Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

"You're back?" Granny Liu raised her head slightly.

A burly man wearing a ghost mask, covered in blood, staggered in, leaning against the cave wall.

"Auntie... something happened. There was an ambush at the Sanyi Gate, and we suffered a great loss."

"Most of our people died, and we only managed to replace two of Sany's kids."

The man was panting heavily, his voice hoarse, and a wide, deep wound ran across his abdomen, slowly oozing blood.

Even you are injured like this.

"It seems that we still need the right opportunity to completely eradicate the Sanyi Sect."

Helpless, Granny Liu stretched out her withered right hand and grabbed the cane beside the stone platform. As she stood up and left the straw, the floating wooden sign dimmed and fell to the ground.

"And you already know the even worse news, right?"

"Old Zhao is dead."

"It's still unclear who did it. It shouldn't be those two from Sany; they're a bit too weak for them."

Granny Liu continued her rambling conversation, then pressed a mechanism nearby. The cave trembled, and a hidden door opened in a secluded corner.

"There are a few jars of medicinal liquid inside, go in and soak yourself."

"Okay, thank you... Auntie."

The masked man dragged his exhausted body toward the hidden door, not forgetting to sneer:

"Those bastards from Trinity, I'll skin them alive and forge their spines into weapons sooner or later!"

"Let's say less, focus on recovering first, and then we can discuss this further."

Granny Liu sighed softly, gently pushed the stone door with her right hand, and closed the dark room.

......

Night falls on an abandoned temple in the mountains.

Wu Gensheng, Li Muxuan, and Gu Jiting gathered here.

The campfire burned brightly, casting their shadows onto the cobweb-covered walls. The group sat on the ground, each lost in their own thoughts, and fell into silence.

"Da! Da da!!"

Hurried footsteps sounded outside the temple. Gao Gen, panting heavily, leaned on the doorknob and brought the latest news.

"Dead, dead, all dead."

"Mr. Liu's house was reduced to ruins, filled with scattered pieces of his body."

Gao Gen's face was deathly pale; he still couldn't calm down and said in a trembling voice:

"When I got there, everything was gone. According to the traces at the scene, the dead were Binggui, Guyu, Xiaoyan, and that elder surnamed Zhao."

"What?!" Gu Qiting was so shocked that his scalp tingled, and he was extremely grateful that he had escaped a disaster.

Li Muxuan was uneasy and hurriedly asked, "What about Mr. Liu?"

"Dead, in the woods."

Gao Gen described the scene he saw one by one: "The entire corpse was severely decomposed, with a piercing mark on its chest and all the bones were broken. I guess it was done by the Cloud-Piercing Hand of the Sanyi Sect, but it was also poisoned."

"Damn it, I absolutely won't..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wugensheng gave him a cold glance: "Are you saying things haven't gotten big enough already?"

"But, Sect Leader, what about Mr. Liu's grudge..."

"The disciples who went to ambush this time were all elites."

Wugensheng picked up a dry twig, poked at the campfire, and said absentmindedly:

"There are many who were more powerful than you, but they're all dead now. Are you just looking for the San Yi Sect to make up the numbers?"

"The fact that the Left Sect Leader is willing to let you go down the mountain does not mean that the other disciples are willing."

Upon hearing this, Li Muxuan clenched his fists tightly, like a deflated balloon, and slowly sat down again.

He stared at the campfire, cold sweat streaming down his face, his bewildered eyes revealing fear and guilt.

Gao Gen saw his lifeless appearance and wished he could kill him on the spot.

"Li Muxuan! Do you know how big a mess you've made?"

"Who do you think died this time?"

"Half of those six evil masters are dead, and that infamous old beast Zhao is even higher in seniority than your master Wang Yaozu in the Quanxing sect!"

Li Muxuan was completely stunned. He hadn't expected that...all of this would happen so suddenly and so uncontrollably.

What should I do!

What should I do!

What should I do!

Just as he was filled with anxiety, Wugensheng dropped another bombshell: "The Quanxing Sect today is a powder keg ready to explode at any moment."

"Although I am the sect leader, I have never been able to control this behemoth for even a moment."

Gu Qiting and Gao Gen remained silent, their expressions contrasting; they knew this was the truth.

“The Dudu disciples usually just get by and don’t have much presence; they’re more like scapegoats.”

"It is not that I am belittling myself, but if we really want to have someone to speak with and someone that the disciples respect, it has to be those elders."

"In terms of strength and status, they are all above me, the sect leader. In fact, in the eyes of many disciples, I am nothing more than a puppet of the old guys."

"They're in cahoots, and now that Old Zhao is dead, how could they just sit idly by?"

The campfire burned ever brighter, but Wugensheng's mood grew heavier. He rested his chin on his hand, his face filled with helplessness.

"Judging from the way they've attacked from the Sanyi Gate, they probably want to chop us into pieces."

"Next, it will be a full-scale war between Quanhe and Sanyi."

"There's no shame in hiding when you should hide or avoid something."

Gu Qiting felt a sense of fear. A strong intuition told him that he absolutely could not stay with Li Muxuan, this unlucky star, any longer, lest he be cursed to death by him one day.

Gao Gen bit his lip tightly, his heart rate soaring, and accused:

“Wugensheng, you shouldn’t have brought this beast to the Sanyi Sect in the first place. Now look what’s happened, it’s stirred up a war between the two factions, and I don’t know how many people will die.”

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it."

Wugensheng smiled bitterly: "Who told this brat to be so stubborn? He's neither righteous nor wicked, and he still can't forget about Master Zuo, insisting on going to mess with him."

"If only they had listened to my advice, left a day earlier, or been a little more patient, they could have avoided this."

"But he... really got into character, which makes up for some of the regrets."

Even away from the vortex of conflict, the atmosphere in the temple remains tense and suffocating.

Li Muxuan remained silent, his head bowed, his hands clasped around his knees, his face bitter and his eyes growing increasingly dim and forlorn.

Chapter 18 Notes and Letters

Late at night, at Trinity Gate.

The room located on the northwest side of the courtyard was brightly lit, and even after many years, it was still free of dust, as if someone regularly came to clean it.

Jiang Mo, dressed in white with his long hair tied up, sat cross-legged on a futon.

After meditating for a long time, he finally opened his eyes slightly.

That hesitant, uncertain feeling seeped into the room through the walls, while a blurry figure stood helplessly outside the door.

"Who is it? Come in."

With Jiang Mo's permission, a handsome young man with a buzz cut and black hair crossed the threshold and entered.

His expression was sorrowful, a crumpled piece of paper was tucked in his hand, and his thin body was trembling uncontrollably.

"Uncle-Master...this is the message I received, please take a look."

Tears welled up in Zhuge Yu's eyes as he tremblingly handed it over.

The withered yellow paper strips, stained with dust, the smell of gunpowder, and dark red bloodstains, lingered like a bone-deep infection.

"My senior brothers and elders who went to...the battlefield...to protect our country...will never return, sob sob sob!!!"

Zhuge Yu knelt on the ground and wept bitterly.

Jiang Mo took the note and slowly unfolded it. A series of familiar names came into view, making him feel heavy-hearted and uneasy.

Many of these disciples were his old acquaintances, and most of them were disciples that Zuo Ruotong had taken in in his early years.

Even with decent cultivation, reaching the second level, one is still far too insignificant in the vast, cruel battlefield filled with gunfire.

They were utterly powerless against the crushing force of the war machine, and faced with relentless explosions, sweeps, and air raids, they eventually succumbed to exhaustion and died.

Looking at the twelve names on the note, Jiang Mo felt heavy-hearted and sighed softly.

What should I call you?

"Disciple... Zhuge Yu..."

The young man choked with grief. Among the dead were several of his senior brothers who had taught him and shared his spiritual practice with him over the years.

Every time he thinks about it, tears involuntarily stream down his face. Faced with the overwhelming hatred for his family and country and the tragic changes it brought, he was on the verge of collapse.

"Little Zhuge... A person's death can be as light as a feather or as heavy as Mount Tai."

"Take it easy. Your senior brothers all died tragically but meaningfully."

"They stained the land with their blood and perished as a result, but their widows still live on."

Jiang Mo was moved and instructed the younger generation under his wing: "Go and contact their families."

“A portion of the sect’s savings will be used as compensation for the victims.”

"At least let those orphans and widows have a place to stay in this chaotic world."

Zhuge Yu wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and sobbed, "Disciple understands, please rest assured, Uncle!"

"Okay, I'll leave it to you."

Jiang Mo looked pleased. He patted his junior's head and gently comforted him, "Don't cry, cheer up."

"These are turbulent times, thank you for making this trip."

As she said this, Jiang Mo took the opportunity to wipe away his tears.

His kind demeanor and gentle voice were exactly like his master's.

"Waaaaah... Uncle-Master!!"

Touched by his inner vulnerability, Zhuge Yu knelt before his uncle, covered his face with his hands, and burst into tears again.

The night is long...

After Jiang Mo watched the disciple leave, another tall and slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

He was Changqing, who hadn't slept for a day and a night and had experienced several setbacks; his face was haggard and exhausted.

Upon entering the house, I clasped my hands in a respectful greeting:

"Uncle-Master, please forgive me for disturbing you so late at night."

"It's alright, please sit down..."

Jiang Mo pointed to the prayer mat beside him and asked, "How are Senior Brother and Chengzhen recovering?"

"He is out of danger. His wounds have been cleaned and treated with medicine. He is still unconscious, but he should wake up soon."

"Shuiyun and Xiaolu will take care of it for now."

Changqing gave a brief report and then got to the point: "This disciple has come late at night to report something."

He slowly extended his left hand, which had been hanging behind his back, and handed nine family letters to Jiang Mo.

"These are letters from the families of the junior disciples who are still in the sect. Their parents are very worried and are urging them to go back."

"I am unsure of my master's decision regarding Quanxing, so I dare not make a decision lightly."