Han Yu wasn’t entirely sure of Hong Liang’s situation, but he had received Wang Hui’s hint loud and clear. That was a start.

Perhaps worried that Han Yu was too young to understand the gravity of the message, Wang Hui added, “Junior Brother Han, I see you have great talent for techniques. Your future prospects are certainly bright.”

“I’ve always gotten along well with Junior Brothers Ji and Hua. If you ever need help in the future, don’t hesitate to seek them out.”

He paused, emphasizing his next words. “Just mention my name. They definitely won’t refuse.”

“Yes, Senior Brother Wang. I understand,” Han Yu nodded, his face a mask of obedient respect.

Hong Liang chuckled from the side. “Junior Brother Wang truly is a man who appreciates talent! But such blatant favoritism might make the other Laborer Disciples quite jealous, don’t you think?”

“Those without talent or ability bring me neither benefit nor threat. Why should I care about their feelings?” Wang Hui waved a hand dismissively. “Senior Brother Hong, shall we go enjoy some fine Green Grain brew?”

“Let’s go! Today, we drink to our hearts’ content!”

As they spoke, the two boarded a Plantain Leaf and ascended, drifting toward the Green Grain Market.

Li Tonghai watched their figures disappear into the distance. He snorted with barely concealed anger, turned on his heel, and strode back to his stone house.

Tian Qing and Hui Ling, the “loving” couple, breathed visible sighs of relief. They began to slink back toward their own home, heads bowed low.

Han Yu didn’t have time to ponder Li Tonghai’s odd behavior. His eyes darkened.

“You two,” Han Yu called out, his voice sharp. “Wait!”

He hadn’t sought trouble, but trouble had found him the moment Wang Hui landed. Wang Hui wanted him to find Ji Yida and Hua Qi to report Hong Liang’s betrayal.

It was a dangerous request.

If he delivered the message, he would be pulled into a high-level investigation. Elders would descend. They would probe everyone involved.

For safety’s sake, Han Yu had two choices: flee Wanchun Valley immediately, or cripple his Blood Refining cultivation again.

His blood talisman at the third layer was currently suspended in his Danzhong acupoint. The Breath Concealment Technique could hide his aura from a distance, but if a Foundation Establishment Elder conducted a physical probe? He was dead.

That was why he stopped Tian Qing and Hui Ling.

Trouble was already here. The situation had escalated beyond his control. This couple had ulterior motives and hidden malice. Han Yu decided to use them to solve his problem.

“Senior Brother Han, what else is the matter?” Tian Qing asked, forcing a smile.

“You ask what else—”

Han Yu brought his fingers together. In a single breath, a burst of searing flame shot from his fingertips, streaking directly toward Tian Qing.

“What—!”

Tian Qing reacted with terrifying speed. He yanked Hui Ling in front of him as a meat shield while leaping backward. “Why attack us? Are you a spy?!”

“By Senior Brother Wang’s order, I arrest you!” Han Yu shouted, his voice ringing across the fields. “You two act suspiciously, prying into sect secrets! Surrender now!”

As he shouted, he fired a second Flame Technique.

Tian Qing’s face paled. This kid is only twelve, at the second layer of Qi Refining. How is his casting speed so fast?!

He frantically formed hand seals and dropped into a crouch.

Han Yu’s first flame struck Hui Ling.

Used as a human shield by her husband, she had no time to defend herself. The fire engulfed her instantly. She collapsed, rolling on the ground and screaming in agony.

As the flames licked her skin, her plain features rippled violently. Her face seemed to melt and reform, revealing a completely different appearance underneath.

The second flame chased Tian Qing—but burned only empty air.

The “Tian Qing” figure trembled like a soap bubble and popped with a sharp snap, revealing itself to be a mere illusion.

The real Tian Qing was already a hundred zhang away. He was riding the wind, a blur of motion shooting toward the exit of the Spirit Field Department before anyone else could react.

Han Yu shouted a warning, but seeing no one move to block him, he let him go.

He turned his attention to the ground. Hui Ling lay there, dying. Her disguise had faded, revealing a delicate, pretty face now twisted in pain.

Han Yu didn’t relax. He kept his fingers poised, ready to unleash another spell.

Hui Ling’s voice was faint. She gritted her teeth, staring up at him with hatred—not for him, but for the man who had used her as a shield.

“The… Thousand Illusions Secret Art… is in my bosom…” she wheezed. “You’re a genius… take it… surpass Tian Qing… and avenge me…”

Her breath hitched, then ceased. Her eyes remained wide open, frozen in a final glare.

Han Yu waited a beat. He fired a small burst of wind at the corpse. When she didn’t react, he swiftly stepped forward and retrieved a Jade Slip from her robes.

Just as he stowed it away, Li Tonghai and several other disciples arrived, drawn by the commotion. They stopped dead, staring at the female corpse at Han Yu’s feet.

Moments later, Ji Yida and Hua Qi rushed onto the scene.

“What happened?!”

“Han Yu, who killed this woman— Huh? Isn’t this Ling Hui?” Hua Qi exclaimed, leaning in for a closer look.

Han Yu quickly explained. “Just now, Tian Qing and Hui Ling came asking me about techniques. They seemed suspicious. When Senior Brothers Hong and Wang arrived, Senior Brother Wang gave me a secret order. The couple was spying nearby, so I tested them.”

“They were spies. I killed Hui Ling on the spot, but Tian Qing managed to flee.”

Hua Qi shook his head in disbelief. “You say this is Hui Ling? No, this is Ling Hui! She was a Laborer Disciple here a year ago. She vanished without a trace. Who knew she’d return with a changed face to act as a spy?”

Ji Yida cut in. “We can discuss her identity later. We need to catch Tian Qing! He can’t have gone far!”

“Wait,” Han Yu interrupted. “Tian Qing isn’t the priority. There is something more urgent. This is the task Senior Brother Wang entrusted to me.”

“What could be more important than catching a spy?” Ji Yida frowned.

Han Yu stepped closer, lowering his voice so only the two stewards could hear. “Senior Brother Wang hinted that Hong Liang is a traitor. He and Hong Liang have gone to the market together. You need to send someone to arrest Hong Liang immediately!”

“What?!”

Ji Yida and Hua Qi recoiled in shock. “Is this true?”

“It is. Senior Brother Wang gave me the signal. And I saw it myself—Hong Liang’s eyes were red, a sign of practicing the Blood Refining Technique,” Han Yu lied smoothly.

“How do you know the Blood Refining Technique causes red eyes?” Ji Yida asked sharply.

“Elder Wen explained it when he examined me last time.”

The two stewards exchanged a glance. The logic held up.

“I’ll pursue Tian Qing,” Ji Yida decided quickly. “Junior Brother Hua, go to the main peak and report Hong Liang immediately!”

Ji Yida turned to four nearby Laborer Disciples. “You four! Lock Han Yu in his room. Do not let him take a single step outside until the sect decides on his reward or punishment!”

“Everyone else, return to your quarters! Anyone found outside will be treated as a spy!”

Orders given, Ji Yida mounted his Magical Artifact and sped toward the exit. Hua Qi flew toward the main peak.

The four assigned disciples escorted Han Yu into his stone house and barred the door.

Alone in the dim light of his room, Han Yu exhaled slowly.

He had bought himself time, but he was trapped. He now had to make a decision: fight his way out while the stewards were gone, or cripple his cultivation again to survive the coming inspection.

His hand brushed against the Jade Slip in his pocket.

Thousand Illusions Secret Art.

He recalled Tian Qing’s bizarre escape and the way Hui Ling’s face had shifted in death. If he could master this art…

Han Yu pressed the Jade Slip to his forehead. As the information flowed into his mind, a look of delight spread across his face.

This secret art… it arrived just in time.