Immortal of the Nine Realms

Everyone turned their eyes toward Huang Qingque, their expressions a little strange.

”All five under surveillance at once?”

According to Immortal Dayu’s words, they had actually been keeping tabs on five people at once.

Clearly, they weren’t all assigned the same target.

Huang Qingque’s lips tugged into a forced smile. ”Ever since I was ambushed in the Asura Sea, I have been acting much more cautiously. This operation had one true target from the beginning, but I couldn’t be sure that all my subordinates were clean. So, I had each shadow a different senior. It was nothing more than a little misdirection to reduce the risk of the true target catching wind of our actions beforehand.”

Immortal Dayu’s face was dark. ”Then tell us, who was your real target? Was it Immortal Longfu? Jidu Kongyuan? Immortal Feilu? Changkong? Or me?”

He berated, ”Is this how you conduct affairs? The Killing Spiritual Division always acts with reason and proof. You had no evidence whatsoever, yet you dared come here to tail your superiors? If you were not a Huang, you’d already be dead, understand?”

”Why would I die?” Huang Qingque shot back. His complexion was pale, but his eyes burned sharply. ”Could it be that among the five of you, there is someone secretly colluding with the Spirit God Sect?”

”That means we of Xie Zhi have been heading in the right direction. We were already close to exposing this person, which is why he lashed out in desperation and slew Division Master Duan!”

”Division Master Duan is dead!?”

Everyone looked at each other in shock. Ning Beiyou and Xu Nangui exchanged glances, grief and resentment in their eyes.

Among the Xie Zhi cultivators, Division Master Duan’s cultivation had been at the very top. He was a fourth-transformation Immortal, yet he had perished silently in the Nanqing Constellation.

It appeared even Huang Qingque had suffered severe injuries.

”Preposterous!” Immortal Dayu barked.

Terrifying immortal essence surged around him. Even a wisp falling upon Huang Qingque would be like an unstoppable tribulation thunder, instantly vaporizing him.

”What right do you have to accuse us of collusion with the Spirit God Sect? Do you know how many of their cultivators have died at our hands? We are men who have crawled from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. A little fledgling like you dare accuse us of such!”

Huang Qingque’s face blanched as Immortal Dayu’s oppressive might bore down on him—yet he showed no fear. Instead, he laughed. ”One, two, three, four...”

He pointed at the four sixth transformation Immortals present, deliberately skipping Wang Chongsong.

”Our target this time is one of you four. As for Immortal Changkong, that was merely a cover, a distraction. The one colluding with the Spirit God Sect, the one who killed Division Master Duan in a single strike, is one of you four.”

The Immortal Changkong he spoke of was Wang Chongsong.

Fang Chen glanced at Wang Chongsong. The other was also looking at him, wearing a kindly smile that made one instinctively feel close to him.

”Don’t be too angry, everyone,” Wang Chongsong said with an easy laugh. ”Although I’ve long stayed in the Nanqing Constellation, I’ve heard about the Xie Zhi from the True Martial Realm. Their purpose is admirable, rooting out parasites for the Killing Spiritual Division.”

Wang Chongsong clasped his hands, glancing at Huang Qingque. ”Though I feel somewhat displeased at being used as cover, I can admit my cultivation is only at the fourth transformation. I’m not worthy of so many Xie Zhi cultivators being sent after me. So in your eyes, I am not one of the suspects, am I?”

Huang Qingque inclined his head slightly. ”We truly do not suspect you. We did not come for you.”

”That is fine. Since I am not a suspect, allow me to speak fairly.” Wang Chongsong’s smiling gaze swept from Immortal Longfu to Jidu Kongyuan, to Immortal Feilu, and finally landed on Immortal Dayu. ”The death of Division Master Duan is an indelible fact. Even Fellow Daoist Qingque nearly died at the enemy’s hands. That much proves their suspicion was not entirely misplaced.”

He concluded, ”Among you four seniors, one must indeed be colluding with the Spirit God Sect.”

A smile crossed Wang Chongsong’s face as he looked at Huang Qingque. ”Why don’t you tell us who Division Master Duan had been tailing when he was attacked, Fellow Daoist Qingque. Maybe that will point us in the right direction.”

Immortal Dayu and the others all turned toward Huang Qingque.

Immortal Longfu smiled. ”Immortal Changkong is right. Fellow Daoist Qingque, tell us, which of us four was Division Master Duan monitoring?”

Huang Qingque’s expression changed. His gaze slowly fell. After a long silence, he raised his head and answered, ”Division Master Duan was watching Immortal Changkong.”

Wang Chongsong froze, then gave a bitter smile. ”Didn’t you just say I wasn’t a suspect? Yet you had your strongest Xie Zhi member watching me?”

Huang Qingque spoke calmly. ”It is precisely because his cultivation was so high that I didn’t have him monitor one of the four seniors; he would’ve been easily noticed. But to watch Immortal Changkong, it was just right. If anyone noticed, it would only confuse the true traitor into thinking our sights were on you.”

”Immortal Changkong does not have the strength to kill Division Master Duan in one strike. The lead has been broken,” Immortal Dayu said, tone heavy.

Immortal Feilu, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked at Huang Qingque. ”Fellow Daoist Qingque, be straightforward. Who was your target? We are all here. You need not fear being silenced.”

Huang Qingque shook his head. ”Before I return to the True Martial Realm, I will not say.”

Jidu Kongyuan sighed lightly. ”That reasoning will not stand. I suspect you are not sure which of us colludes with the Spirit God Sect. Perhaps you have no evidence at all. Division Master Duan’s death may have been a coincidence.

”Many sixth-transformation Immortals have been active around Daotai Mountain lately. Some of them were of the Spirit God Sect.”

He paused. ”If your plan was exposed to them, and they used it to provoke infighting among us, what then?”

Huang Qingque’s expression stiffened slightly.

”This has become a headless case. It cannot be investigated,” said Immortal Changkong. ”These four are sixth-transformation immortals. Without evidence, the Killing Spiritual Division will not allow you to run wild, Fellow Daoist Qingque...”

Immortal Dayu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Huang Qingque. He coldly said, ”I, as a member of the True Martial Realm’s Killing Spiritual Division, hereby declare that Xie Zhi is disbanded. From this day forward, you are no longer a member of the Killing Spiritual Division and are barred from involving yourself in its affairs.”

”You have no right to do that,” Huang Qingque said coldly.

Immortal Dayu glanced at Immortal Longfu and the others. ”We have four sixth-transformation immortals here. If we all agree to it, no one will fault me even if the matter reaches the Upper Three Realms. Immortal Longfu, what is your stance?”

Immortal Longfu nodded slightly. ”Xiezhi’s actions were truly reckless. I agree.”

Jidu Kongyuan and Immortal Feilu exchanged a look, then nodded as well.

Huang Qingque’s face turned pale. He nearly collapsed, but Ning Beiyou quickly stepped forward to support him.

”I’m fine... You all, return for now. There may be trouble ahead,” Huang Qingque muttered weakly.

But Immortal Dayu waved a hand. ”They need not return either. From today, your titles as Division Masters are revoked as well. You are no longer part of the Killing Spiritual Division. Only by doing this can we prevent public outrage once this spreads. This is to protect your lives; don’t be ungrateful.”