Chapter 669 - 678: A Complicated Situation

Wen Qingye didn’t answer Pan Jieming directly. With a faint smile, he said, "Brother Pan, rest assured, my Celestial Profound Sect will not let you down. Just wait and see."

His words were ambiguous and vague, offering no useful information.

Seeing that Wen Qingye hadn’t answered him and that his expression remained unchanged, Pan Jieming grew anxious, unwilling to let it go.

His way of thinking was vastly different from his father’s, Pan Zhongyi. Pan Zhongyi preferred to choose a reliable ally for mutual support, to advance and retreat as one.

But Pan Jieming thought differently. He hoped to be on good terms with every major power, playing all sides to reap massive benefits and strengthen himself.

That was why he was so desperate to know what bargaining chips the various powers held. He wanted to find out before Pan Zhongyi did so he could find a way to change his father’s mind.

By now, most of the Sects had already held detailed talks with Pan Zhongyi. Only the Celestial Profound Sect and a few others had yet to negotiate, and of those, Pan Zhongyi valued the Celestial Profound Sect the most.

In the context of the entire Eastern Profound Domain, the Celestial Profound Sect was both the most and least suitable ally.

They were most suitable because, on the surface, their strengths were comparable. Moreover, with the Celestial Profound Sect currently contending with the Taiyi Pavilion in secret, it was the perfect opportunity to offer timely aid.

However, allying with the Celestial Profound Sect would undoubtedly mean offending the Taiyi Pavilion, which was also the biggest reason not to form an alliance.

Pan Jieming’s brow knitted. "Is it that Brother Wen is unwilling to speak frankly?" he asked.

Wen Qingye looked at Pan Jieming and explained with a smile, "Brother Pan may not know this, but I’m not entirely clear on the specifics myself. I still need to use a communication Jade Scroll to confer with my Sect Elders. Even if I told you something now, it could very well change later."

Wen Qingye continued to be evasive, consistently feeding Pan Jieming useless information.

’It seems some harder methods are called for.’

Seeing this, Pan Jieming steeled himself. He glanced at the woman beside him, a dark, hidden light flashing in his eyes.

When the woman saw the look in Pan Jieming’s eyes, her heart clenched. She naturally knew what he wanted her to do. She glanced at Wen Qingye, and upon seeing his handsome, remarkable face, she gritted her teeth and steeled her resolve.

Before Wen Qingye could react, the woman had already walked to his side, and her body, as soft as jade, suddenly collapsed into his arms.

With quick reflexes, he swiftly reached out and caught the woman.

Wen Qingye blinked. "Are you all right?" he asked.

The woman was momentarily stunned, then gave an awkward smile. "Thank you, Young Master Wen. I’m fine."

As soon as she spoke, she quickly picked up the nearby wine pot and filled Wen Qingye’s empty cup, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Watching from the side, Pan Jieming’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’This Wen Qingye doesn’t seem to be a lecher. It looks like prying his thoughts from him will be difficult.’

With this thought, Pan Jieming raised his cup and laughed loudly. "Come, Brother Wen, drink!"

A small room, a simple banquet, yet it concealed so much scheming and intrigue.

"To drinking," Wen Qingye said, raising his cup and nodding. ’I didn’t expect Pan Jieming to be so ruthless, even to his own woman. In that case, there’s no need for me to be polite either.’

ZING!

Suddenly, Wen Qingye’s eyes flashed like a black aurora, seeming to pierce straight into Pan Jieming’s very soul.

An eternity seemed to pass, and yet it was only for a single breath.

Wen Qingye slowly retracted his gaze, feigning nonchalance. Pan Jieming had no idea that in that moment, his Primordial Spirit had been completely invaded by Wen Qingye.

The two men continued to trade toasts. Another hour passed.

Wen Qingye rose to his feet, a satisfied look on his face. "If there’s nothing else, I have some other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now," he said.

With a smile on his face, Pan Jieming said, "Very well. I’ll have someone escort Brother Wen out personally."

Wen Qingye refused. "There’s no need. I can see myself out. I wouldn’t want to trouble Brother Pan."

"In that case, I won’t insist." Pan Jieming’s mind turned, and he added with a smile, "Then we shall see each other in five days at the Ninth Commerce Association’s auction."

Wen Qingye nodded. The Ninth Commerce Association’s auction was indeed scheduled for five days from now.

With that, Wen Qingye took his leave.

After Wen Qingye left the room, Pan Jieming’s expression gradually darkened.

’This Wen Qingye is really something. According to my plans, I must be on good terms with all the major powers. I certainly can’t afford to offend him—in fact, I must win him over. For now, I’ll put him on the same level as the Little Demon Venerable. I need to focus on recruiting both of them.’

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared behind Pan Jieming, emerging from behind the screen. "If you had to choose," the figure asked, "would it be Wen Qingye or the Little Demon Venerable?"

Hearing the dark figure’s question, Pan Jieming paused in thought for a moment. "I would choose Wen Qingye."

"Why?" The shadow’s tone rose slightly, laced with confusion.

Pan Jieming said slowly, "Because at the very least, I can see through Wen Qingye. That Little Demon Venerable, however... I can’t read him at all."

The dark figure frowned and muttered, "See through him?"

As Pan Jieming finished speaking, his eyes turned sharp and menacing as he looked toward the trembling woman beside them.

"Don’t..." The woman’s face was pale as she stumbled backward.

The dark figure said softly, "She is the Grand General’s daughter."

CRACK!

The words had barely left the dark figure’s lips when Pan Jieming seized the woman’s neck and gave it a sharp twist.

"And so what?" Pan Jieming said nonchalantly as he let her body fall, as if he had just done something utterly insignificant.

...

After leaving Moon Ascension Mansion, Wen Qingye glanced back over his shoulder.

He couldn’t help but feel a jolt of surprise. ’This trip was truly worthwhile. I never expected Pan Jieming to have a power like that backing him.’

He had just used an incredibly powerful and subtle Secret Skill to invade Pan Jieming’s Primordial Spirit, laying bare the deepest secrets of his mind.

Wen Qingye had discovered two secrets. The first was that Pan Jieming had a mysterious power backing him, an arrangement of mutual exploitation.

From the images deep within Pan Jieming’s mind, Wen Qingye knew this power was in no way inferior to the Celestial Profound Sect.

The other secret was that he now knew all the bargaining chips that the various powers had put on the table. Thinking of this, Wen Qingye couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile.

It was a clear indicator of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s immense power; otherwise, the various factions would not be investing so heavily.

This was a convergence of open and covert struggles among all the major powers.

It wasn’t just about the Inspection Disciples, but also the Elders and Sects backing them. Victory would depend on the methods employed by the Inspection Disciple who held the Commander position.

The Taiyi Pavilion and the Celestial Profound Sect were already as incompatible as fire and water. The Sword Sect and Thousand Nether Valley were clearly planning to sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight, while the movements of the Daoist School of Non-action were rather difficult to fathom.

Then there were the stances of the several hundred other Sects in the Eastern Profound Domain. Powers like the Great Daoist Mansion, Three Realms Sect, Yin Yang Sect, Jade Maiden Sect, Cyan Yang Sect, and Thousand Mountains would be a force not to be underestimated if they banded together.

As for the other hidden powers, they were still lying dormant. And now, this restless behemoth, the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, had been added to the mix.

The power dynamics of the entire Eastern Profound Domain were truly intricate and deeply intertwined.

If the other three Domains were to get involved, the chaos would be unimaginable.

’It seems the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty absolutely cannot be allowed to fall into the Taiyi Pavilion’s camp. Never mind. I should head back first and focus on breaking through my cultivation to the Fourth Heaven of the Life and Death Realm.’

Wen Qingye left Moon Ascension Mansion and began walking toward the Celestial Profound Sect’s gathering point.