Chapter 43 : The Branch on the Warpath

Around ten children from the sect had been kidnapped.

This was a first.

Fang Qin, who had gotten into the habit of locking himself away in his quarters to avoid being too visible, urgently emerged to gather information about the situation.

All the disciples and instructors gathered in the courtyard for an emergency meeting.

This wasn't just a simple kidnapping; it was a declaration of war against them.

Fang Qin, the branch master, had always taken it upon himself to walk the streets of Hope City, rescuing orphans and giving them a roof over their heads and a reason to live.

Unfortunately, he couldn't take all the orphans under his wing, and some still disappeared from the streets.

Besides a handful of guards who still had good hearts, some disciples from the branch occasionally patrolled the streets, trying to protect these children.

But this time was different.

The kidnapped children were from the branch, personally taken under the master's care. Moreover, the attack had occurred in broad daylight while the children were outside the branch.

The three disciples accompanying them were savagely injured and left behind as a message.

In the crowd of disciples, Akeno stood in the front row, listening to the reports. Being one of the strongest cultivators in the branch alongside the instructors and a few senior disciples, he now held an important position.

Yang Jun and Yang Chengwu were in the branch's infirmary, having taken the brunt of the attack.

Xu Jié was the only one still capable of speaking coherently despite his injuries.

Trying to explain the events of the attack as best as he could, the crowd could still sense the stress and panic in Xu Jié's voice.

The attack had taken place on a street in Hope City. A group of about fifteen cultivators in black robes, with their faces hidden under hoods, ambushed them.

Since Xu Jié had not yet reached the level of Qi Refinement, he couldn't see their faces using his spiritual sense.

In total, ten children were kidnapped.

The Yang brothers, having the highest cultivation at the time, immediately engaged in the battle as soon as the men in black approached.

Unfortunately, it was clear that these men were well-prepared, sending only those at the Body Forging stage.

For the brothers, it only took one blow for them to be thrown to the ground with severe injuries.

After giving his account, Xu Jié paused to catch his breath and looked Akeno in the eyes. "I'm really sorry..." he said, tears streaming down his face.

Akeno said nothing, maintaining a stern expression and a cold gaze.

Xu Jié had come to get him and had already told him part of the story. Chikara, Kaede, and Maiko were among the kidnapped children...

Of course, Akeno wasn't angry with Xu Jié but was holding back his anger towards the group that had attacked them.

Who said Hope City would be peaceful?!

After two months of training together, eating together, and laughing together, Akeno truly considered them as his younger siblings, and his anger was very real.

Fang Qin patted Xu Jié on the shoulder sympathetically. "It's okay, we'll find them. Do you know which direction they fled?"

This was what everyone urgently wanted to know.

If this happened in another sect, this kidnapping wouldn't be such a significant event that would gather the entire sect. But in this small branch sect, everyone knew each other and was close.

Breathing heavily between each sentence, Xu Jié visibly tried to recall the last memories of the attack. "I think... I think they went towards the forest to the east..."

Hearing this, everyone showed understanding expressions.

They didn't expect to know the exact location of the base, and the forest to the east was far too large to hope to find their hideout.

"Master, this is surely a trap to lure you out," one of the instructors said seriously.

No one was blind. The decrease in kidnappings in the city after Fang Qin's pseudo-elevation was just the calm before the storm.

Now, to find the culprits in the forest to the east, they would need a cultivator who had reached the Rebirth stage to search the forest using their spiritual sense.

Only at that level could one sweep a vast area and find their base.

Upon reaching the stage of Harmony of Qi and Body, the cultivator transcends their body and being by unifying their Qi and body in perfect harmony. At that point, the cultivator truly surpasses the status of a mortal, seeing their lifespan drastically increase, potentially reaching up to 300 years.

It's also at this level that the cultivator can extend their spiritual sense beyond their line of sight, spanning miles. Additionally, they gain the ability to fly through the air without any particular technique.

By becoming one with the Qi, the body would be endowed with the ability to rise into the air, walking in the void with only their Qi.

For the men who kidnapped the children, it was clearly in anticipation that Fang Qin would go after them so they could deal with him.

After all, what happens outside the city is no longer the mayor's concern, and no repercussions should fall on him.

Accidents happen.

"I know..." said Fang Qin. "They think I passed the Tribulation. They think I've reached the Rebirth stage. Unfortunately for us, I haven't."

Akeno felt particularly troubled. If it wasn't for him bringing his younger brothers back to this world, and teaching them cultivation methods, nothing would have happened.

An instructor with a square face and large scars on his body stepped forward to the center, standing before Fang Qin. "Master, we must go and find them. Allow us to go out and conduct searches. We'll split into groups and divide the forest into different sectors."

Everyone knew that the famous Tribulation seen in the sky that day had something to do with Akeno and the young children who were with him. But no one blamed him.

Akeno had proven over the past two months what kind of man he was. One of their own.

"It's far too dangerous!" Fang Qin replied. "If they're prepared to receive me, they must have a plan. That forest is now a battlefield. Surely filled with traps and ambushes ready to strike you down!

It would be certain death for each of you."

"Master, if we all go together, we should be able to defeat them!" said a hot-headed disciple.

"But grouped together, we'll never be able to find them!" exclaimed the instructor beside him.

"We also can't send small groups or even lone scouts into that forest!"

In the courtyard, as the tension rose, a disciple entered running, searching for Fang Qin. Presenting himself to him, fists clasped, he took a breath before speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Master, according to Big Ming in the market street, he saw the mayor leaving his tower exactly an hour ago. No one knows where he is."

Finishing his report, the courtyard fell silent again, digesting the information.

"The mayor must be involved..." a disciple murmured.

Everyone's expressions became pessimistic. This was the reality of being threatened by a cultivator at the Rebirth stage.

None of them could face him.

"And what if we had a way to send scouts to find their hideout without any danger?" Akeno suddenly said.

This question both reignited hope and raised questions among everyone.

"How?" Fang Qin asked with interest and suspicion.

Stepping into the middle of the crowd, Akeno looked seriously at the branch master. "I have my ways. Completely safe and effective. With your trust, I can do the work of hundreds of scouts with constant communication."

"That way, once I find their base, we can all go there without having to navigate through any traps."

Akeno's suggestion was more than surprising, and many had a hard time believing it.

What could a mere cultivator at the Organ Fortification stage do?

Not asking further questions, Fang Qin knew that Akeno was surrounded by many secrets. "Very well, I don't know how you plan to do it, but I will trust you."

Fang Qin knew well that at this point, Akeno was one of the people most eager to find the children.

"But even if we find them, how are we going to fight the mayor?!" asked a disciple, pointing out the second problem.

They were only at the Body Forging stage; how could they fight someone at a stage above them? Knowing that only Fang Qin had reached the peak of Muscle Purification, with two other instructors only at the early stage.

None of them had the strength to fight the mayor head-on.

Speaking up again, Akeno looked at Fang Qin with determination and said, "If you give me a day... no! Half a day, then I can also take care of him!"