Chapter 729
This Dead End
Even the midday sun shining through the cracks above couldn't dispel the darkness of the vast underground space; the air was murky, damp and cold, mixed with a complex odor.
Chen Xuan followed the winding stone path deeper into the area, and could still hear the sound of a waterfall crashing against the water behind him. Bushes grew on both sides, including many trees that were dozens of meters tall. He wondered how they could grow so big in this place with so little light.
Along the way, he frequently encountered patrolling guards and low-level laborers with empty eyes, who moved around like zombies. In this dark and gloomy place, there were evil spirits, which was very creepy.
However, no one noticed Chen Xuan's arrival. Even when he passed by them, he was like part of the environment, attracting no attention. Even if people glanced at him, they would selectively ignore him.
Having reached his level of cultivation, under the influence of his spiritual will, he has already achieved invisibility to the senses of people at the innate level and below.
People must be killed, even if they have no grudge against Chen Xuan. What they did was too outrageous. As a human being, Chen Xuan could not remain indifferent. The reason he did not take action was because easily killing them would be too lenient on these beasts. Enduring the wrath of countless people is the fate they deserve. Once their deeds are exposed to the world, even being torn to pieces would be too lenient; that would be the punishment they deserve.
As he passed a corner, Chen Xuan paused slightly, glanced at the shadowy side, a complex look flashing in his eyes before quickly returning to a calm, deep pool.
In the direction he was looking, a small plot of land had been newly reclaimed. The soil was still fresh, and a dozen or so puppet-like people were working numbly, carrying several female corpses and placing them on the ground, covering them with a foot or so of soil.
The female corpses were completely naked, with beautiful faces and all in the prime of their lives, but they had already died without a sound, their eyes still open. It was unknown what they had experienced before they died, and they had died no more than a day ago. There were no signs of torture or violation, and their expressions were only one of astonishment and confusion, as if they had died in a muddle.
Chen Xuan was not a professional in autopsy, and it was difficult for him to determine how they died with just a few glances. There were no external injuries, no poisoning, and even a simple examination with his true essence from a distance showed that they had not been harmed by special internal force or true energy.
He withdrew his gaze, a thought flickering in his mind, and he vaguely guessed what was going on. Thinking of those people who had lost their self-awareness and were like walking corpses, he suspected that the deaths of those women were probably due to something in their brains, or more accurately, psychological trauma.
Even if it's just a guess, he's about 80% sure. But why would the people who killed them do this? What was their purpose? Chen Xuanzhen has no clue for now, but he doesn't dwell on it too much. He'll figure it out eventually, won't he?
Several cold corpses lay side by side on the ground, covered with soil, to lie there forever, destined to become the main fertilizer for cultivating the Acacia Ice Moon Flower. Leaving them without clothes to give them a final dignity was probably for better decay.
He felt no anger, because the person was already dead and Chen Xuan couldn't change anything, but the person who did such a heinous thing deserved to die.
Without looking any further, Chen Xuan continued walking deeper into the area. There, he sensed two more innate masters. Originally, there were three, but one was hiding in a dark corner, like a rat that couldn't stand the light. He hoped to get the information he wanted from those innate masters, since they had the highest cultivation level here and should know something.
Having been here for a while, Chen Xuan had been secretly searching for any useful information with his senses, but he had not found Liu Yuyuan. He wondered if Liu Yuyuan had been moved or imprisoned in a secluded place.
After rounding another thicket of bushes, Chen Xuan's view opened up a bit. There was a clearing of several dozen acres with a group of buildings standing there. There were no walls, and the buildings had an ancient feel. The main color scheme was cool, which made the environment slightly eerie.
There were guards patrolling around the building, some people practicing martial arts alone in the open space, some chatting in twos and threes, and some chatting and drinking. The overall atmosphere was very relaxed, without any sense of oppressive urgency.
In addition, there are groups of zombie-like people coming and going, each group can be commanded by a single person with a simple order, and they are more obedient than the most well-trained people.
"After deliberately letting that person go yesterday, he recklessly brought people back to die before dawn today. If it weren't for orders from above, he would have died ten times over, and how would he have had the opportunity to investigate here?"
"That's true. Who cares? We'll just follow orders and do what we're supposed to do. But someone just reminded us that after that guy, the southern entrance has been exposed, and now countless people from both the martial arts world and the imperial court are flocking there."
Do you think they might find their way here?
"The news says there are too many people, including many experts. If we don't take action to stop them, it's only a matter of time before they find their way here."
"What's there to be afraid of? Without the correct route, unless we're incredibly lucky, it'll take at least a few days for someone to find us here."
"That's not necessarily true; after all, there are countless extraordinary people in the world."
"This isn't something we should worry about. Even if someone manages to get here, how many will there be? I'd rather go and guard the entrance; that way I can stretch my muscles. This place is leisurely, but it's also far too boring."
"Who can argue with that? The entrance has a defensive array advantage; no matter how many come, they're just easy prey. Watching them toy with each other and see their desperate struggles is simply exhilarating."
"Haha, don't rush, there's always a time to change jobs and stretch your muscles."
"Hey, why do you guys think the higher-ups only arrested and imprisoned those few people instead of killing them? Didn't they always kill without mercy before?"
As he approached the complex of buildings, Chen Xuan could clearly hear the casual conversations of the people. They were mostly useless chatter, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that they were deliberately being told to him.
With a casual glance, Chen Xuan discovered that the seemingly relaxed atmosphere was merely a facade. Everyone subtly exuded a sense of tension, as if facing a formidable enemy. The apparent ease seemed more like a deliberate attempt to liven up the atmosphere.
'Is it because of me?' Chen Xuan murmured to himself.
Everywhere there were traps and mechanisms, poisonous insects lurked in the grass in the corners, and even the air was filled with colorless and odorless narcotics. These low-class things had nowhere to hide under Chen Xuan's powerful senses and posed no threat to him whatsoever.
Inside the complex, in the main hall of the largest building, were the two Innate Realm experts that Chen Xuan had initially sensed. One of them sat upright in a grand chair, his eyes half-closed, a long sword between his legs. This man was about sixty years old, dressed in black, and just sitting there was like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath. His cultivation aura was also considered top-notch in the Innate Realm.
The other one was sprawled out on a recliner, looking completely unrefined. He was in his forties and quite overweight. Two pretty maids were massaging his shoulders and legs, and he looked quite pleased with themselves, while their groping hands never stopped.
"I've been waiting for you for so long, you've finally arrived!" The man in black, sitting upright in the armchair, suddenly opened his eyes and said in a deep voice. His eyes seemed to flash with the light of blades, making the air buzz. The temperature in the hall dropped sharply, and some of the not-so-ornate decorations showed faint cracks on their surfaces, as if they had been cut by invisible blades.
As he spoke, the hall was filled with a chilling atmosphere. The greasy fat man who had been lying there enjoying himself suddenly narrowed his eyes, as if a sleeping beast had awakened. The two maids serving him immediately turned pale and fell silent.
At the same time, the previously relaxed and leisurely people around the hall immediately became alert, their eyes scanning the surroundings with suspicion. Chen Xuan hadn't even stepped into the building's grounds yet, and witnessing all this, he couldn't help but twitch his lips. He had expected these people to be waiting for his arrival, but to play this trick on him? Did they think he was that stupid?
Chen Xuan remained unmoved by the reactions of these people, acting as if he hadn't seen them at all. Slightly speechless, he continued walking towards the hall, passing through the crowd in the open space. The tense people around him acted as if they didn't exist. Even at such close range, no one paid any attention to him.
As he approached the hall, the man in black who had spoken focused intently on his surroundings. After about ten breaths, he relaxed slightly, sat down again with his eyes closed to rest, and the atmosphere became more relaxed. The other fat man also lazily continued to enjoy himself.
When Chen Xuan leisurely arrived at the open space outside the hall, a distance that took about five minutes to walk, the man in black, just like before, suddenly opened his eyes and said, "I've been waiting for you for so long, you've finally arrived."
Then the atmosphere became tense again.
Chen Xuan was speechless at their exaggerated reactions and almost burst out laughing. He knew perfectly well that these people would come like this every now and then, completely unaware of his arrival, and were just putting on airs and making a scene.
Sure enough, after a while they relaxed and went back to doing what they were doing.
Boring tricks, Chen Xuan curled his lip and stepped into the hall, acting as if he were in his own home, looking around with great interest.
Even though he was right next to them, such a big person, no one noticed him; he was like air.
Chen Xuan casually found a chair and sat down, crossing his legs and watching their performance. After a few minutes, the guy in the armchair repeated the same expression and words.
As they relaxed after their outburst, Chen Xuan withdrew his mental influence and, resting his chin on his hand, asked with a playful tone, "You all seem to be in high spirits. Is this fun? What's going on here, and who are you trying to impress?"
As his voice rang out, it seemed to appear out of thin air in the perception of others. The two innate masters who had been putting on airs froze, and cold sweat instantly soaked their junior's clothes.
The two men's eyes instantly turned to Chen Xuan, but they quickly regained their composure and relaxed. The innate master with the blade across his knee said in a deep voice, "We've been waiting for you for so long. You've finally arrived."
The same words, the same expression and tone, but completely different from before; his voice trembled slightly.
At the same time, the expressions of the many seemingly relaxed people outside changed drastically. They rushed over with expressions of fear and despair, surrounding the hall in layers.
Speechless, Chen Xuan hesitated for a moment, then looked at the black-clad swordsman on the armchair with a twitching mouth and said, "Is it fun? The whole point of this whole ordeal was to get me out here. Now that I'm here, isn't it incredibly exciting?"
He swallowed hard, then stood up and bowed deeply to Chen Xuan, saying, "Mr. Chen, I've been waiting for you for a long time. Please forgive me for not greeting you properly."
They had painstakingly lured Chen Xuan here, so they must have known some information about him beforehand. Facing this young Grandmaster, who had killed an unknown Grandmaster, his record was verifiable, so the pressure was immense. Before Chen Xuan spoke, he, who was bowing deeply, didn't even dare to move.
The fat man next to him, who looked like a pig, also stood up with a shudder. Gone was his previous leisurely and comfortable posture. Cold sweat poured down his clothes, which were soaked with oil. If this continued, he would probably lose a pound in a minute.
The two pretty maids who had been serving him were stiff and silent, but their eyes revealed a hint of relief. This was understandable, because before Chen Xuan appeared, he would startle them every now and then. Who could stand that? It was a miracle they didn't break down.
Glancing at the two quail-like maids out of the corner of his eye, Chen Xuan looked at the black-clad swordsman and said with a playful smile, "Since you all said you've been waiting for a long time, it seems you're quite nervous about my arrival?"
How could I not be nervous? We deliberately lured you here. What if you didn't even give us a chance to speak? One slap and we'd all be finished. The power of a Grandmaster—I've never experienced it firsthand, but I definitely don't want to.
That's what he thought, but he couldn't say it like that. The black-clad swordsman forced a smile and said, "Mr. Chen, you flatter us. We are not nervous at all. We have already prepared a simple banquet. We shamelessly invite Mr. Chen to take a seat of honor."
As he finished speaking, a group of people filed in from the side of the hall, setting up tables and chairs and bringing out fine wine and food, clearly ready at any moment.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "Interesting, the Feast at Hongmen? Well, you probably haven't heard of this story either, so you're just stalling for time. No problem, I'd like to see what other tricks you have up your sleeve. I'll play along."
As he spoke, he stood up and took his seat with an air of nonchalance, looking just like a guest visiting someone's home.
The two innate masters, their hearts trembling, exchanged a furtive glance, secretly terrified. They hadn't expected Chen Xuan to see through their plan so easily. But he clearly knew they were stalling for time, so why was he cooperating? Was this the confidence that came with strength? Or was he simply not afraid of being delayed here and causing trouble elsewhere?
But who cares? Regardless of what Chen Xuan is thinking, their goal has been achieved. It would be best to keep delaying like this. At the same time, they also know that when they received this mission, everyone here, including this 'medicine garden', had already been abandoned. Whether they can survive after completing their mission of delaying Chen Xuan depends on the mood of the man in front of them.
In truth, they had no hope of surviving. When they received the order, they already considered themselves dead. Needless to say, they knew all too well what the situation was like in the medicinal garden outside. If anyone saw them, they would not be allowed to go.
We can only hope that our deaths can delay things as much as possible. If they affect the Lord's plans, the consequences will be far more than just death!
"Mr. Chen, what do you mean by that? Please, I hope you won't find the simple food unpalatable," the black-clad swordsman greeted with a forced smile. He was a rough man who was used to wielding weapons, and with fear in his heart, he knew nothing of the art of polite hospitality, so his words came out dryly.
To reiterate, even if Chen Xuan exposed his true intentions, he pretended not to understand. His motives were impure to begin with. Facing a Grandmaster-level expert, who wouldn't feel pressured under normal circumstances?
The fat man beside him glanced cautiously at Chen Xuan, then snapped at the tense crowd outside the door, "What are you doing? Get out of here! If you displease Mr. Chen, you'll suffer a fate worse than death!"
Unmoved, Chen Xuan smiled and took the initiative, saying, "Alright, alright, stop it. I know you're stalling for time, and you know I know you're stalling for time. I'm not in a hurry either. It's lunchtime, and I'm a little hungry. Let's sit down, eat and drink, and have a good chat. I also have some questions I want to ask you, although I probably won't get any answers. It doesn't matter; I'm just testing the waters. Oh, by the way, your colorless and odorless poison, Mystery Smoke, is quite unique. Consider it for entertainment."
As he spoke, he took a deep breath, almost as if to say that 99% of such items are extremely rare.
Upon hearing this, the two who had been feigning compliance with Chen Xuan broke out in a cold sweat. Even though they had long been prepared for death and thought that they had nothing to fear about life and death, they still felt a chill in their hearts and their bodies turned ice cold.
As experts who have cultivated to the Innate Realm, none of them are fools. They immediately realized that Chen Xuan was deliberately torturing them!
Death itself is not frightening; what is frightening is knowing you will die, but not knowing when or how… (End of Chapter)