C10 Unable to Guess

The scene shifted abruptly. The once swirling snowflakes had vanished, leaving behind a battlefield strewn with corpses and ablaze with the fires of war. Amidst a pool of blood lay Qin Tiange, gravely wounded. Cradled in his arms was an infant, eyes tightly shut as if in slumber, yet emanating a sense of lifelessness.

A young man with a determined face approached Qin Tiange, his clothing in tatters and smeared with blood—whether his own or his enemies', it was unclear. Upon seeing Qin Tiange, he rushed to his side and offered support, saying, "Brother Qin, hang in there. I'll make sure you get back."

But Qin Tiange could only offer a feeble shake of his head. He gently caressed the infant's face, then passed the child into the young man's care, speaking faintly, "My Genuine Qi is depleted, and with these grave injuries, I won't last much longer. Please, take care of this child."

The young man, unable to contain his emotions, wept openly. He gazed at the child in his arms, his lips quivering, yet no words came out.

Qin Tiange pressed on, "This child bears the sealed Demonic Soul of the Great Demon King. Henceforth, he and the Great Demon King are one. Remember, you must never allow him to unlock his spiritual meridians or acquire any cultivation. Should the Demonic Soul awaken within him, it will surely unleash another massacre." With those final words, Qin Tiange's gaze drifted away. He took one last look at the child before closing his eyes for good.

"Brother Qin, rest assured, I will fulfill your wish," the young man vowed, his head bowed as he held the child close, weeping in silence.

Meanwhile, the Sect Master was lost in these memories when suddenly, a disciple's voice broke through, urgent and distressed. The disciple hurried forward, his face etched with concern, and reported to the Sect Master, "There's trouble at the Celestial Punishment Hall—Qin Yu has leapt from the cliff!"

"What?!" The Sect Master was jolted, seizing the disciple and demanding, "What exactly happened?"

The disciple was clearly bewildered, having never witnessed the Sect Master so visibly shaken. After a moment of stunned silence, he sheepishly continued, "Sect Master, I'm not entirely clear on the details. It would be best if you saw for yourself. Elder Feng and Elder Tian have already hurried there."

The Sect Master's brow furrowed as he slowly released the disciple. With a swift motion, he transformed into a beam of purple light and vanished from outside his bedroom in the blink of an eye.

Atop the mountain, two streaks of light, one green and one red, descended just outside the Celestial Punishment Hall. There, a group of disciples was half-kneeling, each with a troubled look.

Elder Feng and Elder Tian surveyed the somber faces before them. After a tense pause, Elder Feng bellowed, "Explain yourselves! What exactly happened?"

The elder guard disciple stepped forward, head bowed, and spoke softly, "My abilities were insufficient to stop the great demon. I ask for the elders' punishment."

"Punishment? Hmph!" Elder Feng, clearly incensed, flung his sleeves. The unresolved issue of Qin Yu injuring Chu Yao was still fresh in his mind, and now this leap from the cliff. If the Chu Family sought retribution, who would bear the blame?

Elder Tian sighed and shook his head, then addressed Elder Feng, "Let it go, Brother Feng. Don't be so upset. We never anticipated that the lad was truly a great demon. It's utterly baffling. If he is indeed a great demon, why couldn't we detect any hint of it when we met him?"

Elder Feng let out another cold snort, declaring icily, "It matters not to me whether he's a great demon. If he is, the Clear Essence Sect cannot allow him to live; he must be killed. And if he's not, well, he laid hands on Chu Yao. When the Chu Family comes asking, his fate will be the same. He must be killed either way!"

Elder Tian's brow creased with concern. He was well aware of the Chu Family's clout. Though not powerful enough to topple the Clear Essence Sect, their influence was significant. The sect's current strength was not robust, and several neighboring factions were eyeing the possibility of absorbing it. If the Chu Family took offense over Chu Yao's situation and sided with another sect, the Clear Essence Sect's predicament would grow even more perilous.

Elder Tian was deep in thought when suddenly a purple light descended behind them. Elder Feng and Elder Tian quickly sensed its presence and turned to see its source. With a slight bow, they greeted the newcomer, "Sect Master."

"Greetings, Sect Master," echoed the other disciples, upon noticing the arrival of their leader.

The Sect Master acknowledged Elder Feng and Elder Tian with a subtle nod, then turned his gaze to the senior guard disciple and asked coolly, "What exactly has transpired here?"

The guard disciple shifted uneasily before steadying himself and responding, "The Great Demon attempted to flee the Celestial Punishment Hall. We failed to contain him, and he... he leapt from the cliff."

A flicker of intensity passed through the Sect Master's eyes, and the Genuine Qi around him stirred. He addressed the guard disciple sternly, "You have three days. Find him, no matter what it takes. Failure will result in expulsion from the Clear Essence Sect."

"Sect Master—" The guard disciple gasped, his voice barely above a whisper, unable to articulate his shock.

Elder Feng and Elder Tian exchanged glances, each seeing the confusion reflected in the other's eyes. They couldn't fathom the Sect Master's deep concern for Qin Yu, the Great Demon. It seemed excessive to threaten expulsion for the guards' oversight, even if they had allowed him to jump from the cliff.

Despite their thoughts, Elder Feng and Elder Tian remained silent. They were wise enough to recognize the Sect Master's fury and knew better than to speak out of turn. They simply stood behind him, silent.

Without another word, the Sect Master transformed into a streak of purple light and departed the Celestial Punishment Hall. Elder Feng and Elder Tian watched the direction of his departure before Elder Feng finally spoke, "Junior Brother Tian, what do you make of the Sect Master's behavior?"

Elder Tian shook his head and let out a sigh, replying, "Don't you know the Sect Master's temperament by now? He's inscrutable." He then cast a glance at the senior guard disciple and advised, "If you wish to avoid expulsion from the Clear Essence Sect, start your search for the missing person tomorrow. Understood?"

"I understand!" The senior guard disciple nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Elder Feng and Elder Tian said nothing further. They transformed into two streaks of light, one green and one red, and within moments, they had vanished from the vicinity of the Celestial Punishment Hall.