Novel Full Chapter 175: Switching Sides
Executioners.
Those Qi Sea Realm cultivators assigned by Fu Qian to slaughter the Immortal Gambling Den in Taiyun City were merely executioners, not the true mastermind behind the scenes.
As for Fu Qian…
What if this Martial Elder of Qingchan Peak was also being used by someone else?
The truth wasn’t just floating on the surface;
it required deeper digging.
What was the fundamental reason that led to the massacre of the Immortal Gambling Den?
The ones who did the deed were those Qi Sea Realm cultivators from Qingchan Peak.
The reason they acted was Fu Qian’s order.
The reason Fu Qian ordered the slaughter of the Immortal Gambling Den in Taiyun City was because he wanted to eliminate future troubles.
And the reason he wanted to eliminate future troubles was because he feared the leak of Song Mingde’s list.
On Song Mingde’s list was written the name Huo Mu…
This meant the true mastermind behind the massacre of the Immortal Gambling Den was—
“Supreme Imperial Law Elder of Kongshan Sect, Huo Mu.”
Chen Yan looked directly into the eyes of Xiao Bo’an before him and gave his answer.
Xiao Bo’an, in turn, also looked directly into Chen Yan’s eyes. Upon hearing the answer, he didn’t show any expression.
Just like that, both men remained silent for a few breaths before Xiao Bo’an suddenly let out a soft laugh:
“Wrong answer.”
The mastermind wasn’t Huo Mu?
This outcome took Chen Yan slightly by surprise.
“Chief Disciple Chen seems more reckless than I imagined, but upon careful thought, this might be my fault. After all, I didn’t tell Chief Disciple Chen what the punishment is for a wrong answer.”
Xiao Bo’an said slowly.
Punishment?
Chen Yan frowned slightly, a bad premonition rising in his heart.
“Farewell, Chief Disciple Chen.”
Xiao Bo’an gently stroked the ring on his right index finger.
A sword cry rang out, followed by an incredibly sharp, pure sword aura slicing across Chen Yan’s neck.
Along with Chen Yan’s head falling, the gate of the courtyard behind him also slid down.
[Reincarnation Ended.]
[This Reincarnation Rating: C- (Why don’t you think it over again?)]
[Accumulated Cultivation: Qi Sea Realm Peak]
[Reincarnation Reward: Xun Wind Step]
[Reincarnation settlement complete. Host will return to the previous reincarnation record point, inherit the accumulated cultivation from this reincarnation, and restart life.]
The clamor of human voices flooded into Chen Yan’s ears.
After regaining consciousness again, he was standing on the bustling street of Taiyun City.
This reincarnation’s record point was on the street leading from the Kongshan Sect’s Stationed Envoy Residence in Taiyun City to Li Tonghe’s ancestral home.
Fortunately, this reincarnation’s rating wasn’t D.
The reincarnation reward was a movement technique called Xun Wind Step. Chen Yan was quite satisfied with this reward, as he indeed lacked a suitable movement technique for rapid relocation.
Back during the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, Chen Yan standing on the arena platform was like a fixed turret, only capable of repeatedly releasing Kongshan Finger.
Although he didn’t know the quality of Xun Wind Step, judging by the usual conventions of reincarnation rewards, the grade of this technique likely wouldn’t be low.
After all, the Purple Mansion Record back then was also a reward from a C- grade reincarnation rating.
And compared to the Kongshan Record, which the Kongshan Sect regarded as their foundational heart technique, the Purple Mansion Record was on a completely different, far higher level.
More important to Chen Yan than the reincarnation reward was figuring out how to break the current deadlock.
There were still fifty-one days until the Outer Court Cataclysm.
Chen Yan had no clue how to break the situation. The only thing he could think of was to do as Qi Yi said: find the true mastermind behind the massacre of the Immortal Gambling Den.
He had already given one wrong answer.
The price for being wrong was death.
But… why?
Once he died, the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul within his body would be released.
If Qi Yi knew this, then why would Xiao Bo’an so decisively kill him?
No, that’s not right.
How could it be Xiao Bo’an?
Chen Yan’s current cultivation realm was Qi Sea Realm Peak.
Xiao Bo’an at Heavenly Summit Mountain was only at the late stage of the Martial Spring Realm. Although Chen Yan didn’t understand why there was another Xiao Bo’an here in Taiyun City, he was clear that this Xiao Bo’an absolutely did not have the ability to kill him in one move.
Moreover, before Chen Yan died, he heard a sword cry.
And, although only for an instant, Chen Yan still saw it.
He saw a wisp of clear energy.
That was spiritual energy.
It was a technique of an upper three realms cultivator.
…The ring.
On Xiao Bo’an’s right index finger, he wore Ye Xiu’s ring.
Whether during the Outer Court Cataclysm fifty-one days later, or in the immediate present today, whenever someone wanted to kill him, they were wearing this ring.
Based on Xiao Bo’an’s own abilities alone, he had no way of killing him.
As for that upper three realms cultivator’s technique, it was likely related to the ring on Xiao Bo’an’s right index finger.
The Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul, the ring, and his own death…
Mo Zheng’s divine soul had once existed within this ring.
So, did this mean the ring itself was a type of Soul Artifact?
If that was the case, could this ring also seal the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul?
All of this was still just Chen Yan’s speculation, but this possibility certainly existed.
So, how exactly to break the deadlock?
Xiao Bo’an said the punishment for a wrong answer was death.
As for what the correct answer actually was…
Chen Yan believed his deduction wasn’t wrong.
Those Qi Sea Realm cultivators were executioners directed by Fu Qian;
this was an undeniable fact.
If Fu Qian wasn’t the mastermind, then it could only mean Fu Qian was being used by someone.
Indeed, if the mastermind was Huo Mu, there was a certain logical flaw.
The cause of the Immortal Gambling Den’s massacre was Song Mingde’s list.
But this couldn’t mean the mastermind was Song Mingde, because causing this outcome was definitely not his original intention.
Moreover, if Grand Elder Qi sent him to investigate the mastermind, and the final answer was just some minor, bought-off Outer Court Supervisor… that would be somewhat laughable…
Wait, what if!
Chen Yan’s gaze sharpened.
If the truth was like this, then everything made sense.
…
Before the dilapidated, narrow little house.
Chen Yan stood before the main gate, then raised his hand and pushed open the courtyard door in front of him. The wooden door’s hinge made that grating sound again.
Immediately, Chen Yan, without any concern, placed his hands behind his back and strolled to the well in the courtyard.
Just like the previous reincarnation, the sound of something falling to the ground came from the side room of the house.
Then, “Li Tonghe” walked out from the side room.
“Immortal Master Yan?”
This “gambling den waiter” spoke with feigned surprise:
“What are you doing here?”
Chen Yan slowly turned his head, looking in his direction with an utterly calm demeanor, then revealed a brilliant smile:
“Of course I came to find you, Chief Disciple Xiao.”