[天命为凰]

Untitled Part 53

053- Reprimanding the Disciple

Gao Xiang walked round and round the tent anxiously.

After a while, the curtains were pulled apart and a man dressed in the clothing and adornment of a Nine Jade Palace elder walked in.

He appeared to be in his thirties and seemed to be a little arrogant.

The moment Gao Xiang saw him, he was overjoyed. "Master!"

This man was exactly Gao Xiang's Master — An Tongchen, Zhuo Jiangui's sole direct disciple.

An Tongchen nodded in response to his greeting, brushed off his sleeves and sat down.

"Master!" Gao Xiang nearly jumped into his embrace. "It's good that you're here now! Mingshu had disappeared!"

"I've heard." An Tongchen's calm and unwavering tone seemed awfully cold, just like the feeling he gave off to others. This feeling was very similar to Zhuo Jiangui's, yet it was different in some sense. Zhuo Jiangui's coldness lied in his appearance, and if one truly knew him he would not find him to be a cold person. Whereas for An Tongchen, one would find everything about him — from his temperament to his manner — as cold as icy frost.

"Martial Granduncle Zhang has tried searching, but could not find her. Master, you ..."

Straightaway, Gao Xiang's words were cut off by An Tongchen, "I've to attend the encirclement hunting. I have no time to go."

Gao Xiang was stunned. "Master ..."

That day, with Zhang Qiang's help, he had rushed back to the camp. The line of Willow Woods had always only had a sole successor, hence he did not have any senior uncle he could ask for help. Fortunately, his master and martial grandfather still had some good acquaintances in the sect. Under the directions of a senior uncle, he found the courtyard leader of Jiulu Province's Lower House – Martial Granduncle Zhang Kunzhang.

Martial Granduncle Zhang was from a line of Grandmasters, which meant he was a proper elder for Lu Mingshu who came from the same line. Once he got the information from Gao Xiang, Martial Granduncle Zhang dispatched disciples right away, as expected.

However, the outcome made Gao Xiang very disappointed.

The reinforcements pursued the Specter all the way and discovered an irregular rock in the mountain canyon. Once this discovery was disclosed, everyone immediately fell into conflict, unable to decide who the irregular rock should belong to. The senior uncle dispatched to search for Lu Mingshu under the command of Martial Granduncle Zhang, got involved in the conflict too. However, he had ultimately still searched — although carelessly — for traces, but could not find anything. Lu Mingshu had disappeared into thin air.

The encirclement hunt was an important matter, hence there were experts from the sect arriving one after the other. Gao Xiang waited patiently for days and finally managed to wait until his own master arrived.

He had originally thought Lu Mingshu would be saved now that his master is there. However, he never thought that his master would reject his request.

"Master, it is martial grandfather that wants to protect her."

An Tongchen's expression went even colder when he heard Gao Xiang's words. "Are you implying that I am wrong, so now you're trying to pressurize me with your martial grandfather?"

As this was considered a heavy crime in the sect, Gao Xiang bit his lips and lowered his head. "This disciple doesn't dare."

An Tongchen coldly replied, "Your martial grandfather indeed had the intention of protecting her when he wanted both of you to journey together. But, he didn't have the intention of telling you to place her before your own interest, he even more so didn't have the intention for her to surpass you — a proper disciple grandson."