"That is why we decided to cheat, based on one certain condition. If the invaders who approach the island of Crimson Snow sect appear to have a method to track down where the treasure is, only then we'd cheat in order to make them reveal how they were doing it."

Her explanation confused many disciples. Seeing the confusion apparent on their faces, she elaborated further.

"Look, when the invading team realizes that we're cheating in order to hide the treasure from their tracking technique, they'll definitely complain to the only person on the island who can punish us for it, in other words, Counselor Luo Yi. But Counselor Luo Yi has little possibility of knowing what technique they've been using to track the treasure, or whether they're able to execute the technique with accuracy. So she'll interrogate us first. We planned to use this interrogation as an opportunity to lead the outcome toward our target, the tracking technique. And you've seen very well how that worked!"

"...But-but, you're saying that you knew Han Xuhan would be chosen to represent the Crimson Snow sect?" A disciple sputtered in disbelief.

The leader of the defending team shook her head.

"That was the only mishap with our plan. We planned to let someone else take up that role. Brother Yue from our mountain peak has exceptional memorizing skills, which we had planned to use here, hoping that when the Invading team is forced to demonstrate the technique to him, he'd be able to memorize it all and propagate the technique to every other discipline of the Crimson Snow sect. That way, we could afford to lose the few treasures that our sect had amassed from the Archipelago during its discovery. Because every disciple in our sect would be able to track down the treasures hidden in the islands of the sects they invade as a team. Don't you understand? The greatest asset in this round of the tournament isn't the treasures, but the way to discover them! No sect can infinitely defend against team after team of invaders from other sects. There are plenty of sects that can amass teams strong enough to go toe to toe against even the most powerful sects' defending teams. The key to winning in this round is to learn how to bring more back to our sect than the number of treasures we've lost! And we were so lucky to meet the Abyss Guild's team before any other sect! They had the technique we were looking for!"

For a good ten seconds, the crowd was frozen in shock as the realization set in. However, the first person to recover was one of the disciples who had wanted to beat Xuhan up.

"Well, your plan didn't work out, did it? While I must commend the stroke of brilliance there, I'll also have to hold Xuhan accountable for screwing things up for us! Even if he couldn't keep the technique memorized, he should have known not to blindly vote in their favor just because the technique is legitimate!"

"If you insist on being obstinate, I'll just have to beat it out of you," Mu Ran growled back, cracking his fingers loudly in preparation for a fight.

"Oh, I'd like to see what gives you that confidence, asshole!" The stocky guy pulled out his sword from its sheath swiftly.

The leader of the defending team attempted to cool the situation down anxiously, shouting, "Brothers, this isn't the time to get into a meaningless squabble! First, we should see what Brother Xuhan can recall-"

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"Get the fuck out of my way, wench! First, we need to beat some sense into these two. Maybe a head injury and bed rest will make him recall the details better," the stocky guy pushed her out of the way and began to approach Mu Ran and Han Xuhan.

But as his eyes flickered past the excited Mu Ran, he noticed the look of amusement in Han Xuhan's eyes. Han Xuhan was grinning like a madman, not at all bothered by the fact that the entire sect was about to band together to beat him up.

"I'll wipe that laugh off your face, you insufferable runt," he shouted furiously, feeling that Han Xuhan wasn't taking their anger seriously.

"In times of strife, the guilty ones tend to make the first move. I suppose you'd like to wipe off more than just a smile, huh?" Xuhan shouted back, completely relaxed.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he said, puzzled.

"You know, you really fit the profile of the spy Abyss Guild has in our sect," Han Xuhan explained with a warm smile.

"Spy?!"

"What?!"

"Did he just say-"

Gasp after gasp was followed by shout after shout, the entire assembly once more thunderstruck by the exchange happening at its center.

Too many twists and turns were happening here, too fast to keep track of, too wild to make sense of.

The youth who was being accused of spying for the Abyss Guild looked dumbfounded.

"...Crazy! You're crazy, bastard! Do you think you can get away by putting false labels on us like that?"

Growling like a wounded lion, he rushed towards Han Xuhan at a blinding speed. He must have been at the late stages of the Physique Transformation Realm, because Xuhan didn't even realize that his neck was suddenly in danger of being cut off. His eyes had barely managed to track the movement of the opponent, signaling to mind that he needed to move back or something...he wasn't really sure what to do in a face-to-face fight like this out in the open.

But just before his opponent's sword could hit Han Xuhan's shoulder, a foot reached out like a coiled spring, hitting the assailant's forearm mercilessly, powerfully.

Thump!

The sword was knocked back at the last second, its owner staggering back a step...just one step which left a couple inches deep imprint on the ground.

Mu Ran had come to the rescue at the last moment. All Han Xuhan's mind had registered during that physical exchange was the gust of wind caused by the botched attack.

The wind felt nice.

Han Xuhan put his hands behind his back and closed his eyes, face upturned like a saint no longer bothered by the trifling matters of the mortal world. While his opponent got ready to attack once more, he began to speak loudly enough for all to hear in a serene tone.

"Upon entering the flying ship of the Abyss Guild, I was taken to meet the captain of the ship, a person they address as their Dao Instructor, an equivalent of the term Master in our sect."

His sheer nonchalance seemed to fuel not only the accused youth's fury, it also spurred several other aggressive disciples into taking action.

"Brothers! This guy will keep on blabbering to make himself seem righteous! But he has already started preparing irrational rumors, going as far as calling brother Xue a spy!"

"Yeah! What are the chances that he won't do the same to the rest of us to save his skin?"

"No matter what he says, the fact remains he sided with Abyss Guild during the vote! Yet he has the galls to call others spies? He's the spy, more likely!"

With their furious tirades, they approached Han Xuhan from all four directions, determined to teach him a lesson.

Han Xuhan remained unaffected.

One youth wielding two fist-sized hammers threw one at his back while running. Right when the whirling hammerhead was about to knock Xuhan's spine out of his body, a hand holding a dagger knocked it away casually.

CLANG!

The hammer flew towards another assailant, who was just about to finish his fire-whip conjuring spell. Before he could put up his defense, the hammer hit him in the chest heavily.

"This Dao Instructor of theirs, named Lady Caizhi, had apparently summoned me to offer me a...salvation. As most of you are aware, my meridians are about to be crippled permanently very soon. She offered me a remedy," Han Xuhan continued to speak unbothered.

A fourth attacker had leaped upwards to not be blocked or disrupted by any combatants. She spread out her hands in mid-air, creating a strange wave of green frost that fell on Han Xuhan like rain.

A human-sized chunk of soil suddenly rose into the air, right above Han Xuhan's head, blocking the rain of the famous poison frost.

"But if you think about it, how did she know it? How did she know beforehand that I would be the most suitable person in the sect for her offer? That I would be the only one desperate enough to listen to her and betray my brothers and sisters? From me being chosen by the Leader of Abyss Guild's invasion team 'randomly' to fit their narrow requirements, to their Dao Instructor offering me what I seek the most in this world...do you not think that someone may have prepared a script for it all?"

Han Xuhan posed a question that made even his attackers pause.