Three Saints attacking Zhenxi Prefectural City?
One had to remember that during the war against the Barbarians in the Northern Border, which had raged for several years, only two Saints had appeared in total.
One of them had even been the Barbarian King, who had broken through to Sainthood only midway through the conflict.
For three Saints to suddenly crop up and assault a vital frontier stronghold was sensational news indeed.
Yet after hearing this piece of intelligence from the man in the straw raincoat, Xu Yuan's expression did not change in the slightest.
From the information currently in his possession, not counting the Desert Linlang whose whereabouts remained unknown, there happened to be precisely three confirmed Saints here in the Western Desert.
The White Emperor, Madame Wan, and that Insect Saint.
Yet none of those three Saints seemed to have any reason to take the risk of assaulting Zhenxi Prefectural City, let alone join forces to do so.
Thus, Xu Yuan waited for the man to explain further.
No light penetrated the cavern; darkness suffused every corner.
After a long silence, the man in the straw raincoat spoke with a hint of guarded doubt:
"You do not seem surprised by this?"
Xu Yuan pondered briefly before choosing to speak the truth:
"According to the intelligence we hold, three Saints truly have gathered within Thousand Thorns Gorge."
Hearing this, a distinct flicker of surprise crossed the man's cloudy eyes, followed by a hacking chuckle:
"Cough, hehe... It seems I somewhat underestimated the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's capabilities. I only hope you can pass this news along as quickly as possible."
Xu Yuan did not dispute him, replying with a faint smile:
"Mister, though you once saved Tianyan, you can hardly expect us to take your word on faith alone for something of this magnitude, can you?"
The man in the straw raincoat knitted his brows and murmured, "It is merely delivering a message. Doesn't your Overseeing Heaven Pavilion exist to safeguard humanity? If the Marquis of Zhenxi's Manor falls—"
"Hold on,"
Xu Yuan cut him off, putting an end to his moralizing. He said with a smile, "Our Overseeing Heaven Pavilion exists for humanity's continuation. A single province like Xize is hardly enough to sway the fate of the entire human race."
With that, he locked eyes with the man's cloudy gaze, his voice taking on a distant edge:
"Furthermore, sir, please stop skirting around the core issue. Rather than pressuring me with grand righteousness, why not produce some concrete proof?"
"..."
To this simple demand, the man gave no immediate answer. His silence caused Xu Yuan's brows to furrow in turn. Cupping his hands, Xu Yuan said:
"Sir, whatever difficulties you may harbor, we must take our leave here."
"..."
Words spoken, silence reigned.
From Xu Yuan's perspective, the entire matter reeked of abnormality.
Based on his intel, three Saints could indeed conquer Zhenxi Prefectural City, where he had once spent a night. But for a fortress city of such strategic importance, even humanoid nuclear weapons like Saints would most likely pay for the victory with their lives.
At least one of them would perish to accompany Zhenxi Prefectural City into the grave.
This mysterious Transcendent expert opened his mouth and claimed three Saints were besieging the city—had those three Saints lost their minds, or did they have a death wish?
Xize Province was already fraught with perilous intrigue.
Seeing the man's attitude, Xu Yuan had begun to suspect he was in league with Madame Wan.
Rescuing Tianyan from Madame Wan's grasp to cast a long line and catch a big fish—playing a grand game of chess.
Amidst the silence, Mu Xingchen let out a soft sigh.
Though he despised his father's conduct, he remained unwilling to commit an act of betrayal.
His raspy voice rose quietly as he looked at the youth in brocade robes before him:
"For certain reasons, I cannot disclose my identity, but I can tell you this: the matter is connected to the Saint Tier yin ghost that pursued the Saintess."
At those words, the hostility in Xu Yuan's heart toward this unfamiliar Transcendent expert lessened slightly. He murmured:
"Madame Wan?"
"Yes." Mu Xingchen nodded.
Stroking his chin, Xu Yuan weighed his words carefully before murmuring, "According to the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's intel, there should only be two Saints and one Semi-Saint in that family of theirs. Furthermore, Madame Wan appears to be injured."
The moment the words fell, the aura around Mu Xingchen shifted abruptly.
His earlier weakness vanished without a trace, replaced by the crushing pressure belonging to a Dao domain.
Propping himself up with his single arm, Mu Xingchen sat upright, his eyes narrowing slightly as his voice dropped:
"How do you know the relationship between the Insect Saint and the Saint Tier yin ghost?"
"..."
Xu Yuan realized he had been thoroughly "silenced."
His cultivation technique stalled; his spiritual vision retreated back into his apertures.
Inside the dim cavern, Xu Yuan shifted half a step behind Tianye without a trace, replying casually:
"Because Xingyi and I share a bond forged through life and death. And Xingyi is both the offspring of that Insect Saint and Madame Wan's husband."
The moment Mu Xingchen heard this, he caught the flaw in the claim:
"If you and Xingyi share a bond forged through life and death, why did that Saint Tier yin ghost attack the Saintess?"
Xu Yuan looked at him as though looking at a fool and said as if it were obvious:
"Because Madame Wan didn't know about my relationship with Xingyi at first, nor did she know about my relationship with the Saintess."
"Does Young Master not find this explanation far too contrived?"
"Whether it's contrived or not, I couldn't say, but..."
At this point, Xu Yuan pivoted sharply: "Just now, didn't you also refer to my 'good friend' as Xingyi?"
"..."
"Sir, are you from the Mu Family Chamber of Commerce?"
Even with his cultivation technique suppressed, his Body Integration constitution still allowed Xu Yuan to see in the dark. Sizing up the weathered features of the man in the straw raincoat, he narrowed his eyes and suddenly curved his lips:
"Mister, I've just realized... your features bear quite a resemblance to that Mu Shanhai."
The words settled.
Xu Yuan watched Mu Xingchen with a smile.
Mu Xingchen remained expressionless.
A gloomy breeze brushed against the straw raincoat, rustling softly; the cavern fell so silent that a dropping pin could be heard.
This was Xu Yuan probing the identity of the man in the straw raincoat.
Though he knew of Mu Shanhai, he had no idea what the man looked like. None of that stopped him from using this bluff.
This man had subconsciously referred to the half-insect man as Xingyi, indicating their relationship had to be very close.
Given Mu Xingyi's cultivation and status prior to turning into an insect, the only Transcendent experts he could have befriended would have been people from the Mu family.
And judging by how thoroughly Mu Shanhai had disfavored him, retainers would most likely have avoided him like the plague, unwilling to board his sinking ship to fight for succession.
Seconds ticked by as Xu Yuan waited quietly for the man's answer.
After quite a while, Mu Xingchen sighed softly, his eyes cast down at his bloodstained palm. In a voice thick with complex emotion, he murmured:
"It seems... deep down, I subconsciously wanted to pass this news along after all..."
"Hm?"
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the man's cryptic words. "What do you mean by that, sir?"
"Nothing. I simply felt I shouldn't have made such an amateur slip of the tongue."
Mu Xingchen slowly raised his gaze, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "You're right, Young Master. I am from the Mu family—and was once the eldest legitimate son of the Mu family."
"Once?"
"Because I severed ties with the family long ago."
"The Mu Xingchen who died of illness twelve years ago?"
Tianye's voice suddenly cut in, interrupting their exchange.
Xu Yuan looked at the slender silhouette of the girl before him. Tianye glanced back with a smile and mouthed to him:
Tianyan told me~
It took a moment to register, leaving Xu Yuan faintly speechless.
As an heir to a faction, Tianyan was clearly far more qualified than him, to remember even such peripheral trivia so clearly.
Hearing that, Mu Xingchen shook his head with a faint chuckle:
"The Saintess is correct. I am that Mu Xingchen who supposedly died of illness."
At this, Xu Yuan slowly shifted back out from behind Tianye, chuckling as he remarked:
"It seems the relationships in your family are rather complicated—first your fake death by illness, then a nonexistent Mu Xingyi who can't be traced anywhere.
"But what makes me even more curious is: how did your Mu family manage to 'breed' an entity like the Insect Saint?"
"Breed?"
Mu Xingchen's face twisted slightly at the term, but he soon gave a self-deprecating smile:
"Your description isn't wrong, Young Master. Xingyi's birth could indeed be described as 'breeding.' Around thirty years ago, my father plotted against that Insect Saint. Using Xingyi's mother as bait, he obtained the bloodline of that ancient beast through a secret art, giving birth to the Xingyi of today.
"And the person who carried out that task was none other than me, Mu Xingchen."
"..."
Hearing this, an involuntary surge of astonishment flashed across Xu Yuan's face.
Thirty years ago?
According to the classified briefings from the Chancellor's Manor, Xize Province had only just concluded the 'Dachao Incident' around that time, and the entire province was struggling to rebuild from the ashes. Where could the Mu Family Chamber of Commerce back then have found the strength to plot against an Insect Saint?
Suppressing the doubts in his mind, Xu Yuan smiled faintly and asked:
"So... your Mu Family Chamber of Commerce wanted to use Mu Xingyi?"
"No, Father didn't want to use Mu Xingyi."
These words seemed to have been bottled up in the weathered middle-aged man's heart for a long time; his single hand clenched tightly:
"What Father wanted was to use Xingyi's life to control that ancient beast, the Insect Saint, from afar. And he succeeded."
Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, his thoughts spinning rapidly. In a grave, measured tone, he asked:
"So, Mu Shanhai controlled the Insect Saint in order to..."
"Heh... My apologies."
Mu Xingchen's apologetic voice cut off Xu Yuan's question. He shook his head and murmured in self-mockery:
"It seems I still cannot bring myself to commit total betrayal after all. Let this matter end here."
"..."
Xu Yuan's expression froze.
Come on, man. Who drops half the story and walks away to play the riddle-master?
Haven't you ever heard the saying that if loyalty isn't absolute, it's absolute disloyalty?
Though he grumbled internally, seeing the man's trembling hand, Xu Yuan ultimately let out a faint sigh in his heart.
Ah... what a conflicted soul.
Smacking his lips, Xu Yuan switched tracks and asked:
"Since you are unwilling to say, sir, I won't pry further. Does this attack by the three Saints you mentioned have something to do with Mu Xingyi?"
"Yes, there is a connection."
Mu Xingchen collected himself and said quietly, "Not long ago, the Insect Saint was grievously wounded..."
"Wait."
Xu Yuan interrupted him, a glint in his eyes. "Who was it that wounded the Insect Saint?"
"I apologize, but I cannot tell you that either."
"..."
"At any rate, Mu Shanhai used Xingyi as bait and arranged for three Transcendent experts, myself included, to go seal it."
A trace of memory surfaced in Mu Xingchen's eyes, as though he were reliving the despair and shock of that moment:
"Yet when we arrived, all we found was the Insect Saint's carcass, and... the dark shadow of an infant crawling out from inside that colossal beetle corpse."
"A ghost infant, hm..."
"Young Master knows of that creature?" Mu Xingchen raised his eyes slightly.
Xu Yuan stroked his chin.
"A little. That ghost infant seems to be an ominous being born of Mu Xingyi and Madame Wan."
As he spoke, his voice took on a tinge of intrigue:
"Still, to think it actually ate its own grandfather?"
Chapter 610