Chapter 360 - 190: Undercurrent

On the way back to the Sect.

"Be careful of that man," Xu Qingshan said, walking beside Jiang Che. He spoke in a low voice, audible only to the two of them. "He intended to kill you today."

A chill ran down Jiang Che’s spine, and he nodded.

"It seems the Sect is no longer completely safe for you," Xu Qingshan’s voice was filled with unprecedented gravity. "From this day on, do not accept any more missions that take you down the mountain. If you are assigned one, I will refuse it for you. Your only task is to stay within the Sect, focus on your cultivation, and as quickly as possible... break through to the True Master Realm!"

"I... understand," Jiang Che replied solemnly.

He knew this was his master’s way of protecting him.

A warm feeling swelled in his heart.

"Thank you, Master."

The three of them traveled in silence, soon returning to the brightly lit Cangyun Sect.

Only after returning to this familiar place did Jiang Che’s taut nerves finally, completely, relax.

...

「The next morning.」

On the White Jade Plaza outside the main hall of the Cangyun Sect.

The first light of dawn was breaking, and the thin mist had not yet fully dissipated.

Dressed in black, Jiang Che calmly ascended the steps, preparing to head to the hall and report the results of his mission to Wolf Fang Valley.

Suddenly, a familiar yet somewhat dejected figure approached from another direction.

It was Fang Muye.

He too had changed into a clean Liufeng Courtyard Disciple’s Robe, but his face was still a little pale.

His eyes, usually sharp and proud, were now dull and listless.

Upon seeing Jiang Che, a complex mix of emotions flooded his face.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just lowered his head, avoiding Jiang Che’s gaze.

Jiang Che looked at him and understood.

This once-arrogant prodigy had personally experienced the terror of life and death, made a treacherous choice, and was ultimately crushed by merciless reality.

His pride, once as solid as a rock, had probably shattered beyond recognition.

Jiang Che said nothing, simply walking past him calmly.

One after the other, they walked into the great hall.

Inside the great hall, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

Sect Leader Xu Zhouzi, Vice Sect Leader Xie Songnian, as well as the head of each courtyard and the Core Elders, were all present.

Gu Qingxuan, Wang Zhenhai, and the other chief disciples who had led teams on external missions were also already there.

The debriefing officially began.

One by one, the chief disciples came forward to report their mission results and encounters.

When it was Jiang Che’s turn, he calmly and concisely recounted his accomplishments: clearing out several outposts around Wolf Fang Valley and ultimately slaying the Half-Step True Master Hall Master within it.

Of course, he also gave a "detailed" description of the "harrowing" experience that followed: being ambushed by the True Master Realm expert, "Ghost Hand" Rakshasa, and his own fortunate escape, which was only possible because a mysterious expert in black engaged the fiend in battle.

The upper echelons had already learned the gist of what happened from Xu Qingshan, so his words didn’t cause much of a stir.

Afterward, he submitted seventy percent of the mountain of spoils he had plundered from Wolf Fang Valley—gold notes, Elixir Pills, Secret Manuals, and more—to the Sect’s Treasury.

Because he had killed the Half-Step True Master Hall Master and had brought back the most spoils, Jiang Che received the most generous rewards in the subsequent commendation.

The rewards included not only a large number of Sect points but also Top Grade Elixir Pills and rare Artifact Refining materials.

Once the debriefing was over, the disciples departed.

What followed was a council meeting for the Elders.

The Sect’s upper echelons did not investigate further into the matter of the so-called "mysterious expert" fighting Ghost Hand Rakshasa that Jiang Che had mentioned.

To those who cared for him, like Xu Qingshan and Ye Lianzhen, the fact that Jiang Che had returned alive was a tremendous blessing. The specifics of how he managed it were no longer important.

As for Xie Songnian, his own conscience was guilty, so he was naturally even less willing to probe into the details, lest he bring trouble upon himself.

Thus, with a tacit understanding shared by all, the matter was quietly dropped.

Afterward, citing the ambush on Jiang Che and Fang Muye by a True Master Realm expert, Xu Qingshan proposed a new motion.

"Sect Leader, my brothers!"

He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the hall as he spoke in a grave voice, "Although we have achieved a small victory against the demonic scourge, the Demon Sect’s main force has not been eliminated, and their intentions remain sinister! The appearance of Ghost Hand Rakshasa, in particular, has sounded an alarm for us all!"

"I believe the Demon Sect is now at the end of its rope. We cannot guarantee they won’t resort to desperate measures, sending more True Master Realm experts to carry out frenzied, retaliatory assassinations against our Sect’s younger generation of talented disciples!"

"Jiang Che, Qingxuan, and the others are the future hope of our Cangyun Sect; we absolutely cannot afford for them to meet with any mishaps! Therefore, I propose that until the threat from the Demon Sect is completely eradicated, we suspend all training missions outside the Sect for disciples at the Refining Organ Realm and below!"

"As for the subsequent cleanup operations, we old bones can handle them ourselves!"

As soon as he spoke, his words received strong support from Yue Lingfeng, the head of Lingxiao Courtyard; Ye Lianzhen, the head of Yanluo Courtyard; and a number of other courtyard heads who cherished the younger generation!

Sect Leader Xu Zhouzi pondered for a moment before nodding slowly. "What Junior Brother Qingshan says is quite reasonable. The future of our Sect must not be jeopardized."

He turned his gaze to Xie Songnian, who was beside him.

Although Xie Songnian wished in his heart he could immediately send Jiang Che out to his death again, he knew that Xu Qingshan’s proposal held the moral high ground and had popular support. He had no grounds to object.

He forced a look of deep agreement onto his face, stroking his beard and nodding. "Junior Brother Xu is far-sighted and his words are absolutely correct. The safety of our disciples is indeed of utmost importance. I... second the motion."

Since no one objected, the matter was settled.

...

After the debriefing, Jiang Che immediately went into seclusion again.

Although his Black Armor Form could now kill a True Master Realm expert, it had come at a considerable cost. Moreover, his opponent had only been at the First Layer of the True Master Realm. Against a higher-level True Master like Xie Songnian, he still had no power to resist.

Only by breaking through to the True Master Realm as soon as possible would he gain the power to protect himself and not be so vulnerable all the time.

Several more months passed in uneventful cultivation.

After experiencing a bloody internal conflict and the Demon Sect’s frenzied assault, the Martial World of Cangzhou Prefecture seemed to have finally entered a rare period of peace.

...

"Did you hear? Something huge happened!"

"What is it? Don’t tell me the Emperor died?"

"Get outta here! Stop talking nonsense! It’s the border!"

Inside the Cangyun Sect, in the dining hall where disciples gathered.

An Outer Disciple who had just returned from procuring supplies down the mountain was surrounded by a crowd, excitedly recounting the shocking secret news he had heard.