In truth, Yun Huanling had orchestrated all of this.
Yes, Yun Huanling had intended to kill Hong Ming on the road from the very beginning.
He knew his master was too softhearted to execute the man and would, at most, lock him up again.
But he refused to accept that. Something like this had already happened once in the Heavenly Secret Sect, and the sect had suffered more than enough criticism from outsiders. He would not let it happen a second time.
Nor did he want to see A Jiu hurt a second time.
So he had secretly bought off someone from the Shadow Pavilion.
What he had not expected was that, when he saw Hong Ming die just like that, pain still pierced his heart.
Now he, too, had stained his hands with a fellow disciple's blood.
Of course, it was not only the people from the Heavenly Secret Sect who were shocked by what had happened. Those from the Heavenly Dawn Sect were as well.
Their leader knew they were no match for the Heavenly Secret Sect disciples. Hong Ming was dead now, too, but they could not simply return empty-handed.
Never mind anyone else-they would never get past Sect Leader Li.
The leader stared darkly at the Heavenly Secret Sect disciples. In the end, he shamelessly said, "The man died out of nowhere. Surely that doesn't count as us failing our assignment? How about this: we won't ask for fifty percent of your payment anymore, but you should still give us thirty percent!"
The few Heavenly Secret Sect disciples who had still been feeling sorrowful immediately cast that sorrow beyond the ninth heaven upon hearing this. They stared at the leader as though he were an idiot, some rare specimen.
The man really did seem to have