Chapter 734
Chapter 734
The ground collapsed downwards, quickly revealing a cave ten feet wide, its bottom invisible, deep and dark. A howling wind came from below, like the weeping of evil spirits, as if leading to hell.
Standing suspended in mid-air, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "As expected, I was almost fooled. Luckily, I was careful and paid close attention. The 'medicine garden' is just the surface; there are hidden depths, and it is very likely that it leads to or is the core of the operation. That place can probably uncover the true truth behind the disappearances of countless young and beautiful women over the years."
The fact that the women were used as fertilizer to cultivate the Acacia Ice Moon Flower after their deaths is at best a waste utilization, since they were buried in the ground after they died. So what happened to them before they died?
So many young women were innocently harmed, and Chen Xuan, as a normal person, happened to witness it. Naturally, he couldn't remain indifferent. However, given his lazy nature, he certainly wouldn't be too proactive. But someone had malicious intentions towards him and had already set their sights on his wife and others whom he cared about most. No matter who the other party was or what power they held, he would naturally have to deal with them completely. If he didn't care because he hadn't suffered any losses, then probably everyone would follow suit and provoke him in the future. After all, honest people are the easiest to bully.
Seeing the bottomless cave below Chen Xuan, Liu Yuyuan, who was still carrying two immobile people, instinctively let go and dropped them to the ground with a thud. He exclaimed in astonishment, "What is this?"
Looking back at him with a smile, Chen Xuan shrugged and said, "As you can see, there's something else hidden below. I don't know the specifics yet; I'll only understand after I see it. From the beginning, I thought it was unnecessary for the person behind this to go to such lengths to set up this medicinal garden. It seems to be a deliberate attempt to mislead. Think about it, a normal person would think they've reached the end of the road by now. The next step would be searching, arresting, and interrogating, painstakingly uncovering the mastermind. Probably not many people would think there's something hidden deeper. Luckily, I was careful, otherwise I would have been fooled and left immediately. I reckon there are secret passages leading deeper, but I'm too lazy to look for them. I might as well just dig one out."
Liu Yuyuan opened his mouth, looking at the bottomless cave with a sense of unease. It seemed like a gaping maw of an abyss, ready to devour anyone who dared to jump in. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Mr. Chen, we don't know what's down there, but it's definitely very dangerous. Are you really willing to risk your life to investigate? Don't misunderstand, I'm not questioning your abilities. If you really want to go, you might as well wait for some other people; that way, you can have backup."
As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer. Chen Xuan's cultivation level was such that he had killed more than one Grandmaster-level expert, and his battle record was verifiable. So unless they were at the same level as him, any more people would probably just be a burden.
They meant well in reminding him, and Chen Xuan nodded, saying, "I appreciate the kindness, but I'm a man who values his life. I haven't lived enough yet, so I won't joke around with my own life. I suppose my actions have already alerted them, lest they make thorough preparations or relocate. I'll go and see what's going on; I should find something. I'll leave this place to you. Someone will arrive soon, and you can inform them of the situation here. You can discuss the next steps; I won't interfere."
After speaking, Chen Xuan floated down into the cave and disappeared from Liu Yuyuan and the others' sight. Some of the guards who had been gathered together and were unable to move were also somewhat bewildered when they saw the dark cave. They had been here for who knows how long and did not know that there was another level below.
Liu Yuyuan instinctively stepped closer to the cave entrance and looked down, only to find Chen Xuan's figure reappearing. Before he could ask if they were in danger, Chen Xuan spoke first: "By the way, if anyone else comes later, regardless of their mentality or purpose, and they also want to go down, please remind them that if their cultivation is below the Innate Realm, they shouldn't go down, otherwise they'll be smashed to pieces. You guys continue, we'll meet again after this is over. I have something I want to discuss with Master Liu."
After giving a reminder, Chen Xuan's figure fell down again, this time for real.
After waiting for a while and not seeing him come out again, Liu Yuyuan and the others looked at each other. Even though they were full of enthusiasm, they were not fools. They could listen to what he said and knew that they should only do what they could with their own strength, so they gave up their thoughts.
"Let's continue gathering the people Mr. Chen has been controlling. Don't waste his efforts. Look carefully, don't miss a single one. Then we'll make further plans when the others arrive. Also, try not to disturb the scene, so as not to affect the subsequent search and investigation. Mr. Chen said that the remains of many missing women are buried here. Whether we can uncover the truth, bring the mastermind behind it all to comfort the deceased depends on this. If we can't do it this time, I'm afraid..."
Shaking his head, Liu Yuyuan couldn't continue. The imperial court and the martial arts world were almost working together to investigate this matter. If they still couldn't get results, he couldn't think of any way to find out who was behind it.
The few people who came with him were from the lowest rungs of the martial arts world. They knew that things had already turned around and they could only do what they could. They nodded and dispersed to gather the immobilized people together one by one.
At this moment, the billowing dust caused by Chen Xuan breaking through the top began to fall back down, unable to completely block the dust out, and it swirled around like smog.
Less than a quarter of an hour after Chen Xuan went deep underground, someone arrived here following the direction of the rising smoke and dust.
The newcomer was in his fifties, dressed in a black and red robe with a flying eagle pattern embroidered on his chest. His cultivation level was among the top in the Innate Realm, comparable to the leaders of famous sects in the martial arts world. He was Shi Wang, one of the three deputy commanders of the Eagle Hall of Yuhua Kingdom, and the highest commander of the Eagle Hall stationed in Yucheng.
The Eagle Hall's functions are similar to those of the Jing Kingdom's Martial Arts Prohibition Division. They are in charge of all matters in the martial arts world, making them a sword hanging over the heads of people in the martial arts world. They are independent of the Six Ministries and only obey a very small number of people.
In the Jade City branch, no one in the Eagle Hall held a higher position than Shi Wang. Today, he was ordered to lead a team to investigate the entrance to the illusion array. With a mission on his shoulders, even if something major had happened in Jade City, he dared not leave his post and return before new orders were issued.
He arrived earlier and stood by the cave entrance with a slight frown. The dust and smoke gradually dissipated as he looked at the huge cave entrance in front of him, feeling surprised and uncertain. This place was not too far from Jade City, so how come he did not know about such a place?
'It looks like this huge hole just appeared. What happened before?'
As he was lost in thought, two figures suddenly appeared behind him. Their attire was similar to his, and both were at the Innate Realm. One of them looked around and cupped his hands, saying, "Commander, you arrived first. Did you discover anything or have any instructions?"
Waving his hand, Shi Wang said with a serious expression but a relaxed tone, "We're all brothers, and there are no outsiders here, so there's no need to be so formal. I just arrived a little earlier and haven't found anything yet. Is everything arranged over there? Although there's been a problem here, that place is also an important clue, and we can't afford to be careless."
"Rest assured, Commander, we know what we're doing. We should be able to break the formation and continue deeper in half an hour at most," the speaker said in a deep voice.
At this moment, Shi Wang had already guessed that someone had deliberately created that kind of scene to lure them here, and it was even very likely that it was the rear of the formation that blocked their way. As for the purpose of the person who lured them here, he didn't know for the time being. However, no matter what, the person who could create such a large opening and the billowing dust must have unfathomable cultivation. He knew he couldn't do it.
Another observer pointed downwards and warned, "Commander, there are people down there!" Shi Wang, having noticed as well, nodded and said, "I don't know the details, but to be on the safe side, let's send a signal to gather a team. There's probably a major discovery here. Xiao Wang, you stay here and wait for them. Lao Dai, come down with me and take a look, be careful."
After giving instructions, Shi Wang and his subordinate Lao Dai jumped down. Confident in his own strength, he was not too worried about any danger below, but he would still be vigilant.
Almost as they were talking, more people arrived one after another. They were all innate masters, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to arrive at such a speed. Among them was Liu Yuehong, who was with the girl in white.
The martial arts masters who arrived one after another did not communicate with the Eagle Hall members who remained upstairs. They were not enemies, but they were not on the same side either. A nod was enough for them to greet each other.
After observing for a while, although they didn't know what was happening here, they noticed the situation below. After hesitating for a moment, except for a very few timid people, they all went down to find out.
Despite her injuries, Liu Yuehong, accompanied by the girl in white, whispered to her that no matter what the situation was below, she should not leave her side. She was told to take the girl with her if there was any danger. Liu Yuehong did not trust anyone when she was out and about, and she brought the girl in white with her because she was worried about leaving her alone up there. So many young and beautiful women had gone missing, and what if she was careless and her niece was kidnapped by villains? With her niece's looks and figure, villains would never let the opportunity pass.
Shi Wang, who had come down first, immediately saw Liu Yuyuan and his group moving people. His gaze swept over them, and before they even hit the ground, he said in a deep voice, "Who are you? What happened here? Please tell us the truth!"
The situation was unclear, so he didn't act rashly. He could see through Liu Yuyuan and the others' cultivation levels at a glance, and he wasn't worried about causing any trouble. Otherwise, he would have taken them down for interrogation. His tone was far from polite; being in a high position, his assertive manner of speaking had become a habit.
Upon hearing the sound, Liu Yuyuan and the others immediately looked up and thought to themselves that, just as Mr. Chen had said, someone would be arriving soon.
Upon seeing Shi Wang and his companion's attire, Liu Yuyuan, who had lived in Yuhua Kingdom for many years, immediately recognized them. In the martial world, if one didn't recognize members of the Eagle Hall, especially important figures, there was no point in continuing. He immediately bowed and said, "This humble subject, Liu Yuyuan, greets Lord Shi. In response to your question, sir, regarding what happened here earlier… I beg your forgiveness, Lord Shi. Please wait a moment; I will recount everything at once."
He was originally going to answer directly, but seeing that more people were coming down, he decided to apologize rather than repeat himself.
When commoners meet officials, they should naturally be subservient. Moreover, given the vast difference in their cultivation levels, it would be foolish to be arrogant in the face of such a questioning tone. Only those at the same cultivation level can confidently display their individuality.
Shi Wang was not satisfied with this answer. He frowned slightly but did not say anything more. After landing, he nodded and looked around. When his gaze fell on the group of people gathered by Liu Yuyuan and the others, his heart tightened. Although those people could not move, he could sense that three of them had innate cultivation. Even if he took action, he was not confident that he could easily take them down. But they were just being manipulated by others. What exactly happened here?
Soon, four or five experts, including Liu Yuehong, came down. Although no less than a thousand people from the martial arts world were attracted by the commotion, most of them stayed behind.
When the group came down and saw what was happening, they were shocked. Their gazes toward Liu Yuyuan and his group were filled with apprehension, and no one could be sure if they were the ones who had done it.
It wouldn't be long before someone arrived. At this moment, Shi Wang looked at Liu Yuyuan and the others again and said in a deep voice, "Can you speak now?"
This condescending tone was truly unpleasant, but given the vast difference in their status and power, Liu Yuyuan could only nod and say, "Gentlemen, you may not know this, but before you arrived here..."
He recounted everything he knew in detail, without any reservations. Chen Xuan had already given him prior notice, including how he had secretly followed Chen Xuan and his group a few days earlier, which led to his capture, how he learned about the clues from Chen Xuan and came to investigate, how he and his group were captured, how Chen Xuan rescued them, and even the instructions Chen Xuan gave him when he went deep underground.
By the time he finished speaking, his mouth was dry. He had covered every detail, not out of servility, but also because he wanted to use everyone's help to uncover the truth. After all, his fiancée had also disappeared a few years ago, which had always been a thorn in Liu Yuyuan's side. That was why he had been investigating for so many years; otherwise, he would have given up long ago.
He spoke for a full fifteen minutes before concluding, "That's roughly the situation. That's all I know. I hope you can make the decisions next. We will do our utmost to help you if needed."
As he was speaking, three more innate masters came down. One of them was Sun Qingzhu, who had recently returned to Jade City. She had come here for some reason and was breathing heavily from the short journey. She didn't hear the beginning, but she didn't disturb him and listened patiently to the end.
However, as soon as Liu Yuyuan finished speaking, the first person to speak was not Sun Qingzhu asking for details, nor Shi Wang giving instructions for the next step, but the white-clad girl who had been following Liu Yuehong. She didn't care about the occasion and stepped forward to look at Liu Yuyuan, saying in a clear voice, "Hero Liu, are you saying that Brother Chen was here just now? Is that true?"
The girl's tone was cheerful and delighted, with a hint of resentment. She suddenly spoke, and Liu Yuehong couldn't stop her in time.
"Brother Chen? Young lady, are you referring to Mr. Chen Xuan?" Liu Yuyuan asked with surprise, secretly speculating that such an intimate form of address suggested a rather unusual relationship between the girl and Mr. Chen... (End of Chapter)