Breaking Army - Chapter 32

Without the man in the black robe to perform the soul-driving technique, the remaining vengeful spirits in the secret realm stopped surging toward the remnant soul. Deprived of their source of power and severely wounded by Xiao Chen, the remnant soul was finally suppressed and thoroughly dissipated by the combined efforts of Geng Xie and the others.

By the time Xiao Chen and Rong Yuan returned, the crisis had been resolved. With the external threat gone, internal tensions began to surface.

The four of them stood like a silent tableau, no one uttering a word.

When Xiao Chen arrived, Xiang Zhi instinctively shrank behind him, looking exactly like a child who had done something wrong and felt guilty.

Ultimately, it was Cheng Feng who broke the silence, his expression bitter. “To think that two Star Lords would hide their identities and infiltrate the Heavenly Realm… Is it because you suspect us?”

Ci Shu kept his eyes downcast, remaining quiet. Geng Xie’s face was tense, his voice cold and hard. “No.”

Xiang Zhi poked his head out from behind Xiao Chen’s arm. “We don’t suspect you two. It’s just, well, we wanted to go to the Heavenly Realm to investigate some clues. And… we definitely had no intention of interfering in your internal affairs.”

The need to investigate clues without being open about it was clear enough. Cheng Feng and Ci Shu understood: “not suspecting the two of them” did not equate to “not suspecting the Heavenly Realm.” They were glad to be personally trusted—it meant their time spent together wasn’t for nothing—but as princes of the Heavenly Realm, they still felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

Xiao Chen patted Xiang Zhi’s arm and spoke up. “Their actions were prompted by me. I offer my apologies to you both. If they have caused you any trouble, I will make amends. I’ll be taking these two with me now.”

Geng Xie’s lips moved, but he couldn’t find the words. Just as Xiao Chen thought the matter was settled, Ci Shu suddenly spoke. “Since we have encountered such danger this time, a confrontation with the Demon Realm is inevitable once we leave. If it is convenient… could the two Star Lords continue to accompany us under their Heavenly Realm identities? If you can testify with us, the matter of infiltrating the Heavenly Realm will be considered settled.”

His face was still taut, and his eyelids remained lowered to avoid direct eye contact. His tone was heavy, yet it carried a suppressed, almost imperceptible sense of… urgency?

If he didn’t ask them to stay, Geng Xie and Xiang Zhi might simply return to the Star Realm with Xiao Chen.

Whether it was a lie or the truth, a misunderstanding or a justifiable cause, he had to ask them in person, didn’t he?

Xiao Chen realized that Ci Shu didn’t intend to expose Xiang Zhi and Geng Xie’s true identities. He looked toward the two officials lying on the ground. “But those two…”

Ci Shu understood his concern. “When they fainted, they didn’t yet know the Star Lords’ identities.”

They had passed out too early to see anything. Xiao Chen turned to Xiang Zhi and Geng Xie. “What do you two think?”

Geng Xie was blunt. “Fine.”

Xiang Zhi hesitated for a moment before saying, “I have no objections either.”

Rong Yuan spoke up then. “The man in the black robe was merely an avatar. It is highly likely that the Star Lords’ identities have already been leaked.”

Geng Xie’s gaze rested on Ci Shu. “Since we are all together now, our combat strength is not weak. It doesn’t matter if we are exposed. Once we are out, the Demon King will surely increase the guards. It will be safe enough for a short while.”

And so, it was decided. Ci Shu cupped his hands and bowed toward Geng Xie. “Judging by the Star Lord’s true form and the Armor of Slaughter, you must be the Seven Kills Star Lord. I did not know your identity before and may have offended you. Please forgive me. I shall remember this life-saving favor in my heart.”

Geng Xie gripped Ci Shu’s arm, preventing him from completing the bow. The two stood in a stalemate. Geng Xie didn’t know if it was exhaustion, but his voice was raspy, and speaking felt difficult. “…There is no need for this.”

It might not have been visible through his clothes, but as he held Ci Shu’s arm, he could clearly feel that Ci Shu’s hand was trembling.

Cheng Feng looked at Xiang Zhi with a complex expression. Xiang Zhi immediately scrambled out from behind Xiao Chen. “Don’t you start acting like him! I’m used to you being an arrogant brat. If you suddenly get all polite, I… I… anyway, just act the way you did before!”

Cheng Feng used to think that this little immortal official’s fearless, headstrong personality must have been the result of being pampered by his family. Now, it seemed that was indeed the case.

Outside the Secret Realm

Hu Qu had been waiting outside for a long time. Finally, a ripple appeared in the void. His spirits lifted, only to see two unconscious Heavenly Realm officials being carried out by spiritual energy.

Hu Qu: “…”

His subordinates gasped and hurried forward to check on them, then shouted excitedly, “They’re still alive!”

Immediately after, Xiao Chen and the others emerged. With everyone from the Heavenly Realm alive, Hu Qu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Things hadn’t spiraled into the worst-case scenario, though he knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy.

Rong Yuan brought out the still-sleeping Bloodstone beast and handed it to the green snake beauty who always accompanied Hu Qu. The green snake cried out in surprise upon seeing it, “A Bloodstone beast! Your Majesty, a live Bloodstone cub!”

While the demons were distracted by the supposedly extinct Bloodstone beast, Ci Shu and the others took a moment to compose themselves. If they were to keep the secret, they couldn’t let the demons notice anything was amiss. Hu Qu was a shrewd fox who was incredibly sensitive to atmospheres; they couldn’t remain stiff. At most… they would just interact less for now.

Hu Qu took the little cub into his own hands and addressed the group. “I will have the physicians check on you all immediately. After that, let’s find another place to talk.”

After all, they were still inside the Chunxiang Brothel.

The Confrontation

As expected, once the two Heavenly officials woke up, the verbal sparring began.

Rong Yuan did not hide the fact that the man in the black robe was from the Underworld, and Hu Qu didn’t hide the fact that he was the one who had sealed the key. Everyone now knew the situation. The two Heavenly officials weren’t fighters; their primary job was talking.

“It is a blessing that the Princes are unharmed, otherwise, how would you have explained yourselves! You demons push everything onto the former Demon King. Hmph, he really is a convenient scapegoat. Who knows if this was just a case of the thief crying ‘stop thief’? And the Underworld, perhaps you’ve teamed up to deal with the Heavenly Realm. Fortunately, Lord Po Jun was here to stop your scheme!”

The green snake was also a specialist in verbal combat. “The blame lies with whoever did the deed. Are we all supposed to take the fall for what a traitor did? Look at you, dressed like a gentleman but talking like a fool. If something truly happened to the two princes, what good would it do us? Are we insane?”

Rong Yuan interjected calmly, “It does not concern the entire Underworld.”

The official, perhaps feeling emboldened by Xiao Chen’s presence and still shaken from the ordeal, recklessly criticized both the Demon Realm and the Underworld. “See? Isn’t that just trying to brush everything off in a few words? And you, the Underworld attendant, don’t be so sure of yourself. Back when Lord Po Jun was poisoned, the antidote couldn’t be found anywhere except for the Underworld’s Purple Lotus. Your master just happened to send the medicine at the perfect time. Who knows what his true intentions were!”

Rong Yuan’s eyelids flickered, but before he could do anything, Xiao Chen set his teacup down with a sharp clack and said softly, “That’s enough.”

“Rong Yuan is, after all, my savior. Watch your words.”

Xiao Chen’s tone wasn’t heavy, but it carried an undeniable authority. The official shut his mouth, realizing he had crossed a line, and quickly apologized. Hu Qu, however, chimed in with a smile. “Lord Po Jun, although most of what he said is useless, I do agree that the Underworld might have ulterior motives. Not just me, many people think so.” He shot an extra glance at Rong Yuan. “Young Master Mu, don’t blame me for being honest.”

Rong Yuan glanced at him, simply too lazy to deal with the fox.

Xiao Chen slowly put down his teacup and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. “The Lord of the Underworld is, at present, still my cultivation partner.”

When they first arrived in the Demon Realm, Xiao Chen had mentioned he had a partner and that it wasn’t convenient to stay with the Demon King. At the time, Hu Qu, with his silver tongue, thought Xiao Chen was just joking. But in this setting, where everyone was trying to drag each other down, Xiao Chen speaking up for the Underworld carried a very different weight.

Rong Yuan was instantly appeased. He sat quietly, his expression calm, as if he could treat any further slander as thin air.

“Lord Po Jun, you are far too soft-hearted,” Hu Qu sighed, stroking the fur of the Bloodstone beast. “Fine, endless arguing without proof won’t satisfy anyone. Let me show some sincerity. The person who stole the Secret Realm key from the Flame Pool has been caught. Men, bring him in.”

The man was brought in, bound tightly. Xiang Zhi recognized him immediately. “He’s the one who gave out the Goddess jade carving at the gambling den!”

Hu Qu reached out and scratched the little beast’s chin, finally waking the little creature. It opened its eyes blearily and let out a yawn.

Hu Qu’s voice was tinged with something like regret. “Hong Yun, have I not treated you well? Why did you do this?”

Hong Yun knelt on the ground, silent for a long moment before speaking. “You treated me well, but you are too content with the status quo. You lack the ambition of His Majesty Zhi Luo. I did this to help the demon race. If we could unify the three realms, we would never have to live by others’ whims again!”

“It’s just raw ambition, no need to dress it up so prettily,” Xiao Chen shook his head. “Is the demon race’s current plight not the direct result of what Zhi Luo did?”

Hong Yun refused to answer further. Xiao Chen looked at him, suddenly appeared before him, and struck him with a palm. Hong Yun let out a muffled groan as a seal appeared on his chest. Xiang Zhi immediately recalled his knowledge and cried out in shock, “A soul-dispersing seal for after you die? How ruthless! Did you do that to yourself?”

Xiao Chen clenched his fingers, and the seal shattered. Hong Yun spat out a mouthful of blood and looked up at Xiao Chen with eyes full of burning hatred.

“Fortunately, Lord Po Jun discovered it in time. I have a suggestion,” Hu Qu said, standing up with the beast. “Young Master Mu, Soul Searching can be used on the living, right?”

Rong Yuan nodded; he knew what Hu Qu was planning.

“Then I must trouble Young Master Mu to perform Soul Searching on Hong Yun right here.”

Hong Yun’s lips trembled, but he had nothing to say. Begging for mercy or bringing up old times would be futile now. He wasn’t that stupid.

Hu Qu didn’t look at him, only adding, “To avoid anyone saying the demon race is hiding things, let everyone see his memories during this Soul Search.”

Rong Yuan sneered inwardly: You’re just afraid I’ll hide something, aren’t you?

Cheng Feng frowned. “What do you mean? Isn’t Soul Searching only visible to the practitioner?”

Hu Qu took his time. “Normally, yes. But now we have this little fellow.” Hu Qu raised the still-drowsy Bloodstone cub. The cub, confused, let out a burp at the crowd.

Xiang Zhi started rattling off information again. “Bloodstone beasts can turn the contents of a person’s mind into an illusionary realm. Tens of thousands of years ago, everyone fought to form contracts with them, but then they went extinct.”

Hu Qu nodded. “Correct. This little guy understands nothing yet, so he won’t fabricate anything in the illusion. Young Master Mu will pull out Hong Yun’s true memories, and the little one will manifest the illusion for everyone to see. It’s perfect.”

Rong Yuan stood up and nodded. He had no objections.

He raised his hand and used spiritual power to draw a rune on the beast’s head, then bit his fingertip to feed it a drop of blood. Since he was in an avatar, he didn’t have many drops of true blood to spare.

The Bloodstone beast, which naturally feeds on blood before reaching maturity, became instantly energized by the delicious offering. Its tail flicked, and it tried to pounce on Rong Yuan, only to be caught by the scruff of the neck by Xiao Chen and pulled into his arms.

The beast: “Chirp?”

“With his spiritual power, he can’t sustain the illusion. I’ll share some with him. Come.”

As Xiao Chen spoke, he held the beast with one hand and offered his other hand to Rong Yuan. Rong Yuan understood and placed his hand on top, a smile crossing his face.

Ah, Young Master Mu looks truly stunning when he smiles, Hu Qu thought, openly admiring the beauty. He noted that the boy was only this obedient in front of Xiao Chen; he was stingy with his smiles for anyone else.

Rong Yuan rested one hand lightly on Xiao Chen’s and pressed the other mercilessly against Hong Yun’s head. The rune on the Bloodstone beast’s forehead lit up, and with a “chirp,” the surrounding environment suddenly shifted as they entered the created illusion.

The Vision

However, the first scene they witnessed was a tumble in the sheets—Hong Yun and Hu Qu were in the middle of a passionate encounter.

A live show!

Everyone: “…”

Cheng Feng’s face turned bright red instantly, and he raised a trembling hand to cover his eyes. Ci Shu’s ears turned red as well, and he looked away, though the sounds still drifted into his ears. Xiang Zhi, having read countless novels but never seen the real thing, watched with an inquisitive gaze, his face not changing at all. Geng Xie remained expressionless; it was impossible to tell if he was actually looking.

Hu Qu, despite being watched by everyone, wasn’t embarrassed at all. He even let out a nostalgic sigh. “I truly was good to him. How times change…”

The two Heavenly officials muttered about Hu Qu having no shame. The green snake took offense and swayed her hips. “What of it? How is seeing memories shameful? If you don’t want to watch, get out! No one’s begging you. Seeing our King’s body is your gain!”

As the green snake bickered with the officials, Rong Yuan quickly skipped through those memories until the scene finally changed. Because the useless memories were being filtered, the surroundings shifted so fast it made people dizzy. Rong Yuan kept his eyes closed, searching meticulously.

The Bloodstone beast seemed a bit restless in Xiao Chen’s arms. Xiao Chen held it with one hand, stroking its fur to soothe it, while his other hand instinctively gave Rong Yuan’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

He probably didn’t even realize he was doing it.

The sudden sensation from his hand caused Rong Yuan’s heart to skip a beat, and the memory fragments in the illusion flickered. But because everyone was already dizzy from the shifting scenes, the brief tremor went unnoticed.

Rong Yuan’s ears grew hot, but he quickly steadied his mind and continued the search. Just before everyone felt like throwing up, he found the useful information, and the image stabilized.

The person Hong Yun was meeting was indeed the man in the black robe.

Aside from Xiao Chen and Rong Yuan, this was the first time the others had seen him. In the memory, Hong Yun listened to the black-robed man’s instructions and asked in confusion, “Assassinate the Heavenly princes? But our enemy is Xiao Chen. Why cause unnecessary complications?”

The man in the black robe said, “Are you only focused on revenge? Don’t you want to inherit Zhi Luo’s legacy? He dreamed of being the overlord of the three realms. How majestic he was leading his armies! After his death, there was no successor. None of you think about fulfilling his wishes or carrying out his grand vision?”

It had to be said, these words struck a chord with Hong Yun. Yes, revenge was necessary, but the legacy should also be inherited. That was what a true follower of Zhi Luo would do. If the Heavenly princes died in the Demon Realm, conflict between Hu Qu and the Heavenly Realm would be unavoidable. Driven by circumstances, Hu Qu would be forced to make a choice.

However,…

Hong Yun was cautious. “Sir, I thank you for looking out for us, but you said before that you were willing to cooperate because you also have a grudge against Xiao Chen. Now, this…”

The man in the black robe sneered. “What, do you think I’m overstepping?”

Hong Yun said, “I wouldn’t dare.” He said the words, but his expression showed little fear.

The man in the black robe huffed. “I offered the suggestion out of sympathy for our shared plight, especially with such a golden opportunity. It seems I’ve said too much. If you won’t do it, don’t. Frankly, it has nothing to do with me. I just feel bad for Zhi Luo; in a few years, how many will even remember him? Fine, I’m leaving.”

Hu Qu stopped fanning himself. The black-robed man’s words were stabbing right into Hong Yun’s heart. Sure enough, Hong Yun called him back. Hong Yun’s internal conflict and thoughts were laid bare for everyone to see. In the end, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

Only a few people knew Hu Qu had discarded the key in the Flame Pool. Unfortunately, Hong Yun was one of them.

He led the black-robed man to break the Flame Pool seal, stole the key that hadn’t been fully destroyed, and hid the rune inside the jade carving. Holding the carving, Hong Yun had wondered, “Will they really be interested in this?”

The man in the black robe replied, “Say exactly what I taught you, and it will work. Everyone has a weakness or something they care about. For those two, the ‘Goddess’ is the perfect bait.”

Cheng Feng took a deep breath. If this hadn’t been an illusion, he likely would have punched Hong Yun.

The rune key had no aura of its own, and wrapped in spiritual jade, it was impossible to detect. After that, the memory showed Hong Yun arriving at the gambling den and encountering them.

Rong Yuan removed his hand from Hong Yun’s head. After a Soul Search, a living person wouldn’t wake up for a long time. Even when he did, he would be senseless and unaware for a period—essentially, a simpleton.

Since it was over, Rong Yuan and Xiao Chen’s hands should have separated. However, before pulling away, Rong Yuan’s fingers brushed against Xiao Chen’s palm with a lingering pressure. Even the separation wasn’t a clean break; his fingertips slid across Xiao Chen’s skin, leaving a vivid sensation.

Xiao Chen was stunned for a moment. But Rong Yuan, having finished the task, stood there obediently, acting as if he hadn’t done anything at all. Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes slightly: Accidental or intentional?

The little beast in his arms found a comfortable position and let out another lazy yawn.

“I think none of us believe the nonsense the black-robed man fed Hong Yun. Is he some kind of kind-hearted stranger? He acted like he was looking out for Zhi Luo’s old followers, but in reality, he was just using them as pawns,” Hu Qu said. “So, the group that poisoned Lord Po Jun is now targeting the princes of the Heavenly Realm.”

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