Could He Be the Mastermind Behind It All? What a Ruthless Heart
Could He Be the Mastermind Behind It All? What a Ruthless Heart
Deep within the Great Wilderness, all was silent. Night fell like a curtain, and heaven and earth were pitch black.
Within a radius of millions of miles, every beast and bird lay prostrate on the ground, still unable to recover from the terror of before.
A horrifying killing intent had swept across heaven and earth, surging like a boundless ocean, completely submerging that region.
Even though the aftershocks had faded, the killing intent still lingered in every inch of space, causing any living being who stepped into that area to collapse into a mist of blood.
The many young prodigies participating in this Hunting Event still wore shaken expressions, gazing from afar at the place where the great battle had just occurred.
They had no idea what had actually happened. Many prodigies who had tried to probe and investigate had died miserably within, reduced to ash on the spot.
“That aura just now... could it have been Xiaoyao...”
“What has he been through...”
Standing atop a mountain peak, Yu Feiya’s dress fluttered, her figure tall and graceful, her countenance seeming to flow with radiance—noble and elegant, possessing a beauty beyond compare.
Her brows were tightly furrowed as she stared intently in the direction from which the fluctuations had come.
From among those two terrifying auras, she had sensed the familiar presence of Tuo Ba Xiaoyao.
But Tuo Ba Xiaoyao had always been low-key and restrained. Unless he had encountered an unbeatable situation, there was no way he would expose his strength.
This left Yu Feiya deeply puzzled, unable to figure out what kind of crisis could have arisen at this Hunting Event.
Could it be related to the assassination Xiaoyao had mentioned?
Her heart tightened with unease, and she hurriedly took out a Communication Jade Talisman to contact the Second Prince Yu Lie’s location, worried that something had happened to him.
Soon, however, news came back through the Communication Jade Talisman that Second Prince Yu Lie was safe and sound, letting her exhale in relief, her heart somewhat settled.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night—both for the young prodigies within the Great Wilderness and for the many powerful figures outside. Their hearts trembled, unable to find calm.
Tuo Ba Xiaoyao, the Third Young Master of the Tuo Ba household, had in a short time become the focus of everyone’s discussion.
Many were speculating whether he had survived at all, and if he had, what secrets he was hiding.
Why had he endured in silence and kept a low profile for over twenty years, hiding his talents and concealing his edge?
Numerous clouds of doubt hung over everyone’s heads as their gazes remained fixed on the Five-Colored Exquisite Black-Yellow Treasure Pagoda, waiting for the images within to return to normal.
However, perhaps because the shock it had suffered last night was too great, the Five-Colored Exquisite Black-Yellow Treasure Pagoda could no longer project the scenes within the Great Wilderness as it had before.
Though disappointed, the crowd could only give up, preparing to wait until the Hunting Event concluded three days later before investigating further.
During this time, Emperor Yu also issued orders for numerous guards to watch every entrance to the area and seal off the void, determined to find traces of the Scarred Man and his group.
Many had already realized that the Scarred Man’s origins were anything but simple—he had disguised himself as a disciple of the Heaven Saber Sect to infiltrate the event.
The various divine abilities and ultimate techniques he displayed were even more terrifying, his killing intent razor-sharp. Ordinary young prodigies were absolutely no match for him in a single exchange.
How could such a figure not have a great power guiding him from behind? They refused to believe it.
“General Tuo Ba, do you have any leads? After all, that Scarred Man came for your daughter.”
Light and shadow flickered around Emperor Yu’s body, hazy and blurred, as strands of the world’s dragon qi converged toward him, making his spiritual body more solid.
After all, his true body had not come to this place, so his spiritual body needed to be re-condensed every so often.
In his view, since this matter had been drawn in by Tuo Ba Yuntian’s daughter, the other party must have had some prior dealings with her.
As for the Scarred Man’s claim of avenging his younger brother—Emperor Yu certainly didn’t believe that.
Hearing this, Tuo Ba Yuntian also fell into deep thought, pondering whether he had offended anyone recently.
But thinking it over carefully, he had no enemies with whom he shared any deep hatred.
“This humble subject is also unclear and is sending people to investigate. If this matter is related to Qing Yu, then we can only wait until she comes out and ask her,” Tuo Ba Yuntian said, shaking his head.
It had never occurred to them that the Scarred Man had actually come for Tuo Ba Xiaoyao.
In their eyes, Tuo Ba Xiaoyao exposing his strength had been entirely a coincidence, an accident.
Just as the two were talking, Gu Changge, standing nearby, suddenly chuckled softly. “Rather than speculating like this, I think it would be better to wait until the Tuo Ba household’s Third Young Master comes out and ask him. He exchanged so many blows with that Scarred Man—he should know something of his background.”
“Young Master Changge speaks truly. We can indeed ask Xiaoyao.”
Tuo Ba Yuntian nodded in sudden realization.
The terrifying battle last night had shaken him too deeply; even now, he had yet to fully recover his composure.
He had never imagined that his third son, who had always kept such a low profile, had been hiding so deeply.
Gu Changge’s gaze carried a strange glint as he looked toward the depths of the Great Wilderness.
After learning of Tuo Ba Xiaoyao’s identity as a regressor, plans targeting him had already formed in Gu Changge’s mind.
But one point was more important.
As a regressor, Tuo Ba Xiaoyao would certainly know that Yu Tianzheng would send people to assassinate Second Prince Yu Lie on the day of the Hunting Event.
This plan to assassinate Second Prince Yu Lie and overthrow the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty would likely be sabotaged by Tuo Ba Xiaoyao.
Earlier, Gu Changge had sensed that Emperor Yu was being far more cautious than before, dispatching numerous men to patrol the surroundings. He had been somewhat surprised at the time, but thinking about it now, Tuo Ba Xiaoyao must have leaked word of it in advance.
In that case, Second Prince Yu Lie likely carried no shortage of life-saving treasures on his person.
Even if Yu Tianzheng showed himself at this point, it would probably be useless—all his plans and schemes would fall short at the final step.
Thinking of it this way, Tuo Ba Xiaoyao must have prepared countermeasures long ago. Even with his identity as the master of the Sword of World Domination now exposed, he still had a way out.
Though he probably wouldn’t dare expose his identity as a regressor.
Gu Changge felt his previous plans needed to change. If Second Prince Yu Lie were assassinated, Emperor Yu, connecting it to all the prior events, would inevitably suspect him first.
After all, there was a great enmity between Tuo Ba Xiaoyao and him. When Xiaoyao leaked the information earlier, he must have already said that Gu Changge would be the mastermind behind this assassination.
Therefore, Second Prince Yu Lie absolutely could not die right now.
Otherwise, the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty would become Tuo Ba Xiaoyao’s protective umbrella, standing on the side opposing me.
Gu Changge’s gaze grew deep, and beneath his sleeve, he quietly crushed a jade talisman without drawing any attention.
The many agents he had previously arranged within the Great Wilderness all received the message at that moment and silently withdrew, revealing not the slightest abnormality.
As for Yu Tianzheng’s side, after Gu Changge sent the message, he paid it no further mind.
If the man had any complaints about the matter, Gu Changge naturally wouldn’t mind personally sending him on his way.
If a mere Yu Tianzheng dared to hinder his acquisition of the Sword of World Domination, then there was no need for him to keep living.
On a certain mountain peak outside the Great Wilderness, Yu Tianzheng, who had been hiding there all along, received the message, and his expression turned uncertain.
He had waited so long for this assassination. How could he be willing to simply give it up?
Although Gu Changge had only sent word that the assassination was called off, he understood it must be because of that Anomaly, Tuo Ba Xiaoyao.
But how could a single Tuo Ba Xiaoyao stop the people he had sent to assassinate Second Prince Yu Lie?
If he gave up this opportunity, when would the next one come?
Yu Tianzheng’s face showed struggle and conflict, but he did not dare disobey Gu Changge’s orders.
In the end, he could only let out a long sigh and choose to give up.
Forget it. I’ll wait for the next opportunity.
He was a smart man. He knew that if Gu Changge wanted to kill him now, it would be as easy as flipping a hand.
Moreover, he was still counting on Gu Changge to help him ascend to Emperor Yu’s throne when the time came.
In the following days, the Great Wilderness remained peaceful, with no major incidents.
The various prodigies clashed with the Yin Spirits, with some living and some dying. Nothing unexpected occurred, and naturally, no assassination attempts took place.
This put the ministers outside at ease, letting them breathe sighs of relief. Even Emperor Yu, who had been vaguely worried all along, felt he had been too jittery.
“It seems this Emperor was overthinking things.”
A rare smile appeared on Emperor Yu’s face as he planned to wait for the Hunting Event to conclude successfully tomorrow before returning to the imperial capital.
Within the imperial capital, no assassin would dare act recklessly.
As for what Yu Feiya had said earlier, he no longer took it to heart.
“Emperor Yu seems to have been worried about something?”
At this moment, Gu Changge seemed to notice the change in Emperor Yu’s expression and spoke with a faint smile.
“Yes, this Emperor previously received word that assassins would endanger Yu Lie’s safety, so I couldn’t help but worry.”
Hearing this, Emperor Yu saw no need to hide anything and answered with a smile.
However, he didn’t voice the rest of it—that Yu Feiya had also said Gu Changge would be the mastermind behind this assassination.
How could he possibly say such a thing in front of Gu Changge?
Wouldn’t that be deliberately sowing enmity between the two of them?
“Oh? Who would assassinate the Second Prince at a time like this?” Gu Changge asked with some surprise.
Emperor Yu shook his head. “This Emperor doesn’t know either. But from the looks of it now, the information must have been wrong, causing this Emperor to worry needlessly.”
Gu Changge gazed into the distance, sleeves fluttering, his white robes surpassing snow, spotless and unsullied, his whole being carrying an otherworldly air. He smiled and said, “Emperor Yu must not let his guard down. After all, one day remains in the Hunting Event. What if those assassins choose to strike on the final day?”
Emperor Yu nodded in deep agreement. “Young Master Changge speaks truly. This Emperor indeed cannot let his guard down.”
After the Hunting Event ended, he would have to properly ask Yu Feiya why she had said Gu Changge would send people to assassinate Yu Lie.
In his view, that was simply impossible.
From the very beginning, he had felt Gu Changge had no reason to do such a thing.
Deep within the Great Wilderness lay a stretch of ruins, its palaces and pavilions all broken, collapsed into rubble.
Mountain ranges stretched on, towering immensely high. Divine peaks lay broken, crawling with vines as thick as fists, covered in all manner of ancient traces that spoke of this place’s former prosperity.
Tuo Ba Xiaoyao had already rendezvoused with his elder sister Tuo Ba Qiongling, and behind them followed his younger sister Tuo Ba Qing Yu.
After resolving that deadly tribulation that night, he had taken Tuo Ba Qing Yu and fled all the way, finally getting far from that region.
Although he had defused the deadly tribulation, he himself was not in good shape—the Primordial Foetal Sword of World Domination had suffered a slight backlash.
That killing intent had truly been too terrifying, practically world-destroying, enough to leave countless living beings across the land as floating corpses in rivers of blood.
Tuo Ba Xiaoyao’s internal organs had nearly split apart, his bones almost completely shattered.
If the Primordial Foetal Sword of World Domination hadn’t saved his life at the critical moment, he would likely have already turned to ash, following in the footsteps of his previous life.
Through this incident, he also clearly understood just how terrifying Gu Changge had become.
One had to know, that had been merely a wisp of his killing intent—not his true body descending upon this place.
“Even a genuine True Daoist would absolutely be no match for him.”
“If he made a move against me, I would have no chance of survival whatsoever. Even the current Emperor Yu, wielding the imperial artifact at full power, probably wouldn’t be his match.”
After recovering from his injuries, Tuo Ba Xiaoyao had taken his younger sister Tuo Ba Qing Yu to find his second elder sister, worried she might encounter the same situation as Qing Yu.
Along the way, Tuo Ba Qing Yu was naturally extremely curious about him, eager to understand this third brother of hers who had suddenly changed so dramatically.
In her moment of deepest despair and helplessness, it had been her third brother who, like a sword god descending upon the world, rescued her from the Scarred Man’s hands.
This drastically changed her previous impression of Tuo Ba Xiaoyao.
His former dullness and quietness had actually been low-key steadiness, hiding his talents and biding his time.
And her third brother’s strength was actually so powerful—probably even the current Second Prince Yu Lie, the future heir to the throne, might not be able to beat him.
“I know you both have many doubts in your hearts right now, but rest assured—I am still me. I have always been me. That has never changed.”
Tuo Ba Xiaoyao spoke, explaining to his second sister and fourth sister behind him.
“You’ve been hiding all these years?” Second Sister Tuo Ba Qiongling’s gaze was complicated—both gratified and somewhat pained.
Tuo Ba Xiaoyao had actually kept it from them for so long, only choosing to reveal himself now.
“The reason I didn’t tell you was actually to protect your safety,” Tuo Ba Xiaoyao sighed, knowing what they were thinking, but this was something that couldn’t be helped.
As he spoke, he glanced up at the sky. Not sensing the aura of the Five-Colored Exquisite Black-Yellow Treasure Pagoda, he felt somewhat relieved.
That night’s great battle had damaged that Supreme Treasure, and it could no longer peer into the scenes within the Great Wilderness.
So at this moment, there were some things he might as well tell the two of them.
“For our safety?” Tuo Ba Qing Yu was quite puzzled.
“I carry something on me that invites fatal disaster. Until I’m strong enough to protect all of you, it cannot be exposed,” Tuo Ba Xiaoyao sighed.
His words immediately made Tuo Ba Qing Yu think of that terrifying Sword Qi from that night—it was that very Sword Qi that had saved the two of them.
She fell silent, somewhat understanding Tuo Ba Xiaoyao’s intentions.
“Then now you...” Second Sister Tuo Ba Qiongling instantly thought of many things, her expression growing grave.
Tuo Ba Xiaoyao nodded, his expression gradually becoming solemn as well. “So from now on, you must both be careful of Gu Changge.”
“He is incomparably dangerous—a hundred times more terrifying than anything you see on the surface.”
He had no choice but to warn them like this.
On the surface, Gu Changge was transcendent and otherworldly, like a banished immortal untouched by dust—it was truly hard to associate him with ruthlessness and cold-blooded heartlessness.
Although the two couldn’t understand why Tuo Ba Xiaoyao would say this, they still nodded solemnly in agreement.
“I’m sorry, Third Brother. It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for saving me, you wouldn’t have been exposed.”
Tuo Ba Qing Yu’s expression turned somewhat guilty.
Tuo Ba Xiaoyao shook his head and explained, “Actually, this matter isn’t your fault. That Scarred Man came for me from the start. You were merely his means of testing me—to see whether I could actually save you.”
“And thereby force me to expose myself.”
He saw through the matter clearly.
The Scarred Man was definitely a seedling cultivated by some assassin organization, with terrifying strength, capable of hunting down young kings.
How could Tuo Ba Qing Yu possibly have provoked such a figure?
It was just that this matter made him even more cautious and careful. In his previous life, he had never known that Gu Changge actually controlled such an assassin organization.
“He came for you?” Tuo Ba Qing Yu grew even more confused.
“You’re saying that person only made a move against Fourth Sister to test your true strength? That’s truly ruthless.” Tuo Ba Qiongling understood immediately, her face faintly showing displeasure and a trace of lingering fear.
If the test had gone wrong, wouldn’t Tuo Ba Qing Yu have died miserably there that night?
Just how ruthless a heart did one need to strike at someone with whom they had no enmity whatsoever?
And from Tuo Ba Xiaoyao’s words, that person was very likely Gu Changge.