Chapter 132: The Oath to Heaven’s Will

Seeing Liu Junhuai and his two companions return, Mu Fanghe could tell from their expressions that the negotiations had been successful, and he hurriedly invited the three to join them for a drink.

Cultivators are almost immune to the effects of alcohol. Once the last of the Sanggan fruit wine was polished off, Liu Junhuai stood up with a mournful face and said, "My collection, gathered over several years, has been drained by you wine-immortals. There is no more Sanggan fruit wine left; however, we have an abundance of other fine spirits. Those who haven't had their fill can ask the disciples of the Wanxiang Sect for more."

A dozen or so people did ask for their usual drinks, but after only a few sips, they found them insipid and stopped drinking altogether.

Seeing that the time was right, Liu Junhuai walked over to Palace Master Fang and Ren Yinhuai, whispering a few words to them. Both men then led their respective contingents back to their resting quarters.

Liu Junhuai arrived at the VIP room, where the members of the Sect Alliance were already seated and waiting.

After briefly recounting the discussions with Fang Yexu and Guan Zhaoyong, Ren Yinhuai remarked, "As long as the people from the Regional Government can be trusted, we can certainly bring them into the ranks of our Sect Alliance. After all, the prestige of the Western Region Government is still quite formidable!"

Xiao Qingtian asked, "Is this Heavenly Oath truly necessary? Is there still a lack of trust among us?"

Liu Junhuai explained, "This is primarily to save face for the seniors from the Regional Government. Since we have no issues among ourselves, whether or not the oath is sworn matters little to us; let us treat it as a gesture that facilitates sincere unity for both sides going forward."

The others considered this and found it reasonable. Everyone was starting from the same baseline, and it would reduce baseless suspicions in the future, which was essential for the smooth development of the Sect Alliance.

Having reached a simple consensus, Liu Junhuai sent a message via jade talisman to Fang Yexu. Shortly after, the three men walked into the VIP room.

Once inside, Mu Fanghe casually cast a few restrictive barriers around the room to prevent any information from leaking out.

Under Mu Fanghe's guidance, after they swore the blood oath, low rumbles of thunder echoed in the void outside the VIP room—the Heavenly Oath was successful!

As the rumbling faded, Mu Fanghe said with some excitement, "With this, our secret group is officially established. From now on, in this circle, I do not hold the status of Regional Lord; my actions will be subject to the command of the Sect Alliance!"

Mu Fanghe waved his hand to stop those who wished to voice their objections. "My primary task remains at the Western Region Government. I will retain my position there, and I cannot participate too much in the day-to-day investigative work, as the identity of a Deputy Regional Lord is quite sensitive and easily draws outside attention. Henceforth, anything the Sect Alliance needs the Western Region Government to handle will be operated through me. Now, share your secrets!"

Ren Yinhuai exchanged glances with Xiao Qingtian and Liu Junhuai. Ren Yinhuai began: "The forces of the Blood-Slaying Alliance in the Western Region are led by a female leader, with three deputy leaders beneath her. One of them, Zisang Yanqi, who holds the public position of Deputy Sect Master of the Golden Bell Dock and possesses the cultivation of the early Nascent Soul stage, has already been captured by Sect Master Liu. The other two are Tai Shu Yong, a Great Elder of the Meteor Mansion, also captured by Sect Master Liu, and Mi Xiangqu, a Great Elder of the Sea God Temple, who is at the late Gold Core stage and has not yet been approached.

"Beneath the deputy leaders are six elders: Che Shangguan, Deputy Island Master of Long Whale Island; Guan Shaoqing, Second Elder of the Yama Hall—both are mid-stage Gold Core cultivators. Hao Tian, Second Elder of the Sea-Sky Pavilion, a late-stage Gold Core cultivator; and Jin Yuling, the female Deputy Sect Master of Flower Red Rain, a mid-stage Gold Core cultivator.

"There were also two others, Pamo Ji and Gonghu Changkong, both of whom were killed by Sect Master Liu. These are the high-level cultivators of the Western Region's Blood-Slaying Alliance; only the female leader remains at large."

After finishing, Ren Yinhuai looked at Xiao Qingtian, who took up the thread: "Interrogations of Tai Shu Yong have concluded. To save his own life, Tai Shu Yong confessed to the involvement of a shocking figure: the Western Region Lord, Liangqiu Tuochu!"

Xiao Qingtian stopped speaking, as Mu Fanghe, Fang Yexu, and Guan Zhaoyong had stood up in shock. Their faces had turned deathly pale, their lips trembled slightly, and their eyes were filled with disbelief.

The others in the room remained silent, allowing the three men time to process the information.

After a long silence, Mu Fanghe heaved a heavy sigh and collapsed back into his seat.

Fang Yexu and Guan Zhaoyong also gradually regained their composure. The three exchanged bitter smiles.

Mu Fanghe's nervous expression had not entirely faded. He asked, "Tell us the direction of your suspicions and the evidence."

Xiao Qingtian replied, "We reacted even more strongly when we first heard the name. To us ordinary cultivators, Regional Lord Liangqiu Tuochu is like a heavenly existence; the three of you need not be so tense!"

Xiao Qingtian then began from the moment Tai Shu Yong was summoned by the female leader of the Blood-Slaying Alliance to a deserted island. As the story became clearer, the faces of Mu Fanghe and the others gradually returned to normal.

Mu Fanghe said, "Although there is no direct evidence to convict him, the suspicion surrounding Liangqiu Tuochu is undoubtedly irrefutable. I am very familiar with that scent on him. Ordinarily, by the time one reaches our level of cultivation, any chronic ailments should have completely vanished. I once asked Liangqiu Tuochu about this; he replied that the scent had been on him for over a hundred years, and that every man in the Liangqiu family possessed it. He said he didn't want to remove it yet, as it served as a memory of his family.

"But just now, I thought of another answer: Liangqiu Tuochu has been implanted with parasitic insects. The aura of these insects requires the scent of sinking-water incense to suppress. Liangqiu Tuochu likely feared others would suspect the scent of the incense, so he lied about it being a chronic ailment. In truth, when the aura of such insects fades, it produces an odor similar to axillary bromhidrosis."

Liu Junhuai asked curiously, "Senior, how can you be certain that Liangqiu Tuochu has been implanted with these insects?"

Mu Fanghe replied, "I had a martial uncle who has already ascended; he conducted deep research into parasitic insects. Before he ascended, he would often stay with me for a few days, telling me many strange tales from the cultivation world. Regarding these insects, my uncle spoke of one called the 'Zhonghai God.' Once poisoned, the victim experiences a scorched forehead, a fishy taste in the mouth, dizziness, irritability, visions of evil ghosts, and the sound of ghostly whispers. They feel as if they have committed a great crime or are facing a terrible enemy, sometimes even contemplating suicide. The greatest characteristic of this insect is that it emits a foul stench from the body, which can only be suppressed by the aroma of sinking-water incense."

Everyone gasped. Imagine living every day in a nightmare with such an insect inside one's body! Liangqiu Tuochu was truly unfortunate; who could hate him enough to plant such a malicious parasite in him?

Guan Zhaoyong said with regret, "I have always held Liangqiu Tuochu in high regard. He appeared upright, carried himself with a dignified air, and lacked the overbearing arrogance of other high-level cultivators. Alas! The human heart is truly unfathomable!"

Liu Junhuai said, "The implantation of the parasite alone cannot confirm his guilt. The most suspicious point is his appearance on that deserted island, combined with the few words from the female leader. But this is already enough. If Regional Lord Mu wishes to find more evidence, it is quite simple! Upon returning to the Regional Government, you can secretly investigate the person who stepped in to stop the two Hall Masters.

"Furthermore, look among the attendants who accompanied you to the Wanxiang Sect to identify his direct subordinates, and then investigate who assigned them to this visit."

Hearing this, Fang Yexu slapped his thigh and said, "I know who his direct subordinate is—it's Ling Shiqin! I was wondering why he was so eager to come along this time; his father is the steward of Liangqiu Tuochu’s Regional Lord's Mansion."

Liu Junhuai said, "That is an internal matter for your Regional Government. Regardless of the method, you must not let them sense anything, or the efforts of the Sect Alliance will be wasted. Additionally, there are several other suspects of great concern. These were uncovered during the Sect Alliance's interrogations. Sect Master Xiao, please introduce them to the three seniors!"

Xiao Qingtian nodded and said, "According to the confession of Zhi Kejian, the Chu family of the Northern Region acts as the financial manager for the Western Region's Blood-Slaying Alliance. Their orders were relayed through Gonghu Changkong. Since Gonghu Changkong is dead, we did not obtain this information in time, but he did expose the Chu family’s representative in the Western Region: Jing Mowei, the Great Hall Master of the Sea God Temple, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

Mu Fanghe frowned deeply. "It seems this matter is becoming increasingly complex. The Chu family of the Northern Region is actually involved? Just how much power does this Blood-Slaying Alliance have to implicate the Chu family, which spans several regions?"

Xiao Qingtian continued, "Huo Shaoying, who was captured by Sect Master Liu, is a member of the Northern Region's Chu family. According to his confession, the Chu family of the Western Region is extremely greedy. They have infiltrated many sects in other regions. Because the Western Region's spiritual energy is barren and the cultivation sects are weak, it did not attract much attention from the main Chu family, so they only sent out outsiders like Huo Shaoying. The true members of the Chu family are almost all arranged in regions with abundant spiritual energy and powerful sects, such as the Central, Eastern, and Southern Regions. The only place the Chu family has not fully infiltrated is the Han Frontier."

Fang Yexu's expression grew even more grave. He had realized the Blood-Slaying Alliance had deep roots, but the clues gathered by the Sect Alliance were far more severe.

The involvement of the Northern Region's Chu family indicated that the tentacles of the Blood-Slaying Alliance had already reached most parts of the Xing-Tian Continent. Gradually, the outline of this vast and monstrous web of conspiracy laid out by the Blood-Slaying Alliance began to reveal itself before them.

"Bang!" "Bang!" Liu Junhuai and Mu Fanghe both slammed their hands on the table at the same time. Liu Junhuai smiled and said, "Senior, you go first!"

Mu Fanghe said, with a hint of agitation, "What grand ambition the Blood-Slaying Alliance has! To actually attempt to dominate the entire Xing-Tian Continent! I had intended to take it slowly and lure Liangqiu Tuochu into revealing his flaws, but time is short. We must quickly inform all the other regions of this matter. Any later, and a catastrophe may occur!"