49: Chapter 49: Old Case Investigated Leads to the Arrival of the Crimson Flame Sect

Elder Huang was full of confusion: "Our Chiyan Sect hasn't accepted an adult Cultivator in many years."

"This person is not a Cultivator either, but a Utility Disciple."

"Aren't Utility Disciples all retired youths from the Outer Sect?"

Deacon Wu, standing to the side, softly reminded him, "Last year, because we were short-staffed of Utility Disciples, we temporarily recruited over a dozen Utility Disciples and distributed them among the various peaks."

Elder Huang finally remembered this matter.

He turned to Cao Ben and said, "You people are too ridiculous. He killed several court officials, and you couldn't catch him even after chasing him for a year! How does that sound like anything but a joke?"

Cao Ben said calmly, "The government works with great vigor sometimes, and with procrastination and perfunctoriness at others. Elder Huang, please do not mock us."

"This person is cunning, and the Punitive Division used the wrong people, constantly losing the clues. After delaying for a year, they finally threw it to the Qi Refiners to pursue. Using a locating technique, I confirmed that he is in the Chiyan Sect."

Ever since he was a child in Li Family Hollow, Xia Shaoxin had heard of the Qi Refiners' formidable reputation—once targeted by them, there was absolutely no escape.

The actual situation was more or less like that, but not entirely correct.

Qi Refiners were the treasures of the Yue State court. How big of a crime would one have to commit to be worthy of being targeted by a Qi Refiner?

In Li Family Hollow, he had killed two officials and several thugs.

Such a major case caused a sensation in the county and alarmed the court authorities, but at the beginning, it had not yet reached the point of attracting the imperial court's serious attention.

The Punitive Division first sent people to Li Family Hollow to investigate, issued a wanted poster, and searched for clues along the way.

Xia Shaoxin did not know that less than a month after leaving Li Family Hollow, he was already wanted.

Out of a Bug Catcher's instinctive intuition for danger, he was naturally gifted with anti-reconnaissance abilities, changing his clothes many times along the way and disguising himself under different identities.

Without even knowing where he had cut off the clues, he actually managed to evade the pursuit of the Punitive Division.

And then he went to the Chiyan Sect to become a Utility Disciple.

The Punitive Division's investigation was ineffective. They sent several rounds of personnel to track him down, only to finally find that he had vanished near the Chiyan Sect.

This was not a place where Mortals could just go and investigate a case at will.

The case was kicked over to the Qi Refiners.

The Qi Refiners did not dare to blindly trust the Punitive Division's report, so they took out Xia Shaoxin's register from the Gu Bureau.

This was a small Magical Artifact specially made for Bug Catchers. Every Bug Catcher would leave a drop of blood on it. Xia Shaoxin's father had taken him to Li Family Hollow to leave his when he was five years old.

They cast the locating technique and confirmed that Xia Shaoxin was indeed in the Chiyan Sect, which was why they sent Cao Ben over to negotiate.

For a mere Mortal who dared to sneak into the Sect, it was even simpler. There was no need to mobilize a large force; a single Qi Refining Realm Cultivator was enough.

Deacon Wu said, "Not long ago, this Utility Disciple got into a fight with two other Utility Disciples and killed them both."

Cao Ben said in surprise, "This person is so fierce and stubborn, has he escaped?"

"No, he has been locked up."

"Huh, why wasn't he killed?"

"Because in that fight, he wasn't actually the instigator; he was the victim. It was just a case of excessive defense, so he was sentenced to life solitary confinement," Deacon Wu briefly explained the case.

Cao Ben felt even more reassured; it would be an easy catch.

Elder Huang was completely speechless as he listened. "Even if we are only recruiting utility workers, we should still check their identities and backgrounds, shouldn't we? This is far too careless."

The deacon bowed his head and replied, "Yes, yes."

But in his heart, he was saying, "We accepted a thousand taels of silver from him to do utility work for us. He looked like an honest man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, so who would be bored enough to investigate his ancestors back eight generations!"

On second thought, Elder Huang's words were also meant for Cao Ben.

The meaning was that our Sect does not interfere in the matters of the imperial court, and a mere Utility Disciple cannot be considered a member of the Chiyan Sect.

"Deacon Wu, go with Fellow Daoist Cao and let him take that utility worker back." Elder Huang did not want to know the Utility Disciple's name at all, and would not even refer to him as a Disciple.

Cao Ben cupped his hands in thanks and headed straight for the cave where Xia Shaoxin was imprisoned along with Deacon Wu.

"This person has killed multiple times; he must be extremely ferocious."

"On the day of his sentencing, I saw him from afar. You couldn't tell the ruthlessness inside him from his appearance."

"Ah, that kind of person is even more ruthless."

It was rare for Cao Ben to interact with a Sect deacon, so he looked for topics to chat about along the way.

"Is Brother Cao escorting him back to the capital?"

"To tell you the truth, I have no intention of escorting him back to the capital."

"Oh?"

"The case was cleared up long ago. I am merely here to carry out the execution. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Wu, I will definitely not make a move within the Chiyan Sect."

Deacon Wu smiled faintly.

"A life for a life. Fellow Daoist Cao, you and the court authorities need not have any concerns."

"Thank you for your understanding, Senior Brother Wu." Cao Ben was quite proud. "A mere utility worker, no matter how fierce, would only take a single move under my hands."

"That is only natural."

...

Inside the cave.

Xia Shaoxin had been cultivating desperately for several consecutive months, completely free of distractions.

He did not Cultivate only when eating the jade bamboo spirit leaves; even when he wasn't eating them, he would drag his exhausted body to force himself to Cultivate.

Because he felt an incomparable change.

Previously, when he circulated his cosmic orbit, the Spiritual Qi was like a flood, coming and going without leaving behind even a shred of cloud.

Gradually, he felt that every time he cultivated, his Dantian felt as if it were on fire.

It was as if there were a bellows, constantly blowing wind toward his Dantian.

This was the sign that his Dantian was about to be activated.

Therefore, he did not dare to rest for even a moment; as long as it didn't kill him, he would train himself to the limit.

He did not know how many days had passed, nor did it matter.

On this day, just after he had consumed a jade bamboo spirit leaf, a voice suddenly rang out from outside the cave: "Xia Shaoxin, quickly stand on the Teleportation Array. Come out, there is something to say."

Xia Shaoxin was very surprised. Were they going to let him out?

Had the Chiyan Sect re-examined the case, deemed that he was truly wronged, and changed the sentence?

The heat transformed from the spirit leaf was roasting his Dantian, and a new situation had arisen; he felt as if there were a large balloon at the location of his Dantian, expanding at extreme speed.

It was both burning hot and bloated. In an instant, his eyes could not see, his ears could not hear, and his nose caught a scent of fragrance, which was actually emanating from inside his body.

"What kind of anomaly is this?" He felt both shocked and delighted in his heart. "Could it be that my Dantian is about to be activated?"

He felt as if his body did not belong to him, and he was no longer himself.

After a moment.

"Did you hear that? Hurry up and stand on the Teleportation Array. We are going to let you out. You are no longer a member of the Chiyan Sect."

Just at this moment, an infinite amount of Qi surged within Xia Shaoxin's body, bloated and swollen, blocking out all his senses. He could not hear or see, yet an infinite joy inexplicably arose in his heart.

It was as if he had suddenly plunged into a dark abyss, with a dead silence all around.

Before long, his Dantian suddenly erupted with a cool breath that rapidly spread throughout his body, extinguishing the dry heat brought by the spirit leaf.

He suddenly returned to the Mortal world from the dark abyss.

He gently clenched his hand, and it cracked with powerful force.

A violent power surged through his entire body. He stood up with a leap and slapped out twice against the air with a "pa, pa" sound, causing a series of explosive crackles to resound around him.

This Aura was even stronger than if he had consumed a strength pill.

"Hehe, I have finally stepped into the Qi Refining Realm!" He threw his head back toward the roof of the cave and roared loudly.

"What is he saying?" Cao Ben was very surprised when he heard it from outside.

"He's been locked up for several months with no one to talk to. He might have gone mad," Deacon Wu said indifferently.

Cao Ben asked, "Is he refusing to come out because he knows I'm here?"

"Perhaps he was frightened by Brother Cao."

"If he doesn't come out, is there nothing we can do?" Cao Ben asked.

"Then we will just have to go in and invite him ourselves."

There was a circular Formation on the side of the stone door. Deacon Wu invited Cao Ben to stand on it with him.

He took out a token, pointed it at the stone door, and chanted an incantation. A beam of light shot out from the stone door, enveloping them both.

Their vision went black, and when they opened their eyes again, they were already inside the cave.

Walking in, they saw Xia Shaoxin waiting in the deepest part of the cave with a smile.