Knock, knock, knock.

A gentle tapping sounded at the door.

Then, a cautious, almost thief-like child’s voice whispered, “Sister Qingyu, is anyone there?”

Within the room, a flurry of rustling and thumping erupted, a chaotic symphony of sounds.

Just as quickly, the clamor ceased, and stillness returned.

The door creaked open.

Ye Qingyu stood gracefully at the threshold, her presence ethereal and untainted by the mundane world. Yet, her smile was incredibly soft. “How did you know I was here?”

Her eyes held the clarity of a mountain spring, and her fine eyebrows arched like the crescent moon. This smile, this gentle expression, was like moonlight filtering through a mountain forest – so pure and captivating.

Jiang Anan, long accustomed to this breathtaking vision, glanced left and right, her smile mischievous and furtive. “I just met Uncle Ye, and he said the room had suffered a thief and asked Jiang Xiaoxia to come and catch them… I knew it was you!”

A blush stained Ye Qingyu’s cheeks, a hint of shyness mingled with annoyance. That old Ye! The girl had simply come looking for information on the White Bone Dao, and in her haste, she’d forgotten to inform anyone. How could he call her a “thief”? This was the Pavilion Master’s secret building! The Pavilion Master could come, but the Young Pavilion Master could not?

With an imperceptible movement, she tucked the rolled-up documents into her storage box. Her expression turned serious as she looked down at little Anan. “Your sister came here to find some books to read. What a coincidence, are you doing the same?”

As she spoke, she prepared to turn back inside and elaborate. “There are many medical classics here, recording various acupoints, meridians, and the properties and ratios of countless drugs. There are also many historical texts, the kind where a single character can be deconstructed into more than ten others… All very interesting!”

Jiang Anan’s teeth suddenly ached, and she felt as though she had eaten too many sweets. Covering her cheek, she cried, “Aiyo!”

“What’s wrong?” Ye Qingyu half-squatted, her voice filled with concern.

Jiang Anan blinked her large, watery eyes and said pitifully, “My tooth seems to hurt.”

Big Brother had said she shouldn’t lie.

But she had said “seems,” right?

“Ah—” Ye Qingyu demonstrated, opening her mouth. “Let Sister see.”

Jiang Anan buried her face in Ye Qingyu’s embrace. “Sister, hug me.”

The feigned seriousness on Ye Qingyu’s face immediately melted. She gently stroked the little girl’s hair. “I told you not to eat so much sugar. Are you happy now?”

Jiang Anan rubbed her small face against Ye Qingyu’s embrace, snuggling deeper. Then, in a muffled voice, she said, “I didn’t eat much at all. That stupid gray tooth was all gnawed by an insect.”

Ye Qingyu replied, “Then it’s stupid. Its name is stupid. Are you stupid?”

Jiang Anan pondered this logic, then started to whimper again.

“Oh, right.” Jiang Anan suddenly remembered something and lifted her head. “Sister Qingyu, do we have evil cults here?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.” Ye Qingyu paused. “Why do you ask?”

Jiang Anan pulled out her treasured squirrel box and took out a notice from it. “I saw this posted in many places.”

In her hand was a search and kill order for an evil cult, specifically targeting the Sinless Sect with a high reward.

The Sinless Sect was an evil cult recognized by both the Three Criminal Palaces and the Mirror World Platform. The matter of exterminating the Sinless Sect had garnered responses from nations across the world. Yun Country, being a neutral nation, supported this effort, which was perfectly reasonable.

Yun Country was always prosperous, so it was also logical that their rewards were higher than other countries.

As for Yun Country still spending money to strengthen friendly commercial countries’ efforts to encircle and suppress the evil cult… this was even more understandable. After all, how difficult was trade in an unstable world?

“Do you know what an evil cult is?” Ye Qingyu asked.

“Just some very, very, very annoying people,” Jiang Anan said. “My brother dislikes them very much. He gets angry just hearing their name.”

“Then has your brother said why evil cult members are so annoying?” Ye Qingyu inquired again.

Jiang Anan thought for a moment, then shook her head blankly. “Doesn’t seem so.”

“It’s enough to know they’re annoying,” Ye Qingyu said. “Has your brother said when he’s coming to see you?”

“He said he’s busy with a big matter, and he’ll come to see me when he’s finished!” Upon this topic, Jiang Anan suddenly became energetic, proudly spreading her hands wide to indicate a great many. “And he’ll bring me many gifts!”

Ye Qingyu nodded, then took the search and kill order from little Anan’s hand, her expression immediately turning serious. “Did you secretly sneak out to play?”

Bad!

Jiang Anan secretly thought it was not good.

The books were right; the gentle embrace of comfort truly was a hero’s grave.

A Chou had repeatedly told her to keep it a secret. How could Jiang Xiaoxia be so careless as to expose herself?

“Sigh, I didn’t particularly want to go out and play either…” Her hand drooped, and her eyebrows drooped as well. She sighed. “A Chou dragged me along!”

This time, Ye Qingyu did not fall for her pitiful offensive. She simply took her small hand. “Come on, I want to go and ask him why he was so late today, only just knowing to take you out to play!”

During the critical period when Jiang Wang was hunting Zhang Linchuan across the world, she would absolutely not allow Jiang Anan to run around.

Although Zhang Linchuan might not know Jiang Anan was at Lingxiao Pavilion, and perhaps he wouldn’t dare come here, Jiang Wang had placed Jiang Anan in Yun Country precisely because he felt most at ease here. She absolutely could not gamble Jiang Anan’s safety on a “perhaps not.”

This time, she must ground Jiang Anan, and conveniently ground A Chou along with her. Absolutely not allow them to appear outside the secret areas of Lingxiao Pavilion.

Being led away by the increasingly fierce Sister Qingyu, Jiang Anan finally felt a little panicked. “This… A Chou might be taking a noon nap!”

“He can still sleep?”

“Or else, let’s forget it, Sister. Please give me, Jiang Anan, a little face. We’ll meet again when the mountains are green and the waters flow long. This matter is a bit tricky, and the wind is strong…”

“Where did you learn this scoundrel’s jargon! Was it Mo Liang? We’ll go find him to settle the score together!”

“Aiyo, my leg is numb.”

“I’ll fly you over.”

“Sister, Sister, I remember now, Brother Fang asked me to go fishing, or maybe I’ll go first…”

“What are you fishing at this age? You won’t fish, and neither will Xie Rui Xuan. First, punish him with twenty days of solitary reflection!”

“Right, I haven’t finished writing today’s characters.”

“No rush, you can make up for it tomorrow. Make up several copies.”

“Sister Qingyu, if we’re so fierce, it’s not polite…” Jiang Anan couldn’t hold back anymore, and she started to cry, “Wah, wah, wah,” letting out a wail.

White clouds drift like dogs, sometimes transforming into mischievous children.

Flying horizontally through the high sky, Jiang Wang chewed on his thoughts in silence.

“Replacing one’s identity, borrowing another’s body for performance, cannot be without flaws, unless it arises from the source, sent from the root. Since he has the confidence to rely on it to board the Qi Country ship and deceive so many peak experts in Qi Country, it should also be sent from this source.

People have seven souls, each with a name. The first soul is named Corpse Dog, the second is Fu Arrow, the third is Sparrow Yin, the fourth is Swallow Thief, the fifth is Non Poison, the sixth is Except Filth, and the seventh is Stinky Lung… You said that evil cult leader is called Zhang Linchuan. Perhaps his innate divine ability is the seven souls substituting life.

The Jade Balance shines upon all the heavens and myriad worlds. I occasionally consulted ancient legends through it, and this is the only saying that fits the conditions. Of course, this divine ability is also just an ancient legend I saw, and the record itself is incomplete, so it may not be accurate. But you can take it as a reference…”

Grandmaster Guan Yan’s words echoed in his mind.

Jiang Wang had a clear understanding of Zhang Linchuan’s strength. He certainly wasn’t hot-headed, simply carrying his sword to fight desperately.

The premise of actively leaving Linzi to seek a desperate battle with Zhang Linchuan was that he believed he had a chance of victory.

And true powerhouses were those who could turn “possible” into “inevitable.”

Relying on his identity as a military merit marquis of Ba Country, he would crush the evil cult leader with great momentum.

Sweeping across the four wilds, he would pursue and kill across the world.

Advancing meant winning people’s hearts, and killing meant the world’s shadow followed.

The enemy could not even be seen in broad daylight, only scurrying in all directions like rats.

This was winning with momentum!

It was what was said in the “Stone Gate Military Strategy” – winning first.

He flaunted his departure from Linzi, unmasked and undisguised the entire way. Every step was an accumulation of his own momentum.

With the world’s grand momentum, he would raise his own sword momentum.

All the current world’s actions to exterminate evil were accumulating fuel and gathering fire for this momentum.

By the time he formally collided with Zhang Linchuan, the sword he unleashed would undoubtedly be the strongest of his life!

The farther Zhang Linchuan escaped, the more convoluted, the more intense, the more brilliant that sword would be.

Furthermore, among the many preparations to deal with Zhang Linchuan, the most crucial was the investigation and analysis of Zhang Linchuan himself. The military strategist’s saying went: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will not be endangered in a hundred battles.

He had fought all the way, experienced life and death several times, only to win his current status. There was no reason not to use it.

He had asked many experts in Linzi City, but no one knew the specific form of Zhang Linchuan’s divine ability. Even the master of techniques, Yi Xingchen, could only guess at the probable limitations of that divine ability, such as the substitute body’s cultivation being lower than the original body and so on.

He even asked the old dragon in the Jade Balance Star Tower. Unfortunately, the old dragon seemed quite eccentric and demanding, actually setting conditions, saying things like “first let me out, and I’ll tell you immediately,” and other nonsense.

Jiang Wang had to endure the experience of being completely drained of blood by a strong God temporarily.

Finally, the old dragon admitted he had never heard of such a thing and sincerely suggested Jiang Wang cultivate well, wait until he reached the Cave True realm, and then go on a grand killing spree. And that he had a clue to a top-level cultivation treasure…

Marquis Wu An did not listen.

Instead, when passing through Star Moon Plain, he contacted Senior Guan Yan, who had just returned from his divine tour. From Senior Guan Yan, he received a possibility, namely “seven souls substituting life.”

Senior Guan Yan even analyzed that Zhang Linchuan’s substitute for Lei Zhanqian should be “Sparrow Yin,” which was the qi soul.

It was a pity that Marquis Dingyuan, at that time, was unable to spare his strength to kill Zhang Linchuan’s original body across the world, leading to Lei Zhanqian’s physical body being completely fragmented, making verification impossible.

But if this guess was true… Zhang Linchuan still had at most six hidden identities!

He was truly a very difficult enemy to eliminate.

Grandmaster Guan Yan also suggested – if this evil fellow was truly difficult to entangle, why not lure him to Star Moon Plain… In this place closest to the star dome, borrowing the hand of the Jade Balance, it would not be difficult to nail down a God temporarily.

However, Jiang Wang refused.

He knew this method was impossible to realize. Zhang Linchuan was not stupid and would absolutely not approach the Eastern Domain again. Moreover, given his situation, even if he gained an advantage in a fight, he would not have the conditions to pursue and kill Jiang Wang across the world.

The fight between them must be extremely short. This was inevitable given Zhang Linchuan’s situation. As long as the fight dragged on, the possibility of Zhang Linchuan encountering danger would infinitely increase.

This battle had already begun in the barbarian forest. And Jiang Wang, with a slightly weaker cultivation, had won an absolute advantage…

Senior Guan Yan did not force the issue. His return to the main star of the Jade Balance this time was merely to conveniently sort out the position of the star lord. After answering Jiang Wang’s question, he took his slightly troublesome mother-in-law to travel across the myriad worlds again. The next time they could contact each other, he didn’t know when…

And Jiang Wang stepped alone on a long journey.

He inevitably seemed a little lonely and solitary.

Of course, he was not completely alone.

After leaving Linzi, there were too many people on this road willing to travel with him, wanting to accompany him in completing the great task of strangling the evil cult leader Zhang Linchuan.

Among them, there was no lack of disciples from famous schools and long-established Gods temporarily.

But firstly, he did not want to owe favors to some unrelated people. Secondly, he could not judge whether those people truly wanted to help him, or if they had other intentions, or even if one of them was a hidden identity of Zhang Linchuan.

He was absolutely unwilling to fight against his companions in this life-and-death struggle, to analyze and reanalyze.

It was not that he held any single combat principle towards Zhang Linchuan, to speak of some martial virtue as Zhang Linchuan might require. It was simply that in this matter, even if he needed help, he would only ask for assistance from absolutely reliable people.

The battlefield ruins of the underground palace in Yan Yun Mountain had already been inspected repeatedly by many people.

If there were any clues, they should have been discovered long ago.

The current consensus was – there were many traces of battle, but essentially nothing of major value. Hundreds of corpses at the site had all been terribly disfigured. Zhang Linchuan had used a myriad of diverse means in the fight. Analyzing the entire bloody battle process, it was even difficult to clearly portray his fighting style.

Zhang Linchuan was able to build the Sinless Sect from nothing to its current scale in the shadows, clearly being a top-level expert in concealment. Even if he didn’t have much time to process the site, he would essentially not leave any opportunities for trackers.

One publicly known point was… Zhang Linchuan’s current physical body was the White Bone Holy Body initially prepared by the White Bone Venerable God for ascending to the peak of the present world. Divination and calculation were also difficult to apply to this body.

But Jiang Wang seemed completely unaware of these objective realities, walking quietly and tirelessly among the broken walls and shattered tiles, his gaze calm and clear, not missing a single corner, searching for traces that might still be useful.

Although he carried the Lin family’s top-level corpse examination method, it was difficult to use without the raw materials – the corpses at the site had all been transported away by people from Jing Country, and they obviously would not cooperate with this Marquis of Qi Country to examine the corpses.

Jing Country said that due to the heavy casualties this time, they sent a True Person to pursue and kill Zhang Linchuan. But in the vast present world, without a single clue, how easy was it to find a person who had no ties or connections?

Even a contemporary True Person might only wander around like a headless fly.

Rushing from Linzi to Yan Yun Mountain, the timing was obviously too late.

But why did Jiang Wang, knowing there would almost certainly be no harvest, still investigate the underground palace in Yan Yun Mountain in such detail? Finding clues was only one aspect. Another aspect was supplementing his “knowledge” of Zhang Linchuan.

They had been senior brothers in the Fenglin City Taoist Academy for several years, but their true interactions were all after entering the inner sect, and the number of times was not many.

After leaving Fenglin City, they had not seen each other for several years.

Their contact in the barbarian forest of Lushuang County could be counted, and the complex battle traces inside this underground palace of Yan Yun Mountain could also be included.

These battle traces, deliberately altered with various different means, might only embody Zhang Linchuan’s rich repertoire of methods to others.

To Jiang Wang, however, they were fragments of Zhang Linchuan as a person.

What would happen in a battle after Jiang Wang had thoroughly understood it… Not many people in the current world knew this point, and Zhang Linchuan was obviously not among them.

At this time, within the underground palace of Yan Yun Mountain, Jiang Wang was not the only one surveying the site. There were also military cultivators from Song Country. Cultivators from Dan Country had already completed their investigation and left two days ago.

Song Country’s investigation at this moment was, of course, not about finding anything, but a form of support.

Leading the team was Chen Si Wu, a heaven’s pride from Song Country’s God-temporary realm. He wore a high crown and wide belt, his large sleeves fluttering, appearing quite a serious person.

He was a participant in the thirty-year-old unlimited field main match at the Yellow River Assembly in the third thousand nine hundred and nineteenth year of the Dao Calendar. It was said he had mastered all six arts and achieved the Dao with five shoots.

Jiang Wang had also interacted with him under the name Du Gu Wu Di in the blessed land challenge of the Taixu Illusion Realm. He had a deep impression of this brother who “walks without changing his name, sits without changing his surname, is born without yielding his face, and dies without changing his color,” and had personally experienced his terrifying archery skills.

But Chen Si Wu obviously did not know that this Wu An was that Wu Di.

Why he would appear here was exactly an embodiment of the grand momentum Jiang Wang had stirred up this time.

Exterminating the Sinless Sect was a consensus reached by countries worldwide and various major righteous Dao sects.

And as the initiator of this great wave of evil extermination, Marquis Wu An of Qi, Jiang Wang, carried his sword eastward out of Linzi, pursuing and killing the evil cult leader for ten thousand li. With his gaze on the world, who could not support him?

Even people from Jing Country, if they encountered him, would have to stop and shout praises, clap their hands, and then leave.

As a country near Yan Yun Mountain, Chen Si Wu was a representative of Song Country, signifying Song Country’s irreconcilable attitude towards the evil cult.

From another perspective, which country was not wary of Zhang Linchuan? This evil cult leader, whose evil name was already widespread, had actually built an underground palace near this country, under Yan Yun Mountain!

Then, to Song Country, did the Sinless Sect have any other dark hands?

Song Country was founded on Confucian teachings, not speaking of strange forces and chaotic gods. It had always detested the divine Dao. There were no traces of religious activities domestically. But who knew if the Sinless Sect would not change its head and face like it did on the grassland, attaching itself to some Confucian schools to preach?

The Song Court had already begun a thorough check internally. Chen Si Wu’s trip was also considered to have a mission.

Although he did not understand Jiang Wang’s serious investigation within the underground palace ruins, he still expressed enough respect, even voluntarily accompanying this Marquis of Qi to check again.

“I heard that a Dan sect was pulled out next door, refining ‘human pills,’ and it was also related to the Sinless Sect,” Chen Si Wu said, seemingly unintentionally, while checking the traces.

At this moment, being in Yan Yun Mountain, “next door” in his mouth was, of course, Dan Country.

Human pills?

Even Jiang Wang, who was completely ignorant of Dan Dao, knew this was an extremely evil method. Using people as pills, using people to eat people, reversing human ethics and the five constants, it was simply something that heavenly reason could not tolerate!

But being related to the Sinless Sect, it was not at all unexpected.

Along with the crackdown on the Sinless Sect by countries worldwide during this period, many of the Sinless Sect’s evil deeds were also revealed to the public. Their wickedness and poison were simply inexhaustible.

“How was this matter handled?” Jiang Wang asked.

Chen Si Wu said, “Zhang Xun personally handled it. He completely annihilated that Dan sect and followed the vine to touch the melon, cutting down a Law King of the Sinless Sect.”

“With everyone abandoning them, how could the Sinless Sect not perish?” Jiang Wang’s gaze was still fixed on every brick and tile within this dark underground palace. He said, “If Zhang Linchuan doesn’t die, I will not be at ease!”

“This person is a great disaster if he doesn’t die!” Chen Si Wu said decisively, “Our Song Court must kill him!”

Jiang Wang cupped his hand, then said nothing more.

The search continued for a long while.

“Marquis Wu An.” Chen Si Wu suddenly spoke. “Latest news.”

“What news?” Jiang Wang turned back and asked.

Chen Si Wu’s expression was strange. “Zhang Linchuan’s trace has appeared in Wei Country. He slaughtered a town and wrote his name in fresh blood, saying it was revenge against Wei Country for participating in the extermination of the Sinless Sect.”

At this time, nine days had passed since the previous battle in Yan Yun Mountain. Even if Zhang Linchuan had suffered some hidden injuries in that battle, they were probably almost recovered – the Sinless Sect had developed to such a scale before, and as the leader, Zhang Linchuan must have amassed considerable resources. He should not be constrained in this aspect in the short term.

Originally, many people thought he had already escaped to a farther place. Perhaps the Northern Domain, perhaps the Yu Abyss, perhaps licking his wounds in some dark corner, waiting for an opportunity.

Unexpectedly, he had sneaked into Wei Country, which was not too far from Yan Yun Mountain.

This move, hiding under the lamp, was also considered very good.

But why did he suddenly expose his trace, and in such an evil manner?

It was not that Zhang Linchuan would not do evil. If necessary, such a person would do anything. But when had he actually become so crazy?

Wei Country might not be a weak and small country. They had a True Monarch expert sitting in town, and they also had the world-renowned True Person Wu Xun, and even a branch of the world’s strong army that could contend with any opponent on the battlefield!

Zhang Linchuan slaughtering a town in Wei Country and openly proclaiming revenge was simply like an ant challenging a giant elephant by the roadside!

Moreover, it wasn’t just Wei Country that participated in the extermination of the Sinless Sect. Major strong countries worldwide had responded. How many heads and lives did Zhang Linchuan have? Could he really take revenge one by one?

Could Zhang Linchuan be an enemy of the world?

Chen Si Wu completely could not understand.

This was something that had no motive and whose internal logic could not be analyzed.

Jiang Wang also could not understand, his eyebrows furrowed tightly. “Brother Chen, what do you think is the purpose of Zhang Linchuan’s action?”

“Who knows? It’s like he’s gone mad, deliberately seeking death.” Chen Si Wu said, half-guessing and half-joking, “Perhaps the sect he single-handedly created perished overnight, and he couldn’t bear such a blow, already collapsing and throwing caution to the wind?”

Like deliberately seeking death…

Jiang Wang’s heart seemed to vaguely grasp something, but it was not clear.

But at least he had a considerable understanding of Zhang Linchuan’s character. A person like Zhang Linchuan would absolutely not be easily knocked down, would not do meaningless things, and certainly would not be unable to bear a blow and go mad!

Then what was Zhang Linchuan’s purpose in going to Wei Country?

To kill people? To provoke Wei Country’s anger?

What was in Wei Country that could help Zhang Linchuan break his dilemma?

Jiang Wang immediately stood up and flew out of the underground palace. “I’ll go to Wei Country to see.”

Chen Si Wu hesitated for a moment, then only said, “Please be careful, Marquis Wu An. I must return to the country to strictly seal the borders and prevent similar things from happening in my Song Country.”

Neither of them was a pretentious person. With this single utterance, they flew far apart.

Traveling in the cloudy, thin, and cold sky, the wind constantly slapped his face.

Jiang Wang flew quickly while thinking.

Zhang Linchuan’s action of directly slaughtering a town and leaving a blood-soaked book to publicly challenge Wei Country.

It gave him a sense of urgency.

Zhang Linchuan seemed… very urgent.

This evil cult leader, what was he urgent about?

At this moment, in this gusty wind of pursuit, he inexplicably recalled the words Zhang Linchuan had said to him in Tang She Town –

“Yes, it’s a matter of early or late. But early and late are, after all, different things. I often feel a knife poking me in the back, every moment feels urgent.”

－－－－－－Out of Topic－－－－－－

Six thousand words today, including one chapter for A Shen, adding to the debt of the add-more debt committee. (4/10)