Curse The Mainframe! 469 Your Master

Through their recruitment process. 

It looked like the time had come around so coincidentally that it was almost absurd.

Alec narrowed his eyes in thought.

He then looked at Klyse, Qingxuan and Le Xuan whom he had with him.

"On a scale of one to ten, how likely is this to be a trap?"

Qingxuan was silent. He never cared about things like this in the past, remaining detached and aloof from the sect. He had no idea about the minds of the upper echelon.

Klyse thought about it, then spoke. "It's definitely either a nine or a ten. The recruitment process is always like this, and this time is likely no different. Opening the sect doors is to recruit talent far and wide to pick out the future generation. However, there will always be other sects and clans slipping their spies in. The Evans Sect is a place that is rife with both spies and those who are genuinely loyal to the sect."

Alec nodded.

Klyse continued, "They don't have something that can determine whether or not someone will betray them in the future, so all the disciples who are taken in are watched by their senior disciples and their masters if they are chosen."

This surprised Alec. Unlike the Heavenly Ascension Sect, who was talented in arrays and seals, the Evans Sect, which was a top sect, did not have such a thing? They didn't even have a simple array that could help them weed out the spies? Or was it all intentional?

But then he thought about it again and it made some sense. After all, if they couldn't make it themselves, could they trust others to make it for them? If the array master who made the array had a vendetta against the sect, it would be disastrous.

But… was such a big sect really unable to nurture an array master of their own? It felt a bit strange.

Klyse refuted him. "Do you think array masters are so easy to find? Not only do you have to have the apt.i.tude for it, you have to have the diligence and talent for it to advance. Most people are stuck in the early stages no matter how hard they practice."

Alec still felt that it was inconceivable. There had to be something wrong. Even if it was forcefully without innovation, raising an array master through the sect's resources wasn't anything hard. 

"Are array masters that hard to meet? With your sect that's at the top of the list, you should at least be able to nurture out one or two by force."

Klyse shook his head, but it just looked like his body was jiggling. "There have indeed been a few, but they always die mysteriously whenever they need to go out on missions. Not to mention, they are never able to acc.u.mulate and grow to the stage needed-"

Alec looked at Klyse meaningfully, and Klyse felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

The truth had always evaded him for years. Perhaps, it was his subconscious thinking that prevented him from acknowledging the truth.

He had indeed investigated the deaths of the sect members before, but he had always concluded that it was due to an array master's weak cultivation skills. The other members of the team had not been able to protect them before they died.

However, now that he was thinking about it more deeply, he felt very cold inside.

It was the reason why he had always stressed that the people who were talented in arrays needed to take at least two hours a day to practice their combat skills.

Yet, they had continued to die.

There was no doubt about it now. There was enemy action.

Klyse thought back about every situation, and his face changed a few colours.

Finally, he spat out a word. "f.u.c.k."

The rest of them fell silent as they considered the implications.

"How long has it been since the sect has not had an array master?" Alec asked.

"Qingxuan, does the sect still not have an array master?"

Qingxuan shook his head. "Master, I have not heard any news about it. Had we managed to procure one, it would have been wildly celebrated in the sect."

Klyse was silent. "The last time we had an array master was when I first broke through to the Meister stage. That was more than four hundred years ago. That array master mysteriously died, as well. We were unable to determine the cause of death."

Klyse felt very cold in his heart. How long had that person who wanted to harm the sect been lurking inside? Had that person started to move ever since he saw the potential that Klyse had?

But then, why would they keep the Evans Sect in the top position? He didn't understand at all.

He thought about it deeper then came to a conclusion. They said that tall winds attracted strong winds, and this wasn't without meaning to it. The sect that was in the top position would attract the most attention.

Then, the other subtler movements made by the other sects would not incur much suspicion.

Klyse shook, frustrated. "I have to see that wayward cousin of mine," he said, his tone cold. "I distinctly remember that she wasn't this kind of person. Originally, I doubted it, but then when I think about it… I don't think her personality can change so much. Even if she had some sort of life-changing experience…"

Alec and Le Xuan didn't know about Jess Evans personally, so they couldn't interject.

Qingxuan frowned a little. "This disciple knows that… Jess Evans' personality changes drastically from when she's in public and when she's in private. Could that be caused by someone else?"

"It's possible," Alec said slowly. "You just have to be a seal master to create that kind of seal."

They fell silent.

Alec continued, "Klyse, who gave you your 'resurrection' seal?"

He might not have known at first, but the more he interacted with Klyse, the more he felt like Klyse was not an array master. First of all, not practicing every day meant that their skills would inevitably decline after a period of time. Secondly, most array masters had some sort of obsession with text. 

However, Klyse never even took a second glance whenever they pa.s.sed by any books, nor did he practice at all.

Klyse face changed a few more times before he finally squeezed out, "My master."

"Recall back. When did he give it to you, and what were his instructions?"

Klyse truly tried to think back, but his memories were a blur. He shook his head. "I can't recall anything other than a hazy memory."

Alec nodded. "Your memory has been compromised," he said.

They fell silent again.

Being able to change a Grand Meister's memory… the strength of Klyse's master likely went beyond the strength of a standard array master.

Qingxuan spoke up this time. "However, master's master… has been dead for a long time."

"The question is… is he really dead? Who was the first person who discovered that Klyse's master was dead?"

Suddenly, Klyse's face warped hideously. "His name is Jin Evans. He's Jess Evans' father."