Hearing the elder's words, Liu Buli raised an eyebrow.
He subconsciously sensed something was wrong, but he tried his best to control himself and did not turn to look at Lu Wuming.
He merely pursed his lips and asked, "What makes you say that? If there were truly ghosts, wouldn't the sect be in chaos? Your cultivation isn't high, yet you seem fine. Don't panic when things happen, investigate thoroughly first."
His words left the elder stunned on the spot.
He was indeed one of the lower-cultivation elders, so he was genuinely terrified when he saw the gruesome scenes.
Although he hadn't actually seen ghosts, he had heard rumors about them. They were man-eaters, and they would make the scene so bloody when they ate people.
Everyone in the sect thought so, and he echoed their sentiments. But as Liu Buli said, if it were truly ghosts causing trouble, would they leave the weaker ones alive and only attack the strong?
The elder was truly bewildered.
Seeing his reaction, Liu Buli didn't wait for him to say more. He cleared his throat and said, "Whatever happened, it's pointless for you to describe it here. Take me to see it directly, and I'll make my own judgment."
With that, the elder quickly abandoned his explanation. The second elder's courtyard was the closest, so he hurried Liu Buli there. Along the way, he continued to explain, "You were away from the sect during this period, and such a major incident occurred. I couldn't make a decision alone. So, the scene has been preserved as it was, and we'll await your return to decide how to proceed. However, I must advise you to be mentally prepared. The scene… it's truly unbearable."
Liu Buli nodded as he listened.
Then, he clearly felt the hand Lu Wuming was holding tighten abruptly as the elder explained.
Lu Wuming seemed to be worried about something.
Liu Buli paused, frowning slightly. He finally turned to look at the young man beside him and said, "Wuming, perhaps you shouldn't come with me. Since Elder Wu said the scene was unbearable, it might be more than you can handle. Wait for me here, I'll be back soon."
The elder agreed with a nod, saying, "Sect Leader is right, it's truly not something an ordinary person can bear. This child looks young, and I'm afraid he might develop a phobia after seeing it. So…"
"No," Lu Wuming interrupted, "Wuming wants to go. Wuming isn't afraid. Wherever Master goes, Wuming will follow. There's no problem."
Since he had said so, Liu Buli didn't stop him.
He nodded, tightened his grip on Lu Wuming's hand, and then followed the elder to the entrance of the second elder's courtyard. Before they even entered, the stench of blood and decay wafted out.
Liu Buli frowned slightly.
He had a premonition about the situation inside. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the door and slowly pushed it open.
The moment he saw the scene inside, even though he was mentally prepared, Liu Buli's pupils contracted sharply.
This was not a scene of people being eaten, but clearly one where they had been torn to shreds.
Blood covered the entire small courtyard, and the remaining flesh and scraps had rotted. Liu Buli scanned the area, then reached out and unhesitatingly covered Lu Wuming's eyes.
The scene was truly horrifying, and he couldn't let his beloved see it.
His expression turned grim.
Liu Buli continued to ask, "Besides the second elder, who else was attacked?"
"There were four others, a total of five," Elder Wu explained. "Except for me, all the elders were killed. The first elder is missing. When we discovered them, you, Sect Leader, had already left the sect. And…"
He hesitated.
Liu Buli said, "Speak your mind. I will also provide an explanation regarding the first elder."
Elder Wu quickly nodded, sighed, and turned to lead Liu Buli to the Hall of Reflection.
The situation in the Hall of Reflection was identical to that in the second elder's courtyard.
Liu Buli glanced at it, his expression becoming even more solemn.
"I understand. Rest well tonight and do not spread the word," Liu Buli said. "Tomorrow morning, I will handle this matter. You don't need to worry."
Hearing this, Elder Wu finally showed a relieved expression.
Liu Buli gave a faint smile, which further comforted Elder Wu. He then pulled Lu Wuming back to the Sect Leader's courtyard.
After entering and locking the door, Liu Buli immediately cast a soundproof barrier.
Turning back to look at Lu Wuming, he saw that the young man was trembling and unable to stand straight.
His eyes were filled with fear, and he hunched over, not daring to look up.
Liu Buli saw this and frowned.
He then crouched down, looked up at Lu Wuming's face, and forced the young man to meet his eyes.
As Lu Wuming panicked, unsure of what to do, Liu Buli suddenly offered him a faint smile.
He ruffled Lu Wuming's hair and asked, "Five people died in total, all of whom were involved in the first elder's plan. Wuming, do you have something you want to tell me, Master?"
Lu Wuming was speechless.
What he had feared for so long had finally happened.
He was so panicked that tears were about to fall.
Seeing him like this, Liu Buli seemed to have found his answer. He let out a soft sigh, his voice growing more serious. He said, "Wuming, I'll ask you one more time, have you eaten people?"