King of Creation

Chapter 1952: Chapter 1937: The Whereabouts of Chi Ling’er

"Big Ears, keep monitoring the sound from the Clan Leader’s location that you heard just now, and continue looking for useful information. I’ll be back shortly."

Having thrown out such a puzzling sentence, Ye Zhen’s form flickered like a water ripple and disappeared into thin air.

"Hey, Brother Ye, what’s going on with the Clan Leader’s location..." Hu Qingtong wanted to ask, but Ye Zhen had already vanished.

What astonished everyone the most was that their Divine Sense couldn’t determine which direction Ye Zhen had gone or in what manner he had left.

Especially Tiger Chimei, who was witnessing Ye Zhen’s skill for the first time.

Ye Zhen’s Innate Five Elements Divine Escape, not to mention Tiger Chimei, even a Dao Realm expert couldn’t see through it.

The kidnapping of the unidentified Chi Ling’er had already touched Ye Zhen’s reverse scale, so he could no longer afford to hide his skills at this time.

No matter if it causes any shock, finding Chi Ling’er’s whereabouts is the top priority.

Almost in the blink of an eye, Ye Zhen appeared near Qingqiu Palace at the heart of Tushan. Even though there was some impressive Restrictions around Qingqiu Palace, they were nothing before Ye Zhen’s Innate Five Elements Divine Escape.

Qingqiu Palace is located at the mountaintop in the center of Tushan, surrounded by only a few sparse buildings.

The Supreme Elders of the Fox Clan, along with the Clan Leader and some functional buildings, were located there.

With Big Ears Nie Ting using his Heavenly Sound Divine Ability to directly send sound into Ye Zhen’s ear and guide him, Ye Zhen quickly reached the place where the young man was talking with the so-called Clan Leader according to rumors.

This location was behind the residence of Fox Clan Clan Leader Tu Zheng.

With this discovery, Ye Zhen’s face turned cold.

Cautiously sneaking into the side hall behind the conversation, Ye Zhen’s Divine Sense gently adhered to a few clumps of green bamboo at the window of the side hall, and the voices and scenes inside the side hall were completely absorbed by Ye Zhen’s ears and eyes.

An old man with three strands of long beard underneath his chin was stroking his beard in contemplation, while the Grand Young Master Tu Jinggao, seen before at the Clan Leader’s residence, was respectfully standing in front of him.

"Honorable Father, Chi Ling’er disappeared too suspiciously. Today, her silent disappearance has caused widespread panic within the clan. Shouldn’t we investigate this matter thoroughly to calm the people’s hearts?" Tu Jinggao was seeking instructions from Clan Leader Tu Zheng.

"Thorough investigation?"

The Fox Clan Clan Leader Tu Zheng pondered again, "Jinggao, I imagine you understood my previous remarks—it’s all about keeping Hu Qingtong.

But just keeping her for a day and a half isn’t enough."

"Honorable Father, I don’t understand why you’re lowering yourself so much, willing to pay any price to keep Hu Qingtong? Why are you doing this?" Tu Jinggao was puzzled.

"You’re better off not knowing why for now, but Hu Qingtong is extremely important to our Fox Clan. Therefore, assuming a low posture to keep her for a day and a half is merely a temporary measure to buy time for preparations and find a way to keep Hu Qingtong permanently."

At this point, Clan Leader Tu Zheng suddenly smiled, "But look, it’s apparent someone has thought ahead of us and has come up with an effective method."

Tu Jinggao was taken aback, "Honorable Father, you’re referring to Chi Ling’er?"

"Indeed, it seems that those who know the secret aren’t limited to just me! However, to accomplish the matter, as per my knowledge of Hu Qingtong, using methods like kidnapping Chi Ling’er, though potentially successful, carries high risks.

But now, this person’s actions have presented us with a great opportunity!" Tu Zheng said.

These words left Tu Jinggao utterly confused, "Father, I don’t understand what you mean?"

"Heh, not understanding is exactly right."

"Go, take my Command Letter, mobilize the manpower immediately, and make every effort to locate Chi Linger’s whereabouts as quickly as possible. But remember, once you find Chi Ling’er, don’t rush to hand her over immediately; we need to do some ’work’ on Chi Ling’er to succeed.

Once this task is accomplished, the great matter can be anticipated!" With that, Tu Zheng chuckled lightly.

Tu Jinggao’s confusion grew, but he had no choice but to comply with his father’s instructions, although he still had some doubts.

"Honorable Father, we are searching across the area of millions of li within Qingqiu, and even Tushan itself spans thousands of li. Finding a Chi Ling’er who might be hidden is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Furthermore, the perpetrator might have left Qingqiu at any moment, which makes this extremely difficult..."

"Finding a needle in a haystack is not necessarily the case."

The Clan Leader Tu Jinggao smiled at his son, "I’ll point you in a direction—within our entire Fox Clan, only those few elders might know or plot this matter.

Focus your search and investigation on those elders; no need for evidence, just determine the suspicion. At that time, I’ll step in at the right moment to ’save’ her at ’any cost.’"

"Those few elders within the clan?"

Tu Jinggao was surprised by the direction his father pointed out, "What about the three Supreme Elders?"

"No need to inquire about the three Supreme Elders! The three Supreme Elders have been within for years and have just returned recently, making it impossible for them to know the secret.

Focus your search on the elders who have been in Tushan for years and who mainly manage clan affairs." Tu Zheng instructed.

"Yes, Father, I will handle it promptly."

"Remember, the search must be made a grand affair, so that Hu Qing Tong is aware of our actions and intentions, but when investigating the elders, it must be done in secret.

After tomorrow, when father returns and ’at all costs’ rescues Chi Ling’er, Hu Qing Tong should cooperate very well!" Tu Zheng’s lips curled into a self-satisfied smile as he confidently sipped his tea.

"Alright, I’ll take care of it, father."

Inside the underground passage, Ye Zhen’s forehead was beading with fine sweat!

What does it mean to manipulate people?

This is what manipulation looks like!

The way this Fox Clan leader Tu Zheng manipulates hearts is simply remarkable.

On one hand, he acts in a way that endears him to Hu Qing Tong, making her unable to leave without feeling gratitude.

On the other hand, he’s plotting against Hu Qing Tong.

And if things go according to Tu Zheng’s plan, once he, as clan leader, rescues Chi Ling’er tomorrow, he might deliver a touching drama that would not only make Hu Qing Tong grateful and loyal, to the point of obeying blindly, but even Ye Zhen would be indebted.

For this Fox Clan Leader Tu Zheng, they would risk life and limb, no matter what.

Upon this thought, a chill surged through Ye Zhen’s heart, this scheme.

Ye Zhen used the gentlest method to quietly retract the strand of Divine Sense attached to the bamboo outside the window, vanishing instantly.

It appears that Clan Leader Tu Zheng is plotting against Hu Qing Tong.

But this matter is definitely not a simple calculation.

Moreover, Ye Zhen’s discovery today has made things a bit more complicated.

Given the apparent kindness Tu Zheng has shown to Hu Qing Tong, if certain demands are made, Hu Qing Tong would find it hard to refuse.

Yet once she agrees, it would pull Hu Qing Tong in deeper.

Thus, Ye Zhen faces two tasks: to quickly find Chi Ling’er and expose Tu Zheng’s hypocritical nature.

But this second matter requires careful thought by Ye Zhen, because such things aren’t easily changed by a few words; it also depends on Hu Qing Tong herself.

In this venture, Ye Zhen has gained a lot.

Not only did he uncover the true nature of Clan Leader Tu Zheng, but he also confirmed Chi Ling’er’s current situation.

According to Tu Zheng, the individuals who kidnapped Chi Ling’er are most likely elders from the Fox Clan, pursuing the same objective.

The purpose of kidnapping Chi Ling’er is to force Hu Qing Tong to comply.

In other words, Chi Ling’er should still be safe.

Ye Zhen’s only concern is that those who kidnapped Chi Ling’er, to force Hu Qing Tong’s compliance, might harm Chi Ling’er.

Therefore, it’s imperative to find and rescue Chi Ling’er as soon as possible to prevent any mishaps.

"Qing Tong, how many elders are currently in the Qingqiu Fox Clan?" Upon returning to the small courtyard, Ye Zhen asked directly.

"Nine is the utmost extent; from ancient times to the present, the Qingqiu Fox Clan has only ever had nine elders."

"Which of these nine elders reside at Qingqiu Tu Mountain, managing clan affairs?" Ye Zhen asked again.

"Well..."

After some consideration, Hu Qing Tong replied, "The elders residing at Qingqiu Tu Mountain for managing clan affairs are only four: Fourth Elder Tu Yi, Sixth Elder Hu Yuanxun, Seventh Elder Tu Xian, and Ninth Elder Hu Buding."

"Is Ninth Elder Hu Buding also among them?" Ye Zhen’s brows shot up suddenly, suddenly connecting a thought, "Draw me a simple map of these four elders’ residences, and also provide a Spirit Image for each."

This made Hu Qing Tong more perplexed, "Brother Ye, what exactly did you uncover? Are you investigating these four elders?"

"Just give me their locations quickly, and I’ll explain to you later." Ye Zhen urged.

Hu Qing Tong was extremely clever, and quickly drew a simple map for Ye Zhen in the shortest time.

After Ye Zhen glanced at and memorized the map, he directly handed it to Big Ears Nie Ting, "Focus on these four directions, and monitor any sounds within these residences."

"Wait here; until I return, don’t act rashly!"

Seeing Ye Zhen preparing to depart again, Hu Qing Tong was so anxious she almost cried, "Brother Ye, did you uncover clues about Chi Ling’er, who kidnapped her? Tell me first so we can find a way together."

"Currently, there’s just a direction for search. I have a good Escape Skill, so I’ll go scout first. As soon as there’s news, I’ll inform you and the others immediately."

Ye Zhen’s voice paused slightly, glanced at Hu Qingtong, "Just now, at Clan Leader Tu Zheng’s mansion, I saw Tu Jinggao consulting Clan Leader Tu Zheng on how to handle this matter. Clan Leader Tu Zheng instructed Tu Jinggao to make a big show of arranging manpower to search for Chi Ling’er’s whereabouts.

However, it can be confirmed that Chi Ling’er was not abducted by Clan Leader Tu Zheng."

After speaking, Ye Zhen’s figure flickered and vanished into thin air again, leaving Hu Qingtong in a dazed state, gasping in surprise.

Mainly because Ye Zhen’s words contained too much information.

With Clan Leader displaying such a humble stance, nearly begging Hu Qingtong to wait for him for a day and a half, not hesitating to burn Origin Essence Blood to rush back, yet now appearing in a mansion not a hundred miles away from here, what’s going on?

Clan Leader still wants Grand Young Master Tu Jinggao to make a big show of searching for Chi Ling’er’s whereabouts, what’s going on?

Even though Hu Qingtong is extremely clever, at this moment, her mind is somewhat chaotic.

The saying that one’s mind gets troubled when involved, not remains unaffected, describes Hu Qingtong’s situation now.

Almost less than half a quarter-hour after Ye Zhen left, a patrol officer rushed into the small courtyard, "Hu Qingtong, Grand Young Master has already learned about Chi Ling’er’s disappearance and has personally ordered a large search in Qingqiu; even if we have to turn Qingqiu upside down, we must find Chi Ling’er."

A moment later, the Dao Realm practitioner who had been on duty before appeared in the courtyard, "Grand Young Master, holding the clan leader’s command, orders us to fully search for Chi Ling’er’s whereabouts. Qingtong, please describe Chi Ling’er’s disappearance to us again, to facilitate the search."

After a while, another patrol officer came to report, "Sister from the Hu Family, rest assured, the Grand Young Master already holds the clan leader’s command letter, mobilizing five thousand of our Fox Clan patrols, including ten Dao Realm experts, to search for Chi Ling’er.

Grand Young Master has said, even if digging three feet under, Chi Ling’er must be found, please don’t worry!"

"This being so, Qingtong is grateful for the Grand Young Master’s care." While expressing thanks, bitterness filled Hu Qingtong’s eyes.

As smart as she is, and with Ye Zhen’s earlier advice, how could she not understand the intentions behind the Clan Leader and Grand Young Master Tu Jinggao’s grand display?

This is aimed at making Hu Qingtong owe Clan Leader Tu Zheng an enormous favor once the Clan Leader ’returns’ tomorrow; in the face of this favor, regardless of what request Clan Leader Tu Zheng makes, she would agree.

Upon this realization, Hu Qingtong shivered!

If it weren’t for Ye Zhen’s presence, she and Chi Ling’er’s later years might very well be manipulated by Clan Leader Tu Zheng.

What worries Hu Qingtong even more.

The Clan Leader has arranged such a large array, creating such a grand spectacle just to have Hu Qingtong owe a giant favor.

So, what exactly does Clan Leader Tu Zheng intend for Hu Qingtong to do with this huge favor?

It is certainly not a trivial matter; otherwise, the grand set-up by the Clan Leader wouldn’t make sense.

But the problem is, until now, even Hu Qingtong herself couldn’t fathom what Clan Leader Tu Zheng could possibly want from her.

Moreover, while Hu Qingtong is extremely confident in Ye Zhen, when Ye Zhen said the Clan Leader Tu Zheng was in his mansion, Hu Qingtong was still a bit incredulous.

This is the trouble many smart people face, having too many thoughts.

But in the end, Ye Zhen’s prediction that the Grand Young Master would search vigorously for Chi Ling’er came true.

And it wasn’t just any grand search, this was a search where finding Chi Ling’er would clearly make her owe an enormous favor.

Hu Qingtong now completely believes.

The attitude and ideas toward Clan Leader Tu Zheng have unconsciously changed.

...

Ye Zhen doesn’t know the change in Hu Qingtong’s thoughts at this time, but Ye Zhen believes Hu Qingtong is clever enough to figure it out.

Ye Zhen is now carefully searching the mansion of Fox Clan’s Fourth Elder Tu Yi for any possible clues.

This is a very time-consuming task; a fox clan elder’s mansion covers an area of about ten miles in circumference but has a vast depth from top to bottom.

Ye Zhen has to search carefully through each part.

Ye Zhen only needs to search four families.

"Master, I heard some news, but I can’t confirm it." Nie Ting’s voice suddenly sounded in Ye Zhen’s ear.

From such a distance, naturally, Divine Soul Telecommunication can’t be used, but Nie Ting can directly use Heavenly Sound Divine Ability to deliver the sound to Ye Zhen’s ear.

"Speak!"

With Heavenly Sound Divine Ability in play, as long as in Big Ears’ Heavenly Sound Divine Ability range, Big Ears can hear Ye Zhen’s voice.

Must say, Big Ears Nie Ting’s Heavenly Sound Divine Ability is truly an incredible tool!

"At Ninth Elder Hu Buding’s mansion, things seem somewhat unusual. They appear quite attentive to Grand Young Master Tu Jinggao’s vigorous search for Chi Ling’er.

That Elder Hu Buding just arranged for his third son to join the search party, instructing if any discovery or movement occurs, to report to him immediately."

"Keep watching; I’ll be there shortly."

Ye Zhen’s gaze turned sharply focused.

Ninth Elder Hu Buding’s arrangement raises issues.

Hu Buding’s daughter Hu Lian just had a major conflict with Ye Zhen, Hu Qingtong, and others over Chi Ling’er and her friends; it stands to reason Hu Buding would wish harm upon Chi Ling’er.

Of course, caring about the outcome is normal.

Not lacking malicious speculation, if Chi Ling’er indeed met misfortune, this Elder Hu Buding might drink and laugh it off without issue.

Yet he’s proactively sending his son with a team to assist in searching, demanding immediate reporting upon discovery.

This stance has issues.

Ye Zhen doesn’t believe this Elder Hu Buding is a person of selfless public spirit.

Conversely, the previous conflict with Hu Lian demonstrated Hu Buding is protective and selfish, so how would he send help?

Having realized this, Ye Zhen’s expression turned stern once more.

No, it’s not right.

Thus, considering the previous conflict between Hu Lian and Hu Qingtong, when Ninth Elder Hu Buding intervened, disregarding all to act corruptly, viciously wanting Hu Qingtong mother and child separated and detained.

Sending Hu Qingtong to Qingqiu Tomb to reflect, and detaining Chi Ling’er before expelling her from Qingqiu.

At that time, this seemed like Hu Buding’s shameless act of protection.

But now, viewed by Ye Zhen, it’s something different.

The foxes of Qingqiu number in the billions, those in human form reach millions; Hu Buding managing internal Fox Clan affairs as Ninth Elder, being a fox with Spirit Wisdom exceeding humans, could never be so shortsighted and shallow.

Publicly favoring his daughter, also clandestinely retaliating.

Such actions easily stir public rage, seemingly protective short-sightedness outside.

But now, both Hu Buding’s protective stance and Chi Ling’er’s abduction result are the same.

That’s both cases allow Hu Buding to gain control over Chi Ling’er.

As long as he controls Chi Ling’er, he could use her safety to threaten Hu Qingtong.

The former is overt, the latter covert, but outcomes are similar.

Ye Zhen presently has at least eighty percent certainty Chi Ling’er was likely abducted by Ninth Elder Hu Buding.

With this judgment, the connected events become clear to Ye Zhen.

Previously, Ye Zhen wondered how a clan like the Fox Clan could have such shortsighted, shameless elders.

Now, it’s clear it’s not Hu Buding being shortsighted or shameless, rather that they plan to threaten Hu Qingtong.

Hu Buding plotted earlier to use Chi Ling’er to threaten Hu Qingtong.

This turns out as one plan failing, another emerging.

Hence, Ye Zhen is additionally surprised; Clan Leader Tu Zheng and Ninth Elder Hu Buding within the Fox Clan are plotting something regarding Hu Qingtong.

What exactly are they plotting?

What secret does Hu Qingtong hold?

However, Ye Zhen doesn’t have time to ponder these matters right now; the primary need is to locate and rescue Chi Ling’er.

Without prior whereabouts, it’s difficult to manage.

Now Ye Zhen roughly judged Chi Ling’er’s location, making matters simpler.

Activating Divine Sense, Ye Zhen swiftly travels underground using Innate Five Elements Divine Escape akin to lightning, arriving beneath Ninth Elder Hu Buding’s mansion within mere breaths.

First, find where they are detaining Chi Ling’er, rescue her, then deal with other matters.

Ye Zhen’s eyes are filled with Evil Qi at this moment.

Dare to target my unrecognized daughter, this is definitely not a matter that ends with rescuing Chi Ling’er!