In the profound silence that enveloped them, Jun Mo Xie’s sudden, piercing shout crashed into Xiao Bu Yu’s already turbulent mind like the morning bell and evening drum descending from the heavens, sharp as lightning and thunder.
Had Jun Mo Xie followed up by questioning Xiao Bu Yu about the Yellow Flower Hall incident, Xiao Bu Yu, already violently shaken by that revelation, would have instinctively mounted a fierce defense in his subconscious, refusing to yield easily. Even a Divine Profound expert of Xiao Bu Yu’s caliber, should his mind shatter, could recover with astonishing speed. If that had happened, the fleeting opportunity that had so painstakingly arisen would have instantly vanished.
But Jun Mo Xie had used one blow to utterly penetrate the abyss of Xiao Bu Yu’s soul, only to follow it instantly with another, catching him completely off guard!
With his composure utterly fractured, Xiao Bu Yu mumbled unconsciously, “An inside mole?”
Jun Mo Xie’s voice shifted instantly, becoming extraordinarily gentle and intimate, magnetic, like the soothing caress a mother gives an infant in its cradle, yet retaining a penetrating spiritual intensity. His gaze suddenly shone with an uncanny light as he fixed his eyes on Xiao Bu Yu, speaking slowly: “The ones who guided you into the Jun Family encampment, the ones who helped you attempt to assassinate Jun Wu Hui, to assassinate Jun Wu Meng—who were they? Whose people are they?”
Xiao Bu Yu’s listless eyes locked with Jun Mo Xie’s. A violent struggle flared in his gaze, yet it seemed as if the two pairs of eyes had fused together, utterly inseparable!
After a long pause, Xiao Bu Yu’s eyelids fluttered downward, then snapped open, a flicker of confusion clouding his features.
“Those people? We heard they were several masked figures in red,” Xiao Bu Yu’s face suddenly relaxed, murmuring as if in a dream: “Only later did we learn they were from the Blood Sword Hall. And the ones who facilitated the entry of the Xiao Family experts into the camp were also arranged by them internally. With both sides having the same objective, it was a match made in heaven.”
“The Blood Sword Hall people? Oh, hehe, yes, that’s them... But why would they help you? The same objective? Did they also intend to harm Jun Wu Yi, or perhaps the entire Jun Family? Or was there someone else directing them from behind the scenes?”
The Blood Sword Hall! A sharp glint flashed in Jun Mo Xie’s eyes, yet his tone grew softer, like a warm breeze whispering through the treetops, causing everyone who heard it to feel a comforting warmth spread through their hearts. They felt utterly secure in the presence of the one speaking in this manner, possessing an overwhelming urge to simply drift off to sleep.
And Xiao Bu Yu, bearing the brunt of this influence, felt his spirit sway, an authentic ease spreading across his face. All previous indignation and shame of utter disgrace seemed entirely forgotten!
Hypnosis combined with the Soul Siphon Great Technique!
This ultimate convergence of modern psychological hypnosis, a method developed only in recent Chinese history, and the ancient Chinese martial art of the Soul Siphon Great Technique, finally succeeded at this most crucial moment for Jun Mo Xie!
Seizing the moment when Xiao Bu Yu’s spirit had broken and the gates of his mind stood wide open, Jun Mo Xie struck with lightning speed!
He had successfully hypnotized a Fourth-Grade Divine Profound expert, starting from a mere initial stage of Heaven Profound! This miraculous secret art, completely unknown and unheard of in this other world, had shockingly achieved such an unprecedented feat!
Everyone looked at each other in stunned horror!
The white-robed maiden’s eyes shot out a strange, divine light as she watched Jun Mo Xie, seeming determined to see through and comprehend this miraculous youth entirely. Even her own composure was violently shaken and impacted by this unheard-of, unseen secret art.
“I don’t know why they did it either. In fact, at the time, our Xiao Family was already preparing to assault the main army. We never expected them to contact us proactively. Because our goals aligned, reaching an agreement was easy, and then everything proceeded surprisingly smoothly.”
Xiao Bu Yu revealed a childlike smugness, his eyes vacant. “Afterward, we could never find a trace of them. The people who escorted them into the camp were different every time, all apparently high-status individuals, but I never met them myself. They must have been disposed of by the Blood Sword Hall.”
“The Blood Sword Hall—they certainly cover their tracks impeccably,” Jun Mo Xie said, nodding knowingly, his tone encouraging and gentle. “So, this means you yourself do not know their true origins.”
“Yes,” Xiao Bu Yu replied, his face showing shame, like a child who had made a mistake, lowering his head. “I did not participate in the action at that time; it was all Han’er and his brothers who carried it out. I only found out afterward.”
Then, pride flared on his face as he declared loftily: “Since it was done, it was done. Where the fist is strongest, that is where the logic lies. Besides, those insignificant little figures weren't even worth my personal attention, Xiao Bu Yu!”
“Mmm, you did well. Very good, very good. Where the fist is strongest, that is where the logic lies.” A tendon jumped in Jun Mo Xie’s forehead as he controlled his voice. “Then, when dealing with Jun Mo You later, or Jun Yuan... were those the same people?”
“Yes, it was the Blood Sword Hall people too,” Xiao Bu Yu answered without hesitation.
“Specifically, who participated in the action back then? Han’er’s brothers? There must have been quite a few?” Jun Mo Xie chuckled, his eyes benevolent.
“Yes, if there weren’t enough people, how could it have been executed so quickly? That was inside the main army, fraught with danger! Hmm, I recall Xiao Han, Xiao Liang, Xiao Zhen, Xiao Cheng, Xiao Xian...” Xiao Bu Yu listed fourteen or fifteen names before letting out a breath. “Finally, we made the detestable Jun Family pay the price! They provoked our Xiao Family, and they must pay the price!”
“They paid quite a bit, but Jun Wu Yi only merely snatched Xiao Han’s fiancée. But such a large operation for such a small reason—wasn’t that an overreaction?” Jun Mo Xie secretly committed every name to memory while outwardly asking another question. Based on the forces they saw at Wind Snow Silver City, where did Xiao Han rank? Why did he possess such great influence?
“How could it be an overreaction? There’s a major connection here. The current City Lord of Silver City has no sons, only two daughters. The elder daughter was engaged to Han’er in a childhood pact, and the younger daughter also has a high chance of marrying into the Xiao Family in the future. We are all working toward that goal. If both daughters marry into our Xiao Family, then in a few decades, Wind Snow Silver City will belong entirely to us!”
“Our Xiao Family ancestor sacrificed his life for Silver City. Furthermore, he was the strongest among the Xuan Rank experts and the sworn brother of the then-City Lord! It can be said that this Wind Snow Silver City was originally ours. But after our ancestor passed, the Han Family became the masters of the city—on what grounds? For hundreds of years, why must our Xiao Family remain suppressed? Nominally brothers, but in reality, we’ve been like high-ranking servants—on what grounds? A meaningless, worthless vow has completely stripped our Xiao Family of all hope! On what grounds?!”
Xiao Bu Yu’s face suddenly twisted into a ferocious snarl: “That hateful Jun Wu Yi actually interfered just as our plan was about to succeed, causing our decades of careful planning to fall apart halfway! Our Xiao Family has waited hundreds of years for this single opportunity, and it was destroyed by that damned Jun Wu Yi! The despicable Jun Family, the hateful Jun Wu Yi—they all must pay the price! Anyone who dares obstruct the plan devised by the Xiao Family must be annihilated!”
Xiao Bu Yu cursed hatefully.
This astonishing piece of information exploded forth, truly like a celestial event!
Those from the Silver City contingent flinched in shock! The remaining three, five, six, eight, nine, and five elders instantly split into two distinct factions. Although they were still suppressed by the unseen aura and dared not move, their expressions and gazes clearly revealed their allegiance!
Evidently, Elders Six, Eight, and Nine showed urgent concern, their eyes filled with extreme panic. Without a doubt, these three elders were all members of the Xiao Family. But the Third Elder and the Fifth Elder were contorted with indignation, clearly restraining themselves from erupting in verbal abuse!
These two belonged to the Han Family faction.
But the one most deeply struck was that girl, Han Yan Meng. Her delicate eyes widened in disbelief; she could never have imagined that so many seemingly kind and amiable uncles and grandfathers from the Xiao Family were, in fact, plotting against her own family.
Glancing subtly around, Jun Mo Xie continued his questioning: “The Xiao Family’s foresight and meticulous planning are impressive. But surely the Han Family has other male heirs? If the City Lord has no sons, he must have brothers, right? Do his brothers also have no sons? Must it pass to the Xiao Family? That seems rather one-sided.”
“Heh, since we intend to displace the magpie from the nest, we certainly made preparations for this concern long ago,” Xiao Bu Yu chuckled smugly. “Starting from when the City Lord’s second daughter was born, we have been successively orchestrating several matters. As for the City Lord’s brothers, some became cripples due to accidents, and others were sent far away from the core power structure. Moreover, several of them were originally under the tutelage of my elder brother and myself, so naturally, we knew how to manage things...”
“The Yellow Flower Hall that Xiao Han established—you were aware of that, weren’t you? Wasn’t that a joint decision by your Xiao Family?” Jun Mo Xie shifted the topic, asking in a mild tone. Beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead, and his back was damp.
Sustaining the continuous mental hypnosis on a super-expert like Xiao Bu Yu was an extraordinarily arduous task that demanded everything he had. Although Jun Mo Xie’s spiritual cultivation was already formidable, he was reaching his limit. Thus, he brought the conversation back to matters related to the Jun Family. After a period of dialogue, Xiao Bu Yu had almost completely dropped his guard against the source of the voice.
“That matter—it was entirely the independent decision of Han’er and a few of his brothers. By the time we found out, the deed was already done, so we could only let it stand. Very few people in the Xiao Family knew about it, as such a thing is deeply dishonorable and harms heavenly harmony. Besides, they were all just ants. And frankly, the profits from that aspect were quite substantial,” Xiao Bu Yu’s face showed internal conflict—a sliver of guilt, but overwhelmingly, greed.
No one had expected that beneath the veneer of this venerable, white-haired, long-bearded elder, who appeared so righteous and venerable, lay such filth and corruption. If he hadn’t spoken the words himself, if they hadn't heard it with their own ears, who in the world would believe it? Who dared believe it!
Utterly shameless!
“Mmm, you performed well. I have decided to reward you! A very, very large reward,” Jun Mo Xie’s eyes blazed, his voice still held low.
“A very, very large reward? What kind of reward is that?” Xiao Bu Yu’s face lit up with eagerness, like a small child spotting a delicious, colorful candy, desperately wanting to possess it.
“Mmm, but before I give you the reward, you must first dance a jig right here. Once you finish dancing, the reward will arrive, and you will surely be satisfied.” A look of extreme malevolence flashed in Jun Mo Xie’s eyes.
Under the current circumstances, killing this man would be as easy as turning over a hand! But to allow this old beast to die so cleanly and swiftly, Jun Mo Xie felt he would become a sinner for eternity!