Chapter Sixty-Three: A Misunderstanding Is Just a Misunderstanding

Amidst the absurdity, Meng Qingchen also felt a sense of inevitability, for the young Chu Hanyu had always been one to act unpredictably. After all, not everyone had the courage to oppose the Zhao family, the foremost clan in the Azure Realm at the time, nor was everyone willing to smash a Creation Artifact to pieces!

The image of Chu Hanyu, spirited and high-spirited in those days, was still vivid in Meng Qingchen’s memory. His love for stirring up trouble was truly unchanged from then to now. However, ever since the previous master of the Grand Free Demon Sect had fallen, Chu Hanyu had become much more steady, ceasing to indulge in such willful acts.

After seeing Chu Hanyu off just moments ago, Meng Qingchen had sensed something amiss. With a quick calculation, he immediately summoned his son, Meng Xinglei. As the saying goes, "No one knows a son like his father." If Meng Xinglei had been given another two days to cool his head, perhaps he could have kept the secret. But now, the conflicted look in his eyes had already confessed everything to his father.

Yet even so, Meng Qingchen hadn’t expected his son’s thoughts to stray in such a direction. Renowned throughout the Azure Realm for his divination skills, he bore the title "Master of Unerring Strategy"—and yet, he could no longer fathom the hearts of the young.

Nevertheless, Meng Qingchen had weathered many storms; without betraying a hint, he deftly drew the entire story from his eldest son’s mouth, then wore a calm, knowing smile that left Meng Xinglei mortified with shame.

Whether Meng Qingchen’s composure was genuine or merely a façade, no one could say for certain.

During this brief reverie, Meng Qingchen’s silence exerted immense pressure on his son, who could not help but speak: “Father?”

Meng Qingchen closed his eyes briefly and said solemnly, “Xinglei, have you always wanted to know what I’ve been keeping from you?”

At these words, the shamefaced and docile Meng Xinglei started, looking straight at his father.

Seeing his son’s reaction, Meng Qingchen nodded inwardly. A misunderstanding is only a minor issue under normal circumstances, but once it interferes with important matters, it cannot be allowed to persist.

While Meng Qingchen handled matters with leisure, across the realm another man, equally skilled in divination, was a bundle of nerves, wiping the sweat from his brow only when he thought no one would notice.

This man was named Su Shangwen.

The name might sound unfamiliar at first, but in recent years he had gained a modest reputation in the Azure Realm. The "Su" in his name was the same as that of the Su family, the same as Su Ye.

Su Shangwen’s grandfather had once vied for the clan headship with his peers and failed. Though spared harm out of respect for family ties, he decisively sent his grandson far away from the turmoil.

This decision proved wise. Fighting his way from nothing, Su Shangwen cultivated and built his own foundation, honing his abilities through hardship. No longer reliant on his family’s singularly talented reputation, he gained true knowledge and insight. Later, he made a bold move by joining Tang Dao—a man whose ambition seemed reckless, whose enterprise looked as if it might collapse at any moment, and who was notorious for his bloodthirstiness—as an adviser.

When Tang Dao was dispatched abroad, Su Shangwen again made a decisive choice and accompanied him to the perilous Myriad Umbrella Demon City. There, within the stronghold of the Grand Free Demon Sect, he carved out a place for himself.

After Zhang Ning appeared, Su Shangwen advised Tang Dao to treat her well, forging a connection with the Fifth Prince and finally seeing a glimmer of hope for his future.

Yet this hope was fleeting. The higher one climbed, the more one learned, and knowledge was not always a blessing.

Following a prince and staking everything on the struggle for succession were two entirely different matters.

Out of old friendship, Tang Dao gave Su Shangwen two choices: he would either help him find another path with all his might, or Su Shangwen could follow the Fifth Prince, staking his life and everything he had on the prince’s cause.

Once more, Su Shangwen made his choice, and once again, events proved his wisdom.

The most enigmatic scion of the Su family, Su Ye, brought the entire clan to pledge allegiance to the Fifth Prince, binding the fate of the Su family to his. The Grand Free Demon Sect’s support for the prince grew so overwhelming that they provided manpower, resources, and even their own reputation as if they would hold up the sky should it fall.

In this situation, Tang Dao sent Su Shangwen to serve under Su Ye. It was much like a boss sending a long-serving secretary to take charge elsewhere, even to start a new branch company—a boon for the secretary but a difficult decision for the boss. Clearly, Tang Dao believed that Su Shangwen’s friendship with Su Ye would be mutually beneficial.

Time proved this true. Su Ye was no ordinary man; his power now rivaled that of the sect master himself, to the point where some jestingly called him the Grand Free Demon Sect’s steward-at-large—a title that was anything but complimentary and signaled that daggers were being drawn behind his back.

Su Ye had made too many enemies; even within the sect, there were those who disliked him, and no suspect could be found. The main reason was the agent Su Ye had employed, which left many with a poor impression. If not for the intervention of several key figures in the sect, Su Ye would not have survived.

Su Shangwen, unaware of these dangers, was simply moved by Su Ye’s precarious position and became all the more cautious in his words and actions.

In truth, Su Shangwen was no nameless subordinate under Su Ye, but a trusted right-hand man.

A minister’s gate is guarded by officials of the seventh rank—this influence was immense. Even within the Su family, the seventeenth young master, Su Huaq, began sending gifts, hoping to reconcile with the branch that had been all but exiled.

But the dangers were just as great. Moments ago, Su Shangwen felt as though he had walked before the King of Hell, for the ever-unflappable Su Ye had finally lost his temper!