With a single decisive motion of the blade, Tie Wuque was killed on the spot. Chen Yi turned his head, only to see a white-robed female Immortal wielding a Peach Wood Sword approaching.
Yin Weiyin instinctively shivered. For so reason, every ti his gaze landed on her, she would beco inexplicably flustered, as if in the next second, this man might completely disregard everything to sneer viciously and pin her to the ground.
Seeing Yin Weiyin here, Chen Yi was sowhat surprised. However, upon seeing Dong Gong Ruoshu, he wasn’t the least bit shocked.
"What is this situation?"
Dong Gong Ruoshu asked, puzzled, noticing that Chen Yi showed no intention of leaving after committing murder.
"Those three people put a bounty on my head. As for ..."
Chen Yi spoke while casting a glance at Yin Weiyin.
The female Immortal hurriedly interjected:
"Chen Qianhu was rely eliminating demons and defending righteousness."
The group of guard Protectors exchanged confused glances, clearly unable to make sense of the scene. Seeing that Chen Yi had no intention of leaving, Dong Gong Ruoshu thought that there might be so truth to his words and chose not to comnt further.
Rather than questioning why Chen Yi had committed murder, Dong Gong Ruoshu was more preoccupied with Yin Weiyin’s earlier reaction.
Was it... fear?
Yin Weiyin glanced to the side, seemingly sensing sothing. Ripples stirred across her Heart Lake, but they quickly subsided.
Her mind had already weighed the situation. She chuckled softly and said to Chen Yi:
"All is well?"
"All is well, thank you."
Chen Yi replied curtly.
"Good, then there’s no problem. With your martial prowess, there’s no need for to worry over you."
Yin Weiyin’s voice was calm and indifferent—neither overly concerned nor completely detached. The subtle balance in her tone was perfectly asured.
To an observer, it didn’t seem like the care of a Dao companion, but more like the concern for a cultivation cauldron. This scene fell into Dong Gong Ruoshu’s eyes. Tilting her head, she thought,
Was my feeling mistaken?
After all, every generation of Taichua Goddesses has always been otherworldly Immortals. How could one of them possibly fear an ordinary mortal ant to serve as a cauldron? Such a notion was laughable. After this reflection, Dong Gong Ruoshu averted her gaze.
Yin Weiyin exhaled a small sigh of relief.
Just then, Min Ning strode forward from the distance. His gaze first landed on her before shifting to Chen Yi.
"Are you alright?"
Min Ning asked, then quickly cast a wary glance at the white-robed Immortal.
That look seed to say: She didn’t do anything to you, did she?
Yin Weiyin was mildly displeased but said nothing. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed a subtle yet strange expression on Dong Gong Ruoshu’s face.
Suddenly, the Immortal’s thoughts snapped into focus.
Her current identity with Min Ning should be... rivals in love?!
In that case, she ought to make so kind of move.
"Of course, he’s fine."
Yin Weiyin said with a smile,
"Thank you for your concern."
?
Min Ning turned to stare at Yin Weiyin, his eyes filled with a mix of confusion and suspicion.
What’s with this full-fledged "first wife" deanor?
Isn’t she... just a cauldron who has been drained of her essence?
Yin Weiyin seed to sense the implication in his gaze. She had never wanted those familiar with her to misunderstand the nature of her relationship with Chen Yi, yet she was unsure what to say to clarify.
Chen Yi, anwhile, cast a heavy gaze inside the hall, paying no mind to the tumultuous undercurrents among the won and completely unaware that he was the eye of this storm. Quietly, he flicked the blood from his blade, as he always did.
Seeing this gesture, Yin Weiyin clenched her teeth. After much internal deliberation, she decided that preserving the image of the Taichua Goddess was ultimately more important.
Thus, she took a handkerchief from her robes and handed it to Chen Yi.
"Use this to wipe the blood; no need to return it."
She said this plainly, without sparing Min Ning a glance, as if she didn’t care in the slightest.
Chen Yi gave Yin Weiyin a sidelong look. Taking the handkerchief, he couldn’t help but wonder why she was acting so differently today. Yet, this caring deanor... was oddly endearing.
Just then, Li Jisheng stepped forward and clasped his hands in a salute to Chen Yi.
"I broke the rules of Jinya Pavilion this ti, but given the circumstances, I hope Mr. Li can forgive ," Chen Yi said.
So ti ago, Li Jisheng had already warned him about Prince of Annan’s bounty on his head. Chen Yi understood that this Pavilion Master might not have entirely altruistic motives and was testing his limits.
If a test it is, so be it. He would stick to his own path regardless.
"Such is the natural order. After all, they placed a bounty on the life of a Qianhu in the presence of a Qianhu,"
Li Jisheng replied calmly, casting a glance at the Protectors:
"Why are you just standing there? Gather the corpses promptly."
The Protectors obeyed and swiftly dragged away Tie Wuque’s body, along with the two others lying in the hall. By this ti, Li Jisheng had already turned his gaze toward the white-robed Immortal.
"This must be the daughter of the King of Jing. As it happens, your Prince Mansion purchased the heir of the Joyful Sect at auction. I can bring this person to you at any ti."
As soon as Li Jisheng finished speaking, Chen Yi glanced sidelong at Yin Weiyin.
The Immortal cursed inwardly; she understood well what Chen Yi’s gaze implied.
She had purchased this heir to obtain the Joyful Sect’s techniques for energy extraction and destroy them. But if Chen Yi were to find out...
That man—she couldn’t begin to imagine what ans he might use against her...
Yin Weiyin dared not think further. Every ti she tried, it was like hoping for relief from phantom desires, a shiver running down her thighs that she could neither ignore nor suppress.
Thinking of the implications, Yin Weiyin felt a chill of dread settle in her heart. After deliberation, she clenched her teeth and spoke with an outward calm:
"This person holds no value to . Pavilion Master, please take him to Chen Qianhu. I bought him specifically for his use."
Sixteen thousand taels of silver... all wasted on a gift for him...
As Yin Weiyin spoke, her heart bled.
To make matters worse, wasn’t it likely... that he might learn the extraction technique directly from this heir?
Why did she have to encounter him here? Truly, he was her destined nesis!
Chen Yi seed montarily surprised by her words. After studying her for a mont, he laughed and said,
"You’ve been quite considerate."
"That’s as it should be. Since wealth ans little in the pursuit of immortality, what does it matter?"
Yin Weiyin replied indifferently,
"re external trappings are better spent early than left to waste."
Hearing this, Dong Gong Ruoshu’s eyes brightened with admiration. Such detachnt from material things—truly a practitioner born of the sacred groves.
Li Jisheng turned to Chen Yi, saying:
"Then, Chen Qianhu, why not co with now?"
"Very well."
Chen Yi instantly stepped forward.
Li Jisheng led him through the corridor, past the main hall, and finally to a narrow side chamber. Pushing open the door, they found the Joyful Sect heir, Xue Qingsheng, tied up and restrained.
When Chen Yi appeared before him, Xue Qingsheng barely lifted his eyes before lowering them again.
Chen Yi stared at him and asked:
"I’ll ask you one question: Do you know the connection between your sect and the Demon Cult?"
Xue Qingsheng remained silent.
Chen Yi frowned slightly and asked again:
"Another question: Why does the Joyful Sect worship the dicine Buddha?"
Yet Xue Qingsheng offered no response.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Yi finally said:
"You choose not to answer, I see."
Li Jisheng interjected,
"Chen Qianhu, re questioning won’t work. We tried asking him before, but he said nothing. It was only through dicinal concoctions that he revealed anything, and even then, not much."
"Is that so? Then I have a better thod."
Chen Yi’s voice was cold as ice.
"A better thod?"
Li Jisheng looked puzzled.
Chen Yi didn’t bother to explain. Instead, he turned back to Xue Qingsheng and spoke chillingly:
"So you won’t talk. Playing coy, are we?"
Xue Qingsheng didn’t even glance at him. But the next second, his head twisted violently, his pupils dilating in fright. His tightly shut lips trembled.
The blade had already pierced his abdon. Chen Yi twisted the knife with force, shredding his innards.
"If you won’t answer, then don’t bother."
Chen Yi pulled the knife out.
"I’ll just have soone perform a Soul Search."
Li Jisheng watched the scene unfold, montarily frozen in disbelief. Over the years, he had witnessed a wide array of characters, but this—it was his first ti encountering sothing so ruthless.
To kill soone purchased for sixteen thousand taels of silver without a second thought?
..................
On Penglai Fairy Island.
A man paused mid-stroke on the chi he was striking.
The male and female disciples around him, too, halted their musical ensemble of flutes, zithers, and timbrels, their rhythm faltering with the absence of their leader.
"Martial Uncle, why did you stop?"
One young disciple asked in confusion.
The man snapped out of his thoughts and smiled faintly,
"Oh, it’s nothing."
Even as he spoke, his gaze lingered on the chessboard at the Lake Heart Pavilion in the distance.
Another chess piece cracked and shattered.
The Daoist of Penglai lowered his eyes in deliberation, pondering deeply but unable to make sense of it.
Verbose Li Xieling had been killed.
And now the silent Xue Qingsheng was slain too?
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