Feng Xiaotian leaned against the wall at the end of the corridor, waiting for Feng Lingtian. Seeing him emerge, he didn't ask any questions, only saying, "Let's go."
The two brothers walked back side by side. The lanterns on both sides of the corridor were already lit, and the flames flickered slightly in the night wind, lengthening and shortening their shadows.
After walking a few steps, Feng Lingtian said, "Brother, I want to go to the Speed Clan tomorrow."
Feng Xiaotian turned his head to look at him. "Go find Chief Bai He?"
"Hmm," Feng Lingtian said, "Our ancestor didn't get to the important matter today. But the things mentioned in that anonymous file are related to the Wind Control Divine Sect back then. The Speed Clan was also a member of the Wind Control Divine Sect, so I think the Speed Clan should know something."
Feng Xiaotian thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll go with you."
Feng Lingtian glanced at him but did not refuse.
The next morning, the two brothers left the Godwind Academy and headed towards the Speed Clan's encampment outside the city.
The Bai He Clan Chief received them without much pleasantries, leading them directly into the main hall and having tea served. Only after the aroma of the tea filled the air did he speak, "You've come to inquire about the events surrounding the Wind Control Divine Sect from back then?"
Feng Lingtian didn't beat around the bush. "Yes. I want to know what the Speed Clan went through back then."
Bai He remained silent for a while, as if reviewing those events in his mind, before slowly speaking, "When the Wind Control Divine Sect split, the Speed Clan was the most passive one."
He spoke slowly, as if choosing words that wouldn't cause misunderstanding. "When the people from the Spirit Hall came to us, they brought several written records, saying they were secret letters leaked from within the Speed Family."
Of course we don't believe it— the Speed Family and the Speed Clan have been brother sects since the founding of the Wind Control Divine Sect, how could they possibly betray us?
But the things the Spirit Hall produced were quite convincing; the time, place, and people all matched, making it impossible not to believe them completely.
Upon hearing this, Feng Lingtian's brow twitched slightly, but he did not interrupt.
"We didn't give a statement at the time, only saying we'd go back and investigate," Bai He said. "But during those few days of our hesitation, the Wind Sword Sect made their move first—"
They turned against the Speed Family, accusing Speed Family of betraying the foundation of the Wind Control Divine Sect.
Then, people from the Spirit Hall 'coincidentally' appeared, saying they wanted to help the Wind Sword Sect 'clean house'."
Bai He picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone carrying a weariness that lingered for a long time:
On the night the Speed Family was wiped out, the Speed Clan received a warning from the Spirit Hall—
They said if we intervened, we'd be next to be wiped out. Ultimately... we chose to protect ourselves.
When Bai He said the words "self-preservation," his voice lowered slightly.
Feng Lingtian didn't ask "Why didn't you go to save them?" because he already knew the answer to that question.
The Speed Clan possessed only speed, lacking offensive capabilities. At that time, they were also struggling to protect themselves; rashly attacking would only add to the clan's losses.
"Then we parted ways." Bai He put down his teacup. "Some went to the Clear Sky Sect for protection, and the rest went their separate ways. And that was the end of it."
After listening, Feng Lingtian was silent for a moment, then asked, "You just said those letters were 'seemingly authentic'—do you remember what they contained?"
Bai He thought for a moment, "The content is about the time, place, and people involved in the interactions with the Evil Soul Master."
Each entry was crystal clear, as if copied from some ledger.
Later we learned that the Wind Sword Sect had also received the same thing, just a different version.
Feng Lingtian memorized this information and didn't ask any more questions. He Feng Xiaotian sat for a while longer before getting up to take their leave.
After leaving the Speed Clan's territory, Feng Xiaotian walked ahead and remained silent for a long time before speaking, "So, every step of what happened back then was planned by the Spirit Hall."
While the Speed Clan was still hesitating, the Wind Sword Sect had already broken ties with the Speed Family;
By the time the Speed Clan wanted to mediate, the Spirit Hall's warning had already arrived.
Feng Lingtian nodded. "Yes, the Spirit Hall instigated the Wind Sword Sect to strike first, catching the Speed Clan off guard and leaving the Speed Family isolated and helpless. What a clever scheme."
Feng Xiaotian glanced at him. "So, does the truth you've pieced together match that anonymous dossier?"
"It roughly matches up," Feng Lingtian said, "But one crucial piece of information is missing—who within the Wind Control Divine Sect is informing the Spirit Hall?"
Feng Xiaotian did not answer, but both brothers knew in their hearts that the answer to this question did not lie with the Speed Clan.
It was already afternoon when they returned to the Godwind Academy. Just as they entered the gate, a student ran up to them and announced, "Seniors, the Dean wants you to go to the back mountain; Elder Bai is waiting for you."
Feng Lingtian Feng Xiaotian exchanged a glance, asked no further questions, and turned to walk towards the back of the mountain.
When they arrived, Bai Yuanqi was already sitting at the stone table in the courtyard, and two other people were sitting opposite him— Bai Qingyin and Feng Qingxuan.
Bai Qingyin looked much better than a few days ago, her gaze fixed intently on Bai Yuanqi, as if she had been listening to him for a long time.
Feng Lingtian sat down at the stone table, and Feng Xiaotian sat down beside him.
Bai Yuanqi glanced at the two brothers and said, "Before you came, I already told your parents some things."
You just went to see Old He, right? You must have heard some things from him, but he doesn't know everything.
Anyway, so much time has passed and I've been investigating for so many years, so I've obtained some evidence.
Since you're curious, I'll tell you the whole story from the beginning.
Bai Yuanqi spoke these words in a very calm tone, as if he were talking about something that had little to do with him. But the hand he placed on the table tightened slightly.
"Back when the Wind Control Divine Sect was formed by the unification of four clans, the Speed Family was at its core. Our Speed Family was responsible for producing elixirs, the Speed Clan was responsible for reconnaissance, and the Wind Sword Sect was responsible for offensive operations."
He paused for a moment, as if considering whether to say what he was about to say, but in the end he said, "There is another clan. They do not show themselves in front of outsiders and only take care of things in the shadows."
Apart from the patriarchs of each clan, no one else knew of the existence of the fourth clan.
Feng Qingxuan and Bai Qingyin were both somewhat surprised, but they didn't interrupt, clearly as this was the first time they had heard this information either.
"After the sect disbanded, that clan disappeared," Bai Yuanqi said. "I don't know where they went, or if they still exist. I haven't found out anything about these things yet."
Upon hearing this, Feng Lingtian's heart skipped a beat—the phrase "the fourth clan in the shadows" mentioned in the anonymous dossier matched what Bai Yuanqi had said.
Bai Yuanqi continued, "Before the Wind Control Divine Sect disbanded, the Speed Family accidentally discovered that the Spirit Hall was secretly cultivating Evil Soul Master."
We didn't make a fuss about it at the time because we lacked sufficient evidence, and if we did, the other party would turn the tables and accuse us.
We wanted to wait until we had verified the facts before informing the other three clans, but unfortunately, the Spirit Hall discovered our plan.
Bai Yuanqi's voice lowered. " The Spirit Hall first provoked the Wind Sword Sect, saying that the Speed Family and the Evil Soul Master were colluding."
He then used false evidence and intimidation to make the Speed Clan hesitate. After the relationship between the four families was completely torn apart, the Speed Family became isolated.
Bai Qingyin sat beside him without speaking, but her fingers were tightly gripping the hem of her clothes. Feng Qingxuan reached out and pressed down on the back of her hand, not letting go.
Bai Yuanqi didn't pause for long. "That night, the people from the Spirit Hall arrived very quickly."
The Speed Family's territory was besieged, and no one came to their aid— the Wind Sword Sect remained on the sidelines, the Speed Clan was warned not to interfere, and the clan lurking in the shadows never appeared from beginning to end. The Speed Family was annihilated, with only two people escaping.
He looked at Bai Qingyin, his gaze lingered for a moment, and then looked away.
Feng Qingxuan spoke up, "Those two people are Qingyin and Qingchuan."
Bai Yuanqi nodded.
The courtyard was quiet for a while.
Feng Xiaotian sat silently by the stone table until he heard this, then he said in a low voice, " The Speed Clan was restrained and couldn't make a move, and the Wind Sword Sect... never intended to come at all."
Just as Feng Lingtian was about to speak, Bai Yuanqi took out two items from his sleeve and placed them on the table.
"I looked at the file you gave me yesterday." He looked at Feng Lingtian. "The timeline recorded in it is basically consistent with what I said."
Then he pointed to the one next to him. "This one was delivered to my yard this morning. The person who delivered it didn't show up, but I know who sent it."
When Bai Yuanqi said, "I know who gave it to me," his tone was flat, as if he were stating something that didn't need explanation. Bai Qingyin glanced at him but didn't press the matter. Feng Lingtian didn't ask any further questions either.
Feng Lingtian reached out and took the new record, flipping through it. His brow furrowed slightly. The contents were more detailed than the anonymous file, including specific names and dates, as if someone had been tracking and recording this matter.
He looked at them for a while, comparing the two documents side by side, then looked up and said, "These two documents corroborate each other, which is enough to show that the person who gave them the documents had reliable information."
Bai Yuanqi looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
Feng Lingtian put down the file and added, "Right now, the most important thing is to find out who the spy is within the Wind Control Divine Sect."
"Who can get the news that the Speed Family has discovered the Evil Soul Master to the Spirit Hall beforehand, so they can make their move before the Speed Family makes it public?"
Bai Yuanqi remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'll handle this matter; you don't need to interfere."
Feng Lingtian didn't press further. He knew that his ancestor had already said everything he could today, and the remaining gaps couldn't be filled now.
Feng Xiaotian sat to the side, glanced at Feng Lingtian, then at the ancestor, as if he was thinking about something, but ultimately did not speak.
As darkness fell, lanterns on the courtyard wall were lit, their light casting shadows on everyone's faces, concealing unspoken words in the darkness.