Master Guan Xu, filled with pride, said, "Xiao Chong, I never expected that in addition to your exceptional martial talent, your intelligence and battle tactics are equally extraordinary."
Bai Yichen quickly responded with humility, crediting his training at Xuanzhen Temple for his abilities.
"Our Xuanzhen Temple has no worries about rising to greatness with you. We might even surpass Yukun Mountain. And this time, they..."
Before he could finish praising him, Master Guan Xu was interrupted by Master Yun Shou, whose expression darkened.
"Do not speak ill of our fellow cultivators!"
Realizing his mistake, Master Guan Xu quickly fell silent, knowing that, fortunately, only the three of them from Xuanzhen Temple were present.
Yukun Mountain—Bai Yichen recalled that it was a prominent sect in his past life, renowned for its strength and dominance in the region. Judging from what was said now, it seemed Yukun Mountain had grown even more powerful, though it was unclear why they hadn't come to aid Xuanzhen Temple.
Master Yun Shou, shifting the conversation, said, "Xiao Chong, you are truly exceptional and can be entrusted with great responsibilities."
Hearing these words, a thought suddenly struck Bai Yichen.
For a brief moment, he hesitated, as if weighing his words carefully, unsure whether to speak.
Master Yun Shou, standing so close, noticed his hesitation and asked with concern, "Xiao Chong, is there something you wish to say?"
With a look of finally being able to speak freely, Bai Yichen said, "Master, I find the events we've encountered rather strange."
"I once heard Master Guanzhi say that in recent years, the Heishi organization has paid little attention to Xuanzhen Temple. Why have they suddenly acted so aggressively?"
Master Guan Xu, hearing this, also cast a puzzled glance at Master Yun Shou.
Master Yun Shou's eyes flickered with hesitation and uncertainty. After a brief moment of contemplation, he spoke with a hint of self-mockery, "Perhaps they see that our sect has declined over the years, with no new Innate masters emerging, and that I, an old man, have grown too weak. So, they decided to take advantage."
Master Guan Xu was ashamed to hear these words.
Though Bai Yichen outwardly accepted this explanation, feeling indignant about the situation, he didn't fully believe it. After all, he knew that Xuanzhen Temple held a great secret related to immortal techniques.
Master Yun Shou seemed to sense something in Bai Yichen's expression. He leaned in closer and used a secret transmission technique to say, "Xiao Chong, after this matter is settled, come to the courtyard three days from now at midnight."
Could it be!
Bai Yichen's heart trembled with excitement, but before he could react, something interrupted.
At that moment, Master Tongya and Hero Yanbei returned, each accompanied by several others as they re-entered the courtyard.
These were the remaining disciples of Xuanzhen Temple. However, their condition was vastly different from when they had left.
There were noticeably fewer people, many with pale faces, exhaustion evident, and their bodies covered in bloodstains and wounds.
Their faces told the story of a brutal and bloody battle, their disheveled appearance leaving one to wonder what terrifying ordeal they had just endured.
Bai Yichen looked around and noticed that three monks were missing: Nun Guanbai from the general affairs hall, Nun Guanliang from the Hall of Fortune, and Nun Guanyuan from the administration hall.
Master Yun Shou quickly stepped forward to tend to the seriously wounded.
During this time, from the accounts of Master Tongya, Hero Yanbei, and a few monks who were only lightly injured, they learned of the battles that had occurred elsewhere that night.
The three who had not returned had indeed perished. Among them, Hero Yanbei only found Nun Guanbai's corpse, while the Heishi assassins seemed to have fled early.
Monks Guanliang and Guanyuan had formed the Seven-Star Tian Gang Array with Nun Guanjian. At first, they successfully trapped a Heishi expert at the peak of the Acquired stage, intending to slowly wear him down until death.
However, things quickly took a turn for the worse. Four Heishi assassins arrived as reinforcements, discovered the array's weak point, and combined their strength to break the Seven-Star Tian Gang Array.
Then, in coordination with the freed Heishi expert, they killed Monks Guanliang and Guanyuan during the chaos of the broken array. If it hadn't been for Nun Guanzhi joining the battle and seeing the signal flare, the remaining monks would not have survived.
The Heishi assassins feared encountering an Innate master if the battle continued, so they fled, allowing the survivors to escape, after which Master Tongya found them.
Bai Yichen couldn't help but sarcastically think to himself that the position of general affairs hall master must be cursed.
Furthermore, with one of the three administrative monks dead, had Bai Yichen not saved Master Guanxu, his fate would likely have been similarly grim.
With this in mind, Bai Yichen glanced at Nun Guanhe from the kitchen, who had killed an enemy but was only lightly injured.
In Xuanzhen Temple, the daily affairs were often overseen by the general affairs monks, while the teaching monks frequently imparted wisdom and instructed the disciples. On the other hand, Nun Guanhe from the kitchen usually kept a low profile.
Yet, after this intense battle, his true skills were finally revealed. It seemed that Xuanzhen Temple, being such a large sect, still had a few outstanding individuals.
If the previous head Nun hadn't died, and with Nun Guanhe, this generation could have had two Innate masters.
At this moment, Master Yun Shou and Hero Yanbei looked toward the entrance, and soon after, Master Tongya and Bai Yichen sensed something as well.
A gentle breeze passed by, and a graceful figure appeared.
Everyone looked closely and saw it was a middle-aged Daoist Nun.
The Nun looked to be in her early forties. Her face was lean, with slightly prominent cheekbones, and her cheeks bore the traces of years spent wandering the martial world. She wore a moon-white Daoist robe, her tall and slender figure exuding an air of quiet elegance despite her disheveled appearance.
Her hair was slightly messy, and her breathing a bit unstable, but her eyes gleamed sharply. In her hand, she held a Heishi assassin at the peak of the Acquired stage.
"I'm sorry I'm late and kept everyone waiting," the Nun said with a touch of apology as she addressed Master Yun Shou. She then casually tossed the person she was holding to the ground.
"This man was a Heishi thief I found trying to flee while entering the mountain. He's fairly skilled, so I captured him as a token of apology to you, Master."
Master Yun Shou quickly stepped forward to express his thanks, "There's no need for self-reproach, Daoist Nun Momei. It's fortunate for our temple that Brother Qingsong sent you to assist us."
"Moreover, capturing this man may help us uncover Heishi's true motives and find out what their leader, the Wheel King, is after."
Everyone nodded in agreement, while Bai Yichen sighed internally.
From what he knew, the Wheel King would never reveal his true purpose to a mere pawn at the Acquired stage.
However, if they could extract information about Heishi's power structure in Qingzhou, along with Nun Guanzhi's knowledge as an insider, it might help Xuanzhen Temple stabilize the situation by rooting out their enemies.
With this thought, he chose to remain silent about Guanzhi's involvement during the discussion and instead shared his thoughts, subtly signaling Master Yun Shou.
Being a wily old fox, Master Yun Shou immediately understood the hint.
He proposed that the three Innate masters stay as guests in the temple for a few days until the situation became clearer. If they discovered any important secrets related to the safety of the martial world, it would be easier to share the information with them.
This was also a precaution in case Heishi tried a counterattack.
Both Master Tongya and Daoist Nun Momei nodded in agreement, but Hero Yanbei mentioned that there were pressing matters in the agricultural hall that he needed to handle. He could stay for no more than one or two days.
He also suggested that the investigation must proceed quickly. If too much time passed, Heishi's forces might have already withdrawn by the time they tried to search.