Chapter 58: He Is No Mere Brute

Although Longhu was tempted to retort, “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t,” he restrained himself; after all, one does not strike a smiling face, and he still had matters to request of the other.

With a benevolent expression, Longhu earnestly replied, “I’ve lived a life of violence and strife; sometimes wandering through the mundane world is also a way to elevate one’s spirit and break through one’s limits.”

Having said this, Longhu made sure to inform the Holy Lord of the tidings he had recently gleaned from the agents of the Tribunal of Evil.

The Holy Lord departed…but Longhu was unwilling to let him have his way so easily.

If he couldn’t fulfill his task, then neither would the Holy Lord find things pleasant.

...

[The Holy Lord, entrusted by Longhu, went to the neighboring Cold Mountain City to seek a woman named Shen Jingya.]

Shen Jingya…who could she be?

And to think, the Holy Lord is indeed quite resourceful…

Just half a night ago, he was at odds with Longhu, yet in only a few hours, they were colluding.

Come the hour of the Dragon, Su Jian received another update regarding the Holy Lord’s movements.

[The Holy Lord, seeking revenge on Longhu, chose to kill Shen Jingya and fabricated the appearance of her suicide.]

As expected.

Su Jian inwardly commended the Holy Lord’s actions, and he could already foresee Longhu’s furious reaction.

Though he didn’t know who Shen Jingya was, her death would surely disrupt Longhu’s plans.

If all players were as diligent as the Holy Lord, Su Jian’s troubles would be few.

With nothing pressing to do, Su Jian considered…then dismissed his thoughts, deciding to stroll through the city instead.

Yingdu City was bustling—far more lively than the tedious days spent in retreat at the Jade Palace. He much preferred the smoky, vibrant atmosphere of the secular world.

Cultivation…did not necessarily mean transcending the mortal realm, severing ties with the world, and living in ascetic purity.

At least, the path he walked required no such sacrifices… Other cultivators had to drive themselves to the brink, or else, even if lucky enough not to die in the endless struggle for fortune and dominance, they would eventually wither away as their lifespan ended.

In fact, the probability of dying young was far higher than that of dying peacefully of old age.

Throughout the city’s streets, notices of his wanted status were plastered everywhere—a testament to the immense power of the Treasure Pavilion.

In contrast, the warrant he’d had Wang Yourong issue for Ouyang Ke had disappeared without a trace.

Perhaps Ouyang Feng had played a hand in this, exploiting the Tribunal’s authority, and with the city lord dead, it would not have been hard to arrange.

As he pondered, Ouyang Feng’s movements echoed in his mind.

[Ouyang Feng successfully discovered Xi Wang’s whereabouts. Xi Wang is currently acting as the city lord of Yingdu, under the name Mei Xianyi.]

Just as he’d thought—what he wished for had arrived.

Mei Xianyi…perhaps even Xi Wang is an alias.

But names mattered little; knowing his enemy’s exact location was enough.

He hated when foes lurked in the shadows—life seemed peaceful, but any moment could bring a lethal strike.

Ouyang Feng’s success was a stroke of luck, aided by his Tribunal status, granting him access to the city lord, and with the information Su Jian had supplied regarding Xi Wang’s appearance, his true identity soon came to light.

Though fortune played its part, this was a significant boon.

Xi Wang, that damnable soul, simply would not fade away.

Now, Su Jian was eager to determine whether Xi Wang had come here deliberately or if fate had simply drawn them together in Yingdu.

Could it be…the old beggar’s appearance was connected to Xi Wang?

Su Jian refrained from impulsive action; rushing to the city lord’s residence to stir things up was hardly wise.

The last time Xi Wang left Lingzhou, he’d absorbed a portion of Su Henli’s cultivation, advancing to the Nascent Soul stage.

Though little time had passed since, it wasn’t impossible Xi Wang had found other fortuitous opportunities.

He needed to probe further.

He was no reckless brute.

And as for who would do the probing, the answer was clear—it had to be the Holy Lord.

The Holy Lord’s task was to eliminate Xi Wang; this was a perfect opportunity.

Su Jian considered his next move—he only needed to pass the information to the Holy Lord, using a third party.

“This upgraded Infinite Player Summoning System still leaves much to be desired—even conveying quest prompts to players isn’t smooth, and every time, it’s troublesome. Thumbs down!” Su Jian grumbled inwardly.

Damn system, listen closely to its users.

Problems must be fixed promptly!

He hoped the next selection of rewards would bring some change.

In Su Jian’s view, many things only differ between the first time and countless times thereafter.

He wandered near his home, and as he passed Yonghe Street, his gaze caught Longhu once again.

Yonghe Street was the only way to return home.

To avoid it…he’d have to climb walls.

But such pointless acts were beneath Su Jian.

He was eager to uncover Longhu’s motive for secretly watching him.

At the very least…to determine the extent of Longhu’s cultivation.

Unfortunately, the Holy Lord knew nothing of cultivation—his power derived entirely from the Twelve Talismans.

But the Holy Lord’s talismans were truly impressive, and Su Jian felt a strong urge to claim them for himself.

Twelve talismans were akin to twelve arts.

And none were useless…

Mastering spells was no easier than advancing one’s cultivation.

Thus, most cultivators neglected the study of spells.

But those well-versed in advanced spells possessed a power that ordinary cultivators could not match.

It was always a matter of trade-offs.

Several hours later, Su Jian received another update on the Holy Lord’s movements.

[The Holy Lord returned with Shen Jingya’s corpse. Longhu, furious and unsettled, attacked the Holy Lord. The Holy Lord attempted to destroy Shen Jingya’s corpse, but Longhu snatched it away first. The Holy Lord, wounded, used the Snake and Rabbit Talismans to escape once more.]

Su Jian laughed—the Holy Lord was like an indestructible cockroach.

Though he played the martyr this time, the outcome was favorable.

More than that, there was an underlying message.

Longhu might not be as strong as he seemed.

The Holy Lord did not appear to possess the power of the Void Returning stage.

He had reason for this judgment: the Holy Lord’s Twelve Talismans leaned toward spellcraft.

Cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage had only just formed their soul and lacked full control; their main combat methods relied on the strength of their internal spiritual energy and their mastery of spells.

But after reaching the Void Returning stage, one could manipulate the soul with uncanny skill, capable of killing with mere thought.

Still, even this did not fully convey the might of Void Returning.

In summary, the gap between Nascent Soul and Void Returning was a true watershed.

That was why, within the system, there were so few means to directly kill those of Void Returning stage.

If Longhu truly possessed Void Returning power, there was no reason the Holy Lord could have escaped under his nose.

Even if he couldn’t kill the Holy Lord, imprisoning him would not have been difficult.