Chapter 382 - 377: Black-Hearted and Ruthless Du Youqian

After shaking off the Red-eyed Stone Dragon, Du Youqian made no effort to find the Foundation Establishment Cultivators and mortals who had scattered earlier.

He felt he had already done more than enough. He couldn’t possibly keep worrying about complete strangers and delay his own journey.

He continued heading northeast, but he was in no hurry. He traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping in every town he encountered to gather information.

After a few days of unhurried travel, he was no longer far from Starry Valley.

He had now entered the territory of a human nation called the Chen Kingdom.

The Chen Kingdom’s territory was vast. It was said to have an army one hundred thousand strong, and its people were known for their martial spirit. The Kings of Chen had also pursued Cultivation for generations, and it was said that the royal family’s aptitude for it was quite good.

Under the leadership of Immortal Masters, the Chen Kingdom had been aggressively driving out the surrounding Demon Race for centuries.

As for why it had only been for the past few centuries, or what this place had been like before then, no one could say for sure.

But Du Youqian’s inquiries weren’t focused on this. He wanted to learn about Starry Valley.

However, Starry Valley seemed to be a mysterious and secluded place; most people had never even heard of it.

The few who had heard of it only said that there were likely Immortal Masters in Starry Valley, but no one could provide any clear details.

Du Youqian never liked fighting battles he wasn’t certain he could win. He was reluctant to charge into Starry Valley with almost no intelligence.

After all, Starry Valley was presided over by Master Luo Fan, a Cultivator who was at least at the Golden Core Middle Stage.

’Who knew what bizarre Divine Abilities or deadly techniques Master Luo Fan might possess?’

’And who could be certain of his temperament? Who could guarantee he wouldn’t just start a massacre without any warning?’

Therefore, Du Youqian preferred to spend more time gathering intelligence rather than barging into Starry Valley recklessly.

Near Starry Valley, Du Youqian made a small display of his power. He posed as a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, making no effort to conceal his aura as he strolled through one of the Chen Kingdom’s cities.

Soon enough, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator approached to greet him. After a polite exchange, the man inquired about Du Youqian’s identity and his reason for being there.

Du Youqian introduced himself as the Loose Cultivator Pang Long, claiming he had fled from the Western Domain of the Endless Desert Sea and had been in arduous seclusion in the mountains ever since.

Recently, he had grown restless from the tranquility and wished to walk among mortals in the Human World.

The man enthusiastically invited Du Youqian to serve as a Tributor for the Chen Kingdom.

Du Youqian pretended to consider the offer for a moment before agreeing.

He then took up residence there. After being interrogated by a Core Formation Master—who confirmed he wasn’t a spy from another power and that his background was mostly credible—he was appointed a "Yellow" Level Tributor of the Chen Kingdom.

The one who had invited him was also a "Yellow" Level Tributor.

’If the ranks are arranged according to the "Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow" sequence,’ he mused, ’then Foundation Establishment Cultivators are "Yellow" Level Tributors, which must mean Core Formation Masters are "Profound" Level Tributors.’

’Nascent Soul Masters would be "Earth" Level, so wouldn’t "Heaven" Level have to be a Divinity Transformation True Monarch?’

’Could the Chen Kingdom truly have a Divinity Transformation True Monarch protecting it?’

Du Youqian asked around curiously.

Everyone was very interested in the topic, and he often heard it being discussed, but no one knew for sure.

What was certain, however, was that the Chen Kingdom did have an "Earth" Level Tributor. She was said to be the First Queen of the Chen Kingdom. Du Youqian had seen her once from a distance; she was a beautiful Kun Cultivator with a dignified, imposing bearing and an astonishing aura. He estimated she was likely at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

For her apparent age, she was a true prodigy.

That made sense. In this region, if a kingdom didn’t even have a Nascent Soul Master, the Chen Kingdom would have been annihilated long ago, its people reduced to food for the Demon Race.

The Tributors speculated in private that the Chen Kingdom likely had more than one hidden Nascent Soul Master; perhaps the founding King Chen was one as well.

As for whether there was a Divinity Transformation True Monarch, no one could say.

They could only say that the possibility of the Chen Kingdom having a Divinity Transformation Ancestor couldn’t be ruled out.

Du Youqian stayed there for two years, keeping a low profile and staying out of trouble.

He would occasionally join military expeditions to exterminate nearby Demon Beasts.

He spent most of his time, however, making friends and diligently gathering any information related to Starry Valley.

Gradually, a clearer picture of Starry Valley began to form in his mind.

Judging from various clues, Master Luo Fan had most likely become a mere figurehead; his position had been usurped.

His life, however, was not in danger. Someone had seen him just recently at a nearby Marketplace, and there were no signs of his mind being controlled by a Secret Technique.

The ones who had taken over Starry Valley were likely Evil Cultivators with intricate ties to the Qianshan Sect.

For years, Starry Valley had appeared to maintain a low profile, but in reality, they had secretly been buying up numerous Foundation Establishment Cultivators from all over. ’Surely they weren’t doing it out of the kindness of their hearts to help these Cultivators reach Core Formation!’

The more likely scenario was that the master of Starry Valley was using these Cultivators’ Essence Blood, flesh, and souls to aid their own advancement in Cultivation.

Once the master of Starry Valley achieved a breakthrough, they would likely become a major problem for the Chen Kingdom.

—The above was the content of a Jade Slip Du Youqian wrote to the Earth Level Tributor following his investigation.

If he could get someone else to do his dirty work, saving him from risking his own life, Du Youqian was more than happy to take the easy way out.

But the Earth Level Tributor was no fool.

Although she was wary of Starry Valley and ordered the cities near it to increase their espionage and intelligence gathering, she also issued a decree warning all local Tributors not to provoke the valley.

This was somewhat regrettable for Du Youqian. His plan to make the tiger devour the wolf had failed.

But he quickly rallied and began to devise a new scheme.

The goal was to trick the Chen Kingdom’s Cultivators into being the vanguard. After all, he had no personal grudge against Master Luo Fan, or the Evil Cultivator who was likely pulling the strings. He had no intention of getting his own hands dirty; he just needed to find Sister Zong Li’s remains.

Another year passed before Du Youqian finally found his opportunity.

He deliberately approached and befriended a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from a side branch of the Royal Family.

This Cultivator, named Chen Ke, was something of a hedonistic playboy who loved to party and indulge in pleasure. He was particularly known to have the same tastes as Meng De.

Du Youqian, being ruthless and unscrupulous himself, got close to Chen Ke. Seizing an opportunity, he baited a trap, telling Chen Ke that he had found a "plump, fair-skinned beauty from a good family" for his enjoyment and that he should come alone, without his guards.

When Chen Ke rushed over in excitement, there was no beauty from a good family, nor anyone plump and fair-skinned to be seen. His vision simply went black as he was knocked unconscious.

Du Youqian picked him up and immediately sold him to an organization that specialized in trafficking Cultivators.

The organization, unaware of Chen Ke’s identity, sold him in turn to Starry Valley...

As for what fate awaited Chen Ke, Du Youqian couldn’t care less.

’It wasn’t my hand that did it,’ he thought. ’However horribly Chen Ke is tortured, it has nothing to do with me.’

’Besides, if you didn’t have such a vice, such a weakness, I couldn’t have schemed against you in the first place.’

’He has only his own peculiar tastes to blame.’

After Chen Ke’s disappearance, the Sacrificial Team immediately launched an investigation. They discovered he had been taken into Starry Valley, where his ashes had likely already been scattered to the winds.

They sent a formal diplomatic notice to Master Luo Fan demanding he hand over the man.

Simultaneously, they began investigating how Chen Ke had ended up being sold to Starry Valley in the first place.

The Chen Kingdom’s Sacrificial Team was not to be trifled with, and they quickly identified the suspect: Pang Long.

A warrant for his arrest was issued nationwide, mobilizing the entire Sacrificial Team of the Chen Kingdom.

But no matter how they combed the mountains and searched the seas, they couldn’t find a trace of Pang Long. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

It was said that even the Chen Kingdom’s ancestor, the First Queen and Nascent Soul Master, performed a divination but came up with nothing.

His part in the matter complete, Du Youqian reverted to his original appearance and aura. Concealing his Cultivation, he swaggered into the city nearest to Starry Valley, rented a private booth in an entertainment hall, and spent his days listening to music and enjoying himself as he waited for events to unfold.

As for the Chen Kingdom’s nationwide manhunt for Pang Long—what did that have to do with Du Youqian?

As for Master Luo Fan, he naturally couldn’t hand over the person. He couldn’t even produce a complete corpse...

In that case, there was nothing to be done. A fight... wasn’t going to happen. It was time to negotiate.

The Chen Kingdom had no desire to make an enemy of a long-established Golden Core Master over a junior from a side branch who wasn’t particularly promising—especially when that Golden Core Master was suspected of having a Nascent Soul Evil Cultivator backing him.

Such Evil Cultivators were the biggest headache. They cared nothing for territory or reputation. If they saw a grand army approaching, they would simply hide and refuse to engage.

Then, when you lowered your guard or your Ancestor went into seclusion, they would reappear to kill one person today and a pair the next. What kingdom could withstand that kind of attrition?

Besides, there was no precedent for a Golden Core Cultivator, let alone a Nascent Soul Evil Cultivator, paying with their life for a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator—not unless the Chen Kingdom was overwhelmingly powerful and aggressive, and the deceased was an incredibly important heir.

But the Chen Kingdom was merely a nation with publicly known Nascent Soul-level power, and the dead Cultivator was just from a side branch of the Royal Family.

So even when the Chen Kingdom’s Nascent Soul Ancestor appeared in person, she was only there to demand an explanation and save face, not to actually start a war.

Du Youqian made no further moves; he was content to just watch the show.

All he needed to do was muddy the waters. He never expected the Chen Kingdom and Starry Valley to actually go to war; he had known all along that was unrealistic.

A few days later, the Chen Kingdom’s First Queen, the Nascent Soul Ancestor, arrived at Starry Valley in a Jade Chariot, accompanied by two Core Formation Stage, Profound Level Tributors.

A thick, perpetual fog shrouded Starry Valley, a sign that its Grand Array was active.

But as the Jade Chariot of the Chen Kingdom’s First Queen approached, the dense fog parted as if it were alive, revealing a wide path.

The master of Starry Valley did not appear in person, but this was their way of welcoming their guests.

The First Queen’s beautiful face was devoid of Emotions. She simply extended her Divine Sense for a moment, and after confirming there was no ambush, said coolly, "Proceed."