A hidden past

Tie Xue Leng was in turmoil. Like every other super force, the Tie clan also had spies in many places. Their spy in Immortal Crane Sect had sent a message that he had heard some whispers from an elder named Yan Zemin about a secret blood path true inheritance. Most of the elders in Tie clan didn't place any importance to this as the message was too vague for them to act upon but Tie Xue Leng, being the investigator that he is, looked a bit more into this. When he found out about the recent meeting Gu Yue Chao had with Yan Zemin, he felt odd that the students who were taken back from their custody were not punished at all by the Immortal Crane Sect. He felt that this meeting was key.

Gu Yue Chao had been his partner in the pursuit of justice for many years. The Tie clan had investigated Gu Yue Chao when he wanted to become an external member. He was from a small clan called Gu Yue clan and was the eldest son of their clan leader. He was slated to become the next clan leader but he rejected the responsibility and ran away to explore the Southern border. He was on his own for five years and during this time, he made a name for himself by hunting criminals. However, he was once ambushed by a group of demonic path gu masters and barely managed to escape. Later he decided to join the Tie clan and leave the solitary life behind.

Through handwork and dedication, he had taken many responsibilities and risen in ranks from being an ordinary external member to a respected external elder. Tie Xue Leng used to think that if Gu Yue Chao had taken up his responsibilities earlier, he would have made an excellent clan leader for his own clan. But now, when he put all the pieces of the puzzle together, Tie Xue Leng speculated that Gu Yue Chao hadn't run from his responsibilities but from the dark secrets his clan was hiding.

Tie Xue Leng wanted to confirm his suspicions so made a plan. He went to meet Gu Yue Chao when he was helping Gu Guangzhi's team with some training.

"Hello father, what brings you here?", asked Tie Ruo Nan as she spotted her father approaching. The other members of the team also paused and greeted him.

"I've been monitoring your progress in teamwork for a while now. I'm happy that you made some good friends here." He turned to Gu Guangzhi and said, "You did a good job mentoring them."

Gu Guangzhi gave curt nod.

He continued speaking to Tie Ruo Nan, "I think it's a good time to test the skills you've learnt. Originally I wanted to take you on a trip to pass on my investigation skills gradually but joining the team had delayed that. Do you think you are ready to lead a case? I'll accompany you and assess you on the trip."

Tie Ruo Nan became excited. There were heavy expectations on her as she was the daughter of the Divine Investigator and many wanted to see her fail. She had always wanted to prove the naysayers wrong and now was her chance to do that.

Tie Ruo Nan readily agreed and asked, "So where are we going on this trip? What case am I going to be investigating?"

"I was looking into the cases backlog and picked a case randomly. The third son of the clan leader of Jia clan, Jia Jin Sheng, went missing a while ago. The first and second sons accuse each other of murdering their brother. Jia Min, the clan leader wants this resolved before the infighting destroys his clan. Jia Jin Sheng was last seen in a village name Gu Yue village so we'll begin our investigation there.", replied Tie Xue Leng while keeping an eye on Gu Yue Chao. "Your team can accompany you on this trip if you want. After all, your teamwork will also be tested."

The other members of team Seven were delighted. Going on a trip with Tie Xue Leng was a great opportunity. So they readily agreed. Gu Guangzhi agreed as well but his reasons were different. Gu Yue Chao momentarily lost his composure when he learnt that his grandson would also accompany the team back to Gu Yue village. That one moment of panic confirmed Tie Xue Leng's suspicions. It was widely known that blood path was cruel and would often demand the sacrifice of the members of same bloodline. The fear in Gu Yue Chao's eyes clearly showed concern for the safety of his grandson.

Gu Yue Chao wanted to immediately ask Tie Xue Leng to pick a different mission but as he was about to speak, he locked gazes with his old partner. Even without uttering a single sound, he knew that Tie Xue Leng knew his secrets. He saw the pain of betrayal in Tie Xue Leng's eyes. Gu Yue Chao contemplated his friendship with Tie Xue Leng and decided that it was time to come clean. He gestured Tie Xue Leng to step aside for a private talk.

"We were friends for so long but to think that you hid such a secret from me. I'm very disappointed.", said Tie Xue Leng.

"I'm sorry my friend. I'm not very proud of my ancestor's actions but I can't blame my family for it.", said Gu Yue Chao.

"I understand your reluctance in exposing such secrets to the Tie clan. You were afraid that your entire clan would be wiped out. But you could've come to me. Blood path inheritances are always vicious. They can't be allowed to exist."

"Many years ago, when my father saw potential in me to become the next clan leader, he started taking me on some missions with him. One day, he was ganged upon by a few enemies on Qing Mao mountain. We were on the verge of death but my father called for help. A Rank 5 Blood River Python appeared and swiftly killed the enemies. I was frozen stiff after looking at such a ferocious beast. Later that night, my father explained to me that it belonged to the first generation ancestor. He was supposed to tell me about it when I became the next clan leader. I spent several months in a daze after that. I still couldn't believe that my clan was associated with blood path gu masters. I want to say that I escaped from Gu Yue village on my own but I think my father allowed me to do so after seeing my sorry state. I knew I was powerless to fight the Rank 5 beast so I explored the Southern border on my own to grow stronger. However the experience humbled me. I knew that the Blood River Python was just the tip of the iceberg. After I failed to breakthrough to Rank 5, I kind of gave up on it.", Gu Yue Chao explained.

"Powerful or not, I must destroy it.", said Tie Xue Leng. "I don't think the inheritance picked up by your Gu Yue ancestor is a mortal inheritance. It might be a blood path true inheritance!"

"A true inheritance?" Gu Yue Chao was shocked to hear this. "Are you sure?"

"This is only my speculation. That is why I want to go to Gu Yue village to check.", said Tie Xue Leng.

"I know that you haven't recovered from your injuries. Cleaning up Gu Yue clan's past is my responsibility too. Let me accompany you as well on this trip."

"I don't want to draw too much attention. If the word of this true inheritance leaks, many other forces may want to join in on the action. Going to Gu Yue village using my investigation as cover is the safest bet.", cautioned Tie Xue Leng.

"When are you planning to leave? If my memory serves me well, this is time when wolf tides occur on the Qing Mao mountain. I don't think the youngsters in the team are ready for it.", said Gu Yue Chao.

"We'll depart in about a week. I reckon we'll reach Qing Mao mountain by the time the wolf tide recedes." Replied Tie Xue Leng. He could still see the worry in Gu Yue Chao's eyes. He continued, "You don't have to worry about your grandson. He's more capable than you think. Tie Yue Sen and Tie He Xi, on the other hand, can stay back. I think you can make some arrangements behind the scenes to make it happen."

"I see. I'll make some preparations. My grandson has made enemies out of everyone on Qing Mao mountain. I'll have a talk with him before you depart."