The destruction of Bai Langya's residence had shaken the sect to its core.

Even after the three Ancestors appeared and the immediate panic settled, Heart Peak remained in chaos. Elders moved through the ruined area personally. Peak Heads who normally would never bother inspecting rubble with their own hands were now digging through debris themselves.

The death of a Legacy Disciple had crossed a line and everyone knew it.

The Patriarch stood above the destroyed residence, his robes fluttering in the lingering heat of the explosion while his spirit sense spread through every grain of dust. Beside him stood the Peak Heads and several High Elders, all searching personally.

They had seen the Jiangshi attack.

They had seen them explode.

Thus the conclusion was simple.

The hidden faction had acted again.

Unfortunately every Jiangshi had detonated. Bodies were gone. Curse cores destroyed. The evidence had vanished together with them.

At least that was what everyone thought.

Han Yu's soul form floated silently among the wreckage, unseen by all.

He watched the people moving below before turning toward a half collapsed section near the edge of the destroyed residence.

A burnt bush remained there.

Its leaves were blackened.

Part of the ground beneath it had collapsed inward.

Han Yu moved it slightly.

Just enough.

The leaves swayed unnaturally.

The Patriarch's eyes narrowed instantly.

"There!" he shouted.

His figure vanished.

The others followed immediately.

The rubble exploded apart as several Peak Heads arrived.

Then they saw it.

A Jiangshi.

Half destroyed.

Its lower body had been blasted apart.

One arm was missing.

The torso was cracked open and most of its formation patterns had already faded.

Yet faint traces of life still remained.

Several elders froze.

"A surviving Jiangshi?"

"How?"

The Patriarch landed beside it.

His eyes narrowed further.

"Take it."

The Jiangshi was immediately sealed and brought away.

Han Yu quietly withdrew his soul form.

The bait had been taken.

A few hours later the Grand Hall stood filled once more.

Peak Heads.

High Elders.

The Patriarch.

Even the three Ancestors remained present, though hidden beyond a veil at the rear of the hall.

The atmosphere was heavy.

The half destroyed Jiangshi lay upon a long stone table in the center. Several elders specializing in corpse arts stood around it inspecting every inch. Han Yu was naturally summoned too. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

After all, only a few in the sect understood Jiangshi better than Ju Fan.

"Find it!" the Patriarch ordered. "Find out what made the Jiangshi lose control!"

The command echoed through the hall.

The elders immediately began working.

Spirit senses swept over the corpse.

Formations activated.

Curse arts probed the remains.

One elder opened the torso.

Another inspected the curse pathways.

A third checked the damaged core region.

Minutes passed.

Then an hour.

Nothing.

Their expressions only worsened.

"There are no abnormalities."

"The Qi pathways seem standard."

"The control layers are destroyed."

"Most traces vanished after the explosion."

Frustration spread.

Han Yu quietly watched.

Then finally he stepped forward.

"Elders." Ju Fan spoke calmly. "Please allow this disciple."

The hall grew quiet.

The Patriarch nodded immediately.

"Proceed."

Han Yu walked to the table. His expression remained indifferent as always. He cut open the Jiangshi with practiced precision. Layer after layer of flesh was separated. Eventually he reached a thick section of scar tissue near the shoulder.

The flesh looked ordinary.

Several elders glanced at it then looked away.

Jiangshi often possessed scarred flesh.

Nothing strange.

Han Yu however continued cutting.

The scar layer split open.

A small bead appeared inside.

Several people frowned.

"Is that not merely a curse core?" an elder asked.

Han Yu picked it up.

Then slowly shook his head.

"I have never seen a curse core placed in this position before."

That immediately drew attention.

The Supreme Elder looked over.

Han Yu inspected the bead.

Several techniques activated in succession.

Then finally he crushed it.

CRACK.

The bead broke apart.

SHUA

Then an image appeared as a small ash colored moon floated in the air.

Everyone froze.

The image lasted only seconds.

Then it vanished.

Silence filled the hall.

"What was that?" someone finally asked.

Han Yu turned toward the Supreme Elder.

"Supreme Elder," he said calmly.

"You should know what this is."

The old man narrowed his eyes.

After several breaths he nodded.

"Someone modified the curse core."

The hall erupted.

"Modified?"

"That is possible?"

"So intricately?"

The Supreme Elder continued.

"The structure was hidden beneath normal curse layers. The energy is exhausted now which is why none of us detected it earlier."

Han Yu nodded.

"The remnant energy remained." he added.

"That was enough."

The elders stared at the destroyed bead.

Expressions grew ugly.

Someone had altered sect Jiangshi.

And done it well enough to evade every inspection.

One Peak Head finally spoke.

It was the First Kidney Peak Head.

The man looked toward Han Yu.

"Disciple Ju Fan."

His tone sounded calm.

"Do you not perform maintenance on most Jiangshi in the sect?"

The hall quieted.

Everyone understood the implication immediately.

The man continued.

"Do you know how this got here?"

Han Yu slowly looked at him.

His expression did not change. Yet many sensed the faint accusatory tone.

The Second Kidney Peak Head immediately frowned.

Han Yu however answered calmly.

"This disciple has indeed performed maintenance for many Jiangshi."

He paused.

"But I have remained within Heart Peak for months now."

"This disciple has not performed regular maintenance during this period."

He looked toward the destroyed corpse.

"Even if I once worked on this Jiangshi, there is no way to know whether someone modified it afterward."

The hall fell silent.

The First Kidney Peak Head narrowed his eyes slightly.

Han Yu remained perfectly calm.

The Second Kidney Peak Head finally spoke.

"Enough."

His voice carried slight displeasure.

"Senior Brother, your words carry too much implication."

The First Kidney Peak Head remained silent.

Han Yu's master stepped forward.

"Ju Fan has remained under observation this entire period."

"He cultivated within Heart Peak continuously."

"I personally monitored him."

His words carried weight.

No one doubted him.

After all the Second Kidney Peak Head had practically watched Han Yu every day.