Chapter 290 - 42: Immortal Ascension Ceremony

Chapter 290: Chapter 42: Immortal Ascension Ceremony

Chen Ye drained the last mouthful of fiery liquor from his cup. The spicy spirit slid down his throat and into his stomach, spreading into a ball of warmth.

He had heard enough.

Celestial Sword Manor truly was treating Jian Wuchen like a priceless treasure, propping him up with all their might and forging him into the seemingly flawless number one of the younger generation.

And it seemed Jian Wuchen himself quite enjoyed the feeling, acting with increasing arrogance and earning widespread resentment throughout Qingzhou.

But this was all just an appetizer.

What truly caught Chen Ye’s attention was the increasingly blatant dissatisfaction and contempt for Celestial Sword Manor on the lips of the other patrons.

Public resentment is like water: it can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.

Celestial Sword Manor might seem overwhelmingly powerful now, but in reality, it had already planted many hidden seeds of its own downfall.

Though a storm of thoughts raged in his mind, Chen Ye’s face remained sallow and weary. He placed a piece of broken silver on the table and rose to leave.

The Worry-Free Tavern was an excellent place to gather information, but lingering too long could attract unwanted attention. It was best to leave early.

Just as Chen Ye stepped over the threshold of the tavern, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the distance.

There, in a corner not far from the tavern entrance, stood a somewhat scrawny Daoist in a faded, gray Daoist Robe. He was fervently hawking a Talisman in his hand to a drunken patron.

"Friend, I see a darkness on your brow! You’re sure to face a bloody disaster in the coming days! Come, come, this humble Daoist has a Peace Talisman, personally consecrated before the statue of the Three Pure Ones Ancestor. For just three taels of silver, I guarantee it will dispel calamities and turn misfortune into fortune!"

The Daoist spoke with a look of utter sincerity, but his eyes darted about, revealing a shrewd and cunning nature.

Chen Ye’s steps faltered slightly.

Yun Heqing.

’It really is him.’

He hadn’t seen him in five years. The man looked even more down on his luck now—his hair had grayed considerably, and his Daoist Robe had a few more patches—but the oily slickness of a veteran of the Martial World hadn’t changed one bit.

Chen Ye felt no turmoil. In fact, he found it almost amusing.

The memory of setting up a stall with Yun Heqing five years ago was still vivid in his mind. After the incident, he had even felt a pang of guilt, worried that Yun Heqing might have been implicated.

’Looks like my worrying was completely unnecessary. How could a guy like Yun Heqing die so easily?’

’He probably bolted the second he heard my Identity was exposed.’

’But I can’t blame him. If our roles were reversed, I probably would have run even faster.’

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Chen Ye kept walking.

Just then, as if sensing he was being watched, Yun Heqing whipped his head around, his gaze sweeping over Chen Ye.

Chen Ye didn’t flinch. He simply lowered his head slightly, meeting the other man’s gaze for a moment with his own somewhat murky eyes, before casually melting back into the crowd and the darkness of the night.

His current disguise was too perfect.

Just a down-and-out Swordsman with a sallow face, a flat aura, and dull eyes. Thrown into a crowd, no one would give him a second glance.

Yun Heqing frowned. He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had been watching him just now, and that their gaze was so familiar.

’What’s gotten into me? Have I been overindulging lately? No, that’s it. Starting tomorrow, I’m quitting wine!’ he muttered to himself, then shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

After all, everyone knew that guy had been beheaded at the execution grounds five years ago.

When Yun Heqing heard the news, he had wrung his hands and sighed for a long time. After all, he’d made a small fortune running a stall with Chen Ye and Su Yuan back in the day.

But that was secondary. The crucial part was that Chen Ye, despite his youth, had abilities and a Heart Nature that far surpassed his peers. It was a shame that such a talented young man had provoked a behemoth like Celestial Sword Manor.

"Alas, such is time and fate!" At this thought, Yun Heqing let out a long sigh, a complex look flashing across his face.

...

After returning to his small, dilapidated room at the inn, Chen Ye shut the door, sat cross-legged on the bed, and mentally reviewed all the information he had gathered that day.

’First, my supposedly dead Identity is my greatest advantage right now. I have to make good use of it.’

’Second, Jian Wuchen is extremely arrogant and obsessed with his image. The fact that he found a scapegoat proves it. And that personality is his greatest weakness.’

’Finally, and most critically, the Immortal Ascension Ceremony. It’s truly a heaven-sent opportunity. As the Young Manor Master of Celestial Sword Manor, Jian Wuchen is certain to appear at this grand event, the focus of all Qingzhou. If I make my move on such an occasion and succeed, the impact will be devastating.’

But Chen Ye knew the risk was just as enormous.

The Immortal Ascension Ceremony was also a time for Celestial Sword Manor to flex its muscles. Forget about Jian Wuchen, who was at the Inner Realm; there would likely be other Celestial Sword Manor Elders present—perhaps even more than one Inner Realm master.

Although his own power had grown substantially, he was still stuck at the Peak of the Sea Condensation Realm. Charging in alone would be like throwing an egg against a stone.

So he couldn’t act rashly.

Chen Ye closed his eyes and began running scenarios through his mind at high speed.

First was the question of how to get close to Jian Wuchen. This was the most critical step.

On an occasion like that, Jian Wuchen would undoubtedly be surrounded by experts, three layers deep. An ordinary person couldn’t even dream of getting within ten zhang of him.

A frontal assault was out of the question.

That left only one option: find a way to become someone who could legitimately get close to him.

’What kind of person could legitimately get close to him?’