Could There Be Some Deep Grudge? Yin Mei's So-Called Methods
Could There Be Some Deep Grudge? Yin Mei’s So-Called Methods
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the True Immortal Academy’s trials began.
During this time, Gu Changge kept a low profile, rarely showing himself—even many of his followers seldom caught a glimpse of him.
Some said Gu Changge had already departed for the lands where the Eternal Overcast calamity had erupted, to slay Yin Spirits.
But others said Gu Changge was actually in secluded cultivation, practicing a powerful divine ability.
Rumors abounded, with all sorts of claims.
Yet no one dared visit to verify the truth. Even the Vermilion Bird Emperor was now silent as a cicada in winter, filled with awe and trepidation.
At this moment, in the Vermilion Bird Imperial Capital, within a magnificent and towering pavilion.
Su Qingge and Ji Qingxuan sat facing each other.
“Sister, are you leaving this place now?” Ji Qingxuan’s eyes revealed surprise.
She hadn’t expected that the first thing Su Qingge would say upon coming here would be to tell her she was leaving.
Didn’t that mean their identity swap would have to continue for a long time?
“Mm. Anyway, the Wang Family won’t trouble you anymore. I might as well disguise myself as you and go to the Ji Family to see Mother.”
“I haven’t seen her in many years, and this happens to be a good opportunity.”
Su Qingge nodded, her expression complicated. “During this time, has Gongzi not suspected you?”
“No.”
Ji Qingxuan shook her head, then couldn’t help but reveal a happy smile. “Gongzi treats me very well. Though I haven’t seen him for many days—he seems to have left the Vermilion Bird Imperial Capital and gone to where the Eternal Overcast calamity erupted.”
“Is that so?”
Su Qingge nodded, unable to describe what emotion she was feeling at this moment.
Why was she jealous of her own sister, when her sister was clearly pretending to be her?
“Right... Sister, there’s something I need to tell you.”
At this, Ji Qingxuan’s usually cool and calm face suddenly became hesitant and stammering.
She also looked somewhat shy and embarrassed.
“What is it?”
Su Qingge asked with some confusion, and for some reason, a bad feeling suddenly arose in her heart.
“It’s just... just that day... at that time I...”
Ji Qingxuan glanced uneasily at her sister. She wasn’t bringing this up deliberately to show off.
Rather, she felt that when they swapped back in the future, Gu Changge might notice something.
That was why she was telling Su Qingge.
“What?” Su Qingge froze, her head buzzing as if struck by lightning.
Coming back to her senses, her face couldn’t help but pale slightly, and the bad feeling in her heart grew ever stronger.
Before this, Gu Changge had never taken her body.
But why, after swapping identities with Ji Qingxuan, did Gu Changge act this way?
When something is abnormal, there must be something amiss.
“Could it be that Gongzi actually already knows...”
Su Qingge was very clever—she connected the dots almost instantly, though she still clung to one last shred of hope, thinking it was very likely just a coincidence.
“Sister, I’m sorry...” Ji Qingxuan apologized.
“It’s not your fault.”
After a long silence, Su Qingge waved her hand, forcing herself to calm down, though her heart was filled with bitterness.
Suddenly, she thought of a possibility—what if she let her sister take over her identity and stay by Gu Changge’s side?
After all, Gu Changge was the foremost young leader of the righteous path, while she was the Successor of Demonic Arts, destined to eventually stand on the opposite side from him.
While Gu Changge still didn’t know her true identity... otherwise, in the future, she truly wouldn’t know how to face all of this.
“Qingxuan, I may not return for a very long time after this...”
Su Qingge calmed down and said, “If during this time, Gongzi sees through everything, tell him that Qingge is ashamed of his trust...”
With those words, her figure flashed and she had already left the place.
“Sister...” Ji Qingxuan was momentarily dazed, feeling that her sister seemed to have shed tears at the end?
What exactly was she hiding? What required such deep bitterness and grudge?
...
Meanwhile.
Sacred Spirits Ancient City.
As a gathering place for the various ancient empires, all manner of beings and Cultivators could be found here.
Not only could one encounter young people just beginning their cultivation journey, but one could also see ascetic monks who had sat motionless in meditation for hundreds of thousands of years.
One could even see disciples of great sects and members of ancient clans. It was incomparably prosperous, able to accommodate nearly ten million people.
Within the city, inside a resplendent and magnificent hall.
A naturally seductive woman in white stood there, directing a group of maids before her as they flipped through something.
The woman in white’s beauty could be called devastatingly gorgeous, without a single flaw. Her eyes shimmered, beautiful to the point of enchantment.
At this moment, hugging her nine fluffy, snow-white, lustrous fox tails, she furrowed her delicate brows slightly. “Hurry up, all of you. Does investigating some information really take this long?”
“Xiaojie, please wait a moment.”
Hearing this, several maids hurriedly said, “Much of the information about that Chu Hao seems to have been deliberately hidden by someone. A lot of it can’t be found...”
“Can’t be found?” The woman in white furrowed her brows, somewhat disbelieving.
“Is there anything in this world that my Alliance of Thousand Merchants cannot find?”
One must know that back then, she could even find traces of the Gu Family scandal. How could a mere Third Prince of the small Vermilion Bird Empire be impossible to investigate?
“Forget it, no need to keep investigating, Yin Mei.”
“I’ve already guessed who is helping Chu Hao behind the scenes.”
At this moment, a young man’s voice came from behind the hall’s curtains.
“Master already knows?”
Yin Mei was slightly taken aback, but didn’t ask further. She then waved her hand, dismissing the maids.
“I know. It should be someone from the Alliance of Thousand Merchants.”
Gu Changge sat there, quietly sipping fragrant tea. He blew away the steam, brought the cup to his lips, and drank it all.
“The tea you brew is still the best.”
He praised, appearing to be in a good mood.
When nothing could be found in the Vermilion Bird Empire, he knew that the person helping Chu Hao this time was no simple figure—very clever, having hidden all traces well.
That was why he had rushed to Sacred Spirits Ancient City, because there was a branch of the Alliance of Thousand Merchants here, allowing him to summon Yin Mei.
“If Master loves to drink it, then I’ll brew tea for Master every day.”
Yin Mei walked over and said with a smile upon hearing this.
She had not chosen to go cultivate at the True Immortal Academy, because she knew that no matter how much her cultivation improved, it would be difficult to help Gu Changge.
So she simply began taking control of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan’s authority within the Alliance of Thousand Merchants, which would allow her to provide Gu Changge with greater help.
The greatest power behind the Alliance of Thousand Merchants was the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan. As one of the Ancient Royal Families, their foundation went without saying.
Over the years, although many forces and lineages had joined the Alliance of Thousand Merchants, the greatest authority still remained in their hands.
“How much do you know about this Tang Wan?”
Gu Changge smiled faintly, casually picking up the Jade Tablet before him. It contained quite a few people he had previously suspected, and now, after layers of elimination and screening.
He had already determined the person. The one helping Chu Hao from behind was none other than this Tang Wan.
Finding her was actually not difficult.
First, one only needed to know which people were similar in age to Chu Hao and had once stayed in the Vermilion Bird Empire.
With such overused tricks, Gu Changge only needed a casual investigation to quickly determine the person.
Tang Wan was clever, knowing to avoid suspicion and deliberately conceal her tracks. But as long as she had been to the Vermilion Bird Empire, those traces could not be erased.
Moreover, Tang Wan had no idea that Yin Mei was his person.
“This Tang Wan seems quite capable. She began working in the Alliance hundreds of years ago. The Tang Family holds considerable weight in the Alliance of Thousand Merchants, and her grandfather is even the leader of a branch alliance, with numerous experts under his command...”
Yin Mei explained, telling Gu Changge everything she knew about Tang Wan.
“A branch alliance leader? Then her influence is quite substantial indeed.” Gu Changge laughed casually.
As one of the greatest merchant alliances in the Beyond, the Alliance of Thousand Merchants spread across nearly the entire Beyond, and the power it contained was beyond imagination.
Even the leaders of some Cults of Immortality had to treat a branch alliance leader with caution, not daring to underestimate them.
“Has Tang Wan offended Gongzi?”
Yin Mei asked, then added, “I do know she seems to have a younger brother named Tang Tian. He’s not very old, a spoiled playboy, arrogant and domineering by habit. The Tang Family dotes on him greatly.”
“A younger brother?”
Gu Changge’s smile took on a meaningful quality. “That’s just perfect then.”
“This Tang Wan could have done anything, yet she just had to oppose me.”
“Tell me, does she deserve to die?”
“She deserves to die.” Yin Mei nodded obediently. “Everyone who opposes Master deserves to die.”
...
“Young Master, I heard the Drunk Gods Inn has gotten a new batch of goods this time. Would you like to go take a look?”
On a street bustling with Cultivators, a young man with a frivolous face and sunken eye sockets was walking along.
His gaze swept over the many young beings and Cultivators around—though mainly lingering on the young female Cultivators, sizing them up repeatedly.
A plump man who looked like a steward followed beside the young man, carefully asking with an ingratiating smile.
“What goods could the Drunk Gods Inn possibly have?”
The young man, named Tang Tian, said somewhat disdainfully.
Although he appeared to be walking alone, quite a few powerful Cultivators followed him in the shadows, protecting him.
“I heard that this time, the Drunk Gods Inn’s goods seem to be from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan.” The plump man continued with an obsequious smile.
“The Nine-Tailed Fox Clan?”
Tang Tian froze at these words, then his eyes practically gleamed. He couldn’t help asking, “Really or fake? Doesn’t the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan value that sort of thing the most? How could they be at the Drunk Gods Inn?”
Although he was a playboy, that didn’t mean he was stupid.
The Nine-Tailed Fox Clan was one of the Ancient Royal Families—how could they be encountered so easily?
Though he did know that the women of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan were almost all devastatingly beautiful.
“Young Master, rest assured. This batch of goods is said to have been expelled from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan...”
The plump man chuckled. “So Young Master, you can be completely at ease.”
Tang Tian snorted coldly. “If you dare lie to me, I won’t let you off.”
The plump man hurriedly said, “I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare. With your status, Young Master, who would dare lie to you?”
“Hmph, at least you know your place.”
After that, Tang Tian hurried toward the Drunk Gods Inn.
Upon arriving, under the plump man’s arrangements, he indeed saw a Nine-Tailed Fox Clan girl with a frightened and uneasy expression in a private room on the second floor. Her beauty naturally went without saying—enough to topple nations.
What puzzled him somewhat, though, was that this Nine-Tailed Fox Clan girl was currently bound, with even her mouth covered.
“Young Master, her temperament is a bit stubborn. But rest assured, there’s absolutely no problem. When it’s over, I hope you’ll put in a few good words for me in front of Miss Wan.”
The plump man quickly explained.
“Got it, got it. Now scram.”
At this point, Tang Tian found him terribly long-winded and said impatiently. He hadn’t suspected anything at all.
As for putting in good words in front of his sister?
Would he dare mention something like this?
“Then I won’t disturb Young Master any further.” The plump man finished with a grin and withdrew from the private room.
“A girl of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan—truly lives up to the name. This face, this figure...”
In the private room, Tang Tian was incomparably excited, about to make his move.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura came from outside the Drunk Gods Inn, as if it would destroy everything, carrying fury and icy cold.
“Who is it? Who dares spoil my fun?”
Tang Tian was displeased, but then heard several screams from outside. His expression changed, and a sense of dread suddenly rose in his heart.
Because those screams came from the Cultivators secretly protecting him.
“What enormous dog guts, daring to lay hands on my maid!”
········Seeking flowers 0·····
Accompanied by a voice that was bone-chillingly cold yet like heavenly music.
Streaks of Sword Qi bloomed in the void, terrifying and murderous, descending from the sky with chilling might, instantly blasting the Drunk Gods Inn apart!
The faces of all the Cultivators on the street changed drastically, retreating in shock.
They saw a woman in white walking through the high sky, her expression icy, a long sword floating behind her, radiating hundreds of millions of rays of light, her killing intent seemingly enough to freeze and crack the heavens themselves.
In the shadows, one powerful Cultivator after another had no time to react before being pierced through by Sword Qi, directly annihilated in body and soul, their spirits scattering to ash without a trace.
“Innkeeper Zhu, what on earth is going on?”
Tang Tian felt uneasy, his face pale. He hurried out of the private room to question the plump man from before.
He was panicking inside. What was happening?
Could something have gone wrong?
Could there be some problem with this Nine-Tailed Fox Clan girl?
However, before Tang Tian could react, the scene he saw after stepping out of the private room struck him like five thunderbolts. He was completely dumbfounded, unable to respond for a long while.
“You’re spouting blood and slander, stop talking nonsense...”
Tang Tian roared in fury, his face twisted.
However, the plump man knelt on the ground, completely ignoring him, his face full of terror, regret, and panic as he repeatedly said, “This was all ordered by Young Master Tang Tian, it has nothing to do with this lowly one!”
“Young Master Tang Tian said he’d take responsibility for anything that happened, otherwise this lowly one would never have had the guts to bring someone to the Drunk Gods Inn for Young Master Tang Tian.”
“I beg the Gifted Lady for forgiveness! This lowly one knows his wrongs, I beg the Gifted Lady to spare this lowly life!”
“Tang Tian, you truly have enormous guts, daring to lay hands even on my maid!”
The woman in white’s expression was incomparably cold, carrying killing intent. Her long sword hung in the air, terrifying radiance interweaving and spreading across it, ready to fall at any moment.
“This is all a frame-up, I know nothing! It was all arranged by Innkeeper Zhu, he’s framing me...”
Tang Tian’s face was pale, his voice trembling, incomparably angry and uneasy, trying to explain everything clearly.
...................
He naturally recognized the woman in white before him—she was none other than the Gifted Lady of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan.
With a nation-toppling, calamity-bringing face, she was worshipped as a Gifted Lady by who knows how many prodigies.
Moreover, she held great authority in the Alliance of Thousand Merchants.
How could a playboy like him dare to casually provoke such a figure?
The woman in white’s expression grew ever colder, exuding a frigid chill. “Then who should I listen to? Or are you all trying to fool me? Taking advantage of my inattention to abduct my maid—if I hadn’t left a mark on her, I’m afraid she would have fallen victim to your vile hands today!”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it spread across the street.
Many Cultivators and beings heard it, utterly shocked, instantly filling in the whole story in their minds.
After all, Tang Tian’s reputation was not good—many people knew of him. Him doing something like this was not strange at all.
But they hadn’t expected that this time he was truly outrageously bold, actually daring to lay hands on the maid of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan’s Gifted Lady.
“I really have been wronged. Gifted Lady, your maid is still upstairs. If you don’t believe me, go ask her yourself, and everything will come to light...”
Tang Tian was still desperately explaining at this point, speaking hurriedly.
His face was incomparably pale, as if grasping at a life-saving straw, convinced the plump man was trying to frame him.
“Very well, I’ll give you a chance.”
“If you dare deceive me, even the Tang Family behind you won’t be able to protect you.” The woman in white’s voice was icy cold.
Soon, her figure moved, heading toward the private room.
Immediately after, a sword light fell, releasing the bound Nine-Tailed Fox Clan girl.
“Xiaojie, save me!”
“Tang Tian is despicable and shameless, he actually... actually sent people to knock me unconscious. If you hadn’t arrived in time, I... wuwuwu...”
The moment the girl saw the woman in white arrive, she burst into sobbing explanations, crying so pitifully that anyone who heard would be heartbroken and anyone who saw would weep.
Many Cultivators and beings felt a surge of anger toward Tang Tian—this was simply scum!
Hearing these words, all the blood drained from Tang Tian’s face. Cold dread swept through his entire body, and he collapsed to the ground.
At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind: it’s over, he’d been set up!
“Tang Tian, what else do you have to say for yourself now?” The woman in white looked at him coldly, demanding.
...
“The Yin Spirits have indeed decreased quite a bit these days. It seems those prodigies of the True Immortal Academy are somewhat useful after all...”
Meanwhile, on a mountain peak far beyond the borders of the Vermilion Bird Empire, Chu Hao’s figure appeared.
The raging, sky-blotting grey fog before him, as his palm descended, was rapidly ground away like snow meeting the blazing sun, dissipating into nothingness.
He was only one step away from stepping into the Sacred Emperor Realm.
His strength naturally went without saying—dealing with Yin Spirits was quite simple for him. It was just that the Eternal Devouring Qi within was extremely troublesome, requiring even him to expend great effort to grind it away.
Here, he saw quite a few prodigies from the True Immortal Academy, locked in fierce battle with hordes of Yin Spirits.
Chu Hao knew this was the True Immortal Academy’s requirement, so he didn’t pay it much mind.
“At this rate, this Eternal Overcast calamity should be resolved.”
Thinking this, Chu Hao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, a rare smile appearing on his face.
In the distance, he saw a group of prodigies, all shrouded in divine radiance, their auras astonishing and incomparably vast.
“Gu Changge’s group of followers from that day...”
“It seems Gu Changge has also come here.”
Chu Hao’s brows furrowed, and he directly chose to leave in another direction, not wanting to run into Gu Changge here.
“Chu Hao really is here. Master’s guess was right.”
And among that group of prodigies, a young being with the appearance of a Yaksha revealed a cold smile at the corner of his mouth. The instant he noticed Chu Hao, he directly used a messaging Jade Talisman to inform Gu Changge of everything.