What the guards thought was right actually.

Longmin might have acknowledged his status as a young master of the Wu Clan, but he didn't feel like he was on the inside.

Ever since that incident happened six years ago, his father became distant towards him. No, even before that his father had favored Longwei more than him.

It's just that the incident had been a catalyst for his more distant behavior.

During those few months when he was in that dark cell, he didn't know how or what to feel like. He had no idea of what had occurred, one minute he was playing alongside Longwei, and the next he was next to a pile of corpses, with his entire body drenched in blood.

He had asked his granduncle for what had happened to him since his father wouldn't even look at him, but Xenchi, his granduncle, just said when he grew older he would tell him and that there was a seal within his soul that would prevent him from 'losing control'.

He went to Longwei and asked if he saw what had happened to him, but he said he didn't remember anything.

It was only when Longmin started learning about cultivation did he realized that his granduncle or father must have erased Longwei's memories of what had happened.

But strange thing was, they didn't for the other clan members who saw him, and the rumor got out that he had gone mad and killed several servants in the Wu Clan.

For around two years that rumor circulated while he was locked up in that dark cell. He was only let out when he was tested for his Spirit Root and began cultivating.

He had also inherited the Mystical Dao Eyes, which was unique to Wu Clan's bloodline at that time.

He was then placed on the Formation Division's mountain to live and have the Head Elder teach him runes since one of the Mystical Dao Eyes properties was the ability to easily create and comprehend runes inscriptions and formations.

He wasn't allowed to be in contact with people outside of the mountain or even people on the mountain. The only person he saw was his teacher the Head Elder of the Formation Division, and his brother Longwei, who was staying on the Battle Division's mountain after gaining the 3rd ranked Legendary Physique, the Dao Physique. He also had the Battle Division Head Elder as his teacher.

After two more years of solitude, he was able to leave the mountain and visit anywhere within the Wu Clan, but he wasn't allowed outside.

Those two years in that dark cell and two more alone on that mountain with barely anyone to talk to, made him develop a reclusive nature.

He had read books on Buddhism in the library, where they emphasize a calm state of mind and freedom from worldly desires. That had a deep influence on him as young as he was, and his mindset began to develop with such thoughts in his mind.

When he started interacting with the members of the Wu Clan, there were times when he would walk by a group and they would start to whisper about the events behind his back. Calling him things like a demon or spawn from hell.

That just made him sink further and further into Buddhist teachings, trying not to be affected by their words and keep a positive state of mind.

He swore to himself that he would never let an incident like that happen again. Since he didn't know what the cause was he made a promise that he would absolutely not get angry or lash out at anyone.

It reached the point where if he heard someone mocking him, he would just turn and smile at the person.

The only exception where he would let his emotions get the best of him was when Longwei provoked him into an argument or a sparring match.

Eventually, the rumor died down and people started to remember that he was their young master, and could very likely be killed for their insults.

That, and the fact that Longwei would go around in his disguise, slapping people left and right if he ever heard someone badmouthing his little brother Longmin. That method had actually been too effective, as people would just start randomly praising Longmin while fearing that Longwei might be next to them in disguise.

So Longwei's answer had actually been right when he said that Longmin was the cause of him disguising his appearance. It's just that Longwei had managed to become addicted to it, and when he couldn't find people in the clan badmouthing Longmin to harass them, he went outside the clan to look for some.

Thus getting hooked on savagely beating up arrogant debauchees.

----

Ever so often, the Sparrow would flap its wings, carrying the group through the outer region and traveling at extreme speeds towards the northeastern area of the inner region.

Longmin was meditating throughout the journey but would be interrupted by Longwei once in a while to be shown some old city ruins or some of Pocket Realm's amazing landscapes.

The Sparrow was flying over a city of ruins and Longwei nudge Longmin and said, "Little brother look, this city is bigger than the one's we've passed before, there's even a half-collapsed palace."

Longmin had an annoyed look on his face but he still open his eyes and looked.

After glancing for a few seconds he just went back to meditating.

Seeing his reaction Longwei became fed up with his unresponsiveness and asked, "What exactly are you up to? Is this really the time for you to be meditating?"

While saying that, Longwei began nudging Longmin in his side with his elbow.

Annoyed, Longmin open his eyes and glared at Longwei.

"Quit it!"

Longwei stopped, then asked, "Why are you meditating? Father finally allowed you to leave the clan and this is what you chose to do. Did getting my ass whipped by granduncle done for you to ignore me."

Longmin's annoyance faded away when he heard that.

"There's a good reason why I was meditating. Don't you think this aura within the Pocket Realm is strange?"

"Aside from it being similar to Spiritual Qi, I don't sense anything off about it," responded Longwei.

Longmin went into deep thought when he heard Longwei's words.

After a while, he changed the topic and asked, "What were the Crescent Moon Sect planning, why did they target us?"

Longwei realized that Longmin was changing the subject, but he didn't pursue it.

He answered his question by saying, "They're just a bunch of clowns dancing around. They think they could fool everyone into thinking that someone was trying to pit them against us, but it was them all along. Their the ones who were egging on the disciples in the background and that Elder's acting was just horrendous to watch."

Longwei then turned to Longmin and asked, "Do you remember when I was injured three years ago in that tournament, by that Crescent Moon Sect disciple?"

Longmin nodded his head and said, "I remember."

Longwei gritted his teeth and said, "Well, that wasn't a damn accident! It was all planned by the Crescent Moon Sect. They somehow found out that I would be there in my disguise and set everything up. That's why father went to their sect in person to give them a warning."

Longwei then asked, "Were you able to spot who said those words about you?"

Longmin thought back to that young man who was coldly staring at him and nodded his head.

Longwei said, "He was the disciple that had attacked me in the tournament. He must have been seething with anger about his master's crippled foundation, that he said those words. From the looks of it, they weren't planned, he wasn't supposed to have said anything and engaged in the disciples' gossips, but he did, and brought the spotlight onto the Crescent Moon Sect. I immediately realized that and feigned ignorance about him and put more spotlight on them by saying I would revoke their rights to enter the Pocket Realm. But as soon as I said that, they must have scrapped their original plan, and went to make it look like they were the victim of some conspiracy."

Longwei laughed coldly then continued.

"Little brother, you asked me why they were targeting us and what they're planning right? I'll tell you the reason why, it's because their patriarch is in the middle of a breakthrough."

Hearing that Longmin's eyebrows rose slightly.

The two bodyguards who were silently listening in the back couldn't help but have a stunned look on their faces while trying to process how Longwei came to such a conclusion.

It was when Longmin spoke, did they remember what they were tasked to help the young masters get.

"They're after the Heavenly Pallet."

Longwei nodded his head and said, "That's right, the Heavenly Pallet can increase their patriarch's chance of a breakthrough into the Saint realm by thirty percent. However, they must have caught wind that we were entering the Pocket Realm for the same thing, and set about defaming us and the Wu Clan, in order to discourage us from entering." Longwei paused, then asked.

"This Pocket Realm might be bigger out of the three and contain more natural treasures, but how did you know that a Heavenly Pallet would appear? After all, they take a thousand years to form. Did you read it in a book?"

Longwei had on a frown as he asked that.

Longmin shook his head and answered, "When granduncle was giving me the last Heavenly Pallet in the clan, he just casually mentioned that one would likely appear in this Pocket Realm."

Longwei's frown got deeper as he muttered to himself, "That old fogy, what is he planning by putting such things in my little brother's head?"

"Do you think he said that, knowing I would use coming to the Yellow Leaf Pocket Realm as an excuse to get out of the clan? If so he must have known that the Crescent Moon Sect is after the Heavenly Pallet." Longmin said.

Longwei shrug and responded, "I don't know what that old fart is up to.."

His eyes then turn cold and with a voice that could sever nail and chop iron he said,

"But I do know that no one is going to take what's already mine, absolutely no one."

As the Sparrow continue to fly off towards the Spring of Incarnation, a couple of kilometers behind it was a medium-sized, high-grade magic vessel in the shape of a boat.

On the bow of the magic vessel stood the lonely figure of a young man, that wore the Crescent Moon Sect's robes.

His face was tranquil while his arms were held behind his back, with the wind blowing through his clothes and hair.

Everything was ordinary, except for the gagging smell in the wind, and the five mutilated bodies of the other Crescent Moon Sect disciples behind him.

This supposed disciple of the Crescent Moon Sect was the same disciple that had slipped up and said those words about Longmin.

He was the one that Longwei and Longmin saw coldly staring at them, at the Pocket Realm's entrance.

And he was the one that they and elder Sun didn't notice was staring at them, ever since they left the Wu Clan, and teleported away from Lou Fu City.

He was the one.

******

~Fun Fact~

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