Chapter 131: Master Su, Please Take Me In

After a long while, Shen Qing'er finally unearthed the true identity and background of the villain. Having used the soul-searching technique consecutively over the past few days, she was beginning to feel the strain, her spirit severely exhausted. Her complexion looked noticeably pale.

Su Ji'an could not help but rub his temples; it seemed he would have to make her exercise some restraint.

At the same time, Yu Ming retrieved the item that had been hidden within the golden radiance. Before Su Ji'an could even ask, Shen Qing'er proactively explained, "He is the Deputy Commander of the Evil-Punishing Division."

"Elaborate."

Shen Qing'er continued, "His name is Leng Tianbo. The Evil-Punishing Division is merely his public persona; in reality, he belongs to the Fallen Immortal Sect of the Demonic Path. Centuries ago, he infiltrated the Evil-Punishing Division, and with the backing of the demonic forces, he managed to ascend to the position of Deputy Commander in just a few decades."

"Leng Tianbo recently discovered that the Great Jin Imperial Family is desperate to expand the power of the Evil-Punishing Division for an ulterior motive—it seems to be for the purpose of opening some ancestral grounds. However, the key to all of this lies in the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl held by the Eldest Princess, Luo Shuxian."

Su Ji'an paused, "Luo Shuxian?"

Shen Qing'er asked curiously, "Master, is there a problem?"

Su Ji'an confirmed one last time, "She is the Eldest Princess of Great Jin?"

"That is correct, Master," Shen Qing'er replied earnestly.

Su Ji'an waved his hand, feeling deeply disappointed. The identity of Luo Shuxian had finally come to light, but the status of a royal princess meant nothing to him. He valued the cultivation level of a potential Dao companion far more. Only with a high cultivation level could his benefits be maximized. Leng Tianbo was at the late stage of the Soul Formation Realm, and since Luo Shuxian could not even defeat that old codger, her cultivation was certainly within the same range.

He set aside thoughts of a potential Dao companion for now, deciding to first get to the bottom of Leng Tianbo's schemes.

Su Ji'an prompted, "Continue."

Shen Qing'er explained, "Leng Tianbo seized an opportunity to attack Luo Shuxian and successfully stole the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl from a secret chamber beneath her palace, wounding her in the process."

"However, even the most meticulous plans have flaws. While fleeing with the pearl, he was discovered by Yan Tingsen, the Commander of the Evil-Punishing Division. Unable to match his strength, Leng Tianbo was severely injured. After using a secret technique that caused grave damage to his origin, he barely managed to escape and came here to carve out this cave dwelling."

"He kidnapped Aunt Li—was he planning to possess her body?" Su Ji'an suddenly realized. Having lost his origin, his path to immortality was effectively severed. To progress further, possession and starting over was his only remaining option.

Everyone possessed a certain amount of origin within their Purple Mansion, but as far as he knew, it was innate and could not be replenished. In layman's terms, it represented one's potential on the path of immortality; the stronger the origin, the faster the cultivation speed. This was the very foundation of talent.

Shen Qing'er nodded in agreement. "Master is wise. That was indeed his intention, but later, when Li Ling'er appeared, Leng Tianbo discovered that her aptitude was even better than Aunt Li's."

Su Ji'an nodded; everything was now clear. Upon hearing this, Li Ling'er was overjoyed and squinted, saying, "You big villain, so that means I'm a one-in-a-million genius!"

Aunt Li was also stunned. "I... I can cultivate to become an immortal too?"

It seemed that these two, one older and one younger, had been tempted.

"Yes, yes, you're a genius," Su Ji'an said dismissively, then turned his attention to Yu Ming.

Yu Ming, being somewhat dull, did not react immediately. Su Ji'an rubbed his temples; if it had been Shen Qing'er, she would have already handed over the item retrieved from the golden light.

"The item you just obtained."

Yu Ming then hurried to present it. Su Ji'an raised an eyebrow. "Only this bead?"

Yet, the object felt strangely familiar to the touch.

Yu Ming said, "Master, there was indeed only this."

Su Ji'an nodded. He stripped the storage ring from Leng Tianbo's remains and signaled for Yu Ming to search the area one last time to ensure nothing was missed. Only then did he cast a fire spell, reducing the remains to ashes. The entire process was smooth and practiced.

Shen Qing'er was long used to this, but Li Ling'er's eyes went wide—she had never witnessed such a scene before. Aunt Li was so terrified she could not look, her entire body trembling.

At that moment, Leng Tianbo's primordial spirit regained a flicker of consciousness. Although he had long abandoned his physical body, Su Ji'an's actions were a cruel insult. Leng Tianbo's face twisted in agony.

"What are you looking at? Just die."

With that, Su Ji'an struck. Leng Tianbo's primordial spirit was already on the verge of collapse; even an attack at the Nascent Soul level was more than he could withstand.

Su Ji'an looked at the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl in his hand. He realized why it felt familiar—its material was identical to the Vajra Ring and the small cauldron he had previously acquired. He tested it and found that, as expected, this bead could not be placed into his storage ring.

"So it seems these three items are all of the same lineage..." Su Ji'an raised an eyebrow. They were truly fated to be his; they arrived at his doorstep one after another without him even searching. He still knew nothing about them—was he supposed to collect them all to summon a dragon? But there seemed to be no connection between them other than the material.

Forget it, he would keep them for now. His previous philosophy remained: take what comes, and don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, one more flea wouldn't make the dog itch.

Before leaving, Su Ji'an instructed Aunt Li, "Do not speak of this matter."

Aunt Li hesitated for a moment before kneeling on the ground. "Master Su, please, take me as your disciple!"

Su Ji'an: "..." What was this woman thinking? He glanced at Li Ling'er and said testily, "Drag her away."

Lingxiu Village was no longer a place to stay; these troublesome events were endless. Moreover, even that old man Li Lingguang had yet to return—had he run off? There would likely be more variables ahead, and the Humanistic Academy had been watching them like a hawk. Furthermore, it was time for Shen Qing'er to go offline; as long as she remained, he would always feel unsettled.

With that thought, Su Ji'an headed home, leaving Aunt Li in the cave dwelling sighing in regret.

Li Ling'er sighed softly, looking helpless. "Alright, Aunt Li, let's go." She felt a twinge of resentment; if it weren't for Aunt Li's sudden desire to become a disciple, Su Ji'an might not have left so abruptly.

...

At the Wanbao Main Pavilion, beneath the Buddha statue, Zeng Xuanke sat in his usual spot, his expression grim.

"Abbot, the Third Elder died an ignoble death, and the culprit is still flaunting himself in Yuanshan City. We must avenge him!"

Zeng Xuanke snorted coldly, "This is likely a trap. The Righteous Alliance is just waiting for us to walk right into it."

"And our dozens of shops—they've all been looted and burned in the last two days. While the losses aren't catastrophic, we cannot sustain this kind of harassment."