Once an arrow was loosed from the bow, there was no turning back.
Yellow sand billowed wildly, and the earth trembled.
Two figures remained locked in a relentless battle.
A single punch from the monk sent Chen Zhengxian crashing down onto one knee.
The monk’s Golden Body grew increasingly radiant, as though it had been forged entirely from solid gold.
Chen Zhengxian struggled to rise to his feet.
The monk’s expression remained calm as he repeated his earlier words. “For the sake of all living beings under heaven, I ask that you sacrifice yourself, Sage Chen.”
Chen Zhengxian finally spoke. “Do you understand what it means to kill an Omniscient Sage?”
The monk replied calmly, “Of course this humble monk understands. Once Sage Chen dies, the Golden Tower Council will inevitably have to provide an explanation to the entire Daoist Order. That explanation must carry sufficient weight. Blaming the Ancient Immortals would not be enough, and besides, the Ancient Immortals are not so easily killed.
“As for who actually killed Sage Chen, the truth is irrelevant. What matters is whom the Daoist Order believes to be responsible. If the Daoist Order wishes to wage war against the Holy Court, then it will be declared that agents of the Holy Court infiltrated the Death Sea and committed the murder. If the Daoist Order wishes to wage war against the Buddhist Sect, then the perpetrators will be us Buddhists. If the Daoist Order wishes to attack the Steam Evangelical Sect, then they will be held responsible even though they lie across the vast ocean. Even if you were to die accidentally during a Heavenly Tribulation, your death would have to be treated as an assassination. This is a political matter.
“Of course, if the Daoist Order does not wish to stir up trouble, provide an explanation, or go to war, and instead insists on prioritizing the greater good and exercising strategic restraint, then regardless of how much evidence exists, I’m afraid your death will simply be classified as an accident. That conclusion will be unalterable and beyond question. The life or death of a single individual does not have as great an impact as people imagine. No matter who disappears from this mortal world, the world will continue to exist. Immortals, Gods, and Buddhas all take themselves far too seriously.
“Sage Chen, you may believe that the Daoist Order will erupt in thunderous fury. But the Daoist Order is not a single individual. It consists of many people, each with their own thoughts and intentions. Among the Three Daoist Sects, they may not necessarily think alike. Everyone has their own calculations, and in the end, each faction will still look after its own interests. So we shall have to wait and see whether this affair brings about a thunderous storm or merely thunder without rain.”
“Speaking of which, are you not at all curious about how I came to know your exact itinerary?”
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhengxian suddenly arrived at a certain realization. “Could it be...?”
However, before he could finish speaking, the monk had already delivered the killing blow without mercy.
With a single punch, the monk shattered Chen Zhengxian’s head with his fist.
Chen Zhengxian’s headless corpse remained frozen in the posture it had held at the moment of death. The lotus crown that Chen Zhengxian had carefully straightened earlier was sent flying high into the air before descending into the monk’s hand.
The monk’s name was Xiao Heshang, which literally meant Monk Xiao.
Xiao Heshang exerted some force through his hand, crushing the lotus crown into fine powder.
He glanced at the fiercely burning wreckage of the flying ship before his figure gradually faded away, disappearing without leaving the slightest trace.
......
Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu was the first to arrive in Jade Capital.
The Wanxiang Daoist Palace also maintained a liaison residence in Jade Capital, and the relevant personnel had been waiting there to welcome Qi Xuansu.
As soon as Qi Xuansu disembarked from the flying ship, Superintendent Qian came forward to greet him and pay his respects.
Qi Xuansu waved his hand and said, “There’s no need for any of you to accompany me. I’ll be staying at home for the next few days.”
Superintendent Qian promptly acknowledged the instruction. This was entirely within his expectations. After all, Sage Qi was still a newlywed and owned a luxurious mansion in Taishang Place. No matter how one looked at it, there was no reason for him to stay at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace’s liaison residence. That residence was primarily intended for high-ranking Daoist priests who had not established homes in Jade Capital.
After dismissing the personnel from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Qi Xuansu took Yan Yongzhen with him into a carriage and headed straight for Taishang Place.
Before setting off, Qi Xuansu had also contacted Gong Jiaojun and arranged to meet Sage Donghua the following day. Thus, there was no need to rush to the Purple Mansion. He decided to return home first.
Yan Yongzhen was exceptionally meticulous in his arrangements. Back when Qi Xuansu had gotten married, he had deliberately obtained Ke Qingqing’s contact methods. This time, upon learning that Qi Xuansu would be returning to Jade Capital, he had notified Ke Qingqing in advance and asked her to pass the news along to Zhang Yuelu.
When Qi Xuansu arrived home, Zhang Yuelu had not yet returned, but Ke Qingqing had arrived ahead of him. After speaking with Ke Qingqing, Qi Xuansu learned that Zhang Yuelu generally did not return to Taishang Place, preferring to stay at her residence in Xuan City.
That was because she had grown accustomed to living there, and that residence was closer to Tiangang Hall. Moreover, with both Qi Xuansu and Little Yin away, she saw little point in staying alone in such a vast, empty mansion.
However, now that Qi Xuansu had returned, Zhang Yuelu would naturally come back as well. Besides, a large mansion had its advantages. Even the accompanying personnel could be accommodated without making the place feel remotely crowded. There was also no need to worry about being disturbed. With separate gates and courtyards dividing the various sections of the estate, even if people were fighting or killing one another in one part of the mansion, those in another part might not hear a thing.
Once Zhang Yuelu returned, Qi Xuansu could conveniently ask her about the situation in the Western Region. After all, the official bulletin had only briefly mentioned that the Spirit Guard Office and Tiangang Hall had issued warnings. He would still have to consult those directly involved for the precise nature of those warnings. As the Deputy Chief of Tiangang Hall and its Junior Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu would undoubtedly be privy to inside information. This would also allow Qi Xuansu to prepare in advance, ensuring that when he met Sage Donghua the following day, he would have something substantive to contribute to their discussion.
However, Zhang Yuelu did not return until very late that night.
As the saying goes, a brief separation makes a reunion sweeter than newlywed bliss. Qi Xuansu had originally intended to spend some tender, intimate moments with Zhang Yuelu. However, upon seeing the grave and solemn expression on her face, he could not help but ask, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Zhang Yuelu replied in a grim voice, “Sage Feiling of the Western Region Daoist Mansion was in an accident.”
Startled, Qi Xuansu immediately asked, “When did this happen?”
Zhang Yuelu replied, “We received the news six hours ago, but the exact circumstances are still unclear. All we know is that the incident happened while they were passing through the Death Sea. Apparently, the flying ship made a hard landing. The Golden Tower Council has already dispatched personnel to conduct rescue operations. My master and Great Sage Jiang have both gone there. I’ve been assigned to remain behind and oversee Tiangang Hall. If you hadn’t returned today, I would’ve stayed at Tiangang Hall, though I was planning to inform you about the incident.”
Qi Xuansu frowned. “A hard landing? What kind of bullshit description is that? Doesn’t that simply mean it crashed? I’m most familiar with that!”
Zhang Yuelu was in a rather somber mood. She sighed and attempted to find a little humor amid the grim circumstances. “Yes, you certainly do. If it hadn’t been for that astonishing leap you made at Kunlun Mountain Pass, I might never have made up my mind to marry you.”
Qi Xuansu felt somewhat embarrassed and waved his hand dismissively. “That happened ages ago. Why bring it up now? We should get back to the serious matter at hand.”
Zhang Yuelu turned solemn again. “Of course, ‘hard landing’ is merely the provisional description being used. Judging by the time that has passed, my master and the others should have reached the scene by now. We ought to receive further information very soon. It’s just that I can’t shake this ominous feeling. I keep thinking that Sage Chen’s chances of survival are probably very slim.”
Qi Xuansu completely lost his inclination to joke. His expression became exceedingly grave. “Is the situation really that serious?”
Zhang Yuelu instinctively pinched her nose bridge. “I hope it’s just my imagination, too.”
As though summoned by their conversation, Zhang Yuelu’s license suddenly stirred with activity.
Zhang Yuelu gestured to Qi Xuansu, who immediately fell silent, swallowing the words he had been about to say.
She then answered the communication through her license. The person on the other end was none other than Sage Cihang.
The master and disciple exchanged only a few brief words, with Zhang Yuelu acknowledging several statements before Sage Cihang ended the communication.
Qi Xuansu asked, “What did Sage Cihang say?”
Zhang Yuelu’s expression darkened. “They’ve found Sage Chen. Unfortunately, my worst fears have come true.”
Qi Xuansu immediately understood what she meant.
It would not be fair to say that Jade Capital had responded slowly. After all, the Death Sea stretched approximately 1,000 kilometers from east to west and 400 kilometers from north to south, covering an area larger than an entire state.
In terms of area, the Death Sea was twice the size of Qizhou. Worse still, it was an utterly uninhabited land. There was not even a camel to be found, let alone Daoist temples or Daoist Mansions.
Even the straight-line distance from Jinling Prefecture to the Imperial Capital was only around 900 kilometers, which was still shorter than the more than 1,000 kilometers spanning the Death Sea from east to west.
It was unreasonable to expect that someone could launch an attack in Jinling Prefecture and have the authorities in the Imperial Capital immediately detect it. There was simply no way things worked like that. Back when True Lord Siming descended upon Jinling Prefecture, the area had been densely populated, yet the Daoist Order had still required some time to respond. Moreover, the straight-line distance from Jinling Prefecture to Penglai Island, where the Imperial Preceptor resided, or to Yunjin Mountain, where the Heavenly Preceptor resided, was not even 1,000 kilometers.
This did not even account for the distances within Kunlun Mountain and the Daxue Mountain, which formed the outer perimeter of the arrangement resembling a concentric square.
Therefore, it was entirely understandable that the Daoist Order had been unable to react in time.
However, this was where the problem lay. The Death Sea was so vast, so how could the ambushers have managed to intercept their target with such precision?
It was highly likely that an insider had leaked information.
Zhang Yuelu continued, “My master and the others are on their way back. Let’s head to Tiangang Hall and wait for them there.”
Naturally, Qi Xuansu had no objections.
This was destined to be a sleepless night. The Golden Tower Council would undoubtedly be holding discussions throughout the night.
Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu left Taishang Place and made their way to Tiangang Hall in Xuan City.
This was also the place where Qi Xuansu had once fought and struggled at the bottom. Many people here still recognized him, and upon seeing him enter, they came forward to greet him. However, they no longer addressed him as Xiao Qi or Tian Yuan. Now, they had to respectfully call him Sage Taiwei or Sage Qi. A thick, invisible barrier of status had already arisen between them.
The two proceeded directly to the Hall Master’s office. Since land in Jade Capital was extraordinarily valuable, the office could not compare in size to those found in regional Daoist Mansions and was relatively modest. Qian Wan and Xiao Yueru were still present. Upon seeing Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu enter, both immediately rose to their feet and paid their respects.
Zhang Yuelu cut to the chase. “The Hall Master will be returning shortly. There may be a meeting tonight, so make the necessary preparations.”
The two acknowledged their orders and departed to carry them out.
......
At that very moment, Sage Cihang was communicating with Sage Donghua. “Xuan Ji, I have some bad news for you. Sage Chen is dead. We found only his headless corpse at the scene, and his lotus crown had been destroyed. All the other accompanying personnel, including his secretary, also perished in the incident.”
Sage Donghua asked in return, “Zhi Sheng, what do you make of this?”
Sage Cihang replied, “There are traces of combat at the site of the flying ship’s crash. It appears that a Martial Arts Practitioner was involved, and one at the Manly Immortal level, no less. We also discovered traces of divine power among the flying ship’s wreckage, which means the Ancient Immortals are probably involved.”
Sage Donghua commented, “The Ancient Immortals don’t have the audacity to do something like this. I’m afraid there’s more to this incident than meets the eye, especially at a time like this.”
Sage Cihang agreed. “I share your assessment. The Buddhists are most likely responsible. The fact that they were able to carry out such a precisely targeted ambush strongly suggests the involvement of an insider. It seems that certain individuals within our own ranks are now willing to resort to any means necessary.”
Sage Donghua sighed. “It’s still too early to draw conclusions. Let’s discuss the details when we meet in person.”
Sage Cihang nodded. “Very well. We’ll be arriving in Jade Capital shortly.”