Chapter 10：The village's plea for help

Tian Fan looked at Li Yunyang with puzzlement. At this moment, Li Yunyang's face was serious, a stark contrast to his usual carefree demeanor. Tian Fan had no idea what this normally mischievous man intended by stopping everyone.

"What's the matter, Senior Brother Li? Is there something wrong?" one of the disciples asked. Li Yunyang commanded significant respect among them.

"Brothers, please hold off for a moment and listen to what I have to say."

Li Yunyang paused, then spoke in a deep voice: "I don't know how you all came to be here, but since we now share this place as our home, we must treat it as such. And as members of this family, we should defend its honor with everything we have."

The group of disciples listened in silence, saying nothing.

"Think about it," he continued. "Our sect leader has never asked much of us, but that doesn't mean we can slack off in our training. Our junior sister is younger than most of us here, yet her cultivation far surpasses us all. The biannual Four Schools Martial Tournament is approaching soon—are we going to place last again and suffer the scorn of others?"

"Our junior sister works tirelessly for the honor of the Tai Fu Sect. As men, are we really going to allow ourselves to be outdone by her? Tai Fu Sect is not just hers, nor is it the sect leader's alone—it belongs to all of us. This is our home, and we cannot let the burden of defending it fall on her shoulders alone. We are part of this family too, so it's up to us to uphold its dignity!"

After hearing his words, the disciples were stunned into silence, and even Tian Fan was left speechless. He had never imagined this man could say something so profound. The entire training ground fell quiet until a single voice broke the silence: "Senior Brother Li is right—Tai Fu Sect is ours, it is our home."

"Yes, this is our home!"

"We must defend its honor!"

"We can't leave all the responsibility to our junior sister!"

"We will train hard, and this time, we will show everyone the strength of Tai Fu Sect!"

One by one, shouts of determination echoed through the group, as everyone grew excited, eager to prove themselves. They clenched their fists, driven by a renewed sense of purpose, ready to give their all in training.

"Excellent!" Li Yunyang shouted above the din. "From this moment on, we will train diligently. There's still time before the tournament, and we must all strive to make breakthroughs in our cultivation, to bring glory to Tai Fu Sect!" His voice rang with authority as he looked out at the crowd, fired up by their cries.

"Train hard, and bring honor to Tai Fu Sect!" came the resounding chant as the disciples threw themselves into their training with newfound vigor. One disciple wiped the tomato juice off his hand before striking the wooden post before him with a loud "bang," while another wiped the blood from his lips and sat down to meditate. All the disciples were suddenly gripped by a fervor for training.

Watching the scene, even Tian Fan was moved, joining them in quiet meditation. Just then, the woman in yellow, who had left earlier, returned. She stood in surprise at the sight of their intense training, sensing the atmosphere had completely changed from before.

But without dwelling on it, she quickly pulled Li Yunyang aside, saying, "Senior Brother Li, something's happened."

Li Yunyang, still in meditation alongside Tian Fan, stood up at her words. "What is it, junior sister? What's got you so anxious?"

"Something strange has occurred in the village at the foot of the mountain. Several people have died, and the villagers have come seeking help."

"What? Such a thing has happened?"

Indeed, there was a small village near Tai Fu Sect, home to nearly a hundred households who made their living by farming. The villagers were simple folk who often sent vegetables and other provisions to the sect. Hearing of such misfortune, Li Yunyang grew concerned.

"Yes, Grandfather has already told me to bring a few people to investigate."

When the sect leader heard of the matter, he calmed the elderly villager who had come for help and quickly instructed his granddaughter to take a few people to accompany the elder back to the village. It was also meant to serve as a small training mission for them. Thus, she had come to gather Li Yunyang.

"Very well, let's set off immediately. Brother Tian, why don't you join us?"

After hearing her explanation, Li Yunyang instructed the rest to continue their training, then called upon Tian Fan to accompany them. The three of them made their way down the mountain path, where an elderly man was already waiting. Upon seeing them approach, he hurried to greet them.