Before sunrise, the tents of the Taiheng Sect were tightly pressed against the edge of the demon fog. At this time, anyone who went out could only see a hazy gray, and the good mood of the new day was ruined.

Jin Lan sat in the tent, worriedly fiddling with the Blood Bone Beads Bracelet.

This bracelet was not of high value, but it was a magic weapon of the Taiheng Sect. When Shi Zhongyu left Taiheng, the Blood Bone Beads Bracelet was returned to its original owner. Jin Lan only felt that the beads were too heavy and scorching hot, and even though they were snow-white, he couldn't squeeze out much peace of mind.

Seeing the sect leader who had raised him pass away, and no longer having a senior he wholeheartedly admired by his side, the Taiheng Sect, where he had stayed for more than ten years, became a little unfamiliar.

Qu Duanyun became the new sect leader, and the internal personnel changes in the sect were endless. Jin Lan had always followed Shi Zhongyu and had some ties with the Ku Mountain Sect. Perhaps to avoid suspicion or because they found him troublesome, as soon as the news of "new clues in Mount Zongwu" spread, he was sent to Mount Zongwu.

Those who accompanied him were either newcomers who had just joined the sect or mediocre people who had not achieved much. Jin Lan didn't consider himself a top expert in Taiheng, but sitting in this ragtag lineup, he could be considered a general among dwarfs.

Taiheng couldn't solve the Fog Tomb Formation, but with their vast resources, they could use magic weapons to forcibly endure it. As the days passed, Jin Lan developed a misconception—perhaps the higher-ups had sent them here not to find clues, but to train the useless disciples. Right now, rather than finding clues, they might as well say they were slowing down the pace of Red Hook Sect and Ling Sect.

Quite reasonable, Jin Lan thought wryly.

Taiheng had collected the most Buddha bead treasure maps and had been methodically calculating and searching recently. When they were the first to find the Shi Rou, the lack of this clue wouldn't matter much. Even if Yan Budu locked the Shi Rou at the bottom of a mountain river, they could use magic tools to split the mountain and cut the river. No matter how powerful that demon was, he couldn't calculate the means people would have a hundred years later.

Seeing it clearly, Jin Lan couldn't muster any enthusiasm. After sunrise, he would have to watch the young disciples running back and forth again, wearing precious magic tools and drilling in and out of the fog, searching for meaningless clues.

Utterly boring.

After the Yin hour passed, the patrolling scout entered the tent: "There's no movement on the Red Hook Sect's side, and no news from the scattered sects. Although there was some activity in the Vermilion Tower, it seems unrelated to the Shi Rou's clues, I'll explain later—there's an urgent letter from an elder outside the mountain, please read it first."

Jin Lan scrambled up and eagerly tore open the letter. The letter paper wasn't very proper, but the writing style and the seal stamps were undoubtedly the habit of the Taiheng Sect's internal communications. He shook the letter paper and carefully read the contents: "...There's a change in Mount Zongwu, return immediately upon seeing this letter? So urgent?"

"Perhaps it's the people planted in the Ling Sect who got wind of it." The scout thought for a moment and said solemnly. "Last night, that Chai Xin suddenly left the Vermilion Tower with his confidants, he must be up to something."

"But that was last night, how could the news travel so fast?" Jin Lan thought of dismantling the camp and withdrawing the magic tools, and his head swelled three times larger. They had gone to great lengths to set up the magic formations and tools to deal with the Fog Tomb Formation, and there was no way they could just leave with a flick of their sleeves.

"Maybe it's an elder who is traveling outside and has a nominal position, who discovered the demon sect's plan in advance." The scout made full use of his imagination, "Brother Jin, you're familiar with the higher-ups, is there any problem with this letter?"

Except for the paper being too shabby, there was really no problem elsewhere, Jin Lan thought with a bitter face. He couldn't find any fault and could only sigh.

"First, let everyone inside the Fog Tomb Formation withdraw and stand by at the mountainside. Don't move the things or dismantle the camp. This letter came too quickly, I'll write a letter later to confirm with the nearest horse station."

Even if it was really an elder traveling outside, as a member of Taiheng, he would definitely send the letter through Taiheng's horse stations in various places. With the mix of people here, the sudden arrival of this letter made Jin Lan not dare to accept it all at once.

If the letter was real, they could still abandon their things and flee in time. If the letter was fake, they would only delay for half a day at most, and then continue doing what they were supposed to do, not letting the person who forged the letter succeed.

Jin Lan solemnly made the plan, suddenly feeling that he was also a wise person of Taiheng.

Unfortunately, his wise aura didn't last for an hour before it was shaken by a sudden change—just as the sky was dimly lit and the order to withdraw from the Fog Tomb Formation had been issued not long ago, another explosive piece of information was brought back by the scout. At that time, Jin Lan was surrounded by the management personnel of various Taiheng teams, being questioned about the reason for the "evacuation" from all sides.

"The Ku Mountain Sect found a clue? No, Sect Leader Shi and the others are here?!" Jin Lan pushed away the people surrounding him and finally managed to catch his breath.

"Yes, many small sects around are discussing this matter. They say that Shi Jingzhi took the 'key' left by Yan Budu and is fleeing out of Mount Zongwu."

"You said fleeing..."

Jin Lan choked for a moment. The last time they met, the two people from the Ku Mountain Sect were still talking and laughing with Shi Zhongyu and Qu Duanyun. Even after hearing about the Jianchen Temple tragedy, his impression of them still couldn't immediately turn around.

Now, the Ku Mountain Sect was despised by the righteous path and belonged to the category of "arrest on sight". Once the people were caught and confronted with Jianchen Temple, the people in the jianghu would naturally eliminate this small tumor.

He understood the reasoning, but when he thought that they were the people who had once saved him in the Ghost Tomb, Jin Lan felt a little uncomfortable.

"Isn't this just right? We're withdrawing anyway, might as well catch the Ku Mountain villains." One of the "old and useless" disciples said excitedly, "Brother Jin, you've at least followed a famous person like Shi Zhongyu, you shouldn't be reduced to the same level as us. This time, if we catch the villains, it's a good opportunity to cut ties with Shi Zhongyu, and maybe even earn some merit."

Jin Lan: "Don't call them villains until they've been formally confronted and convicted."

Everyone in the tent fell silent for a moment.

"Brother Jin, don't tell me you're the same as that Shi Zhongyu... We know you've been to the Ghost Tomb, but you have to distinguish between public and private matters."

"I didn't say I wouldn't go." Jin Lan rubbed his temples, his mouth tasting bitter. He had a vague feeling—he seemed to be caught in an unstoppable torrent, unable to stop his steps by his own strength. When things came to him, he had no choice.

"Forget it, we've all heard about the 'Ku Mountain Sect getting their hands on a clue'. The Red Hook and Ling Sects must know about it too."

Jin Lan racked his brains.

"The demon sects won't give up so easily, there's probably going to be a fierce battle outside. There are still many small sects here, you guys follow me and go maintain order first and foremost. As for catching people, there's no need to force it."

"This..." Isn't this like watching the merit run away right under their noses?

Jin Lan said solemnly, "The strength of the Sect Master at that time was probably above Senior Sister, no, Shi Zhongyu. In any case, I was definitely not a match for Shi Jingzhi at that time. If you can't defeat the strong, helping the weak is also an achievement. If you want both the fish and the bear's paw, be careful not to get yourself covered in a fishy smell."

"Yes."

At the same time, near the Vermilion Tower.

Originally, the morning mist was thick and everything seemed normal. However, as soon as Yan Qing pulled out the Compassion Stone Sword, dozens of Ling Sect disciples suddenly appeared around him, like evil spirits emerging from the ground with the sword, each of them concealing their breath unlike living people.

In the Ling Sect, there were only a few people with this skill - apart from the various elders, there was only the "Corpse-Raising Team" that belonged to the Sect Master himself and was considered the elite. Unfortunately, judging from their imposing manner, the Corpse-Raising Team did not seem to be here to welcome Yan Zheng.

Yan Qing gripped the hilt of the great sword tightly and exhaled a long breath of turbid air, "Sect Master Yan, do you have any idea about the current situation?"

Yan Zheng's sigh was even louder than his, "No."

Yan Qing helplessly shouldered the sword and looked at the leader of this group of people -

That one-eyed old man Chai Xin was standing not far away, with a half-smiling expression on his face that made people feel as if ants were crawling all over their body. The Vermilion Tower stood vaguely not far away, exuding an even stronger sense of loneliness.

"That squinty-eyed kid beside you is from the Ku Mountain Sect, right? I was thinking that the sword style looked a bit familiar. Just now, I sent someone to test it and sure enough, it's the Compassion Stone Sword."

Chai Xin let out a burst of coarse and unpleasant laughter, mixed with a heavy anger.

"Good disciple, you've made progress. Your master didn't teach you to bite the hand that feeds you, but you learned it quickly on your own. The Shi Rou clue... no wonder you didn't allow the elders to go out last night. I originally thought something would happen inside the building, but now I see you were actually buying time for that rat-dropping-like sect. Your master has treated you well all these years, and this is how you repay him?"

Yan Qing pondered for a moment and took a long time to sort out the meaning of these words.

...It was indeed a huge misunderstanding.

It seemed that even someone as cunning as Chai Xin could not imagine the layer of "Yan Zheng wanting to destroy the Ling Sect". Shi Jingzhi had told a huge lie, and he had conveniently followed Yan Zheng back to retrieve the sword, completely misleading this old man - he thought Yan Zheng had betrayed the Ling Sect and joined forces with the Ku Mountain Sect, trying to seek the Shi Rou alone.

Yan Zheng let out a light chuckle, "As expected of Master."

His tone was full of sarcasm, but when it entered Chai Xin's ears, it took on a different flavor.

"What a pity, the Ku Mountain Sect is just a small sect and ultimately it is difficult to make a name for itself. Trying to steal the clues right under the nose of my Divine Sect is not that easy. I have already dispatched all the top experts, and they will definitely chop that Ku Mountain Sect into mincemeat."

Chai Xin shook his head.

"Within the Divine Sect, it doesn't matter who you betray. But according to the rules, once discovered, you have to accept the consequences. You see, your master has specially come in person to punish you..."

"Specially?"

Yan Zheng no longer looked at Yan Qing, his tone flat.

"You simply find it too troublesome outside with so many people from Taiheng and Red Hook, so you dumped the dirty work on others."

"Sigh, this kid, your master has been helping you take revenge all along." Chai Xin's voice was cold and greasy. "Why bother wasting your master's good intentions like this?"

With that, his tone sank.

"Go, bring this kid back for me. It's fine even if you break his legs, let him remember this lesson for a long time. As for that kid from Ku Mountain Sect beside him, kill him directly. Later, cut him up nicely, it can still scare the rabble from Ku Mountain Sect."

Yan Zheng picked up the Soul-Reaping Whip, his pupils slightly contracting, "This brother, you go first. Didn't Sect Leader Shi give you arrangements? You don't need to get involved in the internal affairs of the Ling Sect."

Yan Qing did not move.

"I'm not someone worth helping." Yan Zheng still did not look at Yan Qing. "Since you can pick up that sword, I presume you're not a wicked and evil person. Getting dragged into this mess would be a pure waste..."

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence - across from him, Chai Xin let out an interested "Oh", as if he had seen some once-in-a-century wonder. Yan Zheng followed his gaze and turned to look at Yan Qing on the side.

The gloomy sky was mixed with mist, and everything seemed to be covered in a layer of blurry dust. Yan Qing had his eyes covered when he was in the Vermilion Tower earlier, and when they met again, he had been keeping his eyes closed, opening them at most a sliver.

Yan Zheng had thought he had some photophobic eye condition. With one mess after another beside him, he hadn't had time to ponder deeply about such details.

Who would have thought that the person holding the Compassion Stone Sword also had a pair of ghost eyes?

"Back then, even when Yan Budu was guilty of heinous crimes, Great Master Kongshi also did not let him go alone." Yan Qing's voice was a bit tense but still relatively steady. "To be honest, I don't understand Great Master Kongshi's approach. But in my view, you are not like Yan Budu, definitely not someone 'not worth helping'."

He lowered his body slightly, holding the giant sword horizontally in front of him.

"If I still run away like this, I wouldn't be worthy of wielding this sword."

The Yan family had many descendants, most of whom had been killed by Taiheng Sect back then. There were originally very few survivors, and among them, those possessing ghost eyes were close to none. With two people suddenly appearing now, the Ling Sect disciples who had originally charged out stumbled and stopped in their tracks.

Chai Xin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed, "This is the heavens telling me to take in a new disciple. Righteous people are good, how wonderful! If properly trained, he will definitely be easier to serve than my disciple who kills without hesitation... The heavens bless my Divine Sect!"

"Great Elder, there were also fools before who dyed their eyes with techniques. Maybe it's a scheme by the Ku Mountain Sect," someone beside Chai Xin reminded.

"Whether it's a scheme or not, we'll know once we capture them alive." Chai Xin waved his hand. "Very good, keep both of them alive. This is a sign of the Divine Sect's prosperity!"

Two living Ghost Eyes, how delightful!

Yan Zheng looked at Yan Qing in disbelief, the hand holding the whip trembling slightly, "You are?"

"Yan Ziren's son, Yan Qing." Yan Qing smiled at him. "My dad didn't have much skill, not sure if you've heard of him... Let's talk in detail after we finish this fight."

"Yes, you can have a detailed talk in the Ling Sect's dungeon."

Chai Xin flicked his sleeve, sending out two daggers as thin as cicada wings.

"Since there's a rare opportunity, let this old man join in the excitement."

At the foot of Mount Zongwu.

Shi Jingzhi openly displayed the Cure All With Medicine flag, looking at the sea of people surrounding them - the other sects had not sent many top experts, but the numbers were indeed considerable. And the people from the Ling Sect were more than they had anticipated. That group of improper things occupied about a quarter of the encirclement, each one filled with murderous intent, extremely eye-catching.

Beside Shi Jingzhi was the lone figure of Yin Ci. The two of them stood on the empty wasteland, right at the center of the encirclement, adding the most vivid strokes to this picture of "Many Monks with Little Porridge".

"Ah Ci, look, on this side are Taiheng and the small sects, wanting to steam us. On that side are the Ling Sect and Red Hook Sect, wanting to roast us," Shi Jingzhi pointed out in public, "Later, we must distinguish clearly and not kill the wrong people. Hey, isn't that Jin Lan? That kid is miserable too, being demoted to such a shabby place in just a few days... Is it inappropriate to greet him now?"

Yin Ci: "..."

He seemed to see again that stinky brat who dared to roll in his sword wind. Yin Ci suspected that Shi Jingzhi's gall had grown like his courage, and growing particularly well at that.

Forget it, it was just a ragtag crowd. He had specially chosen a position that was easy to withdraw from. Yin Ci was very familiar with using force to intimidate the crowd. There were still risks, but the situation remained under his control.

However, at this moment, Shi Jingzhi turned around with a smile, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."

"What?"

"I have something to give you. Close your eyes, okay?"