besides practicing swordsmanship and drinking, really doesn't do anything else?"

"There is one thing, though—Shang Yu will be participating in a sword trial in a few days!"

"Sword trial?"

Without lifting his head, Tian Lin looked towards the next booklet.

"Indeed, the Sword Tomb of the Zhao family hosts a monthly sword competition. This competition is open to disciples of the sect, family servants, and people of non-family surnames from across the world.

In the early days, the competition was lively, and winners could receive rewards from the Zhao family. But later, the Zhao family members no longer valued these rewards, so their own clan members stopped participating. Instead, outsiders still try to gain benefits through this competition.

Over time, the sword competitions became a venue where Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining Cultivators could earn Elixirs."

According to the servant, the Sword Pavilion under the Zhao family's Sword Tomb hosts a monthly sword competition, with only minimal rewards of Elixirs and Spells.

But Zhao family members don't lack Elixirs or Spells, so they have little interest in competing for honor in the Sword Pavilion.

Only those like Hua Hualang, who are akin to beggars, would think about entering the Sword Pavilion to earn rankings and receive its rewards.

"Could it be that Shang Yu lacks Spirit Stones or Elixirs?"

"Not necessarily; in today's end times, Spirit Stones and Elixirs are indeed very precious."

After speaking, Tian Lin's gaze suddenly focused on an image in the booklet.

The booklet depicted a small house belonging to Shang Yu. Though not a hall for spirit tablets, there were three spiritual tablets placed prominently at the center.

Tian Lin had seen many spiritual tablets, but rarely ones with names of three familiar people.

"Liu Xuanfeng, Thirteenth Sister, and Elder He—are they all dead?"

Tian Lin looked at the three spiritual tablets, feeling somewhat incredulous.

Thirteenth Sister's death meant little, as she was merely the sister of Shang Yu with hardly any cultivation.

Elder He's death didn't come as a surprise either.

Elder He wandered with his crane, often causing trouble, so getting killed wasn't unexpected.

But Liu Xuanfeng—

Liu Xuanfeng had always left Tian Lin with the impression of being a cunning and sly person.

How can such a cunning person die inexplicably?

"How did these three people die?"

Tian Lin asked the servant, who shook his head and said, "No matter how we investigate, we can't find information on these three people. Moreover, these three spiritual tablets seem to have been brought to the Capital City by Shang Yu."

Tian Lin examined the booklet's spiritual tablets and noticed that the tablets' patterns seemed made from thousand-year-old wood.

Tian Lin was very familiar with thousand-year-old wood, having traveled extensively on a thousand-year-old wooden boat on the Immortal Sinking Pond.

And in this world, mountains are full of poisonous trees where normal trees cannot grow.

Thus, Tian Lin suspected the spiritual tablets were likely brought by Shang Yu from outside.

The question now is, how did Shang Yu survive the Immortal Sinking Pond carrying these items?

The sword qi from the Immortal Sinking Pond prevented Tian Lin from bringing his Storage Bag into the Heavenly Gate.

Even the Rain Listener entered the Heavenly Gate entirely bare.

"Perhaps, Shang Yu is different from us, and he entered this world from the Yulong Continent instead of the Immortal Sinking Pond."

Realization dawned on Tian Lin.