A Blade Cleaves the Junior Preceptor

Yang Xiao straightened his handsome black robe, put the Corpse-Binding Rope at his waist into his Storage Ring, and took out the Hundred-Spirit Spider Rope to hang in its place. He went to Senior Sister Lei's door and took out his notes. Just as he raised his hand, a voice sounded behind him.

"Yang Xiao, here to see your senior sister again?"

He turned to see Shen Laodao standing some distance away, watching him with an enigmatic smile. Beside him, Wang Huhu tossed a milk candy into her mouth and looked at him curiously. His gaze followed her little hand upward to Dongfang Mingyue, who glanced at him before looking away.

Standing together, the three looked remarkably like three generations of a family.

Yang Xiao grunted in acknowledgment. This was already the seventh time Shen Laodao had caught him here; he had long since become immune to other people's stares.

He turned and knocked, but there was still no response. He frowned. Senior Sister Lei had been away for almost half a month and still had not returned. He had no idea what business she had gone out to attend to.

He was about to leave when Chen Wuyou's door suddenly opened. Chen Wuyou stepped out, glanced into the distance with a frown, then came over and said, "In a moment, no matter how the visitors question you, insist that a man in black killed Luo Kedi."

Yang Xiao's heart lurched. Had Luo Kedi's family come?

Several tiny black dots suddenly appeared in the distant sky. They slowly grew larger, revealing several approaching demonic beasts, including a yellow-bodied, red-beaked Fat-Eyed Snake, a Gu Diao shaped like an eagle with horns on its head, and other rare, exotic creatures.

One or two imposing cultivators in lavish robes stood on the back of each beast.

A middle-aged man with an eagle-like mouth caught his attention. Though older, his face still bore traces of Luo Kedi's features. He must have been Luo Kedi's relative.

"Uncle Hu!" Wang Huhu flew up and hugged a muscular man with a square face.

The man wore a tiger-skin coat. Lifting Wang Huhu into his arms, he laughed. "Little tigress, I heard someone died up here. How are you? Were you hurt? If anyone's been bullying you, tell Uncle Hu. I'll flatten this Worry-Free Mountain."

Chen Wuyou, who was welcoming everyone with a smile, stiffened at those words. He stole a glance at Uncle Hu and shuddered, as though the man were a raging flood or a savage beast.

The commotion on the summit drew the disciples out. They hurried forward one after another to find their families.

For a moment, only three remained apart on the summit: Yang Xiao, Eldest Senior Brother Lei Jiuchen, and Dongfang Mingyue.

His attention stayed on the eagle-mouthed man. As the man listened to the cheerful reunions around him, his expression grew darker and darker. He sneered at Chen Wuyou. "Mountain Lord Chen, shouldn't you give me an explanation for my son's death on your mountain?"

Chen Wuyou hunched his shoulders and said quietly, "Junior Preceptor, it happened below the mountain."

The eagle-mouthed man's gaze gradually turned icy. Terrifying spiritual pressure poured from his body and bore down on Chen Wuyou as he said:

"I don't care whether my son died below the mountain or on it. Today, I want an explanation. If you cannot provide one, I will flatten your Worry-Free Mountain."

The powerful spiritual pressure forced Chen Wuyou to bend double. He stamped a foot against the ground, drawing a surge of Earth Vein Qi from beneath it, and only then managed to straighten.

Yang Xiao stepped forward and bowed. "Junior Preceptor, I was beside Junior Brother Luo when he died.

"A man in black had cornered Junior Brother Luo below the mountain. He was extremely powerful. I tried to save him, but the man knocked me unconscious.

"This truly had nothing to do with my master."

"Who do you think you are?" The Junior Preceptor swept his sleeve, and a surge of powerful magical energy formed a giant hand in midair, slamming Yang Xiao to the ground. "I am speaking to Chen Wuyou. Since when does a Qi Gathering Realm disciple like you have the right to interrupt?"

Sprawled on the ground, Yang Xiao struggled to rise, but the Junior Preceptor was far too powerful. A casual blow had shattered half the bones in his body.

And that was only because others were present, making it inconvenient for the Junior Preceptor to go too far against a low-level disciple.

Wang Huhu ran over and tried to help him up, but she only reached his waist. She got him halfway upright before he collapsed again.

He felt someone support his waist, and his whole body leaned against whoever had caught him. A floral fragrance drifted through the air. Yang Xiao breathed it in, then turned toward the icy beauty beside him, the Immortal. "Thank you."

Dongfang Mingyue's brows drew together slightly. "I came to help little sister Huhu."

The Junior Preceptor narrowed his eyes, a trace of murderous intent flashing through them. "My son died. Why are you still alive? Did you collude with that criminal to murder him?"

As he spoke, he reached out and made a grasping motion through the air. Yang Xiao felt a huge hand seize his neck and lift him.

"Luo Chao, you've gone too far." At the crucial moment, the burly man Wang Huhu called Uncle Hu flew between them. The invisible hand vanished, and Yang Xiao fell from the air.

He landed against something soft, leaning into Dongfang Mingyue. Her lovely face flushed slightly, and she pressed against his back to put some distance between them.

"Hu Xiao, it wasn't your son who died. Of course you aren't grieving." The Junior Preceptor's voice drifted over.

Yang Xiao gave a bitter smile. He knew this would not end peacefully. This Junior Preceptor was far too overbearing; he feared his life would end here today.

Screee!

An eagle's cry rang out overhead. A Blue-Eyed Golden Eagle flew in from afar and stopped above Worry-Free Mountain. A burly man in a Beast Robe, with a butcher's knife tucked at his waist, flew down.

"Junior Preceptor, why didn't you stop by Slaughter Heaven City when you came to my Heaven Domain?" Butcher's voice drifted down from the sky, echoing in everyone's ears.

Luo Chao's expression changed at the sight of him. He called out, "Sky Marquis, I came to Heaven Domain on private business. You attend to countless affairs every day. How could I dare disturb you?"

The people behind him bowed to Butcher. "Greetings, Sky Marquis."

Butcher landed on the summit and surveyed the crowd. When he saw Yang Xiao's injuries, anger flashed in his eyes. In a flash, he appeared beside him and took his hand. Yang Xiao felt a powerful current of magical energy circulate through his body. Then Butcher took out a pill and fed it to him.

Yang Xiao felt a force repairing his body. He sat cross-legged, and his injuries gradually improved.

He slowly opened his eyes and gave Butcher a reassuring look.

Butcher let out a relieved breath. He surveyed the crowd and said coldly, "Who injured... my nephew?"

Everyone froze, then turned toward Luo Chao.

Butcher fixed his gaze on Luo Chao and asked icily, "Junior Preceptor, what offense did my nephew commit against you to warrant such a vicious blow?"

With that, he swung his blade at Luo Chao. Luo Chao's expression changed, and a Spear appeared in his right hand in a flash of spiritual light. He held it horizontally before his chest.

But in the next instant, Luo Chao's expression changed drastically. He staggered back three steps and spat out a mouthful of blood, then looked up. "Sky Marquis, there has been a misunderstanding."

Butcher advanced toward Luo Chao, step by step. Just as he reached him, Uncle Hu stepped between them, his lips moving slightly as he said something to Butcher.

Butcher's expression shifted three times. Finally, he put away his butcher's knife and returned to Yang Xiao's side.

Inside Yang Xiao's room, Butcher waved the disciples away, then stared at him and asked, "Did you kill Luo Kedi?"

Yang Xiao nodded. "Luo Kedi wanted to kill me, so I killed him."

Butcher looked him up and down. "Your grandfather really never told you anything?"

Yang Xiao frowned. What did this have to do with the old man?

Butcher patted his shoulder. "What's done is done. With me here, Luo Chao won't dare do anything to you."

Watching Butcher walk out, Yang Xiao knew there were things he would never tell him. Asking would be pointless.

The next day, Chen Wuyou summoned him to his room. Luo Chao and Butcher were also there. Luo Chao questioned him about that day's events, though his attitude was much better this time.

Yang Xiao stubbornly insisted that a man in black had killed Luo Kedi. As for who that man was, it would be a miracle if Luo Chao could find him.

Luo Chao stayed on the mountain for half a month, turning all of Worry-Free Mountain upside down and searching the surrounding ten thousand li. Finally, he departed with a gloomy expression, taking Luo Kedi's... corpse with him.

Yang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief when Luo Chao left. Even with Butcher on the mountain, being watched by such a powerful man had made him nervous. He had feared Luo Chao might sneak into his room while Butcher was dozing and kill him with a single palm strike.

"Oh, right." Yang Xiao turned to Butcher. "Why did you suddenly come to Worry-Free Mountain?"

Butcher ruled Heaven Domain and was usually very busy, yet this time he had suddenly appeared on Worry-Free Mountain.

Butcher glared at him. "Because of you, of course. When I heard Luo Kedi had died, I had a bad feeling. Then Luo Chao entered Heaven Domain. I was afraid it might involve you, so I hurried over to take a look. Who would have thought you really were the one who killed him? You'll have to be more careful from now on."

A shadow settled over Yang Xiao's face. Luo Kedi's death had brought him enormous trouble.

"Does Luo Chao have powerful backing?" he asked.

To him, the ruler of a domain was already an immensely powerful figure. That day, Butcher had intended to kill Luo Chao, but the man Wang Huhu called Uncle Hu had stopped him. Only then had Butcher spared Luo Chao.

Butcher smiled. "Luo Chao himself is weaker than me, but he's the head of the Luo Family of the Imperial Capital and Great Zhou's Junior Preceptor. Killing him would bring me considerable trouble."

Butcher patted his shoulder and continued, "Luo Chao's gone. It's time I headed back too."

They had dinner together, then Butcher rode Little Blue away from Worry-Free Mountain.

Yang Xiao watched Butcher leave. He had thought he was doing quite well, but this incident had shown him that he was merely an ant others could crush at will. If Butcher had not arrived in time, he would probably have died on the summit.

He returned to his room and smiled bitterly at the Earth Vein Crystals Butcher had left him. He was already a qualified Earth Master and had no shortage of Earth Vein Crystals, yet Butcher had still secretly left him some.

After a night of cultivation, Yang Xiao stepped outside. The summit had grown deserted; the family members who had come up the mountain had long since departed.

He passed the Food Hall, its doors still shut. Senior Sister Lei had evidently not returned. He wondered what she had gone off to do.

He took Wang Huhu to visit Old Man Chen, then cooked a pot of meat soup with Shen Laodao. The three enjoyed a hearty meal.

Yang Xiao lived like this each day. His cultivation steadily improved, and his Qi Sea grew larger and larger.

A month later, Yang Xiao woke from meditation. He had exhausted the Earth Vein Crystals in his Storage Ring, and his Qi Sea had expanded to four hundred thousand li.

He opened his door and, following his usual routine, went to knock on Senior Sister Lei's door first.

As he approached, he saw that Chen Wuyou had arrived before him and was standing outside her room with his brows tightly furrowed.

Yang Xiao's heart sank. Had something happened to Senior Sister Lei?

He covered the distance in a few hurried strides, stopped before Chen Wuyou, and bowed. "Master, has something happened to Senior Sister Lei?"

Chen Wuyou turned to him. "Yang Xiao, I have a task for you.

"A month ago, people began disappearing every day from Chen Village, ten li east of Falling Blossom City.

"The city lord of Luo Hua City investigated for a while but found no clues, so he came to ask for my help. I was occupied at the time, so I sent your Senior Sister Lei.

"But more than a month has passed, and your Senior Sister Lei hasn't sent back any news. I'm worried something may have happened to her. I want to send you to investigate. Are you willing?"

Yang Xiao's mind went blank, and Lei Miaoyan's graceful figure appeared in his thoughts. He stepped forward. "I am willing."

It had only been a guess a moment ago. He had not expected that Senior Sister Lei really might be in trouble.

Yang Xiao sought out Shen Laodao. If Senior Sister Lei really was in trouble, going alone would be serving himself up on a platter. Bringing Shen Laodao would put his mind somewhat at ease.

The two flew out of the Carefree Sect, heading for the location Chen Wuyou had given them.

On the ground, they used Shrinking Earth to Inches, one behind the other, racing toward Chen Village.

Up ahead, Shen Laodao looked back. "Yang Xiao, remember what you promised me. Once we find your Senior Sister Lei, you'll pay for this humble monk to stay at the Perching Phoenix Pavilion for three days."

Yang Xiao nodded. "Once we find Senior Sister Lei, forget three days. I'll even pay for a month. But can that body of yours take it?"

Shen Laodao faltered, then turned and glared at him. "Forget seven days. Even after a month, this humble monk would still come out as lively as a dragon and tiger."

"Unlike a certain someone who couldn't take it after just half a quarter of an hour. Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Yang Xiao rolled his eyes at him. He had only gone there to buy artifact-refining materials, unlike a certain someone whose head was filled with all sorts of filthy nonsense.