The Calamity of Archimedes Venerable

The wind and snow were like knives, cutting through every inch of space, as if even time itself was frozen by the biting cold.

The Archimedes Venerable and the Venerable Chengliang stood facing each other, the atmosphere so heavy it was suffocating.

You Su and Bai Ze stood behind the Archimedes Venerable, their eyes wide, yet they remained silent, watching the clash between the two masters in silence, secretly speculating about their relationship and the origins of the old man's claim that the Archimedes Venerable was guilty.

After all, in their view, the Archimedes Venerable had absolutely nothing to do with a sinner.

"Venerable Chengliang, we are both celestial officials of the Immortal Ancestor Temple, and we know very well that some things cannot be said carelessly. Although I am usually a bit lazy, I have never done anything that disregards the law, so how could I be branded as a sinner?"

The Archimedes Venerable spoke with a playful tone, his face still bearing that unruly smile, but his eyes revealed an undeniable determination.

Venerable Chengliang's face was indifferent, his eyes as sharp as ice. He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and dry:

"I have already delegated the investigation of Shuo City's tax collection to others; why should you overstep your bounds?"

The Archimedes Venerable chuckled and shook his head upon hearing this:

"The person you sent couldn't figure it out, and since I happened to have some free time, I thought I'd do my part for the Finance Department, so no one will say I'm just a freeloader. The only oversight was that I used your seal to issue new documents without your permission, but I left a note, so it wasn't like I did it behind your back."

The Immortal Ancestor Temple is the core organization that governs the entire continent, representing and conveying the will of the five Immortal Ancestors. It is divided into the Personnel Department, the Rites Department, the Law Department, the Finance Department, and a Priest Department.

The Archimedes Venerable was a member of this Finance Department, and You Su deduced that this Venerable Chengliang should be the head of the Finance Department of the Immortal Ancestor Immortal Ancestor Temple of Kong Yuan Divine Mountain, that is, the Archimedes Venerable's superior.

You Su hadn't expected that upon his arrival in the Void Plains, he would encounter such a powerful figure at the pinnacle of power in the Northern Ao Continent. It's important to understand that the heads of the Six Departments are unlike ordinary Venerables; they are generally extremely mysterious and rarely appear in public. Even when You Su a relatively high position in the Central Yuan Continent, he had never met one of them.

Venerable Chengliang snorted coldly, his tone filled with unquestionable authority:

"Olympiad math! I told you long ago! The waters beneath Shuo City are too deep! Don't wade into these murky waters!"

"I don't want to get involved either... So why don't you make them pay the taxes? I can't just stand by and watch Shuo City bleed others dry and pretend I don't know anything about it."

"Nonsense! I have my own long-term plans! Why should you interfere?!"

"Long-term considerations?" The Archimedes Venerable's expression turned grim. "How far-reaching? How far-reaching? Every day that goes further, the tax revenue will be shorted, and more people will die because of this lack of money. You can wait, but I can't!"

Upon hearing this, You Su frowned slightly. It turned out that the people of the Immortal Ancestor Temple had already noticed the discrepancy in the taxes in Shuo City, but judging from the old man's attitude, it seemed that they did not intend to pursue the matter immediately. However, Archimedes Venerable was an anomaly among their immortal officials. Ignoring the advice of Venerable Chengliang, he went to Shuo City on his own to clarify the tax matter.

"When you came to take up your post, I taught you this! Don't try to manage everything in the world! As an official of the Immortal Ancestor Temple, everything should be based on the Immortal Ancestor's wishes. Helping the people and governing the world is secondary. Don't confuse the priorities! Have you completely ignored my teachings?!"

"Can't distinguish between light and heavy...?"

The Archimedes Venerable suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had heard a very funny joke. But after his laughter subsided, his expression instantly turned serious, and he declared emphatically, "Venerable Chengliang, you have obstructed my investigation of Shuo City in every way, yet you have been vague about the reasons, only using your so-called 'ancestor's will' to pressure me. I really want to ask you a question: your so-called long-term considerations—are they for the sake of the ancestor, for the sake of the people, or... for your own sake?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Venerable Chengliang was so angry that his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes widened in fury. The wind and snow behind him retreated rapidly, as if in fear, forming a space around the old man that was impervious to wind and snow.

"Utterly foolish!!"

But his anger seemed to have no effect on the Archimedes Venerable, Archimedes Venerable merely looked at the furious old man, shook his head slightly, and sighed softly.

"Anyway... the teacher has never praised me for being smart, has she?"

Upon hearing this, You Su's pupils widened slightly, realizing that the relationship between the two was intricate and far more than just a simple superior-subordinate relationship; they also had a master-disciple relationship.

Upon hearing this, Venerable Chengliang seemed to have his anger subside somewhat. He stared directly at Archimedes Venerable and earnestly advised him:

"Xiao Hua, come with me to apologize before the Immortal Ancestor, and this matter will be over. Not only will it not be considered a mistake on your part, but you have also rendered meritorious service in investigating taxes and slaying a great evil. With these multiple merits combined, my position as your teacher will undoubtedly belong to you from now on..."

"It seems that Master is still holding back his knowledge from his disciple..." The Archimedes Venerable smiled meaningfully. "Master's mastery of divination is truly unparalleled. He could even foresee that I had slain an evil spirit thousands of miles away in Shuo City. I admire him immensely."

You Su also suddenly realized that it was clear that Venerable Chengliang knew in advance that the person behind the Shuo City Lord was trying to bribe Archimedes Venerable with evil magic.

"You are a genius, don't waste your talent. No matter how ambitious you are, once you rise to power, no one will be able to stop you."

Venerable Chengliang offered up the final pie in the sky.

"Don't you seem to be living a very tiring life too?"

The Archimedes Venerable still smiled, his cynical demeanor quite irritating. "After I deliver my two young friends to their destination, I will return to the Immortal Ancestor Temple to report back, and by the way... ask for credit."

"Stubborn to the end!!"

A sudden, loud shout echoed through the heavens and earth, so powerful that You Su had to cover his eardrums to protect himself, while Bai Ze rolled his eyes back and grimaced in pain.

"Do you know the price I paid to bring this Divine Snow down for you?! I did it all to cover up our meeting and persuade you to confess your sins! If you were truly only after investigating tax evasion in Shuo City, why would I have gone to such lengths for you!"

Venerable Chengliang stood in mid-air, with the swirling snow behind him creating intricate patterns, as if the oppressive aura around him had materialized.

"You know perfectly well what you shouldn't have touched!"

You Su felt his soul tremble and his ears ring. Only then did he realize that the Archimedes Venerable's willingness to travel so far to investigate the accounts was indeed not for a simple purpose. During the two days that he stayed in the City Lord's Mansion's mansion to recuperate, the Archimedes Venerable was outside reforming the tax system, must have discovered something else, and that was his true purpose.

You Su felt that this made sense. Although Shuo City was short of taxes, it shouldn't be worth such a high price from those important figures to make the Archimedes Venerable turn a blind eye.

"It wasn't me who touched what I shouldn't have, it was you. Ultimately, you still can't convict me. Since I'm innocent, why should I be punished? If a conviction must be made, it shouldn't be by you, the head of the Finance Department, but by the Law Department. It's just a pity..."

The Archimedes Venerable looked up, his imposing aura slightly weakened, but his eyes remained fearless as he sneered:

"It's a pity you don't dare let me return to the sacred mountain, is it? The reason you stirred up the Divine Snow wasn't out of a pretense to save me, but to capture me here. Because nowhere outside is as discreet as the foot of this sacred mountain. With the Divine Snow, no eyes can get in. Under this pure white snow, there must be many corpses hidden, right?"

"That's why I never say you're smart."

Venerable Chengliang looked down at Archimedes Venerable from his high vantage point, his tone even carrying a hint of regret:

"You knowingly came into danger; this recklessness is your greatest folly."

"Blindly?"

Suddenly, a luminous wheel appeared behind the Archimedes Venerable, its inscriptions constantly rotating, their profound meaning almost palpable. "Then the teacher has truly misjudged his disciple. This disciple did not come here seeking death; I cast a divination for myself before coming."

"Those who make plans don't consider themselves; this is the natural order."

"Doesn't the teacher want to know what I figured out?"

"It's pointless, because going against the natural order will inevitably bring divine retribution; your defeat is already inevitable."

The Archimedes Venerable turned around, his gaze seemingly fixed on You Su through the wind and snow.

Through his sunglasses, You Su had the illusion of making eye contact with the Flower Daoist. The Flower Daoist gave You Su a sly smile and slowly spoke, as if addressing You Su:

"No! This mission will surely be accomplished!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Archimedes Venerable soared into the sky, with seven-colored rays of light spreading beneath his feet, and the wheel behind him spinning rapidly, scattering snow-like specks of light.

Opposite him Venerable Chengliang, whose aura was even more imposing. The swirling snow seemed to obey his command, condensing into pillars behind him, twisting and turning like dragons.

The wind and snow raged, and the world seemed to be nothing but blinding white. The fierce battle between the Archimedes Venerable and the Venerable Chengliang was like two surging torrents colliding in the ice and snow.

The aftershocks of their fierce battle should have been devastating, but this "Divine Snow" seemed to possess resilience, managing to contain these explosive shockwaves in one corner, preventing them from ravaging the surrounding area.

You Su thought to himself, "No wonder the Archimedes Venerable said that once the Divine Snow falls, no eyes can see this place anymore. This snow is indeed strange!"

But You Su had no time to think. Under the impact of this force, she and Little Bai Ze were like two leaves swept up by a gale, involuntarily shaken out of the safe zone and fell into the snow in the distance.

They barely managed to steady themselves, gazing at the blurry figure in the wind and snow, their hearts filled with shock and helplessness. The duel between Void Realm experts far exceeded their imagination; even the aftershocks were enough to fill them with awe.

You Su nervously pondered his current predicament. Clearly, he had unknowingly become embroiled in another mystery. There must be someone in the Immortal Ancestor Temple on Kong Yuan Divine Mountain doing some shady business, otherwise why would they target a colleague at the Void Glimpse Realm? Moreover, You Su was certain that these activities were at least bad for the people of the Northern Ao Continent, otherwise Archimedes Venerable would never have sided with Hushanxing.

Judging from this situation, the Archimedes Venerable is outnumbered and has crossed a line; defeat seems almost certain...

You Su was somewhat anxious. He didn't want to get involved in too many things, so he didn't ask what the Archimedes Venerable had done or investigated in Shuo City, just as the other party didn't concern himself with his affairs.

Why did the Archimedes Venerable's gaze linger on him at the end? Could the key to turning the tide lie with him? But he clearly knew nothing...

Just as You Su how to find a glimmer of hope between the two Venerable Ones, the Little Bai Ze in his arms suddenly jumped down, baring its teeth as if threatening something.

You Su then came to her senses and realized that someone was approaching again in the wind and snow.

The man was dressed in a pure white robe, seemingly blending into the swirling snow. He had an exceptionally handsome face and a gentle, refined demeanor, like a celestial being stepping out of a painting.

However, You Su sensed a faint hostility from the other party, which set off alarm bells in his mind.

"You're the one who killed Black Sea Moon?"

The man's voice was clear and calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

I don't know what you're talking about.

You Su took a step forward, shielding Bai Ze behind him. His hand was already on the Universe Bag, ready to take out the Ink Pine Sword at any moment.

"As expected of a country bumpkin who's never seen the world." The young man in white made no attempt to hide his disdain. "The moon in the sea is a jellyfish; the Black Sea Moon is a black jellyfish. Do you remember now?"

Upon hearing this, You Su suddenly realized what was happening. He did not deny it, but simply looked at the other person quietly, his eyes revealing a hint of wariness.

He couldn't discern the other person's cultivation level, but he could sense that the person before him was very strong. Even after his strength had greatly increased, he still felt a heavy pressure.

Seeing that You Su remained silent, the man put his hands behind his back and said to himself:

"Do you know how much we paid to save Black Sea Moon and bring it back to the Northern Ao Continent? I had hoped it would be of great use in our future endeavors, but instead, it was so easily killed by you, a blind country bumpkin. Tell me, shouldn't I be angry?"

"What does it have to do with me?"

You Su pressed his body low, ready for battle.

"Of course there's a connection." The young man in white strolled over with a faint smile. "You killed it, so naturally I'll seek compensation from you."

"I stepped on a stink bug on the roadside, and you claim it was your family's treasure and are now demanding compensation from me. Are all the people of Kong Yuan Divine Mountain this unreasonable?"

Upon hearing this, the young man in white stopped in his tracks, his smile deepening, yet revealing an undisguised sinister glint.

"So, you're planning to renege on your promise?"

"This is my cat. You just glanced at it. My cat is quite valuable, and I don't usually show it to others. But I won't charge you this time; consider it payment." You Su replied casually, defiantly challenging him.

"Hahaha! A country bumpkin is a country bumpkin, even his words have a sharp tongue."

The young man in white robes danced in the wind, exuding a powerful aura.

"It's alright, you can't get rid of this debt. If you don't pay, I'll come and collect it myself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man moved and shot towards You Su like an arrow released from a bow!