Chapter 476: Investigation

“Hall Master, we’ve already located Lin Xiao. He’s staying at a small inn near the Southern Martial Alliance’s office building,” reported the burly middle-aged man seated to Chunyu Yan’s left. Straightening his posture, his voice carried a chilling edge. “Just give the order, and we’ll move in for the kill.”

Chunyu Yan nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the suggestion. His gaze swept around the room.

“What do the rest of you think?”

“Hall Master, I believe this course of action is unwise,” said the first elder in a deep voice. “Right now, Scarlet City Sect is under the spotlight. Everyone attending the Exchange Conference has their eyes on us. If we act rashly now, we’ll easily give others something to criticize. It could damage the sect’s reputation and our prestige in the Southern martial world.”

“Elder Dong, you’re mistaken.” The burly middle-aged man slapped the side table beside him. “It’s exactly because we’re under scrutiny that we must act decisively! Kill one to warn the rest. Strike him down with thunderous force, so others will think twice before underestimating us. Otherwise, they’ll start treating Scarlet City Sect like a soft persimmon.”

“And have you considered,” the elder retorted, “Even if we follow your plan and try to surround and kill him, the man has the strength to defeat a late-stage Dark Force expert. If we can’t beat him, he can still escape. And even if we succeed, at what cost?”

“So long as we can kill that bastard, no price is too high. Only then will we restore Scarlet City Sect’s dignity,” the middle-aged man said coldly. “If Hall Master gives the order, I’ll take the lead.”

“I’m not against revenge,” another added, “But I don’t support a gang-style ambush. We’re not some criminal organization or assassin group. We’re one of the most powerful sects in the South, and our Hall Master is a deputy leader of the Southern Martial Alliance. If we want to deal with him, we have countless means at our disposal. There’s no need to be so crude and hand others ammunition against us. It wouldn’t reflect well on Scarlet City Sect.”

Chunyu Yan sat silently, head slightly bowed, letting his subordinates argue without interrupting. His fingers gently tapped on the side table, producing a crisp, rhythmic pat-pat sound.

Only after the bickering gradually subsided did he speak, voice calm and even. After cooling off, Chunyu Yan had recovered his composure and noticed several suspicious details.

“Before we figure out that guy’s background, we don’t make any moves,” he said. “He dared cripple Zhang Li in front of everyone. He has nothing to fear. And for someone so young to already surpass late-stage Dark Force… he’s definitely got something backing him.”

Chunyu Yan’s sudden shift in tone wasn’t because he was feeling generous or planning to let Lin Xiao off.

What truly concerned him was the possibility of Lin Xiao having powerful backing. He didn’t want to provoke the wrong enemy.

With the kind of strength and talent Lin Xiao had displayed, he wasn’t someone ordinary.

No matter how much Chunyu Yan wanted Lin Xiao dead, as the head of a sect, he had to think about the bigger picture. He couldn’t act on personal emotion alone.

Scarlet City Sect might wield considerable influence in the South, but if they messed with the wrong person, it could all come crashing down overnight.

There were too many people and forces in this world that even the Scarlet City Sect couldn’t afford to offend.

Even standing atop the Southern martial world, Chunyu Yan was still far beneath those hidden masters and ruling forces.

Not to mention the three major powers of the traditional martial world. There were plenty of other major factions that the Scarlet City Sect couldn’t afford to cross.

Despite their impressive reputation in the South, within the greater martial world, the Scarlet City Sect was only a mid-tier force at best. Without a Flowing Force master sitting in their ranks, no matter how strong their Dark Force fighters were, they were nothing in the face of true Flowing Force experts.

Only sects with Flowing Force grandmasters could be considered real powerhouses in the martial world.

Chunyu Yan had spoken vaguely, but everyone in the room was seasoned. They instantly understood what he meant.

If Lin Xiao had some great force or a powerhouse behind him, Scarlet City Sect would have to swallow their pride and even offer an apology to avoid disaster.

But if Lin Xiao had no powerful background, then there would be nothing stopping them from exacting full vengeance.

Once the logic was clear, the senior members of Scarlet City Sect no longer objected.

***

On the rooftop of a small inn…

Two figures—one tall, one short—were exchanging blows. Fist met foot with muffled thump sounds that echoed far into the night.

The tall one was male, the short one female. The man was strong and well-proportioned, the woman graceful and slender.

They were Lin Xiao and Chen Lingxin.

After returning from the Southern Martial Alliance, Chen Lingxin had pestered Lin Xiao for a spar. She wanted to gauge how much she had improved. Lin Xiao had agreed.

Chen Lingxin’s lips were tightly pressed, her almond-shaped eyes shining with light. Her slender figure circled Lin Xiao nonstop, sometimes striking with lightning-fast punches, other times kicking with dragon-like power—a relentless flurry of attacks.

Lin Xiao stood firm like a mountain, unmoving from his spot. With one hand held behind his back, he used only his other hand to block all her attacks.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Chen Lingxin’s body twisted, slipping into Lin Xiao’s blind spot. She leapt into the air, her long leg sweeping in a blurred arc toward Lin Xiao’s head.

“Too slow.”

Without even turning his head, Lin Xiao raised his arm as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He blocked the kick with ease, then curled his fingers around her leg and flung her away.

Chen Lingxin was tossed several meters, landing hard on the ground.

Even though Lin Xiao had gone easy on her, the impact was still painful. Dazed and aching, she let out a groan and lay there for a while, unable to get up.

This was already the tenth time Lin Xiao had thrown her. Her training outfit was stained with dirt and dust. She looked pitiful.

“We’ll stop here for today.”

Seeing that she was exhausted and could no longer get up, Lin Xiao ended the spar decisively.

“You’ve improved a lot in actual combat. That’s admirable.”

Chen Lingxin rolled onto her back, lying flat with her glowing skin stark against the darkness.

Hearing Lin Xiao’s praise, she beamed. “Master finally praised me!”

“However,” Lin Xiao added, “You have a flaw when you fight. You rely too much on flying kicks.”

He walked over to her and looked her in the eye.

“The mark of solid fundamentals is whether your stance is stable. Against weaker opponents, flying kicks may work fine. But against real experts, having both feet off the ground is a huge risk. The moment your footing is unstable, you expose a fatal opening. There’s a saying: hands are like gates, but the legs are your roots. Unless you’re confident or facing someone far below your level, don’t use flying kicks so casually. Understand?”