Seven years ago.
Kongshan Sect, outer court.
The Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm hadn't caused too much of an impact on the sect's outer court. The daily cultivation and routines of the outer sect disciples continued as usual.
The External Affairs Hall still frequently dispatched outer sect disciples to work at the spiritual fields or mines Kongshan Sect owned in various locations across Chenping Continent.
"Senior Brother Zheng, I beg you. Next month, please transfer me back to the spiritual fields within Qingque Kingdom from the spirit mine in Yi'nan. I really can't stand that place anymore."
An outer sect disciple who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old clasped his hands together, pleading with another outer sect disciple who held a name register.
"Junior Brother, these kinds of work assignment transfers for disciples are not something I can decide. I truly wish I could help, but I'm powerless."
The youth addressed as Senior Brother Zheng shook his head as he said this.
"Please make an exception, Senior Brother Zheng. I really can't go to Yi'nan anymore. Every time I go, I get a headache..."
Cornered and helpless, the Zheng-named disciple finally stopped walking and said to the seventeen or eighteen-year-old outer sect disciple with a serious expression:
"If you want to be transferred back to Qingque Kingdom from Yi'nan, I can't do it. There are plenty of fellow disciples who want to work in the spiritual fields within Qingque Kingdom. If you want a spot, you can go talk to them."
"Senior Brother Zheng..."
The young disciple seemed to want to keep pressing the issue.
"I can't make the decision about transferring from Yi'nan back to Qingque Kingdom. But if you want to transfer from Yi'nan to Heavenly Summit Mountain, that's something I can arrange with a single word."
The Zheng-named disciple continued.
Hearing this, the young disciple shuddered, revealing a slightly panicked expression.
"Sorry to have disturbed you, Senior Brother Zheng. My apologies."
He hastily threw out these words and then quickly walked away.
The disciple left standing there holding the register sighed, then revealed a bitter smile.
There was a time when, for outer sect disciples, being assigned to work at Heavenly Summit Mountain was considered the absolute top-tier cushy job. But ever since the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm occurred a year ago, everything had changed.
Nearly the entire previous batch of outer sect disciples on duty at Heavenly Summit Mountain had been wiped out. Cultivators from various sects across Chenping Continent who died on Heavenly Summit Mountain were too numerous to count, and the vast majority of buildings on Heavenly Summit Mountain had suffered devastating destruction.
Now, outer sect disciples sent to Heavenly Summit Mountain couldn't scrape together any benefits. The reconstruction tasks on Heavenly Summit Mountain were heavy, and with so many people dying just a year ago, missing cultivators' corpses were still being discovered on Heavenly Summit Mountain from time to time even now, which was considered quite unlucky.
"Zheng Fei!"
Right at that moment, a delicate-looking woman around twenty years old rushed in.
"Xiuxiu?"
The youth called Zheng Fei looked up, puzzled:
"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Something major happened in the inner sect! Senior Brother Chen has gone missing. It's probably more bad than good!"
The delicate-looking woman said.
"Senior Brother Chen?"
"The Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain, Senior Brother Chen!"
Hearing this, Zheng Fei's expression changed slightly:
"Even Senior Brother Chen..."
These two were precisely Zheng Fei and Li Xiuxiu, who, over two years ago, had gone with Lu Li, Chen Yan, and others to Taiyun City to bring Qin Yue back to the sect.
"How could Senior Brother Chen suddenly..."
Li Xiuxiu wore a deeply regretful expression.
"The world is unpredictable."
Zheng Fei sighed with emotion:
"Who could have imagined that a well-behaved person like Junior Sister Qin would die so inexplicably in the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm?"
Hearing this, Li Xiuxiu's expression changed slightly, then she revealed a look of wanting to speak but hesitating:
"Zheng Fei, actually, I think Junior Sister Qin might not necessarily have died in the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm. I heard rumors in the inner sect that the reason He Furen and Wen Hongli went to Heavenly Summit Mountain at that time was precisely because of Junior Sister Qin's death."
"What?"
This was the first time Zheng Fei had heard of such a thing.
Many truths about what happened on Heavenly Summit Mountain had been sealed off by the sect.
The vast majority of outer sect disciples only knew that the masterminds behind the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm were Yuanhua Mountain's Dignity Elder He Furen and Kongyuan Mountain's True Dharma Elder Wen Hongli, without knowing the specific details.
"If that's true, then who could have killed Junior Sister Qin?"
Zheng Fei asked.
"I suspect... it's just a suspicion."
Li Xiuxiu said:
"... It's possible that it was our former outer court elder from the outer court, Lin Qifeng."
"You mean Senior Brother Chen's master?"
Zheng Fei's expression looked utterly incredulous:
"Why would you think that?"
"Because, back when we were in Taiyun City, Junior Sister Qin told me something."
Li Xiuxiu spoke as if somewhat hesitant:
"Junior Sister Qin told me that Star Heaven Sect's Offering Elder warned her to be careful of a personal disciple of the current Kongshan Sect Leader.
"That personal disciple's name is Lin Qifeng."
...
Kongyuan Mountain's Chief Disciple Chen Yan sat in meditation for five days beside Yuanhua Mountain's Jieyou Abyss.
Yuanhua Mountain disciples witnessed Chen Yan jump into Jieyou Abyss and then disappear.
The first to initiate an investigation into this case was Yuanhua Mountain's Enforcement Hall. They sent people to dive into Jieyou Abyss to search for Chen Yan's body, but ultimately found nothing.
Yuanhua Mountain Enforcement Hall's investigation lasted for five days but yielded no results, which provoked strong dissatisfaction from Kongyuan Mountain.
The Hall of Prudent Discipline, led by Kongyuan Mountain's True Dharma Elder Zhong Yin, forcefully intervened. During this process, conflicts arose between the Hall of Prudent Discipline's people and Yuanhua Mountain's people.
Then, the Supreme Imperial Law Court officially stepped in.
The reason was that Chen Yan was still carrying the Imperial Law Court's token when he disappeared, which could be viewed as him going missing while handling a case for the Imperial Law Court. Therefore, the Supreme Imperial Law Court should take responsibility.
Thus, for the second time since the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm, Yuanhua Mountain was sealed off by the Supreme Imperial Law Court.
They didn't even give face to Elder Feng sent by the Supreme Surveillance Court to temporarily act as Yuanhua Mountain's Sword Master Elder.
Kongyuan Mountain's Alchemy Hall Elder, who was also Sect Leader Yun Yichen's personal disciple Lin Qifeng, reacted quite strongly. He even publicly cursed, saying the true culprit behind Chen Yan's murder was those old fogies from the Supreme Imperial Law Court.
As a result, that very day, Lin Qifeng was once again confined by Yun Yichen to Kongyuan Mountain's Rear Cliff.
"And then?"
Chen Yan continued asking Qiguan Jin, who was bound by the Shadow Binding Rope and kneeling on the ground.
"Actually, I'm not entirely clear either. With my status, I can't access those deeper-level issues. It's all just hearsay."
Qiguan Jin said.
"Some say there were divisions within the Supreme Imperial Law Court regarding Chief Disciple Chen's disappearance. Some felt the investigation should continue, while others believed it was unnecessary because even Supreme Imperial Law Elder Huo personally stepped in, using his divine sense to sweep the entire Kongshan Sect, and couldn't find any trace of you, Chief Disciple Chen."
Then, Qiguan Jin's words paused slightly:
"Everyone thought you were dead, Chief Disciple Chen."