Chapter 397: Confession (I)

Chapter 397: Confession (I)

Now that Zhang Yuelu knew everything, Qi Xuansu had nothing to hide. He started telling his story from the beginning while drinking.

Of course, his story did not start from when he woke up in the Starry Sea, but from when he was “rescued by Sage Donghua.”

Aside from this fabricated beginning, everything that followed was Qi Xuansu’s personal experience.

Qi Xuansu first talked about meeting Eighth Tianyang at the Feilong Inn in Salt Lake, hence the start of the grudge between him and the Heavenly Court.

Then he talked about how he was “ordered” to go to Cuowenbu to investigate the White Jade Hall, where he saved the District Princess Qin Xiang, met General Qin Wubing, and, by chance, witnessed the fall of the Yinglong Warship. He even mentioned meeting Sage Cihang.

Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. “I didn’t expect that Sage to be your master. I suppose that’s the reason my identity was exposed. Sage Cihang must have told you about me.”

Zhang Yuelu did not deny it. She explained, “When I was exchanging letters with my master, she mentioned that she once met a person by the Cuowenbu Lake who called himself Wei Wugui. He left an impression on her because he possessed Daoist techniques.

“At that time, I had a feeling that everything was connected. Although I didn’t know that you were Wei Wugui, I could guess your route. You first met Eighth Tianyang at the Feilong Inn in Salt Lake, where you worked together to kill cult demons from the Heavenly Court. Then you went to Xiping Prefecture to participate in the Eagle and Dog Slaughtering Assembly before going to the West Gobi, where you met Qin Wubing.

“After that, you appeared at the lakeside of Cuowenbu and met my master. When you were attacked by Feng Bo in Xijing Prefecture, you used the power of the Daoist Order to force Feng Bo into retreating. That’s where you met Sage Pei. On the way to Zhongzhou from Xijing Prefecture, you met Wan Xiuwu on the way and killed him because of past grudges.

“To avoid getting caught, you entered the Ghost Pass with Sage Pei’s token and met the Three Yin Beings. After going through the Ghost Pass, you stayed in Longmen Prefecture briefly and met Eight Tianyang again in Purple Immortal Mountain, where you helped him solve the case.

“Am I right?” Zhang Yuelu looked at Qi Xuansu expectantly.

Qi Xuansu was shocked by how accurate Zhang Yuelu’s guess was. All he felt was awe and admiration, so he could only clap and praise. “You’re absolutely amazing!”

Zhang Yuelu did not hide her curiosity. “But I still have some things I’m confused about. But don’t worry if you can’t answer them; I won’t force you.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Ask away.”

“Really?” Zhang Yuelu perked up.

Qi Xuansu nodded.

Zhang Yuelu carefully considered her words before asking, “What did you do in the Ghost Pass?”

Qi Xuansu also believed that there would come a day when he would leave the Qingping Society. At that time, he would be able to face Zhang Yuelu without guilt, and he could finally bury this dirty secret in the past.

Zhang Yuelu snorted slightly, expressing her dissatisfaction.

Qi Xuansu anxiously held her hand again in an attempt to appease her.

Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu did not dodge and let him hold her. It seemed that she was not that angry after all.

Qi Xuansu breathed a sigh of relief and continued, “Later, I found White Jade Hall’s hideout in the Eastern Oasis of Cuowenbu. However, by the time I arrived, the cult demons had already fled. All that was left was this piece of Xuan Jade.

“I suspect that this piece of Xuan Jade is related to the Huasheng Hall’s manufacturing plant in Cuowenbu. As you know, the reason why Sage Shangguan appeared in Cuowenbu on the Yinglong Warship was to suppress the out-of-control Great Asura at the manufacturing plant.

“In order to investigate the matter, I infiltrated The Inn’s team and went to the manufacturing plant, so I was there to witness the Great Asura being manipulated by the people from White Jade Hall. Fortunately, that was where I obtained a Blood Pill.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that there was a letter next to the Xuan Jade left by White Jade Hall as a gift to someone from the Qingping Society. It meant that these two secret societies had come to a prior agreement about this Xuan Jade's ownership. Since the Daoist Order discovered their tracks, White Jade Hall had to retreat from their hideout and left the Xuan Jade there, waiting for the people from the Qingping Society to collect it.”

Zhang Yuelu could not help but laugh. “In the end, you somehow managed to take that Xuan Jade by accident, right?”

Qi Xuansu nodded and continued telling his story. “I left Cuowenbu with that Xuan Jade. You’re aware of what happened after. Feng Bo hunted me down and attacked me at Xijing Prefecture. Sage Pei also knew of my identity due to his relationship with Sage Donghua and Sage Lei, so I was able to recuperate at Sage Pei’s place.

“Sage Lei is my immediate superior, and she taught me the Tantai Fist Intention. Later, when I left Xijing Prefecture, I ran into Wan Xiuwu on the road. You must have investigated the grudges between me and him, right? When I saw that he was alone, anger and vengeance took over me. We had a fair fight to the death, and I won in the end. It was probably because Wan Xiuwu had enjoyed the comfy life in recent years and became unfamiliar with combat.

“I knew that Wuxu Palace would definitely not let this slide, so I did the opposite of what was logical and went to Longmen Prefecture via the Ghost Pass. That was when I met the Three Yin Beings. But I’d like to clarify that I didn’t take the initiative to summon them. Before that, I didn’t even know of their existence.

“It was this piece of Xuan Jade that inexplicably brought me to the Ghost Kingdom, where I met Master Yin, Master Wan, and Madam Bai. In my opinion, these Three Yin Beings aren’t any different from humans.

“They were the ones who told me that the Xuan Jade was the key to completing Rogue Cultivators and that it must be activated with divine power. So they helped me activate the Xuan Jade I got from White Jade Hall, allowing me to advance to the Guizhen stage. In return, they only wanted me to do them a favor in the future because they were afraid that the Daoist Order would get rid of them once they had outlived their usefulness.”

Qi Xuansu honestly told Zhang Yuelu about his experiences in the Ghost Kingdom, including his deal with the Three Yin Beings.

He felt like there was nothing to hide about this because the Three Yin Beings were also members of the Daoist Order, so it was not taboo to interact with them.

As expected, Zhang Yuelu did not have much reaction to this. She only nodded and said thoughtfully, “I see...”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om