Chương 17: Who did this?

Ash Ash sighed as he played with the rank-four jade slip. Of course, it was good that Rowan had let him keep the rare manual. On the other hand, his cousin had been so decisive. Ash hadn't even gotten the month off from cultivating he'd been looking forward to… As he sighed repeatedly at the situation, lamenting how heaven truly was balanced in its positives and negatives, a girl ran straight into him.

It happened so quickly that he didn't even get the opportunity to mentally rate her beauty on a scale of one to ten before she dashed off with a totally insincere apology. Startling, he looked around. Dozens of people rushed all around him like headless chickens. They wore various expressions of panic, worry, and anger. What could possibly fluster this many people of Blackscale Sect? They weren't a little sect. Something disastrous must have happened.

Without having any knowledge of the situation, Ash immediately began to sweat. He managed to catch a scholar wearing a ridiculous hat, inquiring as to what was wrong.

"Blackscale Cove has been totally ransacked! Some incredible power broke through the formation inside and took everything - even the corpses! The Flood Dragon's Water Essence has also either escaped or been captured. It's horrible. Horrible! All my years of research… where will I ever find another Earth Cage Formation? Is my path to becoming a First-Rank Formations Master over?" The scholar ran away, crying out in despair. Ash's blood slowly ran cold, and he froze in place. Blackscale Cove…? Don't tell me…

Rowan, surely you aren't involved? No, of course not, I'm being silly. Let me go ask Master and get this cleared up. Surely she knows more information. Outside of Cavern Lady Dawnshard's qi cave, he was about to knock but paused as he overheard two people talking.

"---know Righteous Mountain must be informed, but can it be delayed? The Conference of Earthly Harmony is coming up, and Heavenly Skies Sect selected them of all people to host this year. They could make things difficult for us on their home turf—""Think, Dawnshard! Ownership of Blackscale Cove swaps every ten years between Blackscale Sect and Righteous Mountain, any gains and insights split between us! This is too huge.

Forget whatever other items are in there - the Flood Dragon Water Essence itself is absolutely priceless. If Righteous Mountain even has one spy in our sect, or set one protective talisman at the Cove, wouldn't they just think we were trying to cover our asses by not telling them immediately? Already they'll suspect that we are faking the break-in, just trying to keep the loot for ourselves."

"You're right, you're right…" Ash flinched and hurried away, unwilling to even be within speaking distance of this mess. Wasn't Rowan trying to stop some girl from entering the Cove? Did she drag him into this? His cousin had been right all along. Pretty girls were definitely not worth the trouble! // Elder Patino sipped tea at his desk, waiting for the envoy from Blackscale Sect to fly far enough away from their sect. Out of the range of eavesdropping.

Elder Schell stood in a shadowy corner with his scarred arms crossed. Elder Cloris scanned the books on the shelves, judging the titles under his breath. A break-in at Blackscale Cove? They'd known about it the evening it had happened. The envoy had been very polite and apologetic. This messenger's main purpose had been to tell the elders that Blackscale Sect was investigating the situation, and that they would be informed of any details that surfaced. No mention of reimbursement.

No leads on who the intruder might have been. It didn't matter how the three elders grilled him - whether it was Elder Patino's paper thin face, angrily demanding answers, Elder Schell's silent but threatening presence, or Elder Cloris cleverly trying to trip him into saying too much - the envoy had remained a masterclass in saying nothing without offending anybody. Despite everything, the elders didn't actually give the envoy too much of a hard time.

This was because they felt like something was deeply amiss in the First State of Kyrr. Elder Patino's teacup set down with a stern 'clack'.

"Brothers, Rowan Helsing has made no effort to hide that he met up with his Foundation Establishment Great-Aunt recently. Iris Helsing is permanently stationed at the Southern Continent. I thought it was strange that she was given leave to visit home. However, our spies in Deepwhale Pier have also confirmed that Fairy Snowsong visited recently… another Foundation Establishment cultivator who's supposed to be permanently stationed in the Southern Continent.

At least two mysterious figures were seen in the First State, and suddenly this break-in at Blackscale Cove happens? Could the Alliance of Earthly Harmony be plotting something?"

"If they're plotting, are we even qualified to understand their moves? We couldn't even complain when they moved the Conference here on such short notice," grumbled Elder Cloris. Elder Schell grunted.

"What's hard to understand? A high-ranking member wanted the Flood Dragon Water Essence for themselves. They specifically brought the Silk Witch, a cultivator of Righteous Mountain, and Fairy Snowsong, a cultivator of Blackscale Sect, showing them off on purpose to remind us that their lives are in the Alliance's hands and to not disrupt the waters too much over this. And now, they're going to show up in full force in the name of the tournament to see if we'll try anything."

For a brute that loved fighting, Elder Schell had surprisingly deep insights.

"Are we sure that Rowan actually met Iris Helsing? We only have his word…" mumbled Elder Cloris.

"You may not have seen the boy, but trust me, he has definitely encountered some kind of heaven-defying body refining treasure recently," said Elder Schell.

"He's only been to his family's estate and once to Deepwhale Pier to visit his cousin by blood. Where could he have stumbled on this opportunity on his own? It must have been given to him by his Ancestor."

"This peninsula might not have the best ambient qi, but it's full of mysteries," warned Elder Cloris.

"We all know the stories. We all abide by the stories. We don't forgive, we don't forget. This has always been the secret motto of our sect. It was long before our time, long before Righteous Mountain, but the Shining Fairy who Smote the Demon still floats above our continent, watching our every move." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"There is no Shining Fairy," muttered Patino.

"But there is a dangerous demon and too much Yin energy. Do you think it is escaping?"

"No. It can't be," said Elder Schell.

"This is the land promised to the righteous cultivators. Is this movement from the Noble Demonic Clans?"

"Who else could kill a traitor like that Core Formation cultivator that was roosting in our woods."

"I don't like that the Helsings seem involved," muttered Elder Schell.

"Their Great-Aunt was ruthless to us when we were young, and the boy's father turned out to be involved in some very dark stuff. I still don't buy that his mother was a cripple. And she just recently died."

"Or has she?" Elder Cloris's face paled.

"This could have all been a pretense for the boy to meet with his Great Aunt outside of the aegis of the sect. Right under our noses. We even paid for the carriage. What if Iris Helsing contributed to the death of the Core Formation-" Elder Schell interrupted.

"Ridiculous. She's been battling demons for nearly half a century, but she's clearly not reached that level of power yet. Though, we have to wonder, what could she have cultivated? What masters has she followed? What could she be teaching the boy? Are the Helsings trying to reclaim the peninsula?"

"No matter, we will see what he is capable of in the conference," said Elder Patino.

"A month is nearly no time at all to prepare. I swear, the only filial daughter of this mountain is Nila Agnew. Everyone else is somewhere. Cloris, tell Mikael he must participate this time."

"Does he really?"

"Yes," growled Elder Patino.

"You can't coddle-""I am not coddling my student! He is at a critical juncture. What about Azalais? And where is Sabriel?"

"Every juncture is a critical juncture. And I will recall both of those core disciples. We have no chance at winning the tournament, but we can't let them think we are weak." Cloris sneered.

"We aren't as weak as everyone thinks. Our esteemed—""Don't talk," warned Elder Patino.

"There might be prying ears." //"Envoy Saltman reporting in." Saltman had flown in through an open window, which he carefully shut behind him. Cavern Lady Dawnshard's qi cave was now filled with the ten other Cavern Lord and Ladies of Blackscale Sect. It wasn't built to handle this many people, and they were all trying to look as dignified as possible while finding nooks and crannies to rest in. She had run out of teacups, so only Cavern Lord Whitewing and Cavern Lady Blackglass had refreshments.

What an embarrassment! Dawnshard sighed.

"Our students are still eavesdropping." Ash, perched on the edge of a door beside several of his fellow disciples, jolted as if electrified. It was true he'd been resolved not to touch this mess, but this matter was too juicy to resist. He had to find out all the information he could out of loyalty to his cousin! At least, that was how he justified it in his head.

"Let them hear it," said Cavern Lord Whitewing.

"This concerns the safety of our sect, after all. These are the children we seek to protect." The door opened to nearly a dozen blushing faces. The envoy cleared his throat.

"Very well. The elders of Righteous Mountain weren't happy, but, to be honest, they didn't put up as much of a fight as I expected." Cavern Lady Blackglass raised a single brow.

"Even that curmudgeon Patino?"

"Oh, he cursed me out, but only for a few minutes…" The Cavern Lords exchanged uneasy glances. Only a few minutes of cursing? Elder Patino practically did that as a friendly greeting. With the envoy delivering such bad news, they would've expected the envoy to return limping, afflicted with a dozen different ailments.

"Could it be…?" muttered Cavern Lady Blackglass.

"This whole time, we were worried that Righteous Mountain would believe that we orchestrated this break-in ourselves to rob them of their dues. But actually were they the culprits?"

"Nonsense, my lady." Whitewing shook his head.

"How could they possibly hide a Flood Dragon Water Essence on their tiny mountain? Our spies would've sniffed it out and reported back. And if they knew how to break the formation, they would have done so long ago. Some of their most talented cultivators, and ours - rest in peace Cousin Hans - perished in that cavern trying to plumb its secrets."

"How can you be so sure of their capabilities? A demonic Core Formation cultivator was recently defeated on their premises - something they've been trying very hard to keep silent about. Could this powerful hero be the same one who shattered the Earth Cage Formation and broke in? Even our capabilities at Deepwhale Pier cannot touch the Core Formation realm…"

"Well, they're keeping the matter under wraps because they're scared! Think of what we would do if we defeated a Core Formation cultivator who practiced the demonic way. Think. What great clan do you think they were from? Which of the Six Demonic Sects? Core Formation cultivators don't just grow on trees. None of us, with our prodigious talent, have even come close to passing the Great Divide of Foundation Establishment.

How would Righteous Mountain be able to explain what happened to some Nascent Soul Grandmaster looking for a missing student?"

"If they have an expert that amazing, surely Heavenly Skies Sect is aware. Right?"

"Aware? Look how strict the Alliance is with Righteous Mountain Sect even compared to our illustrious Blackscale Sect. If they possessed a Core Formation cultivator, would the Alliance dare to squeeze them this hard?" Cavern Lady Dawnshard grit her teeth. Whitewing snorted.

"Perhaps we should make them aware-""Snitch," came the melodic whisper of Cavern Lady Lilycove.

"I was joking," said Whitewing, who hadn't been joking. Dawnshard looked directly at Ash.

"My brightest student is, in fact, a Helsing. You're from Righteous Mountain, Ash. What do you think is going on?" Ash really, really wished he hadn't been eavesdropping.

"From stories my father's told me, stealing treasures from under the nose of a sect seems like the actions of a rogue cultivator," he said, trying to be as careful as possible.

"And it's not like the cove wasn't common knowledge amongst local cultivators. Have there been any sightings of powerful rogue cultivators around?"

"Common knowledge? That is true," said Whitewing.

"Most rogue cultivators are, however, associated with the Alliance to begin with." The whole room went silent, mulling over the situation.

"Time travelers," said Cavern Lady Lilycove. Whitewing slammed his hand against his forehead.

"For the fiftieth time," he all but screamed, "you can't blame everything bad that happens to you and your friends on time travelers who are aligned against your interests. You're not that impor-""But what about this time?" she whispered. She looked at Ash seriously.

"Do you think that any of your family members might be time travelers? I've always divined a deep connection to the temporal arts with you, but you've never shown any talent, or even any moments of deja vu." Did Rowan seem like a time traveler? Not really.

"Why are you divining the fate of my disciple," snapped Dawnshard.

"The same reason I divine all of our fates," she said, sipping Lady Blackglass's tea.

"Can it be outside forces?" asked Dawnshard, returning to the previous conversation with relish.

"Snowsong passed through earlier, headed to the Capital, to speak to a member of the Merchant's Guild. She is the most"---Dawnshard rolled her eyes—"well-bred of anyone in the Alliance." Whitewing's face paled.

"I don't think we should ever be speculating on people of that stature. What matters is the short term-""Nothing really matters in the short term and there's nothing we can do about it anyway," decided Cavern Lady Dawnshard.

"We will show the Alliance the might of our sect during the tournament. If they have a problem with us, they'll make it known then. Do not travel in groups of less than three," she said, addressing Ash and his fellow younger disciples.

"And do not fight amongst yourselves," she whispered, suddenly incensed.

"Repair bills are not cheap," she finished, all but spitting in anger.

"Dismissed." Ash left, a heaviness in his chest. The tournament this year seemed like it was gearing up to be more important than usual.