Siheyuan: The Temptation of the Mountains

Lin Ze thought to himself that although the clues he had were limited, they were enough for him to sort out some clues. So, he decided to return to his training place and calm down to think carefully.

As he stepped into the familiar training ground, a strange feeling came over him. This place was always quiet and peaceful, but now, it seemed as if something was stirring in the dark.

Lin Ze's footsteps were light as he slowly approached the training room. Sure enough, he heard a slight sound that was particularly abrupt in the quiet environment.

His alertness was instantly aroused, and he quietly moved closer to the crack in the door. Through the gap, he saw a dark figure rummaging through something in the house.

"Who?" Lin Ze shouted, pushed the door open and rushed in like an arrow.

The black shadow was obviously startled by this sudden change, and turned around and ran towards the door.

How could Lin Ze let him escape so easily? He flashed and chased after him like a gust of wind.

However, just when he was about to catch up with the black shadow, the black shadow seemed to evaporate suddenly and disappeared without a trace.

Lin Ze stopped in shock and looked around, but could no longer find any trace of the black shadow.

He returned to the training room, checked carefully, and soon discovered the problem - an ancient book recording the mysterious skills was missing.

Lin Ze frowned tightly, realizing that this might be related to the conspiracy behind the scenes that he was investigating.

"Could it be that this mysterious person knows that I am investigating the truth, so he wants to find more clues from here?" Lin Ze guessed secretly.

However, he was not discouraged by this. Instead, he became more determined to uncover the mystery.

He decided to first inquire about the origin of this ancient book, perhaps he could find some new clues from it.

Lin Ze quickly packed his bags and embarked on a new journey without hesitation, his heart filled with a desire for the truth and a persistence for justice.

Lin Ze inquired about the origins of ancient books along the way and came to an ancient town.

Most of the residents here know some ancient legends and secrets.

While resting in a teahouse at the town entrance, he overheard several old men talking about a mysterious ancient book, the description of which was very similar to the one he had lost.

A thought suddenly struck Lin Ze, as if he had missed something important. He hurried forward, stopped the elderly men in conversation, and anxiously asked, "Seniors, is there anything special about this ancient book in your hands?"

Several elders exchanged glances, and one of them, with white hair and a youthful face, slowly said, "Young man, this ancient book is not simple. From what we know, it seems to be closely related to a sect dispute many years ago."

Lin Ze's heart tightened when he heard this, and he quickly asked, "What's going on with that sect dispute? And what does this ancient book have to do with it?"

The elders looked at each other, seemingly hesitant. After a moment, another elder sighed and said, "That conflict took place a long time ago, and we don't know the specific details. We only heard that this ancient book contained a secret that could enhance the power of a sect, so many sects were eyeing it covetously."

Lin Ze nodded thoughtfully, pondering something in his mind. He felt that this ancient book must be more than it seemed. Perhaps there was a huge conspiracy hidden behind it. With this in mind, he decided to continue his investigation along this clue.

After some inquiries, Lin Ze finally found a descendant of an old man who had participated in the dispute. However, when he went to the old man's house, he was very cold and even a little resistant.

Lin Ze was not discouraged. He sincerely explained his purpose to the man and said that he just wanted to find out the truth of the matter and had no ill intentions. After Lin Ze's patient persuasion, the man finally gave in and agreed to talk to him.

"This ancient book originally belonged to a hidden sect," the man said slowly. "That sect is very mysterious, and few people know of their existence. However, from what I understand, this sect seems to be inextricably linked to the current conspiracy."

Lin Ze's heart trembled, realizing that he might have touched upon the core of this conspiracy. After thanking the man, he immediately stood up and said goodbye, his mind already having a new direction.

He rushed non-stop towards the hidden sect, sleeping in the open air and not daring to delay even a moment. He hoped to find the key clues to uncover the conspiracy there and let the truth come to light.

Lin Ze traveled day and night and finally arrived at the mountains where the hidden sect was located.

But as soon as he stepped into the mountains, he was blocked by a powerful restrictive force.

Lin Ze used his spiritual power to try to break through, but it was of no use.

Just as he was racking his brains for a countermeasure, several men in black suddenly rushed out from the forest, holding sharp blades and attacking Lin Ze without saying a word.

Lin Ze flashed and rushed towards the man in black like a ghost, and the two sides instantly started a thrilling battle.

Swords and knives flashed and shadows appeared, fists, palms and legs flew. Every move of Lin Ze contained endless power, but those men in black were not to be outdone. Their moves were weird and changeable, making them difficult to predict.

Lin Ze was secretly shocked. These men in black were obviously masters who had received special training. They cooperated with each other perfectly, as if they were one body. It was difficult for him to break through the defense line for a while.

However, Lin Ze was a strong man who had experienced many battles after all. He quickly adjusted his tactics and dealt with the man in black with flexible and changeable movements, while constantly looking for the opponent's flaws.

Finally, after a hard fight, Lin Ze seized a fleeting opportunity and suddenly used a special move to knock one of the men in black out.

Seeing this, the other men in black gathered around and wanted to attack Lin Ze, but Lin Ze did not give them any chance to breathe. He rushed into the crowd like a whirlwind, waving the sword in his hand, and in an instant several men in black fell to the ground with screams.

A moment later, more than a dozen bodies of men in black were lying on the ground, and Lin Ze finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and began to examine the bodies of the men in black, hoping to find some clues.

Soon, Lin Ze found a token on a man in black. The token was pitch black and engraved with a strange symbol he had never seen before.

Lin Ze stared at the symbol, thinking deeply. He guessed that this token might be related to a hidden sect.

At this moment, a slight sound of breaking air was heard. Lin Ze raised his head alertly, and saw a white-haired old man appear in front of him out of thin air like a ghost.