Chapter 290: Locking Karma

Elder Zuo owned a carriage crafted personally by the Master of Heaven Searing Steel Mountain Peak, offering better protection than anything else that money could buy. The horses drawing the carriage had spirit beast blood in their veins, capable of sprinting at extreme speed for long hours.

With the Elder in charge of everything, the journey back to the sect was, to Han Xuhan’s relief, simple and quick, devoid of any unusual incidents. Dropping him off at the foot of the Salted Fish Mountain Peak, the Elder rode away to meet the Sect Master.

With a heart as heavy as the Mountain under his feet, Han Xuhan sighed after entering his hut and finding his two minions cultivating dutifully. He hadn’t taken them with him, trying to maximize their cultivation time.

If he truly ever needed them, he could just cancel their summons and then re-summon them, effectively teleporting them over from any kind of distance. Judging by the speed of their cultivation progress, it wouldn’t be long before they surpassed him and became useful as cannon fodder.

No matter what part of the world he went to, no matter who he faced, he’d always have the option to throw them at the enemy before running away. That thought gave him a little peace of mind.

"Back so quickly? Did something unusual happen?" Zhanxian asked after finishing his ongoing session.

"Take a damn guess," Han Xuhan said, plopping down on a mattress and rubbing his red-rimmed eyes.

"Master, whatever you involve yourself in turns into a mess of unpredictable dangers. I don’t really need to guess," Zhanxian sneered.

Han Xuhan: "..."

"Seems like you’re right, Zhanxian," Tun Shi Tian added salt to the wound.

"You two sure have learned how to work together in harmony! Not bad, not bad! You’ll need this skill very soon."

Han Xuhan’s predatory gaze alarmed both minions at once. But at this point, they had accepted their destinies. They only wanted to know what new plan their crazy Master was hatching.

"You’ll know soon enough. I have to set a few things up first before you can take the stage. Until then, keep cultivating hard."

Hanging the invisible sword of suspense over their heads, Han Xuhan went into the bedroom, dragged out one of his ’piggy banks’, and emptied it on the floor.

For this plan to take effect the way he intended, his steps had to be subtle and traceless...

Meanwhile, several mountains away, inside a temple-like mansion, Elder Zuo knocked on the door of a cultivation chamber. A moment later, Sect Master Xuan Zi walked out, giving him a curious look.

"You’re not one to visit me unannounced, Elder. Weren’t you touring the Bullhorn Mountain Range? What made you return with such a tense face?"

Elder Zuo bowed apologetically. "I’m sorry if the sudden visit disturbed your cultivation, Sect Master. But the matter at hand requires your attention."

Then he explained the story his disciples had told him, not leaving out a single detail. Initially, he was a little apprehensive, thinking that the Sect Master, known for being callous and whimsical, wouldn’t take the report seriously.

Fortunately, the moment he added disciple Han Xuhan’s name in the story, the Sect Master’s lazy countenance shifted into seriousness. Such a treatment... really could make the other members of the Sect feel helpless and jealous.

What exactly did the sect master see in that brat? His cultivation potential was practically nonexistent. Did he really cherish him just for his wits?

"A seemingly mad expert, a cryptic conversation, an orphanage that has been erased from reality itself, and a precedent of such an erasure..."

Elder Zuo didn’t know what thoughts crossed the Sect Master’s mind, but there was a clear look of realization in his eyes that made him curious.

"Sect Master, it seems you might have some idea about what’s going on? What orders do you have for us?"

Sect master Xuan Zi could only hide his bitter emotions from his face. What could he really tell this clueless Elder?

He was perhaps the only one in the sect who actually knew why disciple Han Xuhan had travelled to Green Curtain City. He understood the significance that the orphanage held for Han Xuhan.

Hence, the shock he had felt had been nearly impossible to hide after hearing that the orphanage had disappeared in the same manner as Pine Town.

If both the disappearances were caused by the same method... then...

Sect Master Xuan Zi felt his blood go cold at that idea. How could it be?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

It has to be different! The two disappearances could not have the same source, no way!

But one part of his cautious thoughts still held onto that impossible idea. After all, the people scheming against him weren’t ordinary. Some of them were certainly mad enough to try things that no normal cultivator would even dare dream of...

In this game of chess, placing a disguised, disposable piece in an unexpected corner of the chessboard, just to use it for one instance in the distant future... was quite a typical tactic.

Sect Master Xuan Zi reassessed the situation, reviewing all the secret clues, all the karmic threads he had identified in a certain marble hidden within his sleeves.

All signs pointed towards the impossible idea, yet the methods needed to realize this idea simply did not seem feasible to him.

"Erm, Sect Master? Your orders?"

Elder Zuo, having waited nearly ten minutes for Xuan Zi to respond, finally couldn’t hold himself back from speaking up anymore.

Xuan Zi stopped calculating and shook his head. "You did well by not trying to investigate the mystery yourself. It would’ve endangered all of you if you did. The less you know about this matter, the better it is for everyone involved."

"...So what should we do now?" Elder Zuo asked in confusion.

"Leave it to me. I’ll handle it personally. For our response to be effective, the steps we take must be subtle and traceless..."

That familiar marble fell from his sleeves into his palm. Standing right beside him, Elder Zuo had no idea that the karmic threads tied to their travel to and from Green Curtain City were being traced and locked down, hidden from distant prying eyes.