CHAPTER 977: CHAPTER 108: SETTING OUT (2)

But if it were merely an ordinary Yin God Realm, Xie Xuanyi wouldn’t hesitate at all. After infusing his Divine Thought... he would forcibly perform a Soul Search, because even a Yin God Great Perfection can’t compare to the strength of Xie Xuanyi’s Divine Thought after obtaining the inheritance of [Primordial Swallow].

But "Yuan Jimo" really is an exception.

This guy has already been "Transformed" after being mended by the Holy Empress’s [All Living Beings Path].

This skin seems likely to collapse at any moment.

The condition of his Divine Sea is probably even worse.

"You must have a lot of questions..."

"If you kill me now, the answers to those questions will sink into the ocean..."

Yuan Jimo shifted his body, leaning against a large stone by the roadside, and spoke with difficulty.

"You can ask now..."

"I will speak without reserve... I will not hide anything..."

He paused for a moment.

Yuan Jimo chuckled shakily: "My request is simple... when the time comes, give me a swift end..."

For his whole life.

Yuan Jimo has been chasing fame and profit.

He was once the most trusted "confidant" of the Holy Empress, and even with the fall of Ren Shou Palace, he didn’t worry about his survival.

An evildoer despised by millions, will always find some "usefulness" elsewhere.

There are many in this world who want to know the secrets of the Holy Empress.

He believes that whether it’s the Demon Country or the Li Kingdom... they would spare his life, at least until he reveals all those secrets from his mouth, he can "cling to life".

After saying these, Yuan Jimo closed his eyes, seeming to feign sleep.

One of his arms had been crushed by the Annihilation Dao Realm.

The bones were ground into fragments.

The other arm was trembling constantly due to the pain...

Yuan Jimo silently retracted that hand, reaching into his waist pouch, silently rubbing the [Transmission Array Talisman], knowing today’s chances of survival are slim, but what if there’s a sliver of hope left?

Moss Ridge fell into a brief silence.

After a few moments.

Xie Xuanyi spoke.

"Those boys and girls from the South Border, you sent them into Ren Shou Palace."

Indeed, he had many questions.

Xie Xuanyi casually chose one to verify its truth.

Yuan Jimo was unaware he had already investigated the supply case of Lingqu City, obtaining an irrefutable truth from Zong Bi.

"...Yes."

Yuan Jimo slowly opened his eyes, speaking emotionlessly, his tone without sorrow, without pity, and without remorse: "Over the years, South Border has offered a total of three thousand people. Half were refined into Elixirs, the other part were sent into Ren Shou Palace under the guise of ’Servant Child’... For the Holy Empress to cultivate [All Living Beings Path], these tributes are indispensable."

Three thousand?!

Xie Xuanyi’s heart skipped a beat, and a glint of Killing Intent appeared in his eyes... this number far exceeded what was discovered in Lingqu City!

Indeed, Lingqu City was just a small city, and Ren Shou Palace needed tributes, naturally mobilizing the entire South Border frontier, with all Capital Cities responding together.

"These three thousand tributes, only you alone gathered them?"

Xie Xuanyi lowered his voice and continued.

"How is that possible..."

Yuan Jimo chuckled, speaking nonchalantly: "Haven’t you already killed all those from the Three Great Sects? That Daoist Qian Yuan, that Corpse Daoist... these people helped collect tributes, and privately ’profited under a false name’, compared to them, the three thousand tributes to Ren Shou Palace are truly insignificant. Over the years, the soul banners raised by Yin Mountain have slaughtered countless beings, perhaps when added together, they could even compare to the Blood Sacrifice of ’Lichao City’."

Listening to these words, Xie Xuanyi felt as if his Heart Lake had plunged into an ice cellar.

An invisible Killing Intent gathered in the air, almost ready to materialize—

The Lifebound Golden Sword hung on his shoulder trembled violently.

It might shoot out at any moment!

Da Sui Sword Palace protects an area of twenty li, guarding people’s peace without accepting vagrants or outlaws, how many people are there in total?

In recent years, Great Chu has openly sheltered the South Border, ravaging its citizens on its territory!

This...

Was actually instructed by the Master of the Imperial City! With the Imperial City Chief personally leading!

How ironic, how absurd?

"You seem very angry..."

Yuan Jimo looked at the Xie Xuanyi before him, somewhat surprised by this reaction.

He frowned, speaking indifferently: "It’s merely some deaths, is it worth getting so angry? Those people of the South Border were all killed by you, the vendetta of those commoners... you’ve already avenged them."

"Buzz!"

Chen Ke erupted with an angry Sword Sound.

Xie Xuanyi used Divine Thought to suppress it, preventing the Flying Sword from unsheathing by itself.

He still had questions to ask.

"I..."

Xie Xuanyi took a deep breath, speaking coldly: "Did we meet ten years ago."

"..."

Yuan Jimo was stunned for a moment.

He looked at the young man in black before him, couldn’t help laughing out loud.

"They all say you’ve lost your memory..."

Yuan Jimo laughed so much that he leaned forward and backward, tears almost coming out. He looked at the person in front with sympathy and pity, "At first, I didn’t believe it, but now it seems you haven’t found all of that memory yet?"

After the Fetal Light returned to its position.

Xie Xuanyi recalled many things.

But some memories remained in a "fragmented" state, unable to be pieced together, unable to be fully restored.

For example...

The fragments of memory from escaping the Imperial City in the great fire were scattered. No matter how Xie Xuanyi tried to recall, he could only remember the scene where the woman named "Chi Lin" arranged for him to get onto the carriage.

After that, there was no more recollection.

Clearly.

Under "Chi Lin’s" arrangement, he successfully escaped from the Imperial City...

Xie Xuanyi remembered, "Chi Lin" had a very reliable friend, whose official position wasn’t high but had an excellent character, serving as the North Gate Guard. This escape seemed to have relied on the help of that North Gate Guard to "deceive the heavens" and escape the calamity.

Wait.

North Gate Guard.

Xie Xuanyi’s pupils slightly contracted as he stared intensely at the dark and eerie face before him, shattered memories seemed to be pieced together at this moment.

"Remember now..."

"The person who let you go ten years ago was me."

Yuan Jimo said word by word, in a ghostly tone, "Ten years ago, I served as the North Gate Guard, unnoticed by anyone, and after the great fire case, was specially recruited into the Spy Department of the Imperial City. Later, I was honored with the Sandalwood Clothes Guard fish robe, and then rose rapidly, eventually becoming the Imperial City Chief."

Xie Xuanyi stared intently at the person before him.

"It was you who sent me away from the Imperial City?"

"It was me."

"What about Chi Lin..."

"It was me too."

The great fire case closed.

Ren Shou Palace dispatched Imperial City spies to thoroughly investigate this case—

In reality.

Xie Xuanyi was personally released by the Holy Empress; she never intended to kill this top disciple of Da Sui.

This investigation was just for show.

Due to this thorough investigation, Yuan Jimo was specially recruited into the "Spy Department," and in order to save himself, he proactively solved the case and claimed the top credit, sending Chi Lin to the guillotine.

Ever since that day, he’d been noticed by Ren Shou Palace and selected.

"Enough is enough!"

Upon saying this, Yuan Jimo’s expression suddenly became ferocious, "I had no choice at that time! That bitch Chi Lin never told me the person lying in the grain cart was a Great Chu traitor... If I didn’t kill her, the person who would die would be me!"

"..."

Xie Xuanyi said nothing.

He just silently watched this man.

"I can’t figure it out, can’t figure it out—"

Yuan Jimo raised his head, his forehead bulging with veins.

Filled with rage, he loudly questioned, "Why did the death of a woman trigger so much investigation?! Qing Sun was investigating, You Yuan was also investigating, these two were her fellow disciples... Years of investigation would be one thing! But what connection do you have with Chi Lin? What kind of relationship do you have with her? Why would she willingly give up her life to save you!"

"That’s enough."

Silently watching Yuan Jimo’s performance, Xie Xuanyi suddenly spoke up, interrupting him.

The voice wasn’t loud, but it swept across the whole Moss Ridge like the wind.

The heavens and earth fell silent.

Yuan Jimo stared blankly at the person before him.

"The time is almost up."

Xie Xuanyi calmly said, "I’m sending you on your way."

Before the words finished, Sword Qi had already swept out.

With a swoosh.

A strand of Golden Line pierced through Yuan Jimo’s forehead.

The blood from the man’s head splattered like water, he swayed back and forth a bit, then heavily fell to the ground.

The pouch hidden in the concealed spot tilted and fell, its clasp opened revealing a Transmission Array Talisman. Even as his Divine Soul perished, he still firmly clutched the talisman in his hand.

While "passionately and fervently" recounting the past.

While channeling Primordial Energy, secretly activating the talisman.

Yuan Jimo was only one step away from success.

This was a "great play," but unfortunately, it ended in failure. The Transmission Talisman was already 90% activated, just one final wisp of Primordial Energy needed to completely sketch it out.

In reality, no matter how many times this great play was performed, it had not the slightest chance of success.

From start to finish.

All of Yuan Jimo’s actions were under the surveillance of Xie Xuanyi’s Divine Thought.

...

...

(PS: Speechless, was planning to post this on time. But then the telecom cut off the internet late at night.)