CHAPTER 682: 682 STAR-PICKING TOWER GREAT ELDER

Li Yuan Realm, Star-picking Tower!

The Star-picking Tower has forty-eight floors, designated as the residence for some of the young geniuses with exceptional talent within the tower. Among them, Tower Master’s direct disciple, the foremost talented girl of Star-picking Tower, Shen Xingmou, resides in one of the apartments on the forty-eighth floor.

Talents like Shen Xingmou naturally have their own independent suites, which are even larger than some estates outside, spacious enough not just for one person but even for ten.

Of course, the previously solitary Shen Xingmou, aside from her own teacher, the Tower Master, hardly interacted with others. Not even other Elders would concern themselves much with her, let alone the younger disciples.

With her graceful figure and beautiful appearance, Shen Xingmou attracted many admirers within the Star-picking Tower and the Li Yuan Realm. Those who wished to court her were people of distinguished origins, each one a renowned genius of the Li Yuan Realm.

Regrettably, given the Star-picking Tower’s power, and Shen Xingmou’s indifferent attitude towards men, a genius of Star-picking Tower once showed a hint of desire to get close to her, only to end up thrown down from the forty-eighth floor, nearly to his death.

Since then, no one dared to provoke Shen Xingmou again, and her residence on the forty-eighth floor of Star-picking Tower became akin to a special forbidden area that nobody dared to lightly step into, for they couldn’t bear the consequences.

However, unknown to others, a strange middle-aged woman had appeared not long ago in the residence of Shen Xingmou on the forty-eighth floor.

Apart from a select few, nobody knew the background of this middle-aged woman, nor the relationship between her and Shen Xingmou—even the woman herself was included in this ignorance.

Inside the great hall, a girl dressed in black lazily lay on a reclining chair, while not far from her, a gaze filled with hostility surveyed her from time to time without uttering a word.

"If you have anything you want to ask, just ask. But I might not answer!" Even with her eyes closed, Shen Xingmou could feel that piercing gaze, so she spoke softly without opening her eyes, startling the middle-aged woman.

The woman was none other than Yun Xiao’s mother, Shang Li. It had been over three months since Shen Xingmou brought her here, yet during this time, she still hadn’t figured out what this girl in black was plotting.

"Do you... have some sort of conspiracy?"

After observing Shen Xingmou for a long while, Shang Li finally voiced her question with some hesitation. For the past few months, her stay here was much more relaxing compared to the three years before.

Ning Supervisor, the tall and thin elder who ordered the massacre of the Shang Family, used to take Shang Li to the dungeon of Star-picking Tower for interrogations every few days, tormenting her to the point of indescribable suffering, which was a stark contrast to the past three months that felt like hell.

Yet Shang Li, after enduring three years of hardships, did not let her guard down. She suspected that since Star-picking Tower’s harsh methods hadn’t worked, they were now trying a softer approach. The ultimate goal, she believed, was to extract the information they wanted from her.

Despite the disagreement she witnessed between the girl and Ning Supervisor over taking her away that day, Shang Li was more inclined to believe it was all an act—a show put on for her to lower her guard and to foster gratitude towards the black-clad girl.

"A conspiracy?"

Hearing Shang Li’s words, Shen Xingmou finally opened her eyes, sat up from the reclining chair, fixing her gaze on the other for a few moments before speaking with implication, "If you’re referring to Yun Xiao possessing the Blood Moon Jade, then you’re thinking way too much!"

"What? You... you already know?"

As soon as Shen Xingmou spoke, Shang Li’s complexion turned ashen white. Although she did not know Yun Xiao was alive, as a mother who had never seen her son’s body, she subconsciously still clung to that sliver of hope.

This was also the reason Shang Li had stubbornly kept silent all these years, fearing that speaking out would doom her precious son.

In fact, Ning Supervisor had pressured her for years not only to learn the true whereabouts of the Blood Moon Jade but also to pry out the location of that powerhouse from the Moon God Palace, Yun Changtian, as it was due to him that the Blood Moon Jade was stolen.

"I indeed know, but that doesn’t mean others do!"

In Shen Xingmou’s mind, the image of a figure in coarse clothes carrying a wooden sword emerged. For some reason, even after returning here for over three months, she still had not shared the events that occurred on the Hidden Dragon Continent with the Elders of the Star-picking Tower, including her Tower Master teacher.

"You... you’ve met my son, Yun Xiao?"

Suddenly, Shang Li became agitated, knowing that aside from herself, only the siblings Yun Wei and Yun Xiao were aware of this. If this was true, then at least one of her children was still alive in this world.

"Yes, I’ve met him."

Possessed by some inexplicable whim, Shen Xingmou didn’t deny it. When she mentioned "him," a trace of rosiness brushed across her cheeks, which went unnoticed in the dim light by the agitated Shang Li.

"Thank heavens, Xiao’er he... he’s really still alive!"

Having finally obtained the most certain answer, Shang Li pressed her hands together in prayer. The emotions of a mother learning that her son, who was supposed to die, had not perished were simply ineffable.

"Don’t worry, not only is Yun Xiao not dead, his sister Yun Wei is also alive, and her current strength is no lesser than mine!"

Shen Xingmou’s words, perhaps brought on by thoughts of Yun Xiao or moved by Shang Li’s excitement at the moment, once again brought the graceful figure in green to mind. The words spoken made Shang Li’s entire body tremble fiercely.

"Miss, are... are you telling the truth? You’re not... not deceiving me?"

Shang Li’s voice trembled, already having believed that siblings Yun Wei and Yun Xiao had perished in the annihilation of Shang Family three years ago, only to be overwhelmed to hear such exhilarating news after so long.

"What benefit would I have from lying to you?"

The change in Shang Li’s tone also softened the look within Shen Xingmou’s eyes as she thought of her parents who passed away when she was young. A tender spot deep within her heart seemed to be touched.

"This... this is just too wonderful!"

Having received the answer she hoped for, Shang Li felt that even if she were to die at this moment, it would be worth it. She felt more affirmed that her years of perseverance had not been in vain; at least she was alive to hear this news, which alone was tremendously comforting.

Thump thump thump...

Just as Shen Xingmou was about to say something, the door to the hall was knocked from the outside, causing her eyebrows to furrow and a flash of annoyance to appear in her eyes.

"Who is it?"

Shen Xingmou’s voice carried a hint of anger, thinking it might be the young disciples from Star-picking Tower coveting her beauty, who were seeking some pretext to bother her. It was truly annoying.

For some reason, Shen Xingmou used to just feel a simple annoyance at these interruptions, but now, something inexplicably irritated her deeply, and the image of a man in plain clothes involuntarily entered her mind again.

"Miss Xingmou, it’s me, Ning Fu!"

No sooner had Shen Xingmou spoken than a familiar voice sounded from outside; and upon hearing this voice, Shen Xingmou had yet to react, but Shang Li’s body began to tremble slightly. Was it hatred that spurred this, or was it fear that was born?

"Ning Fu? That old man, he really can’t let go, huh!"

Upon hearing the self-introduction of the person outside, Shen Xingmou’s frown deepened because Ning Fu was the tall, thin old man who had annihilated the Shang Family and a steward of Star-picking Tower, with no low status.

However, the title of steward, when compared to Tower Master’s Direct Disciple Shen Xingmou, was quite insignificant, which is why Ning Fu had not dared to oppose Shen Xingmou’s decision to take Shang Li away.

Yet Shen Xingmou, who had thought she’d intimidated Ning Fu, could not fathom why he would dare to come and demand people. Was he not afraid of her flying into a rage?

Creak!

The sound of the door opening echoed in everyone’s ears, and as Shen Xingmou opened the door to the hall, upon seeing two elderly figures outside, she immediately understood why Ning Fu had suddenly become so bold.

Besides Ning Fu, there was an elder in green robes, eyes slightly closed. Shen Xingmou was not at all unfamiliar with this figure—it was Yin Buqun, the Great Elder of Star-picking Tower, a person who, aside from the Tower Master, held the most power.

Not only was he the Great Elder of Star-picking Tower, but also a top-tier Meridian Master, with a Meridian Refining Technique that, apart from a few individuals in Li Yuan Realm, was matched by none.

Moreover, the Meridian Refining Technique mastered by Great Elder Yin Buqun was of the Poison Meridian Path. He once wreaked havoc on three thousand cities with his toxins, singlehandedly killing hundreds of thousands, a feat that sickened those who heard of it.

Over the years, Tower Master Luo Tianxing often secluded himself, striving for the highest realm, leaving the handling of most of Star-picking Tower’s affairs to Great Elder Yin Buqun. Over time, his influence might have come to match that of Tower Master Luo Tianxing.

Shen Xingmou had known Ning Fu was affiliated with the Great Elder, but given their vast difference in status, she never imagined Ning Fu could truly invite Yin Buqun. Therefore, her expression inevitably became somewhat ugly.

"Xingmou pays her respects to the Great Elder!"

Regardless of how proud Shen Xingmou might be among her younger peers, she dared not behave too presumptuously in front of these true wielders of power within Star-picking Tower.

After all, this person’s capabilities were not far from those of her teacher, the Tower Master, and one misstep could likely mean she wouldn’t be able to protect Yun Xiao’s mother behind her.