Long after the siblings had left, figures appeared within the bamboo grove one after another. Fifteen of them scoured the area, meticulously searching for clues. An instructor among them reported, “Elder Bo, we’ve found traces of a fight here.”
Elder Bo, a stern man with a weathered face and piercing eyes, nodded grimly. His expression remained haunted by the recent disrespect shown by Han Xiao. As he approached the center of the disturbance, he sniffed the air, catching a faint but familiar scent. His eyes narrowed as anger bubbled up within him. “That brat…” he muttered under his breath, recognizing the scent of the student who had infuriated him earlier that day.
“Hmm, search every corner and try to find any clues left behind by them. Fighting within the premises of the Outer Court… they must be preposterous enough to break the rules.” His voice echoed through the grove, laced with both authority and lingering irritation.
The scouts moved with precision, examining the scorched earth, broken bamboo, and scattered weaponry. Every detail was noted and every fragment of evidence was collected.
“Sir, it looks like there were multiple combatants. These footprints suggest at least three different styles of movement. And the damage to the bamboos… it’s indicative of high-level martial arts,” another instructor remarked, crouching down to examine a patch of disturbed soil.
Elder Bo narrowed his eyes, contemplating the implications. “Han Xiao… what have you gotten yourself into?” he muttered to himself, his mind racing with possibilities. The audacity of fighting in the Outer Court was one thing, but the presence of such advanced techniques suggested something more sinister.
As the search continued, Elder Bo’s thoughts were interrupted by another report. “Elder, we’ve found these,” an instructor said, holding up a few darts coated in a strange, viscous substance.
“Poisoned darts,” Elder Bo said, his voice low. “Whoever used these had no intention of a fair fight. This was an assassination attempt.”
The realization hit hard. Han Xiao’s life was in greater danger than he had anticipated. The instructor’s words confirmed Elder Bo’s worst fears—Han Xiao had not only broken the rules but had also become the target of something much larger.
“Continue searching,” Elder Bo ordered. “We need to find out who’s behind this and why they’re targeting Han Xiao. This is no longer just about discipline; it’s about survival.”
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The scouts nodded and redoubled their efforts, determined to uncover the truth. As the night deepened, the bamboo grove became a hub of activity, every shadow scrutinized, every clue followed. Elder Bo stood in the midst of it all, a grim sentinel overseeing the investigation, his mind churning with plans and contingencies.
An instructor approached Elder Bo, curiosity in his eyes. “Elder, how did you know one of the combatants was Han Xiao?”
Elder Bo’s grim expression did not waver as he responded. “The brat has a distinctive scent. Once you’ve been around him long enough, it’s unmistakable. I caught a whiff of it as soon as I arrived. Combine that with his recent behavior in class, and it’s clear he was involved.”
The instructor nodded, impressed by Elder Bo’s keen senses and deductive reasoning. The encounter had left more questions than answers, but one thing was clear—Han Xiao’s actions had set off a chain of events that had never happened before in the academy. And Elder Bo was determined to get to the bottom of it, no matter what it took.
The search continued until another instructor called out, “Elder Bo, I found something here. You’ll want to see this.” The message was communicated telepathically. Elder Bo quickly pinpointed the location of the sender.
In a blink, Elder Bo appeared beside the instructor.
“Over there and there,” the instructor indicated two spots nearby: one with a complex pattern of dark matter on the grass, and the other a bamboo with a sword sticking out of it, a severed arm still gripping the hilt.
“Oh!” Elder Bo hurried to the first spot and immediately took two steps back, sniffing the air. “Stay back. There’s still a strong concentration of poison around here,” he warned, making the instructor freeze. Elder Bo gathered his martial qi, wove a series of hand seals, and a clear water droplet formed above his palm, growing to the size of an apple.
“Earthly Cleansing, activate!” At his command, the droplet spun rapidly and burst, releasing a purifying mist. “That’s better. The poison in the air should be gone now.” He and the instructor moved closer to examine the symbol on the ground.
After several minutes, the instructor broke the silence, “Elder Bo, what’s this pattern?”
Elder Bo sighed, turning towards the sword with the severed arm. “It’s a mini-teleportation technique. That brat must’ve improved a lot to force the assassins to use such a forbidden method. Alright, keep this quiet. It’s none of your concern.”
After inspecting the severed arm and the sword, Elder Bo instructed, “Pack them up and take them to the alchemy hall for further analysis.”
As the search continued, they soon discovered three chunks of white ice encasing three lifeless assassins. The sight of the ice made Elder Bo furrow his brow, questioning whether Han Xiao, despite his recent improvements, could wield such power.
“What am I even thinking? This is the work of someone at the late stage of the Houtian Realm,” he muttered. After some thought, he concluded, 'There must be another expert aiding the brat. This will be a major headache. An assassination attempt on a prince within the Outer Court, and we know so little. Without my refined smelling technique, his involvement and the attack would have remained a mystery, and the blame would have fallen on the Outer Court. This is more complicated than I thought. I need to convene an elder union meeting immediately.'
He took out a yellow paper with a specific design and burned it using his qi, sending a signal for an urgent meeting.
Little did Elder Bo know, the ice chunks were not the work of a Houtian Realm expert but of Han Xue. Her mastery over her unique ice abilities far surpassed what most knew, allowing her to eliminate the assassins with chilling precision. This revelation would add yet another layer to the growing mystery surrounding Han Xiao and his allies.