In the dimly lit room, the deadly battle between the three had ended in the blink of an eye. It was not that the two were weak, but that they had been caught by a prepared opponent.
More importantly, they had not dared make too much noise. This was the sect's grounds, after all. Besides, Elder Lu, whom Lin Chang'an had transformed into earlier, had truly given them quite a fright.
Carefully examining the slender saber in his hand, Lin Chang'an narrowed his eyes when he saw the two characters "Cold Moon" engraved on its hilt.
"A mid-grade artifact, yet it easily cut through my mana barrier just now!" Lin Chang'an raised the saber and gave it a light sniff, a smile immediately appearing on his face.
"Heh, so a little refined purple copper was added. No wonder it could so easily break through a mana shield."
After discovering the reason, Lin Chang'an seemed to be pondering something. Though the door stood open and the biting wind howled into the room, his face remained full of smiles.
Purple copper was a precious artifact-refining material. If a certain amount of refined purple copper was added to an artifact, it would not only increase the artifact's toughness, but also grant it a certain ability to break through magic.
Before dawn, while the sky was still dark, sect disciples were already standing guard outside Lin Chang'an's courtyard. Inside the room, where the cold wind cut to the bone, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
"Senior Brother, I do not know who these two are either, but they actually intended to murder me last night. If I had not always been cautious..."
Lin Chang'an looked weak at the moment, with several more wounds on his arms and body. His face was still full of lingering terror as he recounted last night's assassination attempt.
Yet when Zhang Qing looked at the two corpses, their features burned beyond recognition by the Fireball Technique, his expression darkened terrifyingly.
"Junior Brother!"
Zhang Qing wanted to say something, but Lin Chang'an tightly gripped the long saber in his hand. "Senior Brother, it was this artifact that nearly took my life. If I had not kept a few extra cards up my sleeve..."
Although Lin Chang'an looked as though he had yet to recover from the shock, how could Zhang Qing not understand? Looking at the Cold Moon Blade, then at Lin Chang'an's pale and weak appearance, Zhang Qing wanted to say something, but in the end, he swallowed the words.
"I will personally report this matter to Elder Lu. For now, Junior Brother, please do not go anywhere. Stay at home first."
As he spoke, Zhang Qing could not help glancing at the long saber Lin Chang'an had been clutching all along, his face twitching.
"Junior Brother, I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation for this matter."
Only after hearing Zhang Qing's assurance did Lin Chang'an smile. He nodded and said, "Senior Brother, I am worried. Could Li Han and Qi Feng come protect me first?"
"Alright!"
Zhang Qing said nothing further, but he was clearly suppressing a bellyful of anger. He turned and ordered people to take the two corpses to Elder Lu. Before leaving, he secretly instructed his subordinates to stand guard around the courtyard.
After Zhang Qing left, the lingering terror vanished from Lin Chang'an's face. Instead, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
When Zhang Qing brought the two corpses to Elder Lu's mansion, Elder Lu's face was livid. Never before had he been so enraged as he slammed his palm down on the table.
"It has only been a few days of peace!"
Looking at the furious Elder Lu, Zhang Qing sighed and shook his head. "Elder Lu, this Cold Moon Blade is far too obvious. With a little inquiry, one would know it was the third brother and the others."
Hearing Zhang Qing's words, Elder Lu laughed in fury. "It seems the nature of some cheap-boned wretches cannot be changed. Or perhaps this old man has been too merciful these past few years, allowing the little brats in the sect to nearly forget where they are!"
"The sect has shed so much blood and paid so much to finally amass the foundation it has today. Whoever dares obstruct the sect's grand plan, this old man will let him know the taste of a fate worse than death!"
"Please quell your anger, Elder Lu!" Though Elder Lu was smiling, the cold gleam in his eyes brought terrifying scenes to Zhang Qing's mind. Zhang Qing hurriedly lowered his head.
Yet Elder Lu was in no mood for patience. Looking at the two corpses in the room without the slightest disgust, he said cruelly, "Refine them into blood corpses and chain them outside the courtyard."
"And the families and relatives of these two trash—escort every last one of them here from within the sect, whether they possess spiritual roots and talent or not!"
Zhang Qing did not dare let Elder Lu continue. He hurriedly cupped his fists and pleaded, "Elder Lu, you watched them grow up from childhood. They have also shed blood for the sect."
However, faced with Zhang Qing's plea, Elder Lu looked at him with a smile that did not reach his eyes, staring until Zhang Qing's scalp went numb.
"Do not mention that they have shed blood for the sect. Even if they were this old man's own sons, if they dared ruin the sect's thousand-year grand plan, this old man would never show mercy."
His tone was decisive as iron, filled with no room for doubt. Having reached this point in changing the sect, he would never allow anyone to sabotage it.
In the silent room, only after a long while did Elder Lu let out a faint sigh.
"Lin Chang'an is still the clever one, unlike these people!" As he spoke, Elder Lu cast a disgusted glance at the two corpses.
Zhang Qing forced a smile. "Isn't that so? That kid is far too cunning. Elder Lu, you do not know this, but when I went over, he kept clutching the Cold Moon Blade and saying how he had nearly been assassinated. He did not even look at the two corpses. He clearly guessed something."
"Nonsense! That kid has been struggling and clawing his way through the Cultivation World alone at such a young age. If he were a sheep, he would have been eaten until not even bones remained." Elder Lu snorted coldly.
"They made it there without being discovered and silently infiltrated that kid's home. Combined with the Cold Moon Blade, who else could it be but one of our own!"
Zhang Qing could not help giving a bitter smile. "Elder Lu, judging by how Lin Chang'an looked before I arrived, as well as the wounds on him, if we do not give him some benefits, I fear resentment will take root in his heart."
"Resentment!" At the thought of Lin Chang'an, Elder Lu's ugly expression eased somewhat. He said in a deep voice, "Then do not give that kid any chance to feel resentment."
"Hand the families of these two traitors over to that kid to handle. At the same time, personally deliver some Spirit Stones and pills to him..."
The more Zhang Qing listened, the more envious he became. Elder Lu saw through his thoughts and finally spoke meaningfully.
"An alchemist with such potential is worth the sect doing this much for."
While Elder Lu and Zhang Qing discussed how to compensate Lin Chang'an and handle this matter, Lin Chang'an's room was far more lively.
The traces of destruction could no longer be seen, and a table was covered with lavish wine and food.
"Brother Lin, you think our own people did this?"
Lin Chang'an, seated at the wine table, no longer looked pale or weak in the slightest. Instead, he nodded with a faint smile.
Li Han frowned and said gravely, "Brother Lin has been drawing some attention lately. First, Elder Lu accepted you as his disciple, and now you have this position. Quite a few disciples who grew up in the sect have been whispering in private."
"On top of that, Brother Lin is an alchemist. Many people are green with envy. They likely wanted your wealth."
Li Han's analysis was not wrong, and Qi Feng beside him nodded as well. Yet Lin Chang'an slammed the table and glared at them furiously. "No! This was an assassination by outsiders, definitely enemies hostile to the sect!"
Lin Chang'an's resolute tone immediately enlightened Li Han and Qi Feng. Both revealed angry expressions as well.
"That is right. It must have been done by enemies seeking to harm the sect."
Even if they were fools, they understood now that this matter could not be investigated further. Who did they think they were? If they truly refused to let go, everyone would lose face.
In the end, they themselves would be the unlucky ones. It was better to insist that it had been an assassination by the sect's enemies; they might even be able to demand some benefits.
Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your support.
Before you continue