448 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 448: Concealing the Truth The place where Xiyu was attacked was adorned with numerous little blue flowers that tenaciously grew from the ground. These flowers emitted a faint blue glow, peeking through the thick carpet of fallen leaves, covering the area. Gently swaying and shimmering, they resembled the tranquil and eerie beauty of moonlit ocean waves. In this endlessly monotonous and terrifying forest, perhaps it was these very flowers that drew Xiyu to stay there until his untimely demise. "Damn this trial! I can't take it! Where's the scholarly test we were promised?!" "All day long, all we do is walk, and then walk some more—one challenge after another. This is the most boring trial I've ever attended!" "I heard you scholars from Jixia City are all talk. Now I've seen it firsthand. Nearly a dozen people are dead, and your lot is still so calm!" "Is your group deliberately luring us in here to pick us off one by one?!" A frustrated cultivator from Black Wind Valley was pacing back and forth, incessantly cursing at two nearby Jixia City cultivators. Even from afar, Qi Xiu and Chu Wen could hear his tirade as they approached. The Jixia City cultivators stood there awkwardly; their family's well-intentioned trial had turned into such an embarrassment, leaving them without a suitable retort. Many cultivators from various clans had already gathered around, scattered here and there. Some whispered among themselves, while others closed their eyes in boredom, no longer displaying the shock or panic that initially erupted upon discovering Wang Hu's body. It seemed they were growing accustomed to the occasional deaths, a sense of desolation and apathy settling over the crowd. Some fiddled with their trial wooden slips, perhaps contemplating whether or not to withdraw from the trial. Drawing nearer, a body lay quietly among the blue flowers. Even with a veil over the face, the attire unmistakably identified it as Xiyu. After defecting from the Qi Yun Chu family to join the Beast Taming Sect, he never took to their leather outfits, opting instead for his habitual robes, though scrubbing off any Qi Yun insignia. His unmarked white robe echoed his enigmatic past, obtained from who knows where, only to find eternal rest in this nameless place. A chill passed over Qi Xiu as he relived memories of a past trial. Back then, the Chu clan had fallen under the [Dream Soul Guide] of the Jade Bone Skeleton. Caught in an illusory dream, Xiyu yelled out suspicions of his own background, and witnessing that raw outburst, Qi Xiu felt a complex mix of fear and sympathy, now rekindled to leave a haunting sigh. "That's Master Heifeng's spoiled progeny. Even at over a hundred years, still a child's tantrum… best to ignore him." As they drew near, a Jixia City cultivator leaned in close to Qi Xiu and Chu Wen, whispering a few words before retreating. Chu Wen nodded expressionlessly and led the pensive Qi Xiu past the ranting Black Wind Valley cultivator, approaching Xiyu's body. He gently lifted the veil. The same gruesome bloody puncture that marred his handsome face, leaving one side of it mangled and messy, was a ghastly sight to behold. "Hoo..." Chu Wen exhaled deeply, hastily covering the face again, unable to bear looking further. "Friends, do you recognize him? Is he truly from my Beast Taming Sect?" A Beast Taming Sect cultivator stepped forward from the crowd, inquiring of Qi Xiu and Chu Wen. Having defected after inciting the duel incident with Yu He, which left Yu He injured, Xiyu lived an uneasy life within the Beast Taming Sect. He remained low-profile and, aside from his close friend Yu He, knew few within the circle. Xiyu and Yu He received their trial eligibility from Xi Jing of the Qi Yun Pei family and did not move with their fellow sect members, so this participating Beast Taming Sect cultivator did not know him. Chu Wen, unwilling to dredge up past tensions for the Chu family, replied ambiguously, "The deceased's name is Xiyu. He often moved with your sect’s Yu He. Inquire with Yu He for confirmation." The mention of Yu He brought a look of realization to the Beast Taming Sect cultivator's face. "Since Yu He’s setback on the Dao path, he and those close to him tend to be low-key, no wonder I did not recognize them. Since he is confirmed as our member, I will take his body back." Saying this, he retrieved his trial wooden slip, bent down to lift Xiyu's body, and prepared to leave the trial with the body. "Wait!" At that moment, a cultivator wearing a black-and-white mottled robe came running from a distance, frantically waving his arms to stop them, his voice filled with anguish. "Yu He..." Both Qi Xiu and Chu Wen, along with the Beast Taming Sect cultivator, instantly recognized the runner. "Yu He senior, it's good you're here," said the Beast Taming Sect cultivator, guiding him towards Xiyu’s body. Qi Xiu and Chu Wen stepped back in unison, seemingly to give Yu He space, yet they were intently observing his every move, hoping to detect any signs. Yu He appeared exhausted from a hurried journey and was visibly disheveled, his hair in disarray. To mask his grief, his face contorted slightly, as he knelt and uncovered the veil once more. "Oh..." Whimpering at the sight of Xiyu's tragic state, Yu He gripped the body, genuine tears falling from the once-respected late-stage Jin Dan cultivator. "It's all my fault. If not for me, you wouldn't have come to this damned place..." he muttered repeatedly, tears streaming unchecked. Witnessing Yu He's evident sorrow, the fellow Beast Taming Sect cultivator soft sighed and gently patted his back, offering low-spoken comfort. Among the seasoned cultivators present, each with a lifespan surpassing a century, open expressions of emotion like crying had long faded. Even when An Siyuan passed, Qi Xiu had shed only a few tears. Yu He’s unabashed sadness suggested the profound depth of his pain, prompting the crowd to cease their chatter out of respect, including the previously cursing Black Wind Valley cultivator. Qi Xiu, knowing Yu He as well as an adversary can, surmised that up until the fateful duel with Chu Duo, Yu He's character was straightforward with a strong sense of justice. This very nature often let him be scapegoated or manipulated, and it was also this nature that led him to stand up for Xiyu, sparking the infamous duel. If Yu He wasn't the murderer, Qi Xiu found him not to be disagreeable, even endearing. From every angle, there was no discernible affectation in Yu He's actions, evoking a sense of genuine sentiment between him and Xiyu. Consequently, Qi Xiu’s suspicion towards him began to wane. Chu Wen, however, thought differently. Unacquainted with Yu He's personality, he judged from the perspective of a late-stage Jin Dan's self-control, finding it unlikely for anyone to cry and ruin their image so publicly unless it was intentional. To him, Yu He was merely putting on an act to divert suspicion. "Ahem!" Chu Wen's deliberate coughing pierced the somber atmosphere, promptly drawing disapproving glances from those around. His intent all along was to draw attention his way, and his deep, clear voice followed. "Yu He, where were you when Xiyu died?" (Story continues)