Chapter 111: Chapter 81: Sword Shadows and Secret Trails: Shi Feiyang Investigates the Sect Leader Disappearances

In this inn, the noise rose and fell, with the aroma of wine and food permeating the air.

Suddenly, a burly man in black clothes slammed the table, his face filled with terror and apprehension.

But then, he suddenly lowered his voice, perhaps calming down swiftly after the impulse.

Nonetheless, he could not conceal the shock in his heart, and he urgently said, "Many sect leaders have mysteriously disappeared!" As soon as he spoke, he glanced around cautiously, with eyes suggesting countless hidden eyes were watching from the shadows, ready to pounce and devour if one was careless.

Beside him, a skinny man holding a wine glass was taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise, and his mouth forming an "O" shape, spilling some of the wine as he exclaimed, "Really? Which sects?" His voice was filled with disbelief.

At this point, an elderly person who had been silent slowly spoke, his voice hoarse but carrying a weight of experience in the Jianghu, and said, "The Sect Leader of the Qingfeng Sword Sect, Zhao Qingfeng, disappeared after going into seclusion last month. The disciples turned the entire Qingfeng Mountain upside down and couldn’t even find a piece of clothing. Then there’s Sun Tiezhang of the Iron Palm Gang, who went out on a mission and vanished without a trace. The gang is in turmoil, running around like headless flies, clueless."

"But that’s not all," the man in black added, his expression growing graver, as though shrouded in a layer of gloom, "Qian Wanying of the Flying Eagle Sect is also missing. Some say they saw him conversing with a mysterious person cloaked entirely in black before he disappeared, never to be seen again." His voice was full of worry.

The skinny man swallowed hard, his face full of terror, and stammered, "Is... is there more?"

His voice was filled with unease and fear.

The old man sighed softly, a sigh laden with the vicissitudes and changes of the Jianghu, carrying a deep sense of helplessness.

He slowly said, "Zhou Cangyue of the Diancang Saber Sect was originally set to host a Martial Arts competition, a highly anticipated event in the Jianghu. Many heroes were eager to showcase their skills and charm. However, three days before the event, Zhou Cangyue mysteriously disappeared, causing the event to be canceled. Many heroes had made the journey for nothing, and the scene was, alas, chaotic beyond words."

The man in black, seemingly naturally impulsive, couldn’t help but slam the table again, filled with indignation, and said, "The most baffling case is that of Lin Yufeng, the Sect Leader of the Eight Trigrams Qimen Array. His sect is renowned for its intricate formations, akin to a maze, and tightly defended—hardly a fly could enter. Yet, overnight, Lin Yufeng vanished from his secret chamber, without triggering any mechanism in the sect. It’s as if he evaporated into thin air, something truly bizarre!"

"And then there’s Ma Qianli of the Divine Movement Sect," the skinny man suddenly remembered something, interjecting hastily, "His Tracking Technique is unrivaled in the Jianghu, never once failing to find his target. But after leaving on an invitation a few days ago, he vanished without a trace. The disciples of the Divine Movement Sect searched the entire Jianghu but didn’t find a single clue. It’s simply incredible."

Shi Feiyang exchanged a stunned glance with the leaders of the Heroic Sakura Association beside him, frowning slightly. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes under his sword-like brows as he said in a low voice, "This matter is extraordinary. The simultaneous disappearance of multiple sect leaders must conceal a great conspiracy. This is not merely a matter of individual safety but the source of turmoil for the entire Jianghu."

Liao Pei clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, angrily saying, "What can we do? The Jianghu is likely to plunge into chaos! We cannot stand by and do nothing; we must take action."

Gong Simeng understood Shi Feiyang’s thoughts, knowing he was concerned for the nation and its people, compassionate and dedicated to the common folks. He softly suggested, "Then let’s investigate this matter, for justice in Shandong Martial Arts and to elevate the prestige of our Heroic Sakura Association. Let all in the Martial Arts world know that our association stands for justice in the Jianghu, and our Grand Squad Leader Shi Feiyang is, indeed, the Hero of the World."

Jin Liufu and others hurriedly covered their mouths with their hands, lest they couldn’t help but burst out laughing, as they found Gong Simeng’s suggestion too endearing. Shi Feiyang indeed already had such plans. He smiled faintly, his smile exuding confidence and ease: "Si Meng is right. Our Heroic Sakura Association has already made a name for itself in Liaodong. Next, we will expand our influence in Shandong. I do not dare to claim to be the Hero of the World, but as a person of the Martial Arts, when confronted with injustices, we must stand up."

Among the missing sect leaders were seniors from the Martial Arts world who had previously interacted with his mentor, Master Yuan Chi. Their sudden disappearance caused immense shock in the Jianghu.

In Shi Feiyang’s heart arose a strong sense of foreboding, believing that a significant conspiracy was hidden behind this.

To uncover the truth, Shi Feiyang decided to postpone his plans to head south and instead delve deeply into the mystery of the sect leaders’ mysterious disappearances. He led Gong Simeng, Xiang Kun, and Jin Liufu, stopping in Jinan Prefecture, and secretly visited multiple sects of the missing leaders.

At the Qingfeng Sword Sect, Shi Feiyang, Gong Simeng, Jin Liufu, Xiang Kun, and others saw the Qingfeng Sword Sect disciples with anxious faces, searching everywhere with piles of disordered books and miscellaneous items in the corners.

At the Iron Palm Gang, the gang members were arguing incessantly, in a dispute over the temporary position of leadership, causing an uproar.

At each place, Shi Feiyang and his companions carefully inspected the scene, not missing any clues, and patiently conversed with elders and disciples within the sect, attempting to find breakthroughs from the remnants of clues. They meticulously observed every detail, hoping to uncover previously overlooked hints. Shi Feiyang also paid special attention to the sect’s atmosphere and the emotions of the disciples, hoping to find some leads therein.

They also secretly investigated the friends and family of the missing sect leaders, hoping to gather some useful information.

Shi Feiyang understood in his heart that only by conducting an in-depth investigation could they unravel the truth behind these mysterious disappearance incidents.

Just as Shi Feiyang and his followers were deeply investigating the mysterious events of the Qingfeng Sword Sect, a visibly flustered disciple from the Qingfeng Sword Sect hurriedly ran over. He clutched a crumpled letter tightly in his hand, panting heavily as he handed it over to Shi Feiyang.

The envelope was unsigned, but it was sealed tightly with wax, imprinted with a strange symbol that resembled an abstract eye, exuding a bizarre and mysterious aura.

Shi Feiyang took the letter, carefully opened it, and saw that it read: "If you want to find the truth, go alone to the abandoned City God Temple outside the city at midnight, three days from now, or more secrets will remain forever buried."

The handwriting was crooked, clearly intentionally disguised.

Xiang Kun frowned and whispered, "This letter is indeed suspicious, the person behind it obviously doesn’t want us to easily find clues and insists that you go alone, there must be more to it."

Gong Simeng was also full of worry, his eyes filled with concern: "Brother Shi, this is clearly a trap, you can’t go, it’s too dangerous."

Shi Feiyang pondered for a moment, his gaze firm and determined, emanating a reassuring aura, and said, "This might be the most direct clue we can find right now, the person behind it is clearly relying on something to dare to provoke us like this, but I cannot back down. However, we can’t go recklessly, we must prepare in advance."

Subsequently, Shi Feiyang and the group decided to first secretly investigate the surroundings of the City God Temple to understand the terrain, while also arranging personnel to lurk nearby in case of emergency. He knew that this mysterious letter might be the key to solving the mystery of the Sect Leader’s disappearance, but it could also lead to a thrilling life-and-death struggle.

At the same time, Shi Feiyang instructed Lie Quan and his disciples to secretly establish a branch of the Heroic Sakura Association in Jinan Prefecture.

He dispatched Liao Pei, Xie Wen, Gongsun Ren, and Xiao Lingling to lead more than twenty thousand disciples of the Heroic Sakura Association to escort the injured Wu Zhong south to Jiangnan after the battle at the foot of Cyan Simurgh Peak, to station at Taihu Piaomiao Peak in Suzhou Prefecture, secretly establishing the headquarters. These actions were all to further expand the influence of the Heroic Sakura Association in Jianghu, while also preparing fully for the impending storm.

Three days later, at the stroke of midnight, the bright moonlight streamed down like water upon the long-abandoned City God Temple outside Jinan. The temple, weathered by time, eroded by wind and rain, appeared ghostly in the moonlight, exuding a chillingly eerie atmosphere.

Wild grass grew all around, and the occasional screech of night owls made the silent night even more terrifying.

Amid this desolate ruin, Shi Feiyang, dressed in a white robe, stood tall like a ghost silently landing on the temple’s broken walls. His gaze, sharp as a torch, pierced through the pitch darkness, vigilantly scanning every corner around him.

In his hand, he tightly gripped a gleaming Myanmar Saber, the blade subtly vibrating, as if eager to taste the enemy’s blood. Around Shi Feiyang, a thin white mist, brought by the Bright Jade Technique, enveloped him like a layer of frost, making him appear like a War God from Hell.

"Come out, since you invited me here, why hide!" Shi Feiyang’s voice echoed in the tranquil night air like a resounding bell, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

The voice carried an inherent arrogance, announcing to the lurking enemy in the shadows that he was fearless and would not retreat.

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of shadows suddenly surged out from within the City God Temple, encircling Shi Feiyang. Leading them was a tall figure wearing a grotesque ghost-face mask, revealing only a pair of hawkish eyes that glistened coldly in the moonlight.

"Shi Feiyang, you indeed have guts to come alone!" The ghost-face man spoke, his voice hoarse and deep, as if coming from the depths of Hell. Shi Feiyang sneered, his smile full of disdain and confidence: "A craven villain, state your name!"

The ghost-face man let out an eerie laugh: "Hmph, I am Xue Wuya, Sect Leader of the Blood Evil Sect. Shi Feiyang, tonight is your time to die!"

With that, he suddenly waved his hand, and the bandits behind him immediately fanned out, enclosing Shi Feiyang tightly. Each of them wielded sharp blades, emanating a strong scent of blood, clearly ruthless killers.

Shi Feiyang took a closer look at these bandits and suddenly noticed some of them had unique patterns embroidered on their garments. His heart tightened as he instantly recognized these patterns as the infamous symbols of the Evil Spirit Gang known throughout Jianghu for their ruthless methods and bizarre martial arts. To think they were colluding with the Blood Evil Sect.

Shi Feiyang’s lips curled into a slight smirk, mocking the foolishness of his enemies.

His aura was like a rainbow, telling everyone present through his actions that even in the face of overwhelming odds, Shi Feiyang would never retreat, vowing to protect his dignity and honor in this life-and-death duel.

Xue Wuya was the first to strike, his figure flickering like a black lightning bolt, lunging at Shi Feiyang. In his hand, a Wolf Fang Club swung with fierce might, whooshing through the air, aiming straight for Shi Feiyang’s head.

This move, known as "Wolf Fang Skullcrush," is a famed technique of the Blood Evil Sect, immensely powerful, and if hit, promises certain death.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com