Chapter 360 - 357: Secluded Residence
Chapter 360: Chapter 357: Secluded Residence
It was dusk, and the city gates had not yet closed. A steady stream of pedestrians and carriages flowed in and out.
Fang Han didn’t linger. With a flicker of his form, he blended into the crowd and entered the city.
His Spirit Smelling Technique remained locked onto Duan Wuya’s aura. The trail snaked through the city before finally stopping somewhere in the eastern district.
Fang Han followed the aura to the outside of a building.
It was a sprawling courtyard complex with green bricks, black tiles, and high walls. Two stone lions stood guard before the entrance.
Above the courtyard gate hung a plaque inscribed with two large words—
"Secluded Residence."
In the bottom right corner of the plaque was a dark flame emblem, outlined in ink.
That was the symbol of the Netherworld Pavilion.
The moment Fang Han saw the symbol, his steps faltered slightly. He did not rush in recklessly.
He pushed his Spirit Smelling Technique to its limits, carefully sensing the auras within the courtyard.
Duan Wuya’s aura was right inside.
However, besides Duan Wuya’s aura—
—there was another one deep within the courtyard.
This aura was extremely faint. If not for the astonishing perception of his Great Success level Spirit Smelling Technique, he would have almost missed it.
The aura was like a slumbering abyss—deep and unfathomable, carrying a heart-pounding sense of pressure.
Upper Three Grades.
And it was definitely not someone who had just entered the Upper Three Grades.
The feeling this aura gave him was remarkably similar to the black-robed man he had encountered at the Fang Family, but it was even deeper and more terrifying.
’An Elder-level expert is guarding this place.’
Fang Han’s heart sank.
The Netherworld Pavilion’s various establishments often had experts stationed to guard them.
Since this was a Netherworld Pavilion stronghold, it was perfectly normal for an Elder-level figure to be here.
With this person present, he could no longer kill Duan Wuya.
If he forced his way in, not only would he fail to kill Duan Wuya, but he would also be in danger himself.
According to the tacit understanding formed between the two sects over many years, Elder-level figures were generally not allowed to attack disciples.
But if a disciple attacked first and offended an Elder-level figure, that was another matter entirely.
If he dared to trespass on a Netherworld Pavilion property, the presiding Elder would have every reason to make a move.
At that point, even if he were killed, the Qingxuan Sect would have nothing to say.
He turned and decisively chose to leave. It wasn’t worth risking his life for Duan Wuya.
...
The night was as dark as ink, blanketing the quiet residential complex in the eastern part of Linyuan City.
Above the courtyard gate, the two words "Secluded Residence" glowed with a faint, cold light under the dim yellow lanterns hanging from the eaves.
The dark flame emblem, outlined in ink, seemed to flicker faintly in the night, exuding a mysterious air.
Deep within the residence, inside a Quiet Chamber with its doors and windows tightly shut.
Duan Wuya was slumped against a soft couch, his face as pale as paper and his aura weak.
His black robe with its dark silver patterns was torn in several places, stained with dust and dried blood.
Although the wound on his right shoulder had been bandaged with high-quality Golden Wound Medicine, dark red blood still faintly seeped through the gauze, staining half of his lapel.
His eyes were half-closed and his chest heaved rapidly. Every breath tugged at a dull pain deep within his organs, causing his brow to furrow tightly.
The aftereffects of burning his blood essence to execute the Blood Shadow Escape Technique were more severe than he had anticipated.
Right now, his meridians throbbed with a stabbing pain, his Inner Qi was nearly depleted, and an indescribable feeling of exhaustion radiated from his limbs.
The Quiet Chamber was filled with the thick smell of medicine mixed with the scent of blood, creating a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.
CREAK—
The door was gently pushed open.
A figure walked in slowly.
The newcomer was an old man of about sixty. He was tall and thin, but his back was ramrod straight, like an old spear planted in the ground.
He wore a wide, deep-black robe, the hem embroidered with the Netherworld Pavilion’s signature flame emblem in dark gold thread that shimmered in the dim lamplight.
His face was gaunt with slightly protruding cheekbones, and his skin had the pallor of someone who hadn’t seen the sun in years.
What was most striking were his eyes—his sockets were slightly sunken, but his pupils were astonishingly bright. When he blinked, a dark light flashed within them, making them look like two bottomless ancient wells that could steal one’s soul.
This was Li Hanshan, the presiding Elder of the Netherworld Pavilion stronghold here.
Li Hanshan entered the Quiet Chamber. His gaze fell upon the weakened Duan Wuya on the couch, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he walked slowly to the couch, extended two fingers, and placed them on Duan Wuya’s wrist.
A strand of pure Inner Qi entered and circulated within Duan Wuya’s body for a moment.
"Burned blood essence, damaged meridians, shaken internal organs..."
Li Hanshan withdrew his hand. His voice was low and hoarse, like the winter wind rustling through dry branches.
"Your injuries are not light. You will need several months of quiet recuperation to recover."
Duan Wuya opened his eyes. A trace of relief from having survived the ordeal flashed in his dark red pupils as he spoke in a low voice.
"Thank you, Elder."
Li Hanshan sat down on a pearwood chair beside the couch, his eyes fixed on Duan Wuya’s face.
"With your strength bordering on the Third Grade after consuming the Blood Coral, there are only a handful of people in Qingyang County’s younger generation who could injure you."
His tone was flat, revealing no emotion, yet it carried an authority that no one dared to defy.
"Who injured you?"
Duan Wuya took a deep breath, suppressing the roiling qi and blood in his chest, and rasped out two words:
"Fang Han."
"Fang Han?"
Li Hanshan’s deep eyes narrowed slightly, an unconcealable trace of surprise flashing in their depths.
He naturally knew that name.
Number fifty-five on the Celestial Pride List, a newly risen prodigy from the Qingxuan Sect who had recently made a name for himself and held a grudge with the Netherworld Pavilion.
But...
"On the Celestial Pride List, you are ranked forty-fifth while he is merely fifty-fifth. With a difference of ten places, how could he possibly injure you?"
Li Hanshan’s voice remained flat, but it had gained a scrutinizing edge.
It wasn’t unheard of for someone with a lower rank to defeat someone with a higher rank on the Celestial Pride List, but it usually happened when the gap was small. A difference of ten full places wasn’t impossible, but it was extremely rare.
A complex expression crossed Duan Wuya’s face—a mixture of indignation, unspeakable shame, and, most of all, lingering fear.
He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice:
"Elder, that boy Fang Han’s strength far exceeds his ranking on the Celestial Pride List. After I consumed the Blood Coral, my strength should have surpassed my own ranking, but when I fought him..."
He paused, his voice dropping even lower.
"Within just a hundred moves, I was at a disadvantage. If I hadn’t used the Blood Shadow Escape Technique to flee, I’m afraid... I’m afraid I wouldn’t have made it back."
A brief silence fell over the Quiet Chamber.
Li Hanshan’s deep eyes stared fixedly at Duan Wuya, as if trying to judge the truth of his words.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice laced with a new gravity:
"You were defeated in just a hundred moves?"
"Yes." Duan Wuya nodded heavily. "I am not exaggerating. His Swordsmanship is unbelievably sharp, and his Body Technique is ethereal and ghostly. In front of him, I felt this frustrating helplessness, like I had strength but couldn’t use it."
Li Hanshan fell silent.
He leaned back slowly in his chair, his deep eyes gazing at the flickering candlelight as he sank into thought.
’Duan Wuya, ranked forty-fifth on the Celestial Pride List, had his power skyrocket after consuming the Blood Coral. His true strength should have even surpassed his ranking.’
’And yet he was still defeated. Fang Han’s strength exceeds his ranking by far too much.’
"To think he hid his strength so deeply..."
Li Hanshan muttered to himself, his tone carrying a trace of apprehension he himself hadn’t noticed.
He raised his eyes, his gaze once again falling on Duan Wuya’s face.
"How old is this boy?"
Duan Wuya thought for a moment before answering:
"According to our intelligence, Fang Han is from the Fang Family of Liangshui City. This year... he just turned twenty."
"Twenty years old..."
Li Hanshan slowly repeated those three words.
A chilling glint of light suddenly flashed in his deep eyes.
’To have such strength at only twenty years old.’
’Such Talent, such a growth rate... it’s simply unheard of.’
’If he’s given a few more years...’
Li Hanshan didn’t let the thought continue, but the killing intent in his eyes was so tangible it seemed to congeal in the air, refusing to dissipate.
A genius with such terrifying Talent who was also at odds with the Netherworld Pavilion would become a massive threat if allowed to mature.
’This boy must be eliminated as soon as possible.’
’He absolutely cannot be given the chance to grow stronger.’
"I understand the situation."
Li Hanshan retracted his gaze, his voice returning to its previous low and calm state, as if the killing intent from a moment ago had just been an illusion.
He stood up and glanced at Duan Wuya.
"Just stay here and recuperate. Do not go out for the time being."
"Yes, thank you, Elder."
Duan Wuya replied respectfully.
Li Hanshan said no more and turned to leave the Quiet Chamber.
The door closed softly, shutting away the dim yellow light and the thick smell of medicine inside.
The night remained deep, blanketing the quiet residence.
And in the darkness, a pair of deep eyes glinted with a cold light.
...
「One day later.」
The majestic mountain gate of the Qingxuan Sect finally appeared at the edge of his vision.
Fang Han slowed his pace, ascending the familiar blue-stone steps.
Along the mountain path, the ancient trees were still bare, covered in a thin layer of white frost. The afternoon sun filtered through the sparse branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
The disciples returning to the Sect after the new year all stopped to bow when they saw him, their gazes filled with the same awe as always.
Fang Han gave a slight nod, passed through the mountain gate with unhurried steps, and headed toward the True Inheritance Courtyard.
In courtyard number thirty-five, Qiu Lan was leading a few servants in cleaning the grounds.
Seeing Fang Han’s return, she hurried forward to greet him, her face beaming with delight.
"Senior Brother, you’re back."
"Yes."
Fang Han nodded and stepped into the courtyard.
After briefly washing up and changing into a clean green robe, he didn’t linger in his courtyard. Instead, he headed straight out and made his way to the Law Enforcement Hall located on the mountainside.
The main hall of the Law Enforcement Hall was as solemn and dignified as ever, the air filled with the faint scent of sandalwood.
After being announced, a disciple on duty respectfully led Fang Han to a side hall.
Inside the hall, Elder Zhou Jin was seated in a large Zitan wood chair, carefully reading a scroll.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up. Seeing it was Fang Han, a faint smile appeared on his otherwise impassive face.
"Nephew Fang, you’ve returned to the Sect."
Elder Zhou Jin set down the scroll, his voice calm yet naturally authoritative.
"Sit."
"Thank you, Elder."
Fang Han took a seat on a pearwood chair below, his posture composed.
Elder Zhou Jin’s gaze rested on him for a moment before he nodded slightly.
"Observing your solid aura, it seems you have improved again. Not bad."
"You praise me too much, Elder. I have only gained some minor insights."
Fang Han replied humbly before his expression turned serious.
"Elder, I have returned this time with a matter to report to the Sect."
Seeing Fang Han’s serious expression, Elder Zhou Jin also retracted his smile and said gravely:
"What is it?"
Fang Han took a deep breath and recounted the entire story of being ambushed by Duan Wuya on his way back.
From Duan Wuya blocking his path on the main road and finding out he was acting on Wan Yuntian’s orders, to their fierce battle, and finally to Duan Wuya’s defeat and escape into the Netherworld Pavilion stronghold in Linyuan City, where Fang Han gave up the chase after sensing the presence of a presiding Elder...
He narrated concisely, without embellishment or omission of key details.