"Demonic Sect Protector?"
Li Qingqiu's brows furrowed slightly. That kind of information wouldn't appear on the Dao Lineage panel. He asked calmly, "Which demonic sect are you talking about? The Qing Sect?"
Feng Dai's eyes widened. "The Qing Sect has done its share of evil, yes, but compared to the Demonic Sect, they're worlds apart!"
Afraid the Qingxiao Sect disciples might not grasp the seriousness, Feng Dai continued, his voice sharp and heavy. "Wu Baoyu, Demonic Sect's Northern Guardian. In the third year of the Kaiyuan era, the Xiao family of Northern Liang Prefecture—all 136 members, from elders over eighty to infants still in swaddling—were slaughtered by his hand. That same year, he went mad from cultivation deviation and beat his own disciple to death, hanging the corpse on the prefecture's city gate to defy imperial authority."
"In the fourth year of the Qianming era, Wu Baoyu led men to steal relief funds meant for the southern border. Seventy-three soldiers were killed, and 100,000 civilians starved to death as a result. The people's resentment reached the heavens!"
"His crimes are too many to count. He deserves a thousand deaths! Sect Master Li, I warn you—do not shield this man!"
Feng Dai's words sent a visible ripple through the courtyard. The disciples' gazes turned uncertain. Wu Baoyu had always been quiet and reserved; no one had ever seen a trace of savagery in him.
Zhang Yuchun's face darkened. He hadn't expected Wu Baoyu to have such a past—and what worried him most was the trouble this could bring.
Harboring a wanted criminal of the imperial court was no small matter.
Wu Baoyu slowly set down his axe. He lifted his gaze toward Feng Dai and asked in an even tone, "Where did you hear all this?"
Feng Dai replied solemnly, "From the archives of the Prefectural Office. A few years ago, you appeared in Guzhou and caused quite an uproar. I told myself that if I ever gained authority, I'd make it my duty to catch you. Your left wrist bears the mark of a red wolf's head—I remember it clearly. Are you going to deny it?"
The nine constables behind him stiffened. Until now, they hadn't known who this man truly was. Hearing the list of atrocities made their blood run cold. They gripped their sabers tightly, terrified that Wu Baoyu might attack at any moment.
Wu Baoyu's face remained calm. "Actually," he said, "my real surname is Xiao."
Feng Dai frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The Xiao clan you mentioned—the one slaughtered in Northern Liang Prefecture—that was my family. I was the only one who survived. I wasn't home at the time; I was serving as an imperial guard in the palace. After the massacre, the Crown Prince approached me and sent me to infiltrate the Demonic Sect as a spy. Back then, the court knew little about the sect—not even the true name of the Northern Guardian. I worked my way up inside, eventually killing the real Northern Guardian and taking his place. But then the Crown Prince lost power, and no one ever came to clear my name. Instead, all of the Northern Guardian's crimes were pinned on me."
He spoke flatly, as if narrating someone else's life.
"As for the so-called relief funds you mentioned," he went on, "those were never meant for the southern border. The emperor sent them to bribe demonic alchemists—seeking the fabled Elixir of Immortality. I seized those shipments and distributed the wealth among the commoners. But the famine was too great. A little silver and grain could never turn the tide."
Feng Dai's expression shifted between disbelief and anger. "Utter nonsense!" he snapped.
The disciples of Qingxiao Sect exchanged uneasy looks. The story was wild—but could it really be true?
Wu Baoyu said calmly, "You can verify it. Check if the records of the Xiao family still exist. If they haven't been erased, you'll find that the second son, Xiao Ji, once served as an imperial guard. See if his age matches mine."
Feng Dai opened his mouth but found no words to respond.
Yang Jueding suddenly stepped forward. "I, for one, believe him. Everyone knows His Majesty's obsession with immortality isn't exactly a secret. Every year, countless so-called immortals are summoned to the capital. Even the recent rebellion in Guzhou was sparked because the emperor focused on longevity instead of governing his people."
Zhang Yu added, "Magistrate Feng, you're a man of justice and integrity. Why not investigate it yourself? If what Senior Wu says is true, you could clear the name of an innocent man—and of a hero."
Li Qingqiu remained silent, simply watching with an unreadable expression.
Wu Baoyu gave a low hum. "No need to overturn the case. The Xiao family is gone. I carry the surname Wu now. I have no wife, no children, no ties. When you finish your investigation and confirm I told the truth, just forget I ever existed. Don't involve Qingxiao Sect. These children know nothing of my past. I only wanted a quiet place to spend the rest of my life."
Feng Dai looked around. The disciples' faces were young—some barely more than boys. His heart wavered.
He knew all too well that if he reported this truth, the sect would be implicated regardless. The imperial court wouldn't care whether they were innocent or not. Officials eager for merit would drag down everyone even remotely connected to the case.
"Fine," Feng Dai said at last, gritting his teeth. "I'll investigate. I won't wrong an innocent man."
He struggled to his feet, and two constables hurried to support him.
"Let's go."
At his command, the nine constables all exhaled in relief and quickly escorted him toward the courtyard gate.
Just as they were about to leave, Wu Baoyu's voice stopped them cold.
"One more thing you should know," he said. "Do you know why the Demonic Sect rose so suddenly—wreaking havoc across the martial world in such a short time, only to vanish just as fast?"
Feng Dai and his men turned back, puzzled.
Wu Baoyu's eyes grew cold. "Because the Demonic Sect was founded by the current emperor himself. The people it killed are countless. It is the greatest sin this dynasty has ever produced. Now that you know this, even if you don't believe me, once I'm captured and speak of what you've heard today, they'll silence every last one of you."
"You—!"
Feng Dai glared at him, shocked by his audacity. The constables' faces turned pale as death.
Meanwhile, Li Qingqiu's lips curved into a faint, amused smile.
Moments ago, he had been uncertain whether to let Feng Dai and his men go—after all, no one could truly know what lay in another's heart.
Now, Wu Baoyu had made the choice for him.
The old man said nothing more and returned to his chopping block, resuming his steady rhythm of splitting wood, as if nothing had happened.
Feng Dai took a deep breath and gestured for the constables to escort him away.
Li Qingqiu said nothing, turning toward his quarters, while Zhang Yuchun clapped his hands to signal for the disciples to disperse.
Perched on the roof beam, Li Sifeng watched Feng Dai's departing figure with a thoughtful look.
By the time dinner began, the atmosphere was still heavy and quiet.
Yang Jueding cleared his throat deliberately. "When you walk the martial world, trouble always finds you. No one lives a life of peace forever."
Zhang Yu scooped up a mouthful of rice and grinned. "Relax. Those officials won't dare act recklessly. Even if they report Senior Wu's whereabouts, the credit might not even go to them. But if Senior Wu bites back and names them, they'll be dead for sure—maybe their whole families executed. After all, this matter involves the current emperor."
Li Sijin couldn't help asking, "Is the emperor really the master of the Demonic Sect? How powerful is that sect anyway? And that Elixir of Immortality—does something like that even exist?"
Her question opened the floodgates. The other disciples immediately joined in, tossing out one question after another. Yang Jueding sighed and began telling tales of the martial world.
Of course, what fascinated everyone most was the Elixir of Immortality.
Who didn't long to live forever?
Yang Jueding shook his head. "Since ancient times, stories about immortality have never stopped. But no one in history has truly lived forever. It's only the stubborn delusions of the powerful who can't accept death."
Zhang Yu nodded in agreement, clearly sharing his disdain.
Jiang Zhaoxia, who had been absent all afternoon, finally heard what had happened. Looking curiously toward Wu Baoyu, he asked, "Why would the emperor create a demonic sect? It didn't help him seize power—he relied on the military, not the Demonic Sect."
Sitting silently in the corner, Wu Baoyu lifted his head and said flatly, "He cultivated a forbidden art that required the blood of virgin boys and girls. Entire clans were slaughtered to cover up his crimes."
A chill ran through everyone.
Li Qingqiu's expression darkened. He could feel the wickedness in those words, and his instincts told him that someday, sooner or later, he would find himself at odds with the imperial court. The world was far darker than he had ever imagined.
As for the danger Wu Baoyu's presence brought, Li Qingqiu didn't dwell on it. Qingxiao Sect was growing; attracting trouble was inevitable. The only difference was the scale of the problem.
After all, no true expert came with a simple past.
After Feng Dai's departure, Qingxiao Sect continued its development as planned. Aside from occasional inspections, Li Qingqiu devoted most of his time to cultivation and teaching Xu Ning.
He intended to make her the leader of the next generation. The Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root's power was something he now understood deeply.
His own cultivation speed had surged far beyond what it once was. For the first time, he truly felt what it meant to be a genius.
As for his junior brothers and sisters, he had already passed down different techniques to each of them. Whether they succeeded or not depended on their own comprehension.
Autumn passed quickly. When early winter arrived, Li Dongyue turned 15, and since Lin Xunfeng's departure, Li Qingqiu and all his juniors had each grown a year older. Qingxiao Sect, too, had undergone remarkable changes.
Snowflakes drifted through the branches, falling into the forest. Qin Ye, dressed in his Qingxiao Sect robe, was practicing his fists beneath the trees. His breathing came fast, his exhaled air turning white in the cold.
"That set of fists won't do."
A calm voice came from nearby. Qin Ye turned and saw Wu Baoyu standing not far away with a bundle of firewood on his back.
Startled, he quickly turned to salute. "It's not the technique that's wrong, Senior. It's my comprehension that's too poor."
This fist technique—Tenfold Demon-Subduing Fist—had been taught to him by Yang Jueding. When Wu Man'er demonstrated it, his movements were bold and majestic, leaving a deep impression on him.
Despite his foolish demeanor, Wu Man'er's comprehension in martial arts was extremely high. His mastery of fist and kick techniques came almost effortlessly, drawing envy from many disciples.
Wu Baoyu regarded Qin Ye quietly. "Come here at midnight tonight," he said. "I'll teach you a staff technique. Maybe then, your path in martial arts will truly begin."
Without waiting for a response, he continued up the mountain and disappeared into the snowy woods.
"Midnight?"
Qin Ye frowned slightly. Feng Dai's warning echoed in his mind, leaving him unsure whether to trust Wu Baoyu or not.
Meanwhile—
Roughly 50 zhang away, high among the treetops, Li Qingqiu stood balanced on a branch, having heard every word of their conversation.
From his vantage point, the entire mountain range was veiled in a white haze. Visibility was dropping quickly.
As his cultivation deepened, his senses had grown sharper. Even from this distance, he could hear every syllable of their exchange clearly, the snow and wind unable to muffle a thing.
"So mysterious, huh?" he murmured under his breath.
He wasn't particularly worried that Wu Baoyu meant harm. Lately, the man's loyalty to Qingxiao Sect had been steadily rising—it now exceeded 80. Someone with loyalty that high was unlikely to act rashly.
Still, Qin Ye was his second disciple. He would have to see for himself what happened tonight.
Just then, a familiar, faint golden light appeared before his eyes—
[Because a disciple of Qingxiao Sect has independently created a new martial technique, profoundly influencing the Dao Lineage's development, you have gained 1 Dao Lineage Inheritance Reward.]