Chen Shi'an blinked, his face filled with shock, bewilderment, and profound disappointment.
He shook his head and murmured, "Why would the Sect Master and the others leave when everything was fine?"
Gao Tianfang answered promptly, "I'm still investigating the exact reason."
At this, he gave a soft snort. "You're feeling terribly disappointed right now, aren't you? You can't understand why Hong Qingliu abandoned you too."
Chen Shi'an said nothing, but the dejection on his face and the disappointment in his eyes gave the answer.
Gao Tianfang cleared his throat. "To carry out his plans, Hong Qingliu abandoned the sect grounds and most of the Earth Pill Sect's people.
"Abandoning you alone was only to be expected.
"Besides, sending such a promising young talent as you to deliver the pills gave him the best possible cover.
"Jing Yuan, in Hong Qingliu's eyes, you're nothing more than a pawn, a slightly more important pawn, but one he could still discard when necessary."
Chen Shi'an fell silent for a long while. "Commander-in-Chief, I don't deny what you've said, but I still don't understand. Why would the Sect Master and the others leave when everything was fine?"
Gao Tianfang raised his brows slightly. "As I just told you, I'm investigating the exact reason."
Chen Shi'an lifted his head slightly and looked straight at Gao Tianfang. "Since you reached the conclusion that the Sect Master and the others fled, Commander-in-Chief, you must know some of the reasons."
Gao Tianfang paused briefly, then said slowly, "One possible reason is that, not long ago, I sent Deputy Commander-in-Chief Dong to your Earth Pill Sect to inform Hong Qingliu that the number of Origin-Replenishing Pills you had to hand over every six months would be doubled."
Chen Shi'an shook his head. "That might not be why the Sect