The Four-Leaf Clover Sect did not sleep that night.
Lin Yu's body had been taken to the Hall of Recovery, but no one believed he could be saved. The poison had already devoured his meridians. Even if his body continued to breathe for a few hours, the rest of him was shattered.
There would be no return.
The following morning, the assembly bells echoed through the Winter Palace.
---
Winter Palace — Meeting Hall
The air was heavy.
Seated around the long jade table were the four Core Elders of the sect, accompanied by several Inner Elders summoned in haste. None of them looked relaxed. Some gripped their tea cups; others refused to touch their drinks.
The Sect Leader, Lin Yao, sat at the head of the table, his expression grim.
Standing in the corner, Elder Guo Zhen had been summoned—not as a participant, but as a witness. Lin Yao looked toward him.
"Elder Guo, report what happened."
Guo Zhen nodded, his voice raspy. "The assassin..."
Half of his face was hidden behind bandages. Some Elders looked away, while others stared in silence. The damage dealt to a Foundation Establishment cultivator was a visible message: a testament to the danger and intensity of the encounter.
Guo Zhen reported briefly. "He escaped using a technique I did not recognize."
Mu Jian narrowed his eyes. "An unknown technique? How could a Qi Absorption cultivator..."
"I do not know," Guo Zhen cut him off, his tone cold.
Lin Yao raised a hand. "Thank you, Elder. You may be dismissed."
Guo Zhen nodded and left.
When the door closed, Elder Mu Jian muttered, "If an Elder was wounded like this, what exactly are we dealing with?"
No one answered immediately. Everyone wanted to know the same thing.
After a brief silence, an Inner Elder from the Lin family spoke up.
"It doesn't matter what we are dealing with. The Sect's honor has been stained," he said bluntly. "An Elder was assassinated within our territory. This is not just a crime; it is a direct challenge to our authority."
Before he could continue, a short laugh echoed through the room.
Elder Mu Jian, of the Mu Family, leaned forward, his eyes burning.
"Authority?" he mocked. "We are dealing with something dangerous here—something that could put the entire sect at risk."
He paused.
"Besides, it was no coincidence. The target was Elder Lin Yu. I wonder what your family has been up to, to offend such a figure."
The Inner Elder's gaze turned icy. "Watch your words, Mu Jian."
"Watch your own," Mu Jian retorted. "The assassin was a cultivator of our realm. How did he escape an Elder? A Foundation Establishment master? Do not bring your family's troubles to the Sect."
"YOU!" the Lin family Elder shouted in rage.
"Enough," Lin Yao's weary voice broke the tension. "We are not here to measure egos."
Mu Jian snorted but leaned back in his chair. Lin Yao took a deep breath.
"Regardless of what happened, the greater problem remains." His eyes swept the table. "The sect has been infiltrated. An Elder is dead."
A murmur ran through the room.
"We do not know if it was an outsider or someone from within."
The silence deepened. Then, another Inner Elder spoke, hesitatingly.
"There are rumors of conflict between Elder Lin and the Guest Elder, Sai... and his new disciples."
A few faces turned discreetly. Mu Jian frowned. "That is not proof."
Elder Guo Fan, from the same family as Guo Zhen, chuckled. "But it cannot be dismissed either."
Lin Yao narrowed his eyes. "If we start hunting shadows, we will destroy the sect before any enemy needs to."
He raised his hand firmly. "There will be no accusations without evidence. But vigilance will be redoubled. From this day forward, any unusual movement will be reported directly to me."
The room nodded, albeit with reluctance.
"As for the border..." Lin Yao hesitated for a moment. "The Flaming Battle Sect continues to move. If they sense internal weakness, they will not miss the chance."
Mu Jian smiled sharply. "Let them come. We are ready."
---
Palace of Elders
The Three Pillars of the Four-Leaf Clover Sect met. They rarely gathered, but today it was necessary.
Guo Zhen sat with a cold expression. Mu Chen was across from him, arms crossed, watching. Han Xun sat beside them, eyes closed, meditating—or pretending to.
A long silence followed.
Then Mu Chen spoke, his voice neutral. "So, it's true."
Guo Zhen didn't answer; he only touched the bandage covering half his face.
"A Qi Absorption cultivator did this to you," Mu Chen continued. It wasn't a question; he was stating a fact.
Guo Zhen clenched his teeth. "He was no ordinary cultivator."
Then, a loud laugh erupted.
"HAHAHAHA!" Mu Chen roared with laughter. "Guo Zhen, I don't believe it! Look at the state of you!"
He clutched his stomach, a tear nearly escaping his left eye from laughing so hard.
"Mu Chen!!" Guo Zhen suppressed a snarl, his voice thick with hatred and frustration. It was rare for him to lose his composure, and he was close to exploding.
Han Xun opened his eyes and sighed. It was a habit he had developed over the years—the more time he spent with these two, the more he sighed.
"The two of you, please. We have an important matter to discuss."
Mu Chen choked back his laughter with an effort. He didn't fear Guo Zhen—in fact, he would have loved to "exercise his muscles"—but Han Xun was right. The situation was serious.
He stopped. For now.
"Thank you," Han Xun said briefly, turning his attention to Guo Zhen.
"What did he use?" Han Xun asked.
Guo Zhen hesitated. "Traps. Poison... and a movement technique I didn't recognize."
Han Xun frowned. "An unknown technique?"
"He cut through space," Guo Zhen said. "As if he were stepping on something that shouldn't be stepped on."
Silence fell.
Mu Chen leaned in. "And you let him escape."
Guo Zhen exploded. "I ALMOST DIED!"
The Qi around them trembled. Mu Chen didn't flinch; he only looked on, cold.
"I know you, Zhen," he said with narrowed eyes. "You were probably arrogant. You let your guard down."
Guo Zhen wanted to lung forward, but Han Xun was faster.
"ENOUGH!"
The two sat back down. Han Xun sighed again. "That's enough, Mu Chen."
Mu Chen shrugged. "I'm just stating facts."
"Facts..." Han Xun stood and walked to the window. "What is done, is done. The question now is what we do next."
Mu Chen looked at him. "What we do? We are the FORCE of this sect, not the administrators."
"And when force fails?" Han Xun turned around. "Guo Zhen was wounded, and likely by an..."
He paused.
"...Elder."
"An Elder? Are you sure?" Mu Chen asked, incredulous.
"There is no doubt. We have no disciples in the Qi Absorption Realm; only the Elders remain." Han Xun's eyes glinted with intelligence.
"Then what shall we do?" Mu Chen asked.
A heavy silence followed.
Guo Zhen murmured, "I will find him."
The other two watched him.
"I will find him..." his voice was raspy, distorted. "...and I will TEAR HIM APART."
Mu Chen smiled without humor. "Good luck."
Han Xun finally spoke. "I will help you keep an eye on the Elders. If you discover anything, please, share it with me first. Do not be impulsive."
Guo Zhen didn't respond. He only touched his bandage again, feeling what he had lost.
Assassin, he thought. Whoever you are, you better stay hidden in your hole. Because when you crawl out, I will find you. And when I do, I will make you BEG for a death that will never come.
---
Mountain of the Four Tributaries
Sai led his disciples as if nothing had happened.
"Again," he said calmly.
Yan Li and Wei Lian repeated the movements, breathless, but their eyes drifted toward the sealed cave from time to time.
"Master..." Wei Lian found his courage. "Will Wang Tao be okay?"
His eyes mirrored genuine concern. They had only known each other a short time, but the bond was real.
Sai answered without looking at him. "He is alive."
Silence.
"And when will he wake up?" Yan Li asked, her voice nervous. She shared Wei Lian's feelings—what they were cultivating here had a deep meaning, something greater than their own families.
Sai finally turned. "When he finishes paying the price of his own choice."
Neither dared to ask more.
Sai added, "What happened to him is not a lesson to be explained. It is a consequence to be carried."
He turned back. "Continue."
---
Recovery Cave
The air was dense, the scent of medicinal herbs clinging to the walls.
Wang Tao opened his eyes.
Pain—not localized, but his entire body screaming. He tried to breathe; every movement felt like it was tearing something inside.
Am I alive?
Fragmented memories flashed through his mind: the light, the torrent, the impact. Something was missing.
He tried to sense his meridians. He felt them—they were a mess, but they were there. He exhaled, relieved.
He closed his eyes and noticed something strange: a void, as if parts of himself had been ripped away. His heart raced.
What did I lose?
He shook his head.
It doesn't matter. What matters is that I am alive.
He steeled himself.
Outside the cave, footsteps approached.
But Wang Tao didn't notice. Because in that moment, the only thing he could think about were the consequences of his actions—and how they would shape his future in the Sect, and with his new family.