Chapter 386 301: Joining the Sect (Part 2)

After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they finally arrived before a dark, gloomy palace.

Elder Song had Han Yuan wait outside while he went in first to report.

Han Yuan waited for quite some time before Elder Song finally emerged from the gloomy palace.

"The Palace Master is waiting for you inside. You can go in by yourself."

Hearing this, Han Yuan's expression didn't change in the slightest as he strode directly into the palace.

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH...

The moment he stepped into the palace, Han Yuan heard a series of coughs.

Han Yuan first glanced left and right.

The palace was quite spacious. In its depths, behind layers of heavy curtains, the faint outline of an elderly figure could be seen.

"Come here."

The aged voice came from behind the layers of curtains.

Han Yuan walked calmly to the front of the layered curtains.

"Come, let me see if you've truly cultivated the Innate Great Demon Skill!"

The aged voice seemed to hold a hint of anticipation, yet also a trace of doubt.

Han Yuan knew the figure hidden behind the layers of curtains had to be the master of the Great Demon Palace, Situ Hui.

He directly channeled his Innate Great Demon True Qi.

A ferocious aura spread out once more!

"That's it!"

"It really is the Innate Great Demon Skill!"

"Where did you learn this Cultivation Technique!"

Situ Hui's voice suddenly grew excited.

"I was originally a Demon Exterminator for the Great Ling Dynasty's Observatory."

"I obtained the Cultivation Technique for the Innate Great Demon Skill by redeeming it at the Observatory."

Han Yuan didn't hide anything.

These were things that could be found with a simple investigation.

Situ Hui never expected that the Great Ling Dynasty would offer the Great Demon Palace's legacy Cultivation Technique as a reward.

"Your current Innate Great Demon Scripture... you've cultivated it to Perfection, haven't you?"

Situ Hui asked softly, as if he had thought of something.

"The Palace Master's guess is correct."

"That is also the reason I came to the Great Demon Palace."

Han Yuan said frankly.

He had a gut feeling. Judging from Situ Hui's attitude, everything today should go smoothly.

"Only the Innate Great Demon Skill, but not the subsequent techniques."

"I think I know who spread the Innate Great Demon Skill in the Great Ling Dynasty."

Situ Hui's voice suddenly became a little deeper.

"Who was it?"

Han Yuan asked curiously.

"A martial brother of mine... Back then, I wasn't the Palace Master yet. He and my master seemed to have some sort of conflict, so he betrayed the sect. After that, he was never heard from again."

"Now it seems he must have fled to the Great Ling Dynasty and even spread the Innate Great Demon Skill wantonly..."

"But that was many years ago... That martial brother of mine has likely turned to a pile of old bones by now."

Situ Hui's voice was tinged with emotion.

But beyond that, Han Yuan heard something else in his voice.

He felt that Situ Hui's voice also carried a trace of despair.

"Brat... Logically speaking, you are not a member of my Great Demon Palace, yet you have cultivated the Innate Great Demon Scripture."

"I should be the one to cripple your Martial Arts."

Situ Hui's voice suddenly turned chillingly cold.

But Han Yuan didn't show the slightest hint of nervousness. Instead, he smiled and said, "Usually, when someone says something like that, it proves they won't actually do it."

Situ Hui was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "You've got some nerve, brat."

Any normal person who heard what he just said would have probably scared themselves witless.

Yet Han Yuan remained calm in the face of danger.

This courage truly made Situ Hui see him in a new light.

"Of course. If I didn't even have this much courage, how would I dare come to your Great Demon Palace?"

Han Yuan said lightly.

"Good! I admire your boldness!"

"I'll give you a choice. Become my third disciple, and also my closed-door disciple."

"I will teach you the subsequent techniques of the Innate Great Demon Skill."

"What do you think?"

Situ Hui pushed aside the layers of curtains and walked out directly.

It was then that Han Yuan got a clear look at Situ Hui.

He was an old man with many spots on his face, but his hair was black and glossy, and his eyes glinted with a sharp light.

"Greetings, Master!"

Without hesitation, Han Yuan cupped his fist and spoke.

HAHAHA!!!

"Excellent! From now on, you are my third disciple!"

Situ Hui roared with laughter.

"Song Chen, come in."

After he finished laughing, Situ Hui called out toward the entrance of the main hall.

「Soon.」

Elder Song walked in with a respectful expression, cupped his fists, and said, "Greetings, Palace Master."

"Alright, take Han Yuan to Mo Xuan Courtyard to stay, and teach him the rules of the Great Demon Palace."

Situ Hui instructed.

Hearing the three words "Mo Xuan Courtyard," Elder Song's expression flickered.

But when he saw the smiling gaze of Situ Hui, he trembled and quickly nodded. "This old one understands."

"Then you may take Han Yuan and go," Situ Hui said with a wave of his hand.

Hearing this, Song Chen hurriedly led Han Yuan out of the main hall.

After the two of them had left, Situ Hui coughed softly again.

"Except for Song Chen, dispose of everyone else who had contact with Han Yuan today."

He said it so casually.

"Understood."

From behind the layers of curtains, a figure silently appeared and then vanished.

'I never would have thought...'

Situ Hui chuckled to himself.

...

Meanwhile, Song Chen was leading Han Yuan toward Mo Xuan Courtyard.

"Elder Song, you seem very afraid of Situ Hui?"

Han Yuan said suddenly.

Song Chen's mouth twitched.

He hadn't expected Han Yuan to be so bold as to discuss Situ Hui like that.

"Han Yuan, I'd like to live a few more years. Please, just spare me."

Song Chen realized that this young man named Han Yuan was no simple character.

"Elder Song, you were the one who brought me into the Great Demon Palace."

"Even if you want to distance yourself from me, I'm afraid others might not see it that way."

Han Yuan said with a smile.

"You..."

Song Chen's expression changed.

After Han Yuan's reminder, he realized he seemed to have been dragged into some kind of vortex.

"So... from now on in the Great Demon Palace, I'll be relying on your care."

Han Yuan narrowed his eyes.

Song Chen's expression turned extremely grim, and he fell silent.

「Before long.」

He brought Han Yuan to a quiet, secluded courtyard.

In a corner of the courtyard grew some peculiar bamboo.

Unlike the emerald green of ordinary bamboo, this bamboo was an inky green, so deep it was nearly black.

"No wonder it's called Mo Xuan Courtyard."

Han Yuan said with a smile.

"This Mo Xuan Courtyard is no simple place... Do you know who its previous master was?"

Song Chen sighed in resignation, as if he had accepted his fate.

"It's my first day in the Great Demon Palace. How would I know?"

Han Yuan rolled his eyes.

"The previous master of this Mo Xuan Courtyard was the current Palace Master."

Song Chen said lightly.

After hearing Song Chen's words, Han Yuan realized there was likely a deeper meaning—or even malicious intent—behind Situ Hui arranging for him to stay in Mo Xuan Courtyard.

"So you're saying, by moving into Mo Xuan Courtyard, it means I'm the next Palace Master?"

Han Yuan asked, guessing.

"You could put it that way," Song Chen nodded.

"Situ Hui is certainly interesting... He wants to pass the throne to me on my very first day?"

Han Yuan laughed.

"It won't be that easy for you to live in this courtyard."

"You should know, the Palace Master has two other disciples. They are both Innate Grandmasters, and they are ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve their goals."

Song Chen said in a cold voice.

"Which two? Tell me about them."

Han Yuan asked curiously.

"First is Situ Palace Master's eldest disciple, Dong Sen, known in the Martial World as the Smiling Yama."

"He has deep influence within the Great Demon Palace and has connections with many Elders."

"The second is the Thousand Ghost Hand, Zheng Xi."

"His strength is in no way inferior to Dong Sen's, and he has also built up a vast network of connections within the sect."

Song Chen explained.

Han Yuan came to a sudden realization. "In other words, within the Great Demon Palace, they were the only two qualified to compete for the position of Palace Master."

"Correct... but now we have to add you to the list," Song Chen nodded helplessly.

"So you're saying that the moment I arrived, I became a thorn in the side of Dong Sen and Zheng Xi?"

"It seems the welcoming gift Situ Hui gave me was quite grand indeed."

Han Yuan said with a laugh.

"This is the Great Demon Palace... You need to be careful."

"In the Great Demon Palace, only the results matter, not the process."

Song Chen warned.

The Great Demon Palace isn't an ordinary sect. This is the Demon Sect, which inherently reveres strength. Most of its disciples are extremely violent and brutal. They don't care about any rules; their only thought is to use every trick in the book to kill their enemies!