There had been always some things that struck out as odd for Wu Guang. Most of them were about his treatment, but when he became doubtful, almost as if by command a sudden explanation or truth was revealed to him. At first, it was his talent. Then it was the so hard task they wanted him to accomplish. After that, Wu Guang found out that the simple boy, whose body he had occupied was connected to one of the most powerful clans in the plane. As he connected the dots, it became logical and he stopped thinking about it.

But the 32 days he spent out cold had cleared his mind entirely, and now this explanation was broken apart by a single person - Rui Qingkai. If the senior, now expert had such a connection with the Black Empire, how could he be in the dark about Wu Guang's family?

It seemed unlikely, especially now that he saw the agitated, unable to answer Elder Chen. The same person who had approached him first, and even saved his life during their first meeting.

Wu Guang had considered it just an extremely kind act, but... What if he already knew? After all, one of the first things that happened in Boundary Hill City was that by accident or not, Wu Guang and Old Rui met. And right after that, Wu Guang's protection, practically absolute impunity, and suddenly occurring lucky things began.

Here Wu Guang would have assumed that the Sect wanted to be in the good graces of the Empire, but now...

The Sect was deliberately going against the orders of Chen Jiahao, who could be called the 2nd person after the Emperor. And that meant that either they had the power to contest with the Empire, or they had a trump card powerful enough to ignore it.

"While the Elder is busy trying to find an acceptable answer, then I will conduct myself inappropriately and add another two"

"Did you know about the 'Death Rain' plan?" This one Wu Guang threw in on a guess, one that he suddenly had while recalling the lack of emotions from the Elder while he explained the reasons for his last stand.

"And how's the old headmaster doing?" And this one was just because there was no other reason for the elders, or Rui Qingkai to abandon their initial, and probably true, attempt to get into the Empire good graces.

"You know!" Seemingly the last one was enough to break through the old elder, and he exclaimed while making an attempt to lunge, only to be suddenly stopped, yanked back, and then thrown against the opposite wall.

"Thank you, Chun Hua, but when I said to leave me alone with him, I truly meant it" Wu Guang's gaze turned towards her, who had somehow materialized behind the elder right at the moment he thought about attacking.

"Not that I am not glad to see that your strength is far over what your cultivation is" He added.

"Hmph" She snorted and disappeared again, making even Wu Guang ask himself "What kind of ability is that?"

***

Seemingly this small incident, the fact that Wu Guang already guessed everything, and a small mind-power nudge were enough to break Chen Deming's reluctance. Or maybe, just maybe it was his own, well-hidden hate for such a plan.

The war between the Empire and the Kingdom was something bound to happen at some time in any case, and so the old headmaster, who hated the Empire for having relegated them to some kind of 3rd tier power in place of giving them the advantages and resources that they deserved, prepared a plan.

A plan that was activated with his supposed death almost 30 years ago. 30 years that he singlehandedly used the resources of the pocket realm to advance his cultivation. It was only some months ago that Deng Zian, a true imperial native began to suspect something. But before he could investigate, a few hundreds of core Sect members entered the realm, and then, the key was stolen by someone. Or in truth, it was simply taken out and destroyed by no one else than the acting headmaster, the man that Wu Guang knew as Elder Mo.

By a stroke of luck, or by heaven's will, the Eagle Kingdom began to prepare their war, and so this small incident was relegated to the Sect to resolve. Initially, the Sect was sure about having no trouble dealing with it, but the requirements to create a new key, ones that they only found after already destroying the hidden one were just outrageous. But again, the heavens helped the remaining council members, making them find a barely alive Wu Guang.

Indeed, they knew about his true identity since the start, albeit they hid, successfully this knowledge from anyone except the truly involved. And so, not only did they gain points with the Empire by presenting them as a genius with imperial blood right in time, but also got the new key for free, as the Chen clan sponsored all the resources themselves when Wu Guang's candidature was voiced.

Different from what they reported to the Empire, the Sect's actual source was far higher in the advisor ranks. Higher than it would be even possible. After all, the current Prime Minister was an old acquaintance of Elder Mo, and so, the Sect played on both sides.

Openly they combated the Kingdom's plans, but on the other hand, they shared everything they learned from the Empire with the Kingdom. Thus hoping that whatever side won, it would grateful to them, and battered enough as to spend a few years to recover. Years enough for the Sect to establish an island-wide rule and then negotiate some kind of alliance. After all, whoever won would be busy enough with other lands, so, what did the small Half-Island matter to them?

"But the Eagle Kingdom planned to move their own people to the island!" Wu Guang cut into the explanation.

"Indeed, but who said that they would move anyone important to this island with a weak qi concentration and practically no resources?"

"Hoh, no wonder that the Sect is trying to cull down the number of people on the island" Wu Guang spat out.

Chen Deming ignored the jab and acknowledged the fact. After all, it was true, the true leader of the Sect was yet unsure of the result of the war, especially with the mysterious, and supposedly very strong Venerable-All Seeing present in the Eagle Kingdom.

And in any case, what did the lives of a few thousands of mortals matter if they could create deep resentment towards external powers? Cruel as it was, the Sect allowed it knowing that the 'Death Rain' incident, one stopped by Wu Guang, would have polarized the survivors against any interference, and created extreme hate against the Kingdom, whose minister was sure of winning the war.

Now, the supplies sent were marked as a small contribution from the Empire, and so if someone died from consuming them... The result would be practically the same. Hate towards the external power that would, probably, win the war. Not only that, but the poison was also extremely slow-acting, so the first deaths would begin occurring only around the time when the formation was opened, allowing the Sect to save a few lives.

As for the population? Well, it could be always replenished from the refugees from either power that lost the war. Only adding to the overall resentment against the winners.

As Wu Guang guessed, the Clans were the only thing preventing the Sect from already claiming the island as their own.

Leaving aside the weak-willed assembly, who would accept anything in exchange for their safety, the major clans would never allow the Wildlands to be ruled by others. Granted, they helped in the war, accepted refugees, and even were ready to combat the Eagles, but only because of the guarantees from the Empire that the Wildlands will remain, now and forever the Clan's own.

"Do you remember the reason for my previous visit to the clans?" Elder Chen attempted to weakly smile, visibly disgusted about the matter even himself.

"A pocket realm"

"Yes, one that had just begun to stabilize. And one that would be opened with a few Rune Masters this year. Masters that the Sect was ready to offer in exchange for an alliance with the major clans"

This was and still is the absolute truth. The Sect's initial plan revolved around it and was to attract the strongest members of the clans inside and then allow them to suffer some kind of incident. Making the Sect the sole power of the island, and at the same time not being involved in the matter. But Chen Deming's orders also included checking this pocket realm a few days ago, and using a special treasure granted to him by the headmaster, he managed to get a brief look of the insides.

"There are dozens, if not hundreds of Spirit Herbs! A qi concentration of almost twenty times the normal!" The elder grew agitated and his eyes shone as he exclaimed.

And so, the plan was bound to be changed. Wu Guang's hunch was only half-right, with Rui Qingkai's orders being only to gather the Clan Heads and using a special key, open a gate in the formation and lead them to the Sect. As for reasons? Well, there were several, ranging from the preparation to drop the formation... and the heroic funeral of no one else than Wu Guang.

***

As Elder Chen, no, Chen Deming finished explaining, he looked as if he had aged at least a dozen years. His white hair lost its luster, and his face was darker than soil.

"What is the name and cultivation of the previous, or I should say, true headmaster?"

"Xiong Yating, as for his strength... He has never revealed it. But Wu Guang! Don't act rashly! I know that you have strong allies and that the Empire will back you, but... You are leaving the plane in any case, so what do you care about our matters? Let me speak with them, take your treasures, and leave the island! No one will try to do anything to the people you call friends or to shove anything on your name"

"You think that they will hail me as a hero and send me away?"

"Definitively! The orders did say to bring your corpse back, but there is no need. With your appearance near the Clan Chiefs, I will say that you were saved by them and the Sect will simply change the plan again. Neither I nor the others truly wanted to kill you, and whatever the headmaster thought, he will not do it now"

"Hahahahahahaha" Wu Guang broke into a fit of laughter before saying

"The offer isn't bad, but I do not trust someone who accepted an order to kill me, closed his eyes to all that was happening, and revealed everything as soon as his life was threatened. Neither I will forgive the Sect for playing with the lives of so many people, some of which I call my friends. Not to mention my own life. During the battle, I had wondered why the hell my dear Senior Rui did not answer to my glyph... No wonder! If I died as a hero, what sort of problems the Sect would avoid!"

"The Headmaster has his own view, and even though I do not agree with some actions, it does not change the fact that the Empire just looks at us as a small backwater dog den!"

"And I think that they thought of you just too highly" Wu Guang spat out and without allowing the Elder to answer sent a qi transmission to Kass Shaa'r.

*Plop*

Chen Deming was suddenly surrounded by the pressure of a Warrior Lord cultivator, and just a few seconds later, his mind went blank as he fell unconscious.

"Even though I found what kind of despicable scum are you, I will not lower myself to such a level. Once I said that I owed you a life debt, one that I could probably never repay. But as they say, a life for a life, and so, I will spare yours. May the heavens witness that now, I do not owe you anything" Wu Guang said to the now unconscious Sect elder.

***

"And so that is like it is" Wu Guang finished telling everything about what he learned.

"What will you do?" Yuan Taotu asked.

"Well, if there's a great funeral for me, why I can not assist to it? At least I need to pay respects to the... hero. And probably collect my inheritance from the Sect" Wu Guang coldly smiled in response.

"I, no we will go with you" Lan Yanzhi corrected herself while glancing at Yuan Taotu.

"Actually no, you will not. And before you start screaming at me, let me say that you will be present. Just not with me"

"Huh?"

"Kass Shaa'r will return you to the Wildlands. Make your way to the Pass. Cry, bawl, and do whatever you want, but make Rui Qingkai believe that you accepted my death. Probably he will tell you, if not, simply find it out from someone and join the group going to the Sect"

"Oh"

"Yeah, don't forget to cry a bit over my coffin if you feel like it. After all, a successful resurrection has to be dramatic" Wu Guang joked, but his eyes were filled with cold fury.

***

As Kass Shaa'r left with the two in tow, Wu Guang turned to Chun Hua.

"I remember overhearing something about the capture of three people?"

"You heard that?"

"Mmm"

"After we found you, I asked scaly to go and follow the trail of the last cultivators to be near you. They hid their tracks very well, but his nose is just too good"

"Well, he's a Saint beast after all. if he could not track someone, I would be extremely disappointed"

"Well, he did track them, albeit the decisive scent was the one of blood and death"

"Huh?"

"They killed almost a hundred people on a mountain not far from here"

"Did you check their identities or anything?"

"No"

"Screw it then. And where are the three you did capture?"

"Do you sense the barrier at the end of the cave?"

"Now that you say. Are they behind it?"

"Yeah"

"And sealed with some kind of technique?"

"If you mean puncturing their dantians so they can not gather qi to heal them, and can not do anything before healing them... Yeah, scaly sealed them"

"Ruthless, but effective. Let's go visit them then"

"Huh? What do you want to do?"

"Something that no one better knows about"

"Are you planning to do something 'evil' as you call it?"

"If they are the same three that I think they are, it will be not evil, but retribution" Wu Guang's face was grim, and so the smile he flashed after saying these words could make any living being shudder.

Well, almost any, as Chun Hua neither did understand nor care to, the likes of good and evil.