Chapter Ninety-Two: The Setup

Wu Wanren was utterly stunned by the unexpected conclusion, so much so that he remained wrapped in fear for quite some time.

If Liu Junhuai’s reasoning proved true, then the impact on Heaven's Secret Sect would be immense. Not only would the dozen or so sects harmed in the Dragon Pool sacrifice massacre come looking for trouble, but the men in black would never let Heaven's Secret Sect off either. If that happened, the sect would face the calamity of extinction.

In Phoenix Ridge Kingdom, Heaven's Secret Sect counted as a major sect, but compared with the Sea and Sky Pavilion, the Hall of the King of Hell, Long Whale Island, Sky-Linking Mountain, the Chu Clan of the Northern Domain, the Sea God Shrine, and the others, it was still far weaker. At present, no one even knew whether Heaven's Secret Sect had other accomplices besides Yun Jiezi, so Wu Wanren did not even know whom he should report to if he wanted to inform the sect.

For a moment, his thoughts were in complete disarray. He longed to fly back at once to his master and ask what should be done next, yet even his master was not beyond suspicion, since Yun Jiezi was his fellow disciple.

Seeming to understand the change in Wu Wanren’s mind, Liu Junhuai stopped Mo Sitong before she could speak, then silently fixed his gaze on Wu Wanren’s eyes and waited for his response.

After a long silence, Wu Wanren seemed to have made up his mind. “Junhuai, this matter is too serious. I may very well have to report it to the sect, or Heaven's Secret Sect will be in serious trouble. Your Uncle Wu was raised by Heaven's Secret Sect; the sect gave me a second life. Both in reason and in conscience, I should do my part to keep the sect from being plunged into disaster. But if I do that, it will drag you into it, and that is what troubles me.”

Liu Junhuai nodded. “Uncle Wu, that response is exactly the kind of Great Uncle I have in my heart. I was influenced from childhood by your loyalty and righteousness. On this point, the two of us are the same kind of people. As for anything involving me, there’s no need to mention it again. You have already worried yourself sick over the sake of a junior like me, so my plan is to go back to Heaven's Secret Sect with you. After all, I understand the hidden twists and turns in these matters better than anyone.”

Wu Wanren hurriedly said, “That will absolutely not do. Heaven's Secret Sect still does not know who is connected to Yun Jiezi, and I am also worried about whom I should report to. Besides, your trip to Pingdu City is imminent. Do not delay an important matter because of this.”

Liu Junhuai smiled. “Actually, reporting back to Heaven's Secret Sect is very simple. Just speak to your master. I have a technique for reading people, so we can make a decision then. However, Uncle Wu, first come with the two of us to another place. We need to borrow the prestige of a great power to shock Heaven's Secret Sect into submission; otherwise, your sect would have silenced us long ago.”

Seeing that Liu Junhuai had made up his mind, and knowing this was the only available path, Wu Wanren followed the two of them into the Chaotic Space.

As for the shock Wu Wanren felt upon first entering the Chaotic Space, that need not be dwelt upon for now. The three of them went to Azure Cloud Lake to pay their respects to the elders.

After Liu Junhuai described the whole sequence of events in detail, everyone fell into deep thought. After all, this matter was of grave importance; if it only concerned individuals, that would be one thing, but once it implicated their respective sects, it became a major issue.

The first to speak was Fang Keyin. “Junhuai, there is nothing wrong with accompanying you to Heaven's Secret Sect. What matters is the identity under which we appear. We will be facing a pack of evil men, and their organization must have an extremely strict operational plan. Their true identities are hidden in great mystery, and we still do not know their ultimate purpose. Clearly, exposing this matter will put us in the light while the enemy remains in the shadows. Most of them are strong, and this is not something that can be solved by just the few of us. We should think long and hard before taking any action.”

Liu Junhuai smiled. “Grandfather, I have already considered all of that. You elders cannot appear in your true forms. I will handle everything myself, and you will appear only as my attendants. I ask you to forgive me for this and bear with a little temporary grievance. Not only you, but Uncle Wu as well, cannot be drawn into this. I have long wanted to cross blades with these people. What they seek is certainly not simple robbery and murder; they must have some far-reaching scheme. If the cultivation world waits another day before joining forces, it will suffer another day’s loss. If we wait until their conspiracy is fully exposed before trying to stop them, the result will be far more than a mere loss.”

Bian Yanshan said, “If you take the lead yourself, Junhuai, then you will become their target. In that case, you will be out in the open while they remain hidden, and the safety of you and those around you will become an issue. Have you considered that?”

Liu Junhuai smiled. “Grandfather, what you said is quite right, but I am not foolish enough to shoulder everything alone. My identity, my standing, and my strength are all insufficient to bear such a burden. This is how I see it: this trip to Heaven's Secret Sect is to prevent a possible enmity with the sect. My first impression to them will be that I am there to ensure the safety of the Shen family affair, using Yun Jiezi as the pretext to ease the tension. The rest of the arrangements will have to be analyzed in detail according to Heaven's Secret Sect’s next move.”

Fang Keyin said, “Then you may end up becoming a blade in the hands of Heaven's Secret Sect. They may use you to help the Shen family eliminate future trouble once and for all. That is very possible.”

Liu Junhuai replied, “I will also treat them as a blade. As for Yun Jiezi and the Third Elder, let them solve their own problems. The sect’s private affairs should be handled by the sect itself, shouldn’t they? I only need to deal with Cheng Kelei. If they are all dragged into the water, only then will there be room for future alliance. Of course, the Sea God Shrine still needs to be contacted by them, and I cannot be drawn into that.”

Wu Yaohan, who had not spoken for a long time, finally said, “I will offer my full support without condition. Whenever I am needed, I will come!”

Bian Yanshan smiled. “I am a free man with no sect and no master. Appearing in my true form would also be fine. I can serve as the vanguard when the time comes.”

Fang Keyin smiled as well. “I will remain hidden in the rear for now. Junhuai, remember that Dustless Palace will always be your strongest support. On the Shen family trip, I can also provide you with some men to bolster your presence.”

Liu Junhuai waved a hand. “I can handle the Shen family myself. All of you are already my strongest backing. I will ask for your help when it becomes necessary.”

A woman’s heart is always more perceptive. Liu Qingman smiled and said, “I keep having the feeling that this brat, Junhuai, is laying a very big trap. Almost everything has been taken into account. I do not know what his ultimate aim is, but sooner or later he will become the center of a great storm. He will be both the one who starts it and the one who ends it. Don’t believe me? I’ll make a bet with all of you: every step this brat takes from now on will be part of his plan, all paving the way toward his goal. Though I will also do my best to help him for the sake of my granddaughter, why do I always feel a bit dissatisfied in my heart?”

Liu Junhuai smiled. “Grandmother always likes to sound alarmist, but her analysis still makes some sense. At the very least, I do have designs on making use of Sitong’s identity. As for your dissatisfaction, Grandmother, I do seem to have a premonition of it as well. Heh heh.”

Mo Sitong also smiled in agreement. “Of course. After all, the Fang family has already offered up its most precious granddaughter. Dustless Palace is my maternal family, Mo Sitong’s home. If Grandmother does not help, is an outsider supposed to step in instead? However, Junhuai and I will not become further entangled with the sect. We are only trying to make the enemy wary; that is the proper course. We will not, and cannot, do anything that endangers the sect’s safety.”

Bian Jizhong said, “My younger brother has a clear head. He should be able to devise a sound strategy of attack, and his skill at diverting disaster onto others has already reached perfection. It is unlikely that he will place himself alone at the center of a storm. On this point, I still have confidence in him.”

Liu Qingman said, “By the way, Junhuai, your grandfather has been here for nearly a year already. A few days ago, he felt a disturbance at the bottleneck of his realm, though it was not yet certain. Yesterday, that feeling appeared again, and he has been waiting for you to return.”

Liu Junhuai said with delight, “Has Grandfather not been waiting for this day for nearly ten months? Break through tonight, then. I’ve just obtained Meridian-Breaking Pill, and it happens to be exactly what is needed.”

“Meridian-Breaking Pill? A divine-grade pill? Excellent! I had a sixty percent chance before, and now that has risen by another twenty. Hurry and bring it here!” Fang Keyin urged anxiously.

Liu Junhuai smiled. “Rest assured, Grandfather. I’ll have A Jiu go with you. Its strength has improved quite a bit, and at the very least it will make sure you encounter no danger.”

With that, he took out the Breaking-Barrier Pill and placed it into Fang Keyin’s hands. Then he looked to Bian Yanshan and asked, “Has Grandfather’s late-Nascent Soul bottleneck loosened at all? It will be your turn next. Don’t let my grandfather leave you too far behind.”

Bian Yanshan laughed and cursed, “You rascal, how dare you mock your grandfather? You deserve a beating! Still, I am close as well; it should be within these next few days.”

Liu Junhuai smiled. “That’s good. The matters we discussed just now were rather heavy, but really I could say some absurdly bold things: with A Jiu’s help, I would kill even a Deity Transformation cultivator without hesitation. So you elders need not worry too much about my safety.”

What he meant was that he feared Fang Keyin and Bian Yanshan might develop inner demons because of him, and that would be extremely harmful to their advancement in cultivation.

He had spoken without intending anything by it, but the listeners took it to heart. Upon hearing him, the elders realized it was true: in the cultivation world, strength was everything. A Jiu’s power was already above the Deity Transformation stage, and after this latest enhancement, it was among the top existences in the entire Western Domain. What could the great forces do if Liu Junhuai made a major move? At worst, they would fight.

Before long, night fell. Fang Keyin’s preparations had all been completed, and he was sitting quietly at one side, eyes closed, regulating his breath.