392: Chapter 4: The Black Shirt 392: Chapter 4: The Black Shirt “Prince Jiangning has arrived!”
The bustling crowd on Xining Street parted once again, making way unexpectedly, for Prince Jiangning Xie Zhisu was not accompanied by many followers—merely two or three servants, and he sat alone atop a glistening black steed.
A chilling coldness emanated from him.
This was the aura of a powerful being.
Even without the shouted order, people would unconsciously make way for him.
The death of his only son from the mansion left the Prince looking exceptionally gaunt.
However, upon closer inspection, one would notice…Xie Zhisu’s face bore no expression at the moment, neither sadness, pain, anger, nor heartbreak.
All such emotions had been suppressed.
What he presented to the public was sheer coldness.
Slowly, Xie Zhisu raised his head, his eyes as deep as the sea.
Standing on the roof of Yuanqing Building, Xie Xuanyi looked across dozens of yards to gaze upon Prince Jiangning.
In that moment of eye contact,
Xie Xuanyi saw the storm brewing beneath those pitch-black pupils.
“Brother Xie, you’ve arrived just in time.”
“Both the Xie Family’s Princely Heir and Pavilion Master’s disciple have been slain by Xie Zhen!
This person is deviously poisonous, concealing the truth.
Let’s join forces to clear our loved disciple and son of these accusations.”
Master Li of Tai Shang House tossed out the fractured soul scroll, preparing to use the Divine Soul Treasure Technique to restore the bamboo scroll and replay the previously shattered images.
“Snap!”
Sitting astride his horse, Xie Zhisu flicked his sleeves and shattered the bamboo scroll.
Above Xining Street, once more, a burst of light and fire exploded.
The Pavilion Master of Tai Shang House was shocked.
The surrounding onlookers were also stunned.
“There’s no need anymore.
I have just seen the contents of this bamboo scroll.”
Xie Zhisu spoke softly, yet loud enough for every person on Xining Street to hear clearly!
“My son Xie Sheng… did not die at Xie Zhen’s hands.”
He spoke these words while his gaze remained fixed on Xie Zhen.
The two maintained eye contact.
Xie Zhen could see that the storm hidden in Xie Zhisu’s eyes had not dissipated.
Contained within the storm was not just hate.
But also endurance!
“…?”
Li Chen had not expected at all that Xie Zhisu, who had arrived on Xining Street, would adopt such an attitude.
Prince Jiangning was dead.
As his biological father, Xie Zhisu should be even angrier than himself, right?
This fragmented video should have been made whole by Xie Zhen, declared before the eyes of the world, made clear to everyone!
How could he just retreat like this!
“The Xie Family has its unique secret techniques to detect anomalies in the soul lamp.”
Xie Zhisu chuckled softly, his husky voice saying, “After returning from the northern hunt, the Xie Mansion’s secret technique sensed the circumstances of my son’s death… He was killed by Demon Cultivators.”
Regarding the death of Xie Sheng,
the Imperial City Department did indeed offer an explanation.
Due to the Dragon Pattern Array’s transmission, many had heard the voice, and, through divine soul interrogation, the extracted memory was already sufficient evidence to connect Xie Zhen to the murder of Xie Sheng!
But no one expected Xie Zhisu would choose to raise this matter high only to gently let it down—
Everyone was anticipating.
That Prince Jiangning, having arrived at Yuanqing Building, would join Li Chen and Tai Shang House, alongside the Xie Family, to escalate the issue.
But this turn of events seemed to favor calming the waters?
“Pavilion Master Xiao Xie, I didn’t speak wrongly, did I?”
Xie Zhisu paused, staring solemnly at Xie Zhen.
Some things need not be stated too explicitly.
It’s precisely because Xie Xuanyi dared to step brazenly into the Imperial City, knowing that Xie Zhisu wouldn’t dare openly confront him.
Xie Sheng was no ordinary person; aside from his identity as Prince Jiangning, he held a vital secret… that was the Red Dragon Fortune!
This was part of a plot jointly conceived by Great True Master Chong Kan and Xie Zhisu!
Should this matter become public, the Taoist reputation would take a massive hit.
Xie Zhisu would naturally lose face as well.
In such a case.
The situation has become intriguing.
At the bottom of his heart, Xie Xuanyi knew well—the Xie Family had no secret technique that could penetrate the blockade of Ruyi Dao and sense what occurred in the Great Yue Secret Realm.
If such a technique truly existed, Chong Kan would have ventured out from seclusion to cleanse the Snow Mountain long ago.
The more Xie Zhisu suspected himself of having killed Xie Sheng, the less daring he was to confirm the truth in public.
“His Excellency the Prince is indeed perceptive.”
Xie Xuanyi let out a light chuckle and said indifferently, “Xie Sheng was slain by the Demon Race’s Dragon Girl, Ao Ying.
If there was any misleading information, it’s likely due to being beguiled by the demoness… This scroll will serve as my proof.”
With that said,
Xie Xuanyi once more threw out a bamboo scroll.
Xie Zhisu’s pupils constricted, and instinctively he wanted to crush it and prevent the Divine Soul from emanating.
However, he restrained himself.
According to their previous discussions, Xie Zhen had no need for a ‘desperate fight to the death.’
Indeed.
The bamboo scroll hovered in the air above Xining Street, casting the “incomplete” images once more, exactly the part where Ao Ying devoured a fraction of Xie Sheng’s fortune, the imagery vague and obscured by wind and sand, barely revealing fragments of the demoness absorbing the Red Dragon—deliberately hiding Great True Master Chong Kan.
En route back, Xie Xuanyi pondered a question: How to handle the news about “Chong Kan” cultivating the Red Dragon.
Undoubtedly.
It was a deadly weapon.
But more accurately, a double-edged sword.
Releasing this information would definitely deal a severe blow to both the Xie Family in Jiangning and the Taoist community.
But it would also put himself in jeopardy.
Over the past few years, Chong Kan’s control over the Taoist community, though seemingly in retreat, was in fact strategic and widespread.
With his decisive and ruthless nature, he would surely not choose forbearance… The Beihai Killing Array from ten years ago would likely be enacted once more.
After much contemplation, Xie Xuanyi made his current choice.
To remain hidden, to keep things concealed.
As the bamboo scroll exploded, Xining Street was once again filled with exclamations of shock.
Some people showed pity.
The talent of Prince Jiangning, Xie Sheng, was indeed rare in a century, and if it were not for this accident, he would have had a great chance of securing a place on the Heavenly Pride List.
Others heaved a long sigh.
The Golden Age had just arrived, with all the Holy Lands entering the world, and the northern hunt should have been the moment for geniuses to shine, yet now a pride of heaven had died at the hands of Demon Cultivators.
In the midst of the noisy commotion, Xie Xuanyi kept his gaze fixed on Prince Jiangning.
He was only concerned about Prince Jiangning’s reaction.
Anger flashed through Xie Zhisu’s eyes, but he hid it extremely well; even if someone observed closely…
they would only think it was anger towards that Demon Cultivator.
Li Chen had a vague sense that something was amiss.
He clenched his horsetail whisk tightly and spoke in a deep voice, “Xie Zhen, who is this ‘Ao Ying’ you mentioned?
Why has Great Chu never heard of this demon before?”
“Great Chu has Loose Cultivators, and the Demon Country naturally has them too.”
Xie Xuanyi calmly stated, “This Demon Girl is not affiliated with any school or sect, having awakened the bloodline of the Dragon Descendants, hence her extraordinary strength.
In this northern hunt, she deliberately concealed her identity and infiltrated the Secret Realm.
Ao Ying is brutal and cunning and is also a young powerhouse who has reached Perfect Cave Heaven.”
Li Chen unyielding dug a pit and said, “According to you, Xie Sheng dying at her hands is rational?”
“No…”
Xie Xuanyi shook his head.
He certainly wouldn’t fall for such a trap and standing by the window, he glanced at Prince Jiangning and slowly said, “Bearing the Red Dragon Fortune and falling victim to a scheme, it should be said that Xie Sheng’s death at her hands was ‘inevitable.'”
Xie Zhisu’s expression became subtly gloomy as he sat on his horse.
He detected the underlying message in Xie Zhen’s words.
Inevitable.
What an inevitable.
This was insinuating by proxy through Ao Ying’s name.
“Whether the Demon Girl is bewitching people’s minds, I, the poor Taoist, do not know.”
Li Chen said expressionlessly, “But to poor Taoist’s view, you have a seven out of ten suspicion of causing chaos to the truth.
Xie Sheng died at the hands of a Demon Girl, and you just watched?
Capable of activating the Divine Soul Treasure Technique and recording the scene, couldn’t you have helped the Princely Heir of the Xie Family?”
“Master Li is jesting.”
Xie Xuanyi sighed lightly, and with a tone of regret slowly said, “My abilities are modest, and I can barely take care of myself.
If Master Li does not believe, I will make the complete Divine Soul Bamboo Scroll public…”
“That would only be proper…”
Li Chen harrumphed coldly.
He couldn’t understand why Prince Jiangning had such an attitude after rushing to Xining Street.
Even if Xie Sheng had indeed died at the hands of a Demon Girl.
Does Xie Zhen really not have any responsibility at all?!
The “grudge” between the Xie Family and Lotus Peak was notorious, so much so that even he, in his seclusion, had heard of it.
This was the perfect chance to remove Xie Zhen!
“Alright.”
Xie Xuanyi smiled and took out the third bamboo scroll, pinching it in his hand, and softly asked, “Master Li, do you need to reconsider?”
“What else is there to consider about this matter…”
Li Chen scoffed.
But in the next moment, the smile on the face of the Master of Tai Shang House suddenly froze.
As Xie Zhen took out the third bamboo scroll, a cold, indifferent voice fell into his Heart Lake.
That voice, with an undeniable authority.
“This matter ends here toay.”
Just six words, carelessly uttered.
And they made the Master of Tai Shang House break out in a cold sweat.
Because this was the voice of Great True Master Chong Kan.
Li Chen still firmly clutched his horsetail whisk, his gaze still on Xie Zhen, but it passed over the young man standing by the window of Yuanqing Building, directly sweeping towards the distant horizon.
The horizon.
Clouds dispersed by the Sword Qi.
He wanted to gather his lightning, but it wouldn’t coalesce.
An even more powerful force descended from above the clouds, blending into the scattered clouds and Sword Qi, appearing silently and standing firm.
There, a thin, fluttering figure in black was nearly impossible to notice from dozens of miles away, a tiny black dot amidst the clouds mixed with Sword Qi and flashes of lightning.
But it was this tiny black dot that nearly suffocated Li Chen.
“…Master.”
Li Chen’s voice was very hoarse as he communicated with his Divine Soul, yet received no reply.
The black dot stood above the clouds, looking down upon all beings.
Also looking down upon him.
The reason for not saying a second sentence.
Was because the previous sentence was all that Great True Master Chong Kan meant to convey.
This matter ends here today.
Li Chen took a deep breath.
His eyes flashed with pain, anger, and unwillingness.
But after locking gazes with the figure in black for a few moments, he closed his eyes.
Fragments of memories flooded his mind.
This Master of Tai Shang House, whom even Yuan Jimo feared, ultimately chose to submit.
“Oh?”
Huang Su, standing beside Xie Xuanyi, let out a soft exclamation.
She could feel the dispersal of the murderous aura.
Huang Su had not expected this intense confrontation to end so simply and abruptly…
Li Chen did not utter another word.
He put away his Thunder Talisman, his Duster Silver Line.
And then he turned and left, departing from Yuanqing Building, and also leaving Xining Street.