Chapter 105: Tell Me!

“Junior Brother Yang, did something happen in the sect?” Luo Tian asked leisurely, not the least bit anxious. After all, his inner armor and weapons had been repaired, he had made some progress with the Misty Steps technique, and now he was just waiting for Liu Neng to take him back. No matter how resourceful Steward Li might be, he wouldn't be able to find Luo Tian to settle accounts. If all went well, it would be quite some time before he’d need to return to Wan Feng City. As for what had happened in the sect, he’d learn soon enough upon returning.

“Some outer disciple was too arrogant while carrying out a mission—apparently, he provoked a real expert and got himself captured. The captors threatened to torture him for ten days. If no one rescues him, the Divine Sun Sect can just collect his corpse!” Yang Hui clicked his tongue and shook his head. “The guy was too careless—he’d deserve it if he died!”

“An outer disciple? He’s not from one of the Four Great Families, is he?” Luo Tian asked, curiosity piqued.

“No way. Those from the Four Great Families would never take on dangerous tasks,” Yang Hui scoffed. “No ambition at all—bah!”

Luo Tian rolled his eyes inwardly. Yang Hui himself was too lazy even to cultivate, yet he still criticized those disciples from the Four Great Families for lacking drive. It was almost amusing. “He was certainly careless. As a cultivator, one should know their limits. Retreating from an unbeatable foe is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Exactly!” Yang Hui nodded vigorously, fully agreeing. “I feel sorry for them—Wang Lin, Zhao Yishui, and Li Yang. Their deaths will probably be ugly.”

“Mm, I think so too—” Luo Tian’s words halted suddenly. “Li Yang? Did you say Li Yang?”

“Yes, that’s the name!” Yang Hui double-checked the letter and nodded. “Why, Senior Brother Luo, do you know him?”

Know him? That was an understatement. Although they hadn’t interacted much, Li Yang’s simple-hearted nature had always left a unique impression on Luo Tian. Whether it was Zhao Lin’er or Tang Yueran, they rarely showed concern for his daily safety. Only Li Yang made a point to ask after him every time they met. Among all the disciples in the Divine Sun Sect, Li Yang was the one Luo Tian felt most warmly toward.

“How is the sect handling this?” Luo Tian nodded, answering Yang Hui’s question.

Leaving other factors aside, this so-called expert’s brazen provocation was tantamount to slapping the Divine Sun Sect in the face. Such arrogance could not go unanswered—by any logic, the sect had to respond. Besides, a disciple’s life was at stake, even if he wasn’t from one of the Four Great Families; he was still a member of the Divine Sun Sect.

“The sect posted it as a task,” Yang Hui replied indifferently.

“What do you mean?” There was a hint of coldness in Luo Tian’s tone.

“They put the rescue of Li Yang and the others up as a mission at the task office. The contribution points are decent, but the person who captured them is estimated to be late-stage Qi Condensation, maybe even at the ninth transformation. So…” Yang Hui, seeing Luo Tian’s only concern was Li Yang, simply mentioned his name. The others, after all, were strangers to him; their fate was irrelevant.

“So no one took the mission?” Luo Tian replied without expression.

It made sense—the outer disciples at Qi Condensation stage rarely came from common families, and even if they did, few had the ability or desire to attempt such a rescue. As for those from the Four Great Families, their exclusivity was well known; unless there was enough profit, they wouldn’t bother.

“Of course not, it’s only natural.” Yang Hui replied absently. Anyone could guess what those from the Four Great Families would decide.

“Ninth transformation of Qi Condensation, is it…” Luo Tian stood up, stretching his limbs. Explosive cracks echoed from his body, startling Yang Hui.

“Senior Brother Luo, what are you doing?”

“Where are they?” Luo Tian’s intention was clear, and even if Yang Hui were slow-witted, he’d have understood by now. But Yang Hui was far from dull. He’d survived in the shop for years and had long learned the art of reading people, or he’d have been replaced.

“Senior Brother Luo, you can’t leave!” Yang Hui became anxious. “If you go, what am I supposed to tell Elder Liu when he arrives? Those outer disciples—if they die, it’s no concern of the sect, but if Elder Liu gets upset, we’ll both suffer!”

“Junior Brother Yang, tell me!”

Luo Tian fixed Yang Hui with a steady, imposing gaze. At that moment, Yang Hui silently cursed Shen Xing for going out wandering again. With his temperament, he’d either be at Myriad Fragrance Pavilion or Hundred Flavors House. The Shen family members who came to the Divine Sun Trading House either visited brothels or indulged in food and drink—there was nothing else.

If only Uncle Shen were here, he could have easily stopped Senior Brother Luo. But now, what means did he have to resist? If Luo Tian decided to use force and snatch the letter, he’d have to risk everything to stop him. Crossing Elder Liu brought nothing but trouble.

With this in mind, Yang Hui declared righteously, “Senior Brother Luo, I can’t harm you, and you can’t put me in a tough spot! We’re both disciples of the same sect; we should put the sect’s interests first! Elder Liu will be here soon—just wait for him and see what he thinks before you act!”

Luo Tian had no patience for further debate. His feet moved with lightning speed, yet he made not a sound. All Yang Hui saw was a blur of afterimages as Luo Tian closed the distance.

“Tell me!”

Seeing Luo Tian—who usually seemed carefree—suddenly standing before him with such overwhelming presence, Yang Hui’s fleeting thought of resistance vanished instantly, replaced by fear.

“Senior Brother Luo, the letter’s right there…”

As soon as he spoke, Luo Tian snatched the letter from his hand. Only then did Yang Hui regain a bit of courage. “Why did you take the letter? It was sent by the sect for Uncle Shen! If he hadn’t allowed me to open it, I wouldn’t have shared the contents. According to sect rules, you can’t—”

Yang Hui was clever, making sure to absolve himself of responsibility in just a few words, shifting it all onto Luo Tian.

Luo Tian didn’t even open his mouth—he merely shot him a cold glare, which promptly silenced Yang Hui.

So this was the place.

After committing the location to memory, Luo Tian wasted no further time. He didn’t even bother to say goodbye to Yang Hui before dashing out. Of course, he wasn’t planning to run the whole way—he meant to buy a horse at the Yang family’s post station.

By nature, Luo Tian was no bleeding heart. Above all else, he cared most about his Divine Eye, which was his foundation. Still, whether out of a favorable impression of Yang Hui, the danger of the mission, or the fact that accomplishing it would help build his reputation as a senior disciple and attract more students, this journey was unavoidable.

Armed with the Breaking Origin Hand, the Origin Armor, and the Misty Steps technique, his body brimming with the inexhaustible vitality of the Boundless Life Wood and the true spiritual essence of the Transforming Origin True Flame, Luo Tian was confident he could defeat even a ninth transformation Qi Condensation cultivator.

Over the past half month, Luo Tian had come to realize that the sect probably wanted him gone for a while. He still didn’t know the exact reason, but the longer he delayed returning, the happier Liu Neng would be. He certainly wouldn’t make a fuss.

Besides, if he was late returning because he was rescuing a fellow disciple, even if Liu Neng was displeased, he’d have to swallow his annoyance. Otherwise, if word got back to the sect, the already shaky standing of the Four Great Families with the general disciples would only deteriorate further.