"Huh? There's another expert?"
Lianshan Xin's heart clenched tight.
Among them, there was actually an undercover fiend from the Demon Cult.
Fortunately, the weather in Jiangzhou had suddenly taken a drastic turn, so Lianshan Xin's sudden tension didn't arouse Zhuo Biyu's suspicion.
Instead, Zhuo Biyu glanced up at the sky full of dark clouds and cracked a grim joke: "Don't be afraid. The death of a mere Zeng Ningbing isn't enough to trigger such a massive shift in the weather. The Dragon King has been extinct for a thousand years."
She had no idea that what terrified Lianshan Xin wasn't the weather—it was her.
At that moment, the urge to kill her to keep his mouth shut almost immediately crossed Lianshan Xin's mind.
Yet he quickly realized that Qi Shiyun and Tian Ji's relationship with Zhuo Biyu was likely far closer than his own.
Who knew how many years they had known each other or how many times they had fought shoulder to shoulder?
He had only just formed a friendship bound by the fate of their nine generations with them.
Their bond still needed nurturing.
Moreover, proving that Zhuo Biyu, a genuine Demon Cult operative, was colluding with demons was far harder than proving an innocent commoner was.
*Wait—*
Lianshan Xin fought to keep his pupils from constricting.
He saw another figure appear before the Maitreya Buddha statue.
There was a familiar flash of a red skirt.
The moment he saw that splash of crimson, Lianshan Xin let out a massive sigh of relief inwardly.
It was Blood Guanyin.
As long as it wasn't Thousand Faces, that was fine.
Thousand Faces was right here in Jiangzhou. If Zhuo Biyu belonged to Thousand Faces, placing such leverage directly into his hands would make things extremely troublesome for Lianshan Xin.
Letting Blood Guanyin know would naturally bring trouble too.
However, Blood Guanyin wasn't in Jiangzhou; that was a problem for another day.
Given Lianshan Xin's current rate of progress, plus the generous sponsorship of his top backer, if he were given a year, it wasn't even certain who would be afraid of whom.
Furthermore, according to the intelligence he had gathered so far, deep friction existed between Blood Guanyin and Thousand Faces.
In killing Zeng Ningbing this time, Lianshan Xin and the others had directed the blame squarely at Thousand Faces. Even if Blood Guanyin found out, she would likely be glad to see it happen. Lianshan Xin would never believe the Four Great Elders of the Demon Cult could stand united as one.
Even their newly formed "One Heart Society," bound by the lives of their nine generations, couldn't manage it. What right did the Demon Cult have?
Lianshan Xin continued watching calmly.
Blood Guanyin handed Zhuo Biyu a letter.
"Elder, what is this?" Zhuo Biyu took the letter, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Blood Guanyin didn't hide anything: "The traces of 'Thousand Faces.' Consider it a generous gift from me to help you rise through the ranks in Nine Heavens."
Zhuo Biyu was stunned: "Thousand Faces? The most enigmatic Thousand Faces among the Sacred Cult's Four Great Elders? Elder, isn't he on our side?"
"It's merely an eye for an eye. When I was advancing to the Dharma Idol realm, he struck a venomous blow against me. A gentleman waits ten years to take revenge; I am no gentleman, and I cannot wait ten years."
Zhuo Biyu: "..."
"'Heavenly Sword' and 'Thousand Faces' have a grudge as well. Once Heavenly Sword learns of Thousand Faces' whereabouts, he will surely head south to Jiangzhou. When that happens, you can seize the opportunity to leave Shenjing," Blood Guanyin instructed. "A great turmoil will befall Shenjing before long. Your current strength is insufficient, so self-preservation comes first."
Zhuo Biyu was shocked again: "Elder, is the Sacred Cult planning something major in Shenjing? Isn't it too early?"
"Rest assured, we are not raising banners in open rebellion in Shenjing. The Cult Master isn't that mad; there is another scheme underway. For this arrangement to succeed, we must transfer out as many of Nine Heavens' battle-ready Great Grandmasters as possible so they cannot stand in the way. Thousand Faces makes a very suitable target. It is time for him to show his loyalty to the Sacred Cult."
Zhuo Biyu was left speechless, able only to remind Blood Guanyin: "Elder, you must still maintain as low a profile as possible while operating in Shenjing. Shenjing is guarded by an immortal and has always maintained airtight vigilance against people from our Sacred Cult."
"Great Yu's immortal won't hold out for much longer."
The information Blood Guanyin revealed so casually sent a tremendous shockwave through Zhuo Biyu's mind.
It also caused Lianshan Xin's heart to sink as he witnessed it.
If the immortal backing the imperial court ran into trouble, demons would truly dance in wild abandon.
Lianshan Xin didn't want to see that happen because he was currently on the court's side, and it was always better to take shelter under a big tree.
"This is the 'Severing Emotion Saber' technique I created when condensing my dharma idol. It should be useful to you. However, you only need to use it as a reference; there's no need to imitate me."
Blood Guanyin handed Zhuo Biyu another notebook.
Taking it, Zhuo Biyu hurriedly expressed her thanks.
Blood Guanyin said wistfully, "I hope you never master the Severing Emotion Saber, for only after falling in love and being abandoned can one truly grasp its essence."
Zhuo Biyu gained a burst of confidence: "I've also been trifled with and abandoned by Qi Shiyun before."
Blood Guanyin: "..."
Lianshan Xin was also at a loss for words. *Tanhua Qi, you've really committed a multitude of sins.*
"I have never used this saber technique before the living, so you need not worry about your identity being exposed."
Zhuo Biyu felt somewhat touched: "Elder, why are you so good to me?"
Blood Guanyin gave Zhuo Biyu a deep look: "Your mother once saved my life. I wonder if this will ultimately turn out to be a blessing or a curse for you."
The vision came to an end.
Lianshan Xin looked up at the sky impassively, quietly digesting the information he had just received.
Blood Guanyin was plotting a major scheme in Shenjing; the Demon Cult's core strength was likely concentrated there right now.
As for the Demon Cult here in Jiangzhou, Thousand Faces seemed to be the one presiding over the overall situation.
Blood Guanyin and Thousand Faces truly harbored a blood feud, so there was no need to worry about Zhuo Biyu selling them out to Thousand Faces for the time being.
He wondered whether Zhuo Biyu had mastered the Severing Emotion Saber. If she had, it meant she had actually been serious about Qi Shiyun.
If that were the case, he might have to get Qi Shiyun to employ a honey trap.
Demon Cult, Nine Heavens—who cared? Once they entered the "One Heart Society," they were all brothers bound by the fate of their nine generations.
A demoness wasn't entirely beyond redemption either.
At this thought, Lianshan Xin basically calmed his mind.
He felt things weren't as dire as they seemed.
A Demon Cult undercover agent who knew she had murdered a princess had every reason to be terrified.
Rebelling was one thing; shouting slogans was vastly different from actually slaying imperial blood.
The former merely brought Nine Heavens to lead the suppression, while for the latter, all the court needed was coordinates.
Besides, truth be told, Zhuo Biyu had shown great loyalty by being the first to thrust her saber into Zeng Ningbing.
Lianshan Xin wasn't disloyal either, nor was he some murderous star descended upon the world.
If Dai Yueying and Zeng Ningbing hadn't insisted on threatening his parents, Lianshan Xin wouldn't necessarily have murdered princesses.
He currently bore no grudges or enmity toward Zhuo Biyu.
Lianshan Xin glanced at Qi Shiyun and Tian Ji, deciding to find an opportunity to sound out their friendship with Zhuo Biyu.
And—to leave himself a way out.
What if the court's immortal really couldn't hold out?
"Wah!"
Just as Lianshan Xin finished his mental adjustments, someone else broke down completely.
The forgotten Baihezi!
She had witnessed their collective crime from start to finish.
She had been scared out of her wits.
Having snapped out of her stupor, Baihezi's Dao heart shattered entirely: "I didn't see anything! Please don't kill me!"
She wept as she spoke.
The heavy rain poured down in torrents.
All four of them—Lianshan Xin and the others—were martial artists at the True Intent realm or higher, so they naturally used true qi to shield themselves from the rain.
However, the thoroughly broken Baihezi had completely lost all will to resist, weeping in the rain like a child who had just lost her elder brother.
The four exchanged glances once more.
They shook their heads in unison.
This one truly had to be killed to silence her.
"She probably hasn't realized what actually happened," Tian Ji remarked fairly.
Qi Shiyun couldn't be bothered with idle chatter and spoke directly to Lianshan Xin: "My accumulation is already sufficient. Ah Xin, she's yours. Take her to consolidate your True Intent realm cultivation."
Lianshan Xin didn't stand on ceremony. His blade rose and fell.
The familiar sensation of overflowing power flooded his body once again.
Tian Ji and Zhuo Biyu appeared thoroughly indifferent.
A strange glint flashed across Qi Shiyun's eyes, however. She condensed her voice into a thread, sending a secret transmission: "You've mastered the 'Dragon Slaying True Intent'?"
Lianshan Xin sheathed his saber, perfectly calm.
Unlike his sudden panic upon discovering Zhuo Biyu's secret earlier,
he had long been prepared for Qi Shiyun to discover that he had cultivated the Dragon Slaying True Intent.
The moment they decided to make a move on Zeng Ningbing together, Lianshan Xin had anticipated that he probably wouldn't be able to hide it from Qi Shiyun.
If he couldn't hide it, then so be it.
They were all in the same boat now anyway; where else could she go?
"I need to return to the academy shortly to enter seclusion and break through to the Domain realm. Ah Xin, come over here. I have some secrets of our lineage to pass on to you."
Qi Shiyun drew Lianshan Xin to the side, and neither Tian Ji nor Zhuo Biyu thought anything of it.
They had no desire to know the internal secrets of the "Heaven's Chosen" lineage; the more one knew, the higher the chances of dying.
Once certain the others couldn't hear, Qi Shiyun folded her arms across her chest and raised her chin at Lianshan Xin: "Speak. What's going on?"
Instead of answering immediately, Lianshan Xin asked curiously, "Tanhua Qi, have you also mastered the Dragon Slaying True Intent?"
"I can't say I've mastered it; I've merely touched upon it. I've already surpassed the True Intent realm, so unless I dismantle my cultivation and start over, it holds little significance for me."
At this point, Qi Shiyun felt deep regret.
The Dragon Slaying True Intent was undoubtedly more powerful than the martial intent she had comprehended.
Yet she was already on the verge of stepping through the gates of the Domain realm; asking her to rebuild her True Intent realm was something Qi Shiyun would absolutely refuse to do.
Lianshan Xin understood completely. Starting anew sounded nice on paper, but who would ever want to repeat their final year of high school?
"Only after killing Zeng Ningbing did I understand what the 'Dragon Slaying True Intent' is." Qi Shiyun looked at Lianshan Xin with a strange expression. "That aura is identical to yours, but you didn't just recently break through to the True Intent realm."
Lianshan Xin shrugged, being completely candid with Qi Shiyun: "Tanhua Qi has discerning eyes. Indeed, I had already mastered the Dragon Slaying True Intent yesterday."
"What on earth happened?"
"It was quite a coincidence, really."
Lianshan Xin told Qi Shiyun about Dai Yueying.
There was truly no need to keep secrets from her now, since they had just slain a new princess together.
Even so, Lianshan Xin still polished his account, insisting that killing Dai Yueying was purely an act of righteous indignation and definitely not deliberate.
Having heard his explanation, Qi Shiyun glared fiercely at him: "You'd better not have done it on purpose."
Lianshan Xin acted nonchalant: "Tanhua Qi, things have already reached this point; we have to look ahead."
Qi Shiyun: "..."
"Can Lord Heaven's Chosen sense the Dragon Slaying True Intent we've cultivated?" Lianshan Xin asked with concern.
Qi Shiyun shook her head: "He shouldn't be able to. Back then, Master never killed anyone with the True Dragon bloodline with his own hands; it was His Majesty who acted personally. The inheritance of the Dragon Slaying True Intent requires the True Dragon bloodline as the key to unlock it."
"That's good. Still, killing True Dragon bloodlines doesn't seem that difficult. Were the seniors of our lineage a bit too timid?" Lianshan Xin asked, puzzled.
Qi Shiyun glared at him again: "Do you think everyone has your kind of luck, stumbling upon wild princesses the moment they walk out the door? The princes and princesses known to our lineage are all officially recorded in the court's registers. Why don't you try killing one of them?"
Lianshan Xin thought to himself, *I'm not strong enough yet. Once I am, I will.*
"Tanhua Qi, let me tell you a secret." Lianshan Xin leaned close to Qi Shiyun, practically whispering right into her ear: "Actually, I really have mastered the Void Penetration True Intent."
Qi Shiyun looked at Lianshan Xin in astonishment: "Really?"
"Really. Otherwise, why do you think I can always see through people's disguises?" Lianshan Xin reminded her. "Just think about my track record."
Qi Shiyun recalled Chairman Qu, Lin Xiangwen, and that counterfeit Jiang Haoran from earlier, and she believed him.
One could fake it once, but no one could fake it three times in a row right in front of her.
"So you've... mastered two martial intents?" Even though she believed him, Qi Shiyun was still shocked. "How did you accomplish this?"
Lianshan Xin didn't know how to answer.
When one couldn't answer a question, the best approach was to throw a question right back.
This was wisdom Lianshan Xin had picked up from Little Red Book.
He applied it to Qi Shiyun: "Could it be that no one else in this world can master two true intents at the True Intent realm simultaneously?"
"Thousand Faces? No, Thousand Faces uses the Myriad Phenomena True Intent to simulate other true intents." Qi Shiyun shook her head. "Mastering multiple martial intents at the True Intent realm isn't unheard of. What's strange is that you mastered two right upon entering the True Intent realm. Others only begin to draw analogies and branch out once they reach at least the middle stage of the True Intent realm."
Lianshan Xin bragged: "Perhaps I am uniquely gifted."
Qi Shiyun didn't dispute it.
In her eyes, Lianshan Xin was indeed extraordinarily talented.
"Still, killing Zeng Ningbing should be enough for me to advance to the middle stage of the True Intent realm," Lianshan Xin said.
"Not enough."
Qi Shiyun poured cold water on his hopes: "I told you before that your cultivation speed will only grow slower. Advancing from the Body Tempering realm to the True Intent realm isn't particularly difficult, but starting from the True Intent realm, the difficulty doubles with every minor breakthrough. Even with my talent, I was stuck at the Grandmaster realm for four years without breaking through, let alone you."
Lianshan Xin refused to accept this: "Tanhua Qi, what do you mean 'let alone me'? Don't you think I have more talent than you when it comes to practicing the Dragon-Subduing Immortal Art?"
Qi Shiyun had no counterargument.
Although she hadn't lingered in the Body Tempering realm for eighteen years, she hadn't broken through three realms in a single day either.
Both the upper ceiling and lower floor Lianshan Xin displayed were terrifyingly high.
She was already beginning to feel like she couldn't keep him in check.
Lianshan Xin analyzed: "It seems that because I yielded half of the princess's fortune to you, Tanhua Qi, the remaining half wasn't enough for me to break through to the middle stage of the True Intent realm. Calculated this way, one wild princess could bring me to the True Intent realm, and three wild princesses could roughly help me advance to Grandmaster?"
Qi Shiyun said exasperatedly, "Are you fixated on princesses? Can't you target princes instead?"
Lianshan Xin readily agreed: "That works too; I'm an easygoing person. I won't let princesses go, nor will I waste princes—my principle is never to turn anyone away."
Qi Shiyun spat softly: "Can't you be a bit more cautious? There are safer cultivation methods, so don't treat your life like a joke."
Lianshan Xin gently reminded her, "Tanhua Qi, I've already killed two princesses. Will His Majesty spare me?"
Qi Shiyun: "..."
"Since that's the case, killing a few more doesn't seem to make any difference to the outcome. The same goes for you."
Lianshan Xin casually dragged Tanhua Qi down into the water with him.
Qi Shiyun's delicate fists clenched tight.
"Tanhua Qi, you still haven't caught the main point. I said, I really have mastered Insight martial intent," Lianshan Xin reminded her once more.
Qi Shiyun finally grasped Lianshan Xin's treasonous notion: "You—you can detect the identities of other princesses and princes? Wait, are you certain His Majesty has other royal blood scattered among the common folk?"
Lianshan Xin smiled slightly: "It's basically confirmed. You were the one who told me that His Majesty ran wild in the jianghu in his youth, maintaining close ties with many holy maidens and demonesses. The demoness His Majesty seduced happens to be Blood Guanyin, one of the Demon Cult's current Four Great Elders."
Qi Shiyun trembled.
The secret Lianshan Xin had revealed was far too monumental.
"Does His Majesty know?"
"I'm not sure, but I suspect Blood Guanyin definitely doesn't know His Majesty's true identity. Otherwise, Dai Yueying wouldn't have died so easily at my hands; Blood Guanyin would surely have kept her hidden as a precious asset."
Qi Shiyun nodded slowly.
She agreed with this assessment.
"Tanhua Qi, last night I asked Zhuo Biyu whether His Majesty had many offspring, and she said His Majesty possesses boundless vigor. It shows that even after ascending the throne, our Emperor is still diligently sowing seeds.
"In his youth, His Majesty's vigor would only have been greater, and he was hardly idle in the jianghu. Given His Majesty's capabilities, a mere two princesses are definitely not his limit.
"I reckon His Majesty doesn't even know how many female confidantes he had, or how much imperial blood he left behind among the populace."
Qi Shiyun's heart fluttered wildly.
She had been swayed by Lianshan Xin.
Most importantly, her understanding of the Emperor far exceeded Lianshan Xin's.
"Back when His Majesty roamed the jianghu, he truly lived quite wildly. Master mentioned it to me several times."
Qi Shiyun and Lianshan Xin locked eyes.
Their gazes still held no hint of romance—only the sheer ambition of slaying dragons.
"Lianshan Xin, you are luring me down a path to the executioner's block," Qi Shiyun said in a low voice.
Lianshan Xin gripped Qi Shiyun's hand once more, his tone gentle yet resolute: "Wealth is sought amidst peril; the Great Dao is no different!"
A flicker of recollection suddenly passed through Qi Shiyun's eyes.
These were the exact words she had personally spoken yesterday when Lianshan Xin asked her if there was a shortcut to cultivating the Dragon Supporting lineage.
Now, Lianshan Xin was returning them to her.
This wasn't a boomerang.
This was the passing of the torch in the Dragon Subduing lineage.
Qi Shiyun suddenly laughed: "From this day forth, you and I can truly be considered Dao companions who bare our hearts to one another and share life and death."
She knew Lianshan Xin was dragging her down with him.
Yet she didn't play hard to get; she chose to go all in.
"I will carefully investigate His Majesty's movements during his travels through the jianghu back then, especially those fair maidens and demonesses he interacted with. If I find anything, I will notify you immediately."
Lianshan Xin smiled: "Thank you, Tanhua Qi. We don't necessarily have to kill them either. There are many ways to cultivate. Tanhua Qi, if we support an unrecognized prince from the common folk to ascend the throne, wouldn't our harvest be far greater than supporting any of the officially enfeoffed princes?"
Qi Shiyun's heart fluttered wildly once more: "Ah Xin, you're truly cut out for cultivating the demonic path. Every single word out of your mouth is tempting me into depravity."
Lianshan Xin dropped another bombshell: "There is actually one more thing I need to tell you, Tanhua Qi—Zhuo Biyu is a Demon Cult mole."
"What? You even know that? Is Insight martial intent really this terrifying?"
Lianshan Xin: "?"
Chapter 77