Unraveling the Truth

An Yang City.

Inside a military camp.

A refined young man, clad in a general’s armor, hosted a banquet, entertaining Qin Zhaoyu, who had returned two days prior.

“Zhaoyu, you performed exceptionally well this time.”

“Though we incurred some losses, the city’s protective array is gone, and Qian You was beaten to death by the common folk.”

“Our assault will undoubtedly be twice as effective with half the effort, and we’ll seize the city within days.”

A beat of silence followed.

Qin Zhaoyu remained seated on the side near the main seat, utterly silent, seemingly lost in thought.

“Zhaoyu? Is something troubling your mind?”

“No, I merely have some lingering doubts.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Prince Pingliang, Qin Yong, deeply valued this trump card under his command.

As a cultivator, Qin Zhaoyu possessed unique, mystical abilities, capable of turning the tide and instantly shifting the scales of battle.

“Actually…”

“That day, I only fought the three rogue cultivators to a stalemate, with no remaining strength to deal with Qian You or the city’s protective array.”

“Yet now, Taiyang City stands unguarded, and the foundations of its protective array have been utterly destroyed.”

“This accomplishment must still be credited to you, Zhaoyu.”

Qin Zhaoyu wanted to decline, but seeing Qin Yong’s knowing glance, she reluctantly accepted for the moment.

“Very well, then I shall accept this honor, however undeserving I feel.”

****

After the banquet concluded.

Qin Zhaoyu was called by Qin Yong to a small path within a bamboo grove, where they walked slowly together.

“Zhaoyu, now that things have come to this, I will speak plainly.”

Qin Yong gathered his thoughts, then spoke slowly.

“In truth, that night, I knew you had suffered an initial setback…”

“After all, the information I could gather was insufficient; I was unaware that Qian You had colluded with several powerful rogue cultivators.”

“This led to the loss of several cultivator combatants.”

As he spoke, Qin Yong’s expression revealed a sense of helplessness, as if his will was strong but his power insufficient.

“However, what happened afterward struck even me as peculiar.”

“Though you failed, and their soul tablets shattered, the array’s foundations were nonetheless destroyed.”

“Even the cultivators I dispatched discovered traces of a curse placed within Qian You’s mind.”

“That is why he became so utterly witless.”

“Thus, I began to suspect whether some other powerful cultivator had been secretly observing and orchestrating these events.”

A heavy silence followed.

With Qin Yong’s subtle prompting, Qin Zhaoyu suddenly perceived some clues herself.

Her endeavors had indeed been remarkably smooth.

Over the past two years, she had encountered virtually no enemies seeking revenge at her door.

She had never been ambushed by malicious individuals.

Even when entering and exiting perilous locations, she had never once disturbed the monstrous beasts guarding hidden treasures or spiritual herbs within.

It had truly been too smooth.

It was as if a colossal hand had constantly been behind her, clearing away all potential troubles.

This allowed her to advance without any worries.

‘Could it be…’

‘My master…’ Qin Zhaoyu murmured to herself.

The only person she could imagine orchestrating all of this silently from behind the scenes was her master, Zhuang Xun.

“Your master?”

“Zhaoyu, you actually have a master?”

Qin Zhaoyu drew a deep breath, then released it in a soft sigh.

That serene and beautiful time felt as if it were only yesterday.

“Hmph…”

“I do indeed have a master…”

“But now… I have long since been expelled from the sect.”

A hint of melancholy touched her expression, but it quickly gave way to resignation.

“That shouldn’t be the case. With your current cultivation, Zhaoyu, you are considered top-tier even among cultivators of your age that I know.”

“Possessing such talent, no master should ever expel such an outstanding disciple from their sect.”

Qin Zhaoyu gazed at the pair of emerald bamboo shoots reaching skyward—one towering, the other a young sapling that had only recently unfurled its leaves.

“Perhaps in my master’s eyes, talent isn’t the foremost priority…”

“Character might be what truly matters…”

“Because, in terms of talent, he was already one of the most heaven-defying cultivators.”

“But he was simply too exceptional…”

“I could never find any trace of him again…”

“I couldn’t even enter the mountain gate.”

Qin Yong found himself at a loss for words, simply remarking, “Your master is truly an extraordinary individual.”

“By the way, have you learned anything about Yue Long County?”

Immersed in her memories, Qin Zhaoyu snapped back to attention at the mention of ‘Yue Long County’.

“I know of it, but that county’s situation is quite murky, and it’s a thousand li away from the Imperial City.”

“Given the current circumstances, the information we can obtain is very limited.”

“Even with limited information, it’s not hard to discern the underlying connections, is it?”

“Are you suggesting that the poisoned people incident in Yue Long County is deeply connected to the lax governance within the imperial court?”

“Indeed, as expected of you, you grasp it instantly.”

From his inner pocket, Qin Yong produced a folded piece of paper and handed it to Qin Zhaoyu.

“Look at what’s written here; it’s an account from the refugees who fled that place.”

Qin Zhaoyu’s brows furrowed into a tight knot as she read the contents of the note.

“I’ve extracted a few keywords from it…”

“Collusion, disregard for human life, strange evil entities…”

“Moreover, judging by the reaction from the Imperial City, it seems they had long intended to abandon Yue Long County.”

A heavy silence settled between them.

“This will be difficult to resolve…” Qin Zhaoyu shook her head after reading.

“With my current strength, meddling in such affairs would only drag me deeper into the mire.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to resolve it.”

“Rather, I want you to gather evidence… evidence of those high-ranking court officials colluding with rogue cultivators.”

“And use that as an opportunity to completely sever ties with Qin Min?”

At the mention of that name, Qin Yong’s heart swelled with indignation.

“As the ruler of a nation, I refuse to believe he couldn’t see something like this…”

“That’s an entire county, tens of thousands of lives at stake…”

“If he continues to pursue his dream of immortality, failing to stop and address such blatant disregard for his people’s lives…”

“Then he might as well abandon his position as ruler; it would be an utter disgrace to all the ancestors of the Qin family!”

“Very well, I understand. After a few days of rest, I shall depart.”

Qin Zhaoyu said nothing more.

The longer she confronted the truth, the more she learned, and the clearer it became just how utterly disappointing that man truly was.

****

Yue Long County.

As night drew near.

Before the entrance of an inn with a ruined signboard…

Zhuang Xun gathered the seven remaining household retainers Jiang Ningwan had brought and gave each of them a talisman.

“These are spiritual talismans that can ward off some malevolent spirits. Later, some unclean entities might stir, so remember not to move haphazardly.”

“Holding this talisman, they will not attack you.”

“Do you understand?”

“We understand, we understand!”

“Good luck, Immortal Master!”

Having witnessed Zhuang Xun’s capabilities, the retainers largely trusted him.

Subsequently, Zhuang Xun tossed a banner to Steward Zhang, instructing, “Steward Zhang, your task is to continuously move around Yue Long City with this banner. You can stop around the Hour of the Ox.”

“Senior, are you performing a soul summoning?”

Steward Zhang glanced at the banner, recognizing the Taiyin Soul Summoning Seal pattern on it, and inquired.

“I told you not to call me Senior; I’m not that old yet,” Zhuang Xun said, utterly exasperated. ‘My mindset is clearly still very young, alright?’

“Just do as I say.”

If ninety-nine percent of his true power hadn’t been sealed, he could have resolved this minor issue with a mere wave of his hand.

It wouldn’t be this troublesome.

“As for you two, mother and daughter, stay close to me; do not get separated.”

After giving instructions to the mother and daughter behind him, Zhuang Xun calmed his mind, his spiritual senses flaring wide open.

Suddenly, his keen spiritual perception detected a bloody, chilling aura slowly awakening deep beneath the ground.

“Immortal Master… why can’t we just flee?”

Jiang Ningwan could not comprehend.

If something was amiss in this county, why couldn’t they, as frail mortals, escape first to avoid hindering the cultivators who were expelling evil?

“It’s too late; there’s no escaping.”

“From the moment we stepped through the gates of Yue Long County, those unclean entities lurking in the shadows have already set their sights on us.”

“And your Jiang residence, in particular, has the most of them surrounding it.”

“This…” Jiang Ningwan fell silent. ‘So that’s how it is…’

“Had I not discovered a bloodstain, perhaps I wouldn’t have realized such a grave problem existed here.”

A heavy silence ensued.

“It was me… I brought harm to everyone…” Jiang Ningwan clenched her fists, her voice trembling slightly.

‘If only I hadn’t been so stubborn…’

Instinctively, Zhuang Xun placed a hand on Jiang Ningwan’s shoulder, offering reassurance.

“It’s alright, Madam Jiang. It’s not too late to resolve this perfectly.”

“Listen carefully to my words, and I will ensure everyone’s safety.”

As his words faded, strange rustling sounds emanated from the shops around them.

Something seemed to be moving slowly inside.

*Creak~*

*Creak~*

Door after door swung open, releasing gusts of chilling, netherworld-like wind.

“Ugh…”

“Ugh…”

One by one, ordinary folk emerged from within, their eyes vacant, skin pallid, sharp fangs slowly grinding in their mouths.

Their forms were gaunt, and under the moonlight, the bones and veins on the backs of their hands were starkly visible.

“They’re here, the poisoned ones.”