The youth entered Red Maple Hall with a bewildered and anxious air, only to freeze on the spot.
"Sect... Sect Leader..."
He watched with wide eyes as the Red Maple Lake Sect Leader, a figure he could only ever look up to from afar, was now being held by the neck, strangled as easily as if he were gripping a chicken.
The Sect Leader, who had been the object of his admiration and considered a legend in Martial Arts, was now being held by the neck by a person clad in a black robe, hanging with feet off the ground, and both legs twisted and broken, with blood dripping from his toes.
Inside the hall, there were also several disciples’ blood-stained corpses lying on the floor.
At that moment, the boy gazed on silently, beginning to understand what the old man in the Daoist robe had said.
Perhaps, it truly was better to be a common man far from strife than to be a Cultivator destined for a tumultuous fate?
"We agreed to hand over the person, why did you still have to kill?"
The Supreme Elder of Red Maple Lake stood in the hall, glaring at the black-robed figure wearing a mask with an unsightly look on his face.
And the figure seated opposite him, also cloaked in a black robe but with a face shrouded in a layer of black mist, was a mysterious person.
"I’ve already said, if you don’t hand over the person, I will completely annihilate your Red Maple Lake Sect."
The low and chilling voice of the mysterious man in black echoed, "You hesitated for three breaths, and I have killed only three of your disciples. What’s wrong with that?"
The Great Elder of Red Maple Lake clenched his fists tightly, but still said in a deep voice, "Follow me; he’s in the Forbidden Land cultivating."
He could sense the terrible aura emanating from these two individuals, who were undoubtedly top figures even among the Four Symbols Heaven Barrier, especially the silent black-robed figure, whose actions were terrifying and who felt even more dangerous.
But remembering the instructions of the masters behind him, a spark of hope for revenge ignited in his heart.
"Wouldn’t it have been better from the start? Why did people have to die?"
The mysterious person in the black robe scoffed, standing up and walking toward the exit of the hall, commanding, "Put him down and follow me."
And the black-robed masked man casually threw the Sect Leader of Red Maple Lake aside, then turned and followed without hesitation, leaving the great hall.
The many disciples who had come upon hearing the news all fearfully cleared a path.
As the figures departed, the youth in the corner of the crowd couldn’t help but look to the Daoist-robed old man and asked in a low voice, "Senior, can you save the Sect Leader?"
The man in the Daoist robe remained silent for a long while before turning to leave, his figure appearing somewhat lonely and weathered.
"Don’t worry, someone will take action, but me... I cannot save anyone."
The Great Elder of Red Maple Lake led the two black-robed figures to the entrance of a residence in the back mountain, stopping and asking, "Are you sure that once you take him away, you won’t kill any of my Red Maple Lake disciples?"
"Of course," the mysterious man in the black robe replied nonchalantly.
Of course, no survivors could be left.
According to plan, the Supreme Elder of the Nanyun Sect was still guarding outside the mountain gate; any disciples attempting escape were doomed.
Although committing such slaughter meant he couldn’t return to Jingzhou for the time being, finding such a genius was worth the price, especially since this wasn’t his True Body.
Immediately, the Great Elder of Red Maple Lake stepped forward and pushed open the doors of the residence and walked inside.
The mysterious man in the black robe observed the surroundings and detected no traces of any Array, seeing only a rudimentary Barrier. With his skills in Arrays, a simple Four Symbols Level Barrier could never fool him.
With just a small Red Maple Lake Sect, was it possible?
Without hesitation, the two black-robed figures followed the Great Elder of Red Maple Lake deeper into the residence.
They quickly arrived at a courtyard.
In the elegant and grand courtyard, there was a stone table, and seated behind it was a young man in a white robe, gently sipping hot tea, with a tall and valiant beauty standing behind him.
The Great Elder of Red Maple Lake bowed with some excitement; his mission was now complete.
But the eyes of the mysterious person in the black robe shifted slightly.
Who would refer to their sect’s genius as Young Master?
At that moment, the young man put down his teacup and looked at them calmly, his voice soft, "Gentlemen, I’ve been waiting for you."