Dark clouds blanketed the sky, which lay gray and gloomy, exuding an eerie air. Oppression hung thick in the atmosphere, a suffocating sensation.
The howling wind swept fallen leaves from the ground, kicked up dust, and sent it swirling through the air. A travel-worn caravan of horses appeared on the horizon.
As the caravan drew closer, Li Mu's expression grew grave. The junior brothers and sisters behind him were even more affected by the oppressive atmosphere, not daring to utter a word.
Frankly, Li Mu truly didn't want to draw attention to himself at a time like this. Welcoming the sect's elders back in triumph while dressed in mourning clothes—just thinking about that awkward scene was enough to make him want to crumble.
But there was no choice. Grandmaster Liu was highly esteemed and the most senior by generation, so he naturally couldn't come out to welcome these juniors. The few remaining senior disciples of the inner sect were all recovering from their injuries, leaving Li Mu to lead his junior brothers and sisters in welcoming the returning group.
"Disciple Li Bumu, bearing..."
Before he could finish, the elder at the head of the caravan cut him off. "The sect has suffered a calamity. There's no need for all this fancy nonsense."
Li Mu silently rolled his eyes. These were old sect customs. If he'd had the authority to change them, he would have abolished them long ago.
The elders who'd established these rules probably hadn't imagined that such an awkward situation would ever arise.
In truth, Li Mu had already shown some nerve by having the welcoming music and ceremony canceled in advance. Otherwise, things would have been even more awkward.
Having been scolded by one of the sect elders, Li Mu didn't mind; he was used to getting chewed out by the higher-ups. But his junior brothers and sisters behind him couldn't take it. They looked like eggplants beaten by frost, and some of the younger ones were on the verge of tears.
"Don't blame them. This was a difficult task for them."
When Ning Qingyu stepped down from the carriage and spoke, Li Mu's expression changed instantly. Only one thought filled his mind: The Sect Leader is injured.
Although he'd never seen Ning Qingyu fight anyone, the tip of the iceberg he'd revealed during the tournament had shown Li Mu that he was one of the world's foremost experts.
Who could have injured him this badly?
Li Mu ran through the famous experts of the martial world in his mind, but still couldn't identify a suspect.
At this point, there was no point dwelling on it. Fortunately, this was a wuxia world, where the unscientific existence of internal energy could work wonders. Otherwise, in Ning Qingyu's current state, he'd have been as good as dead already.
Li Mu hadn't wasted the past six months. He'd skimmed through nearly all the books collected in the Scripture Library, and his knowledge and perspective were far beyond what they'd been before.
Even so, he was helpless when it came to Ning Qingyu's current condition.
All he could do now was hope that one of the sect's elders had a hidden method capable of healing such an injury. But that hope was exceedingly slim.
With all his internal organs damaged, no medicine could treat the condition. Even the legendary rare treasures of nature were said to have no such effect.
As for martial arts manuals, Mount Hua Sect's techniques already placed great emphasis on health preservation. But preserving one's health wasn't the same as bringing the dead back to life.
Rummaging through his memories, Li Mu recalled that the only possible method seemed to be the Seven Injury Fist of the Kongtong Sect. When trained to its highest level and used to break through to the innate realm, it could heal injuries like these.
Obviously, in Ning Qingyu's current condition, he couldn't practice the Seven Injury Fist even if the manual were placed right in front of him.
If something happened to Ning Qingyu, who would be able to suppress the conflict between the Sword and Qi Factions within the sect?
Li Mu knew that the Mount Hua Sect was about to face major trouble, and so was he.
His original plan had been to contend for the position of Sect Leader's successor and prevent a clash between the Sword and Qi Factions. But that plan had been built on the assumption that Ning Qingyu would remain alive.
Now, all he could do was hope Ning Qingyu would hold on for a few more years—preferably until Li Mu had broken through to the peak realm and gained the strength to steer the sect's internal disputes.
Sword Qi Soaring Hall
The sect's senior figures had gathered in the hall. Li Mu had a place in the corner, becoming the third disciple of the Bu generation, after Cai and Yao, to qualify for the sect's deliberations.
His status had risen, but Li Mu couldn't bring himself to feel happy. Whether it was misplaced anger or a clash of interests, quite a few elders glared at him.
Grandmaster Liu briefly described the attack on the sect. Everyone ground their teeth in hatred for the traitors, and a few hot-tempered ones had already started cursing.
From the seat of honor, Ning Qingyu raised a hand to silence them. "Uncle-Master Liu has already explained the attack on the sect. The main cause was that traitors acted from within and without.
"Our most urgent task is to root out the traitors hiding in the sect as soon as possible. Senior Brother Yang, you will lead the investigation, with Buzhou, Buli, and Bu Mu assisting you.
"The Mount Hua Sect has always rewarded merit and punished wrongdoing. Those who have rendered service must be rewarded, and those at fault must be punished. The traitors' collusion from within was certainly one cause of the attack, but negligence among the disciples on watch was another.
"Junior Brother Yue, you oversee the sect's laws and discipline. You will handle this matter and make sure every person responsible is held to account.
"Junior Brother Feng, you will take care of compensation for the fallen disciples and rewards for those who rendered meritorious service. Follow the sect's established rules, and make sure that..."
The whole matter was settled with lightning speed. Li Mu gained a clearer understanding of Ning Qingyu's standing within the sect.
He'd just seen some elders wanting to voice objections. Several of them had nearly risen to their feet, especially when Li Mu was placed on the list of assistants, but in the end they held themselves back.
Joining the investigation team might not seem to bring any benefits, but it was a clear political signal: Li Mu's standing in the sect had risen to match that of Cai and Yao.
The outcome was both beyond Li Mu's expectations and within them.
During the attack on the sect, his performance had been praiseworthy. More than a hundred fellow disciples had witnessed it firsthand; no one could erase his accomplishments.
Besides, he'd secured Grandmaster Liu's support beforehand, and just now Liu had directly named him the foremost contributor in repelling the Demonic Cult's evil followers.
Given his achievements and strength, his status in the sect was bound to rise. He just hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
From this, it was clear that Ning Qingyu's standing within the sect was no accident.
Even when he schemed against others, he did so openly and honorably—a bright scheme that gave no one grounds to criticize him.
Putting Li Mu forward at a time like this not only soothed the Sword Sect disciples but also took the opportunity to divide the Sword Sect.
Both disciples were highly capable, but there could only be one successor to the Sect Leader. Supporting one meant giving up the other. In this way, the differences within the Sword Sect had been brought into the open.
This issue wouldn't be resolved in a day or two. Once the Sword Sect started fighting among itself, it wouldn't have time to cause trouble for him.
By contrast, things were much better in the Qi Sect. Although Yao Buzhou was the overwhelming choice, no one from the Qi Sect had yet emerged who was better than him.
Even if someone was dissatisfied with Yao Buzhou, they would choose to remain neutral at a time like this. No matter what, they couldn't possibly go and support the successor put forward by the Sword Sect.
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