Chapter 3: Stay Still and Don’t Panic!

"Why clan chief suddenly summoned us to the main hall?" Lordi Payne's frown deepened, unease coiling tight. As a branch family disciple—ignored by his parents, overlooked by his kin—he'd met the clan chief fewer than five times in his life. Each encounter had been fleeting, indifferent. "Replied to Seventh Young Master," the servant said, he's already turning to notify the next family member. "It's because Immortal Master Wexford has returned and asked the clan chief to gather everyone. You should hurry over. Immortal Master Wexford doesn't seem to be in a good mood." Lordi Payne's heart sanked. He quickly weighed the feasibility of continuing his escape plan. Unfortunately, the survival rate was practically zero. Although he had just broken through to the Third Layer Qi Refinement Stage and could now overpower lions and tigers, he was no match for even the power of the Payne Clan, let alone a high-ranking demonic immortal master from the Abyss Pit Sect. The real issue was the Payne Clan's strict rules. If the clan leader summoned someone and they failed to appear within the time, martial guards would immediately be sent to investigate and deal with the matter. Especially since this summons was related to Kinson Wexford, the Payne Clan would act even more swiftly to avoid losing face or showing any disrespect to the Abyss Pit Sect immortal masters. If Lordi Payne tried to flee now, he likely wouldn't even make it past the manor gates. "Don't panic!" Lordi Payne steadied himself, analysing the situation calmly. "If Kinson Wexford knew I had entered his room and stolen the Bone Tempering Pills, he would have already ordered the Payne Clan to capture or even kill me on the spot. He wouldn't have just sent a mortal servant to summon me..." With this in mind, he called out to the servant, who had already walked some distance away. "Did Immortal Master Wexford go straight to the main hall after returning? He didn't go back to the Evergreen Courtyard to rest?" "No," the servant shook his head, then urged him again. "Seventh Young Master, please hurry over. Don't keep the immortal master waiting! Otherwise, the clan chief won't go easy on you." Lordi Payne quickly weighed his options. "Alright, I'll go." —— A short while later, Lordi Payne arrived at the Payne Clan's main hall. Clan Chief Shaw Payne sat upright in the seat of honor, with the clan heir, Hugo Payne, standing respectfully at his side. The three clan elders sat below, their expressions solemn. In the seat reserved for the most distinguished guest sat a young man with a face as flawless as jade and a strikingly handsome, resolute appearance—none other than Kinson Wexford, an Inner Sect Immortal Master of the Abyss Pit Sect! Lordi Payne entered and paid his respects to the chief. Shaw Payne waved his hand dismissively, signalling for Lordi Payne to stand with the others and await further instructions. From beginning to end, no one paid him any attention. This indifference finally gave Lordi Payne a sense of low-key security. Clearly, Kinson Wexford had no idea about what had happened in the Evergreen Courtyard. This is really too good to be true! Lordi Payne breathed a quiet sigh of relief and quickly adjusted his expression, mirroring the curious and reverent looks of the other Payne Clan disciples as they gazed quietly at the five figures seated at the front of the hall. In this world, cultivation realms stacked up like a brutal ladder: Qi Refinement Stage, Foundation Stage, Core Formation Stage, and realms beyond that whispered only in legend. Qi Refinement broke into nine layers—claw your way past the ninth, and you hit Foundation, split into three phases: Early Phase, Mid Phase, Advanced Phase. Break through the Advanced Phase, and Core Formation loomed next. What came after? The Payne Clan's dusty records stayed silent—no one in their backwater had a clue. Even in sprawling Deerspring, Foundation cultivators were a myth. The clan's peak was Shaw Payne, their clan chief, scraping by at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement—a king among ants, but still just shy of the big leagues. Even Hugo Payne, the clan heir who had been sent to the Abyss Pit Sect's outer sect with high expectations and abundant resources, had only reached the fourth layer of the Qi Refinement Stage so far. In contrast, the two Abyss Pit Sect disciples visiting the town were on an entirely different level. Kinson Wexford, despite his youth, was already at the intermediate Foundation Stage. In other words, if Kinson Wexford rampaged, he could single-handedly slaughter everyone in Deerspring. This was why, when Kinson Wexford issued an order, the entire Payne Clan dared not show the slightest hint of negligence. As Lordi Payne pondered the purpose of Kinson Wexford's summons, he suddenly sensed a hostile gaze directed at him. He instinctively turned his head and saw his half-brother, Twu Payne, glaring at him with undisguised malice. "Did I do something wrong today?" Lordi Payne wondered inwardly. Although his relationship with this half-brother had never been good, ever since he had been marginalised within the family, his stepmother and her son had largely ignored him, treating him as if he were beneath their notice. Why were they suddenly showing such clear hostility now? Lordi Payne's mood grew heavy. "Or have I become overconfident after activating the system without realising it?" He began carefully reviewing his recent behavior, wondering if he had inadvertently strayed from his cautious ways. Just then, a servant approached Shaw Payne and whispered something into his ear. Shaw Payne nodded slightly, cleared his throat, and the hall immediately fell silent. With an extremely respectful tone, Shaw Payne addressed Kinson Wexford, "FellowDao Wexford, all the disciples of our humble clan are now present. Please feel free to issue your instructions." Kinson Wexford opened his eyes, which had been closed in meditation, and swept his gaze indifferently over the crowd. In a cold, detached voice, "The traitor of our holy sect, Woods Tinshee, has fled into the depths of Mountain Grimvale. His whereabouts are unknown. You will hike at once and hunt him down. Whoever uncovers the trace of Woods will be rewarded with fifty Bone Tempering Pills." "Speak if you have something worth saying. Otherwise, move. Now." After hearing Kinson Wexford's instructions, the Payne Clan disciples exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes instinctively shifting toward the clan leader, the clan heir, and the elders. Shaw Payne wore a troubled expression. He cleared his throat and said, "FellowDao Wexford, this Woods Tinshee was, after all, a former disciple of the esteemed holy sect and a direct disciple of Sect's Elder Leo. I've heard that his cultivation has reached the seventh layer of the Qi Refinement Stage. The disciples of our humble clan are weak and inexperienced. This task might be..." "It's nothing" Kinson Wexford interrupted coldly. "Woods is currently severely injured, with less than a tenth of his power remaining. Even a novice cultivator could capture him. He's nothing more than a stray dog now, too afraid to show his face." Shaw Payne visibly relaxed. He glanced around the hall and declared, "Do you all understand? Anyone who dares to slack off and jeopardize FelloDao Wexford's task will face the full wrath of Payne clan!" With that, he formed a hand seal, and an image of a man materialized in the air above the hall. The man had a sinister face, sharp eyes, and disheveled hair. Shaw Payne explained, "This is the traitor of the Abyss Pit Sect, Woods Tinshee. If you discover his whereabouts, do not delay. Immediately send the clan's smoke signal, and FellowDao Wexford will arrive to capture him." The Payne Clan disciples responded in unison, "Yes clan chief! We will obey the orders!" Shaw Payne nodded. "Get moving!" Seeing the others eagerly preparing to leave, Lordi Payne quickly put on an expression of suppressed excitement and blended into the crowd as they filed out of the hall. Once outside, he subtly maneuvered himself to the front of the group. He had already made up his mind. Once they left the town and everyone headed toward Mountain Grimvale, it would be the perfect opportunity for him to slip away unnoticed and disappear far from Deerspring. He had already packed his most important belongings and was ready to flee anyway. If he stayed, there was no telling what would happen when Kinson Wexford returned to his room and discovered that someone had broken in and stolen the Bone Tempering Pills. Lordi Payne's fate would be sealed! As the Payne Clan disciples departed, Shaw Payne turned to Kinson Wexford with a smile. "FellowDao Wexford, our humble clan has recently acquired some rare spiritual tea. Would you love to join for a tasting?" "No need," Kinson Wexford replied curtly, rising to his feet. "I must return to the Evergreen Courtyard. I'll take you up on your offer another time." —— Kinson Wexford hurried back to the Evergreen Courtyard but didn't go to his own room. Instead, he made his way to a more secluded and elegant lodge at the rear of the courtyard. The structure exuded a luxury elegance—its dark timber beams carved with serpentine dragon patterns. The air here was thick with the scent of blooming flowers. From the eaves hung a wind chime, its presence at once delicate and grotesque. At first glance, it might have seemed ordinary—a whisper of movement, a faint metallic sigh—but then the truth revealed itself. The chime was not made of brass or silver, but of tiny, hollowed skulls, strung together by sinew that pulsed as though still alive. Each skull bore the visage of a different tormented soul, their features stretched in eternal, soundless screams. When the wind stirred them, they did not ring—they moaned, a chorus of agony that slithered into the ears of any who dared listen. Kinson Wexford, a cultivator of the Mid Phase Foundation Stage, felt his stomach twist as he came closer beneath it. A single misstep, a single lingering glance, and the faces within the skulls swiveled to stare back, their hollow eyes leaking black mist. Kinson's vision swam, his knees nearly buckling before he tore his gaze away. Gritting his teeth, he dropped to both knee, pressing his forehead to the cold earth. His breath came shallow, his voice a trembling whisper. "Esteemed Senior Sister, this humble junior—" Before he could finish, the voice from within the lodge cut through the air like a blade of winter. It was not loud, yet it thundered, the weight of it pressing down like an executioner's axe. "Speak. Or do you come to me with nothing but the stench of failure?" Kinson flinched as if struck, sweat beading on his brow. His fingers dug into the dirt, his next words rushed, desperate. "Senior Sister, Woods Tinshee has fled to Mountain Grimvale—I am certain of it. The other disciples of Elder Leo have been... slaughtered. The Six Desires Secret Tomes are in Woods' possession. I have already commanded the Payne Clan to—" Kinson Wexford swallowed hard, rushing to answer. "Senior Sister, Woods Tinshee's bolted to Mountain Grimvale—I'm certain. Elder Leo's other disciples are dead, wiped clean. The Six Desires Secret Tomes? They're with Woods, no doubt. I've ordered the Payne Clan to—" "Pathetic!" The word was a death sentence. The air itself seemed to recoil, the wind chime shrieking as the skulls rattled in furious unison. "I suffer no delays from bungling fools. Cease your gawking—hunt for it yourself! Three days, Wexford. Bring me the Six Desires Spell Tomes, or I'll tear your soul from its husk and smelt it into my cauldron's next trinket. Move!" Kinson Wexford's face drained white, legs buckling as he hit his knees, voice a shaky gasp. "Aye, your highness! Right away!" After a moment, when no further orders came from within the cottage, he cautiously rose to his feet and backed away, careful not to make a sound. Once outside, he realized his back was drenched in cold sweat. He glanced toward his own room, hesitating for a moment, but ultimately decided not to delay. Without even notifying the Payne Clan, he rushed out of the Payne manor and headed straight for Mountain Grimvale. —— Meanwhile, Lordi Payne took advantage of the group passing through a dense forest to slip away unnoticed. Mountain Grimvale lay to the north of Deerspring. After exiting the forest, he quickly oriented himself and headed southwest. This direction led to an open plain, beyond which was an official road connecting to several other cities. He had already made up his mind: he would head to the nearest city first. If he managed to arrive without being caught, he would disguise himself and quickly join a traveling caravan, putting as much distance between himself and Deerspring as possible. Although the Bone Tempering Art didn't boost cultivator's pace speed, achieving the Iron-tier Bone had filled his body with immense strength, making his movements naturally faster than before. Worried that Kinson Wexford might have already discovered the intrusion into his room, Lordi Payne didn't dare to slack off. He ran for over an hour without stopping, only allowing himself to relax slightly when he confirmed that no one was around. But then—a prickle. Lordi Payne felt something was wrong. His skin crawled. Someone's watching him!