Old Xue’s small courtyard was silent, save for the chirping of a few unknown insects.

After a long while, Old Xue warily glanced around.

"Is this true?"

"It’s the absolute truth."

Bai Yuan nodded, his expression serious.

He had just recounted everything that happened last night in detail, but he had omitted the fact that he was the one who had killed everyone.

’Huwei Arts Hall is bound to work with the Liu Family again. I have to be on my guard.’

Old Xue took a deep breath.

’The Liu Family secretly pledging allegiance to the Soul-Chasing Tower... this is a huge deal. A single misstep could lead to utter ruin. It wouldn’t just be Chu Yuan’s fate this time, but that of the entire Huwei Arts Hall.’

"You can go for now."

Old Xue waved his hand wearily. The situation had already spiraled beyond his control.

’When two behemoths like the Divine Mansion Sect and the Soul-Chasing Tower fight, the local powers of Qinghe County are the only ones who will suffer.’

Bai Yuan turned and left.

He didn’t bother asking pointless questions, like whether Old Xue would report the matter to the Divine Mansion Sect.

’Since he’d chosen to tell Old Xue, it meant he trusted the old man to handle it. There was no need to meddle any further.’

...

「Qinghe County Magistrate’s Office.」

Almost all of Qinghe County’s most powerful figures were gathered in the main hall. The Grandmaster’s Chair, which should have been occupied by Magistrate Zhang, was instead taken by a woman—You Shengnan. Beside her stood Xiongshan, also from the Divine Mansion Sect, looking like an iron tower.

Old Xue sat in the hall, quietly observing the two envoys from the Divine Mansion Sect.

He needed an explanation.

In fact, so did everyone else present.

Last night, the Iron Saber Gang, Flying Eagle Castle, and the Liu Family had all suffered heavy losses.

The Liu Family’s reaction was the most vehement; they had lost the most people.

Master Liu, Liu Wen, was a middle-aged man with the refined air of a scholar. Anyone who didn’t know his identity would mistake him for a stuffy intellectual; he didn’t look like a Strong Organ Pass master in the slightest.

He was the first to speak out. "Upper Envoys, the Soul-Chasing Tower launched a surprise attack last night. We have all suffered grievous losses."

The others present watched on coldly.

’If You Shengnan and Xiongshan hadn’t insisted on clearing out the Soul-Chasing Tower’s assassins outside the city first, revealing their intentions so openly, so many of their people wouldn’t have died.’

A dangerous glint flickered in You Shengnan’s eyes.

"Are you questioning the Divine Mansion Sect’s decision?"

Master Liu replied evenly, "I wouldn’t dare."

You Shengnan snorted. "Short-sighted fools. Last night, my martial brother and I infiltrated the Soul-Chasing Tower and found a clue pointing to the Demon Sect."

The Demon Sect?!

At the mention of the Demon Sect, everyone’s expression changed.

Even children knew of monsters and demons. But in truth, they were not one and the same. Monsters were spirits born of the natural world, while demons were deviants who worshiped the Demon Gods.

The Demon Sect had been suppressed two thousand years ago by the Grand Ancestor Emperor.

It was precisely for his great service to the Human Race in wiping out the Demon Sect that the Grand Ancestor Emperor Xuanyang was revered as the Emperor.

To think that the Demon Sect would reappear two thousand years later.

Master Liu, who had been so aggressive moments before, instantly deflated upon hearing the words "Demon Sect." He didn’t dare utter another peep.

When the Grand Ancestor Emperor founded the empire, he laid down a rule: all Xuan Yang People who encountered the Demon Sect were to do everything in their power to exterminate them. Failure to do so would result in the execution of their entire clan.

The Demon Sect had not been seen for two thousand years, yet now it had reappeared, and it was even connected to the Soul-Chasing Tower.

You Shengnan was very pleased with the crowd’s reaction.

"The Demon Sect is beyond our capabilities. My master will be arriving in Qinghe soon. For now, we only need to clear out the remaining Soul-Chasing Tower forces outside the city."

Tie Tu, Gang Leader of the Iron Saber Gang, exchanged a look with Flying Eagle Castle Lord Ji Chang.

"As you command."

When it came to the Demon Sect, no one dared voice a single objection. To do so would be to make an enemy of the entire Xuan Yang Empire.

Master Liu, Liu Wen, also took a deep breath. "Yes!"

’He’s putting on a pretty good act!’

Old Xue took in Liu Wen’s every move. This Master Liu was indeed a fine actor.

If Bai Yuan hadn’t stumbled upon the truth, he would have believed Master Liu and the Soul-Chasing Tower were mortal enemies.

To hide the fact that the Liu Family had pledged allegiance to the Soul-Chasing Tower and even the Demon Sect, Liu Wen had not hesitated to sacrifice the lives of over a hundred of his own family’s disciples. He was truly ruthless.

Old Xue didn’t expose him then and there.

’Even if he said something, the people from the Divine Mansion Sect might not believe him, and it could bring trouble to the Huwei Arts Hall.’

’He had lived for seventy years; the hot blood of his youth had long since cooled. He wouldn’t do something so foolish.’

’The Liu Family, the Soul-Chasing Tower, the Demon Sect... all of it was a problem for that Thousand-Handed Butcher.’

’He just wanted to protect the Huwei Arts Hall and ensure the Black Evil Elder’s Cultivation Technique was passed down. That was enough.’

...

"The Demon Sect?!"

Bai Yuan’s expression changed.

Old Xue was leaning back in his lounge chair, his eyes half-closed.

Chu Yuan had been sent back to his residence, and a maid was arranged to care for him daily. They could only hope he might one day awaken, though the chances were exceedingly slim.

Bai Yuan had also tried to awaken Chu Yuan using medicinal food therapies, but to no avail.

Old Xue’s voice was tinged with exhaustion.

"Only Martial Artists who have reached the Yijin Pass are qualified to know about the Demon Sect, but it won’t hurt for you to learn of it ahead of time."

"The Martial Dao is about cultivating the self, fighting against destiny itself. But there are always those who want to take a shortcut. They feel that self-cultivation is too slow, that they could never reach the peak of the Martial Dao in one lifetime."

"The first Sect Master of the Demon Sect was a once-in-a-generation genius. He created the Taotie Technique, devouring others to empower himself. Legend has it that he truly pushed that path to its ultimate limit." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Subsequent disciples of the Demon Sect worshipped him as a Demon God. They emulated the Taotie Technique to create numerous demonic cultivation techniques, plaguing the world."

"This continued until the Grand Ancestor Emperor burst onto the scene. He suppressed the Demon Sect with his supreme martial prowess, and only then was peace restored to the world."

Old Xue said all this in one go.

He had already told Chu Yuan about the Demon Sect, but with Chu Yuan now lying in a coma, he had begun to see Bai Yuan as his true successor. That was why he was being so forthcoming.

Although Ma Dingjun, Cheng Li, and Liu Jiuyan were all True Disciples, each had their own strengths and flaws.

Ma Dingjun was naturally gifted with immense strength, but he was simple-minded.

As a woman, the price Cheng Li would have to pay to protect their lineage’s legacy was far greater than it would be for a man.

As for Liu Jiuyan, he was a member of the Liu Family. That fact alone was enough to disqualify him from becoming the successor.

Among the five True Disciples, Liu Jiuyan’s family background was the most exceptional. While Chu Yuan, Ma Dingjun, and Cheng Li all came from well-off families, they were no match for the Liu Family.

However, while Liu Jiuyan was a Liu Family disciple, he was also the illegitimate son of Master Liu.

The Liu Family was not like Flying Eagle Castle; they would never allow such a scandal to become public knowledge. Thus, besides a handful of people, almost no one knew Liu Jiuyan’s true identity.

He had become a True Disciple entirely on his own merit, with no favoritism involved.

Otherwise, with Old Xue’s uncompromising nature, he would have broken Liu Jiuyan’s legs and thrown him out of the Martial Arts Hall long ago.

"It’s enough that you know about the Demon Sect. Go and focus on your training."

Old Xue waved his hand, unwilling to speak further.

Bai Yuan bowed and walked out of the small courtyard.

’Old Xue thinks I know nothing about the Demon Sect, but the truth is, I know practically every top expert they have.’

’It’s simple, really. When you’ve killed that many, it’s hard not to remember.’