Chapter 342: Yang Sixuan

In truth, this mountain peak belongs to Shang Xiangyu.

Shang Xiangyu requested leave from the Sect, saying he was going out to travel for half a year, but he never said he wouldn't return.

Yang Yi came here this time to investigate only Pan Yong's case; he had no need to go this far and turn Shang Xiangyu's place upside down.

But Yang Yi simply wanted to use Pan Yong's case as a pretext to thoroughly search this place.

Between the two strange furnace explosions Shang Xiangyu had before, and the two Registered Disciples who had gone missing on this mountain peak over the last two or three years, he had always felt uneasy about Shang Xiangyu's place.

He could vaguely sense that there might be more to the frequent deaths of Registered Disciples here and Shang Xiangyu's departure to travel than met the eye.

Previously, with Shang Xiangyu present, he could not make such a big fuss.

Now that Shang Xiangyu was away and he had a ready-made excuse, he naturally wanted to take the opportunity to resolve the doubts in his heart.

After searching the dense forest, Yang Yi led his men back to the cliffside in the bleak night.

Duan Rong was deep within the cave, sitting cross-legged and circulating his Qi; he heard the chaotic footsteps outside the cave, but he focused solely on refining the medicinal power in his meridians, treating the noise outside as nothing.

He knew very well that he had handled things cleanly, leaving no traces that could be tracked back to him.

When Yang Yi passed the entrance to Duan Rong's cave, his footsteps did not stop; he walked past quickly, following the cliffside until he reached the entrance to Pan Yong's cave.

At the entrance to Pan Yong's cave, a man stood guard with a saber, his other hand holding a torch that burned with a whooshing sound.

Yang Yi took the torch and walked inside.

Pan Yong's cave had already been searched by his men.

As for this cave of Pan Yong's, Duan Rong had already cleaned it up beforehand. Not only had he washed away the bloodstains, he had even tidied up Pan Yong's bed.

Because the Hammock had been stained with blood, Duan Rong had even taken it down, rinsed it by the mountain spring, and only hung it back up in the cave after it had dried.

A cold glint flashed in Yang Yi's eyes as he scanned the cave; his gaze paused briefly on the Copper Mirror on the Stone Table and the Hammock beside it.

Afterward, Yang Yi suddenly drew the long saber at his waist, flipped it over, and used the back and tip of the blade to tap against the surrounding walls, wanting to see if there were any hidden compartments within the cave.

Yang Yi re-examined it, found no issues, and then left quickly.

Yang Yi not only searched Pan Yong's cave, he then checked the caves where Chen Hu, Yin Cong, and Tang Zhu had lived before they died, and he did not even spare the abandoned caves that had been uninhabited for years.

After a round of questioning and searching, Yang Yi finally arrived at Shang Xiangyu's stone chamber.

Outside Shang Xiangyu's stone chamber, two men stood guard with sabers.

Yang Yi glanced at the two men, then raised the torch and walked into the cave.

This stone chamber of Shang Xiangyu's had also already been searched once by his men.

One could see that the cabinet in the corner had been opened, and the severed Copper Mirror lock lay on the ground.

Inside that cabinet were nothing but bottles and jars; these men dared not touch them at random, as they could not distinguish which were poisons and which were medicines.

Yang Yi held the torch and circled the stone chamber once; he followed the same method, drawing his long saber and tapping lightly on the walls and floor.

He tapped along all the walls and had gradually reached the side of the stone bed.

Yang Yi suddenly held his saber and tapped the side of the stone bed.

Upon this tap, the sound was clearly a bit more hollow; Yang Yi's gaze jumped, and he tapped that spot again with the back of the blade; the sound remained hollow and dull.

Yang Yi immediately became interested; he used the back of the blade to trace a circle along the side of the stone bed, certain that the inside of the stone bed was hollow.

Yang Yi suddenly turned his head, his gaze cold and sharp as he looked at the few people following behind him, and shouted coldly: "Who led the search of Shang Xiangyu's stone chamber?"

While Yang Yi was repeatedly tapping the stone bed, a fair-skinned young man in the crowd turned deathly pale and broke into a cold sweat.

At this moment, seeing Yang Yi's angry inquiry, he stepped out of the crowd, cupped his hands, and said: "Yang Tou, it was me."

Yang Yi looked at the young man, the veins on his forehead pulsing faintly; he suddenly slapped the young man across the face and cursed: "I've wasted my time teaching you; such an important place, and I left it to you to search. What kind of search did you give me?"

The young man was slapped to the ground by Yang Yi; his face had actually been torn open by Yang Yi's slap, leaving it a bloody mess.

The young man immediately stood up from the ground, cupped his hands, and said: "Yang Tou, I know I was wrong... it was a moment of negligence on my part."

"Enough!" Yang Yi said impatiently: "Get out."

"From now on, you don't need to stay in the Ruling Sect Justice Division. This place is not for you!"

"Ah..." The young man stood there stunned, his eyes clearly showing a look of struggle, but seeing Yang Yi's livid expression, he still covered the bloodied half of his face and exited the stone chamber.

The moment the young man turned, two bean-sized tears dripped from his eye sockets.

Those who could enter the Ruling Sect Justice Division usually had some background within the Sect.

This young man truly had not expected that Yang Yi would actually drive him out of the Ruling Sect Justice Division directly.

But he dared not talk back to Yang Yi and could only swallow his grievances.

Because Yang Yi's second uncle was the Division Head of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, Yang Sixuan.

This person was someone that even the Sect Master had to fear by three parts within the Sect.

Seeing that the young man had left, Yang Yi looked coldly at the others and said: "What are you all still standing there for? Why don't you go and find the mechanism for that hidden compartment in the stone bed for me."

The others immediately surrounded the stone bed and began fumbling around.

A few people even crawled onto the bed to search, but after a good while, not one person had found where the mechanism was.

Yang Yi's expression grew increasingly impatient.

"All of you, get out of the way!"

Hearing this, the group immediately scattered and stood to the side.

With an ugly expression, Yang Yi walked to the stone bed and suddenly channeled his Qi, slapping a corner of the stone bed with his palm.

With a loud bang, a corner of the stone bed was actually shattered by Yang Yi and collapsed inward.

It could be seen that the inside of the stone bed was indeed hollow, and it was pitch black inside.

Seeing that so many of his subordinates had fumbled for a long time without finding the mechanism, Yang Yi realized the mechanism must be hidden well; he feared that continuing to fumble would be futile, so it was better to smash it open directly.

In order to avoid damaging the things inside as much as possible, he had specifically slapped a corner of the stone bed.

Yang Yi's gaze shifted; he channeled his palm again and smashed one side of the stone bed from the inside; the shattered stone fragments fell to the ground.

Seeing that the hidden compartment had been opened, Yang Yi looked at one person and said: "You, go and see what is inside the hidden compartment."

"Yes!" A sallow-faced young man responded, then walked toward the stone bed.

That sallow-faced young man, holding a Candle Lamp, climbed into the hollow interior of the stone bed; after a search, he only brought out a stack of books.

Yang Yi's eyelids twitched. "Are there only these few books?"

"Yes, Yang Tou. It is empty inside, there are only these few books."

Yang Yi's gaze shifted; he snatched the Candle Lamp from the sallow-faced young man's hand and crawled into the stone bed himself.

Yang Yi scanned it once and discovered it was indeed empty, only then did he come out, take the books, and flip through them roughly.

Upon seeing the last few, which were actually books concerning the Filthy Blood Sect and the Filthy Blood Divine Art, Yang Yi's expression changed abruptly.

"I knew this guy was up to no good!?"

"To actually hide books of the Filthy Blood Sect within the Sect, and they are all early rare editions! Shang Xiangyu, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Duan Rong was cultivating in the dark cave when suddenly, chaotic footsteps sounded within.

Duan Rong opened his eyes on the stone bed and saw that Yang Yi was already standing before him, with two people following behind Yang Yi, holding torches.

The torchlight illuminated the originally dim cave, making it glow red.

Yang Yi said: "Little Friend Duan, I know you have only recently entered the Sect, and I originally did not want to drag you into this case. However, the implications of this case are growing larger and larger. I have no choice but to ask you to come with me to the Ruling Sect Justice Division for a visit."

Duan Rong's eyelids trembled slightly.

He saw one of the people behind Yang Yi holding a stack of books; just by looking at the side of that stack, he knew those were the books from the secret compartment in Shang Xiangyu's stone bed.

So, the "implications growing larger" that Yang Yi spoke of clearly referred to the Filthy Blood Sect.

Duan Rong truly had not expected things to develop so drastically to this point.

At this time, the matter of Shang Xiangyu had not yet been exposed. He was still an Inner Sect Disciple of the Sect, and also a Pharmacist, it was just that he was going to be away from the mountain for over half a year.

Although Duan Rong already knew that he would not return, Yang Yi did not know that.

How could this person be so bold?!

The current case was merely Pan Yong stealing rare medicine from the Sect. Duan Rong had originally thought that Yang Yi coming here was just to investigate Pan Yong.

And since Pan Yong was no longer on the mountain at this time and had fled, it was natural for the various Ya Men to issue wanted posters to hunt him down.

But this Yang Yi came over like a mad dog.

Digging three feet into the ground, inside and out, of this mountain peak!

Was he not afraid that Shang Xiangyu would return and make things difficult for him?

He actually even discovered the secret compartment in Shang Xiangyu's stone bed and brought out that stack of books.

Since Shang Xiangyu was both an Inner Sect Disciple and a Pharmacist, even if he had a secret compartment in his stone room, that was his private business; as long as he did not commit a crime, on what grounds could you investigate him?

And now, Shang Xiangyu had only left the Sect for a little over ten days.

Yang Yi actually went straight to search and seize his stone room's secret compartment.

What a mad dog!

Duan Rong glanced at Yang Yi, got off the stone bed, and followed the two people behind Yang Yi out of the cave.

Yang Yi's mad dog style clearly disrupted some of Duan Rong's plans.

Yang Yi stood at the entrance of Duan Rong's cave holding a torch; he turned back to glance into the cave. Before he waited for Duan Rong at the entrance, he had already carefully searched the interior of Duan Rong's cave.

It was precisely because he had not discovered any suspicious points that his attitude toward Duan Rong had been quite good earlier.

Yang Yi's group took Duan Rong and headed toward the Cableway.

By Duan Rong's side, the Black Iron Cabinet from Shang Xiangyu's stone room was actually wrapped tightly with an Iron Chain, being carried by two people, walking side-by-side with Duan Rong.

Duan Rong had originally thought that the focus of Pan Yong's matter was not within the Sect, but at the various Ya Men in the secular world.

After all, Pan Yong had gone to the Lower Courtyard to get a permit from Qin Laotou, and then disappeared within the Sect.

By normal logic, shouldn't they have let the various Ya Men search for him?

If that were the case, he would still be a Medicine Boy, continuing to guard the gate for Shang Xiangyu. Although Shang Xiangyu was not on the mountain, his remaining prestige should still have existed.

And after half a year, when the Sect reacted and discovered Shang Xiangyu had disappeared, by then, time would have passed and things would have changed, leaving no trace to follow.

And at that time, him guarding this mountain peak alone for over half a year would have just proven that he was also kept in the dark and knew nothing about Shang Xiangyu defecting from the Sect.

But now, this Yang Yi had gone and exposed everything so early.

Isn't this just making trouble for him?!

As Duan Rong walked, he greeted Yang Yi's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart.

The Ruling Sect Justice Division was located on a mountain peak not far from the Elder Council.

Here, there were only two Cableways, one for entering and one for exiting.

And at these two Cableways, there were people guarding them, and within three zhang of the Cableways, there was an Arrow Tower each.

Outside the Cableways, various mountain passes and strategic points were also guarded year-round.

As Duan Rong jumped off the Cableway, he was scorched by a roaring torch nearby, his face stinging.

Duan Rong walked forward a few steps, moving further away from the flames blown by the night wind.

Duan Rong stood there, looked up, and saw fires burning everywhere on this mountain peak; in the pitch-black night, it looked like hellfire.

A tall Arrow Tower three zhang away loomed in and out of sight; Duan Rong knew that on top of that dark Arrow Tower, there must be a pair of clear eyes staring in his direction.

Yang Yi's group took Duan Rong along the mountain path.

Walking along the way, Duan Rong was quite shocked; there were guard posts set up every few zhang on this mountain path, and every time there was a high point, there was an Arrow Tower standing tall in the darkness.

Torches and basin lamps were standing everywhere, illuminating the entire mountain path brightly.

Yang Yi's group brought Duan Rong to a stone wall.

On that stone wall, there was a large, pitch-black Iron Door; on both sides of the Iron Door stood two people holding blades, and not far away on both sides, an Arrow Tower stood erect, facing each other like mountain peaks in the dark night.

When Yang Yi arrived here, he suddenly said to the group: "Take him to the Dungeon. Send that cabinet to the Evidence Room of the Dungeon as well. Tomorrow I will find a Pharmacist to come and examine the things inside."

After Yang Yi finished giving orders, he took the stack of books searched from the secret compartment in Shang Xiangyu's stone bed from the arms of a person beside him, and hurried along the mountain path toward a higher place.

Duan Rong was then taken into the Dungeon.

As soon as Duan Rong entered the Dungeon, he was escorted to a cramped room, where a thin, middle-aged man with long, nimble fingers began to search him.

The scattered items in Duan Rong's sleeve pockets and inner garment pockets were all turned out by him.

However, every item Duan Rong carried on his person had been carefully considered, and there were no incriminating items.

After the search was finished, Duan Rong was locked into a cell with three stone walls and a round wooden barred gate facing the Corridor.

Carrying that stack of books, Yang Yi walked along the mountain path to a mountain hollow not far from the summit.

This mountain hollow was pitch black; unlike other places where flames were rising everywhere, there was only a single spark of light here, flickering in a bamboo building.

This place was where Yang Sixuan resided.

The mountain hollow was planted all over with bamboo, making it quite secluded and quiet.

Yang Sixuan lived here in a bamboo building he had built with his own hands, and usually, if there were no urgent matters, no one dared to come and disturb him.

At this moment, the sky was pitch black, and the single spark of light, dim and flickering, indicated it was time for Yang Sixuan's night reading.

At this hour, only Yang Yi dared to come looking for him.

Yang Yi stepped on the bamboo stairs of the bamboo building, which emitted a slight creaking sound; he tried his best to lighten his footsteps as he walked up to the bamboo building.

Yang Yi took a glance; the windows of the bamboo building were closed, but the door was left ajar.

Yang Yi knocked on the door three times lightly; after knocking, he paused for two breaths, and without waiting for any movement from inside, he pulled open the door and walked in slowly.

On a small table in the center of the room sat a dim Candle Lamp with a flame like a bean, and Yang Sixuan was sitting in front of the table, flipping through a yellowed ancient book.

Yang Sixuan was already over fifty years old, but his hair was combed very neatly and was as black as ink, without a single strand of white; his forehead was very full, his eyes held a restrained brilliance, and his chin line was firm; if it weren't for the rather thick crow's feet at the corners of his eyes that somewhat betrayed his age, at first glance, he would look like he had just turned thirty.

Yang Yi had already made quite a bit of noise, so Yang Sixuan did not need to look up to know who had come. "What is it?"

(End of this chapter)