Chapter 147

Zong Zi Heng combed through his memories of what had happened in Yunding back then.

He had seen Zong Ming He's body sealed in the coffin. Although a person's appearance changes somewhat after death, he did not notice anything unusual. Zong Ming He's hands were folded across his chest and were covered by large sleeves, revealing only a few fingertips, and there was no way to tell the shape of the finger bones. After that, he watched over the coffin all the way back to Daming until the burial.

The Zong Clan's cemetery was heavily bounded, so if Zong Ming He's corpse had been switched, then it must have been done at Mount Shu, and what he saw back then would have already been a fake.

The fake corpse was intact, and there was no possibility that the head had merely been replaced, so how exactly had Zong Ming He's face been imitated?

Zong Zi Heng's narrative caused Xu Zhi Nan's face to become increasingly grave as well, "There are several possibilities according to what Emperor said, and I believe Emperor can guess a thing or two."

"I'll listen to you first." Zong Zi Heng did have a guess in his mind.

"One, the Wuliang Sect found someone with a similar appearance to the late emperor, but it happened suddenly, so this is very unlikely. Secondly, the appearance of the late emperor was drawn with the Wusheng Brush, but Lu Zhao Feng was wanted by all the great sects at that time and was nowhere to be found. There was also no previous evidence of collusion between Wuliang Sect and Lu Zhao Feng, so this is even less likely. Thirdly, there was someone who possessed the Chunyang Technique, and fixed the bones of this corpse."

"The Chunyang Technique can also change another person's appearance?" Zong Zi Heng remembered that he had vaguely heard of it before, but was unsure.

"It can, but the duration is very short. Moreover, that person cannot move, cannot make expressions, and cannot even speak. Any movement that involves bones and muscles cannot be done, otherwise it will be exposed, so it is actually a technique that is rarely used."

"But if that person is a dead person ..."

"A dead person who won't move can instead bring into play the usefulness of this technique." Xu Zhi Nan narrowed his eyes, "Therefore, this matter must have been done by someone who has enough time to access the corpse, because the appearance changed through this method would not last more than a quarter of an hour at most."

Speaking until this point, the range is already very small; the person who had the ability to swap the Human Emperor's corpse in Wuliang Sect was bound to be a significant figure in the Wuliang Sect.

But why?

"Emperor, I have an even bolder guess."

Zong Zi Heng quietly clenched his trembling fist, "Speak."

"Someone dug up the late emperor's core and obtained the Chunyang Technique obtained from Yan Zhi, and then engaged in fraudulent activities."

Zong Zi Heng closed his eyes. Xu Zhi Nan's words seemed to press a fearful dark cloud above his head. The darkness turned into a behemoth and completely eroded him.

It was indeed a bold guess, but not without basis. With Zong Ming He's cultivation alone, his golden core was worth a fortune, not to mention the fact that he might also have an imperial destiny.

However, the golden core could only be dug out when they're alive, and when he arrived, Zong Ming He was already dead. Even Shen Shi Yao had already killed herself. The shock of seeing both of his own parents perish almost tore his heart apart at that moment, so how could he have thought to check whether Zong Ming He's core was still there? If Xu Zhi Nan's speculation was true, then Zong Ming He's death, and his mother's death, were greatly in doubt.

Zong Zi Heng's face was already so unsightly as if he would faint at any moment. Xu Zhi Nan held his swaying body and said soothingly in that unsophisticated voice: "Emperor, this is only a guess, you must take care of your health."

Zong Zi Heng clasped Xu Zhi Nan's wrist. His five fingers tightened and he gripped it fiercely as he glared at Xu Zhi Nan with bloodshot eyes, "If the person who swapped the corpse was really there to take his core, then my mother ... may have been ... killed by someone." As his trusted aide, Xu Zhi Nan knew that he had carried the stigma of regicide for Shen Shi Yao, and naturally knew what he was talking about.

Xu Zhi Nan has a vajra body. Ordinary swords cannot break his flesh, but at this moment he experienced some pain. It can be seen how much strength Zong Zi Heng used. He held Zong Zi Heng's hand, and slowly said with emphasis: "We must find out the truth to this matter, not just for Consort Shen. That person who switched the corpse of the late emperor most likely had been hiding within the shadows for many years, and did many things to harm the Emperor."

Who could it be, and why did he have to swap the corpse? Since he had not examined Zong Ming He's abdomen in the first place, he wouldn’t even examine it after that. If it wasn’t Zong Zi Xiao's threat to drag Zong Ming He out and whip his corpse, he wouldn’t have opened the coffin. This secret should have been buried for eternity, so why go through the trouble of swapping the corpse?

He asked about his doubts, and Xu Zhi Nan could only shake his head in confusion.

"Who does Emperor find most suspicious?"

"Li Bu Yu." Zong Zi Heng replied without hesitation.

The important figure of the Wuliang Sect who was most involved in the whole matter was Li Bu Yu.

"I also think he's suspicious." Xu Zhi Nan said, "Does the Emperor still remember, back then at the Jiaolong Assembly, Li Bu Yu was defeated by Zong Zi Xiao with ease. He was even a few years older than Zong Zi Xiao."

"I remember." It was impossible for anyone to forget that Jiaolong Assembly, which directly led to a decade of turmoil in the immortal cultivation world, and gave birth* to Zong Zi Xiao, the unrivaled Supreme Demon. And it was even more impossible for him to forget how his Xiao Jiu had shown off his proud talent and won the championship step by step.

"As far as I remember, Li Bu Yu's natural talent was not very outstanding. Back then, he lost to the winner of the Jiaolong Assembly, so no one thought he was inferior, and only thought that Zong Zi Xiao was too strong, but when I watched the battle, I judged that Li Bu Yu's qualifications and roots were only barely superior, but after he became the Sect Leader, his cultivation and sword skills soared, and he actually became one of the representatives of the young and strong generation with superior talent." Xu Zhi Nan frowned and said, "I had doubts in my mind about this matter, but I just didn't think about it deeply."

"You are right. I also remember that he was not outstanding when he was young." Zong Zi Heng's first acquaintance with Li Bu Yu was when he was out on a trip and happened to save Li Bu Yu who was also out on a trip. At the same age of thirteen, Zong Zi Xiao had won the championship at the Jiaolong Assembly, while Li Bu Yu was struggling to even deal with a slightly cultivated walking corpse. He did not dare to say that Li Bu Yu must have eaten Zong Ming He's human core to achieve his current cultivation level, but if Zong Ming He's core was indeed stolen by the Li family, then the person who ate the core must be Li Bu Yu.

No matter what, the person who swapped Zong Ming He's corpse had evil intentions, and he had to know the complete truth!

Zong Zi Heng murmured, "Brother Xu, accompany me to Mount Shu."

"Infiltrating Mount Shu is not an easy task. Why don't I use visit as an supposed purpose to go up to the mountain, while Emperor waits for my news?"

"There is no need to infiltrate. I have just met Li Bu Yu earlier and asked him to help move my mother's grave when he returns to Mount Shu. I can do it myself."

Xu Zhi Nan wanted to say something, but still said, "If Zong Zi Xiao finds out that the Emperor is not around when he returns, I am afraid that ..."

Zong Zi Heng gritted his teeth and said, "Kunlun is far away, he won't be able to return in a short time, and even if he does, he won't be able to care that much."

"Okay, I’ll listen to the Emperor."

---

The day after Zong Zi Xiao left Daming, Zong Zi Heng sent Zong Zhong Ming away.

He carried Zong Zhong Ming, who was crying non-stop, all the way out of Daming City. There were no words to express how much sadness and reluctance he felt in his chest. In the end, he could only stand in the waning sunlight and watch Zong Zi Yun take the child up into the sky with his sword, farther and farther away, smaller and smaller, turning into a bit of silver light in the sky until they disappeared.

That was the last time they would see each other in their lives.

The guests who had come to celebrate the New Year also took their leave, including Li Bu Yu.

On the fifth day after Zong Zi Xiao's departure from Daming, Zong Zi Heng settled many important matters of the Wuji Palace and set off for Mount Shu with Xu Zhi Nan.

Before they left, Huang Dao Zi made a surprise appearance, as if he knew he was leaving.

Zong Zi Heng was extremely disgusted with this man: "What is it?"

"I have calculated that the Emperor is going to check something, so I have come to offer a magical treasure."

"What did you calculate?"

Huang Dao Zi said respectfully, "Fortune-telling can often only give a vague direction. I do not know where the Emperor is going or what you’re going to investigate."

Zong Zi Heng was skeptical: "Then what treasure are you offering?"

Huang Dao Zi took out a dirty stick tube with twelve sticks in it, "This is a magical treasure I have invented. The Zhou Hou Spiritual Stick, which was refined by incorporating a small piece of the Luo Shui Jade Armor, and has the power of divination, but it can only tell 'yes' and 'no'." He offered it with both hands.

Zong Zi Heng hesitated for a moment and accepted it, "How do you use it?"

"The Emperor can ask what you wish to divine and then draw a stick, or you can use it to force others to answer questions, but the scope of what this spiritual stick can divine is very small, both in terms of time and geographical scope, and the only answers it can give are 'yes' or 'no ', 'true' or 'false'. Regarding the rest, Emperor has to judge for yourself."

"Is this thing accurate?"

Huang Dao Zi said with a straight face, "The more specific the question, the more accurate it is."

"Good, I will give it a try." Zong Zi Heng put the Zhou Hou Spiritual Stick into his qiankun pouch, "Why have you come to offer this treasure?"

"I want to share the Emperor's worries."

Zong Zi Heng said coldly, "The one you want to befriend is clearly the Supreme Demon."

Huang Dao Zi smiled faintly, "What I wish for in my heart is peace in the world."

Zong Zi Heng did not dare to believe all of this man's words, but he was going to try this magical treasure out. Mount Shu is the territory of the Wuliang Sect, so he and Xu Zhi Nan had to take it step by step and try everything to find out the truth in the shortest possible time, hoping that this magical treasure would really come in handy.

With the assistance of Xu Zhi Nan, Zong Zi Heng broke the seal that Zong Zi Xiao had placed on his chakra. The two of them flew away from Daming with their swords, and their sudden visit is bound to set off a bloody storm in Mount Shu.

 

 ----

gave birth*[催生]--- to be a driving force in bringing sth into existence

 

Edited on 2 May. 21 (Emzie)

 

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