Chapter 61: Senior Sister Yan, Be More Careful of People Like Me in Your Next Life
If Jiang Hao didn't run to the deepest part of the mine, she could find him soon.
Yan Hua walked deeper into the mine. She didn't seem worried about losing her way. She walked slowly and with purpose.
It got hotter. That was because the deeper part of the mine had lava. It was not an easy walk toward the opening to the outside.
"Are you trying to escape the mine alone, or did you really make your way there to check?" Yan Hua licked her dry lips. She wasn't in a hurry. This was what she enjoyed. She liked to play the game of predator and prey. The more the prey tried to escape, the more fun the hunt would be.
It made her feel excited. She took out a small knife from the fold of her clothes. It was used to skin animals or even people.
She sighed. "I wonder how it will feel when I split his chest open and take out his heart." She laughed softly. "I want to see what face he makes."
She walked on and came to a cave that was scorching hot. In the middle of the cave was the opening where lava surged. If anyone fell in, they would burn to death.
Yan Hua was a little surprised. 'He runs so fast…'
She looked around. She saw a path leading away, but she saw no trail of Jiang Hao. It meant he hadn't left this place. Yan Hua smiled as she blocked the saber with her knife.
The next moment, she felt a dagger in her neck. She was taken aback.
She turned to look behind her. The saber pierced her heart. A knife flashed and cut her hand which held the knife. Her severed hand fell to the ground.
She still didn't see Jiang Hao anywhere. Another sword pierced her from the side. Several swords flew at lightning speed and impaled her from all sides.
However, Yan Hua didn't look to be in pain. There wasn't even any blood.
"Junior Brother Jiang, you're really naughty, aren't you?" Yan Hua turned to look behind her. Only her head turned around on her neck. Her body remained as it was.
She could finally make out a faint figure. It was Jiang Hao.
His heart sank. Yan Hua was harder to kill than he had expected. He had impaled her from every direction and still couldn't find any weak point in her body.
'Did she turn herself into a puppet too?' Jiang Hao wondered.
However, his Daily Appraisal ability had confirmed that this was her real body!
Jiang Hao appraised her once again. The panel told him that weak points existed in her body, but they were difficult to find.
"Senior Sister Yan, were you looking for me?"
She laughed. "When did you figure it out?" She was impressed. "Junior Brother Jiang, you are smarter than I expected. It is no wonder you were chosen to take care of the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. It's very impressive." "How many traitors like you are in the sect?" asked Jiang Hao.
He was charging his saber for a head-n attack. He needed a little time.
Yan Hua laughed again. "Do you have any last words?" She pulled out her spirit sword.
She looked at ease because she knew there was nowhere for Jiang Hao to escape.
Jiang Hao didn't plan on escaping. He took out his Primordial Heavenly Blade. Purple energy swirled around the hilt of the saber.
"Senior Sister Yan, be more careful of people like me in your next life." He brandished his saber and rushed forward.
He used the second form from the Seven Forms of Heavenly Blade: Mountain Suppression technique.
Boom!
A majestic aura surrounded the blade.
Yan Hua was stunned. Her calm eyes finally showed some semblance of fear.
The Primordial Heavenly Blade, Shiyu, descended with a force and cut through all obstacles. Yna Hua's head turned blank.
Bang!
Blood and flesh exploded and flew everywhere.
Jiang Hao used the saber two more times to make sure she was really dead. He was worried that Yan Hua might get up at any moment and attack him again, so he threw the flesh and blood into the lava pit. He collected the stones and debris stained with her blood and threw them into the lava too.
Jiang Hao waited for a while to make sure Yan Hua wouldn't crawl out of the pit suddenly. He then began to plan his next steps.
"She's dead," he muttered. "She's really dead… I need to find out what is happening outside. If the Heavenly Note Sect isn't a match for the attackers, the mine will blow up soon. I need to leave."
He looked at the path that led outside. He wanted to go that way, but he was worried he would stumble upon Situ Jian and the others.
Jiang Hao waited there near the lava pit. He didn't want to rush out and fight Situ Jian and the others. There was no use fighting against four people at the same time.
He glanced at the lava pit. He needed to be wary of the people from the Heavenly Saint Sect in the future.
Yan Hua had been difficult to kill. He couldn't imagine how much more tough the Saintess-in-training, Ming Yi, would be.
Senior Brother Mu Qi had an affair with the Saintess, so he needed to be extra careful of him too. Mu Qi might be used by the Saintess to get to him, and he wouldn't even realize it!
Boom!
The mine shook again. The lava surged up.
"I can't wait any longer…"
Jiang Hao sheathed the Primordial heavenly Bade and prepared to leave. Just as he took a step forward, he realized that someone had just entered the cave.
"The road there is blocked. We have to take this road." Beixue's voice rang out.
Soon, Situ Jian and the others arrived too. They were as equally shocked to see Jiang Hao as he was to see them..
Chapter 62: Why?
Jiang Hao sighed inwardly as more and more people followed behind them.
This was such a harsh coincidence. He was trying so hard to avoid them, only for them to walk in on him here.
The Half-Moon Blade appeared in his hand. He didn't want any conflict.
Anyone who could bypass the Lawless Tower was not as simple as they looked.
Shangguan Wen and the others stared at Jiang Hao warily. They hadn't expected to run into Jiang Hao too.
For a moment, everyone was too stunned to do anything.
Just as Shangguan Wen and Beixue drew their weapons, Situ Jian stepped forward with a smile. He stopped them.
"Fellow disciple Jiang, what a coincidence! We're just going to make our way through that path. We won't interrupt you in… whatever you were doing if you allow us to leave quietly. Please do us this one favor."
Situ Jian gestured to the others to walk forward. He was last in line. As everyone walked toward the path, he turned back to look at Jiang Hao.
Jiang Hao had no intention to fight all of them. If they just wanted to leave peacefully, he was more than willing to oblige.
He didn't want to take any risks. It was better for everyone to leave this place as soon as possible. Besides, he had just fought with Yan Hua and exhausted much of his energy. He wasn't at his best to have another go.
Jiang Hao watched the people make their way across the lava pit toward the small path.
"Thank you, fellow disciple," said Situ Jian. "I'll definitely send you a gift in the future as a token of gratitude." He then turned around and followed the others out.
When everyone had left, Jiang Hao heaved a sigh of relief.
If they had made their way here, it meant that there was some fierce fighting going on outside.
If the Heavenly Note Sect was winning, all of them would be dealt with. However, if the Blackheaven Sect had the upper hand, it would be too dangerous for him to go outside. He might be dragged into the fray and then killed!
Situ Jian and the others walked on.
Jing Ru looked troubled. "The situation isn't safe for us. What if Jiang Hao sends someone after us?"
"Don't worry. We need to move tast and leave this place as soon as possible. We still have a little time," said Situ Jian.
"But… the mine has too many supervisors. If Jiang Hao meets one of them, he might come after us," said Jing Ru. She turned to the others. "What do you all think?"
Ren Shuang wanted to go back and end Jiang Hao before he caused any trouble. However, she didn't say it out loud. She knew that if she did something like that, Situ Jian would leave her behind.
"I also think that he is a danger to us all. He is only in the middle stage of the
Foundation Establishment Realm. I can go back and kill him quietly," said Shangguan Wen
"I'll come with you. I feel that he shouldn't be left alive," said Jing Ru.
Situ Jian couldn't stop them. Beixue didn't say a word.
Shangguan Wen and Jing Ru turned around and made their way back.
Situ Jian sighed. "Come on, move your feet! We need to leave as soon as possible! If anyone slacks off, I'll leave you behind."
He led the way in quick strides. No one dared to speak against him.
"Is he really that dangerous?" Beixue projected a message to him.
"I don't know…" said Situ Jian. "But my intuition tells me that we shouldn't make him an enemy, even if he is only in the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. I think Junior Brother Shangguan feels the same. To ensure our safety, I can't wait for them. Our safest plan is to leave them behind. They can always use the teleportation array and return to us if they're still alive…"
Beixue didn't say anything further. The group walked quickly and reached the exit.
Situ Jian projected a message to Ren Shuang that only she could hear. "If they don't come back, you'd better be careful what you say to your sect. Your words might cause more destruction than necessary. That's all I want to say."
After waiting for a while, Jiang Hao walked past the lava pit. However, just as he was going to leave, he sensed something.
A knife was aimed at his neck. It was just too quick. The Half-Moon blade blocked it.
Clang!
Jiang Hao turned around in a whirl and kicked at his attacker. There were two of them.
Without losing any time, Jiang Hao used the first form of the Seven Forms of Heavenly Blade: Moon Slaying.
The blade glinted silver and he attacked. The impact forced his attacker backward.
Jiang Hao finally saw who it was. Shangguan Wen from the Blackheaven Sect. Their eyes met.
Jiang Hao had already moved past and slashed the blade across his neck. Blood spurted from the fresh wound.
Shangguan Wen stared at Jiang Hao in disbelief. The person in front of him wasn't at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Instead, he was in the intermediate stage of the Golden Core Realm.
Shangguan Wen clutched at his neck as he fell to the ground.
Jiang Hao saw a woman in the corner trying to make a move. It was Jing Ru from the Wind Lightning Sect.
She looked shocked and frightened. Jiang Hao's blade shook. It had already locked onto her. Jing Ru had no choice but to accept her fate and fight.
Both of them were in the intermediate stage of the Golden Core realm, but Jiang Hao suppressed her will with the Mountain Suppression technique. His Half-Moon Blade slashed down.
Jing Ru could not believe it. She had accompanied Shangguan Wen to assist him if needed. However, he died in the blink of an eye despite how strong he was.
Boom!
As the saber descended on her, Jing Ru
t
s mind went blank.
"Why?"
That was the last word she heard..
Chapter 63: Unexpected Disaster
Jiang Hao killed them quickly. He then observed his surroundings. He wasn't sure he could handle it if Situ Jian and Beixue also came out of the shadows to attack him.
He had used too much of his energy and didn't know if he could use the first and second forms of the Seven Forms of Heavenly Blade again today.
Although the fight had been short and quick, it had consumed too much of his spiritual energy.
He checked to make sure the two people were dead and then threw them into the lava pit.
Jiang Hao then made his way toward the small path. He had let the captives go, and they had still attacked him. To eliminate any danger, he wanted to find them and get rid of them all.
If it hadn't been for the knowledge he had gained from the Nameless Manual, he might not have sensed Shangguan Wen at all.
As expected, Shangguan Wen had been the most dangerous of the bunch.
Jiang Hao checked his Half-Moon Blade. It was full of cracks. He needed to buy another saber soon, but he didn't have enough spirit stones to afford a decent one right now.
Jiang Hao hesitated. He then followed the path to look for the others. However, he couldn't find any sign of Situ Jian and the rest of the captives.
'They already left?' Jiang Hao was surprised. 'They didn't wait for Shangguan Wen and Jing Ru?'
He understood that Situ Jian hadn't sent the two after him. Maybe Situ Jian didn't want to be his enemy, after all.
'Looks like there is no way to get to him now.'
There was an explosion outside. A sandstorm surged. Jiang Hao hesitated a while before making his way toward the small exit.
The mines were not safe anymore. If he was caught in the fray, he would definitely die!
Jiang Hao ran toward the exit. When he finally reached the outside of the mine, he could see that he was surrounded by broken rocks and rubble.
He turned to look in the direction where the explosions were still going on. There were continuous spells being cast to disintegrate the place.
Parts of the mountain cracked, and the earth shook. Jiang Hao was frightened. The spell and the magic he sensed were far too powerful. How strong was the person casting it?
He fled. He had just advanced to the intermediate stage of the Golden Core Realm. If he stayed here, he would definitely die!
He ran as quickly as he could and came upon a forest. This was the edge of the sect. Jiang Hao examined his surroundings and decided that this area should be safe for now.
He hadn't seen anyone on his way here. He had no idea where Situ Jian and the others had vanished. Jiang Hao finally stopped for a breather.
'I'll wait and see who wins. If the Heavenly Note Sect wins, I'll return to the mine. If not, I'll stay away. There is no reason for me to rush my death. Even if I get punished later tor running away, at least I'll be alive.'
The destruction of the mine didn't mean that the Heavenly Note Sect would allow itself to be conquered. The enemy had come for the treasure. They would leave after finding it. They didn't have the army to conquer the whole sect.
Most of the experts of the Heavenly Note Sect were outside fighting the Azure Mountain. That was the reason why the enemy sect had seized the opportunity to storm the mines. Otherwise, they wouldn't stand a chance.
There was another explosion nearby. The impact destroyed some trees and bushes. Jiang Hao's armor had protected him from the flying shrapnel.
Jiang Hao summoned his saber in a panic. He couldn't stay hidden for long.
"Hahaha… are those what they call the top ten disciples of the Heavenly Note Sect? Pathetic!"
"Was that all they could do? I don't think I want to be part of this stupid game any longer. I'm leaving."
Jiang Hao didn't want to get involved in whatever this was. He only wanted to flee.
Just as he prepared to run, he heard someone call him.
"Junior Brother, wait!"
The rough voice carried the kind of authority that one couldn't disobey. The two people stared at him. This was a disaster!
A chill ran down Jiang Hao's spine. The two people were far stronger than him. He sensed that they were beyond the Golden Core Realm!
Fighting them would be suicidal. He then turned to the one who had stopped him.
A few paces away stood a white-robed man in the middle of a magic array. There was a lot of blood on his robe.
The other person looked buff and sturdy. He looked strong but was trapped by strange runes. The distraction had given him a chance to break free from the runes holding him. He was in the Heavenly Note Sect's uniform.
That meant the person in the bloody white robe was from the Blackheaven Sect.
"Junior Brother, hurry and help me stop him, " shouted Manlong.
Jiang Hao sighed inwardly. He didn't want to get involved in the fight, but he couldn't ignore a senior's plea for help when both of them belonged to the same sect. He would be considered a traitor if he didn't help.
"Little fellow, I advise you not to interfere." Xuanyuan Tai stared at him icily.
Jiang Hao decided to put up an act. He took out the Ten Thousand Sword Talisman and threw it at the intruder. That might not even be enough to prevent him from teleporting away..
Chapter 64: No Barrier For Protection?!
Jiang Hao had never intended to get involved. However, he happened to be nearby and couldn't refuse to help a fellow disciple from the same sect.
If only he had seen them beforehand, he would have gone the other way! He had no choice but to put up an act to show his fellow disciple that he was doing his best.
He threw the Ten Thousand Sword Talisman. That was all he was willing to do. The enemy could easily block that attack and leave.
Everyone assumed that he was in the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage, so just trying to help was worthy of praise.
Jiang Hao activated the Ten Thousand Sword Talisman. The enemy had already activated the magic array. His talisman wouldn't hinder the enemy's magic.
Jiang Hao wanted him gone more than anybody else.
Jiang Hao thought that by the time the Ten Thousand Swords even reached the magic array, the enemy would have long disappeared. However, the swords stabbed into the array and interrupted the enemy.
One of the swords even stabbed Xuanyuan Tai in the thigh.
Xuanyuan Tai turned to Jiang Hao with contempt in his eyes. Jiang Hao was speechless.
'Seriously?' thought Jiang Hao. 'It's an important array which could help you escape and yet… you didn't even put a barrier for protection?!'
The interface blinked and informed him that he had obtained an Aggro bubble.
[Aggro +1]
Jiang Hao was preparing to attack. He didn't want the enemy to annihilate him in his anger.
Boom!
Manlong had completely broken free from the runes. He charged at Xuanyuan Tai and slammed him to the ground with one hand.
"Tsk… is that all you have?" Xuanyuan Tai stared coldly at the Manlong. "Do you think you've finally caught me?"
"Try being this insufferable when you are sent to the Lawless Tower!" said Manlong. He turned to Jiang Hao. "I'm Manlong, a disciple from the Flowing
Waterfall. What's your name, Junior Brother?"
"Jiang Hao from the Cliff of Broken Hearts," said Jiang Hao politely.
"Alright," said Manlong. "Thank you for your help. I'll be sure to credit this to you. However, even if I don't, I hope you can understand. I have worked hard to subdue this piece of sh*t." Manlong laughed.
"Of course, Senior Brother Manlong," said Jiang Hao. "I barely did anything. It was all your effort. I just happened to be passing by."
Jiang Hao didn't really care for any sort of credit right now.
Manlong chuckled. "You seem wise. However, if I get a reward, I'll be sure to direct the remaining resources to you. I'll remember your help."
Manlong looked around. "You should wait here until tomorrow. The matter with the mine should be resolved by then. Don't loiter around. It's dangerous." He then left with the defeated enemy.
Jiang Hao heaved a sigh of relief when the two people left. He didn't really care about credit and recognition. He had helped Manlong in capturing an important disciple of the Blackheaven Sect. The more people knew about that, the more he would be targeted!
He had already provoked a lot of people. He didn't want to add the Blackheaven Sect to the list. It would be difficult to clear his name in the future. He couldn't live like a runaway all his life!
He retreated to the depths of the forest. Although Manlong had said it was safer here, he didn't quite believe it.
However, he had no choice but to wait it out. The problem in the mines might be resolved soon.
Jiang Hao sat cross-legged under a tree. He placed his Primordial Heavenly Blade on his lap. He was refining and accumulating energy in the saber.
If anyone came close, he would need to use the saber to attack. If he had enough energy accumulated in the saber, it would work in his favor. He sat there the entire day. The next morning, the area around the mines was quiet.
However, he waited till evening to make his way back to the mines. The situation seemed to have been resolved.
'It looks like everything is fine now. I can't hear any explosions.'
The mines looked intact, which meant that the Blackheaven Sect had failed.
Jiang Hao walked all the way to the little exit from where he had fled the day before. He found Wu Jing and the other miners where he had left them.
They sat cross-legged on the ground, looking scared. Some of them had been injured because of the explosion. It had been impossible for them to get out.
They weren't stupid. They knew that they would drop dead the minute they stepped out, so they had chosen to wait inside.
They were lost and frightened. Jiang Hao had told them to wait here and then disappeared. They felt that their supervisor had abandoned them.
"Senior Brother Jiang, you're back!" said Wu Jing.
The others turned to look. Their faces brightened. Even though previous inner sect disciples had treated them very badly as their supervisors, they were happy to see Jiang Hao.
They felt that Jiang Hao was different. He was kinder.
Jiang Hao nodded and acknowledged them. He distributed some Pain-Relieving Talismans to the ones injured. He asked Wu Jing if he was alright.
Wu Jing was happy to see him. He told Jiang Hao that Yan Hua was looking for him.
Jiang Hao stayed quiet.
A few miners had run away when the commotion started. The rest had stayed put till someone came to rescue them.
"I found a way out," said Jiang Hao. "Follow me."
He led the miners through the small path past the lava pit.
They met Liu Xingchen and some other disciples who were there to rescue the miners.
"It's good to see you, Junior Brother Jiang. I have some things I need to talk to you about."
Liu Xingchen was glad to see that Jiang Hao was okay..
Chapter 65: Making a Great Contribution
The miners were escorted out by Liu Xingchen's group.
Jiang Hao followed Liu Xingchen out to the edge of the mine. The people of the Law Enforcement Hall were searching the mine to find the intruders.
"Many people from the other sect infiltrated the mine, but Elder Baizhi trapped them in time. Some of the intruders are dead, some escaped, and others were captured. A portion of the mine has been destroyed… blown up. The intruders likely found what they came for." Liu Xingchen looked solemn as he gazed down at the pit. "There is nothing we can do about that right now. Overall, we have won this fight and the situation is under control. I didn't know about any of this before. Otherwise, I would have come to warn you." He looked at Jiang Hao.
Jiang Hao felt a little emotional. He didn't look at Liu Xingchen. He looked down into the pit. There was some power in there.
It seemed that the Heavenly Note Sect had already made preparations. Otherwise, the entire mine might have been destroyed. He was curious. Was there really a treasure in this mine? How had the Blackheaven Sect found out about it?
Jiang Hao had a nagging feeling that the Heavenly Note Sect's mine was not as simple as it appeared to be. There was the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower too!
Jiang Hao thanked Liu Xingchen for looking out for him. He asked him if it was true that a treasure was hidden in the mine.
"I also heard that there is some kind of treasure hidden in the mine, but I don't know if that's true. If it was true, wouldn't the Elders take it away to some other secure place? Will they just leave it in the open for it to be snatched? I feel like the rumor was spread deliberately to lure the traitors to the mine. Our Heavenly Note Sect is not really that simple." Liu Xingchen smiled.
Jiang Hao nodded. That demoness knew about this. Even someone as powerful as her hadn't tried to snatch the treasure away.
No one knew if the treasure truly existed in the mines. People would repeatedly try to verify it anyway. Was the Blackheaven Sect that stupid, though? Would they send people for the treasure without even making sure if it actually existed?
'Maybe the Blackheaven Sect didn't really care for the treasure…'
"The mines need to be made safe. Junior Brother Jiang, you can probably go back now," said Liu Xingchen.
"Right now?" Jiang Hao was surprised. "But I still need to mine."
With Yan Hua dead, he was in much less danger. If he continued to mine persistently, he would soon be able to advance to the late stage of the Golden Core Realm.
"The situation here is chaotic right now," said Liu Xingchen. "We need to seal the mines for a while. Everyone will be made to leave."
Liu Xingchen looked at Jiang Hao. "There is another matter… It's the reason I needed to speak to you privately."
"What is it?" asked Jiang Hao.
Jiang Hao really needed to go back and check on the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower. He also needed to buy some good quality tea before that demoness visited him again.
"Junior Brother Jiang, did you do something recently? Helped capture an enemy, by any chance?"
"I barely did anything… but yes. Sort of." Jiang Hao told Liu Xingchen everything about his encounter with Manlong and the person from the Blackheaven Sect.
"Junior Brother Jiang, this isn't a small matter. Manlong is from among the top ten disciples of the sect, and he has been praising you to the skies. He obtained a new cultivation technique and a magic treasure as a reward. He left you the rest of the resources that he obtained because of your contribution. So… that will impact the Law Enforcement Hall and its decisions."
"Why would that impact the Law Enforcement Hall?" Jiang Hao asked in confusion.
"Junior Brother Jiang, do you remember that your name was on the suspect list?" asked Liu Xingchen. "Being on the suspect list means that you are under the Law Enforcement Hall's radar. They restrict and monitor your activities. However, because of the contribution you have made, Manlong is speaking up for you. You're still on that list because you're a suspect, but the Law Enforcement Hall hasn't found any evidence against you. With such a huge contribution, you'll no longer be under suspicion. It's highly likely that your name will be removed from the list. Do you know what that means?"
Jiang Hao's heart sank. "The Law Enforcement Hall will no longer restrict my movements, and I can leave the sect at any time. If the people from the Heavenly Joy Pavilion put my name in for the next mission, I'll have no choice but to obey. At that time, no matter what happens outside, it will not be under the jurisdiction of the Law Enforcement Hall…"
Liu Xingchen nodded. "But… there is a way to keep your name on the suspect list." He looked at Jiang Hao. "Do you know Yan Hua?"
"Senior Sister Yan?" Jiang Hao was surprised at the abrupt question. "Of course, I was working under her in the mines."
A talisman flew down and Liu Xingchen caught it. He glanced at it. "Do you know that she disappeared? According to our investigation, she is most likely dead. However, it could also be equally true that she faked her death to escape the sect. We have reason to believe that she was a traitor from another sect. At least that was what we got from a traitor we recently captured. We have no evidence for now."
"How does that relate to me, Senior Brother Liu?" "Do you know what she was after?"
"She was looking for me," said Jiang Hao. "Is there a witness who can verify that?"
"Yes."
"So, you must have met her before she disappeared."
'Yes…"
"Alright," said Liu Xingchen, "Yan Hua is considered a traitor for colluding with other sects and revealing secret