Undercurrent

Rising winds foretold the mountain storm, while a calm before the tempest masked the surging undercurrents. One shichen ago, Zhou Chen had returned after delivering the message. Yet Xu Changge had not rushed to Jingjiang Prefecture; instead, he issued the exact same order as Xu Yuan. Everything was to proceed as usual, along with an order for Su Jinxuan to probe the peculiar young man and confirm his identity. Half a shichen ago, Si Ziyu had returned after notifying the prefectural yamen to prepare to activate the city-wide grand formation. A quarter of an hour ago, Su Jinxuan had also returned from testing that strange youth. She brought back a definitive answer. The mediocre-looking youth who struck Xu Yuan as discordant was indeed Qin Mo in disguise. And once this news was confirmed, Zhou Chen handed Xu Yuan a slip of paper that had been prepared well in advance. He said the Eldest Young Master had given it to him just a moment ago. The wing room was silent. Aside from the faint scent of sandalwood, the breathing of the few people present was barely audible. After a long while, having finished reading the slip, Xu Yuan let out a long breath. He should have thought of this earlier. The contents of the slip Xu Changge had given him were simple: it laid out the situation and gave him two choices. The first option: Xu Changge would arrive at the manor in secret, then strike like thunder to kill Qin Mo. The second option: Xu Changge would run a sting operation—he would rush to Jingjiang Prefecture at maximum speed without concealing his Source Qi fluctuations in the slightest, then eliminate Qin Mo with thunderous force. The difference was glaring, and the motives were distinct. With the first, the sole goal was to kill Qin Mo and seize the ring. With the second, Xu Changge wanted it all. Not only did he want to kill Qin Mo and seize the ring, but he also wanted to cripple one or two Second-Rank Origin Realm experts from the faction lurking in the shadows. Judging by the several pieces of intel Su Jinxuan had passed along, the faction backing Qin Weijiu clearly intended to place a bet on Qin Mo. Synthesizing all available information, the stakes they were wagering were likely not small at all. Since you want to bet heavily on Qin Mo, then Xu Changge will use Qin Mo's infiltration of his family's estate as justification to openly kill him. Up to this point, the Chancellor's Manor's investigation into Qin Weijiu's backers had been conducted without alerting them, meaning they could not take the initiative to strike and kill. Now, the pawn you bet so heavily on is about to be slaughtered. Will you step out to stop it, or won't you? If you don't intervene, he will simply slay Qin Mo and seize the soul ring. If you do intervene, then it's no longer the Chancellor's Manor actively hunting you down—you'll have exposed yourselves willingly. Besides, if they truly wanted to intervene, wouldn't sending a few Third-Rank Grandmasters to intercept a Second-Rank Origin Realm expert be a little insulting? It would have to be someone at the Origin Realm like Qin Weijiu, at the very least. His elder brother really had the art of the sting down to a science. Yet Xu Yuan did not make a decision immediately, because the reason Xu Changge had left the choice to him was also very simple. If he chose the second, he might be in danger. Those in this world who could cultivate their qi to the Origin Realm were already among the pinnacle of existence. Even if Xu Changge was invincible within the same rank, killing an opponent of that level would never be too easy. And during that window, if the Saint's remnant soul within the soul ring detected anything amiss, the three Grandmasters protecting Xu Yuan within the manor would have to coordinate with the city's grand formation to stall Qin Mo and keep him from escaping until Xu Changge freed his hands and returned. Crucially, Xu Yuan could not leave Jingjiang Prefectural City in advance. There were informants of Qin Weijiu outside the manor, and perhaps even inside. Leaving at this exact moment would look far too deliberate. Ever since he brought Su Jinxuan back to the manor, he hadn't set foot outside for over a month. Even more importantly, there was nowhere safer nearby than Xu Manor itself. Because the storehouses for cultivation resources were located here, the courtyard area in the manor's northwest was protected by defensive arrays. Yet the shockwaves of a battle between Third-Rank Grandmasters could easily sweep across a hundred zhang, and a Saint's remnant soul possessed unpredictable methods against which one could hardly defend. Too much remained uncertain. A glimmer of hesitation surfaced in Xu Yuan's eyes. Which should he choose? If he chose the first option, Xu Changge most likely wouldn't say anything. Yet Xu Yuan knew that his elder brother had offered the second option mostly out of necessity. The situation in the Imperial Capital was tense, and discovering a hostile faction watching them from the shadows naturally heaped immense pressure upon the Chancellor's Manor. If possible, crippling or even killing one of the enemy's Second-Rank Origin Realm experts without arousing their suspicion would drastically weaken the opponent. After all, if peerless Origin Realm experts could simply be treated as disposable pawns, why would that faction bother sneaking around in the dark? After a long silence, Xu Yuan casually burned the slip of paper and smiled with a shake of his head. "Qin Weijiu wants to control me, so he needs to be taught a lesson. Since Big Brother is willing to stand up for me, that's naturally the best way." As soon as he spoke, the wing room fell silent for an instant. Zhou Chen exchanged a glance with Si Ziyu beside him, then cupped his fists. "Understood." With that, Zhou Chen turned and left the room to report back to Xu Changge. Xu Yuan turned his gaze to the remaining three in the room and sighed. "You three step out as well. I'm going to change." He planned to put on the Blood Jade Glazed Robe that he had kept inside his storage ring. A Blood Jade Glazed Robe bundled together with the Blood Yuan Heart Calamity Art and three top-grade pills naturally wasn't ordinary. Now that he was about to face a boss, he naturally had to equip his best "gear" to show proper respect. Hearing this, Si Ziyu and Ying'er left the room one after the other. However, Su Jinxuan, clad in plain robes, remained standing in place. After two seconds of silence, Xu Yuan looked at her and asked softly, "Did you need something?" Su Jinxuan nodded slightly. "Mhm." Xu Yuan smiled faintly. "What is it?" "..." Su Jinxuan opened her mouth, then closed it again, as if finding it difficult to put into words. Seeing this, Xu Yuan looked puzzled. "What's wrong?" Su Jinxuan's chest rose and fell slightly. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her voice uneasily: "Um... earlier, that man named Qin Mo confessed his feelings to me." "?" Xu Yuan was completely taken aback. Thoughts of Cangyuan flashed through his mind. Among the game's myriad branching choices, there was indeed a single-heroine route completely devoid of harem ambiguities. If he had fallen for her, it made sense. Still, why was Su Jinxuan telling him this? Seeming to notice the astonishment in Xu Yuan's eyes, an alluring blush crept onto Su Jinxuan's fair face. Although Xu Yuan hadn't told her the exact details, she could vaguely sense the foreboding tension in the air. Clenching her fists slightly, Miss Succubus spoke in a more hurried tone: "It's just... you'd better have someone send me away soon. After all, Qin Mo can even shield his presence from Third-Rank Grandmasters. If he comes looking for me while you're with me, you might be in danger." "..." Xu Yuan's breath hitched. He had only considered that Qin Mo might flee—after all, staying meant an overwhelming chance of dying. Yet the protagonist of an "old master" route was basically a traditional hot-blooded hero. With that personality, there was a very high probability he wouldn't leave Su Jinxuan by Xu Yuan's side—especially not right after confessing his feelings. After a brief silence, Xu Yuan looked into her peach-blossom eyes: "Thank you." Su Jinxuan smiled, her eyes curving, and shook her head. "Don't mention it. I... I'll take my leave now." "Wait," Xu Yuan called out to stop her. "Yes?" Su Jinxuan glanced back. Xu Yuan hesitated slightly, his tone dead serious: "If you ever get the chance to visit Burial Village, take a look at Bewitching Soul Valley to its north." "Huh?" A look of bewilderment appeared in Su Jinxuan's eyes. Xu Yuan shook his head and waved his hand. "Just remember my words. Go on, I need to change." Su Jinxuan's lovely eyes fluttered. "Do you need me to help—" "No need." "..." Su Jinxuan.