An Unregistered Disciple
The higher-ups of the Assassin Sect had a special way of contacting one another, allowing them to secretly send messages among the crowd without being noticed. It was a little like the telepathy in wuxia novels, except that this kind of communication was relatively simple. If they needed to pass on a complicated message, they would still need to talk face-to-face.
Craneshadow frowned deeply. "Senior Brother, you should know that even if we kill the Tongtian people without alerting anyone, it won't take long for people from other sects to come looking for us. It won't solve the real problem we have."
He did not expect Shadowless to call him out just to silence them. He was no match for his senior brother in terms of decisiveness, so he immediately went on a killing spree as soon as the situation went out of control. Perhaps it was because of this that Shadowless was the one who was supposed to inherit the position of sect master back then, and not him.
Shadowless looked up at the sky as if he really had eyes. The sun was in the middle of the sky, and there were no clouds in the sky. The temperature was neither too high nor too cold. The forest was full of insects, and the birds were chirping. The air was warm and moist. Everything made one feel very comfortable.
"I've stayed on Nameless Mountain my whole life. I remember everything here. They're like my family. I've never expected to be buried on top of Nameless Mountain like my ancestor did. Even if I'm thrown into the ocean to feed the fishes, I'll still stay here. I have no interest in anything other than this nameless planet, even if it's the heavenly Garden of Eden," Shadowless said plainly.
Craneshadow was deeply touched. In fact, he felt the same way as well. The people of the Assassin Sect were all orphans, and this place was like their home. A person without a home was like a life without a soul. Even if they died, they would become a lonely ghost and die of depression.
"Sect brother, there's actually another way to deal with this," Craneshadow said softly.
"I know." Shadowless lowered his head and sighed. "You want me to fight Tongtian."
"That's right. With Senior Brother's cultivation, I'm afraid Tongtian won't last more than ten rounds against you. If you're willing to go, we'll be able to tie with the Sky Eradicator Sect at the very least," Craneshadow said as he stole a glance at Shadowless. His eyes were filled with anticipation.
Shadowless shook his head. "I've already disobeyed my master's orders once. If I do it again, it'll be the second time. Besides, I had no choice back then. The Assassin Sect was forced to a dead end, which was why I took action. You have a way to deal with it now."
Shadowless's plan was to quietly kill Tongtian and his men. With the strength of the Deathguards, this was indeed achievable, but Craneshadow had many reservations. The Assassin Sect was no longer what it used to be. Even if they killed Tongtian, there would still be Batian and Zhantian. They could not possibly use this method every time.
Since it was a crisis, he had to face it calmly. Since he was going to die, he had to die a worthy death.
With that thought, Craneshadow shook his head slightly. "Senior Brother, I still hope that you can consider my words and come out again. The Assassin Sect needs you now."
Shadowless had a determined look on his face. "I didn't want to say this at first, but you're still obsessed with those so-called rules. You're not willing to let go of your shackles and be a practical person. There's something I have to tell you."
Craneshadow was slightly stunned. He pricked up his ears and listened carefully.
"I don't have long to live," Shadowless said softly.
Craneshadow's face suddenly turned pale. Those who practiced martial arts could indeed predict their own life and death when they reached a certain level. Senior Brother Shadowless must have predicted this, which was why he kept walking down Nameless Mountain uncharacteristically and told Craneshadow that the Assassin Sect had to be reformed. It turned out that Shadowless knew that Craneshadow was about to leave and wanted to do one last thing for the sect!
It was precisely because of this that Shadowless stubbornly refused to fight on behalf of the sect. Instead, he hoped that Craneshadow could be more decisive and kill the enemy without mercy. After all, he would not be able to rely on this big tree for much longer.
"How much longer?" Craneshadow asked with a hoarse voice. He felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife. His senior brother Shadowless had always been his greatest trump card. Craneshadow would always comfort him whenever he encountered difficulties. "It's fine. Senior Brother Shadowless is very skilled in martial arts. Even if something really happens, I can take care of it."
He no longer had that kind of confidence now, as Shadowless already had a premonition of his death. He and Shadowless were the only ones left of the master and disciples who practiced martial arts together. Now that Shadowless was about to leave, Craneshadow could not help but feel sad. "Is the heavens really going to forget about the Assassin Sect? They're leaving. They're all leaving. Even my last senior brother is going to be taken away. Oh my god, this is so unfair! "
Craneshadow's heart was in a mess for a moment. However, Shadowless calmly said, "Soon. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week."
Craneshadow nodded. "Senior brother, remember to send my regards to master and the other brothers."
Shadowless nodded. "Don't worry. Although I haven't stepped out all these years, I remember everything you've done. You've done a good job."
Craneshadow was speechless. It took him a while before he said, choking, "Senior brother, I understand what you mean. From now on, the Assassin Sect can only rely on ourselves. You don't have the time to take care of us anymore. I'll get Darkshadow to set up a plan. If anything goes wrong, we won't let anyone leave this Nameless Planet."
Craneshadow turned around to leave with tears in his eyes. Shadowless could not bear to see him go, so he called out to him.
"Wait." Shadowless sighed. "Fine, I'll do one last effort for the sect before I die. Craneshadow, can you hand over the position of sect master to me for three minutes?"
Craneshadow was overjoyed. He thought that Shadowless was going to fight for the sect and save the Assassin Sect from a crisis. Craneshadow had no choice but to accept the sect master's arrow back then. Now that Shadowless had decided to take over the sect again, Craneshadow naturally supported him firmly. After all, his senior brother was far more qualified and powerful than him in every aspect.
"Senior brother, you're the sect master from now on. I'll announce it to all the disciples right away!" Craneshadow said excitedly.
Shadowless waved his hand. "Just give me three minutes."
Craneshadow was stunned. He could not figure out what his senior brother meant by that.
That was when Shadowless said, "Get Xia Fei here for me."
…
Xia Fei went to the forest in a daze. He saw Craneshadow and a blind old man whom he did not recognize staring at him with a strange look in their eyes.
The disciple who brought Xia Fei bowed and left, leaving Xia Fei to the two old men.
"Who's that blind man?" Xia Fei asked.
Phantasm shook his head. "I'm not sure. I've never seen him in the sect."
Shadowless had been living in seclusion for a long time, so it was normal that Phantasm did not recognize him. Shadowless was wearing a normal cotton robe, which was not the uniform of an Assassin. Even Phantasm could not tell if he was someone from the sect.
Xia Fei greeted Craneshadow and Shadowless politely. His eyes were fixed on Shadowless because his sharp senses had detected an indescribable aura from Shadowless. He seemed to be very powerful, even more powerful than Craneshadow and himself.
Craneshadow introduced, "This is my senior brother, Shadowless. He's the most senior in the Assassin Sect."
Xia Fei bowed once more, his heart filled with doubt and shock.
"Craneshadow's senior brother? Why haven't I heard you mention him before? "Xia Fei asked.
Phantasm was even more shocked than Xia Fei. Even he had only learned about the existence of a great grandmaster today, let alone Xia Fei. He would not have believed it if he had not heard it from Craneshadow himself.
Shadowless nodded. "Xia Fei, are you willing to be my disciple without a name?"
Xia Fei was stunned. He thought to himself, 'What the hell is going on? Why is he taking me as his disciple the moment we meet? '
Craneshadow was shocked, too. It turned out that Shadowless's idea was to take Xia Fei as his disciple. What happened next was very simple. If Xia Fei became Shadowless's disciple without a name, he would be qualified to represent the Assassin Sect and fight against Fangyuan.
Xia Fei's ability was obvious to all. Among the young disciples under the age of twenty in the Assassin Sect, he was considered one of the best.
More importantly, Xia Fei not only had a decent foundation in martial arts, but he also had extraordinary decisiveness. None of the young disciples in the Assassin Sect could compare to him in this aspect. After all, decisiveness was partly based on innate sensitivity and judgment, but it was also based on constant battles.
The young disciples of the Assassin Sect had yet to go on any missions or go through any storms, but Xia Fei had already gone through many dangerous situations, which was why he was ahead in this aspect.
What was even more amazing was that Shadowless was only taking Xia Fei as a disciple without a name, which meant that Xia Fei would not be recorded even though he was Shadowless's disciple. This relationship would disappear with Shadowless's death, and he would not be recognized by the sect.
Shadowless was in a precarious situation. Once he died, Xia Fei would no longer have anything to do with the Assassin Sect. He would be able to be his representative without being restricted by many rules, which was a good thing for Xia Fei.
On the other hand, Xia Fei was not the kind of person who would be content with the status quo. He had a lot of ambition, and a place with strict rules like the Assassin Sect would not be able to tolerate his carefree and undisciplined personality, so he would not have to worry about the sect.
Craneshadow was secretly shocked. Shadowless's simple words were full of deep meaning. Shadowless's shrewdness was not something Craneshadow could compare to. He was even more impressed by his senior now.
Xia Fei immediately understood Shadowless's intention after learning what it meant to be a disciple without a name. It turned out that Shadowless wanted him to be a temporary shield and represent the Assassin Sect to protect the sect's reputation.
Actually, Xia Fei was very interested in Fangyuan, and he was very willing to fight him. After all, the pseudo dual ability was hard to come by, but Xia Fei did not want to be used by others or to take advantage of him.
He raised his head and looked at Shadowless. The old man had an eerie smile on his face.
Xia Fei suddenly realized that Shadowless was trying to give him some advice.
Xia Fei could not help but smile. It was obvious that this Master Shadowless was a smart man, clearly aware of his and Xia Fei's needs. Xia Fei loved talking to smart people because it would save him a lot of unnecessary trouble. Everyone knew that as long as they did not cross the line, everything would work out.
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