Chapter Forty-Four: The Crippled Patriarch

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“By the way, Your Majesty, there’s another matter—I’m not sure if I should bring it up.” The elder with ash-grey hair pursed his lips before continuing.

“Speak,” the middle-aged man nodded slightly.

“It’s like this, Your Majesty: Zhao Yang, the chief disciple of Infinity Sect—one of the Eight Great Sects—suddenly had a conflict with an unknown young man at the capital’s open-air market. The two even came to blows,” the old man said slowly, carefully choosing his words.

“Oh? And what was the outcome?” The middle-aged man arched an eyebrow, a spark of interest flickering across his face.

He had heard a little about Zhao Yang of Infinity Sect—supposedly the contemporary chief disciple who roamed the world, famed for his formidable martial prowess. He had once annihilated a small sect of over a hundred members single-handedly, shocking the land. Ruthless and merciless, he was known as the God of Slaughter.

“Zhao Yang won,” the elder replied quickly, not daring to hedge.

“And was the young man killed on the spot?” The middle-aged man’s expression didn’t change; he nodded, as if he had already foreseen this ending.

“No, he wasn’t,” the elder replied.

“Oh? He actually survived an encounter with Zhao Yang?” The man showed a trace of surprise.

“It seems the young man is a survivor of the Heaven’s Cripple Sect. While his strength doesn’t match Zhao Yang’s, he’s not weak—quite a remarkable youth, able to hold his own with Zhao Yang for a few exchanges,” the elder explained.

“Heaven’s Cripple Sect? The one that emerged decades ago?” The middle-aged man’s eyes narrowed, his gaze growing deep and thoughtful.

He remembered this sect. Decades ago, in the eastern part of the dynasty, a sect calling itself Heaven’s Cripple Sect suddenly appeared, its founder styling himself the Patriarch of Heaven’s Cripple.

The Patriarch’s martial mastery was peerless, his power unmatched. With his legendary Heaven’s Cripple Step technique, he challenged nearly every sect in the east single-handedly—including the Infinity Sect’s branch, Infinity Helm.

At that time, Infinity Helm was led by a reclusive elder of Infinity Sect, a figure of immense stature and strength—reputedly one of the three guardian elders of Infinity Sect, sharing the same lineage as the sect master, and had already achieved supreme mastery in external martial arts.

Yet such a formidable man was killed outright by the Patriarch of Heaven’s Cripple with just three kicks.

This event sent shockwaves through Infinity Sect’s headquarters. The then sect master, Infinity Child, flew into a rage and immediately issued a death challenge to the Patriarch—agreeing to duel to the death atop Qian Mountain three days later. The Patriarch did not refuse, but accepted with pleasure.

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Though the Patriarch of Heaven’s Cripple had already begun to make a name for himself then, he could not compare to the likes of the Infinity Sect Master.

In the martial world, nearly everyone predicted that Infinity Child would emerge the victor—so much so that betting houses gave odds of a hundred to one. Yet the outcome stunned all.

The Patriarch was far mightier than anyone had imagined. The two battled for a full two days, and in the end, Infinity Child’s heart was shattered by a single kick, dying beneath the Qian Mountain waterfall.

The result sent tremors through the entire martial world.

From that moment on, the name of Heaven’s Cripple Sect rang throughout the Great Li Dynasty, rising to become a colossus on par with the Eight Great Sects.

However, although the Patriarch had triumphed over the Infinity Sect Master, Infinity Child was no mere mortal. Before his fall, he managed to grievously injure the Patriarch’s heart meridian. So, three years after his victory, even with all his transcendent skill, the Patriarch could not survive.

After the Patriarch’s death, the sect was left leaderless, and somehow news of this leaked to the Infinity Sect’s Grand Elder.

Without hesitation, the Grand Elder led a host of Infinity Sect experts to besiege Heaven’s Cripple Sect. Alas, without their founder, not a single soul could withstand the onslaught. The entire sect was exterminated, their corpses hung from withered trees for days.

“Your Majesty, it is indeed that Heaven’s Cripple Sect. Eight years ago, the Grand Elder of Infinity Sect personally took action. Word in the martial world is that the entire sect was wiped out—yet it seems one survivor escaped,” the old man replied with a hint of surprise.

He had been of the same generation as the Patriarch and knew better than anyone how terrifying the Heaven’s Cripple Step truly was.

“It’s said the Heaven’s Cripple Step is a Heaven-tier martial art. Once mastered, it grants power surpassing even the heads of the Eight Great Sects. Remarkable indeed. Tell me—could that young man possess it?” the king mused aloud from his throne.

“I wouldn’t dare to speculate, but I believe… there’s a fair chance,” the elder ventured.

“In that case… seize the opportunity to bring the youth to me. I wish to see the legendary Heaven’s Cripple Step for myself.”

“Your Majesty… that may be difficult,” the old man said with a wry smile, frowning. “Infinity Sect and Heaven’s Cripple Sect are mortal enemies. Zhao Yang has already tracked him down—he surely won’t let him go.”

“Send the Shadow Killers at once. I must see him alive,” the middle-aged man said, rubbing his brow. After a pause, he added slowly, “And tell him—if he succeeds, I will grant him the hand of the Third Princess.”

…

…

The capital, inner district.

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Before a certain stately and unadorned residence.

A group of figures, each dressed differently, hurried toward the entrance.

There were fifty to sixty of them in all, their attire marking them out into seven distinct factions, each with seven or eight members.

“I am Mo Rupang, chief disciple of the Star-Moon Sect. Greetings to you all.”

“I am Zhou Yingying, chief disciple of the Dian Cang Sect. Well met.”

“I am Yi Feng, chief disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Gang. My respects.”

“Shi Gantang, chief disciple of the Mount Tai Sect.”

“Duan Tong, chief disciple of the Complete Truth Sect. Greetings.”

“Wang Ren, chief disciple of the Kongtong Sect. My regards.”

“Qian Lei, chief disciple of the Innate Sect. Well met.”

After a brief moment, each group sent forth a representative.

Six men and one woman—all carried themselves with remarkable poise, exuding an aura that set them apart from ordinary people.

“Why hasn’t Zhao Yang, chief disciple of Infinity Sect, arrived yet?” Qian Lei of the Innate Sect frowned.

Among the Eight Great Sects’ chief disciples, he was the eldest, the most senior, and the strongest—he had already reached the threshold of first-rate martial mastery, a paragon among his peers.

“Zhao Yang of Infinity Sect has already arrived in the capital. I just saw him and his junior sister; I expect he’ll be here soon,” said Zhou Yingying of the Dian Cang Sect in a soft, delicate voice.

As the only female chief disciple among the Eight Great Sects, Zhou Yingying instantly drew many eyes with her words. Her beauty was exceptional, her charm innate and enchanting—a pure yet alluring presence that stirred a protective impulse in all who beheld her. Naturally, she had won the admiration of many chief disciples.

Thus, when Zhou Yingying addressed Qian Lei so directly, more than a few of the others looked on with barely concealed envy.