Novel Full Chapter 161: Repeated Despair
Chen Yan believed that the probability of Li Hanzhou lying was not high.
His cultivation level and status within the sect were even lower than that of Qiguan Jin from Mingxiao Peak. If he truly knew something, it would actually be strange.
Thinking of this, Chen Yan couldn’t help but think of the late Steward Song Mingde from the Merit Hall of the Kongshan Sect’s outer court.
It must be said, Steward Song was a remarkable man.
Chen Yan truly couldn’t understand how he, a mere Martial Spring Realm cultivator, an outer court steward, managed to compile that list, even digging up information on that lofty Supreme Imperial Law Elder.
It was precisely because of this that Chen Yan couldn’t completely let his guard down around Li Hanzhou.
Thinking back, they had even managed to hide a Qi Sea Realm cultivator within the Kongshan Sect’s outer court for a full twenty years.
Could this Li Hanzhou also have some hidden issue?
Chen Yan didn’t know.
However, one place Li Hanzhou had just mentioned made Chen Yan very concerned.
The General Affairs Office.
For a large-scale immortal cultivation sect like Kongshan Sect, each peak and mountain lineage would establish a General Affairs Office, governed by that peak’s Supervisor, responsible for all daily miscellaneous affairs of that peak.
Perhaps there, he might discover something new.
Chen Yan left this study and returned to the place where Lu Li and Qian Xun had been.
He saw Lu Li there, speaking to Qian Xun about something, and Qian Xun seemed to be listening very attentively.
Most likely, he was lecturing on scriptures.
Seeing this situation, Chen Yan didn’t disturb them, because he still needed to make another trip to Yuanhua Mountain’s General Affairs Office. It was also best for him to go alone, rather than bringing Lu Li along.
But Chen Yan had only just left the disciple residences not far when he spotted a somewhat familiar figure in the distance.
“Senior Brother Li?”
Chen Yan called out.
That figure was none other than the Chief Disciple of Yuanhua Mountain.
Among the current generation of disciples, one of only two heaven-chosen talents of Kongshan Sect who broke through to the Martial Spring Realm before the age of fifteen, Li Haowen.
“Junior Brother Chen.”
Li Haowen said softly.
There was no smile on his face; he looked somewhat dispirited, even lifeless.
Two swords were sheathed at Li Haowen’s waist.
One had a white scabbard, which Chen Yan had seen before, named Xiaohua.
The other had a black scabbard, which Chen Yan hadn’t seen, but presumably it was Yuanji.
These were the two peak swords of Yuanhua Mountain.
If one were to ask, among those still alive after the Heavenly Summit Mountain calamity, who had suffered the most in this past year, it was undoubtedly the Yuanhua Mountain Chief Disciple standing before Chen Yan.
First, Lin Xinyang, who grew up with him like a brother, perished during the Heavenly Summit Mountain calamity.
After barely escaping with his life and returning alive to the sect, not long after, his own master, Wei Mian, was ordered executed by the Supreme Imperial Law Court.
Li Haowen was originally also implicated because of Wei Mian.
But precisely because he had meritoriously protected fellow disciples on Heavenly Summit Mountain, and also received strong support from Qingchan Peak’s True Dharma Elder Bai Qiming and Kongyuan Mountain’s True Dharma Elder Zhong Yin, he narrowly escaped.
Originally, the Imperial Law Court also wanted to strip Li Haowen of his Chief Disciple title and his Yuanji Sword. It wasn’t until a Grand Elder from the Surveillance Court descended directly to assume the position of Yuanhua Mountain’s Sword Master Elder that, overriding all objections, he preserved Li Haowen’s Chief Disciple status and Yuanji Sword.
He also temporarily entrusted Lin Xinyang’s Xiaohua Sword to him for safekeeping.
Just moments ago, Chen Yan had almost failed to recognize this Yuanhua Mountain Chief Disciple, because Li Haowen’s current appearance was completely different from the high-spirited man he was on Heavenly Summit Mountain.
However, Chen Yan could completely understand.
“I heard you came to Yuanhua Mountain, so I’ve been waiting here for you.”
Li Haowen spoke, his voice even beginning to sound somewhat hoarse compared to before.
“Senior Brother was deliberately waiting here for me?”
Chen Yan said, clasping his hands in a salute.
“Mm.”
Li Haowen nodded, then continued:
“I heard you are currently working for the Imperial Law Court.”
“More like having no choice in the matter.”
Chen Yan said vaguely.
“I don’t believe it.”
Li Haowen lowered his voice and leaned closer toward Chen Yan:
“I don’t believe you, Junior Brother Chen, would work for the Imperial Law Court. My master was wrongly executed, merely a scapegoat pushed out by Huo Mu. This, Junior Brother Chen, you must also know.”
The voice of this Yuanhua Mountain Chief Disciple was concealed by his true qi, audible only to Chen Yan.
And this method could only be effective within a range of a few feet.
Cultivators below the Spirit Connection Realm cultivation level were incapable of performing spiritual sense transmission.
“So, I have no choice in the matter.”
Chen Yan also concealed his voice with his true qi, saying to Li Haowen:
“As for you, Senior Brother Li, how much of the inside story do you know now?”
“Probably not more than you know.”
Li Haowen replied:
“I only realized the true nature of the problem lay with Huo Mu of the Imperial Law Court after my master was wrongly executed.”
As he spoke, a trace of resentment flashed in Li Haowen’s eyes.
Chen Yan did not speak immediately.
Even knowing the truth, what could be done?
Never mind himself or Li Haowen; even the current Kongshan Sect Leader, Yun Yichen, couldn’t stir up much of a wave before Huo Mu.
The so-called Sect Leader was merely the public-facing agent of the will of this behemoth, the Kongshan Sect.
And Huo Mu, as the Supreme Imperial Law Elder, was one of the very wills of Kongshan Sect itself.
“Senior Brother Li, do you want revenge?”
Chen Yan asked.
“Hah, what could I possibly achieve?”
Li Haowen let out a somewhat helpless light laugh, his eyes dimming for an instant along with his smile, yet becoming incomparably resolute:
“However, rather than living like a stray dog here, surviving on the charity of others, it would be better to die a more heroic death.”
This world has never lacked cultivation geniuses, but how many truly achieve the upper three realms?
Moreover, even if Li Haowen possessed the talent to reach the upper three realms, would Huo Mu simply sit back and watch?
On Heavenly Summit Mountain, Li Haowen witnessed with his own eyes the scene of Myriad Transformations Realm cultivators engaging in full-force combat. Just the residual waves of their innate true energy nearly shattered all his meridians.
Not to mention the wisp of remnant soul of that Great Demon of Dao Union Realm, possessing Unity Realm combat power, that later appeared above Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Revenge?
Against whom?
Chen Yan knew what Li Haowen was thinking.
Reality was despair-inducing, especially when one could see the future yet was powerless to change it.
Death, for Li Haowen, might be a form of release.
This heaven-chosen talent, who had sailed smoothly since embarking on the path of immortal cultivation, when had he ever suffered such a blow?
But for Chen Yan, it was absolutely not like that.
Death might be a release for others, but for Chen Yan, it was not.
Finding a sliver of life amidst despair was the only thing Chen Yan could do.
It was also something he absolutely had to do.
Otherwise, what awaited him was only the outcome of dying over and over again, the despair repeating itself time and time again.
Of this, Chen Yan was all too aware.