After Becoming the Villain’s Black Moonlight - Chapter 5

At the same time, on the rugged mountain paths of the Great Barren Ridge, a blood-stained youth walked with a limp while carrying a young child on his back.

The route for this training expedition had been planned in advance, and the time allotted for each location was limited. Yin Huizhi did not want to cause a delay, so despite his injuries, he had to hurry back.

As they moved, bright lights flickered ahead. Soon, disciples patrolling the forest discovered them. “Is that Yin Huizhi?”

“It looks like him! Is that the junior brother from Zhaoyang Peak, Qinghe, on his back?”

Yin Huizhi recognized their faces as well; they were two supervisory disciples sent from Shifang Peak. They quickly converged. Yin Huizhi gave a hurried nod to the familiar faces, but his injured leg finally gave out and he collapsed onto one knee.

The supervisors gasped and moved to help him, but Yin Huizhi stopped them. “Take Qinghe back for treatment first.”

A supervisor checked the spiritual pulse of the young disciple named Qinghe and immediately transferred him to the back of another youth. As the supervisor stood up, he glanced at Yin Huizhi’s mangled, bloody knee and could not help but ask: “Can you still walk? Do you want me to carry you?”

Yin Huizhi waved his hand. “No need, thank you, brother. Thank you.” He swallowed the word “brother” before it could leave his lips.

The Guanlan Sect prioritized strength above all else. Both the inner and outer sects had a Senior Head Disciple; the one with the highest cultivation held the title. Regardless of when they joined the sect, everyone called that person “Senior Brother,” while other disciples were addressed loosely by their entry date.

These two supervisors from Shifang Peak were direct disciples like him and had joined a year after him. However, their cultivation was significantly higher than his. If he dared to call them “Junior Brothers,” no one would care to listen.

Yin Huizhi used a wooden stick to brace his back and trailed behind them, slowly walking back. Only then did the pain truly seep into his limbs and bones.

Back at the campsite, the other two took Qinghe to a tent for treatment and rest, while Yin Huizhi went to report to the team leader. In the center of the camp, the new disciples were gathered in a circle. Every back was tense and silent. Someone turned and spotted him first, and then every young, innocent face turned to look.

“Senior Brother!”

A girl in light purple disciple robes suddenly rushed out from the back of the crowd. She ran to him in a few strides. When she saw his wounds, tears immediately rolled down her large, almond-shaped eyes. The girl was named Fu Huiyi. She was a female disciple of Ningwu Peak and the youngest junior sister of their cohort. She had been brought to the sect by the Peak Master of Ningwu while she was still a toddler, and her talent was remarkable. She was also the only direct disciple who insisted on calling him Senior Brother.

Yin Huizhi’s heart softened. He patted the top of her head and comforted her softly: “It is nothing, it is nothing. Do not cry, I am fine.”

Fu Huiyi reached out with a trembling hand to check his spiritual pulse, and she instantly cried even harder: “How can you say you are fine!”

She wailed loudly, her delicate face scrunched up. The other young disciples peeked and stared but did not dare to make a sound. Yin Huizhi did not know whether to laugh or cry. He swung his arms as he stood there. “Look, I am truly fine.” He patted Fu Huiyi’s shoulder and coaxed her gently: “Alright, I am really okay. The junior brothers and sisters are watching you. Is it not embarrassing?”

Fu Huiyi finally stiffened her neck and held back her tears. She took several deep breaths, then turned to the youth in the center of the crowd and said coldly: “Chu Huizheng, do you see now? Senior Brother Yin left the team only to find Junior Brother Qinghe.”

The youth called Chu Huizheng had followed her the moment she rushed out. Seeing her tears, his expression had already turned sour. He stared at Yin Huizhi’s injuries as if he wanted to burn holes through them. Now, being accused by name, he said sarcastically: “Just because he came back with Qinghe proves he went looking for someone? The disciple from Shifang Peak was the one who carried the boy back. Who knows what he was actually doing?”

“Chu Huizheng, do not go too far!” Fu Huiyi was provoked by his deliberate malice. Anger rarely appeared on her classic Southern beauty features.

Chu Huizheng was furious: “I am going too far? As a supervisory brother, he first missed the temporary meeting last night and then left the team today without reporting. Look at him! Does he still look like a direct disciple of the inner peaks?”

His gaze swept down, lingering on Yin Huizhi’s empty waist. His mockery intensified: “Very good. You even lost your sword. Next, are you going to make up a story about how you met a fierce monster in the mountains and fought a great battle?”

The importance of a sword to a sword cultivator went without saying, especially in a sacred place of the sword like the Sword-Seeking Peak. It was strictly required that a sword never leave its owner’s side. Generations of direct disciples treated their swords as their very lives. By saying this, Chu Huizheng was intentionally humiliating him in front of all the junior disciples.

Yin Huizhi ignored the sarcasm and said calmly: “I did not abandon my post. A disciple in the team had not returned for a long time. A disciple from Zhaoyang Peak asked me for help, so I went to search.”

Chu Huizheng did not believe him: “If it was a disciple from Zhaoyang Peak, why would they go to you, Yin Huizhi of Sword-Seeking Peak, first? We only discovered the anomaly this morning.”

Yin Huizhi said indifferently: “Then you should ask the disciples of your own peak, not me.”

Chu Huizheng was choked by his words and said crossly: “Even if you really went to find someone, it remains a fact that you missed the meeting.”

“If the temporary meeting you are referring to is the one from last night, that is indeed a fact,” Yin Huizhi said, looking directly at him. “However, I also find it strange. Why was I not notified?”

Not only was he not notified, but someone had used a reason to send him away in advance. When he returned, the camp was empty except for the junior disciples who were going to their tents to rest. When he asked, everyone spoke hesitantly with embarrassed expressions, saying the other brothers and sisters had all left together.

Hearing this, Fu Huiyi immediately had a suspicion. After all, Chu Huizheng had done this kind of thing in the sect many times before. She stared at Chu Huizheng in disbelief and raised her voice: “I wanted to find Senior Brother Yin yesterday, but you stopped me and said you had already notified him. Chu Huizheng, I thought you would at least show some restraint on an occasion like this.”

“I did not,” Chu Huizheng’s face turned completely dark. He glared at Yin Huizhi through gritted teeth. “What nonsense are you saying to shift the blame? I clearly told Huizhao to notify you in advance!”

“Brother Huizhao?” Yin Huizhi’s tone was cold. “He did find me yesterday evening, but he ordered me to go into the mountains to retrieve the sect flags. He did not mention a meeting.”

Chu Huizheng stared at him for a long time. Suddenly, he took out a communication talisman, wrote a few lines on it with spiritual energy, and threw it heavily toward the mountains. A few moments later, another communication talisman flew back. As if feeling guilty, it hovered in the air for a few seconds before returning to Chu Huizheng’s hand. It was obvious who had sent the reply. After reading it quickly, Chu Huizheng’s expression looked as if he had swallowed a hundred flies.

Fu Huiyi understood completely. She crossed her arms and looked at Chu Huizheng, saying coldly: “I think the Eldest Brother should have entered seclusion later. Otherwise, when a mess of a person becomes the leader, it is easy for trouble to occur.”

As the son of the Sect Leader, Chu Huizheng had an exalted status and a famously bad temper. If anyone else dared to call him a “mess of a person” to his face, he would have drawn his sword long ago. But at this moment, he only tightened his jaw. Besides anger, there was a hint of grievance in his eyes as he looked at Fu Huiyi: “It was not me who did it! How was I to know Huizhao was such a scoundrel?”

Fu Huiyi replied: “Huizhao has always admired you as a senior brother. If you did not target Senior Brother Yin at every turn, he would not have followed your example.”

Chu Huizheng finally closed his mouth with a grim expression. Yin Huizhi had grown tired of hearing these arguments over the years. He took a step forward and said to Chu Huizheng: “Since the matter is clear and the missing disciple has been found, I will go find a healer now. Please also grant me injury leave for the rest of the training. I will not be going.”

“Wait!” Chu Huizheng and Fu Huiyi called out to him at the same time.

Yin Huizhi turned around, waiting for them to continue.

Fu Huiyi said: “I will go with you.”

But Chu Huizheng said: “Yin Huizhi, there is still one disciple who has not been found.”

Only now did Yin Huizhi’s emotions truly fluctuate. He knit his brows: “What do you mean?”

“After the meeting ended yesterday, everyone went back to their tents to rest. When we counted the people this morning, we found two junior disciples were missing, along with you.” There was a look of anxious frustration on Chu Huizheng’s brow.

Yin Huizhi asked in a heavy voice: “One is Qinghe. Who is the other?”

Chu Huizheng replied: “The junior disciple who shared a tent with Qinghe is named Lichi. That brat had better just be wandering off for fun and has not gone too far.”

Yin Huizhi’s heart sank. He said somberly: “Oh no.”

Chu Huizheng frowned: “What do you mean oh no?”

Yin Huizhi said quickly: “He was the one who told me Qinghe had not returned. Before I went up the mountain, I instructed him to stay with the team and not run around. I am afraid he did not just slip out this morning. He likely went to find Qinghe last night and has been missing for the entire night.”

Chu Huizheng’s face froze for a moment. This time, he threw out a voice transmission talisman and quickly asked the person on the other end: “How is it? Have you found him?”

“Reporting to Senior Brother, not yet.”

“What about the spirit-detecting instrument?”

“There are too many mixed spiritual energy sources in the Great Barren Ridge. It cannot find a result.”

“Damn it,” Chu Huizheng muttered a curse. He turned to look at Yin Huizhi and said sharply: “Tell me everything you know.”

Yin Huizhi left out the parts involving Xie Ling and gave a brief account of his experiences last night. Chu Huizheng’s expression became increasingly tense. He said anxiously: “How is that possible? Does the Great Barren Ridge not lack high-level demonic beasts? We sent people to inspect it before we set out.”

But Yin Huizhi’s gaze held no deception. Chu Huizheng finally understood the severity of the situation. His gaze fell once again on Yin Huizhi’s empty waist, and he said as a statement of fact: “You lost your sword while fighting the python demon.”

Yin Huizhi gave a soft “Mm.”

Chu Huizheng finally stopped pestering him. Instead, he began frantically giving orders to his subordinates to expand the search range. The sky was now completely bright. Yin Huizhi was still thinking about the person who had saved him and intended to send Fu Huiyi away so he could find the healer alone. However, he could not win against her persistence. Eventually, she and a junior disciple supported him as they went together.

Yin Huizhi suddenly felt his head grow heavy. He did not think much of it and continued walking. Finally, as they stood at the entrance of the tent, overwhelming exhaustion and dizziness hit him at once. His vision went black, and he could only perceive the chaotic cries in his ears. As he collapsed, Yin Huizhi thought that he might have to break his promise after all.

“Is this how you lead a team?” The voice of Sect Leader Chu Ruqi was not loud, but it carried a massive pressure that shook everyone present.

Chu Huizheng knelt on the ground with his head held very low. Fine sweat appeared on his forehead, a complete contrast to his arrogant appearance from half a day ago. Chu Ruqi glanced at Yin Huizhi, who was standing to one side supported by others. Yin Huizhi had washed away the blood and changed into clean clothes, but his pale, thin face still carried an indelible exhaustion. His eyes were as dark as ink-jade, like an elegant and clear old ink wash painting.

When he turned back to scold Chu Huizheng, Chu Ruqi’s tone grew colder: “When a disciple of our own peak is in trouble, I do not see you searching for him. Instead, you cause trouble for others!”

Chu Huizheng clenched his teeth under the scolding but did not offer any rebuttal. Although they were father and son, they were not as close as the other Peak Masters and their beloved disciples. Chu Ruqi was extremely strict in teaching his son; Chu Huizheng always felt three parts respect and seven parts fear toward him.

The two supervisors from Zhaoyang Peak behind him did not dare to speak and risk Chu Ruqi’s ire. However, another supervisory disciple from Ningwu Peak pleaded in a low voice: “Sect Leader, Senior Brother Chu was also unaware. Moreover, as soon as he learned of the matter, he ordered us to find those two disciples.”

The righteous face of Chu Ruqi showed the severity of a sect leader: “And did you find them?”

Everyone was instantly silenced, their expressions grim. Before the training mission, the Guanlan Sect had given every new inner disciple a teleportation jade. If a disciple encountered danger, they could shatter the jade with spiritual energy to be teleported directly back to the sect. However, doing so meant giving up the chance to become a direct disciple of the Peak Masters. Therefore, during the training, most inner disciples preferred to endure difficulties and would not use it unless it was absolutely necessary.

Now, the missing disciple named Lichi had been gone for more than two days. His jade had been found abandoned in the mountains, still perfectly intact.

“I am afraid this child is already,” the Peak Master of Songyu Peak sighed softly while covering his lips with a folding fan.

The other Peak Masters remained silent. The atmosphere was heavy, especially for the Peak Master of Lieyan Peak, whose expression was suppressed. Lichi was not the most outstanding among the new disciples, but his talent was considered good, and he was a rare talent for body cultivation. When they had discussed the disciples they wanted most, the Peak Master of Lieyan Peak had expressed great interest in Lichi. No one expected such a thing to happen.

“Enough,” Chu Ruqi interrupted the heavy atmosphere. As the Sect Leader, he could not lament alongside the Peak Masters. He gave a cold order: “Aside from Yin Huizhi, you supervisors shall go to the Hall of Good and Evil in half a month to receive your punishment. Now, follow the search parties and continue the hunt. Flip the Great Barren Ridge upside down if you must, but find him.”

“Yes.” “Understood.”

Yin Huizhi was about to go with them when Chu Ruqi called him back. He had to stop and bow: “Sect Leader.”

“No need for formalities,” Chu Ruqi’s expression softened significantly. “Give me your hand and let me see.”

Yin Huizhi offered his hand, and Chu Ruqi checked his spiritual pulse. “The external injuries are severe, and the spiritual pulse is slightly damaged,” Chu Ruqi said slowly. He then took out a small, narrow-necked green bottle from his storage ring and placed it in Yin Huizhi’s palm. “This is a Pulse-Stabilizing Pill.”

Yin Huizhi was slightly stunned. “Thank you, Sect Leader.”

Chu Ruqi patted his shoulder and said kindly: “Lingyin has been in seclusion for years and has indeed shown you less concern.”

Yin Huizhi shook his head. “Master is devoted to the way of the sword for the sake of the sect and the peace of the entire cultivation world. I am not an unreasonable person. Moreover, every time Master emerges from seclusion, he inquires about and guides my cultivation. It is my own dull talent that has prevented any progress.”

A hint of a smile appeared on Chu Ruqi’s usually stern face. “You are a good child. Do not belittle yourself. Huizheng has a domineering personality, and I will discipline him. You have a generous nature; do not hold it against him.”

Yin Huizhi remained silent for a moment, then gave a very slight nod. “Mm.”