Chapter 1661: She’s a Demon?
Broken Ruins, inn.
Fang Chen walked over and stood beside Daoist Que, and together they looked toward Huang Dengdao's residence.
"That guest hasn't shown himself since going inside," Daoist Que said with a frown. "When he comes out, should I investigate his true identity?"
"No need to investigate," Fang Chen replied calmly.
"Why?" Daoist Que asked, surprised.
"This mission is already over. I can't tell you the exact reason. I'll report it to the Blade Carrier."
Daoist Que was astonished. "The mission is already over?! Eternity Heavenly Sage, do you know what you're saying?"
"If you don't believe me, come with me and take a look."
Fang Chen tore through the air, flying straight toward Huang Dengdao's residence.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Daoist Que cried out.
Seeing that Fang Chen was about to enter, he could only curse under his breath and follow.
They entered the reception hall. It was empty, save for the two shriveled corpses sprawled on the floor.
Daoist Que stared at the two mummified bodies in shock, hardly able to believe his eyes. He instantly recognized one of them as Huang Dengdao. The other was Huang Dengdao's guest.
He looked at Fang Chen with a strange expression. "How were you able to see what was inside?"
The other party had been a fourth-transformation immortal, while they were only third-transformation immortals. He hadn't dared use his divine sense to spy on them for fear of being discovered. He had been relying on nothing but his eyes earlier, but the naked eye could only see so much. It had been impossible to see the actual scene inside the reception hall.
"I have my ways. All I can say is that the main target is dead. Doesn't that mean the mission is over?" Fang Chen said with a faint smile. "We can return and report."
"Indeed, if the target is already dead, then the mission is naturally over. But..."
Daoist Que still had many doubts. Just as he was about to ask, he saw Fang Chen turn and leave.
Back at the inn, Fang Chen could not find any trace of Li Jingnian. He was no longer in Broken Ruins either. As for where he had gone, no one likely knew.
Fang Chen sighed. I hope the old sword immortal regains his memories soon.
Seeing Daoist Que catching up, he pushed open the bronze gate and stepped inside.
The gate led to the Xie Zhi Division, so Daoist Que could not see it. He could only open his own gate and pursue him.
***
The Xie Zhi Division.
The two appeared one after the other at the entrance.
On the way to the Battle Readiness Hall, Daoist Que repeatedly pressed him about what had happened.
"Eternity Heavenly Sage, we carried out this mission together. Why didn't you tell me what you saw?"
"Isn't that a bit unfair?"
"Say something."
Fang Chen stopped and glanced at him. "Daoist Que, when I entered Xie Zhi, someone warned me that not all Xie Zhi cultivators are necessarily trustworthy. What I saw will only be reported to the Blade Carrier. After all, he is the chief officer of the Battle Readiness Hall. But you and I, we're of the same rank. Why should I report anything to you? The mission is complete, and that's enough. Why do you need to know so much? Or do you have some ulterior motive?"
Daoist Que was rendered speechless. He followed Fang Chen in silence all the way to the Battle Readiness Hall.
"You're back so soon?" the Blade Carrier said calmly.
"Blade Carrier, the mission target, Huang Dengdao, is dead, just a shriveled corpse now. A guest of his shares the same fate. I suspect this guest's identity may be crucial."
Daoist Que glanced at Fang Chen. "All of this was discovered by the Eternity Heavenly Sage. He saw what happened."
"Very well. You may leave," the Blade Carrier said, waving at Daoist Que.
Daoist Que was stunned. After a brief silence, he turned and left.
Chen Enxue removed her mask and smiled. "He seems a bit unconvinced. Were you hiding something from him?"
Fang Chen took off his mask, sat down opposite her, and said solemnly, "Third Senior Sister, I discovered something very important. I don't know if you can report it to those above?"
The smile on Chen Enxue's face immediately faded. She nodded. "Go on."
"I discovered that Huang Dengdao and the others had obtained some lifespan that had been tampered with, using it as bait in an attempt to kill an Anomaly."
"They tried to kill an Anomaly? That's not particularly important. Anomalies occasionally come into conflict with cultivators," Chen Enxue said with a smile. "Just a few years ago, in the Taicang Realm, an eighth-transformation Ancient Immortal died at the hands of a group of Anomalies. Several of them were also destroyed, body and soul."
Fang Chen looked at her. "What if Huang Dengdao and the others were demons?"
"Demons..." muttered Chen Enxue. "There are indeed suspicions among the higher-ups. But according to ancient records, demons are different from us. How could there be demons that look exactly like us? At most, it may be related to the recent demonic calamity, perhaps human cultivators who fell into demonic corruption."
Fang Chen sighed inwardly. He had hoped Chen Enxue would take this matter seriously. But if she could not break free of her preconceptions and realize that demons could reincarnate in this world, then she could never firmly believe that someone could actually be a demon in human skin.
"Third Senior Sister, I've read some ancient texts. They say that in a very distant past, these Anomalies made great contributions to the Nine Mortal Realms, which led to their memory loss. At times, they are even toyed with. In that era, their enemies were the demons. And now that someone is targeting them, it's very likely the demons are behind it."
"I'm more inclined to believe it's the demon race," Chen Enxue shook her head. "After the turmoil of the Three Realms, the demon race was thoroughly defeated. As for the contributions you mentioned, there are indeed similar rumors in the world. But none can be verified. As far as I know, many ninth-transformation immortals hold an ambiguous stance on the matter."
Chen Enxue stood up. "I can report what you've just said to those above and see how they decide. Did you see who killed Huang Dengdao and the others?"
"No. By the time I discovered them, they were already dead."
"If you say they intended to suppress and kill an Anomaly, then the one who killed them was probably an Anomaly as well. Some Anomalies' methods are indeed difficult to comprehend."
Chen Enxue paced back and forth in the room, as if pondering something. After a while, she waved her hand lightly. "I'll record your merit for this mission. You may return."
"There's one more thing. I have a list that may be related to those who have fallen into demonic corruption." Fang Chen took out a jade slip and handed it to her. "Third Senior Sister, you might start with these people. Perhaps you can extract some useful information."
"Related to those who've fallen into demonic corruption?" Chen Enxue's eyes lit up. She accepted the jade slip and scanned it with her divine sense. Then she smiled at Fang Chen. "I won't ask where this list came from. Everyone has their little secrets. If this list proves useful, I'll record another merit for you."
"Then I'll take my leave."
Fang Chen put his bronze ghost mask back on and turned to leave the Battle Readiness Hall.
At the entrance of the Xie Zhi Division, Fang Chen stopped. His divine soul rushed into the sky, and it stood suspended in midair.
In an instant, countless figures wearing bronze ghost masks came into view. The bronze masks on their faces gradually dissolved, revealing their true appearances.
Fang Chen was instantly relieved.
So it works after all...
He had long hesitated over whether to let his soul leave his body within the Xie Zhi Division. But what had just happened caused a trace of concern to arise in his heart.
The next moment, Fang Chen's soul returned to the Battle Readiness Hall. Inside a quiet chamber, besides Chen Enxue, there was now another figure wearing a bronze ghost mask.
"Huang Dengdao's death may be related to him. Lure him to the Enlightenment Underworld Realm and bring him to me. I want to question him thoroughly," the bronze-masked figure said coldly to Chen Enxue.
Fang Chen's gaze sharpened.
She's a demon?
