Chapter 25: A Pawn? Then Let Us Raise the Stakes!

After burying Lin Yu, Chu Feng and the others left the Primordial Yang Sect.

“Shi, I am giving you one day. Investigate everything connected to the destruction of Lin Village and uncover the whole truth behind it.”

“Yes!”

That very day, all the Darknet members hidden within the Great Xuan Dynasty were mobilized. This was the first mission Chu Feng had given them, so naturally they did not dare show the slightest negligence.

In less than half a day, the Darknet had already uncovered the full sequence of events behind the Lin Village massacre and reported everything to Chu Feng.

Within the Shuxia Domain, on a road leading to Shuxia City, silence reigned inside the carriage. Su Yanran sat quietly to one side, brewing tea, while the task of driving the carriage had fallen to Shi.

Chu Feng looked at the letter in his hand. It contained a detailed account of the truth behind the Lin Village massacre and everyone implicated in it.

“As expected. I really was played by someone,” Chu Feng said after finishing it, a dark look appearing on his face.

Three months earlier, the birthday gift Imperial Prince Kun had prepared for Chu Feng’s mother had been missing its most important jade.

At that very time, one of the villagers of Lin Village had accidentally obtained a rare Purple Moon Jade while mining, and the Governor of the Shuxia Domain learned of it.

In order to curry favor with Imperial Prince Kun, the Governor of the Shuxia Domain approached Wang Yanghai, who then secretly sent disciples to Lin Village to seize the Purple Moon Jade...

According to the Darknet’s investigation, the Primordial Yang Sect had committed this sort of murder-for-treasure more than once. The entire sect called itself a righteous and orthodox sect, yet every disciple had innocent blood on his hands. Its extermination was no more than its just deserts.

Aside from the truth behind the Lin Village massacre, the letter also clearly listed every person involved in the matter behind the scenes.

After reading the list of names, even Chu Feng felt a trace of shock. He had not expected so many people to have secretly meddled in this turmoil.

The first person—and also the one who had secretly planned this entire storm—was the Second Prince, Chu Xiong.

From sending Lin Yu out, to deliberately arranging for Chu Feng to encounter Lin Yu, he had intended to use Chu Feng’s temperament to make the disturbance grow bigger and bigger. Ideally, he wanted to borrow Chu Feng’s hand to cut off one of Chu Jingshan’s wings—namely, the Primordial Yang Sect.

It had to be said that Chu Xiong had succeeded.

Everything had unfolded exactly as he had expected.

The only flaw in his plan was that he had overestimated how well he understood Chu Feng, convinced that Chu Feng would definitely step in to help Lin Yu.

Fortunately for him, that flaw had been filled by someone else, and that was what ultimately led Chu Feng to help Lin Yu destroy the Primordial Yang Sect.

That person was none other than the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, the second individual controlling this whole affair.

The Crown Prince had used the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to place the truth of the Lin Village massacre into Chu Feng’s hands.

Only after learning the truth had Chu Feng chosen to act. Without that truth, he would never have involved himself in this matter...

Of course, the intelligence the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion had given Chu Feng stated only that the Primordial Yang Sect was the culprit. It did not implicate the Governor of the Shuxia Domain or Chu Jingshan.

Both Chu Xiong and the Crown Prince, operating from behind the scenes, had kept the matter within limits. They wanted it to end with the Primordial Yang Sect. It seemed that they merely wanted to cut off one of Chu Jingshan’s wings, not drive him into a dead end.

Chu Feng lowered the letter and rubbed his chin as he fell into thought.

After a long while, a cold smile appeared on his face.

Since the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, Chu Xiong, wanted to treat him as a pawn, then he would grant their wish and play the role of a pawn properly.

Only, this pawn was not one that anyone could control at will!

They wanted the matter to end with the Primordial Yang Sect, did they?

Chu Feng would do the exact opposite.

If they wanted to play, then he would raise the stakes!

After traveling for a full day, the carriage arrived at Shuxia City.

【Ding! It has been detected that the Host is currently in Shuxia City. Would you like to Sign In?】

“Sign In!”

【Ding! Sign-In successful. System reward: Nine Profound Heavenly Dao Art!】

【Nine Profound Heavenly Dao Art: The highest-tier cultivation art in this world. It has nine stages. Upon cultivating it to the ninth stage, one’s cultivation can break through the Great Grandmaster Realm!】

The moment the words fell, an abstruse cultivation art appeared in Chu Feng’s mind.

Chu Feng closed his eyes and carefully studied the cultivation art in his mind.

With the boost of Heaven-Defying Comprehension, Chu Feng quickly comprehended it up to the eighth stage.

As for the ninth stage, it was not that Chu Feng did not wish to comprehend it. Rather, the requirements for the final stage were extremely strict. His cultivation had to reach the late stage of the Great Grandmaster Realm first.

As long as Chu Feng’s cultivation reached that point, he would be able to comprehend it instantly, break through the Great Grandmaster Realm, and step into an even higher realm.

As Chu Feng unconsciously began circulating the cultivation art, his entire body seemed to turn into a black hole, giving off a terrifying suction force.

The Spiritual Qi in the air throughout all of Shuxia City poured madly into Chu Feng’s body like rivers flowing into the sea.

Chu Feng’s early Great Grandmaster cultivation became more and more stable.

After one full circulation, Chu Feng stopped and slowly opened his eyes, a trace of satisfaction flashing within them.

With this cultivation art in hand, Chu Feng believed that in less than a month, he would be able to break through to the middle stage of the Great Grandmaster Realm.

When the carriage entered Shuxia City, Chu Feng did not make a grand display or alert the Governor of the Shuxia Domain. Instead, he quietly found an inn and stayed there.

After settling in, Chu Feng sent Shi to investigate the Governor of the Shuxia Domain.

That very night, Shi returned with intelligence.

Under Chu Feng’s arrangements, a storm quietly began to gather.

...

Within the residence of the Second Prince in the Great Xuan Dynasty, after learning that the Primordial Yang Sect had fallen, a bright gleam burst from Chu Xiong’s eyes.

“I truly did not expect the force behind my seventh brother to be so great. Even the Sect Master of the Primordial Yang Sect ended up dead.”

“This time, my fifth brother is probably going to feel heartache for quite a while,” Chu Xiong said with a smile.

“When this subordinate heard the news, I was greatly shocked as well.”

“That Wang Yanghai was a Grandmaster-realm expert, yet he died just like that. It truly makes one sigh,” said the commander of the Shaluo Spear Imperial Guard beside him.

“It now seems certain that the expert beside the Seventh Prince must also be a Grandmaster-realm expert.”

Chu Xiong nodded.

“First there were the hundred thousand Tiger-wolf troops of the Northern Frontier, and now another Grandmaster-realm expert has appeared. My seventh brother is giving me more and more surprises.”

When the commander heard this, his gaze turned cold. “Your Highness, should we...”

“No need. He is only a Grandmaster. Without sufficient foundation, he still cannot stir up much trouble in the Capital,” Chu Xiong interrupted.

“Besides, having one more friend is always better than having one more enemy. When my seventh brother arrives in the Capital, he may even prove useful to me.”

“Your Highness is wise,” the commander flattered.

Chu Xiong smiled. “Where is my seventh brother now?”

“Reporting to Your Highness, the Seventh Prince is currently in Shuxia City.”

After hearing that, Chu Xiong paid it no mind. “Shuxia City? He has to pass through there on the way to the Capital.”

Just like Chu Xiong, neither the Crown Prince nor Third Prince Chu Jingyun thought much of it after learning that Chu Feng was in Shuxia City.

What they did not know was that over the next few days, Chu Feng would stir up once again the turmoil they believed had already ended—and the scale of it would alarm the entire Capital, both court and public alike!