Bat Prince, roaming the heavens

Songshan Sect, Council Hall.

The mountain wind howled, causing the flags in front of the palace to flutter in the wind.

Zuo Lengchan sat high above, his face as cold and stern as a rock.

Several members of the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan, along with several trusted disciples, stood on either side of the hall, creating a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

Ding Mian, the "Pagoda-Bearer" of the Grand Protector, stood on the left, his face ashen.

"Junior Brother Lu has gone." Zuo Lengchan's voice was not loud, but it was like ice falling into a deep pool.

The news came last night.

The twenty-odd men that Lu Bai brought, including the group of skilled fighters secretly trained by Zuo Lengchan, were all wiped out in the desolate forest at the foot of Mount Hua.

Not a single survivor.

"Who dares to be so audacious as to attack someone from Mount Song!" The Fourth Protector, "Great Yin-Yang Hand" Yue Hou, roared in anger, slamming his palm on the table beside him, making the teacups clang. "Senior Brother Zuo, this person must pay the price!"

Ding Mian slowly began, "According to news from Huayin County, this person is a young man named Yuan Suiyun. He once appeared in front of the Righteousness Hall of Mount Hua and even sparred with Linghu Chong, the eldest disciple of the Mount Hua Sect."

"Yuan Suiyun?" Yue Hou frowned. "I've never heard of that name before."

"Not only have you never heard of him," Ding Mian said, "no one here has either. This person seems to have appeared out of thin air."

"Could it be... someone from the Demonic Cult?" Zhong Zhen, the "Nine-Bend Sword," speculated.

Ding Mian pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "It's hard to say. This person used two sword techniques on Mount Hua, both of which are highly skilled martial arts rarely seen in this world, yet they are not from the Demonic Sect. However..."

He changed the subject, lowering his voice: "According to reports from our spies, this person lingered in a place called Green Bamboo Lane in Luoyang for some time and was very close to the people in that lane."

"Green Bamboo Lane?" Yue Hou frowned slightly. "What kind of place is that?"

"In the south of Luoyang, there's an inconspicuous alley," Ding Mian said. "An old bamboo craftsman lives in the alley, known as Green Bamboo Old Man, who makes a living by weaving bamboo utensils. But yesterday I sent someone to investigate his background, and this man seems to be hiding his true abilities; he's definitely not an ordinary bamboo craftsman."

Zhong Zhen's gaze sharpened. "What Senior Brother Ding means is..."

"I suspect that the person hiding in Green Bamboo Alley is no ordinary person," Ding Mian said in a deep voice. "With Green Bamboo Elder's martial arts skills, he is by no means an unknown figure in the martial arts world, yet he is completely unknown. There must be something fishy about this."

Zuo Lengchan, who had remained silent until now, slowly spoke: "You mean, Green Bamboo Alley might be related to the Demonic Sect?"

Ding Mian cupped his hands and said, "This is just my guess. But if that Green Bamboo Elder is really a member of the Demonic Sect, Yuan Suiyun had close ties with him. Even if he wasn't a member of the Demonic Sect, he was at least connected with him."

"The Demonic Sect..." Le Hou gritted his teeth and said, "If they really are members of the Demonic Sect, then Junior Brother Lu's death cannot be left unpunished!"

"Of course, this can't be resolved peacefully," Zuo Lengchan said coldly. "But before that, we need to find out exactly who this person is."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ding Mian: "Continue to investigate his background, and also send someone to keep a close eye on that Green Bamboo Alley!"

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

A disciple rushed in and knelt on the ground: "Sect Leader, urgent news!"

Zuo Lengchan's gaze sharpened: "Recite."

The disciple unfolded the letter in his hand, his voice trembling slightly with tension: "Yu Canghai, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, led his disciples in a night raid on Green Bamboo Lane in Luoyang, but they were no match for him and were all killed."

The hall fell silent.

"Yu Canghai?" Le Hou's eyes widened. "He's dead too?"

"Was it also that Yuan guy who made the move?" Zuo Lengchan's eyes flashed, and he asked again, "Why did Yu Canghai go to Green Bamboo Alley?"

"Yu Canghai has been keeping an eye on the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual of the Lin family in Fuzhou. His sudden appearance in Green Bamboo Lane, could it be... that the sword manual has fallen into the hands of the Yuan family?" Le Hou guessed.

The people in the hall immediately began to discuss among themselves. Ding Mian raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and turned to Zuo Lengchan: "Senior Brother Zuo, if that sword manual is really in his hands, this matter will be even more troublesome."

Zuo Lengchan remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "Let's discuss this further."

His voice wasn't loud, but it could be heard throughout the entire hall.

"This person was able to kill Junior Brother Lu and Yu Canghai; his martial arts are so high that he's no ordinary opponent. Furthermore, he may have a background with the Demonic Sect." Zuo Lengchan sat back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest. "If we really have to face him, we must be like a lion hunting a rabbit, striking with overwhelming force to kill him in one blow!"

Zuo Lengchan's gaze swept over everyone present. "No one is to act rashly before I give the order. Investigate first, find out everything about him: his background, his master, his martial arts skills, his weaknesses, and his whereabouts."

He paused, then said slowly and deliberately, "Once the matter is cleared up, I will personally lead the team to take his life, to comfort Junior Brother Lu's spirit in heaven."

Everyone in the hall bowed in unison: "Yes, sir!"

Zuo Lengchan didn't say anything more, he just stared out the window.

The mountain wind howled, and the clouds and mist surged.

……

at the same time.

On the official road, a carriage was traveling smoothly southward.

The wheels rolled over the dirt road, making a rhythmic clattering sound.

The car curtain was half-rolled up, and the afternoon sun slanted into the car, casting a warm patch of light on the wooden floor.

Ren Yingying leaned against the car window, her gaze falling on the fields and villages rushing past outside, but her thoughts had already drifted far away.

Yuan Suiyun sat opposite him, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing even, as if he were in a meditative state.

The carriage was quiet, with only the sound of wheels, wind, and the occasional chirping of birds.

After being attacked in Green Bamboo Lane last night, she decided to leave Luoyang.

Green Bamboo Lane has already been exposed; staying any longer will only bring more trouble.

Yuan Suiyun suggested going south to Hangzhou. Although she didn't understand, she wouldn't refuse.

She never expected that Yuan Suiyun's reason for going to Hangzhou was to save someone.

Her father.

I will roam freely.

"Brother Yuan, how did you know my father was in Hangzhou?" Ren Yingying finally couldn't help but ask this question.

"I've always known more than others," Yuan Suiyun said, feigning profundity with a faint smile playing on his lips.

He didn't really have a good answer to this question; he couldn't very well say it was something he'd read in a book.

Ren Yingying stared at him for a long time.

She knew that Yuan Suiyun was no ordinary person.

She knew it from the first time they met.

This person knows many secrets, such as the fact that the "Sunflower Manual" and the "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual" come from the same source, that Dongfang Bubai castrated himself to practice martial arts, and that Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang's "Song of the Smiling Proud Wanderer" is in Linghu Chong's hands.

"I know Brother Yuan is no ordinary person. Since it's inconvenient to talk about the inside story, I won't ask. I only hope that this trip will successfully rescue Father." Ren Yingying was a smart person and did not delve into the hidden details.

"Yes." Yuan Suiyun slightly opened her eyes. Her eyes, which could not see anything, were still empty and desolate, yet they inexplicably gave people a sense of calm.

She shifted her gaze from Yuan Suiyun's face and looked out the window again.

Fields, villages, and distant mountains flashed by. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the carriage curtain, casting flickering shadows on her face.

Her mind was in even more turmoil.