Longhen Palace's Background, Analysis, and Connections

Blood gushed from his throat.

Thud!

The arm holding up his saber went limp, and his whole body crashed to the ground. Blood soon spread across the floor.

Old Man Dry Smoke and Liu Wumei both stared at Su Chen in shock.

Su Chen's expression remained calm.

He walked over to Du Yuan's body.

After searching him, he found only some Silver Notes and nothing else.

The others had only some Silver Notes on them as well.

He tucked all the Silver Notes into his robe.

Looking at Old Man Dry Smoke and Liu Wumei, he said, "Isn't searching the dead perfectly normal?"

"Now we need to dispose of these bodies, or people from the Northern Commandery might find some clues."

"Do you have a way to destroy the bodies?"

He looked at Old Man Dry Smoke and Liu Wumei after speaking.

At Su Chen's words, Liu Wumei's expression eased somewhat.

Then she nodded to the old man.

A jade bottle appeared in the old man's hand.

They dragged all the bodies outside. He poured some powder from the jade bottle, and the corpses instantly dissolved into pools of thick liquid.

The rain washed the liquid away, and it soon disappeared.

Only the Northern Commandery's tokens and the steel sabers they had used remained.

"There's no way to deal with these. Uncle Lu, find somewhere to bury what's left!"

Liu Wumei said to Old Man Dry Smoke.

Old Man Dry Smoke gathered up the steel sabers and tokens, then got up and left the ruined temple.

"Lord Su, we owe you for this. Otherwise, we might have met our end here."

Liu Wumei spoke.

"I was only protecting myself. Du Yuan was one of the five Centurions of the Northern Commandery's Lingnan Commandery. Someone like him must have had another reason for coming here besides the Blood Demon Flower."

"Besides, they must have decided to kill us as soon as they entered the ruined temple. They acted far too decisively for it to be otherwise. They didn't want anyone to know where they'd been."

Su Chen spoke gravely.

Hearing his analysis, Liu Wumei nodded. It matched her own thoughts.

"Then guess what they were after."

Liu Wumei asked solemnly.

"I don't know what they were after, but when you mentioned the Blood Demon Flower, judging by Du Yuan's expression, he already knew what it was."

"By rights, such a treasure would be invaluable even to the Lingnan Commandery Suppression Bureau. They shouldn't have let word of it get out."

"With the Lingnan Suppression Bureau's power, waiting until the Blood Demon Flower matured would have been no problem."

"But the flower was being cultivated by Qin Hao of the Qin Family. That's what makes this so suspicious."

"The Qin Family may be powerful, but it's nowhere near the Suppression Bureau. So the Blood Demon Flower might be part of a scheme laid by the Northern Commandery."

"As for the purpose of the scheme, I can't guess."

Su Chen spoke gravely.

"Su Chen, I admire you more and more. If you join Changhen Palace, I can recommend you to my master."

"Changhen Palace isn't as simple as it looks on the surface."

"Where does the most money in the world get spent? Brothels and gambling dens. Do you really think the Great Zhou Dynasty would let outsiders control establishments like those?"

Liu Wumei looked at Su Chen as she spoke.

At her words, Su Chen's eyes narrowed.

He really hadn't given this much thought.

But from Liu Wumei's words, he could tell that Changhen Palace must have ties to Great Zhou.

Perhaps joining the organization would be good for him. He planned to hand Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower over to Bai Tianyu and control it from the shadows.

Mountain River Sect, Zitan Palace, and Changhen Palace were the sources of backing he was considering for the future.

From what he could tell, Mountain River Sect was the weakest. Zitan Palace was far beyond the frontier.

That left Changhen Palace as the best choice.

"Madam Liu, I'll give it careful consideration," Su Chen said.

He didn't give her an immediate answer.

"There's no need to rush this."

"Our goal right now is to get the Blood Demon Flower. As long as you help me obtain it and improve my aptitude, I'll be able to earn a considerable position in Changhen Palace."

"That would be a good thing for you, too."

Liu Wumei looked at Su Chen.

"Since I agreed to help you get the Blood Demon Flower, I'll do it. You can rest assured, Madam Liu."

Su Chen spoke.

After that, neither of them said anything more.

The next morning.

Su Chen and the others departed, while Old Man Dry Smoke continued driving the carriage back to Qingcheng City.

After returning to Qingcheng City, Su Chen left Yuchun Courtyard and went back to Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.

"Greetings, Lord!"

Not long after he went upstairs, Ling Tianhe appeared before Su Chen.

"The Blood Demon Flower in the valley has been confirmed. Spread the news through the black market."

"Also, I want Bai Tianyu's identity brought into the open. I've put together a brief profile for him. Add some details when you get back, then spread that around as well."

Su Chen gave his orders.

"Yes!"

Ling Tianhe took the information from Su Chen and accepted the order.

"Also, take some men with Bai Tianyu and wipe out Lei Hall and the Lei Family."

"Tell them I asked you to do it, and that the price was Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower. Starting today, Bai Tianyu will be the lord of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower."

"After you wipe out Lei Hall and the Lei Family, all their businesses will be absorbed into Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower."

Su Chen spoke.

"Go after the Lei Family? Lord, the Blood Demon Flower hasn't matured yet. Why attack the Lei Family now?"

Ling Tianhe had expected everything Su Chen had said before that. But he didn't understand why they were going after Lei Hall before the Blood Demon Flower had matured.

"Don't worry. Isn't Qin Hao of the Qin Family still there?"

Su Chen said.

Qin Hao of the Qin Family would certainly make sure the Blood Demon Flower matured.

Besides, the Northern Commandery was lurking behind all this. They had set their scheme in motion—how could they let the Blood Demon Flower fail to mature?

"This subordinate will immediately arrange for the news to be spread through the black market."

Ling Tianhe bowed and left the room.

Only Su Chen remained inside.

"What person—or what matter—was important enough for the Suppression Bureau to set such a huge scheme in motion?"

Su Chen tapped his fingers on the table.

The Lingnan Commandery Suppression Bureau was one of the strongest forces in Lingnan Commandery for dealing with the martial world.

Their scheme must have been aimed at someone in the martial world, or at some faction within it.

The Blood Demon Flower was only useful to an individual.

So it had to be aimed at a person—or rather, someone within a certain faction.

A flash of insight crossed Su Chen's mind.

He thought of the Cold Moon Sect.

The Cold Moon Sect had been founded by the former Imperial Daughter of Great Chu, a fugitive heir to the throne. It had long been hunted.

Zi Hanyue was the Cold Moon Sect's Saintess.

Bai Tianyu had secretly investigated her before. Her strength was only a little greater than Liu Wumei's.

Zi Hanyue's presence in Qingcheng City was strange in itself.

Perhaps the Northern Commandery's scheme was aimed at Zi Hanyue.

Or perhaps it had something to do with why she had come here.

At that thought, Su Chen's mind cleared.

"I just wonder who set this scheme in motion. If I knew, I'd beat them to death!"

Su Chen spoke gravely.

Su Mengbai had been killed by people sent by Lei Ao.

But without the person behind this scheme, Su Mengbai wouldn't have died.

And Su Chen wouldn't have come to this world.

He would thank that person by beating them to death.

Elsewhere.

After returning, Ling Tianhe immediately passed the information along in secret.

Once it was sent out, he and Bai Tianyu appeared at Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.

He immediately gathered men and secretly sent them to Lei Hall. Then he set off toward Lei Hall with Bai Tianyu.