In any case, Wei Zhao had produced the original Azure Cloud Serenity Mantra, and that was an indisputable fact—that alone was enough to justify his title as the sect-uncle.

What was more, the Northern Island Cangwu Sect had been flagging for years, and now that the Ancient Ancestor had returned, it was a shot in the arm for every disciple from the highest to the lowest. If only for the sake of morale, the sect-uncle's identity had to be beyond question.

How could Chen Dongcheng and his lot fail to grasp something so simple?

"Heh. They're striking the mountain to startle the tiger." Wei Zhao understood Chen Dongcheng's intent at once. To this accidental sect-uncle of theirs, the investigative committee was a blade hanging over his head: if he played along, he would remain the revered Ancient Ancestor; if he did not, the blade would fall, and he would become a charlatan hounded by every voice in the sect.

Wei Zhao had not the slightest doubt about their ability to brand him a charlatan. Quite apart from the fact that he was not even the genuine article, Chen Dongcheng could just as easily have condemned him even if he had been a true-blue, orthodox Ancient Ancestor of the Northern Island Cangwu Sect.

"Striking the mountain to startle the tiger?" Xin Yi'an was still in the dark and did not catch on for a moment.

"Nothing. By the way, since they mean to investigate me, shouldn't you be keeping your distance at a time like this?" Wei Zhao said, looking at him.

"I…" Xin Yi'an hesitated. He had no ambitions of his own and was hardly outstanding among the sect elders; the safest course at such a moment would have been to keep his head down and pretend he had seen nothing. Yet he went on: "Sect-Uncle, it was I who pushed so hard to bring you back. I never imagined it would come to this. I truly feel terrible about it…"

"And what else?" Wei Zhao simply regarded him. He had known Xin Yi'an for a fair while now—long enough to know that while the fellow was mostly honest and upright, he also had a calculating side. Unless there was some weightier reason, he would have chosen to look after himself, however much he disapproved of the situation, rather than risk coming to tip Wei Zhao off.

"And also… after I returned, I heard something that struck me as very strange. It may have to do with you, Sect-Uncle." Xin Yi'an stopped short, as if reluctant to continue.

"What is it?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Something has happened to Sect Master Hong," Xin Yi'an said heavily. Seeing that Wei Zhao showed no reaction, he hurried to explain. "When I first sent word of you back to the sect, there was fierce disagreement among the higher-ups. Sect Master Hong and Vice Sect Master Chen's factions quarreled bitterly. Sect Master Hong, like me, was all in favor of welcoming you back. I assumed that since a conclusion was finally reached, it must have gone Sect Master Hong's way—but it turned out to be nothing of the sort."

"Go on." Wei Zhao's expression turned interested. He had not known there were such undercurrents. From the sound of it, this Sect Master Hong, whom he had never met, was on his side?

"I hear that on the surface Sect Master Hong went to visit the outer-island sects, but in truth he never left the Northern Island at all," Xin Yi'an said.

"How would they know?" Wei Zhao was skeptical. There was no such thing as a customs checkpoint here—mount a flying spirit beast and one was gone. Who could say for certain whether Sect Master Hong had left or not?

"Because someone saw the corpse of the sect master's mount with their own eyes. The witness was silenced afterward and the traces wiped clean, but word still leaked out," Xin Yi'an said grimly.

"You mean Sect Master Hong was killed because he supported me?" Wei Zhao felt the logic was somewhat off. Even if what Xin Yi'an said was true and this Sect Master Hong he had never met was on his side, that was at most a matter of taking a public stance—hardly a matter of life and death.

Besides, was dealing with a sect master really something just anyone could manage?

"Er, you can't quite put it that way, but there was certainly some connection…" Xin Yi'an knew the argument would not withstand scrutiny, but Sect Master Hong was his patron. The only reason he had been made lead elder of the mortal-realm training expedition was that Sect Master Hong had backed him strongly; otherwise, with his unremarkable strength, how would he ever have landed such a glamorous assignment?

Now that something had happened to Sect Master Hong, those higher-ups who had once obeyed his every word had grown ambiguous in their attitudes. When Chen Dongcheng raised the matter of investigating Wei Zhao's identity at the elders' council, not a single person had dared stand up to oppose it—that in itself said a great deal.

In such matters, others could look after themselves, could sit on the fence—but Xin Yi'an could not.

He had all but personally escorted this Ancient Ancestor through the gates; he was naturally branded as being close to Wei Zhao. If he too played it safe now, he would not only be laughed at by the whole sect but, more importantly, would gravely offend Wei Zhao.

Others did not know Wei Zhao's depths and took him for a mere Foundation Establishment consummation primal-spirit body, but Xin Yi'an knew far better. This Ancient Ancestor was nowhere near as simple as he appeared—a being of unfathomable depth, beyond any doubt.

So Xin Yi'an had no choice but to screw up his courage and come to Wei Zhao with the warning. He could not decide what to do for himself, and could only hope Wei Zhao might have some good plan.

"So the Northern Island Cangwu Sect has become Chen Dongcheng's personal fiefdom?" Wei Zhao asked thoughtfully.

"More or less. No one dares contradict him to his face anymore," Xin Yi'an said with a bitter smile.

"Then it seems this Sect Master Hong of yours was somewhat lacking in ability." Wei Zhao frowned. A sect master should by rights be the one the other sect leaders follow; normally, even if something went wrong, he would have at least a few diehard loyalists. Yet this one—the moment trouble struck, his underlings had thrown down their arms and surrendered. And Chen Dongcheng was merely a vice sect master of mid-Golden Core strength. Calling him lacking in ability was being generous; plainly put, it came down to two words: incompetent.

"Er…" Xin Yi'an looked somewhat abashed and offered a feeble defense. "You can't really blame Sect Master Hong entirely for failing to hold the situation together. Chen Dongcheng's background is simply too deep. Their Chen family of the Northern Island has long been one of the island's foremost great clans. When the Northern Island Cangwu Sect was at its most desperate, it was only thanks to the Chen family that it managed to hold on. And the Grand Elder is none other than the Chen family's former head—a figure of the highest rank here on the Northern Island, one whose call draws a hundred answers. Even Sect Master Hong could not stand against that."