Afterlife Department

"You… you are that boatman… Li Mu?!" everyone exclaimed in shock when they saw the boatman returned, but with a very handsome and young face.

Li Mu turned to them and nodded, before he respectfully cupped his hands. "I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Li Mu." He said.

They all nodded.

"Young master. I brought Mu Fan and Hu Linci back, and stopped the poison in their meridians." Li Mu told Luo Zhilai.

Upon hearing this, Hu Tisong and Lei Wei hurried to the boat. The others also followed and helped the two carried the unconscious Mu Fan and Hu Linci back to the camp.

"Thanks." Luo Zhilai said before he went to treat Mu Fan and Hu Linci who are half-dead.

"Da shixiong… da shixiong!" Lei Wei cried.

"If you keep hugging him, then let him die already. You are delaying the treatment." Jiang Ci told Lei Wei and pulled Lei Wei away from Mu Fan.

Yi Bing, Huo Ling, Qian San, Wu Ling, Shi Yi and Qi Bai curiously watched them, especially Luo Zhilai treating Mu Fan and Hu Linci. After a while, everyone saw that Mu Fan's and Hu Linci's weak breathing turned stable. They all sighed in relief.

"Young master. I think I found something about the plot of Zhao Yuwei." Li Mu spoke after he saw that Mu Fan and Hu Linci's lives were safe and Luo Zhilai, Jiang Ci, Lu Xiu and Rong Huai are dressing the two's wounds.

"Speak." Luo Zhilai said as he and Lu Xiu treat Mu Fan.

Li Mu nodded and told everything that he saw and guessed earlier. Then, suddenly, everyone heard a crack. They all looked at Luo Zhilai, then at Mu Fan's wrist that was bent into a weird angle. Lei Wei was stupefied.

"… oops." Luo Zhilai muttered before he bent back Mu Fan's wrist.

Everyone. "…" pretend we didn't see anything… they thought and looked away.

Luo Zhilai coughed. "So, what you mean to say is there might be more that were hidden in that place where my father found the sword?" he asked.

"Yes." Li Mu nodded.

Hu Tisong frowned. "This can't be… the Martial Alliance shouldn't be this stupid?" he said.

Luo Zhilai looked at him. "What if the Martial Alliance was poisoned by Zhao Yuwei?" he asked. "Figuratively, and literally?" he added.

Their eyes widened in shock.

"What do you mean?!" Lei Wei exclaimed.

Luo Zhilai turned to him. "Your master, in order to reach the position he is in right now, is extremely careful. To the point that he even forsaken his friendship with my father." He sneered. "Do you think that him appearing in the Lailai Inn days ago is just a coincidence, or is on his whim?" he asked. "Or, him sending you and Mu Fan and his other disciples to the Snow Clouds Spring Blossoms Mountain is out of repaying his gratitude?" he added.

Everyone looked at him in shock.

"I figured it all out now." Luo Zhilai spoke. "Hu Tisong." He called. "When did the sword appear in the Martial Alliance?" he asked.

"Two weeks ago." Hu Tisong answered.

Everyone was dumbfounded as they already had a guess.

"Jin Chong saw the sword, and then everyone heard what Zhao Yuwei said. Jin Chong then knew that he can't hold on to his seat as the alliance leader." Luo Zhilai started. "So, he sent you, Mu Fan, and his other disciples to the Snow Clouds Spring Blossoms Mountain after he heard from Zhao Yuwei that Zhao Yuwei will Lu Xiu, Jiang Ci and Rong Huai. It was to give me a favor, and also to 'repay' Huo Ling for saving you." He looked at Lei Wei who was stunned. "Hitting two birds with one stone." He shrugged. "Then, he appeared in the Lailai Inn to confirm if I will ally with him. Of course, I will turn him down even if he 'saved' my friends." He said.

Silence filled their surroundings and only Luo Zhilai's voice can be heard.

"Do you know why he is so terrified?" Luo Zhilai asked. "Because he, along with the others in the Martial Alliance, were poisoned, literally, by Zhao Yuwei whom they initially thought was Zhao Liwei, a trustworthy person." He smirked.

Hu Tisong and Lei Wei were shocked.

"This poison corrode not only one's body but also their soul, thus making their mind deteriorate." Luo Zhilai said. "I say, the Green River Sect is very creative." He chuckled.

They all felt a chill in their spine.

"You… how do you know this?" Lei Wei asked as his whole body trembled in fear.

"I sensed that he was poisoned when I met him that day. His breathing is weaker than it should in his age." Luo Zhilai answered.

Lei Wei's face paled and he collapsed on the ground. "No way…" he muttered.

Hu Tisong lowered his head, sympathizing with Lei Wei. After all, to Lei Wei and Mu Fan, Jin Chong was like a father to them, as he towards Zhao Liwei. He sighed in sympathy. But, Luo Zhilai's face is indifferent.

"Then, young master… what should we do?" Lu Xiu asked.

"I don't care whether the Martial Alliance would perish or not." Luo Zhilai answered. "But, it makes me dissatisfied that they will perish under Zhao Yuwei's hands, and it also makes me frustrated to let Zhao Yuwei's plans succeed." He frowned.

They all nodded in agreement.

"Li Mu." Luo Zhilai called. "You said that the assassins retreated and seemed to be in a rush?" he asked.

"En." Li Mu nodded.

"The Martial Conference is in a week. What could they be in a rush for?" Luo Zhilai asked.

"It might be because the sword was lost, well, returned to boss Luo's hands now, thus the Martial Alliance's trust on Zhao Yuwei decreased?" Huo Ling asked.

Everyone's eyes brightened. "That must be it!" they exclaimed.

"So, the next thing that Zhao Yuwei will do… is to take everyone to this place as he has promised, which should have been done later according to his plans?" Qian San asked.

"Or, he doesn't have any plan at all to bring them to there… does he really know where did the former sect leader found the sword?" Rong Huai asked.

"Definitely not. He must be lying." Jiang Ci said.

"Then, he will find a random, isolated place?" Qi Bai asked.

"But, if he did, the Martial Alliance would know that he deceived them, thus they will kill him." Shi Yi said.

"No. Zhao Yuwei still has the Green River Sect and Swallow Tail Assassins." Hu Tisong frowned. "Not to mention, the Martial Alliance now became weaker after they were poisoned. So, Zhao Yuwei would likely to win." He explained.

They all nodded in agreement.

"So, doesn't this mean that Zhao Yuwei wanted to destroy the Martial Alliance?" Huo Ling asked.

"… ah." They muttered when they realized it.

"Whether who he kills first, Luo Zhilai or the Martial Alliance, Zhao Yuwei plans to destroy the Martial Alliance, that is the pillar of jianghu." Yi Bing said.

The atmosphere instantly turned tense.

"What the fck…!" Lei Wei gasped. "He is insane!" he said, referring to Zhao Yuwei. "Why does he want to destroy the jianghu?!" he asked.

They all turned to him, for Lei Wei has asked the crucial question.

"Does Zhao Yuwei… hate the jianghu, because he thinks that it took his elder brother from him?" Jiang Ci asked in a small voice.

Nobody spoke, for this is also what they have thought.

"Fck! If he hates his elder brother's master, then he should have settled accounts with him, not the jianghu!" Lu Xiu angrily cursed.

They all didn't speak, for the Luojian Valley also has greatly suffered due to Zhao Yuwei's plans. In fact, they are the first casualty.

"Now what? We have to save the Martial Alliance!" Lei Wei said, breaking the silence. "We have to save our master!" he added, looking frantic.

Luo Zhilai saw Hu Tisong looked at him. Luo Zhilai knows that Hu Tisong is worried that he will become like Zhao Yuwei, filled with hatred. He closed his eyes, avoiding Hu Tisong's gaze.

"Young master…" Jiang Ci, Rong Huai and Lu Xiu worriedly called.

"Lei Wei." Li Mu called. "We will never save your master." He said.

They all turned to him.

"What?!" Lei Wei exclaimed as he looked at Li Mu in disbelief.

"Because it was your master who killed my master, the former sect leader of the Luojian Valley Sect, and young master's father – Luo Zhou, or Huai Sen – " Li Mun said as he looked at Lei Wei in the eyes. " – his best friend. He mercilessly killed him last month, at the peak of the Snow Clouds Spring Blossoms Mountain. He clearly recognizes his friend, yet he still stabbed him." his eyes turned cold. "All for the sake of looking that sword… they all… they all killed Wu Tong, Yu Qiao, Zhang Yi and Ping Kun who has never done wrong to them!" his voice raised. "And Zhuo Xia… especially Zhuo Xia… who was unfortunately born from a family of thieves!" he said. His eyes are filled with hatred.. "The Martial Alliance has wronged the Luojian Valley Sect, then and now! What right do you have to ask our young master to save them?! They don't deserve to be saved!" he told him.