Chapter 693: The Belatedly Discovered Culprit

Yun Che stopped speaking and slowly walked back, sitting down again in front of Zi Ji.

"Regarding Chu Yuechan's matter, I am indeed deeply..."

"Enough." Yun Che raised a hand. Although his expression had calmed, his brows were still slightly furrowed: "I cancel the request I entrusted to your Black Moon Merchant Guild to search for Chu Yuechan! As for the reward, there's no need for me to pay it. There's no need for you to tell me the so-called 'result' you obtained!"

"As for what I said earlier that sullied the reputation of your Black Moon Merchant Guild, I take it back... but there is one thing I must say again..." Yun Che's tone became incredibly resolute: "That you couldn't find her only proves your intelligence capabilities are merely this much! She is not dead... absolutely not!!"

Little fairy, you must be fine. Our child... is now four years old... You must be living peacefully in a very secluded, very safe place right now... If he's a boy, he must have already learned how to protect you... If she's a girl, she must be as beautiful as you...

Until I find you... even if the Heavenly King himself says you are no longer in this world, I will never believe it!

"Hehe, I can only hope that everything will go as you wish." Zi Ji smiled faintly: "Such a result makes me deeply ashamed. To express my apology, I will freely tell you a piece of information I learned while searching for Chu Yuechan... And this matter is related to Chu Yuechan, so you will certainly be interested."

"Related to her?" Sure enough, Yun Che's gaze sharpened: "Please tell me, Senior Zi."

Zi Ji took a light sip of tea and said slowly: "Back then, after you survived and left the Sword Control Platform of Tian Jian Villa and learned of Chu Yuechan's situation, did you ever wonder why this matter spread throughout the entire world?"

Zi Ji's words caused Yun Che's expression to change slightly. He said in a low voice: "Of course I wondered! Given Senior Zi's breadth of knowledge, you should know what prestige and status Bing Yun Fairy Palace holds in the Cang Feng Empire. Everyone in Cang Feng Empire knows that the women of Bing Yun are pure and chaste for life, untouched by the mundane world. Chu Yuechan was even the head of the Ice Cloud Seven Immortals of Bing Yun Fairy Palace. News of her sudden pregnancy would inevitably deal a massive blow to Bing Yun Fairy Palace's reputation. So upon learning of this, Bing Yun Fairy Palace would certainly do everything to suppress the news, absolutely refusing to let it spread. Tian Jian Villa's master, Ling Yuefeng, had once pined after Chu Yuechan... Even without that history, he would understand the serious implications and would immediately suppress the news, not letting more people know. But when I emerged back into the light, what I saw was that everyone clearly knew about it."

"Back then, although I was puzzled, I didn't deliberately investigate. Because even if news was suppressed immediately, it couldn't be guaranteed to be foolproof... Senior Zi, what you want to tell me..." Yun Che's face gradually darkened: "Could it be that someone deliberately leaked this matter?"

From Yun Che's earlier reaction to "Chu Yuechan is dead," Zi Ji could already predict the consequences of telling him this. He nodded slightly: "Correct. This matter was indeed not a failure of news suppression, but was deliberately spread by someone... And the one who spread it and fueled the flames was the wife of Tian Jian Villa's master Ling Yuefeng, whom you just mentioned... Xuanyuan Yufeng."

Yun Che suddenly stood up, his narrowed pupils instantly surging with icy anger and killing intent.

Back then, precisely because Chu Yuechan's pregnancy became known to the world, for the sake of Bing Yun Fairy Palace's sect rules and reputation, Gong Yuxian had no choice but to expel Chu Yuechan... or even more severely, could have sentenced her to death. But if this matter had not become known to outsiders, after Chu Yuechan returned to Bing Yun Fairy Palace, she would have been scolded and punished, but at least she wouldn't have been expelled... And with Chu Yuechan's insistence, she might even have been able to keep the child in her womb. She would never have been forced to wander outside alone with her unborn child... with no news until now...

So there was actually a culprit behind all this!

After a long while, Yun Che slowly sat back down, his half-open eyes roiling with an almost pitch-black gloom.

Only after the murderous aura on him gradually subsided did Zi Ji speak indifferently: "Judging by your expression, it seems you're not too surprised."

"...Ling Yuefeng had pined after Chu Yuechan back then, and it lasted a full ten years. To see her, he even abandoned his dignity, but ultimately never succeeded." Yun Che seemed to have calmed down: "This matter, everyone in the Cang Feng Mystic Realm has heard of. As Ling Yuefeng's wife, Xuanyuan Yufeng had no reason not to know. Women are prone to jealousy, and the stronger their strength or background, the more so. She naturally harbored jealousy toward Chu Yuechan. What's more likely is that during those days Chu Yuechan stayed at Tian Jian Villa for the Cang Feng Ranking Battle, Ling Yuefeng did something inappropriate, making Xuanyuan Yufeng realize that his feelings for Chu Yuechan hadn't faded, which bred even more resentment. So after learning of Chu Yuechan's pregnancy..." Yun Che's voice again dripped with murderous intent: "She did such a despicable thing!"

"Hehe, the reason I know is indeed very close to your guess." Zi Ji smiled very calmly and continued: "From your past experiences, you are someone who repays kindness and avenges grievances. How you handle this is naturally not for me to inquire... However, do you know anything about Xuanyuan Yufeng?"

Yun Che said calmly: "I've heard that she originally belonged to Tian Wei Sword Domain... Especially her surname! The surname 'Xuanyuan' only exists in Tian Wei Sword Domain."

"The surname 'Xuanyuan' indeed currently only exists in Tian Wei Sword Domain, but not everyone in Tian Wei Sword Domain has the surname 'Xuanyuan.'" Zi Ji said slowly. This statement Yun Che naturally understood, because the Ling Kun he knew did not have that surname: "On the contrary, those with the surname 'Xuanyuan' are very rare. In the entire Tian Wei Sword Domain, including Xuanyuan Yufeng, there are barely thirty people."

"And the Sword Master of Tian Wei Sword Domain, Xuanyuan Wentian... as well as all previous Sword Masters, all bear the surname Xuanyuan!"

"The founder of Tian Wei Sword Domain... also had the compound surname Xuanyuan!"

"Could it be that those with the surname Xuanyuan are the founder's lineage of Tian Wei Sword Domain?" Yun Che asked with a frown.

"Correct." Zi Ji nodded. His now deeper gaze was giving Yun Che a warning: "Xuanyuan Yufeng's father is the ninth-ranked elder of Tian Wei Sword Domain, Xuanyuan Jue. Tian Wei Sword Domain reveres the sword. Those with sufficient sword mastery can enter Tian Wei Sword Domain. But if later generations have poor talent, they will be expelled... That's exactly how the founder of Tian Jian Villa came to be. However, the 'Xuanyuan' lineage is completely different. As the founder's bloodline, they are the highest status and most honored existence in Tian Wei Sword Domain. Even if they are complete wastes, they can never be expelled. Instead, they enjoy the top-tier treatment and resources of Tian Wei Sword Domain."

When he first heard from Qin Wushang that Xuanyuan Yufeng shared the same surname as Tian Wei Sword Domain's Sword Master Xuanyuan Wentian, Yun Che knew that Xuanyuan Yufeng's status was by no means simple. But he never imagined it was so extraordinary. Zi Ji's words were undoubtedly telling him that if he touched Xuanyuan Yufeng, he would be provoking the most core bloodline of Tian Wei Sword Domain's founder!

"Because the founder of Tian Jian Villa originated from Tian Wei Sword Domain, Tian Jian Villa has been trying for a thousand years to reestablish ties with Tian Wei Sword Domain... even if it's just the faintest thread of connection, it would be finding a massive backer for themselves. Although Tian Jian Villa is unmatched in Cang Feng Empire, it would never be taken seriously by Tian Wei Sword Domain. But later, in order to have a listening post in Cang Feng Empire, Tian Wei Sword Domain no longer refused Tian Jian Villa's tributes and occasionally even gave feedback. Naturally, this made Tian Jian Villa deliriously happy. Since then, every year's tribute was meticulously prepared without interruption."

"Tian Wei Sword Domain's move was originally just to use Tian Jian Villa as a simple 'listening post' in Cang Feng Empire. But no one expected that... thirty years ago, when Ling Tianni brought Ling Yuefeng to Tian Wei Sword Domain to present tribute, Xuanyuan Jue's only daughter, Xuanyuan Yufeng, fell in love with Ling Yuefeng at first sight."

"Although Xuanyuan Jue was over 1,700 years old, his daughter Xuanyuan Yufeng was then less than twenty years old, just at the age of first love. Hearing that Ling Yuefeng was elegant and extraordinary in his youth, Xuanyuan Yufeng taking a fancy to him is not surprising. But Xuanyuan Yufeng, as a descendant of Tian Wei Sword Domain's founder, had an incredibly noble status, while Ling Yuefeng was merely a descendant of a discarded disciple. The difference between them was like heaven and earth. Naturally, Xuanyuan Jue absolutely opposed this matter... But Xuanyuan Yufeng's temperament was extremely fierce. First, she threatened suicide, then she even crippled her own profound arts and permanently left Tian Wei Sword Domain."

"Heh, that's truly a devoted person." Yun Che sneered coldly: "Hooking up with a descendant of the founder like that, Tian Jian Villa had firmly grasped this huge backer. Even if Xuanyuan Yufeng was as ugly as a sow, Ling Tianni and Ling Yuefeng would never refuse... With Xuanyuan Yufeng so fierce and determined, there's no shortage of promises, sweet words, and vows of eternal love from Ling Yuefeng!"

"Hehehehe," Zi Ji smiled faintly, his expression clearly acknowledging Yun Che's words: "After that, Xuanyuan Jue, in a rage, announced the severance of father-daughter relations with Xuanyuan Yufeng and threw her and Ling Yuefeng out of Tian Wei Sword Domain, declaring they would never see each other again."

"Heh, it seems that although his name is Xuanyuan Jue [Absolute], he wasn't absolute in ruthlessness toward his daughter. Otherwise, he would have killed Ling Yuefeng long ago." Yun Che still sneered.

"After all, Xuanyuan Yufeng is his only daughter." Zi Ji continued: "Later, as things gradually passed and his anger subsided, after Xuanyuan Yufeng and Ling Yuefeng married and had two sons, Xuanyuan Jue had no choice but to accept Ling Yuefeng as his son-in-law. A few years ago, Xuanyuan Yufeng brought her two sons and Ling Yuefeng back to Tian Wei Sword Domain... I've heard that Xuanyuan Jue greatly favored Xuanyuan Yufeng's two sons, especially the younger one, Ling Jie, and even offered to personally teach him. Tian Jian Villa's backing has naturally become increasingly stable."

"If you can't let this go and want to punish Xuanyuan Yufeng... you must think thrice and act with caution." Zi Ji's gaze was profound and deep, like an elder, gently advising Yun Che, who clearly cared deeply about this matter.

"..." The palm Yun Che had placed on the stone table clenched slightly. More than Xuanyuan Yufeng's status, what he cared about more was that she was, after all, Ling Jie's biological mother!

"Senior Zi has let me know roughly what I needed to know." Yun Che raised his head to look at Zi Ji, his expression calm to the point of indifference: "I am indeed someone who repays grievances. Regarding Xuanyuan Yufeng's matter, although I found out so many years late, I will not let it go easily. I will collect every debt owed, not a single bit less. I am very grateful to Senior Zi for informing me of this for free, but I must ask Senior Zi to remember one thing..."

"I absolutely hate being schemed against and used... no matter who it is!"

Yun Che's gaze suddenly solidified like two sharp arrows, causing Zi Ji's breathing to momentarily stall.

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