C17 The People from the Dragon Head Sect

The young girl hesitated briefly, seemingly lost in thought, before she resumed her path forward. Addressing Qin Yu, she said, "You don't need to know who I am. Alright, until next time!" With those words, she darted into the dense forest ahead. Her petite stature lent her an exceptional agility among the trees, and she vanished from Qin Yu's view in no time at all.

Qin Yu stood with his mouth agape, staring in the direction the girl in purple had gone for quite some time before finally shaking his head. Her abilities had far surpassed anything he could have imagined. With his current pace, he had no hope of catching up to her. More pressing, however, was the fact that he was now a fugitive of the Clear Essence Sect. His priority was to figure out an escape. The girl in purple would be owed a favor, one he intended to repay should their paths cross again in the future.

With this in mind, Qin Yu surveyed his surroundings and set off toward the edge of the forest. He knew this terrain well; if he continued south, he would reach the gates of the Clear Essence Sect. Once there, he could devise a plan to break free. The thought of leaving the Sect, where he had endured so much mistreatment, caused Qin Yu's fists to tighten involuntarily. The injustice was seared into his memory, especially after defeating Chu Yao to become a Core Disciple, only to be unjustly confined to the Celestial Punishment Hall by Elder Feng. He had no lingering affection for the Clear Essence Sect, despite it being his childhood home.

As dawn broke, sunlight filtered through the clouds, scattering across the land and chasing away the shadows. The world stirred with renewed vigor, and dewdrops glistened on the petals and leaves, falling silently to the earth with the gentlest of breezes.

Deep within the forest, disciples examining the aftermath of a skirmish and the carcass of a Giant Fang Wolf were filled with confusion.

"Senior Brother, who killed this Giant Fang Wolf? Could it have been the work of that formidable demon?" asked one of the leaner disciples, turning to his companion with a mix of curiosity and concern.

The disciple known as Senior Brother furrowed his brow slightly but remained silent. After a short pause, he scanned the dense forest and said, "It seems the great demon hasn't perished. It's very likely he's no longer in this area. You all should continue the search here for the rest of the morning, while I go to inform the rest of the Clear Essence Sect. We absolutely cannot allow this great demon to slip away from our grasp."

"Understood." The slender disciple gave a slight nod, then led the other two disciples to resume their search through the dense forest.

The disciple referred to as Eldest Senior Brother also hastened to other parts of the sect. It was critical to remember that the Sect Master had allotted them only three days to locate Qin Yu. Thus, under no circumstances could they allow Qin Yu to flee the Clear Essence Sect. If they failed to find him, they would indeed face expulsion from the sect by the Sect Master.

Meanwhile, at a discreet corner of the Clear Essence Sect's southern gate, Qin Yu was cautiously surveying his surroundings. He noted an increased number of disciples guarding the mountain gate—more than usual—making it impossible for him to escape through this route.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Yu resolved to devise a different strategy to escape the Clear Essence Sect. Just then, a disturbance at the mountain gate caught his attention. From a distance, he spotted a white-haired elder standing tall, with a group of disciples from various sects engaging in conversation with the gatekeepers.

Qin Yu recognized the elder. During the Martial Examination Conference, where he had been assigned menial tasks, he had the good fortune of seeing this elder once. His name was Yun Hee, the second elder of the Dragon Head Sect, a faction nearly equal in power to the Clear Essence Sect, situated on the Coiling Dragon Mountain hundreds of miles to the west, known as Clear Yang Mountain in conjunction with the Clear Essence Sect.

These two sects were among the mightiest of their time. Yet, Qin Yu was puzzled. The Dragon Head Sect had always had a contentious relationship with the Clear Essence Sect, with frequent private skirmishes. It was unheard of for them to send a high-ranking elder like Yun Hee for a visit, as even their respective disciples traditionally never set foot in each other's territories. What, then, was unfolding now?

After pondering for a while, Qin Yu was still at a loss. The realization that he remained a notorious demon wanted by the Clear Essence Sect only made him chuckle bitterly. Meanwhile, the Dragon Head Sect Disciples had entered through the southern gate and were heading towards the heart of the Clear Essence Sect. Catching a glimpse of the retreating figures of the Dragon Head Sect, Qin Yu was struck by a stroke of genius—a perfect plan to escape by blending in with the Dragon Head Sect's disciples. Once he was among them, he could simply leave with the group.

With this plan in mind, Qin Yu felt a surge of excitement. Not wanting to waste a moment, he stealthily followed the Dragon Head Sect Disciples, determined to seize any chance to infiltrate their ranks. This was his only shot at leaving the Clear Essence Sect.

Given Qin Yu's precarious status, he couldn't strut down the main roads like the Dragon Head Sect Disciples. Instead, he had to discreetly shadow them, using cover to his advantage. Along the way, he occasionally spotted familiar faces among the disciples, which made his pursuit quite exhausting. There were several close calls when he nearly lost track of the Dragon Head Sect Disciples.

Finally, after half an hour, the elder and the Dragon Head Sect Disciples came to a halt, and Qin Yu did the same. But when he stopped to look, he was taken aback to find that he had unwittingly followed them to the Limitless Hall of the Clear Essence Sect. This hall was where the Sect Master and elders convened for discussions—a place of utmost security. Even Core Disciples were not allowed entry without permission, let alone an ordinary Miscellaneous Affairs Disciple like himself.

From a distance, the Limitless Hall was preceded by an impressively long staircase with innumerable steps. Every few meters, a guard disciple stood vigilantly. Perched at the summit of this grand staircase, the Limitless Hall exuded an aura of ancient solemnity. Qin Yu couldn't help but marvel at the imposing structure—it was the first time he had seen such a majestic edifice.

At the foot of the staircase, the Dragon Head Sect's party was stopped by the guarding disciples. Yun Hee exchanged a few words with one of the guards, who then hurried off towards the Limitless Hall. After a short wait, the guard returned with two disciples and led them up the staircase towards the hall. The remaining Dragon Head Sect Disciples waited patiently at the base, standing in silent anticipation.

As Yun Hee disappeared into the Limitless Hall, Qin Yu shifted his attention back to the Dragon Head Sect Disciples lingering outside. He recognized this moment as the perfect chance to blend in with them. Whether he could take this opportunity to slip away and escape the clutches of the Clear Essence Sect was entirely up to him.