Chapter 93: Clues and Traces

Was it that he had especially good luck, and all the things he encountered were fairly simple?

The man’s interest deepened, and he became even more curious about what Lin Hao had experienced inside.

Hearing the question, Lin Hao smiled faintly and said, “Not really. What everyone went through was more or less the same—just the sort of things anyone might encounter.”

He answered modestly, without telling the truth.

Just then, Cao Yi hurried over and looked at Lin Hao with surprise and satisfaction in his eyes. “Good. I did not misjudge you. Congratulations—you have successfully passed the second trial and may now enter the inner sect of the Azure City Sect directly.

From today onward, you will follow me as an inner-sect disciple. I will have someone teach you everything you need to know later. For now, move your quarters to the room next to mine.”

With that, Cao Yi turned and left, leaving two people behind to accompany Lin Hao.

Just like that, with a single sentence from Cao Yi, Lin Hao was designated an inner-sect disciple. And from Cao Yi’s meaning, it seemed he even intended to guide Lin Hao personally.

The two gatekeepers beside him, hearing Cao Yi’s words, immediately looked at Lin Hao in astonishment. Their expressions changed without their noticing; there was no trace left of contempt, only envy and a touch of admiration.

After all, this had been spoken personally by Cao Yi, the senior brother of the Azure City Sect. In the entire sect, Lin Hao was the only one who could make Cao Yi say such a thing.

Cao Yi was never interested in just anything, and his status in the Azure City Sect stood second only to the sect master. So they felt that Lin Hao truly was fortunate.

A disciple who had just entered the Azure City Sect had advanced into the inner sect so quickly, and was even to be personally guided by the senior brother himself. What a tremendous honor that was.

The two gatekeepers looked at Lin Hao, and even their voices became respectful. “Congratulations, Brother Lin Hao. In the future, don’t forget to look after us.”

“Yes, yes. Your future is boundless! Congratulations!”

The two of them began flattering him back and forth.

Lin Hao came to himself then, and hearing their words, he only smiled at them.

At that moment, two people came up to him and said, “Lin Hao, we were sent by the senior brother to help you move. Whatever you need moved, we’ll go with you and lend a hand.

Also, the senior brother instructed us to take you to the courtyard next to his.”

“Oh, all right. Then I truly must trouble the two senior brothers. In truth, I don’t have much to move.” Lin Hao said to them.

After thinking about it, he really did not have much. He had only just arrived at the Azure City Sect, and he had not lived long in the courtyard that had been assigned to him.

Hearing this, the two nodded. “Then let us go directly to your new courtyard,” one of them said to Lin Hao.

“Very well, let’s go straight over then.” Lin Hao nodded gladly.

At the same time, the people sent to search for Lin Hao had, after much winding investigation, finally uncovered a few clues.

They had found some news around Heavenly Feather Mountain. They already knew what had happened there.

Moreover, the events at Heavenly Feather Mountain had recently been spreading everywhere. Since they had no lead on Lin Hao, they simply went to Heavenly Feather Mountain on a hunch and tried their luck.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be the right move.

Even now, other sects were still guarding the area around Heavenly Feather Mountain.

Because Lin Hao’s name was fairly well known, the people who arrived there managed to trace a few things, especially the explosion of the Green Pine Sect’s flying ship and the disappearance of one person.

After asking around, they felt that the time this person vanished and the time Lin Hao appeared were not far apart.

With that coincidence, and with the missing person also named Lin Hao, they followed the trail.

Besides, the Green Pine Sect was also searching for Lin Hao at the time. After the flying ship was destroyed, every single person had been accounted for, even the dead—but Lin Hao was the only one still missing.

Yet the Green Pine Sect did not give up. They kept posting Lin Hao’s portrait and kept searching for him.

At first, the two groups only suspected, and did not know whether this “Lin Hao” was the “Lin Hao” they were looking for.

Because they were not sure whether Lin Hao’s name was real.

After all, the name brought back by Qing Ci was said to be Lin Hao, and now there was also a Lin Hao inside their Azure City Sect. They could not be certain whether that name was true or false.

One group went straight to the place where the flying ship had been destroyed, to see whether any clues could be found.

That day, they sat down in the inn not far from where the incident had occurred and were drinking tea.

Then they saw a group of people enter, each holding a portrait. “Waiter, have you seen this person recently? If you do see him, send word to us at once. The Green Pine Sect will surely reward you handsomely.”

“Yes, yes, rest assured, sir. If we really do see him, we’ll tell you at once. And for every group that comes through this inn, we ask about it. Look, our owner has placed the portrait right there,” the waiter said with a smile.

Hearing this, the people drinking tea had a sudden idea and turned to look. They saw that it was indeed the portrait of the person the Green Pine Sect was looking for.

He looked somewhat like the Lin Hao they were seeking, though there were still differences; they dared not be certain whether this person was truly Lin Hao.

The portrait also bore the words “Lin Hao of the Green Pine Sect.” A fleeting glint flashed in the man’s eyes.

Then the group exchanged glances, suppressing the excitement in their hearts, and continued sitting there drinking tea without showing anything, waiting until the waiter had sent the Green Pine Sect people away.

Only then did the leader slap the table and call out, “Waiter!”

“Yes, sir, coming right away. What can I do for you?” The waiter hurried over with a smiling face.

“Are you looking for someone here recently? Those people who just came in did not seem friendly,” the leader asked.

“Oh, that. Sir, do not bring it up. They really are looking for someone. You see, the Green Pine Sect somehow offended someone some time ago, and their flying ship was blown apart. After much effort, only the Green Pine Sect people made it out of Heavenly Feather Mountain, and even then they still could not escape death.

And they also have one person who vanished without a trace; that is the one they are searching for now. The person in that portrait is him.

By the way, let me ask you too, sir—have you perhaps seen this person? If you have, you can go claim the reward from the Green Pine Sect. They say the reward will be substantial.” Once the waiter heard the question, he poured out everything he knew, without the slightest guard.

The people hearing this all darkened in expression. Then the one doing the questioning asked in an offhand tone, like an ordinary curious traveler, “Oh? With a flying ship blown apart, it is not even certain whether the man is alive. What kind of great ability does he have to make an entire sect search so desperately for him?”

“Oh, it seems you still do not know. Lin Hao is quite famous within the Green Pine Sect. Recently many people from the Green Pine Sect have come by, and I overheard a bit, so I’ll tell you what I know,” the waiter said, suddenly interested. But after saying that much, his eyes rolled, and he stopped talking.

The leader frowned, took out a low-grade spirit stone, and flicked it over.

The waiter caught it delightedly and immediately began speaking like a torrent. “You may not know this, but I actually did not hear all that much. I only know that he was an outstanding disciple of the Green Pine Sect, and that Lin Hao had already made quite a name for himself at Heavenly Feather Mountain. Some time ago, Heavenly Feather Mountain suddenly changed, and the mountain was sealed.

The people of the other major sects never came out, and only the Green Pine Sect people did.

It is said that this was all thanks to Lin Hao.

I also heard that Lin Hao seemed to possess the ability to foresee the future, and while they were inside, he even urged the disciples of the major sects to leave as soon as possible. But no one believed him.

In the end, only the Green Pine Sect people came out.

However, I also heard that perhaps because of this very matter, or because the other sects were jealous that only the Green Pine Sect made it out of Heavenly Feather Mountain safely, the several major sects joined forces and blew up the Green Pine Sect’s flying ship,” the waiter said.

In truth, these messages had been deliberately spread by the Green Pine Sect’s Qing Yun and the sect master after discussion.

They had done so based on the news sent back in letters by the elders aboard the flying ship.

After all, if they did not give an explanation, the other sects would surely not let the Green Pine Sect off.

And since Lin Hao was still missing, they had initially suspected that other sects were behind the matter, so they released the news in the hope of uncovering some clues.

Thus, the story had spread into the version now spoken by the waiter.

After the waiter finished telling everything he knew, he saw the people before him fall into thought, and he quickly smiled cautiously and added, “Well, what I’ve said are only rumors from the streets. After all, matters between sects are not something a small man like me could truly know.”

“All right, I understand. Waiter, do you know anything else about this Lin Hao or the Green Pine Sect?” the leader asked, understanding the waiter’s meaning and cutting him off.

“Actually, there is no concrete evidence for any of this, and this time the Green Pine Sect has indeed suffered heavy losses. Although people from the major sects were all trapped within Heavenly Feather Mountain and never came out, the flying ship belonging to those who did come out was also destroyed. Now relations between the Green Pine Sect and the major sects have become extremely tense.

Especially if Lin Hao cannot be found for a day, the situation grows tenser by the day. The Green Pine Sect is now desperate to find this man, Lin Hao.

I heard from people of the Green Pine Sect that they seem to have some special means and know that Lin Hao is still alive, but they do not know his exact location and cannot contact him.”