Chapter 720
Matchup
When he heard the words "Zeyuan Jue", even Chen Xuan, who was used to seeing great storms and thought he could remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him, couldn't help but change his expression slightly.
He was very familiar with these three words because the cultivation technique he practiced was called Ze Yuan Jue.
With Chen Xuan's martial arts talent, it's hard to say that this technique made him who he is today, but it has a very special meaning for him. In a sense, it can be said that the person who gave him this technique changed his destiny.
Whatever happened in the past, that's all in the past. If it weren't for what happened more than ten years ago, what would he be like now?
Undoubtedly, the Ze Yuan Jue is an extremely superior and top-tier martial art. It is balanced and moderate, and while it is not outstanding in any aspect, it is at best mediocre. However, its ability to conceal one's martial arts cultivation is second to none in the world, and it is also highly adaptable.
However, it is by no means the best. As the saying goes, a technique is a technique, and a person is a person. No matter how good the technique is, if you can't master it, it's just a decoration. In the end, it depends on individual talent and effort.
For example, the Qingyuan Liuyun Gong that Xiao Gao used to practice and the Chenyu Heling Jue that Mr. Yushan used to practice were both top-notch skills. If they were to achieve something, they would be on the path to becoming a grandmaster and have a chance to glimpse the realm of immortals. However, despite such excellent skills, they still haven't reached the innate realm.
Looking back from his current level, Chen Xuan realized that the Ze Yuan Technique he cultivated was not much better than those two other techniques, and in some aspects, it was even more unique. His current achievements were mostly due to his personal talent. He had simply kept practicing and changing his techniques from the very beginning until now. He believed that what suited him best was sufficient and there was no need to pursue anything better.
His mind raced, and various thoughts flashed through Chen Xuan's mind. He realized that it was no wonder that the fluctuations in Liu Yuyuan's internal energy seemed somewhat familiar.
"What's so strange about that? Because it was so familiar, I subconsciously didn't think of it as belonging to the same cultivation method. It's like looking for a child while carrying one. The reason I didn't react immediately, besides subconsciously ignoring it, is also because the same cultivation method has different effects on different people. Moreover, Liu Yuyuan's internal energy fluctuations are different from my internal energy when I was still in the Acquired Realm. They only contain a portion of the characteristics of my internal energy back then, or even very little, which is why I felt a sense of familiarity but didn't react immediately."
Liu Yuyuan, whose surname is Liu, cultivates the family's unique skill, Ze Yuan Jue. At this moment, Chen Xuan already had a vague guess in his mind, but he needed to confirm it further. He didn't want to make a fool of himself.
Seeing the astonished look on Chen Xuan's face when he revealed the name of the cultivation technique, Liu Yuyuan instinctively tensed up and became wary. He asked calmly, "Mr. Chen, is there a problem?"
Realizing he had overreacted, Chen Xuan calmed down and smiled, saying, "It's nothing. I just felt like I'd heard the name of the technique Liu mentioned somewhere before. No wonder it seemed familiar. It cleared up my doubts."
Knowing full well the extraordinary nature of his family's martial arts techniques, Liu Yuyuan became even more vigilant. He wondered if Chen Xuan was trying to trick him into revealing information. Without showing any emotion, he smiled and said, "Is that so? Mr. Chen, our transaction is complete. I won't linger any longer. Thank you again for saving my life; I am deeply grateful. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Although people in the martial arts world usually believe in repaying a favor tenfold, even though Chen Xuan's previous treatment was equivalent to saving his life, Liu Yuyuan would rather give his life back than reveal the true contents of the Zeyuan Technique. Not to mention that it was a family heirloom, he valued even martial arts passed down by martial arts sects more than his own life. This was a matter of principle and bottom line. There are too many cases of people fighting to the death for stealing martial arts.
Chen Xuan was eager to ascertain whether Liu Yuyuan was an old acquaintance and intended to keep him for a proper conversation. However, he also understood that some things couldn't be rushed. Moreover, he had sensed Liu Yuyuan's wariness and understood why. After a moment's thought, he nodded, stood up, and said, "In that case, please proceed, Master Liu."
He will find out the truth in his own way. It's a big deal. It would be ridiculous if Liu Yuyuan saw through his thoughts and tried to take advantage of the situation. People's hearts are unpredictable, especially since he might be a descendant of an old friend. Chen Xuan wouldn't use any underhanded methods against him.
"Excuse me, farewell sometime," Liu Yuyuan said, bowing and leaving decisively. The difference in their status was too great, and this parting might not be their last. Moreover, he had already roughly touched upon the truth behind the mass disappearance of women, and he would be busy for some time to come. In fact, because he had revealed the name of the cultivation technique he practiced, he subconsciously did not want to see Chen Xuan again. This concerned the leakage of his family's secret technique, and he could not afford to be careless.
"He's a chivalrous and righteous man, and very likely a descendant of someone I know. His next actions will be extremely dangerous. Let's try our best to prevent anything from happening to him before we figure out the truth."
Thinking of this, Chen Xuan turned around and said, "Sister Juan, I'd like to trouble you to go and follow him. Don't let him discover you. If he's in danger, secretly help him. It shouldn't be long. Keep in touch. I'll be back once I've figured some things out."
"Yes, sir," Du Juan nodded without hesitation and disappeared without asking why.
Originally, it would have been more appropriate to entrust this matter to Xia Mei, since Du Juan was Chen Xuan's woman. However, Chen Xuan had more crucial matters to entrust to Xia Mei, and other people's cultivation was not high enough, so they might make things worse.
Chen Xuan was quite at ease with Du Juan. Not to mention her innate cultivation and years of assassin experience, how could Chen Xuan not give his woman some trump cards to protect her? Even if she encountered a grandmaster-level expert, she would be able to escape unscathed and even wait for Chen Xuan to arrive.
Then Chen Xuan looked at Xia Mei and said, "Aunt Mei, I'll need to trouble you with something next. Use all your connections and resources, don't be afraid to spend money, and secretly investigate that Liu Yuyuan. I want to know as much information as possible about him."
"No problem, sir. I'll take care of it right away. As the saying goes, 'a goose leaves a trace as it flies, and a person leaves a shadow as they pass by.' Now that we know Liu Yuyuan's name, we'll have his detailed information by tomorrow morning at the latest," Xia Mei said without hesitation. She could tell that her master valued Liu Yuyuan very much, but she didn't ask any questions. She just wanted to do what she was told.
Chen Xuan didn't explain much. He had already told everyone what needed to be told, and now it was just a matter of waiting. Of course, he didn't need to personally handle this matter.
In truth, he was already 80% certain that Liu Yuyuan was indeed a descendant of Liu Changhe. The cultivation method couldn't be faked, but he wouldn't make a blind certainty without absolute certainty. It had nothing to do with past grudges; those were all things that had been settled in the past. He only sought to have a clear mind, nothing more.
As dusk settled, a table laden with delicious food was laid out. Seeing that not everyone was present, the little princess asked in surprise, "Husband, where are Sister Juan and Aunt Mei?"
"I sent them to take care of some things, so they probably won't make it in time. Let's eat by ourselves," Chen Xuan said with a smile, showing no sign of letting his thoughts interfere with the enjoyment of the meal.
The little princess didn't ask any more questions, but said expectantly, "Husband, please try this Lotus Flower Reflecting Snow dish. I've been learning how to make it all afternoon."
"It's delicious, I'm so lucky," Chen Xuan said sincerely, picking up a piece with his chopsticks and savoring it. He gave her a thumbs up, not just to flatter her, but to be honest. Perhaps it was not as good as the chef at Tianshui Pavilion, but the skill was beyond doubt.
Having slept in the same bed for so long, the little princess knew perfectly well that her husband was hiding something. Since he didn't say anything, she didn't ask, so as not to cause any trouble. The meal ended in a harmonious atmosphere. Because of their unspoken understanding, the little princess also postponed the arrangements for Yunlan and Yunxin, and went to rest as usual when it was late at night.
As an elite cultivated by the royal family of Jing Kingdom, Xia Mei holds many sinecure positions, but she can still play a significant role at crucial moments. Even in a foreign land, the resources she can access are unimaginable to ordinary people. Investigating a named Liu Yuyuan is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
The next morning, she obtained detailed information about Liu Yuyuan, including much of the personal experiences that Liu Yuyuan herself had probably forgotten.
The next morning, as the sun rose, Chen Xuan was already practicing his meditation exercises in the courtyard. Xia Mei, having brought back the documents, waited quietly at the door without disturbing him. Once Chen Xuan finished, she stepped forward and said, "Master, this is the detailed information about Liu Yuyuan. A small portion was sent from our Jing Kingdom last night."
Taking the thick stack of documents from her, Chen Xuan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Aunt Mei, you've worked hard. Go and rest later. Everything else is fine, but the information from Jing Kingdom came over so quickly?"
"It's my duty, sir," Xia Mei explained. "Our Jing Kingdom's spies in Yuhua Kingdom possess a strange beast called the Messenger Bird. They are extremely rare and hard to find. They usually come in pairs, each in a different location, and can exchange information at any time."
The world is full of wonders, and Chen Xuan was not surprised by this. He could only say that he hadn't seen enough of these things and hadn't paid attention to them before.
After letting Xia Mei go to rest, he sat down at the stone table in the courtyard and carefully reviewed the materials he had brought.
After carefully reviewing the document several times to ensure nothing was missed, Chen Xuan finally felt relieved. As expected, Liu Yuyuan was indeed a descendant of Old Liu.
Liu Yuyuan is a native of Zhu County, Xiaoshan Prefecture, Liangzhou, Yuhua Kingdom. He is 32 years old. His parents died early and he is still unmarried. He came to Zhu County to settle down 20 years ago. His information from the age of six to twelve is unknown. After he was sixteen, he mastered the martial arts of his family and recommended himself to serve as a constable in Zhu County. Three years ago, he became the head constable. He met a beautiful woman and they fell in love and wanted to get married. Before the wedding, Liu Yuyuan's beautiful woman disappeared mysteriously. Since then, he has resigned from his position as head constable and has been investigating.
The Liangzhou region of Yuhua Kingdom is close to the Jing Kingdom. Zhu County of Xiaoshan Commandery is not Liu Yuyuan's ancestral home. According to research, his ancestral home is the Liu family of Wangyang Mountain in Yezhou of the Jing Kingdom.
According to reliable sources, when Liu Yuyuan was young, he traveled with his father through Youlongpo and encountered a dragon-walking incident. During the crisis, his father helped Mr. Yushan, who was on his way to the capital for the imperial examination, and was later injured and disappeared.
Two hundred years ago, the Liu family of Wangyang Mountain in Yezhou, Jingguo, was once very prominent, almost on par with the five major sects. All this was due to a person of extraordinary talent, Liu Changhe. He was abducted at the age of three and returned home at the age of seven. He had exceptional martial arts talent and reached the Grandmaster level at the age of thirty-five, dominating his contemporaries. He suddenly disappeared at the age of eighty.
Since Liu Changhe disappeared, various parties have coveted Liu's unique skills, leading to the decline of the family. Like a fleeting moment, the family has been forgotten by the world for over a hundred years, and people are still searching for Liu's descendants.
Liu Yuyuan is a tenth-generation descendant of Liu Changhe, as can be found in the family genealogy. However, the family's unique martial arts skills have been lost over the generations, fading into obscurity and relegated to the bottom of the martial arts world, and are now largely ignored...
After carefully reviewing the information repeatedly, Chen Xuan put it down and his mind raced. It all made sense.
Liu Yuyuan is a descendant of Liu Changhe, and the family's traditional martial arts techniques cannot be faked; there are traces to follow.
It's just that too much time has passed, and the once illustrious Liu family has been forgotten. Old Liu was someone who had one foot in the Human Immortal realm before his death. It's normal for him to amaze an era when he was young. He disappeared at the age of eighty, which must be because he had stepped into the Tribulation Transcending realm and was hiding, or perhaps he went to a wider world to seek a breakthrough. At that stage, no matter how great your abilities are, you still have to be cautious, because if you are not careful, you will attract heavenly punishment and earthly tribulation. Even if you survive all of these, there is still the Tribulation of Becoming a Mortal when your consciousness is obscured and your cultivation is gone.
Now Chen Xuan finally understood why he had started kidnapping when he met Lao Liu. It turned out that he had been kidnapped as a child, and it was like a demon in his heart. After he became a mortal, he got caught up in it, and then that was the end of it.
The information also matches up on the story that Liu Yuyuan had accompanied his father to Youlongpo when he was a child and encountered the "dragon-walking" incident. At that time, Mr. Yushan was just beginning to show his talent. The so-called "dragon-walking" incident was partly a conspiracy against him for his ideas that went against the aristocratic class. This incident is based on real records. Given the perilous situation, it is likely that Mr. Yushan survived with a disability, which means that Liu Yuyuan's father helped him.
Chen Xuan still remembered that after he and Mr. Yushan buried Lao Liu, he took the initiative to mention to Mr. Yushan that Lao Liu had passed on his legacy to him. At that time, Mr. Yushan told him not to spread it around, and he pretended not to know, keeping it to himself.
Looking back now, Mr. Yushan's unusual expression at the time was probably because he was thinking of Liu Yuyuan's father, who saved him at Youlongpo. Liu Yuyuan was a descendant of Liu Changhe, who disappeared without a trace more than a hundred years ago. Because of the life-saving grace, Chen Xuan received Liu Changhe's inheritance, so he helped Chen Xuan keep this secret all this time, even though Xiao Gao had never mentioned it.
'I never imagined that I would meet an old friend after so many years. It's truly a twist of fate,' Chen Xuan couldn't help but sigh.
Having figured all this out, Chen Xuan then considered how to deal with Liu Yuyuan. Although the blessings of their ancestors had gradually faded over five generations, Liu Yuyuan was, after all, a direct descendant of Liu Changhe, and yet he was now in such a sorry state.
Of course, Chen Xuan and Lao Liu had settled their score back then, and neither owed the other anything. Moreover, Liu Yuyuan was ten generations younger than Lao Liu, so there was no question of Lao Liu owing Liu Yuyuan anything. But since they still had this relationship, he couldn't remain indifferent when he encountered Chen Xuan.
With a flicker of thought, Chen Xuan quickly came up with a plan: put everything else aside and just be happy.
Based on this understanding, he began to seriously consider the current situation and recall what Liu Yuyuan had said yesterday. He knew perfectly well that Liu Yuyuan had been arranged by the people of Yuexiangju.
But is that all there is to it?
There's no such thing as a coincidence in the world. Liu Yuyuan had been keeping an eye on Yuexiangju for several days without any problems, but something happened on the very afternoon Qin Ruyu left. She had just arrived in Yucheng and had already been in contact with Liu Yuyuan.
Even considering his not-so-bright brain, which he often mentioned, Chen Xuan was 80% certain that it was targeting him. He remembered all the malice Qin Ruyu had inadvertently revealed.
Qin Ruyu may seem to have nothing to do with Yuexiangju, but with such a large business as Yuexiangju, how could it be safe and sound without a powerful background?
So what exactly is Qin Ruyu, who seems so suspicious, trying to achieve, or what kind of scheme is she planning to use against her?
With a sudden realization, Chen Xuan had a general idea.
"With a large number of women disappearing, and Liu Yuyuan confirming yesterday that he's 80% involved with Yuexiangju, he definitely won't remain indifferent after leaving me again. Given what happened to him yesterday, something's bound to happen. Do you think I'd just ignore it? Tsk, I bet he's trying to lure me away."
As these thoughts crossed Chen Xuan's mind, he keenly sensed that Du Juan, who had secretly followed Liu Yuyuan yesterday, had hurriedly returned.
Something must have happened. And it happened quite quickly. If someone is plotting against me, they're really not giving me any time to react. Let's see what they can do.
A smug chuckled to himself. Chen Xuan looked at his fist and thought, "Tsk, whatever your schemes and tricks..." (End of Chapter)