Chapter 196: Chapter 186: A Great Reward
Worried the masked men might return, Elder Huoyu waited for a moment until four other elders arrived. After a brief word, he was the first to give chase into the woods.
"What happened?"
"Where’s Elder Huoyu?"
"Who is this person on the ground?"
The elders asked one after another.
The Water Mirror Elder said nothing, a flash of astonishment in his eyes.
’This disciple of mine has broken through again.’
’Zhao Lin broke through to the Second Layer of the Qi Realm during the last autumn harvest, and today, during the mountain sweeping, he just so happens to break through to the Third Layer. Isn’t the timing a bit too perfect?’
However, now was not the time to ask. The Water Mirror Elder said slowly, "Zhao Lin, tell us what just happened."
"Yes, Elder..."
Zhao Lin repeated what he had just told Elder Huoyu.
The four elders were both shocked and furious after hearing his account.
Elder Gold Stone’s hair and beard bristled with rage. He gritted his teeth and roared, "They’re trying to sever the very roots of our Xingyun Sect! Search the area!"
...
「Late at night, in the great hall atop the Xingyun Sect’s main peak.」
Four corpses lay in the center of the great hall. The black cloths had been removed from their faces, and their bodies were stripped bare.
Sect Leader Lu Chaohuan sat in the main seat, his brow deeply furrowed and his expression grim.
Ten people stood on either side of the hall: the six instruction elders from the Outer Institute and the Wuxiang Institute, the head and deputy head of the Inner Institute, and the sect’s Left and Right Guardians.
It could be said that aside from a few decrepit elders who no longer concerned themselves with worldly affairs, nearly all of the Xingyun Sect’s Primordial Realm masters were present.
After a long moment of thought, Lu Chaohuan looked toward Elder Gold Stone and asked, "Elder Gold Stone, were these four the only ones?"
Elder Gold Stone nodded. "Sect Leader, we searched Yuanze Mountain thoroughly and only found these four. We cannot rule out the possibility that some slipped through the net."
Lu Chaohuan thought for a moment before asking, "You clashed with them, yes? Were you able to identify the origin of their cultivation techniques?"
Elder Gold Stone shook his head. "No. They were clearly trying to hide their identities, using only common cultivation techniques. When they realized they could not escape, they severed their own meridians and died."
Lu Chaohuan sighed. "These were death commandos. Who on earth holds such a great grudge against our Xingyun Sect?"
"Left Guardian, can you tell us anything?"
The Left Guardian, named Zhang Zong, was in charge of intelligence and espionage. At the question, he pointed to the corpses on the floor and said, "One look at their faces tells you they are not from the Central Plains. They seem to be of mixed Hu-Yue ancestry, a blend of multiple ethnicities. It’s impossible to tell which nation they hail from."
Fan Wenshu, the Right Guardian in charge of law enforcement, tapped his dragon-headed staff on the floor and snorted coldly. "Spineless rats. They want to destroy the Xingyun Sect’s budding martial artists to suppress Great Yue in the Grand Tournament."
Lu Chaohuan nodded. "The two Guardians are right. I will immediately pen letters to the Luoyun Sect and the Celestial Orthodox Sect to ask if they have experienced anything similar."
"Until the true culprits are found, we must heighten our defenses. We cannot give these scoundrels any opportunities!"
As he said this, his brow furrowed. "The decision to hold the mountain sweeping on Yuanze Mountain was only made the day before yesterday. How did these assassins learn of it?"
Zhang Zong was taken aback. "Sect Leader, are you implying there is a mole within the sect? Shall I conduct an internal investigation?"
A hesitant look crossed Lu Chaohuan’s face, but he ultimately shook his head. "No. The fault lies with me for announcing it too early. I fear the news has already spread beyond the sect, which would make an investigation fruitless."
"From now on, whether it’s the autumn harvest or the mountain sweeping, we will announce the location on the day of the event."
After some more discussion, Lu Chaohuan suddenly recalled something. "Elder Huoyu," he asked, "what was the name of the disciple you said killed one of the masked men?"
"Zhao Lin."
Elder Huoyu glanced at the Water Mirror Elder and said, somewhat reluctantly, "He’s a disciple from the Water Mirror Department."
Lu Chaohuan stroked his long beard, saying thoughtfully, "That name sounds familiar."
Elder Gold Stone offered a reminder, "Zhao Lin was the top disciple in last year’s autumn harvest."
Lu Chaohuan shook his head. "No, that’s not it."
The Law Enforcement Elder raised an eyebrow. "I remember the one who captured the renegade disciple Wen Gensheng last year was also named Zhao Lin. I even made a special trip to Qinghe County in Ying Province myself. Could it be the same person?"
This was the first time the Water Mirror Elder was hearing of this. He froze for a second, then said, "Then it must be him. Zhao Lin is indeed from Qinghe County in Ying Province, and his first teacher was Zhu Huaishan."
"Excellent!"
A smile spread across Lu Chaohuan’s face. "Brother Water Mirror, your disciple has rendered a great service!"
The Law Enforcement Elder immediately agreed. "The Sect Leader is right. The boy is both brave and resourceful, daring to kill a Blood Realm cultivator while only in the Qi Realm."
"Judging by the claw marks on the corpse, his mastery of the Three Yin Claw is truly exceptional!"
"According to sect rules, he must be handsomely rewarded!"
Lu Chaohuan nodded. "He is a talent worth cultivating. We must focus on nurturing him and ensure he reaches the Blood Realm."
"Perhaps in a few years, he can win our sect some glory at the Grand Tournament."
"What do you all think?"
No one objected, of course. Everyone knew that four Blood Realm cultivators, working in pairs, could have slaughtered the Qi Realm disciples with almost no effort.
If Zhao Lin hadn’t discovered them and sounded the alarm, it was impossible to say how many disciples would have been lost that night.
...
Due to the incident with the masked men, the mountain sweeping was brought to a hasty conclusion, and the disciples returned to the Xingyun Sect that very night.
Zhao Lin was utterly exhausted, both in body and mind. He returned to his quarters, burrowed under his covers, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
「Early the next morning, the Water Mirror Elder paid him a visit.」
"Elder, please come in."
Zhao Lin had just finished washing up. When he opened the door to see the Water Mirror Elder, he knew it must be for something important and quickly ushered him inside.
"Zhao Lin, you performed a great service yesterday. The Sect Leader has proposed a handsome reward for you, and all the elders are in agreement."
The Water Mirror Elder said with a broad smile as soon as he sat down.
Joy blossomed in Zhao Lin’s chest. Seeing the Water Mirror Elder was just smiling without elaborating, he played along. "And what might that reward be?"
The Water Mirror Elder smiled faintly. "It’s a single promise: we will guarantee your entry into the Blood Realm."
Zhao Lin hadn’t expected such a generous reward. He was inwardly speechless.
After all, not even every disciple in the Wuxiang Institute was guaranteed to reach the Blood Realm. This promise meant the sect was willing to invest heavily to help him break through.
’Simply put, they were going to get me into the Blood Realm, even if they had to bury me in elixirs to do it.’
’Of course, I didn’t get this for nothing. If I hadn’t demonstrated sufficient strength, the sect probably wouldn’t have been willing to make such an offer.’
"Thank you, lead—... thank you, Elders and Sect Leader."
The Water Mirror Elder chuckled. "Given your contribution, no reward would be too great."
After a few humble words, Zhao Lin asked, "Elder, who exactly were those masked men from last night? Why did they attack the disciples of our institute?"
The Water Mirror Elder mulled it over for a moment. "Their origins are still unknown. The matter involves the competition between our Great Yue and the neighboring kingdoms."
"As for the specific reasons, you’ll find out once you enter the Inner Institute."
The Water Mirror Elder was tight-lipped, but Zhao Lin had a faint suspicion that it was all related to the Grand Tournament.
’The Xingyun Sect is the top sect in Great Yue, and the Wuxiang Institute houses its most talented elite disciples.’
’If something were to happen to them, the sect would face a talent gap for the next ten or twenty years, leaving it unable to compete effectively in the Grand Tournament.’
’From that perspective, my contribution really was significant.’
