Even if they had to dig three feet into the earth, they would capture Fang Xing at all costs!

　　Three days after the seven days Fang Xing had scheduled for the challenge—a total of ten days after Fang Xing had attacked the Sword Mound—a bounty was spread throughout all of Jambu. “Rebel Fang Xing: offended the Huangfu clan; murdered the young leaders of the Nine Songs, Fiery Cloud, Shaken Cloud, and Black Swamp tribes; attacked the Sword Mound. His crimes are unforgivable, not able to be pardoned even if he were to die a hundred times over. All Jambu cultivators shall listen to this message from the Huangfu clan and capture Fang Xing at all costs. Whether he is alive or dead, either will be met with a handsome reward. Anyone who captures him alive shall be awarded an apex skill, three hundred Spirit Essence, one Huangfu Order of Absolution, one spiritual cave estate, one hundred Purple Pellets. Anyone who scavenges his corpse and brings his head shall be awarded one scroll of a Divine skill, one hundred Spirit Essence, one Divine spirit tool, fifty Purple Pellets!”

　　With this bounty, it was possible to see the depths of the Huangfu clan’s fury.

　　Anyone who captured Fang Xing alive would receive an apex skill and three hundred Spirit Essence—what a great value this was! Even mid-sized sects might not necessarily have any apex skills, and three hundred Spirit Essence was a large enough fortune to move even a Golden Core Stage cultivator. The spirit cave estate and Purple Pellets were more or less extra, but the Huangfu Order of Absolution was the most important of them all; if someone were to get into trouble and display such an order, anyone who saw it would retreat as though witnessing the Huangfu clan itself. The reward offered by this bounty was simply too great, enough to move anyone who saw it.

　　The Huangfu clan was offering up such a generous reward in order to use him as an example after he’d threatened their dignity. The Huangfu clan also wanted to take back all the lost Sword Embryos, and although they knew Fang Xing had auctioned all of them off and it’d be difficult to retrieve them, they still wanted to capture him alive and follow up on this lead rather than letting it go. This was why capturing him alive had a much greater reward than if he was dead.

　　The bounty was quickly spread throughout Jambu by the Eight Bewitched Followers, and it was spread so efficiently that not only did every city—big or small—have Fang Xing’s profile, but they’d even included the golden crow’s as well. The Huangfu clan’s greatest strength wasn’t in its prowess, but in its influence and ability to rally supporters; with only a single command, all of Jambu was turned around with countless powers and people acting on their behalf.

　　A large number of powerful forces had been unable to enter the Mysterious Domain when it opened. Whether it was due to not having enough innate talent, not having a method to get inside, or simply having a bone age that exceeded the limitations, these people hadn’t been able to seek the opportunities within, but the bounty offered by the Huangfu clan gave them an opportunity that wasn’t any worse than what they could have found inside the Mysterious Domain.

　　When three days passed from the bounty being issued, a great number of dark clouds began to cover the Qing-Yun Sect. This cluster of clouds loomed directly above the Qing-Yun Sect and spread out over a hundred miles into the distance, as though they formed the sky itself. These clouds were filled with the cold glances and vicious gazes from dangerous beasts, as though they’d dash down and flatten all of the sect with only a single command. In front of such a large threat, the formation protecting the sect looked so dim and insignificant.

　　“Where is the Qing-Yun sect master? Come up and see me!”

　　The dark clouds began to disperse and a white-clothed elderly man appeared. His hands were folded against his back, and the corner of the his white robe showed his identity as belonging to the Huangfu clan. Four or five shadows could occasionally be seen standing within the dark cloud directly behind him, and anyone who saw their stern and chilling gazes piercings towards the Qing-Yun Sect could sense a terrifying murderous intent.

　　“Qing-Yun Sect Master Chen Xuanhua, pleased to meet the Heaven’s Guard of the great Huangfu clan. It was our breach of responsibility to have not welcomed you from afar; please do kindly forgive our carelessness….”

　　A couple breaths later, a silhouette flew up from the Qing-Yun Sect atop a cloud and bowed from afar. The person didn’t even stay inside the protective formation of the mountain; he knew that in front of the Huangfu clan, the formation didn’t offer any safety at all and there was no use hiding inside it—it was better to just face the questions head-on.

　　“That rebel Fang Xing, is he a disciple of your Qing-Yun Sect?” The white-robed elder looked towards Qing-Yun Sect’s Chen Xuanhua and continued with a voice both stern and filled with sarcasm, “What a good disciple your sect has taught!”

　　Chen Xuanhua was terrified and hastily answered, “Please understand, Esteemed Senior, the rebellious disciple Fang Xing was expelled from our Qing-Yun Sect long ago because he disobeyed our sect rules. Even before he left, he dared to bomb and plunder three of our four valleys, such an atrocious act even the gods can feel our fury. We Qing-Yun Sect have been searching for him all these years with so much hatred we want to dismember his corpse into a million pieces….”

　　Chen Xuanhua did his best to proclaim a hatred towards Fang Xing to gain the favor of the white-robed elder, yet the white-robed elder’s expression didn’t change no matter what Chen Xuanhua said. The Huangfu clan didn’t attack either, however; in truth, they’d already investigated ahead of time and knew very well that Fang Xing had betrayed the Qing-Yun Sect and that their anger couldn’t be directed here. As for why the Huangfu clan had come despite that, it was because the Snowy Mountain had the protection of the Spirit Mountain Temple and the Snowy Mountain’s battle prowess wasn’t lacking, either—the Huangfu clan didn’t dare to casually cast blame upon them. They were unable to use the Snowy Mountain to investigate further, so they could only step back and settle with the Qing-Yun Sect. Although the little demon betrayed the Qing-Yun Sect long ago, he had studied and lived here once upon a time so they should still be able to find some trace of him.

　　“There is no need for you to be scared. We the Huangfu clan look over all of Jambu and are very respectable and reasonable. Since that little demon has already betrayed and been cast out from your Qing-Yun Sect, we naturally won’t do anything to it. However, my people here will still need to land inside your sect and closely investigate. Furthermore, the items this little demon used and the places he lived while within your sect will be presented to me. Do you agree to this?”

　　Although the white-robed elder had asked a question, he didn’t allow any time for an answer and instead directly turned to start giving out orders. “Ye— yes… of course….” Chen Xuanhua could only add his agreement after the fact before quickly moving to the side.

　　The people from the Huangfu clan landed and placed all of the Qing-Yun Sect into lockdown. Every Qing-Yun disciple who’d had any contact with Fang Xing in the past was called out, including those who’d been under Fang Xing’s rule in the spirit herb gardens. As for the places Fang Xing had once lived and what items he’d used, they were brought out and collected with great importance; in the hands of people proficient in divination, the lingering aura from these items could be used to calculate and predict Fang Xing’s whereabouts. The Qing-Yun disciples themselves all cowered like a herd of sheep in front of a pack of wolves, and no matter what the Huangfu asked, they did not dare to hide anything and answered in great detail every time.

　　A very peculiar feeling lingered in the hearts of the disciples. Although it was typical for Fang Xing to cause chaos wherever he went, the battle prowess he displayed now was enough to leave everyone in shock. Hadn’t he studied with them together not so long ago, and hadn’t everyone else had better backgrounds, innate talent, and a much higher starting point than when he first joined? Just how had that little bandit managed to reach such a high level?

　　Two people looked down from the main peak of the Qing-Yun Sect. They watched the dark clouds and all those cold-faced Huangfu men, and their pale faces were filled with shock, confusion and nervousness, as well as terror and regret. One wore a red robe and another wore a hemp robe; they were none other than Qin’nyao and Xiao Shanhe.

　　“This little demon actually caused such great trouble. He is indeed seeking his own death….” Qin’nyao sneered and watched what was going on with disdain, but her eyes were filled with a fear that couldn’t be masked.

　　Xiao Shanhe’s face and voice were both as cold as ice. “And if he doesn’t die?”

　　Qin’nyao’s sneer froze at this, and the terror that had been at the bottom of her heart revealed itself as though it had been flipped inside out.

　　“I’ve asked people what happened inside the Mysterious Domain,” Xiao Shanhe coldly continued, “and although it might not necessarily be true, that little brat even killed Prince Chu Huang of the Chu Royal Court; Fang Xiaojiu, the one who killed four clans when first entering the Mysterious Domain; and Lei Jiu, the young leader of the Nine Songs Tribe. He robbed Huangfu’s Sword Mound as well…. Which one of these things could either of us have easily done? Heh, the worries we had back then, who would have known they’d become reality so soon? That biting little mutt has now become a man-eating wolf….”

　　Qin’nyao tried her best to smooth her expression and calm herself down while dismissing the issue. “Then you best pray the Huangfu clan finds this little brat and kills him, or else who knows? Perhaps he might come back and seek revenge. Your cultivation level reached late Foundation Stage after receiving the manuals from the Fuyao Palace, but you have still yet to form the golden core. Faced with that deceitful and cunning brat, it won’t be that simple, will it?”

　　Xiao Shanhe showed a heartfelt smile. “It will naturally be difficult for me, but do you think you’ll be able to stay out of it?”

　　Qin’nyao’s expression became even more twisted. “And what does any of this have to do with me?” she asked in a calm voice while tilting her head.

　　Xiao Shanhe let out a cold laugh. “Weren’t you the one who traded the girl named Xiao Mahn in exchange for the Fuyao Palace’s Divine technique?”

　　“Xiao Mahn was my student!” Qin’nyao abruptly shouted in anger. “Whoever I give her to is my business….”

　　“If you think those words are enough to reason with that brat, you can feel free to discuss it with him in the same way!”

　　Elder Qin’nyao was left completely speechless. She already knew very well that little brat wasn’t someone willing to listen to reasons or excuses! Furthermore, she’d done some things even Xiao Shanhe had never found out about. She’d once forced Fang Xing to hand her the secret skills Bai Qianzhang left for Fang Xing, and she’d even used Xiao Mahn and Xu Linyun as tools to do so. She’d done something so terrible that—despite Fang Xing having betrayed and left the sect—she still felt shame whenever she thought about it even now. She couldn’t help but to feel a sense of panic wondering whether it would draw that little brat’s anger again.