Chapter 128: The Traitor

Li Tan tried to squeeze his way in, but was instantly pushed back out. Just as he was about to resort to force, the situation suddenly changed.

An elderly man with an air of immortality leaped from several points at the outer edge of the crowd, landing lightly like a breeze on the balcony of the stone building’s second floor. He shouted for silence to everyone present.

Immediately, everyone obeyed, closing their mouths and raising their heads to look up with reverence.

If there were no unexpected developments, this old man would be today’s referee. According to convention, his identity would definitely be that of an outer sect elder of Feiyu Sect.

An outer sect elder of Feiyu Sect—at the very least, a martial artist at the middle stage of innate cultivation!

Yet as Li Tan looked up at the old man, an ominous feeling arose in his heart.

Although the old man tried to remain calm, he inadvertently revealed a panicked expression, and his hands beneath his wide sleeves were slightly trembling.

This was definitely not the state one should be in when presiding over a recruitment ceremony.

The old man glanced at the crowd, held his breath for a long time, and finally announced helplessly, “The recruitment assessment for this year is canceled. Everyone, please return.”

“What? The assessment is canceled? Are you serious?”

“Why would the assessment suddenly be canceled?

This is the first time I’ve ever encountered such a thing in all these years!”

“We came all this way, and the assessment is canceled just like that?”

In an instant, the crowd erupted, voices of confusion and dissatisfaction rising in waves.

“Brother Li Tan?

Why was the recruitment canceled?”

Li Jiaying asked uneasily.

“I’m not sure either. In any case, let’s leave here first. It’s pointless to stay any longer.”

His bad feeling had come true. Li Tan furrowed his brow, glanced again at the old man on the second-floor balcony wearing an expression of helplessness, then signaled to Li Xiu and the others before carrying Li Jiaying away from the scene.

The noise at the recruitment site gradually faded as the distance increased. After turning onto two side streets, the surroundings became much less crowded.

“Li Tan, since the recruitment assessment was canceled, are we heading back directly or what?” Li Hantian asked, standing under a tree by the roadside.

Li Tan thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Let’s stay one more night.”

“Why?

Do you think Feiyu Sect will rescind the cancellation of the recruitment tomorrow?”

Li Hantian asked in confusion.

Li Tan shook his head again, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on the recruitment site of Feiyu Sect. “I still have some matters to handle in Shushui. Don’t ask too many questions about that. As for what comes next, we’ll decide tomorrow.”

Li Hantian furrowed his brow, as if wanting to say something, but he held his tongue.

Li Tan didn’t care about what was going through his mind. He took Li Jiaying back to the inn, instructed her not to run off, and then left Shushui City alone.

He was deeply troubled by Feiyu Sect’s sudden cancellation of the recruitment. Because before his rebirth, Feiyu Sect had held the recruitment as usual that year.

In other words, something must have happened during the time after his rebirth that caused Feiyu Sect to cancel their recruitment.

And whatever event was serious enough to force Feiyu Sect to cancel their recruitment was certainly no small matter. Moreover, the cause of that event must have been something Li Tan did after his rebirth.

Li Tan had only been reborn for about a week. If he had done anything significant enough to affect Feiyu Sect, the only possibility would be that he had ruined the black-robed men’s plans in Linjiang.

In other words, after Li Tan had disrupted the black-robed men’s plans in Linjiang, for some reason, those men had turned their attention to Feiyu Sect and done something that forced them to cancel the recruitment directly.

The reason Li Tan deliberately stayed an extra night in Shushui was precisely to find out exactly what had happened to Feiyu Sect.

Li Tan’s cultivation had already reached the innate stage. His mastery of the Moye Steps was much more flexible than before. Like a fish weaving through the woods outside the city, he quickly reached the mountain where Feiyu Sect was located.

Although this place was called a “cultivation sect,” it was far from the descriptions found in novels—no lush sacred mountains, towering ancient trees, misty spiritual energy, or clouds swirling with immortal cranes playing among them.

It was extremely ordinary. At first glance, it was just a small hill, nothing more than a few impressive-looking structures built atop it.

Feiyu Sect, even if considered a second-tier sect within the Nine Provinces, was being generous with that label.

Relying on the fragmented memories he had retained from before his rebirth, Li Tan skillfully bypassed the disciples guarding the mountain entrance and made his way straight up.

Feiyu Sect was divided into outer and inner sects. The outer sect was located halfway up the mountain, where those who passed the recruitment assessment would begin their cultivation. The inner sect, located at the mountain peak, was the true core of Feiyu Sect.

Li Tan’s target was the inner sect, so he ignored the outer sect and continued upward.

However, after leaving the outer sect, he began to slow down and proceed more cautiously.

Most cultivators in the outer sect were at the later stage of acquired cultivation, with only a few elders at the innate stage. The inner sect, however, housed experts at the Grandmaster level. Li Tan had no intention of being discovered, which would lead to unnecessary trouble.

Before long, under the cover of night, Li Tan reached the mountaintop.

Yet this smooth ascent made him feel uneasy.

As the saying goes, when something reaches its extreme, it will inevitably turn in the opposite direction. Although Feiyu Sect might be considered a minor sect, it was still the dominant force in Shushui.

Although Li Tan had once roamed the Nine Provinces, that was before his rebirth. Now, he was merely a cultivator at the innate stage. To infiltrate the core of Feiyu Sect so effortlessly was somewhat implausible, wasn’t it?

If the night sentries hadn’t noticed him, that was one thing. But what about the hidden guards lurking in the shadows? At the very least, they should have sensed something.

Yet from start to finish, Li Tan had ascended the mountain like a ghost, encountering no resistance at all. This could basically lead to one conclusion: Feiyu Sect currently lacked the capability to deploy hidden guards.

What had happened in just a few days that could reduce the once-formidable Feiyu Sect to this state?

As he grew older, Li Tan’s expression became increasingly solemn. Treading across rooftops, he located the sect leader’s quarters.

The sect leader of Feiyu Sect was also Li Tan’s master before his rebirth.

To avoid being discovered, Li Tan didn’t get too close, instead using his spiritual perception to sense the situation inside.

Inside the leader’s quarters were only two elderly men—one lying on the bed, his face pale, and the other sitting anxiously at the bedside.

The man lying on the bed was the master of Feiyu Sect, the same person who had been Li Tan’s master before his rebirth. Although their relationship hadn’t been particularly warm, having been master and disciple, Li Tan still felt a pang of sadness at seeing him in this condition.

As for the old man sitting at the bedside, if Li Tan’s memory served him right, he was the sect’s Supreme Elder—the only Grandmaster-level expert in Feiyu Sect.

“So something really happened,” Li Tan muttered. Suddenly, movement came from inside the room.

Li Tan focused his attention, straining to listen to their conversation.