Sending You On Your Way

"Xu You… why hasn't he returned yet?"

The green lamp flickered, Shen Yan draped a thin coat over her shoulders, pacing anxiously in the room as she waited.

"Does killing a Xie Zhen really take this long?"

She suddenly felt uneasy.

From the Northern Prefecture to Qing Province, she had tested him many times, and it was indeed true that Xie Zhen possessed no Qi.

According to her deductions, he should only be a Qi Refiner who knew a little about talismans, at most having some connection to the Daoist Sect.

With Xu You's cultivation, killing such a Qi Refiner should only take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Creak."

A very light sound of a door opening rang out, Shen Yan turned around in surprise, but her face turned pale in the next moment.

The one who returned was not Xu You.

It was Xie Zhen.

"Miss Shen, we meet again…"

Xie Xuanyi had a faint smile on his face, his tone peaceful, as if greeting an old friend.

But this tone sent a chill down Shen Yan's spine.

Because his white clothes were still stained with patches of blood.

"I thought we wouldn't have to meet again."

Xie Xuanyi closed the door, slowly strolled over to the jade desk where Xu You conducted business, and sat down with composure.

Xie Xuanyi poured himself tea, and said softly, "Perhaps we are really destined."

"Xie Zhen…"

Shen Yan was a smart person.

She quickly calmed down, suppressed the fear in her heart, and sat down opposite Xie Xuanyi.

"Xu You, is he dead?"

She had already guessed the truth of some things, but at this moment she couldn't help but ask.

This was the deputy city lord of Taian City!

At the peak of the Qi Guiding Realm!

"There is a term in the Demon Realm called 'Rebirth.' Many years ago, when Grandmaster Mozhen bewitched people, he would tell those foolish cultivators that as long as they worked for the Demon Realm, even death was not to be feared… as long as they made enough contributions, they could leave a wisp of their soul in the Demon Realm, and this wisp of soul was the hope of 'Rebirth.' Those 'humans' who worked for the Demon Realm, even if they died, no matter what the outcome, the Grandmaster would give them a chance to 'live again.'"

Xie Xuanyi lowered his head and sipped his tea, his tone calm, "In their terms, Xu You is not dead… I sent him to 'Rebirth.'"

Shen Yan's face turned incredibly pale.

More terrifying than Xie Zhen killing Xu You was the word "Demon Realm" that Xie Zhen uttered.

"Rebirth, isn't that a ridiculous term?"

Xie Xuanyi raised his head, staring at Shen Yan with a smile that was not a smile, "But some people believe it. How can a dead person live again? What good can come from working for the Demon Realm?"

In this room hung extremely conspicuous plaques that read "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty" and "Dedicate Your Heart."

The calligraphy and paintings left on Xu You's jade desk even more showed his patriotic feelings, devoting himself to the country, and dying without regret. No wonder the citizens of Taian City thought Xu You was a hero, and no wonder his adopted son Xu Jing regarded him as a role model.

Now it seemed extremely ironic.

Unexpectedly.

Shen Yan did not beg for mercy, nor did she repent.

She just stared coldly at the white-clothed youth in front of her, "Then what good is it to work for the Great Chu?"

Xie Xuanyi frowned slightly.

"The Chu Emperor has passed away, the Heavenly Dao has collapsed, the people of the Northern Prefecture are struggling to survive, after the war, they have encountered a year of great famine, the blood has not yet dried, and there are bones frozen to death everywhere."

"The Imperial City Bureau is not thinking of making progress, dismissing the Garrison Envoy, closing the borders of the Northern Territory, and turning a blind eye to the suffering of the people. I heard that there is singing and dancing every night in the Eternal Spring Pavilion. Does the Imperial City know that for every song, how many people in the Northern Prefecture starve to death, are overworked to death, and die of illness?"

Shen Yan said expressionlessly, "I work for the Great Chu, but the Great Chu will not remember my good deeds. I work for the Demon Realm, at least… I can survive, and I can live well."

"……"

Xie Xuanyi fell silent.

After sleeping for ten years, he really didn't know much about the current Great Chu.

However, along the way, the Northern Prefecture was even more miserable than before.

"So you can even kill your own biological parents?"

When searching Xu You's soul, Xie Xuanyi knew what Shen Yan had done for this mission.

In order to enter the pass smoothly.

Shen Yan personally took action to exterminate the Lingluo Mountain sect.

Even a killer like Xie Xuanyi was "shocked" by this kind of behavior.

"Killed is killed."

Shen Yan laughed, not caring in the slightest, "Like you said, I'm just sending them to 'Rebirth'... In this world, what's so good about living?"

Xie Xuanyi was silent once more.

He understood now.

Shen Yan was a complete and utter madwoman.

Someone like this was even more terrifying than Xu You.

"Xie Zhen, you can kill me if you want, I don't care. But I must remind you... this is Taian City."

Shen Yan's tone was extremely cold, "The Imperial City Bureau's Primal Chaos Monitor is watching this place at all times. Xu You's death will definitely attract attention from above. If you kill me, can you escape?"

"I have a thousand ways to escape."

Xie Xuanyi said calmly, "The simplest is to reveal the truth to the public."

"You won't do that."

Shen Yan smiled.

She raised her head, looking at the handsome young man in white before her, "The identity of a Demon Realm spy is certainly something that can't be exposed... but compared to Xu You and me, your identity seems even more worth keeping secret, right?"

Xie Xuanyi's hand holding the teacup paused slightly.

"You are the one the Demon Realm Venerable spent great effort deducing as the person who can pass through. The 'person' who can be targeted by the demons will never be a Great Chu dead soldier, and even less likely to be a loyal and righteous person with a soul imprint left in the Primal Chaos Monitor. In other words... your identity within Great Chu must be chaotic and ambiguous."

"You have connections with the Daoist Sect."

"You can kill a Qi Guiding Realm peak cultivator with Qi Refinement cultivation."

"I don't believe that such a person would be an unknown nobody... Your name must be fake, your identity must also be fake. Once you are targeted by the Imperial City Bureau, you will be a 'suspect' even more worthy of attention than Xu You and me. Someone without an identity or origin, revealing a Demon Realm spy, will the Imperial City Bureau believe you?"

Shen Yan said slowly, "In other words, even if you say you're a good person, who knows?"

"Miss Shen, you shouldn't have been born on Lingluo Mountain."

After listening, Xie Xuanyi couldn't help but sigh and said seriously, "You should have been born in the Imperial City and become a Sandalwood Guard."

Shen Yan shook her head, noncommittal.

"So... Young Master Xie, killing me is not a wise move. You killed Xu You and took the Demon Realm token, why not use it to the fullest?"

She said slowly, "I can help you."

Xie Xuanyi looked at Shen Yan meaningfully.

"Help me?"

"Help you get rid of the Imperial City Bureau's pursuit, escape the Primal Chaos Monitor's surveillance, and erase everything that happened in Taian City tonight."

Shen Yan seemed calm, but her ten fingers were already embedded in her palms, pinching out streaks of blood.

She spoke softly, proposing a deal, "In any case, you need to prove that Xu You's death has nothing to do with you."

After saying these words.

The young man in white across the jade table, as expected, fell into thought.

Seeing Xie Zhen's reaction now.

Shen Yan knew that she had guessed right, and also gambled right.

This young man in white's identity was even more mysterious than hers and Xu You's!

"Miss Shen, you have reminded me."

After a moment, Xie Xuanyi raised his head and said seriously, "Perhaps the Primal Chaos Monitor is watching me right now. Those Imperial City Bureau guys all have dog noses, and are much more troublesome than demon cultivators."

Hearing these words.

Shen Yan's heart relaxed slightly.

But before she could continue speaking.

The young man drinking tea across the jade table suddenly slashed with two fingers together.

Sizzle!

"???"

Shen Yan widened her beautiful eyes, lowering her head in disbelief.

A thin line of blood appeared on her jade neck, stretching into a line. She subconsciously reached out to cover it, but it was already too late.

Fresh blood spurted from between her fingers, falling on the white paper spread out on the jade table, turning into spots of eerily scarlet plum blossoms.

"As thanks, I'll send you on your way."

Xie Xuanyi looked at Shen Yan one last time.

He stood up, took out a talisman from his bosom, and pressed it down.

Golden Qi swept out, igniting the entire table...

Soon the fire spread.

The entire Xu residence was filled with billowing black smoke.