Black-Clad Strongman

Chu Zeming looked up at Xuan Mo.

Xuan Mo was still lowering his head, searching through the pile of books for the most basic one, but his expression was utterly serious.

"I will follow Senior Brother always and watch with my own eyes as you ascend to the highest point in this world."

A rare, calm and gentle smile appeared on Chu Zeming's striking face.

"Alright."

I definitely won't let you down.

Before the ancestral hall of the Nine-Clear Haoran Sect.

Ling Yunzi stood quietly before the portraits of generations of founding elders and sect masters. Incense and candles burned silently in the hall, filling the air with the scent of ash.

A crisp sound rang out.

An oracle bone carved with intricate patterns and suffused with an ancient, unfathomable aura fell to the ground.

Then, with a crack, the oracle bone shattered.

Ling Yunzi's expression changed abruptly.

He hurriedly crouched down and picked up the divination to examine it.

This Tortoiseshell Hexagram had been left to him by the previous sect master of the Nine-Clear Haoran Sect—his master, and also his father—when his lifespan ran out. It possessed the ability to foresee the future for one blessed with great fortune.

The sect elders had been deeply dissatisfied with his demotion of Chu Zeming to the outer sect.

Chu Zeming had just taken first place in the Joint Grand Tournament and won honor for the sect, only to be treated like this upon his return. It was truly excessive. With talent like Chu Zeming's, he was bound to become someone great; he should have been cherished and protected, not suppressed.

This could not help making Ling Yunzi wonder whether he had truly been wrong.

To make sure he was not mistaken, Ling Yunzi returned to the ancestral hall and recast the question from before.

Seeing the result revealed by the hexagram, a relieved smile appeared on Ling Yunzi's face.

He knew it. He could not possibly be wrong.

Even though the tortoiseshell had been unable to withstand a second divination and shattered, the hexagram still clearly indicated that the one blessed with great fortune was a disciple who had entered the sect halfway through.

Perhaps... Chu Zeming had stolen Lian'er's fortune.

According to the news, Yue Lian and Chu Zeming had reached the very top of the Divine Tree together this time, yet Lian'er had gained nothing. Perhaps Chu Zeming had taken the ancient secret treasure that had originally belonged to Lian'er first.

The more Ling Yunzi thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was the truth.

His expression immediately turned rather ugly.

Yue Lian would become an immortal.

How many immortals could a sect produce? Especially a small sect like the Nine-Clear Haoran Sect, whose foundations were not deep enough.

The elders simply did not understand.

Ling Yunzi gathered up the shattered oracle bones from the ground and turned with a flick of his sleeve. Yet before he could leave the ancestral hall, an enormous sack suddenly dropped from above.

Ling Yunzi's heart tightened.

Before he could react and determine what it was, an intense pain exploded in his head.

Ling Yunzi tried to break free from the sack, only to discover that it was actually an artifact!

His divine sense could not penetrate it, and even with his Out-of-Body Stage cultivation, he could not break free at all.

Dense waves of pain spread across his body.

It seemed someone was smashing him with an artifact like a brick. His body was clearly already incredibly tough, yet he could not resist this person's brutal beating whatsoever.

Clutching his head, Ling Yunzi curled up into a ball in miserable disarray. In the pitch-black darkness, he shouted furiously, "Who dares run wild within my sect?! You dare attack me—do you know who I am?!"

The person outside did not answer him.

But the beating did not stop.

"Since Senior can silently bypass the guards and reach the ancestral hall, your cultivation must be considerable. Why not fight me openly and honorably? Why resort to such lowly methods?!" Ling Yunzi wanted to curse loudly, but he had always carried himself too loftily, and there were simply not many vulgar words in his mind.

Amid a barrage of savage blows, Ling Yunzi fainted.

Yue Lian recalled the Lifebound Brick into his body, then rose and gave Ling Yunzi a kick.

He turned and left.

After taking only two steps, he felt that this was letting Ling Yunzi off too easily, so he pondered it and turned back.

Hoisting the motionless Ling Yunzi from the ground, Yue Lian willed it, and in the next instant, the two vanished from the ancestral hall into thin air.

The next day.

Chu Zeming was sweeping the courtyard.

He suddenly saw Xuan Mo hurrying over, wearing a rather strange expression.

Chu Zeming stopped what he was doing and frowned. "What happened?"

Xuan Mo told Chu Zeming gravely, "Something major happened in the sect. Master... is extremely angry."

Chu Zeming raised his brows, signaling Xuan Mo to continue.

Xuan Mo took a deep breath before continuing in a complicated tone, "Master... was beaten up. This morning, Junior Brother fished him out of the livestock dung pit behind the mountain while crying."

As soon as the words fell, silence descended.

Then came a snort of laughter.

Xuan Mo looked helplessly at his eldest senior brother.

Chu Zeming reined in his expression and said solemnly, "Sorry. I don't usually laugh. I simply couldn't hold it in."

Within his sea of consciousness, the Immortal Residence's consciousness transmitted a resentful emotion, and Chu Zeming could not help laughing again.

Just who had Ling Yunzi offended to come up with the same vicious trick as him and toss the man into a dung pit?

Too excessive!

I really want to make friends with them.

The look of mutual appreciation between heroes on Chu Zeming's face was a little too obvious, and Xuan Mo could not help reminding him, "Senior Brother, rein in that expression. The sect master is furious. He is gathering every disciple in the sect at the plaza for a meeting right now. He said we must catch that person, so I came to call you to the assembly."

Chu Zeming rubbed his handsome face, which had grown stiff from smiling, and said deeply, "We must catch this person. How dare they do such a thing to my noble Linglingzi! They are simply treating my Nine-Clear Haoran Sect as if it does not exist. Come, let's go take a look at him."

Along the way, disciples hurried toward the plaza, every one of them wearing a grave expression.

Of course, perhaps they wanted to laugh a little, but did not dare show it.

When they reached the plaza, Xuan Mo parted from Chu Zeming.

After all, Xuan Mo was the sect master's disciple and had to stand beside the sect master, while Chu Zeming, as an ordinary outer sect servant, had to stand below in the plaza.

Through the bustling crowd, Chu Zeming saw Ling Yunzi, whose gaze was icy and whose face was the color of wilted vegetables.

"Silence!"

He spoke, and his highly penetrating voice abruptly rang across the entire plaza.

All the disciples below instantly fell silent.

After sweeping a stern gaze over the disciples below, Ling Yunzi continued, "A thief has infiltrated the sect. Their cultivation is at least at the Out-of-Body Stage. They brazenly provoked the dignity of our sect and threw this venerable one... this venerable one into a filthy place! I do not know what the sect's patrol disciples were doing. If Lian'er had not found me, who knows how long this venerable one would have remained in there! From now on, the entire sect will be on alert. We must capture this thief and restore peace to our sect! After the assembly, return to your residences at once. Law enforcement disciples will notify you of the tasks assigned to you. And... if this venerable one hears anyone discussing this matter in private, you will be severely punished!"

"Yes—Sect Master!" Amid the unified response, there were still a few voices struggling to suppress laughter.

Hearing those sounds, Ling Yunzi's expression grew even colder.

He had bathed many times and used spells to cleanse himself from head to toe, but he still felt as though an inescapable stench lingered on him. He knew that many disciples in the sect were laughing at him; he could only shut their mouths on the surface.

He did not know whom he had offended to invite such severe retaliation. He had suspected Chu Zeming as well, but after privately questioning the other outer sect servants, he learned that Chu Zeming had been tidying his own courtyard on the day of the incident. Furthermore, Chu Zeming's cultivation was lower than his, and he did not possess the ability to knock him unconscious without a sound. Only then did Ling Yunzi suppress the suspicions in his heart.

With an ugly expression, Ling Yunzi gave a cold snort and vanished from where he stood.

The disciples in the plaza dispersed. Chu Zeming also very consciously returned to his little bamboo hut, cultivating and meditating while waiting for news. Though he disliked Ling Yunzi, an internal thief had entered the sect, and he still had to do his part.

Before long, a law enforcement disciple indeed came to his door. "Eldest Senior Brother, are you here?"

Although he was no longer Ling Yunzi's disciple, everyone in the sect still called him Eldest Senior Brother. Chu Zeming had corrected them several times to no effect, so he simply let them be.

Opening the door, Chu Zeming saw three law enforcement disciples standing outside. The leader was a junior brother surnamed Zhang, whom he had once trained at the martial practice grounds. Chu Zeming remembered that he had only been at the Light-Opening Stage back then; unexpectedly, he had already reached the Heart-Movement Stage so quickly.

Chu Zeming looked at him with a sigh before asking, "Junior Brother Zhang, where should I go?"

The sect master specifically ordered you to patrol the back mountain alone.

The law enforcement disciple looked at the young man in dark robes before him, but ultimately swallowed those words. Smiling, he said, "Eldest Senior Brother, your task this time is simple. You only need to monitor the sect gate entrance together with three other senior and junior brothers."

The other two law enforcement disciples beside him looked at the senior brother in front of them in surprise, then lowered their heads and concealed their unusual expressions.

Regarding Senior Brother Zhang's unauthorized alteration of the order, both chose to pretend they knew nothing.

Monitoring and patrolling the gate was an extremely easy task.

After all, no matter what, no thief could be foolish enough to openly appear near the main gate.

Upon hearing that he was assigned to patrol the gate, Chu Zeming could not help feeling surprised that Ling Yunzi had not taken the opportunity to make things difficult for him. But after looking at the three men's expressions, he guessed that they had likely been outwardly obedient while secretly defying the order.

Chu Zeming said bluntly, "You do not need to consider me. Just tell me directly."

But Junior Brother Zhang answered with a smile, "We were not considering Senior Brother. This is indeed Eldest Senior Brother's assignment."

After saying that, he did not add anything further. He turned and left with the other two junior brothers.

Chu Zeming quietly watched the three departing figures.

He could not help letting out a sigh.

This was precisely why he... found it so hard to part with this sect.

Casting aside the thoughts in his heart, Chu Zeming gave Xiao Hei, who had been constantly squirming in his collar and making him itch, a beating. Then he straightened his clothes, closed the door, and headed for the sect gate.

Before he even reached the gate, Chu Zeming heard the shouts of two or three disciples from afar.

"Thief! Someone come quickly!! We found the thief!!"

"Why are you skulking around here? Speak! Was it you who threw our sect master into the dung pit?!"

"If you refuse to speak, do not blame us for being rude!"

At the sect entrance, three disciples dressed in sect robes gripped their weapons tightly, each filled with righteous indignation. In the middle of the three squatted a tall, burly man in a black hooded cloak.

Hearing the three draw weapons against him without a word of explanation, the man became furious. "What thief?! I'm not a thief! I came to join your sect! Hurry and call out your Eldest Senior Brother Chu Zeming—I came to find him!"

That voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Chu Zeming's heart stirred, and he immediately turned into a streak of light and landed beside them.

"What happened?"

Seeing Chu Zeming, the three disciples hurriedly moved aside a little.

"Eldest Senior Brother."

"Eldest Senior Brother, we found a suspicious person. He was skulking about and dressed so strangely."

"His strength is also formidable. If the three of us had not joined forces, we could not have subdued him at all!"

Chu Zeming walked up to the strange, suspicious person and stared at the eyes exposed beneath his hood. After hesitating for a long time, he finally called out, "Chang Wei?"

The black-clad, hooded strongman's eyes immediately curved at the words. He answered with an excited "Yeah!" and said, "Brother Chu, I came to find you!"