CHAPTER 63: 63. STABBING THE FOX (4.2K WORDS - SUBSCRIBE)

A few days later...

Amid the autumn rain, the white mist over the hills came and went, thickening and thinning, lingering between the mountains and rivers, much like lost and restless wandering souls.

Song Yan held a deep black umbrella, looking down at the tombstones before him.

Each stone was inscribed with the names of the disciples who died in battle during the attack on the Puppet Sect.

Back then, when the four elders suddenly returned, the battle was forced to end. Even with the truce, the Nanwu Sword Sect dared not linger long in the enemy’s territory; thus, many disciples’ bodies were cremated nearby and buried for peace.

Plop...

Plop...

Raindrops fell upon the umbrella’s surface, splashing off onto the tombstones, flowing across the stone faces.

Song Yan held the umbrella, his gaze swiftly scanning the names on the tombstones, occasionally flying by sword to the next tombstone, continuing his search.

He needed to find a "superior" who could not confirm or deny his story and insist it was a "single-line contact."

Once a lie is admitted, it must be completely covered.

No amount of preparation is too much for this purpose.

He would no longer truly trust anyone.

The actions of the Stone Seat Elder seemed to show concern for him, which is why he didn’t take him to the Ghost Cultivation Land to suffer, but left him at Shadow Puppet Peak.

But life is never such a simple choice.

A cultivator of the first layer of Refining Profound, with a legacy but low aptitude, facing the enormous sect, the only option was to submit the "legacy."

If it were the Righteous Dao, the sect might still nurture such a minor cultivator.

But in the Demon Sect, "a crime because of possession, to prevent leaks" would be enough for death; the best outcome would be "keeping one’s life, being grounded, and diligently practicing skills to serve the sect."

The Stone Seat Elder, of course, knew these things.

If he had little lifespan left, his choice would have been what he wrote in the letter: Do not return, cultivate outside, and pass on the legacy.

But the Stone Seat Elder did not.

He didn’t even give Song Yan any preparation, just made the choice for him.

The Sect Leader might suspect that "Song Yan killed Gu Rufeng," and could such an old wise man like Stone Seat Elder not have considered this possibility?

Of course, he had.

He thought about it.

But he didn’t ask at all; he just acted.

A thought of kindness, a thought of malice; when kindness and malice tangle, people often see things differently.

Yet, if you’re not a person in the situation, how could you understand its harm? How could you tell the difference?

Plop.

Song Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes resting on a tombstone.

That tombstone was perched on a lonely cliff, overlooking the rain-covered mountains with a magnificent view.

It was not easy for someone to position the tombstone high during the hasty burial.

The inscription on the tombstone was far more elaborate than elsewhere.

Engraved horizontally: May generations prosper, may souls return home.

Vertically inscribed: Tomb of Su Changyi, of Nanwu Sword Sect.

On the side were many names related to this "Su Changyi."

Among them, one was "Seventh Sister, Su Yao."

Su Yao?

Qi Yao?

Qi Yao?

So that’s it...

Song Yan gazed for a long time, then suddenly summoned a pre-prepared bouquet of white flowers from the storage space, looking at the names he had never seen before, he sighed deeply, speaking with a complex tone: "Old sir, I’m... visiting you..."

Then, he bent down, trembling as he placed the white flowers before the tombstone.

Because he didn’t know whether this Su Changyi drank alcohol... he hadn’t bought any wine.

After placing the flowers, he continued to look at the tombstone with grief, murmuring: "Now, with demons causing chaos and invading our human race, Yan can only lay down the obsession with righteousness and evil to seek cooperation and unity to resist external shame. I hope the old sir... doesn’t mind."

Though he said this aloud, he deeply understood within his heart: A seemingly legitimate title means nothing; to firmly establish his identity with the Nanwu Sword Sect, he had to master its swordsmanship.

...

...

The Fu Family.

This great family of the mortal world, with deep roots in the Three Kingdoms, thrived in both black and white worlds; even in the Independent Practitioner Realm, it held a prominent position. Though it couldn’t compare to the Puppet Sect or the Nanwu Sword Sect who occupied the Profound Veins, it was undoubtedly a significant force within the Three Kingdoms.

The family, having operated for hundreds of years, extended its influence beyond the Wei Kingdom, with many family members in Wu Shu and even the Nanwu Sword Sect.

Due to this relationship, the Fu Family and the Nanwu Sword Sect were almost inseparable, which was why Su Yao felt such an affinity when she first saw the Wei Kingdom’s royal family.

Fu Shirong, once the Lady General and now the Empress, her sudden return left many in the clan shocked, each saying things like "Your Highness, weren’t you always in the Imperial Palace?"

Fu Shirong began to narrate the situation in the Imperial Capital.

The older generation of the Fu Family were all stunned.

They had always believed "The Second Prince indeed died from internal strife, and the Grand General, upon a critical mandate, decisively took the throne to restrain the Scheming Lady, stabilizing the political situation, enduring humiliation, was a display of responsibility."

But unexpectedly, the truth was entirely the opposite!

A middle-aged man with firm brows and rugged muscles spoke: "Fortunately, fortunately, you returned, Shirong; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable."

This was Shirong’s third uncle—Fu Baoniu, also a rare master in the Fu Family who had cultivated to the seventh layer of Refining Profound; now, he was filled with fear.

Fu Shirong’s expression shifted, and she said: "Third Uncle, did Cao Zhengjing set traps for you?"

Third Uncle Fu Baoniu replied: "We thought the King of Wei was enduring humiliation, so we invited heroes from across the land and let the King of Wei act as the insider in the Imperial Capital, creating an opportunity for us to assassinate the Scheming Lady.

Even though the Scheming Lady is a demon of the Crimson Palace Realm, she has long been weakened from giving birth to offspring, otherwise, she wouldn’t be hiding in the Imperial Capital’s myriad places, leaving people unclear about her exact location.