That night.

In a simply decorated cave dwelling within the Inner Sect.

Yin Qingyuan sat slumped on a cloud couch, his face dark and gloomy, his eyes filled with rage.

Not far in front of him, Yin Hong knelt, trembling, his head bowed low, not daring to even breathe loudly.

“Is what you just said true?”

Yin Qingyuan glanced faintly at his son kneeling on the ground, asking in a calm tone.

Upon hearing this, Yin Hong quickly nodded and respectfully replied, “Father, every word is absolutely true. It was indeed I who had my cousin borrow the Crimson Flame Tiger’s hand to eliminate that Big Qi. I just never expected…”

Slap!

Before he could finish speaking, a crisp sound rang out. Yin Hong’s cheek immediately swelled red, and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Then, Yin Qingyuan snorted coldly and said in a chilling voice, “Do you know where you went wrong this time?”

Facing this slap, Yin Hong didn’t even dare to wipe the blood from his mouth and cautiously answered, “I should not have instigated my cousin to harm a fellow disciple.”

Thud!

As soon as these words were spoken, he was heavily kicked, sent flying backward to crash into a wooden chair behind him. The sturdy wooden chair instantly shattered into pieces.

After tumbling to the ground, Yin Hong hurriedly scrambled up, enduring the pain in his shoulder as he knelt properly once more.

“Fool! Compared to what we are about to do now, what does harming a fellow disciple amount to?” Yin Qingyuan looked at his son with disdain, his tone severe. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to vent anger for your cousin Wang Luchuan. After all, he is family.”

“But you absolutely should not have involved that beast, the Crimson Flame Tiger, at such a time. While the Crimson Flame Tiger itself is nothing much, Elder Xu Zhou of the Enforcement Hall behind it is not someone to be trifled with.”

“This time, whether it was that Big Qi playing tricks or the Crimson Flame Tiger going back on its word, killing Wang Luchuan and stealing the pill from his hand, it will lead to me confronting that old scoundrel Xu Zhou ahead of schedule, needlessly making a powerful enemy.”

“In recent years, I have worked painstakingly within the valley, building many connections and gaining considerable support. And you? You’ve gone and stirred up such a huge mess for me! Utterly foolish!”

Hearing these words, Yin Hong’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He hurriedly kowtowed to beg for forgiveness. “Father, please calm your anger! Your son knows he was wrong! I will never act on my own again!”

“Hmph! It’s good that you understand the severity!”

Seeing that his son was truly afraid, Yin Qingyuan finally composed himself and said solemnly, “For a hundred years, I have exhausted myself for Falling Cloud Valley, diligent and conscientious. Even if there is no merit, there is hard work. Yet I never expected to be humiliated by the Enforcement Hall like this, not even given half a shred of dignity.”

“It seems my previous choice was correct. Only by pledging allegiance to The Saint Sect can our Yin family rise to greater heights, without having to live under others’ thumbs and suffer endless humiliation.”

As he spoke, the hatred deep in Yin Qingyuan’s eyes grew increasingly intense, finally solidifying into resolve.

“Your cousin possessed dual spiritual root aptitude. His path of cultivation was destined to be bright. He was highly valued within the Wang family and was the apple of your aunt’s eye. Now he has died inexplicably in Falling Cloud Valley. If we do not seek justice, how will I face the Wang family in Reed River City in the future?”

“Big Qi, the Crimson Flame Tiger, Mo Zhengyang, and that old thing Xu Zhou who only protects his own—they all deserve to die. Since things have come to this, we might as well go all the way and eliminate all obstacles in our path.”

Hearing this, Yin Hong’s heart gave a violent jolt. He asked in astonishment, “What do you mean?”

Yin Qingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly; a cold glint flashed in his gaze.

“I have risked the annihilation of our family to work for The Saint Sect. Now that I am facing difficulties, The Saint Sect cannot just stand by and watch.”

“The Saint Sect wants to secretly control Falling Cloud Valley through me, planting a nail within the righteous faction’s territory. And I want to use them to eliminate dissidents and ascend to the position of Falling Cloud Valley’s Sect Master. This was originally a transaction where each takes what they need.”

“Since it’s a transaction, naturally the other party must pay their dues. That true inheritor of The Saint Sect has been lying low in the medicine garden for a long time. Now it’s time for them to show some sincerity in this transaction.”

Apart from the Seven Holy Lands, throughout the world, there is only one sect bold enough to call itself The Saint Sect—the Nether Fiend Sect.

The Nether Fiend Sect is the strongest among the four evil factions and is also known by the world as the Demonic Sect!

At the mention of the phrase “True Inheritor of The Saint Sect,” Yin Hong, kneeling on the ground, couldn’t help but hold his breath; a flicker of desire passed through his eyes.

Although he was infatuated with Bai Xirou, he had to admit that the beauty and grace displayed by that Demonic Sect True Inheritor were enough to drive any male cultivator mad.

Of course, thinking of the various terrifying rumors about the Nether Fiend Sect, Yin Hong couldn’t help but shiver again. He quickly shook his head, casting those unrealistic thoughts from his mind.

A True Inheritor of the Nether Fiend Sect… how could someone like him dare to covet such an existence?

Elsewhere.

Outer Sect, Medicine Garden.

The sun had long since set beyond the western hills. However, Qi Yuan was not in a hurry to return to his residence. Instead, he fetched another bucket of water from the spirit spring and came before the rows of Jade Leaf Grass planted in the field.

Knowing someone was secretly watching him, he didn’t show any abnormality at all. Just like he was working overtime as usual, he irrigated the spirit plants along the ridges while concentrating intently on listening for any sound whatsoever.

Not long before, he had sensed an elusive and strange rhythm.

That sound fluctuation came from underground—like some kind of call—but it was extremely faint; its specific content was completely indistinguishable. If not for Qi Yuan’s keen spiritual perception, it would likely have been easily overlooked.

The Outer Sect Grand Competition was approaching soon. Originally, Qi Yuan’s intention before completing his goal was to avoid any complications at all; unfortunately, things did not go as planned; trouble still actively sought him out.

From what could be seen now, within the spirit fields hid not only an unfathomable plant spirit but also an ill-intentioned watcher. While Qi Yuan’s primary duty was “caring” for the spirit fields, pretending ignorance and staying out of it was impossible.

If he was unclear about the origins of these events, how could he feel safe continuing to stay in Falling Cloud Valley to complete his tasks? Who knows, he might one day capsize in a muddled small ditch. Then he wouldn’t be pretending to be foolish, but genuinely foolish.

After all, the premise of pretending to be foolish lies in having everything under control. In his currently clueless state, what was there to pretend?

Even so, he didn’t want to act rashly. He decided to first test the waters.

After a while, the familiar call sounded again in his ear. Although still intermittent, it was clearer than before:

“Big brother… please… save… save…”

The voice was crisp and tender, seeming to come from a young child.

Qi Yuan’s expression changed slightly. He instinctively wanted to search for the source of the sound. However, just as he was about to act, the bizarre sound suddenly ceased abruptly, as if it had never appeared.

The next moment, a familiar female voice suddenly came from behind him.

“Junior Brother Qi, why haven’t you returned yet? It is so late.”