Chapter 65

The last contest of the Jiaolong Assembly had begun, and Zong Zi Heng had not yet been able to pull himself away from the shock and fear.

The faintly discernible incense on Yan Shu's body was exactly the same as the one he had smelled last night at Bailu Pavilion. He had carefully distinguished the incense, so he definitely could not have remembered it wrong.

But his first thought was disbelief. Even regardless of his birth status, Yan Shu is more than thirty years older than Chu Ying Ruo, so why would Chu Ying Ruo betray the young and handsome Emperor Zong, who is extremely fond of her? How and when did these two people, who are not related in any way, hooked up?

But if that man was really Yan Shu, then some of the questions seem to be explainable. For example, perhaps they had known each other before Chu Ying Ruo entered the palace, and the man behind the curtain had instructed the Lion Alliance to defend Zong Zi Xiao when they attacked them in Gutuo Town ...

Zong Zi Heng gasped. A chill went straight from the soles of his feet to his heavenly spirit. Even the naked eye could see that the blood on his face faded significantly.

It was ridiculous, too ridiculous.

But what if ...

Zong Zi Heng looked at his younger brother in the ring, who was performing with a sword as nimble as a flying bird, and gathered the courage to turn his face sideways and look in the direction of Yan Shu.

Only seeing Yan Shu fixed his gaze at the two teenagers who were competing, and his face, which had always been indifferent and prudent, faintly flashed with a hint of pride and delight.

So shuddering.

Zong Zi Heng's body swayed and he lowered his head heavily.

And as the battle was raging in the ring, no one noticed his abnormality.

Ye Yun Chen had become famous as a teenager, very much like Xu Zhi Nan's momentum back then by going all the way through with little effort and cultivating his Yuanyang technique at a young age to such a marvelous extent that it was already difficult for ordinary weapons to hurt him. With such an ability, even if he encountered a high-ranking cultivator, he would still have the ability to fight. It’s indeed a youth to be regarded with respect.

Without Zong Zi Xiao, he would have been the most talked about person in the immortal cultivation world today.

In this duel, Zong Zi Xiao demonstrated his cultivation level of the seventh Chongtian of the Zongxuan Sword, causing the entire audience to be in an uproar.

For the next ten years, decades, and centuries, the continent would spread the name of Zong Zi Xiao's talent and the indelible fear he brought to the immortal world during his life and after death.

Zong Zi Xiao had won, becoming the youngest winner of the Jiaolong assembly in five hundred years, shaking the entire Jiuzhou.

Zong Ming He stood up in excitement and shouted, "My son is the Jiaolong, my son is the Jiaolong!"

The elders of the Zong Clan all expressed happiness and were overjoyed. The appearance of a generation of heavenly pride heralded the return of glory to the Daming Zong Clan.

The guests of the immortal clans, whatever they are feeling in their hearts, were all outwardly congratulatory.

The consorts, on the other hand, had their own splendid faces.

Zong Zi Xiao, a young man, was soaring with pride that his face seemed to glow. He first knelt to thank his parents and then turned in a hurry to look at his big brother.

Zong Zi Heng was overwhelmed, but he could only force a smile on his face.

Zong Zi Xiao jumped out of the ring and smoothly jumped into Zong Zi Heng's arms, laughing, "Big brother, I won, I won, I won!"

"Xiao Jiu is great, big brother is proud of you." Zong Zi Heng meant what he said but could not be genuinely happy. He was seized by every nerve by those terrible suspicions.

"It's big brother who taught me well." Zong Zi Xiao was so excited that he didn't notice the difference in his big brother at all. Now, he could tiptoe slightly to reach his big brother's ear and say with certainty, "My glory and my prize belong to big brother." Even he himself did not realize how much such a tone resembled a man's promise to the woman he loved.

Zong Zi Heng patted him on the back, his heart mixed with hope and fear, feeling extremely tormented.

The crowd came to congratulate him, and Yan Shu also came over, smiling and congratulating his "Ninth Highness", generous with excessive praises. Zong Zi Heng was looking from the side and his scalp tingled. He tried to see the resemblance between Yan Shu's face and Zong Zi Xiao's, or not, but Zong Zi Xiao looked so much like Chu Ying Ruo that it was hard to tell.

At Zong Ming He's command, the Ministry of Rites, who had been preparing for a long time, set up a banquet at the grounds to celebrate Zong Zi Xiao’s victory.

At that moment, a greenish-grey figure suddenly leapt into the ring. The crowd gazed to see that it was Qi Meng Sheng.

This was a very sudden move by Qi Meng Sheng, but seeing her solemn expression and had the appearance of mountain rain coming down, the scene followed in silence.

"Qi Meng Sheng of the Cangyu Sect, greets the Emperor and Empress." Qi Meng Sheng bowed.

"What’s the meaning of Flying Plume Ambassador’s action?" Zong Ming He said unhappily.

"I have something important to report."

"Speak."

Qi Meng Sheng looked around at everyone present, "Yesterday, in this ring, Huaying Sect’s Hua Yu Xin was possessed by an evil spirit. I believe this matter, everyone here has seen with their own eyes. That evil spirit was the high-ranking cultivator of the Huaying Sect who was killed by the core thief Chen Xing Yong, and he said through Miss Hua himself that his core was here."

Xu Zhi Nan continued on, "During our interrogation of Chen Xing Yong, we could tell from the clues he revealed that the buyer behind those human core, who came from a famous sect, was most likely also invited to the Jiaolong assembly this time."

A cultivator said, "Chen Xing Yong doesn't even know who the buyer behind the scenes is, does Flying Plume Ambassador have a way to uncover him?"

"Yeah, Chen Xing Yong is also dead. Even if that person is present, the dead cannot testify ah."

"Chen Xing Yong is not dead." As Qi Meng Sheng spoke, her gaze swept over to Yan Shu.

A commotion came from the crowd.

Hua Yu Xin walked to the bottom of the ring, beside Zong Zi Heng, and said in a loud voice, "Little Martial Uncle tried his best to gather a wisp of regret and told me that his core is here, in the body of someone present, and I believe him!"

"What the hell is going on?!" Zong Ming He said in a stern voice.

Xu Zhi Nan arched his hand towards Zong Ming He, "Emperor, last winter, I joined forces with His Highness, Ninth Highness and the Flying Plume Ambassador to capture Chen Xing Yong alive, but this man was cunning and had a premeditated plan, and the person behind it took advantage of the chaos to kidnap my junior brother Cheng Yan Zhi, asking me to exchange him for Chen Xing Yong. I would never hand Chen Xing Yong over, so I asked one of my Chunyang Sect’s disciples to use his bone shrinking skills and pretend to be Chen Xing Yong. I didn't expect that the person behind the curtain was despicable and vicious, and secretly planted Thunderfire stones. Wanting to blow us up together with Chen Xing Yong to silence us." Speaking of this, his face twisted slightly out of hatred, "My two junior brothers, both unfortunately died ..."

The Chunyang Sect cultivators were filled with righteous indignation.

"So, Chen Xing Yong is still alive, then where is he?"

"He is in the Cangyu Sect atoning for his sins." Qi Meng Sheng said grimly, "He will live a long life, but suffer torture every moment."

"Since Chen Xing Yong never knew who was behind the curtain, then him being alive, what use is he to today's events?"

"Although he does not know who is behind the curtain, as long as that person is in front of him, he’ll be able to recognize them." Qi Ming Sheng tilted her chin arrogantly and looked around at the crowd, "Don't forget that Gong Shu Ju can measure everything in the world, down to the smallest detail. In order to give himself a way out, he secretly measured some of that person's features with Gong Shu Ju. There will not be two identical people in this world, and as long as that person is here, there is nowhere to hide!"

The crowd murmured.

 Yan Shu said in a deep voice, "Then what exactly would be measured?"

"What is being measured, naturally, must be kept secret, otherwise if someone with intentions hears about it, all previous efforts will be wasted." Qi Meng Sheng smiled coldly, "I traveled to and from Kunlun yesterday and brought Chen Xing Yong with me, just to expose the true face of that beast in public and get rid of the evil for the immortal cultivation world!"

"Chen Xing Yong is here?!"

"Words have no proof, who knows if that Chen Xing Yong is another person from the Chunyang Sect pretending to be him?"

Two female cultivators of the Cangyu Sect, carrying a large bamboo basket, entered the ring and emptied out a bloody mess from the basket.

There was a sudden silence in the ring.

That creature, which was to be called "human", had lost all his limbs. His hair had been shaved off, there was hardly a piece of good flesh on his body, and his ears, nose and tongue had been cut off, leaving one pair of eyes, empty and desperate, as if to let him see with his own eyes what would happen to him.

The immortal world had heard about the evil of the Cangyu Sect, but when they saw it today, it really made people’s hair stand on end. Now no one dared to question Chen Xing Yong's truth or falsity.

Qi Meng Sheng looked with despise at the thing on the ground, "This kind of traitor who deceives his master and destroys his ancestors will receive this type of consequence. Today, in order to uncover the buyer behind the curtain, I will be lenient and grant him death after the deed is done."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Hua Jun Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "I want to know today which sanctimonious beast has eaten my little martial uncle’s core!"

"Yes, hurry up and test it, we also want to know who did that monstrous thing."

With the crowd in an uproar, Zong Ming He could not hold Qi Meng Sheng accountable for ruining his youngest son's celebration feast, and could only watch as Xu Zhi Nan took out the Gong Shu Ju and demanded that everyone take a test in the ring to prove their innocence.

Zong Zi Heng has been secretly observing Yan Shu. This is just another play they were acting. Other than Chen Xing Yong and Gong Shu Ju being real, the rest was fake. The purpose is just to lead Yan Shu into their trap, and from what they see now, Yan Shu had already taken the bait.

From yesterday's Hua Yu Xin being "possessed", to the discovery of Chen Xing Yong not dying, and then to this play, this chain of plans caught Yan Shu unprepared. They didn't believe he wasn’t panicking.

If he gets a chance, Zong Zi Heng wants to personally ask Yan Shu, how exactly is he related to Chu Ying Ruo and Zong Zi Xiao, but no matter what the answer is, he hopes Yan Shu will take this secret to the grave.

His youngest brother, who has a promising future, must not be ruined by this matter, even if it is only a rumor. He looked at Yan Shu with killing intent boiling in his chest. He had never had a moment when he wanted to get rid of someone so strongly.

This test has been going on until sunset arrived, but no one complained, and no one dared to leave the scene, otherwise they will be unable to explain themselves.

When it was the turn of the Wuyun Sect, Yan Shu's face was already unsightly. When they saw him walk into the ring, several people's hearts sank and each clenched their swords in their hands, ready to strike at any moment.

At this point, Chen Xing Yong, who was seeking death, reacted in a cooperative manner. His eyes trembling and struggling to open wide as he looked at Yan Shu.

"Ee ... ee ..." Chen Xing Yong had lost his tongue and could only make odd noises.

Qi Meng Sheng glared at Yan Shu harshly and asked, "Chen Xing Yong, is this the man?"

Chen Xing Yong nodded his head laboriously.

A gasp of breath rang out around in the surrounding.

Xu Zhi Nan said solemnly, "This man is the Sect Leader Immortal  Lord who recently took control of Wuyun Sect. You have never seen his real face before, so you cannot spout nonsense."

Chen Xing Yong shook his head in pain.

Yan Shu snorted coldly, "A bunch of nonsense, how dare you allow this lowly thing to slander me!"

----

Edited on 30 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

 

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