Chapter 88: Twisted Fate (1/2)
It had been a week after Wei Huang took over the mountain goose sect.
The city was in an uproar during the intense week of battles between the Wei Clan and Jia Shan's forces. Shockwaves from the Nine Fish Killing Array had killed many common civilians and low-level cultivators. Some survivors were crippled, and a few lost their sense of hearing.
After everything was over, the city castellan visited Wei Huang, requesting compensation for the damage. Unfortunately, Wei Huang killed him and declared himself as the new castellan of mountain goose city.
The Wei clansmen used this opportunity to confiscate lands of Jia Shan and the ex-castellan. Former owners of the damaged buildings also moved away after selling their homes to Wei Huang.
The ruined buildings were replaced with brand new ones. Accessible buildings near the main roads were renovated as markets while the hard-to-reach areas were made into resident zones.
Instead of ruining the city, the Wei Clan rapidly expanded their businesses and hired more rogue cultivators to fill their ranks. The mountain goose town prospered as the new powerhouse reorganized and bolstered all businesses in the west district. More jobs were available for the civilians. Thus, their livelihood got better.
On the surface, peace returned to the town. But for cultivators, it was another calm before the storm.
The piece of news about Xie Tian's ability had already spread throughout the city, and everybody knew that Xu Xiuying took him.
All cultivators were eyeing the silver phoenix sect. The space-and-time manipulation technique was too tempting that 3rd-rate cultivators even wanted to infiltrate the sect for the secret.
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.
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”Ugh.”
Xie Tian slowly opened his eyes, but he could only see a dark ceiling. He breathed in moldy air that made his nose itchy.
When Xie Tian's sight adjusted to the dimmed light, he was shocked. He recalled that he was in an infirmary, but his location had been changed again.
”Where am I?”
”In a prison, young man.”
Xie Tian attempted to sit and look at the owner of the voice, but he couldn't gather his strength to raise his body.
”Take it easy. You don't have qi, and your stomach hasn't healed yet. Lay down and rest.”
Xie Tian followed the advice. He managed to see the speaker with the corner of his eyes.
It was an elderly man in white robes with golden stripes, which was the uniform of elders from the mountain goose sect.
”Senior. Why are we in a prison?”
The physician elder sighed, ”Xu Xiuying's goons brought us here when you're unconscious.”
Xie Tian couldn't believe it. His thoughts were in chaos as he tried to think of past events.
He was ambushed and almost died, but [Return to Zero] saved his life. Then, he was sent to the infirmary. Mysteriously, his spatial ring was gone, and he got poisoned. He passed out afterward. And in the end, he woke up in a prison.
Everything didn't make any sense. Xie Tian didn't know why he deserved this fate.
”Senior, what happened when I was unconscious?”
”Ah, it's a long story.”
”We have plenty of time.”
”You're right. Well, where should I begin…”
The elder introduced himself. His name was Yi Guiren, 77-year-old, a lowly elder who was in charge of the outer sect infirmary. His strength was merely at the initial 4th stage as he had no talent in cultivation.
Yi Guiren had watched over Xie Tian after Luo Cheng dropped the latter in the infirmary.
While Yi Guiren was watching over of the infirmary, Wei Huang's cultivators suddenly revolted and occupied the outer perimeters and the hills of the mountain. They forced every disciple and elder to surrender, or they would execute them.
All elders who got caught didn't want to risk their lives fighting for Jia Shan. They surrendered without caring if the sect would be ruined or not. Many disciples also submitted to the Wei Clan, but some managed to escape from the sect or regrouped with the defending forces.
Yi Guiren stayed behind and surrendered as well. Thankfully, the search parties ignored the infirmary since this place was rarely visited by any cultivator.
Since injured or wounded disciples always took healing pills and meditated to heal their wounds, this place was known as a place for the cripples. Thus, the Wei Clan overlooked the infirmary.
Then, Yi Guiren told Xie Tian about Jiang Lan's visit.
”So it was her that stole my ring and poisoned me?”
”I don't know what she has done to you, but you've vomited a lot of poisoned blood after she showed up.”
”…”
Xie Tian closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He suspected that Jiang Lan might have betrayed him, but he wasn't sure if she could do it alone.
The face of Xu Miao appeared in Xie Tian's mind. Since he was the one giving back Jiang Lan to him, he might have known something. Moreover, Xu Xiuying was Xu Miao's mother, so they might be in this together.
”So, Xu Xiuying took us here while they were attacking the sect?”
”Yes.”
”I see.”
Xie Tian assumed that the Xu Clan, Xu Miao, Jiang Lan, and everybody probably wanted to steal the secret technique that he had used during the match. He regretted picking a fight with Wei Feng and Xu Miao, which led to this situation.
”By the way, senior Yi. Where is my saber?”
”Oh? That treasure? Xu Xiuying's subordinate took it. I don't know where it is.”