The barren, with signs of recent destruction and combat Blue Tree City, could be said to be the perfect scene for the ceremony that took place this day. The first day of the Spring was the subject of a festival and for the city, it always took place in the main square. Somehow, the fact that someone who gave up his life for the island be honored here on this day felt correct to everyone present. Or at least to the ones whose grief was true.

The headmaster, Teng De, took the stage first and with a voice full of grief, slowly related the life and deeds of Wu Guang, the young man that only in barely more than half a year had accomplished deeds enough for him to be considered a hero.

"I wasn't present for most of them, something that will always weigh on my conscience. After all, if I as the headmaster, the one that is supposed to lead and protect the young that join our Sect had been nearby, maybe I could have prevented the tragedy that happened" With such a closing speech, Teng De invited to the stage anyone who would have liked to tell about the related incidents, as well simply direct some words towards the people who had gathered.

Rui Qingkai told everyone about everything that had happened even before Wu Guang joined the sect.

Elder Di while hiding his eyes related to what had happened in Coastal Hill City.

Lan Yanzhi slightly tearing thanked Wu Guang for giving her a new lease on life.

Li Xia bawled openly, and being unaware of the many truths simply said a heartfelt thank you.

And so on... No incident or deed was forgotten, ending with the retelling from Xiao Feng about the so recent battle. Being also unaware of the true intentions of the people who had organized this, he openly pleaded with the Sect to not forget to impose justice on Lord Wei.

***

Wu Guang was also present during this play, concealing himself nowhere else than the Blue Crane restaurant. He only could marvel at how good were the ones that acted, including Lan Yanzhi, who did so on his instructions. He did not care to hear the empty talking, but even so, was surprised that even the Clan Assembly sent forth a representative. Speaking of the main clans, the leader of the Boar clan, Hai Heng thanked him for saving the Wildlands from the fate of being turned into a dead wasteland, revealing that the Sect had already found a way to explain the incident while not revealing their identity.

Speaking of honors, there were a few granted to him, making him slightly smirk while thinking "I wonder when I come alive and they can not retrieve their words, how will I manage at the same time all that? Permanent Clan elder in the Boar, Bear, Wolf, and even Snake clan. As well as an Honorific member of the Clan's assembly. Oh, and while also being a hero of the island, honored lord protector of Blue Tree City, and the next Headmaster?".

Speaking of the latter, Teng De proclaimed while making a show of grief that Wu Guang was named a successor just a bit less than 7 weeks before dying.

"Anyway, it's time to go and see what they have prepared" Wu Guang silently murmured but stopped to hear the last, a very surprising part. After all, he was pretty sure to neither have written a will, nor given it to the Sect for safekeeping!

***

"Before we proceed, I feel that it would be right to announce that Wu Guang left a will. Maybe it was because of him feeling that danger was near, or just because he wanted to make sure that his fortune, one that dwarfs even a city treasury will be put to got use" A female inner elder took the stage. One that Wu Guang never had seen until now.

"I, Gao Yaling have never met with the hero we all grief today, but as the assistant of High Elder Deng, the main treasurer, I was the one tasked to place the will in the treasury. And so, however it pains me to be also the same person to open it, I consider it my duty both to the Sect and to the late Wu Guang" The woman nimbly unfurled a scroll and proceeded to voice the contents.

***

"Heh, it seems that I left practically everything to the sect. To nurture future cultivators, huh? That's unsurprising. I also left a thousand shards to each of my friends, not a bad move, one that I probably would have done. Not to mention that Li Xia gets the store and some gold. If not for not writing it, anyone would think I did" Wu Guang thought as he left the area, moving towards the now revealed place of the nominal burial.

________________________________________________________________________

With neither body nor casket, with no family members to lead the procession, it was decided that Wu Guang's close friends, in this case, represented by Lan Yanzhi, Yuan Taotu, and Xiao Feng would simply walk at the front while holding the customary painting of the deceased. The rest would follow towards the main gate of the sect, where it was declared that the grave would be placed.

For now only a stone slab with the name and deeds of Wu Guang present there, but the headmaster had vowed to see that a proper statue will be placed, something that had been received with solemn nods from the public.

Unknown to them, they would never reach the place. Or at least it was supposed to be like that...

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Teng De muttered under his breath as the clan heads, Lang Zheng, the few friends of Wu Guang, and some randomly chosen elders and disciples passed through the area where he and Rui Qingkai had placed several dozens of explosive talismans and a few sets of 'Destruction' runes.

"Why nothing activated?" He immediately sent a qi transmission to Rui Qingkai, who was walking with him, while making a show of being in grief and letting everyone else overtake them.

"I do not know, but neither I sense anything wrong. Use your mind-power, all the trackers are on place and show no tampering" An immediate answer followed, and Teng De complied, finding that it was indeed so.

"Could be that our master decided to change the plan?"

"And not tell either of us two? I truly doubt it, but I don't see any other possibility but for someone to forcefully deactivate all the traps while leaving no traces"

"Neither of us can leave, but we may send someone to check"

"I think that would be wise. Send someone to ask our master, and also someone to check on the second party of guests"

"Mmm"

***

"Chun Hua, follow that woman" Wu Guang pointed at Gao Yaling, who was slowly inching towards the left, intending to go around the wall towards the spot where a few dozens of criminals, Eagle kingdom soldiers, and even a Wang family member, one that Wu Guang knew very well were waiting to attack.

He did not know how did the Sect arranged a group of renegades to risk and attack a group that counted with 3 Sage realm cultivators and a dozen of Peak Soul realm ones while not counting with even one of such level, but he truly did not care. And even if he did, it wasn't like he would not find it eventually, especially with all of them already knocked out.

"Mmm, am I to attack her while out of view?" As he was thinking, Chun Hua asked.

"Yeah, just don't kill her"

"A shame" She said and just after a moment, dissipated into nothingness. Making Wu Guang again make a mental note as to ask her about how she did it. After all, not only his senses, which were almost recovered now could not catch her, but even Kass Shaa'r could not follow her in such moments.

***

Zhao Zhihao was the one tasked to go and contact the true head of the Sect, the previous Headmaster, Xiong Yating. He had quickly overtaken the procession, muttered some kind of apology, even bowed to the portrait of the so lucky boy, now dead, and returned to the Sect.

He did not dare to enter into the Headmaster's hall, one that was currently occupied by Xiong Yating, and simply asked the question in front of the closed door.

A brief silence ensued, one that was then shattered by the sound of the double door being slammed open.

"So they can not even do something simple like that without my involvement!" Xiong Yating angrily snarled and ignoring the shuddering Hallmaster moved out.

***

Wu Guang had not stated any special requirements, and with no body, a priest would be not required. Not that there were any left on the Sect controlled part of the island. The Eagle Kingdom had been serious about their extermination campaign, and except for some livestock, the scouts from both the Empire and the Sect had not found even a single local person alive. Well, except the ones that had been recruited by the Eagle Kingdom. Not that any of the latter was alive or free, at least from the official side.

Both Xiong Yating's disciples did not know that their Master had actually arrived by now, and now was standing on the invisible sect's wall while concealing his presence. And so, they had no other option but to continue acting, less their ploys are discovered and they forced to kill everyone present themselves.

"Let's take a moment to pray for Wu Guang's soul" Making his way to the front and standing with his back to the stone slab mounted just a couple hundred feet from the main gate, Teng De said and was the first one to follow his words.

"I am sorry to barge in right now, but I could not find in myself the strength to speak beforehand" Suddenly a voice resounded in the established silence.

"Who?! Who is so brazen to disrupt such a moment?!" Teng De's roar was very natural, and a similar reaction of the people that had closed their eyes and clasped their hands followed.

"Oh, I am no one important. Just felt that I need to mention a few things about Wu Guang, after all, I knew him very closely. Probably even more than most of the present" The voice spoke again, ignoring all the furious ruckus.

"Could you come to the front then?" Rui Qingkai's question contained a badly masked threat.

"I don't see why would I need to risk being attacked by the two disciples of the late Headmaster Xiong. Oh, not late, he's still alive after all" This time the voice proceeded from amid the gathered people, and several heads began to turn in an intent to locate the speaker. Albeit to no avail.

"You! Don't dare to even speak of my Master!" Albeit Teng De's shout was full of righteous fury, a careful listener would note the slight, almost inaudible tones of panic.

"I see, well, let not speak of him then. Let's speak of how you, the so revered Headmaster of the 'Three Hills Sect' conspired with the Eagle Kingdom, hoping to get into the good graces of any of the two sides of this war"

"You! Come here so I cut your tongue out for such slander against the Headmaster!!!" A few Elders immediately shouted in unison.

"Don't feel like it. After all, you should be grateful and not try to attack me. If not for me disabling the explosives on your path here, you would be the Sect's so lamented losses during the attack that would have happened somewhere around... now? Esteemed Rui Qingkai, could you please confirm the timing?" The voice ignored any attempts to shout it off, and increased in volume, probably being reinforced by qi. But not even one of the present cultivators could sense any qi being used at all!

"I dare you to come and tell this to me in my face! I will even promise to not attack you!"

"Hoh? Let's see if your promises hold at least a bit of truth in them"

***

*Tap* *Tap*

In the silence provoked by the previous words, a lone figure suddenly began making its way from amid the gathered disciples. The figure was covered in a rune-cloak, one far better than any of the present cultivators had seen, and prevented even the Sage Realm cultivators from identifying him.

It did not prevent Xiong Yating from seeing through the concealment thought, and he immediately sent a qi transmission to both of his disciples.

"That's Wu Guang! Destroy him! Don't leave even a speck of dust!"

"And the others?"

"Just eliminate everyone. I have moved everyone from the gate, there's not a single witness"

"Mmm, seems like we have to" Rui Qingkai agreed while watching the approaching figure, one that he had been treating, and not just falsely, as someone close...