When Chen Jianghe stepped into the Xingyi Sect's mountain gate, the two disciples on guard almost didn't recognize him.
The green clothes were in pieces, with a shocking dark red color from the right shoulder to the chest. The blood had condensed into hard scabs, sticking the broken fabric and flesh together.
"Chen----Senior Brother Chen?!" one of them exclaimed and hurriedly stepped forward to help.
Chen Jianghe waved his hand to indicate that he could still walk.
"Mission Hall----Is there anyone still on duty?"
The disciple was startled and said quickly, "Yes, yes! Tonight, Deacon Zhao is on duty."
Before he finished speaking, Chen Jianghe had already walked past him. Although his pace was no longer as light and quick as usual, his speed was still not slow.
He stepped over the bluestone steps, passed through the empty and lonely square where people came and went during the day, and walked straight towards the half-opened red lacquered wooden door of the Mission Hall.
The lights inside the door are brightly lit.
Deacon Zhao is hiding behind a long case checking the task cards that have not been sold today.
Hearing the sound, he raised his head and was about to scold someone for being so rude. His eyes fell on Chen Jianghe, but his words stopped abruptly.
He stood up straight and his chair fell to the ground.
"Did you ---- Grade C-7?" Deacon Zhao's voice was tight, and he recognized the Soaring Wood Court disciple who just took the mission card from him this morning.
Chen Jianghe nodded.
He took out the blood-stained mission card from his arms and placed it gently on the case.
"Disciple Chen Jianghe, Hunting Ground No. C-7 is on a peripheral inspection mission and has returned."
After a pause, his voice remained calm. "Five people are traveling with us, Golden Pivot Court Sun Hongyao steward, Xu Tian, Liu Yu, Chen Yuan, Zhou Mao----"
"They all died in battle."
Deacon Zhao's pupils suddenly shrank, and he stared at Chen Jianghe.
"Black Wind Cave." Chen Jianghe didn't wait for him to ask, and spoke directly, "Guanshi Sun found out the bandit leader's lair and insisted on pursuing it.
After entering the cave, the bandit leader Black Wolf suddenly showed his strength and cast "7
He paused and said word by word, "Sun-Moon Demonic Art."
When the last four words came out, Deacon Zhao's face suddenly changed.
He is nearly fifty years old, has been a deacon in the Xingyi Sect for twenty-five years, and has seen too many ups and downs.
He knows better than most young disciples what these four words Sun-Moon Demonic Art mean.
It was an evil force that was eradicated by the five sects a hundred years ago and should have been completely extinct.
That is a taboo that is not tolerated by the entire righteous martial arts world by swallowing the essence and blood of warriors to improve their cultivation.
It is a bloody road that once stained, there will be no recovery.
"Are you sure?" Deacon Zhao's voice was extremely low, his Adam's apple rolling, "This is not a joke."
"The disciple has seen it with his own eyes." Chen Jianghe met his gaze without dodging, "Black Wolf's eyes were blood red, with Crescent Moon shadows in his pupils, and the veins all over his body were as red as cobwebs. The Gang Jin was just formed, but the strength was superficial but extremely sinister, and Guanshi Sun was the first to bear the brunt."
He lowered his eyes and slowed down his speech. "The disciple was on the edge of the battlefield and was responsible for external support. Manager Sun - ordered me to evacuate immediately, and she held a gun to stop the enemy -
His throat rolled and he said no more.
Deacon Zhao was silent for a long time.
He looked at the ferocious claw wound on Chen Jianghe's shoulder.
The injuries caused by Gang Jin are completely different from those caused by Hua Jin. The skin at the edge of the wound is abnormally dark red and has a faint tendency to collapse. This is a characteristic of the residual Gang Jin eroding the texture and cannot be faked.
He took a deep breath.
"Waiting here."
He turned around and walked quickly into the back room of the hall, where there were signaling bells that led directly to the inner gates of the courtyards.
After half a stick of incense.
Mission Hall The main hall is brightly lit.
The two Criminal Law Hall deacons arrived first, followed closely by the elder Golden Pivot Court who is on duty tonight - Sun Yuhai.
This elder, who is nearly seventy years old, is thin and has white hair as white as frost. He only has a pair of palms as broad as iron, with thick knuckles and callouses from holding guns for forty years.
When he entered the door, his steps were very steady, his face was solemn, and there was no sign of happiness or anger.
He stood still in front of the case, his light passed over Deacon Zhao, passed over the two Criminal Law Hall deacons, and landed on Chen Jianghe.
"Sun Hongyao."
He spoke, his voice not high, but with a kind of sadness. "How did you die?"
Chen Jianghe bowed and saluted.
He described the encounter outside Black Wind Cave, described Black Wolf fighting while retreating and luring the enemy deeper into the cave, and described the sudden burst of powerful pressure from the burly body in the cave hall.
He described the moment when Sun Hongyao Gilded Gold Spear was broken into two pieces, how Xu Tian Liu Yu was blown away by the aftermath of the force and embedded in the cave wall, and how the two Golden Pivot Court disciples were cut off at the waist before they even had time to scream.
He described himself as being more than ten feet away from the battlefield, using all his strength to Phantom Shadow Steps, and desperately escaping from the cave while being pursued by Black Wolf.
Then he rolled up his right sleeve.
The ferocious claw marks were exposed in the light.
The skin and flesh were everted, and the edges showed abnormal dark red ulceration. Deeply visible bone wounds were visible, and there were faint dark blood lines like spider webs spreading around.
Gangjin erosion has distinct characteristics.
Sun Yuhai stared at the wound for a long time.
"You escaped."
He spoke slowly, with no emotion in his voice.
"Yes." Chen Jianghe put down his sleeves, "This disciple is not good at studying and is unable to rescue his fellow disciples, so he can only ---- bring back the news."
Sun Yuhai didn't ask again.
He turned around and walked toward the door.
His steps were still steady, but the moment he crossed the threshold, his right hand, which had been caressing the cuffs of his sleeves, suddenly tightened.
Veins snake up from the back of the hand.
After three breaths, he let go.
"Prepare the coffin."
The voice was not loud, as if he was giving instructions to the Golden Pivot Court disciples who were following behind him.
"My granddaughter has always been pretty. Don't let her be wronged when looking for a good match."
He didn't look back.
The Golden Pivot Court disciple responded in a low voice.
Sun Yuhai's figure disappeared into the night.
According to the oral statements of the disciples who had previously detained the fourth and fifth children of Black Mountain Five Bandits and the confession of Chen Jianghe, Criminal Law Hall was dealt with very quickly.
At noon the next day, a document with the big red seal of the Criminal Law Hall was posted on the notice board at the inner door of the Criminal Law Hall.
The wording was concise and merciless. "Golden Pivot Court disciple Sun Hongyao was ordered to take charge of Hunting Ground No. C-7's inspection affairs. He tampered with the content of the task without authorization and forced his disciples to cross the border to pursue the enemy. As a result, the team was wiped out and the same sect was in trouble. Although he died, he cannot escape the blame. Golden Pivot Court was punished for his poor supervision and he was charged with self-examination and rectification."
There is another line of small words below: "Soaring Wood Court's disciple Chen Jianghe, who stayed calm in the face of danger and returned with key information, should be rewarded. Three boxes of Jade Skin Bone-Mending Paste", one bottle of "Blood Qi Pill", and two hundred taels of silver are given to him for his courage."
The news spread, and there was a lot of discussion within the inner circle.
Golden Pivot Court disciples were mostly silent. Occasionally, an aggrieved person whispered a few words, "Why blame the dead if the debt is gone after death?", but they were--
The older senior brother gave Sansan a cold look and shut up.
Soaring Wood Court Here, the atmosphere is much more subtle.
"Give Jade Skin Bone-Mending Paste? That's the top grade for healing Gang Jin injuries!" A disciple of Soaring Wood Court lowered his voice, with envy in his eyes.
"People have to pay for their lives." Another person pouted and looked at the notice board, "Four Golden Pivot Court died, and the leader Sun Hongyao also died, and he is the only one who came back alive. I give you this blessing, do you want it?"
The man from before just shut up.
Amidst the discussion, a figure came from outside the crowd.
The man was nearly seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back. His strong clothes outlined exaggerated muscle outlines, his arms were exposed, and his bronze skin glowed under the sun.
It is none other than Senior Sister Soaring Wood Court, Liu Shuling.
She stood in front of the notice board, raised her head and read those few lines from beginning to end.
Then, turn around.
"Where is Chen Jianghe?" she asked in a cheerful voice.
Some disciples quickly pointed in the direction of the private courtyard on the west side of Disciple Peak.
Liu Shuling nodded and strode towards that direction.
Disciple Peak West side, Shangfang courtyard.
Chen Jianghe was sitting cross-legged on the couch in the quiet room, his upper body naked, revealing his strong muscles and criss-crossed old injuries.
The Gangjin claw mark on the right shoulder has been cleaned and sutured. After applying Jade Skin Bone-Mending Paste, the dark red blood line on the edge has obviously faded and no longer spread to the surrounding areas.
He raised his hand and gently pressed the edge of the wound.
Tingling.
But it's seven points lighter than last night.
He lowered his head and glanced at the bottle of Blood Qi Pill beside the couch, then raised his eyes and looked out the window.
At the courtyard gate, a figure was striding in.
Liu Shuling didn't knock on the door.
She walked straight through the bluestone path, crossed the threshold, and stood at the door of the quiet room.
--
His eyes fell on Chen Jianghe's naked upper body and stayed for a moment on the carefully bandaged claw marks.
"How's the injury?" she asked.
"The Jade Skin Bone-Mending Paste given by the door is very useful." Chen Jianghe stood up, took the middle coat on the side and put it on, "The remaining energy has dissipated, and it will be fine after another three to five days."
Liu Shuling nodded.
She did not speak immediately, but pulled the wooden stool beside the couch and sat down. Her sitting posture was not graceful as a woman should be, but she had a sense of magnanimity and calmness.
"Did you read what Criminal Law Hall did?" she asked.
"Looked at it."
"What do you think?"
Chen Jianghe was silent for a moment.
"It is true that Sun Guan was at fault." He said slowly, "But the person is dead, and there is nothing wrong with pursuing punishment according to the sect's rules."
Liu Shuling stared at him and suddenly smiled.
That smile was hearty, with a hint of clarity and clarity.
"What you say is so impeccable."
She leaned back on the chair, crossed her arms across her chest, and said in a casual tone, "Sun Hongyao, that woman, I have dealt with her several times. Golden Pivot Court is a gun repairman, from Court Master to ordinary Among Tong disciples, who doesn't have eyeballs on the top of his head? She is especially so. Because her grandfather is the elder in the courtyard and she is at the peak of her energy, she beats and scolds ordinary disciples of the inner sect at every turn, and even treats us Soaring Wood Court like "trash"."
She paused and looked at Chen Jianghe: "This time she fell into Black Wind Cave, and all the Golden Pivot Court disciples she brought were wiped out. Only you, the Soaring Wood Court trash she despised the most, came back alive, and you brought back the key information about Sun-Moon Demonic Art's current life."
"Tsk." She smacked her tongue softly, "This slap is really loud."
Chen Jianghe did not answer the call.
He just looked back calmly, and Liu Shuling looked at him for a moment.
"Sun Yuhai didn't attack Golden Pivot Court today, not because I believed your words." She lowered her voice, "It's because Criminal Law Hall has already made a conclusion. If it happens at this time, it will only appear that Golden Pivot Court can't afford to lose, and it will further solidify his granddaughter's accusation of dereliction of duty and the destruction of the team."
She paused, her eyes sharp. "But he won't let it go."
"Sun Hongyao is the granddaughter he raised by himself. Although her qualifications are not top-notch, she is the only bloodline of the Sun Family's generation who has entered the inner sect. No one knows how much effort and resources he has spent on this granddaughter, but those old people Golden Pivot Court know it well."
"Now that the person is dead, the crime has been borne, and Golden Pivot Court has been punished. He cannot swallow this breath."
Liu Shuling looked directly at Chen Jianghe: "He needs an outlet. And you""
She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.
Chen Jianghe nodded. "Disciple understands."
Liu Shuling raised his eyebrows. "That's it?"
Chen Jianghe thought for a while and added, "Thank you, senior sister, for the tip."
Liu Shuling stared at him, suddenly raised his hand, and tapped his forehead lightly but not hard with his finger.
"Stop pretending to be stupid for me."
She retracted her hand, with a hint of helplessness in her tone, a hint of - I don't know whether to say it was to protect her shortcomings or to be resigned to her fate.
"Now that you have joined Soaring Wood Court, you are my junior brother, Liu Shuling. No matter how proud Sun Yuhai is, he would not dare to blatantly bully me, Soaring Wood Court, in front of me."
She stood up, walked to the door, and turned around. "During this period, you should recuperate honestly and don't run out. The Grade C-7 area is temporarily closed. The sect will send Elder Gang Jin to Black Wind Cave for verification. You have said everything you need to say, there is no need to say more."
After a pause, he then said, "That bottle of Blood Qi Pill, take one pill a day, don't skip it. You have a solid foundation, but due to the short period of practice, your Qi and blood foundation is a little thinner than those who have practiced hard for many years. Only when you have passed this hurdle can you be qualified to talk about the next step."
Chen Jianghe stood up and solemnly clasped his fists. "Senior sister's teachings, disciples should remember them carefully."
Liu Shuling waved his hand and strode out of the yard.
At the same moment, Golden Pivot Court.
Sun Yuhai is sitting alone on a futon in a quiet room, with a long desk in front of him.
There is a Gilded Gold Spear on the table.
The gun body is made of fine iron, measures eight feet and three inches, and weighs forty-seven kilograms.
This was the initiation gift for Sun Hongyao when she was twelve years old. He personally selected the materials for her, supervised the craftsmen, and took three months to create it.
He remembered that when his granddaughter took the gun that day, her eyebrows were crescent and she smiled as if she had received the most precious treasure in the world.
"Grandpa, what's the name of this gun?"
"When you make a name for yourself, make it yourself."
"Then I'm going to call it Cloud-Piercing"! From now on, I'll shoot through the sky with it and let all Xingyi Sect recognize my name Sun Hongyao!"
Cloud-Piercing Spear.
Now the gun body is broken into two pieces, and the tip is stained with dried blood, lying quietly on the long table, without the sharp and cold light it once had.
Sun Yuhai stretched out his right hand and gently stroked the broken area.
The fractures are uneven and were broken by huge force.
He closed his eyes and deduced it in his mind.
The granddaughter is at the peak of Huajin, and Gilded Gold Spear is a hundred-forged refined iron.
The force that can break this gun.
Gang Jin.
Undoubtedly.
And the claw marks on the shoulders of that Soaring Wood Court disciple----
It was also injured by Gang Jin.
The skin is everted, blood lines spread, and the traces of remaining energy eroding the texture are clearly discernible.
Everything was correct, but he knew exactly what his granddaughter was like.
He slowly opened his eyes, his eyes as deep as an ancient well.
"Here comes someone."
The disciples outside the door came in in response.
"Go and check." Sun Yuhai said in a low voice, "That Chen Jianghe, before joining Soaring Wood Court, all the details of Yilin County. Who did he study under, when did he become a disciple of Huajin, who did he fight against, and what were his achievements."
There was a pause.
"No matter how big or small it is, I will report it to you."
The disciple took the order and left.
The quiet room returned to silence.
Sun Yuhai lowered his head and looked back at the broken rod Gilded Gold Spear.
The barrel of the gun is cold, and there will no longer be that girl with crooked eyebrows holding it and calling him "Grandpa" with joy.
He raised his hand and gently wiped away the last bit of blood on the tip of the gun with his rough thumb.
A long time.
"Red medicine----"
He called out softly.