CHAPTER 495: CHAPTER 495: DEFINITELY NOT POSSIBLE_1

"Something like that actually happened?" Ren Duxing was taken aback. "Tell me the details quickly."

Qin Feiyang nodded and described in detail Lu Xingchen’s death and subsequent resurrection.

Once he had finished, Ren Duxing pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This matter is indeed intriguing, yet we can’t just jump to conclusions. We must investigate further."

Qin Feiyang responded, "The current Lu Xingchen seems to be shrewder than before. I fear it might be difficult to uncover the truth."

"Even the craftiest fox eventually shows its tail. There’s no need to rush this matter."

"However, once you return to the state office, pay attention to Mu Tianyang’s whereabouts. I suspect he might be gathering forces and preparing for something."

"You can initiate your investigation from that angle."

"But be sure not to discuss this with the old man and Shuang’er, and absolutely not with anyone else." Ren Duxing’s tone held a hint of entreaty.

"I understand not telling others, but why can’t we tell the old man and my older sister?" Qin Feiyang frowned.

"They are my closest kin. If they knew, they would undoubtedly interfere and might inadvertently alert the enemy," Ren Duxing explained.

Qin Feiyang pondered for a moment and said, "Shouldn’t we report this to the Imperial Capital?"

"That won’t work either."

"Without any proof that Mu Tianyang is alive, the people of the Imperial Capital will not believe us."

"Even if they did believe us and sent people to Spirit State for investigation, it wouldn’t achieve anything. On the contrary, it would make Mu Tianyang hide even deeper."

"After all, the resurrected Mu Tianyang doesn’t have the strength to contend with the current Great Qin Empire. He wouldn’t dare face us head-on," Ren Duxing said.

Upon further consideration, Qin Feiyang found Ren Duxing’s argument sound. If Mu Tianyang were indeed alive, Spirit State would hardly be capable of opposing him. In fact, it could spell disaster!

Ren Duxing smiled and said, "If there are no other questions, I’ll escort you out."

"Wait."

"A few last questions. Why would Mu Tianyang’s inheritance be here?"

"Who built these ruins?"

"This jungle contains the Flame of Life. Do the desert, glacier, and sea of fire also harbor hidden treasures?" Qin Feiyang fired off a series of questions.

"Regarding these questions..." Ren Duxing thought for a moment, then smiled faintly. "These matters are rather complex. I’ll tell you everything slowly when we have the chance."

Having said that, before Qin Feiyang could respond, Ren Duxing gestured, and Qin Feiyang felt himself engulfed by an ultimate, overwhelming force.

WHOOSH!

The next moment, Qin Feiyang found himself outside the canyon, near the ancient iron-rope bridge.

"I left the great canyon just like that?" Qin Feiyang’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, a keen interest in this so-called source of power evident.

Just then, a young man in a purple robe emerged from behind a rock. It was none other than Lu Xingchen!

"You’re finally out." As he spoke, he made his way towards Qin Feiyang, a relieved smile on his face.

Qin Feiyang turned and frowned. "What were you doing here?"

Lu Xingchen grinned. "Waiting for you!"

"Waiting for me?" Qin Feiyang’s eyes flashed. "You’ve been here all this time?" he asked, keeping his expression neutral.

"Yes!" Lu Xingchen nodded.

Qin Feiyang turned his gaze back to the great canyon, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. If Lu Xingchen had truly been here the whole time, then it couldn’t have been him who tipped off the Sacred Monkey. But if it wasn’t Lu Xingchen, then who could it be? Considering that, apart from the fierce beasts, only he, Lu Xingchen, and Ren Duxing were in the entire canyon... Could it have been Ren Duxing? If that were true, then everything Ren Duxing had told him earlier would have been pure lies.

Qin Feiyang felt like his head was about to explode. Should he believe Ren Duxing, or Lu Xingchen?

Both were suspect. Setting Lu Xingchen aside for a moment, while Ren Duxing appeared to be protecting Spirit State, who could truly know what was going on in his mind?

After experiencing so many plots and deceptions, Qin Feiyang found it incredibly difficult to trust anyone easily.

Lu Xingchen walked over and chuckled, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Qin Feiyang shook his head and said coolly, "Let’s go, back to the state office."

Lu Xingchen was taken aback. "Aren’t you going to continue looking for Uncle Ren?"

Qin Feiyang said, "We’ve searched everywhere we could and found no clues. It’s highly likely that Ren Duxing is dead."

Lu Xingchen sighed. "If Wushuang found out about this cruel reality, she’d be devastated."

"Although I don’t know Ren Wushuang very well, she doesn’t strike me as a fragile woman," Qin Feiyang said.

With that, he didn’t linger. He took out a rib bone and stepped onto the ancient iron-rope bridge.

Lu Xingchen sighed deeply, also took out a rib bone, and followed Qin Feiyang towards the opposite bank.

「Three days later.」

Qin Feiyang stepped off the ancient iron-rope bridge and stood at the bridgehead, turning his gaze back towards the great canyon. This journey had not only allowed him to help repair the Sea of Consciousness for the Wolf King and obtain a Flame of Life, but he had also completed the State Office Head’s commission—finding Ren Duxing. Although the process was strenuous, nearly costing him his life several times, it could ultimately be considered a perfect resolution.

However, he would never forget what the Sacred Monkey had done to him! Sooner or later, he would make it pay in blood!

「Meanwhile.」

Deep within Lu Xingchen’s eyes, a mysterious glow flickered.

Qin Feiyang retracted his gaze, turned to Lu Xingchen, and asked, "Are you heading back to the inner hall directly, or going to State City first?"

After pondering for a moment, Lu Xingchen sighed. "The Lu Family has perished. There’s no point in returning to State City. I’ll head straight to the inner hall."

Qin Feiyang nodded.

WHOOSH!

Lu Xingchen waved his hand, opening a transmission gate, and stepped into it without a backward glance.

Watching the dissipating transmission gate, Qin Feiyang’s gaze flickered uncertainly. Although Lu Xingchen had concealed himself well on this trip, he had revealed a flaw—self-sealing. Such an esoteric technique as self-sealing was something an ordinary person couldn’t possibly know. Yet, Lu Xingchen knew it very clearly. There had to be a profound secret behind this!

"I’ll see how long you can keep hiding." With a cold smirk, he opened a transmission gate and stepped into it, appearing in front of the State Office Head’s courtyard in the next moment.

The old man was leisurely fishing by the pond, a pot of steaming tea beside him, looking utterly contented.

"Hmm?"

The old man immediately sensed someone’s arrival. Upon seeing it was Qin Feiyang, he quickly got up and asked, "Did you find him?" His expression held a hint of expectation and considerable anxiety.

"I found him." Qin Feiyang nodded.

The old man was overjoyed. "I knew that with you on the case, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish! Quickly, tell me, where is he? Did he come back with you?"

"No." Qin Feiyang shook his head, paused for a moment, and said, "For now, I cannot reveal where he is. I hope you understand, old man."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you telling me that even a father who wants to see his son has to get your permission?" The old man was somewhat angered.

"It’s not that you need my permission; it’s that Uncle Ren himself doesn’t want to see you."

"And don’t even think of going to the Land of Ruins to look for him, because he isn’t there at all," Qin Feiyang said, his expression turning somewhat grim.

He had gone through life-and-death struggles in the great canyon and had finally managed to see Ren Duxing, yet the old man hadn’t offered a single word of thanks and had even gotten angry with him? This was truly a thankless task!

"He doesn’t want to see me?" The old man was stunned, unable to recover his wits for a long while.

Once he regained his senses, he noticed Qin Feiyang’s expression and immediately realized he had lost his composure. He apologized with a smile, "I’m sorry, I wrongly accused you."

"It’s understandable." Qin Feiyang reciprocated with a smile.

The old man forced a smile and asked, "Why doesn’t he want to see me? Is he facing some unspoken difficulties?"

"I don’t know about that." Qin Feiyang shook his head.

The old man asked, "Can you tell me where he is now?"

Qin Feiyang replied, "I can’t. I promised Uncle Ren I’d keep his whereabouts a secret."

The old man heaved a deep sigh, looked up at the heavens, and said, "Since he doesn’t want to see me, there’s no need for me to insist. Knowing that he’s still alive is enough."

Qin Feiyang remained silent.

To be honest, he did feel quite sorry for this old man.

After a moment, the old man diverted his gaze from the sky to Qin Feiyang, asking, "Has Rogue Wolf’s Sea of Consciousness been repaired?"

"Yes." Qin Feiyang nodded.

The old man sighed with relief. "That’s good. Do you plan to tell Shuang’er about this?"

Qin Feiyang replied, "I will only tell her that Uncle Ren is alive."

"In my opinion, it would be best if you don’t say anything at all."

"I know my daughter’s temperament best. If she finds out her father isn’t dead, she’ll surely search every corner of the earth for him," the old man said with a bitter smile.

"This..." After hesitating for a moment, Qin Feiyang nodded. "Alright, we’ll keep it from her for now."

He dreaded trouble the most. If this rather troublesome older sister of his were to pester him daily in the future, wouldn’t that be an unbearable headache?

As if suddenly remembering something, the old man said, "Right, regarding the matter of destroying the Land of Ruins, I’m afraid it’s temporarily infeasible."

"Why?" Qin Feiyang furrowed his brows.

The old man replied, "This is a major issue. I need to get approval from the current Emperor first."

"Emperor!" Qin Feiyang’s eyes trembled slightly. He withdrew his hands into his sleeves, clenching them tightly, and asked, "How much longer until you can meet him?"

The old man replied, "A year and a half."

"A year and a half..." Qin Feiyang’s eyes flickered.

If he remembered correctly, in another year and a half, he would already be twenty years old.

Suddenly, Qin Feiyang bowed. "Junior has a request."

The old man laughed. "Just say it. I will do my best to grant it if it’s within my power."

Qin Feiyang said, "When it’s time to meet the Emperor, can I accompany you?"

"Definitely not." The old man immediately shook his head.

Disappointment crept into Qin Feiyang’s eyes.

It seemed that returning to the Imperial Capital before he turned twenty was now an impossible task.

"The Imperial Capital is indeed a place to yearn for, but it can’t be rushed."

"But don’t be disappointed. When I return from the Imperial Capital, I believe it won’t be too long before you will be able to enter the Imperial Capital," the old man said with a smile.