True Void Calm Heart Art

He Sheng had picked up this little monkey four or five months ago. Not only had it not grown at all, even its expression and appearance had not changed in the slightest from several months before.

Every day, aside from eating, it simply sat there in a daze, uninterested in anything.

He Sheng had once suspected that he had gotten it wrong—that this foolish monkey was not a Bright Wisdom Water Ape at all. After all, its vacant, idiotic manner had not the slightest connection to the words "Bright Wisdom."

Yet he had read the descriptions of Bright Wisdom Water Apes in the <Myriad Demons Co-Cultivation Spirit Transformation Art> over and over until he practically wore them out, and still found no evidence that this foolish monkey was not one.

"Could it be that Bright Wisdom Water Apes require some special method of rearing? Do they need to be made wise and have their minds opened first?

"Or perhaps... I need to first gain an entry-level grasp of the corresponding spell, then co-cultivate with it to open its mind?"

The embryonic divine ability related to the Bright Wisdom Water Ape recorded in the <Myriad Demons Co-Cultivation Spirit Transformation Art> was [Origin Communion].

The specific method was this: on one hand, one had to nurture the Bright Wisdom Water Ape and increase the awakening level of its superior Profound-grade bloodline until it awakened its innate talent, [Bright Origin];

On the other hand, one had to cultivate the high-tier spell True Void Clear Heart Art to the realm of great completion, then co-cultivate with a Bright Wisdom Water Ape that had awakened its innate talent [Bright Origin] to derive the transcendent art.

True Void Clear Heart Art was an auxiliary spell. Put simply, it was an upgraded version of things like a "Calming Heart Mantra" or "Ice Heart Art."

Such spells generally served to subdue the heart's monkey, fortify one's true heart, ward off external evils, and reduce the erosion of inner demons.

"The <Myriad Demons Co-Cultivation Spirit Transformation Art> does record the complete cultivation method for the True Void Clear Heart Art. Perhaps I should set aside some time later to gain an initial grasp of this spell first."

He Sheng knew well that, as for the co-cultivation method of [Origin Communion], he would be unable to begin cultivating it directly—not just in the short term, but for a long time to come.

After all, the Bright Wisdom Water Ape had to grow to the stage where it awakened its innate talent. That was likely to be a very long process.

Still, he first had to figure out how to raise this little monkey. Otherwise, if it remained so vacant and foolish, his progress would forever stay at 0.

Two days flashed by. The brief rest eased He Sheng's mind considerably.

During that time, he also refurbished the water manor's main gate, which he had put off repairing for so long.

Two days later, He Sheng began another round of the Stacked Refining Method.

Half a year later, Lower River Market, within the ruins of the Celestial Sea Commerce Association, two figures lingered atop the ruins of Evening Zhi Residence in the rear courtyard, reluctant to leave.

This had once been Lin Wanrou's residence. Now, nothing remained but broken walls and crumbling ruins.

Charred beams and pillars lay scattered at odd angles. A thick layer of ash blanketed the ground, while the air still carried a strange stench of scorched matter mingled with damp vapor.

One of them wore magnificent brocade robes, with a trace of arrogance between his brows. He was Lin Yuanxiao, deputy manager of the Origin Mist Branch of the Celestial Sea Commerce Association.

The other wore a long robe of blue cloth and had a lean frame. He was Chen Keshan, a son-in-law of the Lin Family.

Though Chen Keshan was a live-in son-in-law, he possessed quite a reputation within the Celestial Sea Commerce Association and was known as the "Divine Constable."

As the name implied, he was exceptionally skilled at investigating cases and tracking down culprits, able to reconstruct the truth from the tiniest details.

Since the incident at the Lower River Branch, nearly a month had passed before the headquarters finally issued orders assigning the Origin Mist Branch full responsibility for handling the matter.

The Origin Mist Branch had sent several groups of people over, but none had uncovered any concrete leads.

Only now had the Celestial Sea Commerce Association headquarters dispatched Chen Keshan as a special envoy to investigate the matter.

At that moment, Chen Keshan was crouched on a patch of rubble, his gaze fixed tightly upon a bluestone floor tile beneath his feet.

The small refined-steel knife in his hand gently scraped at a tiny gray-black hardened lump in the crack between the tiles. His brows were drawn tight, and he remained silent for a long while.

Had He Sheng been there, he would likely have recognized it at a glance. This was precisely where Elder Xu had met his end.

To conceal the traces of his involvement that day, He Sheng had truly gone to painstaking lengths.

Not only had he destroyed Elder Xu's corpse and erased the evidence, he had also used water-element spells to scour both the front hall and rear courtyard, then set a great blaze that reduced the entire Lower River Branch to ashes.

Logically, after such a mingling of water and fire, ordinary traces of spiritual power should have been wiped away completely.

Yet Chen Keshan had still managed to locate where Elder Xu had died. This showed just how capable he was.

After waiting for most of the day, Lin Yuanxiao finally grew somewhat impatient, though he still did his best to keep his tone mild.

"Keshan, if you've discovered any clues, why not share them? We can put our heads together."

Chen Keshan came back to himself. Understanding the implication of those words, he promptly set down the object in his hand and cupped his hands in a bow toward Lin Yuanxiao.

"Keshan became lost in thought for a moment and kept Manager waiting for so long. That was truly improper."

Chen Keshan was also a man well versed in the ways of the world. He knew that he could not afford to offend an immortal clan noble disciple like Lin Yuanxiao, one born of the direct bloodline.

Though Chen Keshan appeared to be a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, he was in fact already over a hundred years old, and his cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Lin Yuanxiao, on the other hand, was merely at Foundation Establishment Early Stage. Yet Chen Keshan still treated him with utmost respect, for he understood clearly that in a lofty immortal clan like the Lin Family, an outsider and live-in son-in-law like himself had no grounds to flaunt his talent or look down on others.

Only by keeping a low profile, doing more and speaking less, could he make his way.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuanxiao hurriedly asked, "What was Keshan pondering? Could it be that you've found the killer?"

Chen Keshan shook his head with a smile.

"Master, you overestimate Keshan. I merely found one or two clues; they still need to be verified."

Chen Keshan did not beat around the bush, laying out the clues he had uncovered one by one:

"First, the murderer of Xu Qiancheng used water-aspected spiritual power, and they should have employed two utterly different talisman-treasure-level methods."

Lin Yuanxiao's brows furrowed tightly at those words, and he muttered:

"But Wu Feng cultivates a fire-element technique. That simply doesn't add up. Could it be..."

Lin Yuanxiao's eyes suddenly lit up, and he clapped his hands.

"I know!

"Wu Feng must be a spy sent from the south.

"This fellow hid himself deeply. Lin Wanrou has always been naive and ignorant; he easily deceived her, and she even took him as a confidant. That was what brought such a calamity upon the Lower River Branch!

"It must be so... it must be so!"

Uh...

As he listened to Lin Yuanxiao endlessly expound upon his own deductions, Chen Keshan was speechless inside, yet he still had to force a hint of admiration onto his face.

Only after the other man had finished did he say with a look of praise, "Master, your reasoning fits together seam to seam. It makes perfect sense. Keshan admires you.

"However, there may be another possibility."

"What possibility?"

"Someone impersonated Wu Feng!"

Lin Yuanxiao nodded subconsciously at those words, but then shook his head again and said firmly:

"An impersonation? That seems unlikely, doesn't it?

"If someone had impersonated Wu Feng, why would Lin Wanrou's personal maid, Kou Xiang'er, have conspired with him to plunder the Lower River Branch?

"I questioned the survivors of the Lower River Branch. Wu Feng and Kou Xiang'er had clearly divided their duties:

"Wu Feng was responsible for killing people and clearing away every obstacle;

"Kou Xiang'er was responsible for gathering wealth, stripping the Lower River Branch of every last asset!

"This had to be something the two of them planned in advance!"