After the Ghost King Sect issued its wanted notice, considerably more martial artists came and went through the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range. Most intended to try their luck. If they encountered the culprit who had killed Sun Qi, they could earn a reward simply by notifying the Ghost King Sect!
Qi Tianlong of the Ghost King Sect wore black robes, his eyes like cold stars. Undying, indestructible Ghost Qi swirled around him, inspiring dread in all who saw him.
Since the wanted notice spread like a phantom in the dark night-yet this was merely the prelude to the storm.
Qi Tianlong issued another ironclad order: "All disciples of my Ghost King Sect, if you encounter anyone from the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect, ask no questions. Kill without mercy!
"At the same time, he secretly dispatched additional elites deep into the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range, vowing to drag out the mastermind and wash away his earlier humiliation.
Meanwhile, within the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect, Sect Master Liu Ran was a middle-aged man with a composed face, his eyes revealing extraordinary wisdom and resolve.
Faced with the Ghost King Sect's aggression, he chose not to retreat, but to respond with a more sophisticated strategy.
Hmph, this Qi Tianlong has gone too far! Isn't he afraid of being used as someone else's spear?
Liu Ran knew full well that direct confrontation would only grievously weaken both sects, leaving the Vajra Sect and the imperial family, watching like hungry tigers, to reap the fisherman's rewards.
Or perhaps some other faction! Liu Ran kept sensing the scent of another conspiracy!
Thus, he swiftly spread word that someone impersonating a Falling Rosy Clouds Sect disciple had committed the deed, intending to sow discord and spark a war between the sects.
Just what was this young man named Tian Luo after? He entered the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect, learned the Falling Rosy Clouds Sword Art, then killed a true disciple of the Ghost King Sect.
If Luo Tian heard Liu Ran's words, he would surely have said, "Would you believe me if I said it was a coincidence?"
At the same time, Liu Ran strictly ordered the sect's weaker disciples to limit their trips outside and quietly await the truth coming to light.
"Our Falling Rosy Clouds Sect has never feared any challenge, but neither will we blindly take up a fight.
"Liu Ran's voice echoed through the sect's great hall, every word ringing with weight. "What we must do is find the true culprit, clear our name, and leave those scoundrels lurking in the shadows nowhere to hide."
To uncover the truth, Liu Ran personally dispatched the grand elder and the disciplinary elders. Among them were men of profound cultivation and broad experience, entrusted with the important task of going to the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range to investigate the mysterious incident in depth.
And on these elders' list, particular mention was made of the name Tian Luo-an inner disciple recently in the sect.
Tian Luo behaved strangely, yet possessed exceptional cultivation talent and keen insight. He had only recently joined the sect, and there were problems with his identity. He seemed connected to this incident by a thousand tangled threads.
He dared accept an A-rank mission at only the middle Sea Transformation Realm, and still had not returned to the sect!
He had also registered to practice the Falling Rosy Clouds Sword Art. It was practically certain that there was something wrong with this Luo Tian's identity!
How could there be such a coincidence?
In the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range, ancient trees towered into the sky, and clouds and mist swirled, concealing countless unknowns and dangers.
Several elders of the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect moved through it, every step filled with vigilance and caution.
Not only did they have to guard against surprise attacks from the Ghost King Sect, they also had to unravel layer upon layer of mist to find the truth hidden in the darkness.
The fates of the Ghost King Sect and the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect were tightly bound together, while the true mastermind was training in the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range, quietly watching the grand play he had directed.
Amid the mists that never dispersed throughout the year in the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range, two utterly different presences quietly collided, as though the oldest grudge between heaven and earth had been gently stirred by an invisible hand at that moment.
The Ghost King Sect and the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect rarely crossed paths because of generations of enmity, yet a bizarre murder had forced these two great sects to face each other in this shadow-shrouded mountain range.
Gui Ming, grand elder of the Ghost King Sect, wore black robes that fluttered lightly in the wind. His eyes were as deep as abysses, as though they could see through all falsehood in the world.
He held a ghost-headed staff as black as night. The hideous ghost face carved into its head looked as though it could devour the surrounding souls at any moment.
Lin Ye, grand elder of the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect, wore blue-green robes with fluttering sleeves. His white hair and long beard made him resemble an aged man who had stepped out of the mundane world, and he held the hilt of a longsword some three and a half feet long!
This sword was half a foot longer than other people's, making it rather unusual!
"Hmph! To think you were the one leading the party into the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range, Lin Ye. Enemies truly do meet on a narrow road." Gui Ming's voice was low and icy, like a cold wind from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, making one's blood run cold.
His words were filled with disdain and resentment toward the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect, as though Sun Qi's death were already a crime for which the sect bore undeniable responsibility.
At these words, Lin Ye knitted his brows. A flash of anger crossed his eyes, but reason quickly suppressed it.
"Gui Ming, although our sects have longstanding grievances, today's matter concerns the cause of Sun Qi's death, not the grudges between us.
"His words were clear and forceful, each one like a maxim spoken after deep deliberation.
"Which disciple of my Falling Rosy Clouds Sect isn't open and upright? How could they commit such a despicable act? How can you jump to conclusions based on mere guesses?"
Gui Ming sneered and slammed his ghost-headed staff into the ground. A crack immediately split the earth, releasing waves of cold, sinister Qi.
"Hmph, you still dare quibble? Your Falling Rosy Clouds Sect has always excelled at deception. Who can guarantee this isn't another of your schemes?
"Sun Qi's death is riddled with suspicious details, and the clues left at the scene clearly point to your Falling Rosy Clouds Sect!"
"Enough nonsense! Let me see just how much you amount to!"
Gui Ming leaped up and attacked instantly, swinging his ghost-headed staff fiercely as he shouted, "Ten Thousand Ghost Shadows!" Hundreds of shadows resembling wandering ghosts opened their gaping mouths and lunged straight at the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect's party, engulfing them.
At the sight, Lin Ye hastily rose into the air, drew his three-and-a-half-foot longsword, and swept out several streaks of sword light in succession.
"One Sword, Long Rainbow!" Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Several enormous streaks of sword light flashed like brilliant golden light, slashing toward the oncoming ghost shadows!
Boom, boom, boom! The lingering shock waves from the collision whipped up rolling clouds of dust. Branches snapped, swirling through the sky amid fallen leaves!
After one exchange, the two were evenly matched!
Lin Ye's expression shifted slightly, but quickly regained its calm. "Gui Ming, being so arbitrary and failing to distinguish right from wrong will only let the true culprit roam free.
"I, Lin Ye, swear here and now that if Sun Qi's death truly involves my Falling Rosy Clouds Sect, I will personally bring the culprit to justice.
"But before that, we should join forces to investigate the truth, rather than quarrel pointlessly here."
With that, he looked at Gui Ming, his eyes shining with resolve and wisdom, as though he could already see the moment when they pierced the mist and revealed the truth.
"Oh?" Hearing Lin Ye's solemn assurances, Gui Ming spoke with lingering doubt.
"Then what clues do you have now? The culprit used your Falling Rosy Clouds Sect's Falling Rosy Clouds Sword Art with such proficiency. Clearly, he wasn't an ordinary disciple?"
Gui Ming said, "Could one of your Falling Rosy Clouds Sect's elders have done it?"
Lin Ye said, "Impossible. Even our true disciples are at the peak Sea Transformation Realm.
"And every elder is very busy. How could they come to the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range specifically to kill Sun Qi?
"Even our sect master's Falling Rosy Clouds Sword Art isn't that proficient!
"What would our purpose be? Doing this would only spark a war between our sects!
"Besides, the culprit's intention in using the Falling Rosy Clouds Sword Art was far too obvious, all over a single Twin-Horned Poison Crocodile Beast!
"You saw what happened in the recording too. Clearly, Sun Qi and the others were killed because they tried to seize the spoils!"
Gui Ming fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. He knew full well that Lin Ye spoke the truth. If they could not find the real culprit soon, the rift between their sects would only widen, possibly leading to irreparable consequences in the end.
"Fine! Then what direction is your investigation taking? Searching blindly won't turn up anyone. He must have disguised himself! He'll have fled long ago!"
Lin Ye said, "We currently have several people to investigate. An inner disciple named Tian Luo is the most suspicious. He was very unusual. He accepted an A-rank mission from our Falling Rosy Clouds Sect, and its location was the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range! His cultivation was only at the middle Sea Transformation Realm!
"And he was merely a newly promoted inner disciple who hadn't been in the Falling Rosy Clouds Sect long. He also practiced the Falling Rosy Clouds Sword Art!
"Furthermore, daring to accept an A-rank mission with Sea Transformation Realm strength clearly means there's something wrong with him. If he's the culprit, though, mastering the Falling Rosy Clouds Sword Art to such a degree in so little time would be impossible!
"So he's suspicious, but we can't confirm it was him. This inner disciple hasn't returned to the sect. He might still be in the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range!"
Gui Ming said, "Who cares whether it was him? If he's suspicious, we must seize him and interrogate him!"
"We'll search for him in two directions and catch him first! We must learn exactly what his background is!"
Thus, the two grand elders decided to set aside their prejudices for the time being and headed separately in different directions into the depths of the Gloomy Shadow Mountain Range...