Chapter 19: The Grand Search

Yin Tianfang had once saved the lives of Zhang Ping and Lin Fan. After spending some time together, the feelings the two held for Yin Tianfang far outweighed their loyalty to the Azure Cloud Sect. Now, with the Grand Elder having died under mysterious circumstances in the secret chamber, suspicion would surely fall heavily on Yin Tianfang.

Qingfeng, Qingyue, and Ye Tianxing all bore old grievances against Yin Tianfang. If he remained, his fate would surely be grim. Thus, Zhang Ping and Lin Fan made a swift decision: they would take Yin Tianfang away from the Azure Cloud Sect, the farther the better.

Shortly after the three departed, Qingfeng, Qingyue, and Ye Tianxing arrived at the cave residence. Qingfeng and Qingyue, faces etched with sorrow, mourned. Though Daoist Wuchen had never shown much special favor toward them, he had still been their teacher for many years. Without his guidance, they might have remained mere inner sect disciples.

Ye Tianxing, for his part, feigned grief, but there was not a trace of sadness in his eyes. He had not been in the Azure Cloud Sect long, and his contact with Daoist Wuchen had been minimal. Though Wuchen was his master, he was little more than a stranger.

All Ye Tianxing could think about was that, with Daoist Wuchen dead, Yin Tianfang was now without support. He began to plot how best to torment him and avenge the beating he had once received.

The three had come to inform Yin Tianfang of their master’s passing—after all, they were fellow disciples, and it was only right to tell him.

Outside the cave, they found not a soul. Ordinarily, Zhang Ping and Lin Fan would be standing guard, but today there was no sign of them. Qingfeng and Qingyue frowned. They waited a while, but no one emerged. Their brows furrowed even more deeply.

“Senior brothers, shall I go in and have a look?” Ye Tianxing stepped forward and asked.

The two considered for a moment; waiting seemed pointless, so they nodded. Ye Tianxing entered the cave, but still saw no one. The door to the secret chamber was wide open. Approaching the entrance, he peered within. At the sight of Daoist Wuchen’s corpse, his legs gave out beneath him and he collapsed to the floor. After a long while, trembling, he managed to drag himself up and scrambled out of the cave.

“Senior brothers, I saw… I saw…” Ye Tianxing stammered, pointing back at the cave, unable to form a coherent sentence. Qingfeng and Qingyue’s expressions darkened and they hurried inside. Noticing the open secret chamber, they rushed to look and their faces changed drastically.

Never did they imagine that, after the Grand Elder’s death, his body would be found within the sect, and inside his secluded chamber at that.

“Where is Yin Tianfang?” Qingfeng’s face was grim as he scanned the room. Nothing seemed amiss inside, nothing missing—except for Yin Tianfang and his companions.

“Could it have been that brat, Yin Tianfang? No, he doesn’t have the strength. Besides, he had no reason to murder our master.” Qingfeng muttered to himself.

“Regardless, we must find him first. He lived here and must know what really happened,” Qingyue said. The two hurriedly left the cave and made straight for the main peak.

Outside the cave, Ye Tianxing was still shaken. Once Qingfeng and Qingyue departed, he gradually calmed himself and mustered the courage to re-enter the secret chamber.

He crouched beside Daoist Wuchen’s corpse, examining it closely. His eyes flickered; suddenly, he raised his hand and struck the corpse’s skull with his palm. Then, withdrawing quickly, he fled the chamber.

Moments later, several figures came rushing toward North Peak. The Third Elder entered the secret chamber, and upon seeing the Grand Elder’s body, his face turned extremely grim.

With a dark expression, the Third Elder examined the corpse, then stood and said solemnly, “The Grand Elder suffered grave injuries; his foundation was damaged. He must have been wounded in a fierce battle and returned here to heal, only to be murdered in the secret chamber. The fatal wound is a palm strike to the head, delivered by someone of low cultivation—at the peak of Qi Condensation’s first layer.”

“Who usually resides here?” he asked.

“Our youngest junior, Yin Tianfang,” Qingfeng replied.

“Where is he now?”

“We don’t know. He and his two servants were gone when we arrived,” Qingfeng answered truthfully.

The Third Elder narrowed his eyes. “It must have been that boy! He took advantage of Brother Wuchen’s injuries to strike him down in secret, leaving the Grand Elder dead!” he barked coldly.

He stormed out of the cave and, with a chilling tone, called to a squad of young disciples, “All enforcers, hear my command!”

“We are here!”

“Notify all sect members immediately: hunt for Yin Tianfang and his two attendants. If found, bring them back at once. If they resist—kill without mercy!” His icy words echoed across North Peak, and the enforcement team dispersed. In no time, the Third Elder’s orders spread throughout the entire Azure Cloud Sect.

The whole sect was in an uproar as countless disciples began searching everywhere for any trace of Yin Tianfang.

“Whoever finds Yin Tianfang will be promoted from servant to outer disciple and gifted the Qi Condensation manual. Outer disciples will be promoted to inner disciples, and inner disciples will be granted a technique!” The following day, with no news, the Third Elder made a new announcement. Such rewards were rare—perhaps once in a decade.

More than ten thousand servants, a thousand outer disciples, and a hundred inner disciples—all tempted by these rewards—began a massive search. Everywhere, search parties scoured the mountains.

As dusk fell, the Azure Cloud Sect blazed with torchlight, flames flickering through the night. People moved like phantoms, sleepless and relentless, all determined to find Yin Tianfang.

At this moment, Yin Tianfang had become, in everyone’s eyes, a walking treasure trove.

Hidden deep within the mountains, Zhang Ping and Lin Fan carried Yin Tianfang on their backs, quietly hiding in a secluded valley. Yin Tianfang had already awoken, but his eyes were vacant, his spirit seemingly lost.

In the distance, torches pierced the darkness. Though it was late, shadows still moved among the mountains.

“That Yin Tianfang is truly despicable. I heard the Grand Elder treated him well, yet he repaid him with such treachery, murdering him while he was healing.”

“Indeed. Now the whole sect is hunting him. Unless he can vanish from the earth, he will be caught and executed.”

“Let’s hurry and search, or someone else might beat us to it.” Two outer disciples chatted as they passed by, their voices reaching Zhang Ping and Lin Fan’s ears. The two exchanged uneasy glances.

After an indeterminate time, the searchers gradually moved on, and Zhang Ping and Lin Fan let out a sigh of relief. Cautiously, they rose and prepared to leave the valley.

“They’re here!” a sudden shout shattered the silence. Atop a nearby hill, a man waved a torch, pointing down and calling out. Instantly, countless footsteps echoed through the night.

“Run!” Zhang Ping and Lin Fan’s faces changed. Without hesitation, they hoisted Yin Tianfang and plunged into the darkness…