Chapter 2001 - Thats My Secret

Chapter 2001 - That's My Secret

Long Ying was standing in front of Blackie when she asked that question.Blackie just glanced at her before pointing at Liu Wuxie.

Long Ying darted over, nearly crashing into Liu Wuxie's arms. Their faces came so close that they almost touched. Her breathing quickened as she examined him, desperate to discover his true identity and how he had acquired the Primal Chaos Crystals.

"Have you finished staring?" Liu Wuxie asked, taking a step back.

Her undisguised scrutiny at such close quarters made his hair stand on end. He could not endure it. So thorough was her scrutiny that she might have seen straight into his soul sea if not for the Heavenly Dao Book.

"Where did you find the Primal Chaos Crystals?" Long Ying asked.

Those Blackie had consumed had only a small amount of primal chaos energy, but even they qualified as rare treasures in the Celestial Weave Domain.

"I'm keeping that to myself," Liu Wuxie replied, shaking his head.

All his Primal Chaos Crystals came from the Desolate Devouring Art, absorbing the surrounding energy of heaven and earth. He understood how dire the consequences would be if anyone learned that secret.

"How many are left? I'll buy the lot. Tell me your price," Long Ying said, still standing close. Her expression suggested that refusal was not an option.

A faint fragrance drifted from her, prompting Liu Wuxie to take another step back. She advanced whenever he retreated, maintaining the distance between them. The bizarre sight drew even Long Yuanxiong's attention. Having finished treating Blackie's wound, he turned to watch with a strange expression on his face.

"I'm not selling them," Liu Wuxie replied without a moment's hesitation.

His supply of Primal Chaos Crystals was plentiful, but he had no desire to exchange them for resources. His own breakthroughs required them. If he sold every crystal, what would remain for his cultivation?

When persuasion failed, Long Ying turned to threats. At worst, killing him and taking his crystals remained an option. "Saving us doesn't mean I won't lay a hand on you. There's nobody here. Even if I killed you, no one would ever know."

"You're not going to kill me, and you couldn't anyway."

Had Long Ying truly intended to kill him, she would not have spent so much time talking. And even if she wanted to, the Law Enforcement Token in his possession wouldn't allow her to do so. He knew her words were only empty threats.

His refusal to heed either her threat or her offer nearly drove Long Ying mad with frustration. Never had she encountered such a stubborn person.

Long Ying drew a deep breath to calm down. "Tell me your terms. What would make you willing to sell them to me?"

She moved away enough to leave some distance between them. So long as he would sell her Primal Chaos Crystals, she would accept any condition.

Liu Wuxie rubbed his nose, smiling wryly. He could tell that she would not give up today until she had Primal Chaos Crystals in her hands.

"You can have these. They're all I have left," Liu Wuxie replied.

He knew escaping this place in one piece would have been difficult without the siblings. Strictly speaking, they had just saved his life. After all, he was the main target, and they were merely drawn into the conflict for accompanying him.

The sight of the thousand Primal Chaos Crystals finally softened Long Ying's cold face into a smile.

"Take these, Brother. With them, you'll have a strong chance of reaching the Great Golden Immortal Realm," Long Ying said. She separated eight hundred crystals from the pile and shoved them into Long Yuanxiong's hands.

"That's too many, Elder Sister! You've been trapped at the fourth-level Great Golden Immortal Realm for so long. These could help you break through to the fifth level!" Long Yuanxiong exclaimed, refusing the full amount. He accepted only a hundred and left the remainder for her.

While the siblings pushed the Primal Chaos Crystals back and forth, Liu Wuxie took advantage of their distraction to send Blackie back into the Desolate World.

Long Yuanxiong finally yielded, accepting three hundred crystals from his sister.

Blackie's disappearance earned Liu Wuxie a meaningful look from Long Ying. Now she had an explanation for what had happened last night. He must possess an internal space capable of accommodating living beings.

Yu Yan struggled back to his feet and was on the verge of fleeing when a single strike from Long Ying slit his throat. Liu Wuxie sent the corpse into the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron before it could fall to the ground.

Attempting a breakthrough in the wilderness wasn't safe, so he intended to wait until they reached Mulberry Sea City. After dismantling the spiritual array, he resumed the journey to the nearby city with the siblings. They aimed to arrive in Mulberry Sea City by noon.

"Where do you come from, Brother Liu?" Long Yuanxiong asked as he walked beside him. They had grown much closer through their shared experiences.

"I come from Fourfold City," Liu Wuxie replied, hoping to brush the question aside. Mentioning Moon Reverence City might draw unwanted attention, for that was where his cultivation journey had begun in his previous life.

Before departing the Azure Flame Dao Hall, he had requested that Ye Guhai fabricate an identity for him. Anyone who investigated him would then find nothing suspicious.

Long Yuanxiong considered the name. More than one city in the Celestial Weave Domain was called Fourfold City.

Upon entering the city, the three proceeded directly to the teleportation array, without resting. An hour passed before they finally reached Mulberry Sea City.

"I have to call at the branch, so you two will handle the capture. Take care not to alert the target. Wait until they make contact before you act, then bring them directly to the Chai Clan once you've captured them," Liu Wuxie instructed, repeating his reminders after they left the teleportation array.

The mission's complications extended to many people. Careful handling was essential.

"We'll handle it," Long Yuanxiong said. He cupped his fists to Liu Wuxie, then departed in another direction with his sister.

Liu Wuxie turned toward the branch. An incense stick's time brought him to its entrance, where the same two disciples stood guard.

Two disciples hurried forward with a warm greeting. "It's been a while, Junior Brother Liu."

Liu Wuxie's appearance left them puzzled. Hadn't three Golden Immortals gone after him? Could they have failed?

"Bring me to Elder Zheng," Liu Wuxie said coldly. Neither disciple had left a favorable impression on him.

He suspected these two had disclosed his identity to the three inner disciples who had intercepted him earlier.

A long corridor led him into the main hall. Elder Ren was out on business, but news of Liu Wuxie's arrival brought Zheng Ruhai hurrying from the study at once.

"You're back, Brother Liu!" Zheng Ruhai said in a polite greeting.

"Good to see you, Elder Zheng," Liu Wuxie replied, bowing respectfully with his fists cupped. He knew the Law Enforcement Token alone accounted for Zheng Ruhai's courtesy. Without it, the elder would have expelled him long ago.

"Everything you requested is here. I've checked it all twice," Zheng Ruhai said, setting aside further pleasantries. He placed the documents before Liu Wuxie in a stack more than thirty centimeters high.

Reading such a mass of material would have occupied an ordinary person for several days. Liu Wuxie simply picked up the documents and turned through them speedily.

Zheng Ruhai took a sip of tea as he watched, a trace of mockery glinting in his eyes. His outward courtesy concealed the contempt he still felt for Liu Wuxie.

The main hall was filled with a steady rustling sound of turning pages. Fifteen minutes later, Liu Wuxie reached the end of the documents and closed his eyes, calling on the Heavenly Dao Book to arrange what he had read.

Zheng Ruhai let the time pass without speaking. After another fifteen minutes, Liu Wuxie snapped his eyes open. He had taken in everything. Combined with the memories he had retrieved from Yan Wuji, the information brought the various clans into clearer focus.

"Elder Zheng, you have my thanks for assembling so much information so quickly," Liu Wuxie said politely. He knew the elder regarded him with disdain, and neither man misunderstood what lay beneath the other's courtesy.

"Our findings suggest that half the third-tier clans are showing signs of breaking ties with the Azure Jade Palace," Zheng Ruhai said gravely. The investigation's results had shocked even him.

"Have you identified anyone connected to the Heavenly Alliance?" Liu Wuxie asked. The revelation did not surprise him, and he went straight to the one detail the reports had failed to uncover.

He had uncovered from Yan Wuji's memories that envoys from the Heavenly Alliance remained in contact with the Yan Clan. The identity of the person dealing with them was known only to Yan Jingfu.

"They're far too cunning. The investigation is still underway," Zheng Ruhai replied with a wry smile.

The Heavenly Alliance's envoys maintained no fixed residence, making it difficult to search for them in Mulberry Sea City.

Reports from the various clans indicated that the envoys always concealed their faces behind masks when meeting them. Their appearance offered no means of identification.

The sect had entrusted this investigation to Liu Wuxie, and by strict reckoning, he had already completed half the mission. Identifying the Heavenly Alliance's envoys would allow him to consider his task finished and leave everything afterward to the Azure Jade Palace.

Mulberry Sea City also served as Liu Wuxie’s last line of defense. For his own safety, he had to drive the Heavenly Alliance from the city, whatever the cost.

"There'll be trouble in Mulberry Sea City tonight, Elder Zheng. I suspect the Heavenly Alliance will act, and I hope I can count on your help," Liu Wuxie said. A surprise attack was his main concern. His present strength was insufficient to resist them.

"Don't stand on ceremony, Young Master Liu. Tell me what you need done," Zheng Ruhai replied. Taking instructions from Liu Wuxie remained an unwelcome prospect, but the Law Enforcement Token gave him little choice.

"That puts my mind at ease," Liu Wuxie replied with satisfaction. The elder's unspoken opinions mattered little to him.

They continued the rest of their discussion privately to prevent anyone from listening in. As Liu Wuxie explained his plans, the gravity on Zheng Ruhai’s face gradually gave way to surprise. He glanced at the young man from time to time, astonished that someone so young could have planned so many steps ahead.

"The remaining arrangements are in your hands," Liu Wuxie said, rising after they had settled everything. He had yet to return to the Chai Clan and issue his instructions.

The corpses of two Great Golden Immortals also awaited his refinement. Refining them would take him to the eighth-level Profound Immortal Realm. With each increase in cultivation, he could face the challenges ahead with greater confidence.

He suspected the Heavenly Alliance already knew of his investigation and would surely seek to eliminate him.

Leaving the branch, Liu Wuxie made his way directly to the Chai Clan. Not long after he departed, a man in black robes stepped from the shadows along the street.

"Why is that brat coming back out?" the man muttered.

Most disciples of the Azure Jade Palace came to the branch only to take its teleportation array back to the sect. Liu Wuxie's emergence left the man perplexed.

"So be it. You're still in Mulberry Sea City, so you'll meet your end here tonight," the black-robed man said in an eerie voice.