Chapter 887: Escape (2/2, Requesting Moon Tickets)

After a long while, someone finally let out a soft sob, and soon the sound grew louder as many disciples embraced each other, tears and snot streaming down their faces.

No one had expected that the downfall of Tianjian Zong would come so suddenly.

The Elders watched the disciples' reactions and sighed inwardly.

They should have been the backbone of the sect; under normal circumstances, they would eventually grow into Sect Elders—but now they looked like this.

Amid the weeping and sorrow, suddenly someone stood up and walked toward the Elders.

"Tian Ruichi…"

"Ah, this child was supposed to be the one with the brightest future in Tianjian Zong…"

"He shouldn't have had to bear this…"

The Elders looked at Tian Ruichi approaching and felt a pang of sorrow.

When Tian Ruichi stepped closer, he scanned the Elders present, then fell to his knees with a thud and bowed his head heavily several times.

Then he rose without a word, his entire body radiating killing intent, and turned to leave.

Though he said nothing, everyone could see: Tian Ruichi was going to kill his way to Jibing Zong—to avenge his master, and to avenge his sect—even if he had to sacrifice his own life!

"Tian Ruichi, wait!"

Several Elders exchanged glances; one suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Tian Ruichi.

"Don't leave yet—come with us to a place, then leave Tianjian Zong."

Tian Ruichi looked confused; his mind was entirely focused on avenging his master and killing the enemies of Jibing Zong—he had no interest in anything else.

But the Elders' strength far surpassed Tian Ruichi's; with force, they quickly took him out of Jianmu Lin and toward a secret chamber in Tianjian Dian.

Inside the chamber, the other three Elders—who had not shown themselves since Jianmu Laoren's death—were already there, waiting patiently.

"Elders, what is this…?"

"Tian Ruichi, don't speak yet—listen carefully to us."

The Elder who led him exchanged glances with the others, gave a slight nod, then spoke to Tian Ruichi.

"When Jian Lao left, we Elders secretly discussed and exchanged ideas about one possibility: what if Jian Lao also fell? What should Tianjian Zong do?"

For this, we made two preparations.

But the outcome was even worse than we feared: Jian Lao didn't just lose—he vanished without return.

And so Tianjian Zong could only prepare for the worst: dissolve the sect, scatter into fragments, and preserve our disciples as much as possible, so one day we might rise again."

Upon saying this, the Elder took a satchel from a cabinet in the chamber.

"Tian Ruichi, you are the Sect Master's direct disciple and possess the Wood Soul Sword Embryo body. According to our original plan, you were the most suitable to inherit the Tianjian Sword—and possibly the strongest Tianjian wielder in history. But fate is unjust: you lost this chance, and Tianjian Zong may have lost the opportunity to witness the birth of its greatest Sect Master."

Yet the old saying holds true: as long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood. As long as you live, Tianjian Zong still has hope."

Tian Ruichi's expression softened.

"Elder Zhang, are you trying to…?"

"Exactly! This small box in the satchel contains the Tianjian Zong Mifa. After careful deliberation, we Elders have decided… to entrust it to you, to carry it out of Tianjian Zong and preserve the last spark of our sect!"

Tian Ruichi's eyes grew moist.

He clenched his fists.

"Elders… I—I want to avenge my masters, to fight the villains of Jibing Zong! That Qi Ba Jiu, after battling my master and Jian Lao, must be grievously wounded—this is my best chance for revenge!"

Elder Zhang sighed.

"We understand your feelings, but the enemy you face isn't just Qi Ba Jiu—it's the entire Jibing Zong. With your strength, do you believe you can kill the Supreme Sect Master Qi Ba Jiu amid Jibing Zong's overwhelming defenses?"

"… "

Tian Ruichi fell silent, for he knew himself it was impossible.

But this rage—this fury at losing his masters, knowing the enemies' identities yet being unable to avenge them—where could it go?

"Hidden Endurance!"

Elder Zhang placed his hand on Tian Ruichi's shoulder.

"To avenge your masters, to save Tianjian Zong, to honor the Sect Master—you must endure Hidden Endurance! Take the Tianjian Zong Mifa, flee far beyond Jingcheng, hide where no one can find you, train in silence, spread Tianjian Zong's Martial Arts. When the time is right, rise again, rebuild Tianjian Zong, and cut off your enemies' heads!"

Tian Ruichi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "Will there… will there ever be such a day?"

Elder Zhang sighed; he could not give a confident promise, only said: "No one knows the future. Only by giving your all can you find out if a path lies ahead."

"Elders…"

"Go. Take the satchel and leave through the secret passage. The other disciples leaving the mountain will serve as your cover. Remember: no matter what happens, protect the sect's legacy—and protect your own life!"

Tian Ruichi looked at the other Elders and saw they all shared Elder Zhang's resolve.

Tian Ruichi finally suppressed his rage; a new emotion—responsibility—settled on his shoulders.

He was not just the Sect Master's disciple—he was a disciple of Tianjian Zong!

"Disciple… accepts the order!"

After bowing deeply to the Elders, Tian Ruichi picked up the satchel and turned to leave Tianjian Zong through the secret passage.

After Tian Ruichi left, Elder Zhang's expression slowly calmed, then he took another black satchel from the cabinet—identical to the one Tian Ruichi had taken.

Then, like the other Elders, he sat quietly on the ground.

Soon after, another Elder entered, accompanied by a Tianjian Zong disciple.

"Leng Yue, though your whereabouts are always mysterious, your strength is unquestionably among the top in Tianjian Zong. Now that Tianjian Zong faces annihilation, Jibing Zong's retaliation and persecution from other sects will soon follow. Since our sect can no longer resist these great sects, we have decided to dissolve, scatter, and seek another path. And that path falls upon you!"

After unanimous decision by the Elders, we entrust you with the Tianjian Zong Mifa! Once safe, you may cultivate all its mysteries—but there is only one requirement: protect the Mifa's legacy, ensure Tianjian Zong's Martial Arts endure forever—never fall into the hands of villains!"

Leng Yue, usually impassive, now showed a flicker of emotion; he knelt halfway.

"Disciple accepts the order!"

The Elders said nothing more; Leng Yue quickly took the satchel and left.

The Elder who brought Leng Yue, like Elder Zhang before him, sat down inside, waiting for the next Elder to arrive with another disciple.

They seemed to be plotting something, and Tian Ruichi seemed to be only one link in that plot.

……

(End of Chapter)