“I ask you, was there ever a Liu family living near Chaotic Burial Mountain?”
“Oh? How did you know? Yes, there used to be a Liu family here, but something strange happened and they suddenly vanished.”
“Where exactly did they live?”
Third Brother turned his head at once and pointed toward a newly cultivated field in the distance. “Over there. After the Liu family disappeared, the Chen clan flattened the land and turned it into farmland.”
A moment later, the crisp sound of a jade coin striking the cart rang by his ear. When he picked it up and looked again, the man in plain robes had already vanished without a trace. Alarmed, Third Brother called out in all directions, “Sir, you forgot your goose!”
…
“Uncle, that’s the gist of it. It seems Great-Uncle’s branch was destroyed by the Chen family…”
Inside a hidden house in Chaotic Burial Mountain, the man in plain robes who had just disappeared now reported before an elderly man.
“Have you found any trace of Lord Qingling?” the elder finally asked after a long silence.
The man shook his head. “I inspected the fields. Using Lord Qingshan’s bamboo leaves, I could faintly sense Lord Qingling’s lingering aura, but it’s already very weak. Lord Qingling may have…” He trailed off, yet both understood the result.
“Hmph! Liu Zishan was arrogant and reckless. I warned him long ago to regroup with us, but he refused. And now he has dragged Lord Qingling down with him. Damn him!”
The elder’s furious voice echoed in the room. After a brief hesitation, the man in plain robes said, “Uncle, even without Lord Qingling, we still have Lord Qingshan, do we not?”
“You know nothing! Lord Qingling and Lord Qingshan are of the same lineage. Had they been able to unite, Lord Qingshan could have regained his divine strength. But now Qingling is gone, and who knows how long it will take Qingshan to recover!”
“Then, Uncle, should we consider leaving for now? If the Chen family was strong enough to bring down Great-Uncle, then their strength may surpass ours. The clan might not be able to contend with them.”
“Why panic? Even Liu Zishan never knew our location—how could the Chen family possibly know? Besides, if Zishan lingered here so long, there must be something in this land that aids the revival of our clan’s totem. Since we are here, we must uncover it.”
“Yes, I’ll go at once.”
“Be careful not to stir trouble.”
“Rest assured, Uncle. I act in secret. The Chen family will never discover me.”
…
“Who are you people?! Let me go, or I’ll scream!”
Before he could even begin gathering information in the marketplace, the man in plain robes was seized by two men. Though he was in the Blood Coagulation Realm, both his captors were already mid-stage cultivators of the same realm.
“You’re too kind, sir. The Chen family has helped our village so much. I only told you what I saw—nothing more.” Third Brother grinned with a simple, honest expression.
…
Inside the clan’s main hall, Chen Xingzhen sat upright upon the seat of honor, his gaze steady on the man in plain robes who was being escorted in. “Who are you?”
“Pah! Like I’d tell you anything.” The man snorted and turned his head aside, his face full of defiance.
Chen Xingzhen only chuckled. This man had dared to gather information openly in the Chen family’s marketplace, as though their intelligence network meant nothing.
But ever since Chaotic Burial Mountain had stabilized, the clan had forged ties with many villages, turning stall owners and even passing villagers into their eyes and ears. After he questioned Third Brother, word had quickly reached the Chen clan, leading to his capture now.
Seeing the man remain silent, Chen Xingzhen turned to Chen Tianlu. “Interrogate him. He wouldn’t be asking about the Liu family for no reason. Get the truth from him.”
“Yes, Clan Leader.”
Chen Tianlu’s lips curved into a peculiar smile as he faced the captive. Though this was his first time handling such a task, he was confident he could manage.
Noticing that strange smile, the man in plain robes felt a flicker of fear. “Y-you… what are you planning to do?”
“No rush. You’ll find out soon enough. Hehehe…”
Once the others left, Chen Tianmo hurried in with a tense expression.
“Any word of Qinghe and Qingmeng?” Chen Xingzhen asked at once.
Chen Tianmo shook his head. All of the clan members sent into Chaotic Burial Mountain had returned yesterday—except Chen Qinghe and Chen Qingmeng. Though search parties had been dispatched, there was still no trace of them.
The two had always been unruly, but Chaotic Burial Mountain was only so large, and Chen Qingyu, an Innate Realm martial artist, guarded it in secret. The pair had no chance to escape.
After hearing of their disappearance, Chen Xingzhen had prayed to the Divine Tree, hoping it could reveal their location. Yet even the Divine Tree had been unable to sense their exact position, only confirming they were still somewhere within the mountain.
“Keep searching. Send more people. Dispatch the clan’s Green Wolves as well.”
He refused to believe that the Chen family could lose track of its own within Chaotic Burial Mountain.
…
Half a day earlier.
“Huff!”
With a breath, faint firelight flickered in the darkness, illuminating the anxious faces of Chen Qinghe and Chen Qingmeng.
“Qingmeng, I’ve been calling you forever. Why didn’t you respond?” Chen Qinghe asked, frowning at his cousin who sat only a short distance away.
“I didn’t hear you,” Chen Qingmeng replied, looking dazed.
Seeing he wasn’t lying, Chen Qinghe grew puzzled. He had nearly shouted himself hoarse, yet heard no reply at all.
Not long before, while circling the area, he had slipped through a barely visible hole in the ground. Though he reacted quickly, he soon realized Qingmeng must have fallen in first. Without hesitation, he slid down after him—and found him here.
Now, under the faint glow of fire, both young men looked unsettled.
“Qinghe, what do we do now?” Qingmeng asked nervously.
Chen Qinghe lifted the small flame toward the opening above, but only darkness loomed overhead. Recalling his fall, he realized the tunnel was not a straight drop but twisted midway, preventing even the faintest light from reaching them.