Martial Saint with Passives

Jiang Che’s expression was calm as he shook his head. "Dean Hui Feng, I tracked them the whole way but only saw You Honglang and his servant holding Junior Sister Tang hostage. I didn’t see any sign of Senior Brother Xie. Perhaps... he went in a different direction to call for reinforcements?"

’I handled it cleanly,’ he thought to himself. ’No one should be able to find any clues.’

’Even if Xie Xingwen never shows up, the blame can easily be pinned on You Honglang.’

’They could say he was hunted down and killed by You Honglang and his servant.’

’After all, they had a blood feud from their clan’s extermination. Taking him hostage for revenge would be perfectly logical.’

Feng Zhuyun nodded at his words.

Xie Xingwen abandoning Tang Qiaoqiao to flee for his life was already a disgrace, so Feng Zhuyun didn’t want to press the issue. He just said vaguely, "Alright. In that case, you should all rejoin the team for now."

Then, he turned to the other deans and Elders, his voice grave. "You Honglang is a key member of their remnants. We cannot let him escape! We must pursue him at once!"

The masters nodded, and with a flicker, they shot into the dense forest like bolts of lightning, heading in the direction Jiang Che had indicated.

Jiang Che, along with Liu Qing and Su Wan, escorted the listless Tang Qiaoqiao back to the You Manor, which was now in shambles.

Inside the manor, the raid was drawing to a close.

The disciples of the Three Great Sects all wore joyful expressions.

Their bags were bulging with loot, and they were all showing off their hauls to one another.

Elixir Pills, Weapons, Jewelry, and even some Calligraphy, Painting, and Antiques—they had it all.

Everyone was laughing and chatting, as if they hadn’t just participated in a raid, but had gone on a leisurely outing.

Watching everyone return laden with spoils while she had nearly lost her life, Tang Qiaoqiao felt a surge of indignation.

’Then again,’ she thought, ’it was my own fault for naively trusting Xie Xingwen that I ended up in danger.’

’If it weren’t for Jiang Che, I’m afraid I would have...’

She stole a glance at the impassive Jiang Che beside her, pursed her lips, and said in a small voice, "Hey... um... thanks."

Jiang Che didn’t look at her, merely grunting in acknowledgment.

His attitude extinguished the flicker of gratitude she had just felt, replacing it with irritation. She couldn’t help but raise her voice.

"You think I’m a burden, don’t you? That I’m an idiot? If my mother hadn’t told you to look after me, you wouldn’t have bothered, right?"

Jiang Che finally glanced at her and told the honest truth. "That’s right."

"You! You bastard!" Tang Qiaoqiao stomped her foot in anger, whipping her head around to ignore him.

Liu Qing shook her head at the sight.

’Still, it’s a good thing that Tang Qiaoqiao has seen Xie Xingwen’s true colors.’

...

「In a dilapidated apothecary within You Manor.」

Xie Songnian quickly tended to the stab wound You Bojun had inflicted on his shoulder.

Although You Bojun was old and feeble, well past his Peak,

a full-powered strike from a master at the Sixth Layer of the True Master Realm was still a heavy blow.

If he hadn’t avoided a fatal blow, he likely would have died on the spot.

’Still,’ he thought, ’the plan was a success. Not only will I get ten Refining Organ Realm subordinates from the Shadow Prison Sect, but also an extremely precious Golden Spirit Pill.’

’On top of that, as the one who initiated the raid on the You Family...’

’...I’ll get the lion’s share of their massive fortune.’

’This little bit of pain suddenly seemed bearable.’

He suddenly thought of something and summoned a trusted subordinate. "Where’s Xingwen? Where has he run off to this time?"

The subordinate hesitated before reporting in a low voice, "The Young Master... seemed to have gone looking for Miss Tang Qiaoqiao of Yanluo Courtyard. Later... it’s said that he ran into You Honglang and his old servant. The Young Master... escaped by himself and has not yet returned. Miss Tang Qiaoqiao was later rescued by Jiang Che. The other deans are now pursuing You Honglang and his servant."

Xie Songnian’s brow furrowed. "Escaped by himself? Hmph, that useless boy! Can’t even handle a little girl and gets chased around like a dog! Send men to find him! Just wait until he gets back, I’ll teach him a lesson!"

Though displeased, he wasn’t overly worried. He just assumed his son felt humiliated and was hiding somewhere.

...

「Outside You Manor.」

The Cangyun Sect’s forces had finished assembling.

Jiang Che fell in with the group and began the journey back to the Cangyun Sect.

But the mood on the journey back was not entirely joyful.

He soon learned that Lin Bihe had been killed in the fighting.

He finally understood why his master, Xu Qingshan, looked so grim.

Although Jiang Che hadn’t known Lin Bihe well, she was his senior sister, and a sense of gloom weighed on him.

The other disciples of Yunhai Courtyard were also grief-stricken. Their Senior Brother, Xiao Mingqian, was particularly devastated.

In addition, reports of casualties from the other courtyards began to trickle in.

"Did you hear? Thunder Shock Courtyard lost two of its good fighters..."

"And that guy who lives near Jiang Che, Yan Hanpeng? He was from Thunder Shock Courtyard, too. Heard he didn’t make it either..."

Jiang Che froze. ’Yan Hanpeng is dead? How did he die?’

’Didn’t he grab a bunch of loot? Was he killed when he went back for a second helping?’

Jiang Che shook his head. ’The man’s skills were lacking, but his greed was boundless. It was only a matter of time before he got into trouble.’

The people around them continued their discussion.

"Sigh, the You Family members fought like cornered beasts at the end... To throw your life away for a few resources, it’s just not worth it."

"Yeah. If I’d known, I would have just stayed on the perimeter, too..."

Tang Qiaoqiao overheard these remarks.

It was the first time she had experienced so many of her fellow disciples dying, and she found it difficult to process.

She looked at Jiang Che’s straight-backed figure walking ahead and finally began to understand him.

’Jiang Che was right...’

’He must have foreseen these dangers. That’s why he insisted I stay outside...’

’He can’t be a coward, or he wouldn’t have risked his life to save me...’

’He’s not much older than me. How can he be so rational and calm?’

As Tang Qiaoqiao’s thoughts wandered, she noticed Jiang Che glance back at her. Not to be outdone, she immediately glared back.

Jiang Che shook his head in resignation. ’Dean Ye is a good person. How did she end up with a daughter like this?’ He then turned and kept walking.

Not long after they returned to the Cangyun Sect, the deans and Elders who had pursued You Honglang and his servant also came back.

It turned out the pair had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.

Hearing that his master had returned, Jiang Che hurried over to Yunhai Courtyard to assemble with the others.

When he entered the courtyard, he saw that all the disciples were already there.

The atmosphere was heavy, and everyone wore a sorrowful expression.

Xu Qingshan sat in the seat of honor, looking as if he had aged years overnight. The profound grief in his eyes was impossible to dispel.

He forced himself to speak, said a few simple words to arrange Lin Bihe’s funeral, and then waved his hand to dismiss them all, clearly wanting to be left alone with his thoughts.

Jiang Che sighed internally, bowed, and quietly withdrew.

He then made his way to Yanluo Courtyard.

Ye Lianzhen had already heard the news. When she saw Jiang Che, her face was full of gratitude. "I owe you a great deal for this, Jiang Che. I will remember this favor."

She then had someone bring out several Jade Bottles, all filled with high-quality Elixir Pills.

"Take these for now. From now on, I will have someone deliver a bottle of Top Grade Elixir to your residence every month. Yanluo Courtyard will supply your Cultivation Resources!"

Jiang Che was taken aback. This was an incredibly generous gift. "Dean Ye, this is..."

Ye Lianzhen waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t worry, just take them. It’s not as if Yanluo Courtyard can’t afford a few Elixir Pills!"

Then, her tone shifted. Her gaze swept over Jiang Che, seemingly casual. "By the way, Xie Xingwen has gone missing. His father’s right-hand man, Liu Cang, has also vanished. Do you... happen to know anything about it?"

Jiang Che’s heart skipped a beat, but he put on a perfectly calibrated expression of surprise. "Missing? I had no idea. The situation was critical, and I was completely focused on rushing to save Junior Sister Tang. I’m not aware of anything else."

Ye Lianzhen stared at him for a long moment, her gaze profound. Finally, she just gave a slight nod. "Alright. I understand."

She didn’t press him further, but looking at her pensive expression, Jiang Che had a feeling she had already guessed something.

’After all, I’m the one who got the Corpse-Dissolving Water from her.’

But Jiang Che resolved that he would never speak of this to anyone—not even his master or Ye Lianzhen.

’It’s not a matter of trust. The stakes are simply too high. The fewer people who know, the better!’

Back in his room, Jiang Che shut the door and began to take stock of his "harvest."

Although he hadn’t participated in the looting, the bottle of Top-grade Snow Crystal Milk he’d taken from Xie Xingwen was worth far more than any common resources.

Added to that was the Beast Hide Secret Manual he’d taken from Liu Cang’s body—a mysterious scroll of strange material, covered in diagrams of small figures.

’For a Martial Artist at the Peak of the Refining Organ Realm to carry it on his person, it has to be something good.’

More importantly, he had also secured a long-term supply of high-quality Elixir Pills from Ye Lianzhen.

’He wouldn’t have to worry about Cultivation Resources for a while.’

However, he didn’t feel the slightest sense of relief.

The deaths of Xie Xingwen and Liu Cang were like two hidden time bombs.

Xie Songnian would never let this matter rest.

Even without evidence, it wouldn’t be difficult for a man like him to crush a slightly suspicious, background-less disciple like himself.

The crisis wasn’t over. In fact, it was closing in.

’I have to increase my strength as fast as possible!’

With a calm, resolute look in his eyes, Jiang Che turned and left his room without hesitation. He headed straight for the Cultivation Rooms and rented a B-level Cultivation Room.

He would enter seclusion and give it his all to break through to the Refining Organ Realm.

Only by becoming strong enough could he hope to survive this maelstrom.