Assassination

Beilian City. A major city in the Great Ming Prefecture near Starfall Mountain. Crossing Starfall Mountain and continuing forward for several hundred li would bring one to Nanyuan City of the Great Xia Prefecture. Teahouses and restaurants were always gathering hubs for rumors and gossip to spread. The Great Ming Prefecture had no shortage of storytellers. Even with television around, Great Ming never lacked for them. What was the fun in television anyway? It just replayed the same few programs day after day, dull and lifeless—nowhere near as entertaining as a good storyteller. In the Great Ming Prefecture, storytellers also fulfilled an important social responsibility: circulating gossip. At that moment, inside a teahouse in Beilian City. Su Yu sat in a private room, legs crossed, leaning back casually in his chair as he sipped tea and listened to the storyteller spin his yarns. On the stage up front, the storyteller was spraying spittle, shouting impassionedly, "Just yesterday, late last night, an elder of the Shanhai Realm from the Dayuan Prefecture was assassinated! Utter lawlessness! The world is plunging into chaos! "Over these past few months, let me count for you all just how many powerhouses have died! First, a Shanhai commander at the Tiansheng Sea was assassinated. Next, a Shanhai in the Great Tang Prefecture was assassinated. Then, another Shanhai in the Great Qi Prefecture was assassinated. And last night, a Shanhai in the Great Shang Prefecture was assassinated..." The storyteller grew intensely agitated and indignant. "Four Shanhais assassinated one after another in just a few months, every one of them a prominent, distinguished figure! By all accounts, it's the work of the same gang. Absolute lawlessness!" Someone gasped in surprise, "The Great Shang Prefecture isn't far from us at all. Someone in Great Shang was assassinated too? Didn't they say earlier that it was done by the Six-Winged God Cult? But weren't all their Shanhais wiped out, and their two Sun Moons fled? Do they still have the guts to keep going?" The storyteller sighed, "Who knows? Fiends and monsters run rampant everywhere now; it's a sign of total chaos across the world! Every major prefecture has stepped up patrols and security. Our Great Ming Prefecture is doing pretty well—last time, five Sun Moons invaded, and every single one was slain! That put the fear into those devils." "Sigh, these truly are turbulent times. To think those monsters dare infiltrate the major prefectures to assassinate Shanhais—truly terrifying." Someone asked curiously, "Why kill those specific people? Is there anything special about them? There are so many Shanhais under the heavens, why single them out?" The storyteller grinned. "Well, you certainly asked the right person! Rumor has it that all these powerhouses once commanded troops on the All-Heavens Battlefield in years past. They were distinguished figures with illustrious military exploits, having slaughtered countless foes, their subordinates brave and skilled in battle! I suspect all races might be preparing to go to war, which is why they are taking out the valiant generals of our human race first!" Mid-smile, his expression abruptly shifted into a distressed frown. "What a headache! During this period, the retired generals who pulled back need to watch their backs. Although our Great Ming Prefecture isn't known for warfare, we still have a few veteran warriors who stepped down from the front lines. If something happens to them... Sigh!" *** Inside the private room. Su Yu was lost in thought. Four Shanhais from four different prefectures, all in the Shanhai Realm, all former veteran generals. Could all races really be preparing for war? In his view, the storyteller's analysis was not entirely groundless. Still, the culprit was undeniably audacious—killing several Shanhais in succession and still daring to strike again. Was a Sun Moon lurking in the shadows and making these moves? Just as he was thinking this, someone in the main hall scoffed, "If you call the others fierce generals, fine, I'll concede that. But as for the Shanhai who was killed in Great Shang, I happen to know a thing or two about him. Back in the day, he led troops stationed not far from our Tiandao Army. He wasn't much of a fierce general, was he? Sure, he killed some of the enemy races, but that fellow was hardly a good man. I heard that before every major battle, he liked to post a squad of Civilization Masters on the front lines. Every time, he would wait until that squad was wiped out before leading his troops to charge and butcher the exhausted enemies." "There was something like that? How come we've never heard of it? Don't spout nonsense; I heard his reputation was pretty decent." "Believe it or not, that's just what I heard. It was from someone from Great Shang too—we ran into each other when returning to base camp back then and chatted a bit." "..." The storyteller chimed in, "Is that so? I really hadn't caught wind of that. His reputation was actually quite solid. Even if things happened as you say, it might have been a tactical ploy. You can't say the man wasn't a fierce general just over that. Old Huang, don't speak carelessly. Speak no ill of the dead, lest someone mistake you for an All-Races cultist spreading seditious lies!" The man who had spoken nodded and chuckled. "Aren't we in Great Ming right now? In Great Shang, I wouldn't dare say such things." It was just harmless gossip. As for evidence, he had only heard it through hearsay; who knew whether it was true or false? *** In the private room. Su Yu glanced at the speaker, an odd thought surfacing in his mind. Sending out a squad of Civilization Masters, letting them clash with the enemy first, and then leading the army to slaughter... That sounded somewhat like a bait operation, luring the snake from its hole. Civilization Masters... all races... Bait... Civilization Masters of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction made very good bait. Qin Zhen of the Great Qin Prefecture had once told Su Yu that he had used the multiple divine character faction to fish—and had caught big fish, even slaying Sun Moons. Instinctively, inexplicably, Su Yu felt that if this slain Shanhai had truly deployed Civilization Masters in that manner, they might have belonged to the multiple divine character faction. Still, it was merely an intuition. Besides, the man was already dead. Su Yu pondered it briefly before letting it go. Over the years, many Civilization Masters of the multiple divine character faction had been killed. That was a plain fact, and it was tied to their small numbers. Slay many of them, and with so few to begin with, the faction naturally withered away. Moreover, many members of the multiple divine character faction liked heading to the battlefield. After all, they were considered combat-oriented among Civilization Masters, so a higher casualty rate was only natural. *** At the same time Su Yu was reflecting on these matters. Great Xia Prefecture. Yuqiang Department. Director Ji was reviewing documents—the dossiers of the four slain commanders. After a long time, Director Ji sighed softly and murmured, "Chen Yong... you're going completely mad!" Others had failed to see it, paying no heed to certain details, but he had caught them. All four individuals were connected, to varying degrees, to the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. Some connections were not obvious, but when cross-referenced against other files he had obtained, multiple divine character faction Civilization Masters had gone missing or perished over the years in the areas where these commanders were stationed. "At the Tiansheng Sea, several multiple divine character faction Civilization Masters died over the years... Well, not strictly the faction itself, but several fellows expelled by Chen Yong all met their ends there." It hadn't happened all at once; one death every three to five years was completely normal. After all, the Tiansheng Sea was the domain of the sea demon race. A relatively weak Civilization Master dying once every few years was hardly suspicious. Yet when the dossiers of those deceased were gathered and synthesized, one would discover that almost all of them were connected to Chen Yong in some way. And Chen Yong... on the day that first person was killed, Chen Yong had been in the vicinity! The same held true for the subsequent assassinations of the Shanhais in the Great Tang Prefecture and the Great Qi Prefecture—Chen Yong should have been nearby for both. Only the incident in the Great Shang Prefecture remained impossible to verify for now, primarily because the two Sun Moons from the Six-Winged God Cult had fled, meaning no one was pursuing Chen Yong anymore, leaving his whereabouts untraceable. "Killing four Shanhai commanders in succession..." Director Ji's eyes held a complex expression. A capital crime! Certain death! Did Chen Yong have proof? Even if he did, it was definitely not ironclad. If he truly possessed irrefutable proof that those people had set up and slaughtered multiple divine character faction Civilization Masters, then regardless of who shielded them, Chen Yong could have taken the evidence to the Great Xia Prefecture. Armed with proof, Great Xia feared nothing. He hadn't done that, which clearly meant he lacked sufficient evidence to prove everything. So he had chosen assassination! If discovered, he was as good as dead. Assassinating commanders of the human race was something even the All-Races Cult rarely dared to do. Director Ji sighed inwardly and picked up the dossiers of the four Shanhais once more. There had to be an underlying connection among the four. Were they acting on the instructions of an Invincible behind the scenes? Or had they secretly joined the All-Races Cult? Over half a year ago, he had begun scouring records: the rosters of multiple divine character faction Civilization Masters who had died on the battlefield, their places of death, times of death, the armies in which they served at the time... As well as how the multiple divine character faction Civilization Masters who fell in various parts of the Human Realm had died, and at whose hands. Thread by thread, the clues were being untangled in his mind. Director Ji closed his eyes. Every single clue was gradually pointing in one direction. "It wasn't for a personal grudge... If it were just personal enmity, there would be no need to slaughter so many Civilization Masters of the multiple divine character faction..." Right now, the trails pointed in a single direction, but who it was specifically remained unclear. Yet... it was actually becoming somewhat clear. Back in those years, these people had had very little interaction with one another. However, they shared one common trait: most of them had fought on the All-Heavens Battlefield during the same era. That was their biggest point of intersection. In that case, the Invincible who had overseen the All-Heavens Battlefield during that period was the most likely link between them. Their service was concentrated roughly between seventy to fifty years ago, when these people served on the battlefield simultaneously. Twenty years! During those twenty years, these people were likely won over. Won over by whom? Which Invincibles had been stationed on the All-Heavens Battlefield back then? The human race had quite a few Invincibles whose movements were shrouded in secrecy. Aside from King Daqin, who stood guard permanently, other Invincibles went out at irregular intervals to oversee the front and conduct patrols. Under normal circumstances, an Invincible who went to the All-Heavens Battlefield would patrol for at least ten years before being relieved. In the Eastern War Zone, more than ten Invincibles guarded the battlefield at any given time. Between seventy and fifty years ago, which Invincibles were there? Finding that out would be somewhat difficult. However, it was not impossible to investigate. If his hypothesis held true, then the traitorous Invincible had to be among them. Otherwise, even an Invincible couldn't run around everywhere recruiting commanders. Did they think the Invincibles of other prefectures were blind? Only on the battlefield, while patrolling a region, would one have sufficient opportunity and time to screen candidates and win them over! And they would never recruit someone without prior observation. It had to be that this Invincible, while on patrol, noticed something, saw something, and judged that the person could be turned before personally stepping forward to make an offer. As for those who were recruited, it likely took an Invincible appearing in person; otherwise, it would have been hard to persuade them. "Terrifying!" Director Ji thought to himself. By now, he already had some leads. As long as he uncovered who had overseen the All-Heavens Battlefield during those years, the traitor would be among them! While still not entirely clear, the scope had narrowed substantially. He didn't know the exact number of Invincibles in the Quest Realm and the War God Hall, but there were at least thirty or more. In one stroke, two-thirds of them could be ruled out. "Chen Yong..." He thought of Chen Yong again. Chen Yong was in grave danger! That man had gone utterly mad. Those he had slain were likely the ones recruited back then. By killing them, Chen Yong was essentially declaring to the mastermind behind the scenes: I have caught hold of your tail! "This is walking straight into danger. Once it's proven you were the killer, even if that Invincible doesn't step forward personally, as long as evidence is found, they can send people to execute you in broad daylight!" Director Ji sighed. Chen Yong! After a moment of silence, Director Ji closed his eyes, suppressing the tremor in his chest. He himself... had to be careful. Lately, he had requisitioned a great deal of documentation, some of which touched on military secrets. It might have already attracted attention. "Chen Yong... since you're taking the heat out front, I'll keep a lower profile." The corner of Director Ji's mouth curled upward slightly. He could only pray that Chen Yong took care of himself. *** Great Ming Prefecture. Having finished his tea and listened to a round of gossip, Su Yu got up and stepped out of the teahouse. Outside, the sunlight was bright and radiant. Riding his Cloud-Galloping Horse, Su Yu proceeded at a relaxed, leisurely pace. Hurrying was not Cui Lang's style. Cui Lang had to take his sweet time, admiring the scenery and the beauties. Riding out of the city gates, he saw a merchant caravan making its way forward outside the city. Noticing Su Yu riding all by himself in an easygoing manner in the same direction, someone from the caravan—which was pulled by earth dragon beasts—soon called out with a smile, "Brother, that way leads toward Starfall Mountain and into the Great Xia Prefecture. Are you heading to Great Xia?" Su Yu turned his head and answered lazily, "Yeah. You guys heading that way too?" "Indeed!" The burly man grinned. "Little brother, you're traveling all on your own. Starfall Mountain had many of its powerhouses wiped out last time, but it's still somewhat dangerous. Why don't you travel with us?" Yawning, Su Yu said languidly, "No need, big brother. If you want to borrow my presence, just say so. I, Cui Lang, am easy to talk to, but trying to hire a bodyguard without paying won't fly." The man burst into hearty laughter. There was truth in those words. In this day and age, anyone who dared to travel alone through the wilderness had real skill to back it up. He had seen Su Yu clad in white robes, dressed like a Civilization Master, walking out of a major city in broad daylight with the gate guards treating him with extreme deference. Guessing he had to be an expert, the man had thought to invite him along. Otherwise, had they simply run into each other out in the wilds, he would never have dared randomly invite a stranger into the caravan. "Brother, you're a straightforward man! I did have a bit of that intention..." After laughing for a moment, the man looked slightly puzzled. He pondered and said, "Cui Lang... Brother, could you be... Cui Lang, the Vagabond Swordsman?" As soon as those words were uttered, several people in the caravan seemed to recall the name. Soon, several female guards in the caravan let out barely audible snorts. Cui Lang possessed quite a bit of fame across the Great Ming Prefecture. Of course, he was famous in the Great Tang Prefecture as well. Not a good sort! Naturally, men could understand, but women... were rather displeased. A scumbag! Su Yu laughed heartily. "You know me, big brother? I haven't stepped out for a few years, yet someone still recognizes me! As expected, a genius is famous wherever he goes. Just for recognizing me, I'll escort you part of the way... But I'm not rushing. We walk slowly. If you're in a hurry, feel free to go on ahead." "Not in a hurry at all!" The burly man was overjoyed. Cui Lang had reached the high stages of the Tengkong Realm years ago! By now, he might have already reached Lingyun! To him, that was a big shot. The burly man had reached the early Tengkong Realm himself, but only by opening thirty-six acupoints—an astronomical gap compared to an academy genius like Cui Lang. For a merchant caravan to be led by a Tengkong expert was already impressive enough. Su Yu rode closer and grinned. "Big brother, I haven't been out in years. Are there any outstanding beauties in the martial world lately? How about telling me about them?" "..." Around them, several women snorted softly again. Su Yu curled his lip and said bluntly, "Big sisters, stop snorting. You're not my type. My standards are very high!" "..." Awkwardness settled in. The burly man was thoroughly embarrassed and scolded them, "What are you all doing? Where are your manners! Master Cui has an easygoing temper, but that's no excuse for insolence! Master Cui, please don't hold it against them. They're from small places and lack worldly experience..." Cui Lang was either at the eighth or ninth stage of Tengkong, or already in Lingyun; he truly counted as a prominent figure. However, he was rumored to have a good temper—just a habit of chasing skirts. If he genuinely had a bad temper, they wouldn't have dared snort in the first place. Su Yu waved a hand. "No worries, I'm used to it! Women who see me either beam with joy or scowl with a sour face. I've long grown accustomed to it! The ones scowling usually aren't much to look at anyway, meaning I never gave them a second glance..." The man was at a loss. Rumor had it that Cui Lang had a venomous tongue, and sure enough, the rumors weren't wrong. Not wanting to pursue that topic, the man said with a smile, "Master Cui..." "Don't. Just call me Brother Lang!" The burly man offered another dry laugh, but didn't dwell on it, quickly continuing, "Speaking of beauties, there are indeed a few, but Brother Lang probably wouldn't be interested. They're all from prominent clans—easy to stir up trouble." Su Yu's expression shifted slightly, and he nodded. "Looks like people really do remember my business! Alas, a single misstep causes eternal regret!" Someone in the caravan chuckled, "Master, in past years, the storytellers must have told your tale ninety-nine times if not a hundred! It's only tapered off a bit in the last couple of years. Now that you've come out, your exploits are bound to spread all over again!" The speaker was merely in the Wanshi Realm. Though respectful, an amused smile unconsciously crept onto his face. There was no helping it—meeting a legendary figure who had been hunted by an expert at the ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm was somewhat thrilling. He really wanted to ask: Was that ninth-stage Sun Moon's granddaughter really that ugly? Otherwise, why run! Su Yu scoffed dismissively, "A bunch of bored gossips. It's precisely because those fellows blabbed everywhere that I ended up trapped in the Great Ming Prefecture! Half the storytellers in Great Ming should be executed!" The leader laughed, "Brother Lang speaks the truth, though if you truly chopped them down, Great Ming would lose half its entertainment! Brother Lang, your trip to Great Xia this time... could it be to lay eyes on the beauties of the divine, demonic, and other races?" Su Yu's mind stirred slightly, and he chuckled. "Not bad, quite well-informed! Have those foreign race students arrived yet? It's already late May, so they should be arriving soon, right?" "That I'm really not sure about," the burly man replied, shaking his head. "The last time we went to Great Xia was two months ago. Great Xia was a bit chaotic over these past two months, so we stayed away. Now that we heard things have quieted down a lot, we decided to transport a batch of goods over." "What kind of stuff are you hauling?" Su Yu glanced at the earth dragon beasts, all loaded down with crates and parcels. The Human Realm had vehicles, but they were ill-suited for the rough wilderness. The Great Ming Prefecture had mount beasts, but their carrying capacity was limited and their cost was high, making them unsuitable for freight. Earth dragon beasts were far more practical and cost-effective. "Just miscellaneous odds and ends," the burly man said with a smile. "A bit of everything, including casual works made by Civilization Masters. Great Ming doesn't lack such things, but they're in demand in Great Xia. One trip earns us some cultivation funds." Su Yu smiled. "Texts of will? You dare traffic in those?" "The Great Ming Prefecture places no restrictions on them, and Great Xia restricts outflows, not inflows," the man chuckled. "They aren't worth much—just casual writings, only a few copies. If we're lucky, an entire trip earns a few hundred merit points, which we split among dozens of people. There's no other way; rogue cultivators can't take on many lucrative missions, and going to the All-Heavens Battlefield without military backing is simply too dangerous." Su Yu nodded. "That truly is miserable—only a few hundred merit points for a trip, split between several dozen people. Unlike me, who can casually forge a few civilization weapons and easily rake in eight hundred or a thousand merit points..." "..." A dagger to the heart! The burly man was left speechless. Knowing that Cui Lang was a weapon forger, he plastered on a fawning smile and said, "Brother Lang, do you happen to have any casual creations you don't need lying around? How about..." "Don't even dream about it. I forge civilization weapons to gift to beauties. Are you one?" "Hahaha, Brother Lang truly is a man of passion!" "..." The burly man was tongue-tied, forcing a laugh. *Damn it all, keep acting like a wanton playboy. Don't believe for a second that the one from Great Tang won't come hunt you down!* As they traveled along, Su Yu kept his pace unhurried, and the caravan slowed down to match him. Having a peak Tengkong expert accompanying them vastly increased their safety; delaying a day or so was nothing when safety came first. Along the way, the burly man remarked, "Starfall Mountain has actually been much more peaceful lately. In past years, we always had to take a detour, not daring to pass through Starfall Mountain. There used to be plenty of bandits and All-Races cultists here. We really have Su Yu to thank for clearing them out; otherwise, every time we transported goods, we would have had to make a detour of several hundred li." He continued, "Still, as time has passed, bandits have begun gathering here again. They aren't as strong as before, mostly just Qianjun and Wanshi cultivators shaking people down for some toll money, without much outright slaughter and looting." Puzzled, Su Yu asked, "Then what are you afraid of? You're already in Tengkong!" The man sighed, "No need for unnecessary trouble. Those fellows are terribly clingy. Unless you slaughter them all in one go, they buzz around you like flies. People doing business don't want to get bogged down in endless entanglements. Still, we reported it to the Great Ming Prefecture and are waiting for them to send troops for a purge. Nowadays, Great Ming has an army of tens of thousands of powerhouses, all in the Tengkong Realm. Tsk, truly formidable—sending any hundred-man squad would probably clean this place right up." Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled, "Wonder if there are any beauties among the bandits..." *Can't go three sentences without mentioning women!* The burly man was exasperated, though he was gradually growing used to it. He smiled, "Brother Lang, beauties might be scarce among bandits, but once we reach Great Xia, there'll be plenty. When the time comes, my treat..." "Tch, forget it. The places you frequent are way too low-end!" "Hahaha, Brother Lang speaks the truth. Too poor, nothing I can do about it." "..." As the two walked and chatted, Su Yu also fished for information on the recent situation in Great Xia. There were no major upheavals—nothing beyond Marquis Xia getting cursed out, the Great Xia Civilization Academy expanding its enrollment of foreign race students, and the like. Toward the end, something the man mentioned caught Su Yu's attention. "Brother Lang, you should be careful on your trip to Great Xia this time. I know your habits; you don't like getting tangled up with scions of major clans. But right now, there are truly tons of major clan scions in Great Xia City! Supposedly, disciples from families in both sacred lands have come, preparing to study in Great Xia." The man cautioned, "Among them, there are even kingly descendants of Invincibles! Descendants of Sun Moons are countless! Along with visitors from all the other races, Great Xia is currently a mixed and chaotic bag. The only reason it seems relatively calm is because the Great Zhou Prefecture has been rather restless lately. In any case, once this haul is delivered, I might not come to Great Xia for business anymore." Su Yu nodded. Scions of great clans. How many were there? Quite a few descendants of Invincibles had arrived? They were probably all aiming for Hong Tan's disassembly art. Walking and chatting, the party entered the bounds of Starfall Mountain. Half a day later, Su Yu dispatched a fellow who had just entered Tengkong with a single sword strike. He snorted, and under the burly man's admiring gaze, declared loudly, "When I, Cui Lang, enter Starfall Mountain, it's one thing not to welcome me with beauties, but to dare rob me on the road! You were a Tengkong cultivator after all, yet you stooped to such filthy deeds—aren't you disgusted with yourself!" Silence followed. The people of the caravan wore expressions of pure awe. Whether genuine or exaggerated, the admiration was undeniable. Formidable! He had slain a Tengkong with a single sword strike! In their entire caravan, only the burly leader was at Tengkong. That meant Cui Lang could kill their leader in one strike too—no wonder the leader had been so utterly courteous to him. A person's name carried weight like a tree's shadow. Having not stepped out of Tiandu Prefecture for years, Cui Lang seemed to have grown even stronger. He truly lived up to his past reputation as a genius who had stirred up heated debate across two major prefectures. *** Su Yu didn't pay much mind to their reverence, instead pondering where this Tengkong had come from. Were these people from the All-Races Cult? Not necessarily! They might have been dispatched by someone else. As for what they were after... it might very well be the ruin he had claimed to exist back then. Of course, Su Yu had said the ruin was fake, but that didn't mean people believed him. This place was not far from Nanyuan, and intuitively, it truly felt like a ruin could exist here. These fellows might not be cultists at all, but scouts dispatched by certain parties to search for the ruin. Of course, with such weak cultivation, they were more likely sentries. In any case, even if there were powerhouses present, they probably wouldn't dare strike. Searching for ruins required keeping a low profile. Cui Lang was a well-known figure in the Great Ming Prefecture; if he died here, Great Ming would certainly dispatch investigators, and drawing powerhouses would mean endless trouble for them. *** Sure enough. Not long after Su Yu's group departed, someone arrived beside the newly slain corpse. Casting a glance at the body, he muttered under his breath, "Cui Lang... Niu Baidao's nominal disciple. If not for that person, Niu Baidao would have taken him as a formal disciple long ago. That fellow actually ran out!" Beside him, another person quickly materialized and chuckled, "That person is in secluded cultivation, so it's only natural for him to come out and wander around right now. Forget it, let's not stir up trouble! That fellow is no pushover either; there's no need to avenge a dead man. Out of everyone to block, this fool had to block Cui Lang. That guy has probably been cooped up out of his mind these past few years." "True enough." After exchanging a few words, one of them said, "There most likely isn't anything in Starfall Mountain. Otherwise, Su Yu wouldn't have been exposed, nor would the one in Great Ming have left this place unattended. Say, do you think it might still be in Nanyuan?" "It's possible, but we can't go there. There are Sun Moons stationed there—far too dangerous!" "Sigh!" The speaker sighed. "An Invincible ruin... If one could truly enter, even if becoming an Invincible is out of reach, reaching the Sun Moon Realm shouldn't be difficult. What a pity." "Nothing to pity. The way I see it, Great Xia is bound to plunge into chaos sooner or later. The powerhouses stationed in Nanyuan might leave soon; after all, they've turned up nothing so far..." "Even so, we might not find it either." "Try our luck. Such things aren't guaranteed just because you have enough strength. When Su Yu inherited it, he was only in the Kaiyuan Realm." "..." The two chatted for a moment before swiftly vanishing from the spot. As for the dead man, no one cared. And as for Cui Lang... there was no need to bother with him. He wasn't an assassination target, killing him yielded no benefits while inviting a world of trouble, and if he were truly killed, even if Great Ming didn't intervene, that person in Great Tang might step in. Their lovers' quarrels and violent bickering were their own business—who knew, he might end up being his grandson-in-law after all! *** Meanwhile, Su Yu glanced back over his shoulder and smiled faintly. Two experts in the Lingyun Realm. No telling which faction they belonged to, or if they were from the All-Races Cult. Forget it, no need to pay them any mind. Given Cui Lang's temperament, he was usually too lazy to meddle in matters that didn't concern him. There was no point in exposing anything just to kill two Lingyun cultivators. Nanyuan was almost in reach. Once out of Starfall Mountain, it would take at most a day to arrive in Nanyuan. *I'm back!* Su Yu looked forward. He couldn't see anything yet, but a sigh escaped him nonetheless. He had returned. He hoped this small city could remain peaceful forever. Sadly, he was born here, and an Invincible ruin... stirred the hearts of far too many.