Chapter 442 - 439: Search and Rescue
Chapter 442: Chapter 439: Search and Rescue
Fang Han’s chopsticks paused mid-air. He lifted his eyes to the doorway.
"Let him in."
A moment later, a young man dressed in the Disciple’s Robe of the Sect Leader’s Hall strode into the side hall. He walked up, bowed, and spoke with a hint of urgency.
"Senior Brother Fang, the Sect Leader summons you to the Sect Leader’s Hall immediately. There is an urgent matter to discuss."
Fang Han’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
’A summons from the Sect Leader, and he even used the word "immediately." This must be quite urgent.’
With no time to finish his breakfast, he set down his chopsticks, stood up, and straightened his robes.
"Let’s go."
The disciple quickly stepped aside to let him pass, then followed Fang Han out of the courtyard.
Qiu Lan watched Fang Han’s departing figure. ’He’s probably being assigned another dangerous mission,’ she thought, a flicker of worry in her eyes. But she said nothing, silently clearing the bowls and chopsticks from the table.
Fang Han walked quickly, following the stone path toward the mountain’s peak.
The disciples he passed along the way saw his hurried pace and all stepped aside, bowing respectfully with awe and admiration in their eyes.
Fang Han gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, his pace never slowing.
Before long, the silhouette of the Sect Leader’s Hall appeared in his view.
The majestic hall glowed with a soft luster in the morning light. Seeing Fang Han approach, the disciple on duty at the entrance quickly bowed.
"Senior Brother Fang, the Sect Leader is waiting for you inside."
Fang Han nodded slightly and stepped into the hall.
The hall was brightly lit, and the scent of sandalwood curled in the air.
Chen Tianyuan was seated at the head of the hall, a letter in his hand. His brow was slightly furrowed, and his expression was grave.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up. Seeing it was Fang Han, he gave a slight nod.
"You’re here."
"Disciple Fang Han pays his respects to the Sect Leader."
Fang Han took a few steps forward and bowed.
"No need for formalities. Sit."
Chen Tianyuan motioned for Fang Han to take a seat below him, then set the letter down and leaned back in his chair.
Fang Han sat down, his gaze fixed on Chen Tianyuan’s face.
Although the Sect Leader’s expression was calm, his gentle eyes held an undisguised gravity.
His heart stirred; he knew it must be something important.
"I received an urgent report early this morning," Chen Tianyuan began, his voice even but carrying a certain weight. "One of the Sect’s transport teams, carrying precious materials, was ambushed on its way back to the Sect."
Fang Han’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
’A transport team ambushed?’
The first thing that came to his mind was the Netherworld Pavilion.
Some time ago, he and Elder Jin Han had intercepted a shipment of precious materials the Netherworld Pavilion had procured from Donglu County, killing two of their Elders and over thirty Steward Disciples.
Although they had left no clues that could be tracked, given the conflict between the Qingxuan Sect and the Netherworld Pavilion, the latter would inevitably suspect the Qingxuan Sect was responsible.
’Knowing the Netherworld Pavilion’s methods, they would never let it go.’
’This attack on the Sect’s transport team is most likely their retaliation.’
"Sect Leader, could this be the work of the Netherworld Pavilion?" Fang Han voiced his suspicion.
"We can’t be certain yet."
A cold glint flashed through Chen Tianyuan’s gentle eyes.
He paused before continuing.
"However, given that they dared to attack a Qingxuan Sect transport team, the possibility that it was the Netherworld Pavilion is extremely high."
Fang Han was silent for a moment, then nodded.
’The Sect Leader has a point.’
The Qingxuan Sect was one of the Seven Sects, a formidable power in Qingyang County. Ordinary factions would never dare to provoke them so easily.
Across all of Qingyang County, only a few powers would dare to attack a Qingxuan Sect transport team.
And among them, the one with the strongest motive was the Netherworld Pavilion.
"Sect Leader, what are the casualties?" Fang Han asked.
"The transport team had over thirty members, led by an Elder and assisted by two Stewards. The rest were elite disciples," Chen Tianyuan said, his expression darkening slightly.
He paused, his voice dropping a little lower.
"At the scene, we found the bodies of the two Stewards and over thirty disciples. The materials were all plundered. The only one missing was the leading Elder, Yang Rui—no sign of them, dead or alive."
"Missing without a trace?"
Fang Han’s brow furrowed slightly.
"Yes."
Chen Tianyuan nodded, his gaze falling on Fang Han.
"Although there were signs of a fight, we didn’t find Elder Yang Rui’s body."
"Based on the situation at the scene, it’s highly likely Elder Yang Rui was severely injured in the attack, broke through the encirclement, and is now being pursued by the attackers."
Fang Han’s heart stirred. He had already guessed the Sect Leader’s reason for summoning him.
"Sect Leader, are you asking me to rescue Elder Yang Rui?" he asked.
Chen Tianyuan nodded slightly.
"Correct. You cultivate the Scent Tracking Secret Technique. Your tracking ability is top-level within the Sect. You are the most suitable person for this tracking and rescue mission."
He paused, then continued.
"This mission will be recorded as one minor merit."
’One minor merit.’
Hearing those three words, Fang Han didn’t hesitate for a second.
One could never have too many merits. By the time you needed them, it was often too late to go out and earn them.
For instance, his Body Technique cultivation had been delayed for some time because he hadn’t had enough merits to exchange for a Grandmaster Body Technique.
Besides, a rescue mission like this was indeed a perfect fit for him.
"I am willing to go."
Fang Han stood up, cupped his fists, and replied, his voice steady and firm.
"Good."
A hint of relief flashed in Chen Tianyuan’s eyes. He picked up a neatly folded map from his desk and handed it to Fang Han.
"This is the location of the ambush, about three hundred li from the Sect. Depart immediately."
Fang Han took the map with both hands, unfolded it for a glance to memorize the route, then tucked it inside his robe.
"I will depart at once."
He bowed with cupped fists to Chen Tianyuan, then turned and strode out of the hall.
Behind him, Chen Tianyuan’s voice called out:
"Be careful. If the situation is impossible, prioritize your own safety."
Fang Han’s steps faltered for a moment. Without turning back, he simply replied softly:
"I understand."
With a slight flutter of his green robe, his figure quickly vanished into the morning light outside the hall’s entrance.
Returning to Villa No. 35, Fang Han strode into his room, strapped the Cloud Splitting Sword to his back, took out several bottles of Elixirs, and carefully secured them on his person.
He also grabbed some dried rations and fresh water, wrapped them in a cloth bundle, and slung it over his shoulder.
"Senior Brother, are you going out again?"
Qiu Lan stood at the door. Seeing Fang Han packing, she couldn’t help but ask, her eyes filled with worry.
"Yes, I have a mission."
Fang Han nodded without further explanation.
He checked his gear one last time to make sure everything was in order, then pushed open the door and left.
"Be careful, Senior Brother."
Qiu Lan’s voice called out from behind him.
Fang Han didn’t look back, only raising his right hand in a small wave.
With a flicker of his body, he activated the Wind God Step. He transformed into a barely perceptible streak of light and shot toward the Sect’s main gate.
In just a few leaps, he disappeared into the morning light.
「A few hours later.」
The afternoon sun filtered through the clouds, brightly illuminating the mountain path.
Fang Han’s figure came to a stop at the edge of a mountain forest. He scanned his surroundings, then took out the map from his robe and compared it with the nearby terrain to confirm his location.
’This should be the place.’
He put away the map and looked ahead.
This location was in the north-central part of Qingyang County. The terrain was hilly, with rolling mountain ranges. A public road snaked through it, flanked by dense woods—a perfect spot for an ambush.
Fang Han walked forward, passed through a sparse patch of woods, and the view suddenly opened up before him.
The clearing beside the public road was a complete mess.
The ground was crisscrossed with gouges and pockmarked with craters. Shattered stones and broken branches littered the area.
A few wrecked carriages lay toppled on their sides, their floorboards splintered and wheels scattered, clearly a result of being struck with immense force.
Dark brown bloodstains spattered the dirt, rubble, and broken wood. They had already dried, giving off a dark sheen in the afternoon sun.
A faint smell of blood still lingered in the air.
Fang Han stopped and swept his gaze across the battlefield.
He crouched down, his fingertips picking up a scrap of cloth stained with dark brown blood. He rubbed it gently.
The fabric was of high quality—the material used for the Qingxuan Sect’s Disciple’s Robe.
’*Thousand Li Soul-Lock*.’
Fang Han took a deep breath and fully activated this Top Grade Scent Tracking Secret Technique, which he had already brought to the Mastery Realm.
In an instant, the world around him transformed into an incredibly complex, yet clearly layered, ocean of scents.
The stench of blood, the earthy smell of the soil, the scent of sap from broken plants, the fresh aroma of splintered wood from the carriages—
Countless scents flooded his perception.
He filtered out these useless distractions, his mind highly focused, and did his utmost to capture the human scents.
The attackers had clearly used some kind of drug to erase the lingering scents at the scene before they left.
The scents belonging to the attackers were so faint they were almost non-existent, as if they could dissipate at any moment.
But under the perception of his Master Level *Thousand Li Soul-Lock*, those scents were still like fireflies in the night—faint, but not impossible to catch.
Fang Han’s nostrils flared slightly as he carefully distinguished the faint, intermittent traces within the vast sea of scents.
One.
Two.
Three.
He discerned that there had been numerous scents here.
Three of them were the most powerful.
And among these three powerful scents, one carried a sense of familiarity.
’It must be the scent of the Qingxuan Sect’s Elder Yang Rui.’
He had met this person on several occasions. Although they weren’t well-acquainted, he remembered the specific quality of their scent.
Right now, this scent was mixed with the faint smell of blood.
’They’re injured.’
’And it’s not a light injury.’
This scent trail extended southward, faint and intermittent, a clear sign of someone fleeing.
Behind it, another powerful scent followed closely. The two trails—one pursuing the other—extended south and gradually faded into the distance, confirming that the Elder was being hunted.
Of the three powerful scents, the last one, accompanied by the scents of several dozen Martial Artists, headed north. They must be the ones who retreated with the plundered materials.
’If I gave chase, I might be able to recover the stolen materials. But recovering them isn’t my top priority right now.’
’It’s rescuing the Elder.’
"The Sect Leader’s judgment was correct. The Elder is likely still alive and being hunted."
Fang Han stood up, his gaze turning to the south.
Wasting no more time, his body flickered. He unleashed his Wind God Step at full power, hurtling south along the blood-tinged scent trail.
His speed was astonishing. His figure almost merged with the wind. As he moved, there was no sound of tearing air, no rustle of clothes—just like an invisible breeze sweeping through the forests and across the streams.