329: Chapter 329 Dungeon Visitor

The news that Jiang Li had been locked in the Qingyun Sect dungeon spread among the Outer Sect Disciples the very next day. All sorts of rumors were rampant—some said he was a survivor of a small Sect that had been wiped out, others claimed he was actually a traitor from the Blood Clothes Pavilion, and still others said he was a spy from the Demonic Path disguised as a Loose Cultivator. No one knew the truth, but that did not stop everyone from discussing it with great relish.

Ling Ye did not participate in these discussions. He got up early, attended morning classes, listened to scriptures, and practiced as usual, as if the small commotion yesterday had never happened. However, he kept the person named Jiang Li in his mind—not because he sympathized with the other's plight, but because he saw a familiar temperament in Jiang Li. That temperament of remaining calm in desperate situations and being able to make the optimal choice while at a disadvantage was something he had seen in many people in the Star Gate World, and had seen in himself as well.

That person was no ordinary individual.

On the evening of the third day, after finishing his practice, Ling Ye did not return to his residence immediately. Instead, he took a detour and walked to the vicinity of the dungeon. The dungeon was located under a cliff on the west side of the mountainside; its entrance was concealed and guarded by two Green-robed Disciples in rotation. He did not approach but merely observed from a distance for a while, memorizing the guards' shift times and routes, before turning and leaving.

He did not know why he did this. Perhaps it was just out of habit—in any environment, one must master the information of all key nodes. Perhaps it was because he vaguely felt that the person named Jiang Li might come in handy in the future.

Two days later, news spread through the Outer Sect: after Deacon Shen interrogated Jiang Li, he confirmed that he was indeed an innocent Loose Cultivator being hunted by the Blood Clothes Pavilion, not a spy from the Demonic Path. According to the agreement, he would be released once the Blood Clothes Pavilion withdrew, but until then, he still needed to be detained in the dungeon.

When Ling Ye heard this news, he was eating in the cafeteria. He did not look up and continued to drink the soup in his bowl, but his mind was thinking rapidly. Blood Clothes Pavilion—over the past few days, he had already gathered some information about this organization from other Disciples: a killer organization with influence spread across several countries, ruthless in their actions and vengeful. Few people targeted by them lived longer than three months. That Jiang Li could escape from their pursuit and run all the way to the territory of the Qingyun Sect already spoke volumes about his strength.

That night, Ling Ye did not meditate but lay down early. However, he did not sleep. He was waiting.

Just past the midnight hour, he heard an extremely slight sound outside the window—like a cat stepping on a broken tile, or like the wind blowing down a withered branch. He opened his eyes, rose silently, walked to the window, and looked out.

Under the moonlight, a figure was crouching on a nearby roof, thin and lean, with a posture like a cat ready to pounce. Even across a distance, Ling Ye recognized that figure—Jiang Li.

He had broken out of prison.

Ling Ye did not make a sound, nor did he move. He just stood quietly in the shadows behind the window, watching Jiang Li pause on the roof for a few breaths, seemingly identifying the direction, then his figure flickered and disappeared on the other side of the roof ridge. The direction he escaped in was not outside the mountain, but—the back mountain.

Ling Ye was silent for a moment, then made a decision. He put on his outer garment, pushed open the door silently, and followed in the direction where Jiang Li had disappeared.