151 Sect Leader Long (2/2)

Fortunately, it seemed that no one had any intention of following them. They left the sect easily and started flying towards the Fire Dragon Sect. It was midnight by the time they were about halfway there, and the moon was high in the sky. Suddenly, a black-haired Chinese cultivator flew into the skies and held his hand up to stop them. ”HALT!” He shouted.

”Hmm?” Ed and others stopped, confused by why a random cultivator would interfere with them.

”Which sect do you belong to? Where's your identity medallion?” The cultivator questioned.

”With all of what's going on, you're still checking medallions?” Ed chuckled while holding out his Purple Origin Sect elder medallion.

Upon seeing the medallion, the cultivator frowned. ”This is the Fire Dragon Sect's territory. Do you have a Fire Dragon Sect medallion?”

Ed shook his head. ”I don't. But I'm personal friends with Long Tai. I've also trained with Sect Master Long just recently. I'm heading over for a visit with them.”

”The Fire Dragon Sect territory is currently closed to all outsiders! I apologize, but please come back at a later time.”

”Well... unfortunately, this is urgent.” Ed sighed dramatically. ”So, here's what we're going to do. You're going to let us pass so that you can live the rest of your life peacefully.” He pointed behind himself. ”Otherwise, I'll feed you to Vegetable.”

The cultivator warily eyed Hina, who currently looked like a giant plant monster. ”What the hell is that thing anyways?” Flames lit up on his hands. ”Either way, do you think a flame cultivator would fear plants?”

”Tsk.” Ed clicked his tongue. ”I hate when people think logically. It has a good chance of getting them killed. Trust me, I would know.” The silver flames on his body grew stronger as he prepared to fight. Just as he was about to throw his first attack, a barely visible blue blur flashed past. A thud rang out in the darkness, followed by a crash and a plume of dirt.

When everything settled, Haru was revealed. His foot was atop the head of the now unconscious Chinese cultivator. ”I've taken care of him, Sensei. I left him alive since he's part of the Fire Dragon Sect.”

Ed's eyes widened in surprise. 'That speed... He's probably as fast as Carlos. Maybe faster...' He nodded. ”Good job.” He sent his powers towards the unconscious cultivator, melting his clothes into useless rags that fused into the dirt. The cultivator was left completely nude.

Flair turned away without saying anything, though a slight smile was on her lips. Hina covered the plant giant's eyes with its arm, making for a comical sight.

”Sensei... Why?” Haru questioned in confusion.

”When he wakes up, it'll take him longer to alert somebody.” He replied. ”Of course, that's assuming he has enough shame to want to find clothes first.”

The group continued forward, traveling towards the Longgang Volcanic Fields in the northeastern region of China. Half a day passed before they flew past beautiful hot springs and ugly volcanic craters. The sun was high in the sky when they arrived at the Fire Dragon Sect's city.

The city was different from the last time they visited it. There were patrols of guards everywhere, and everybody seemed on edge.

”Hmm.” Ed examined his surroundings. 'Are they worried about a surprise attack from the other sects? Or is this simple precaution?'

Fortunately, the city gates were still open, and they were allowed to head inside. It seemed the sect was only restricting travel between their province borders at the moment, as opposed to restricting access to their cities. It made sense when considering that plenty of visitors would have been here when the drama all started.

The inside of the city was operating as normal. Shops were open, and steam wagons travelled up and down the streets. Cultivators enjoyed the lazy slothful life in the city or trained on their own in their homes or at volcanic fields.

Ed decided to head for Tai's house first. Unfortunately, he had to travel by normal means within the city, so it took him an hour to get there even after paying for a steam wagon ride. When he reached the mansion, he pounded on the door. ”Tai, open up!” He shouted.

A butler opened the door. It seemed he recognized the group, as he hurriedly bowed towards them. ”It's been a long time.” He respectfully said. ”Please forgive me, but Sect Leader Long isn't here right now.”

”I'm not here to see Sect Master Long.” Ed frowned. ”I'm here to see Tai.” Internally, he was shaking his head in confusion. 'Why would I come here for Sect Master Long? He doesn't even live here.'

”Ah, please excuse me.” The butler made an apologetic face. ”By Sect Leader Long, I naturally meant Young Master Tai. He ascended as the new Sect Leader just yesterday. News has yet to make its way outside the city.”

Ed's eyes widened on shock, as did the eyes of his companions. ”How?!” He questioned. 'Even if Tai was promised the position, now is the worst possible time. What the hell happened?!'

The old butler sighed, almost looking as if he had just aged several more years. He looked back-and-forth secretly before leaning in to whisper, looking as if he didn't want to be caught speaking blasphemy. ”There's no point keeping it a secret, as everyone already knows. There were arguments amongst the higher-ups of whether to side with the Purple Origin Sect or the other six sects. The latter almost guarantees a shorter war and far fewer casualties, not to mention the seven sects all have their geniuses poached by the Purple Origin Sect regularly. Things grew heated between the Sect Master and the others, and they overthrew him. They worked together to kill Sect Master Long in cold blood. However, the most shocking part wasn't revealed until after. The whole coup had been Young Master Tai's plan, and he was installed as the new sect leader.”

”That...” Ed felt himself going speechless for a moment. 'Is Tai the type to really do that?' He closed his eyes to think. 'Tai is a ruthless strategist... I saw that during our escape from the Cage. But he does tend to treat his men really well... Now that I think about it, why would he need his to recruit his own men from the Cage? Was it really a mission requirement like he claimed? Or did he plan all along to create his own force and convince the sect elders to overthrow his father?' He frowned. It had been a long time since he had felt this confused. 'Things are just going to get messier and messier.' He sighed. He glanced back at his companions. ”Stay here. I'm going to go meet with Tai and find out the truth.”