Pu Luo Mountain, located at the southernmost border of the jurisdiction of the Western Region Protectorate, was a crucial passage for entering and leaving the northwest.
The day after they took down the Huo Yan family's stronghold, Li Wuya and Li Qilang followed a disciple of Tianluo Sect whom they had intentionally allowed to escape. This disciple led them to the lair of the Tianluo Sect, which was built inside a rocky mountain. At this moment, the siblings stood on the opposite mountain peak, silently observing the movements of Tianluo Sect's disciples going in and out.
Tianluo Sect had been developing in the northwest for many years, and their scale was quite substantial. They had around two to three hundred disciples, and there were quite a few skilled practitioners among them. There were over thirty seventh-grade experts, around ten eighth-grade experts, and three ninth-grade experts, presumably the Sect Master and the Left and Right Protectors.
"Only three ninth-grade experts? I thought Tianluo Sect would be more formidable," Li Wuya remarked.
Li Qilang glanced at her and said, "Do you think ninth-grade experts are common? Having three is already impressive. Our rapid progress is due to the enhanced elixirs we consumed, which stimulated our physical potential. It's not like everyone can achieve this."
Even she, at present, was at most an eighth-grade martial practitioner. The reason they could kill ninth-grade experts was that they used their spiritual power, attaching it to the iron beads and taking advantage of the target's mental state being enveloped by their spiritual power, making it a guaranteed hit.
In a head-on fight, she was not afraid, but it wouldn't be as easy as it seemed.
"Ah, I don't want to keep killing. If Tianluo Sect didn't issue that death order against us, we wouldn't have needed to kill their Left Protector," Li Wuya lamented.
"Now that the Left Protector of Tianluo Sect is dead, they will undoubtedly pursue us relentlessly," Li Qilang added.
"It's unsettling to have an assassination organization constantly scheming against us," Li Wuya said.
"As long as we continue to act, Tianluo Sect will eventually find clues about us. When that happens, we won't have a moment's peace," Li Qilang concluded.
"That's why..."
Li Qilang smoothly picked up where Li Wuya left off, "So, we must eradicate Tianluo Sect's lair."
Li Wuya turned to look at Li Qilang, a satisfied smile on her face. "Qilang is right. If we choose to act, we must eliminate our enemies."
They waited until nightfall before taking action. The entrance mechanism to the rocky mountain was easily found and opened by Li Wuya, who possessed no secrets in this matter.
As the top assassination organization in the northwest, Tianluo Sect was quite arrogant, believing themselves to be formidable. Consequently, no one within the sect expected that anyone would dare to invade their lair.
Due to a lack of precautions and most people sleeping at night, combined with Li Wuya's use of her spiritual power to scout, they easily evaded the patrol guards. As a result, they effortlessly dealt with most of the guards.
It was only when they ventured deeper into the rocky mountain that an eighth-grade expert noticed them.
"Who?!"
Due to the death of their Left Protector, the Right Protector, Leng Yu, couldn't sleep and gathered all the eighth-grade experts in the sect to discuss how to pursue Baiyueguang and Heilianhua.
However, before they could come up with a strategy, they heard strange noises.
Leng Yu led the eighth-grade experts out of their chamber and saw Li Wuya and Li Qilang.
"Dwarf-like people?"
"I've heard of an evil technique that can reverse ageing, and these two are most likely a pair of old monsters."
Regardless of who they were, the fact that they quietly infiltrated the rocky mountain made Leng Yu and the others extremely wary.
"Who are you? Why did you trespass into Tianluo Sect?" Li Qilang glanced at Li Wuya, keeping his lips tightly sealed.
He firmly remembered that villains often died from saying too much, so he wouldn't reveal any information.
Li Wuya also had no intention of answering; she merely played with the iron bead in her hand, seemingly ignoring Leng Yu and the others. In reality, she was carefully probing everything within the mountain using her spiritual power.
She didn't dare underestimate such an assassination organization. Who knew if they had set up traps in the mountain or if more people were hiding somewhere? She didn't want any accidents to occur.
After a thorough investigation, she indeed discovered something.
At the bottom of the rocky mountain, there were many children imprisoned, at least four or five hundred of them. At the innermost part, there was a water dungeon where a middle-aged man in white clothes was chained with thick iron chains.
Seeing that both Li Wuya and Li Qilang remained silent, Leng Yu's expression became serious.
As a ninth-grade martial practitioner, he was accompanied by over ten eighth-grade experts. Even if they were facing two ninth-grade experts, they were confident in their ability to hold their ground.
However, the two people before them showed no fear.
It was evident that they didn't take Leng Yu and his group seriously.
After some contemplation, Leng Yu decided to show weakness. "Respected seniors, there seems to be a misunderstanding between you and our Tianluo Sect. Our sect has mistaken you for someone else and accepted the task to pursue you. It was our mistake, and we are willing to compensate for it. Please spare us."
Li Wuya raised an eyebrow and replied, "If it were you who were sent to chase us in Rongcheng, we probably wouldn't be here right now. What a pity."
As her words trailed off, the iron bead in Li Wuya's hand shot out.
"Be careful!"
Leng Yu shouted loudly and quickly dodged the flying iron bead. Just as he avoided one, he felt his blood surge and his mind shake. When he looked up, he saw the old man rapidly moving his lips.
"Soundwave technique!"
"Retreat!"
"All of you, listen up! Escape at all costs and find the Sect Master. Let him avenge us!"
Before he could celebrate dodging the first iron bead, Leng Yu suddenly felt his mind shaking again. He managed to evade the second and third beads, but due to the shock, he couldn't dodge the fourth.
"Whoosh!"
The iron bead pierced through Leng Yu's forehead, directly penetrating his skull. If a ninth-grade expert fell, it was even more hopeless for eighth-grade warriors.
In a brief moment, everyone collapsed and couldn't get up again.
"Sister, I don't think there's anyone left, right?"
Li Qilang frowned, and Li Wuya replied, "The Sect Master of Tianluo Sect is not here."
Li Qilang responded, "Anyway, we've already destroyed the Tianluo Sect's lair. Even if the Sect Master returns, he'll be a leader without followers."
Li Wuya nodded and took Li Qilang to the bottom of the rocky mountain.
"Wow, why are there so many children?"
Li Qilang was astonished to see hundreds of children locked in iron cages.
"They were probably abducted. For Tianluo Sect to expand, they need manpower. These children were trained as potential killers from a young age."
After saying that, Li Wuya shot out a few iron beads and opened all the iron cages, then she and Li Qilang hid in the shadows, watching the frightened children escape.
When all the children had fled, Li Wuya and Li Qilang moved on to the innermost water dungeon.
The water dungeon was circular, with a diameter of more than ten meters. The middle-aged man in white was chained to a stone platform at the centre of the dungeon.
Li Wuya and Li Qilang didn't enter; they just stood at the door and looked inside.
The middle-aged man in white looked quite miserable, with a skinny and emaciated appearance. The chains passed directly through his shoulder blades, making his exposed hands look like chicken claws.
Despite his sorry state, he kept himself tidy, revealing that he was meticulous by nature.
"Now that you're here, why not come in?" The middle-aged man in white detected their presence and took the initiative to speak.
Li Wuya and Li Qilang exchanged glances but remained still.
After waiting for a while without any movement outside, the corners of the middle-aged man's mouth curved up, and he continued, "What's the matter? Afraid to come in just because my martial arts are wasted, and I'm chained up like this?"
Li Wuya realized that he was trying to lure them in and quickly decided not to invite any additional trouble, pulling Li Qilang away.
Just as they were about to leave, the middle-aged man spoke again, "Your Sect Master is out visiting friends. Even if you come in and see me, he won't know."
"How about it? Don't you want to learn my exclusive skill of Tianbo Sect – Ten-Faced Ambush?"
Tianbo Sect? What kind of sect was that? Ten-Faced Ambush sounded like it had something to do with sound waves.
Was it a sonic technique?
Li Wuya glanced at Li Qilang, hesitated for a moment, and finally opened the water dungeon gate. With a vigilant expression, she stood by the door.
The middle-aged man in white revealed a smug smile, turning slowly to face the direction of the gate.
When he saw the two children standing at the entrance, Le Yinyin looked slightly stunned for a moment before he regained his voice and asked, "Who are you?"
Li Wuya asked back, "And who are you?"
Le Yinyin took a closer look at the two, then suddenly smiled, "It seems that something has happened to Tianluo Sect."
Li Wuya raised an eyebrow, "How do you know?"
Le Yinyin's smile deepened, "If nothing had happened to Tianluo Sect, could the two of you stand before me?"
Li Wuya didn't say anything, as if acknowledging it.
Le Yinyin scrutinized the two again and asked, "Do any of you know soundwave techniques?"
As he said that, he saw the boy's eyes light up, making him calculate in his heart.
It seemed that he hadn't been hallucinating just now.
"I am the Sect Master of Tianbo Sect."
Li Qilang couldn't help but ask with curiosity, "Tianbo Sect? What does it specialize in?"
Le Yinyin smiled and replied, "The people of Tianbo Sect excel in harmonics and soundwave techniques, just like the soundwave technique you saw earlier. However, the advantage of Tianbo Sect's soundwave technique lies in its use of musical instruments, making it even more powerful and subtle than the regular soundwave technique."
Li Qilang immediately inquired, "What makes it more advantageous?"
Le Yinyin explained, "The soundwave technique is too direct and straightforward. Once you speak, others will know what you're doing. On the other hand, the Tianbo Sect's technique is more subtle and concealed, making it harder to detect."
Smirking, Le Yinyin looked at Li Qilang and asked, "Do you want to learn it?"
Li Qilang was tempted and turned to look at Li Wuya for her opinion.
Li Wuya observed Le Yinyin and said, "You were imprisoned here because the people of Tianluo Sect wanted to learn the unique skill of Tianbo Sect, right?"
Le Yinyin didn't deny it and nodded with a smile.
Li Wuya continued, "Judging by your demeanor, you must have refused to teach them, otherwise, they wouldn't have kept you locked up like this. You won't easily impart your secret technique to us either."
Le Yinyin smiled and acknowledged, "You're clever."
Then, his expression turned melancholic. "I've been locked up here for over a decade. My martial arts have all gone to waste. The Tianluo Sect's Sect Master, Zuo Guang, has been forcing me to teach them the Ten-Faced Ambush every once in a while. I've endured countless tortures, and my body and bones have long been unable to withstand it. My time is running out."
"But... I still have a great debt of vengeance to repay!"
He stared directly at Li Wuya and Li Qilang.
"Before I teach you my unique technique, you need to tell me who you are."
Li Wuya glanced at him and replied truthfully, "We were captured by the people of Tianluo Sect."
Le Yinyin immediately refuted, "No, you're not." He smiled, "You probably don't know how Tianluo Sect trains children, right?"
"Assassins need to kill people, and they have to be trained from a young age. But you don't have the eyes of someone who was captured."
Li Wuya asked, "Then what kind of eyes do we have?"
Le Yinyin's expression turned cold, "Bloodthirsty, ruthless!"
Li Wuya fell silent for a moment and reluctantly admitted, "Alright, I confess. We weren't captured by Tianluo Sect. We came here with our Master."
Le Yinyin raised an eyebrow, "Who is your Master?"
Li Wuya answered, "My Master is Bai Yuanguang," then she pointed to Li Qilang, "and he is the disciple of Hei Lianhua."
Le Yinyin frowned, "Bai Yuanguang, Hei Lianhua? Why have I never heard of these two?"
Li Wuya chuckled, "The world is vast. How could you know everything?"
Le Yinyin thought about it and smiled, "Why have you come here? Why did you confront Tianluo Sect?"
Li Qilang eagerly responded, "The people of Tianluo Sect acted recklessly and offended our Master. In the end, our Master destroyed their lair."
Seeing Li Qilang's proud expression, Le Yinyin's eyes flickered. If it was the little girl saying this, he might have some doubts, but when the little boy spoke, he believed him to some extent.
Li Yinyin sighed inwardly; the little girl was much shrewder than the little boy. Although they were just children, he couldn't tell which of her words were true or false.
After a moment of thought, Le Yinyin asked, "Which sect or faction do you belong to?"
Li Wuya casually responded, "We belong to the Anxiang Sect."
Le Yinyin frowned again.
The Anxiang Sect? He hadn't heard of it.
Could it be a new sect that emerged after he was imprisoned?
Le Yinyin's gaze shifted between Li Wuya and Li Qilang, then glanced at the motionless water dungeon outside, and continued asking, "To learn Tianbo Sect's unique technique, you must first become my disciples. Are you willing?"
His gaze directly fell on Li Qilang, seemingly seeking his opinion.
Li Qilang, being watched like that, immediately agreed, "Sure, as long as you teach us, we will become your disciples."
Le Yinyin smiled, "But you already have a Master. If you become my disciples, won't your Master be unhappy?"
Uh...
Li Qilang was stunned and looked at Li Wuya.
Li Wuya stared at Le Yinyin with a probing gaze. Though he seemed to ask unrelated questions, she could sense that he was trying to figure out their background.
"Our Master is very broad-minded; he won't mind," Li Wuya replied.
Le Yinyin still wore a smile, "Becoming someone's disciple is a significant matter. How about this, invite your Master here, and I will personally explain it to them to avoid misunderstandings."
Li Qilang hastily shook his head, "No need."
Li Wuya felt that something was off, "We make our own decisions in our matters. Our Master won't interfere. Besides, he is the older one, and you are the younger one."
Hearing this, Le Yinyin's expression froze for a moment, and then his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Older one, younger one?
It sounded like they were talking about taking multiple wives?!
Le Yinyin looked at the two children who didn't want to address him as their Master and couldn't help but find it inconceivable. Just as he wanted to inquire further, the little girl raised her hand to stop him.
"Stop!"
Li Wuya finally noticed that something was amiss. They hadn't even discussed the conditions, so how did they jump to the topic of becoming disciples?
"Tell us the conditions for you to teach us the Tianbo Sect's technique first. Let us see if we can help you fulfill them, and then we can talk about other things."
Le Yinyin replied, "Help me clear up the mess in my sect. I fell victim to my junior brother's plot, which led to my capture by Tianluo Sect's Sect Master."
Li Wuya asked, "Just killing your junior brother will be enough?"
Listening to her casual tone, Le Yinyin fell silent. "My junior brother is a Ninth-Rank expert."
Li Wuya confidently said, "No problem."
Seeing the girl agree without batting an eye, Le Yinyin felt a sense of unrest. "You will handle it yourselves, right?"
Li Qilang chimed in, "Of course." He glanced at Li Wuya, who nodded in agreement. "Since we learned your technique, it's only right that we handle it."
Such confident kids!
Would the people from Tianluo Sect meet their end at the hands of these two children?
Le Yinyin was startled by his own thoughts, but at the same time, he felt a sense of excitement. If these two children indeed had such skills, he could finally exact his revenge.
"Come closer; I'll teach you the sound technique."
Li Wuya said, "My little brother is not very clever. I'll come alone."
Le Yinyin neither agreed nor disagreed.
Li Wuya looked at him, and she had already used her spiritual power to examine his body. She found that his condition was severely damaged, like a porcelain doll full of cracks. She believed she could knock him down with a single punch.
Then, Li Wuya leaped up, stepping on the water surface, and flew towards the stone platform.
When she was about two or three meters away from the platform, Le Yinyin's hand reached into the water.
Subsequently, several water blades flew out from his hand, directly shooting toward Li Wuya.
Li Wuya's expression changed, and she rotated quickly in mid-air, evading the water blades with great speed.
Although the water blades didn't harm her, they angered Li Wuya. She landed on the water surface, glaring at Le Yinyin on the stone platform with indignation.
"Pluuh~"
Before Li Wuya could take action, Le Yinyin spat out a mouthful of dark-red blood.
Li Wuya frowned. She believed in her own examination; this person was on his last legs. She couldn't understand why he would attack her despite his weakened state.
Le Yinyin smiled and looked at Li Wuya, "Impressive lightness technique."
Lightness technique required inner energy support, and this little girl's inner energy was surprisingly deep. She was able to stand on the water surface without causing any ripples.
Hearing his words, Li Wuya's expression changed.
This man was testing her skills!
Le Yinyin looked at Li Wuya and said, "Come up to the platform." Seeing her hesitation, he weakly smiled and continued, "If I don't see if you really have the ability, how can I entrust the Tianbo Sect's unique technique to you?"
"Come over. Just now, I used up all my strength, and now, I am as powerless as a fish on a chopping board."
Li Wuya realized that this person was indeed trying to test her abilities.
Le Yinyin looked at Li Wuya and said, "You must remember that becoming my disciple is a significant matter. Just now, you displayed remarkable lightness skills. If you can master my Tianbo Sect's technique, then my revenge will be within reach. But if you disappoint me, don't blame me for being cruel."
Li Wuya confidently replied, "Don't worry, we won't disappoint you."
Le Yinyin smiled faintly, "Very well, I will impart the Ten-Faced Ambush technique to you."
Worried that she might forget, Le Yinyin repeated the sound technique three times.
"Do you remember it?"
Li Wuya nodded and quickly repeated it back.
Seeing her response, Le Yinyin's tense expression eased. He pointed weakly below the stone platform.
"What's hidden down there?" Li Wuya asked.
Le Yinyin nodded.
Li Wuya used her spiritual power to scan the area and found a white jade finger ring embedded under the platform.
In this freezing water, Li Wuya was unwilling to go down. She looked at Li Qilang.
Li Qilang pouted for a moment and then reluctantly jumped into the water. After a short while, he came up with the white jade finger ring.
"This is the token of Tianbo Sect's Sect Master. Now it belongs to you."
Saying that, Le Yinyin seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He lay back on the stone platform, unable to sit up.
Li Wuya offered to carry him out, but he shook his head, "I can't leave
."
Before he could finish his sentence, Li Qilang pulled the iron chain off the wall.
Taking the chain from his body wasn't easy, but pulling the one nailed to the wall could be done with enough strength.
"Let's go; I'll carry you out."
Li Qilang handed the white jade finger ring to Li Wuya, then he picked up Le Yinyin on his back, and Li Wuya carried the heavy iron chain, following behind.
Le Yinyin died at the break of dawn. He said he liked mountains and rivers, so Li Wuya and Li Qilang buried him in a gorge with mountains and water.
Although he didn't let them become his disciples, after receiving his sound technique and finger ring, Li Wuya and Li Qilang still kowtowed before his grave three times.
"Don't worry, we will fulfill our promise."
After that, Li Wuya and Li Qilang returned to Tianluo Sect and hid the gold, silver, and jewels they had collected in a cave. Then, they left.