Weapon Lord

Every time Chen Yuan saw Wen Rou, she was dressed differently.

This time, Wen Rou's outfit even made Chen Yuan, who had watched countless teachers perform and whose heart had long been still as water, feel a flicker of amazement.

Today, Wen Rou did not look like the proprietress of a tavern. Instead, she looked like a female martial hero who roamed the jianghu.

She wore light makeup, her hair tied into a simple high ponytail with a red scarf.

She wore a fitted black outfit, though it was somewhat too small, tightly wrapping around her plump, alluring figure and outlining breathtaking curves.

The hem below her waist was abruptly cut short at the roots of her thighs, with high slits on both sides. As she walked, her two long, straight, full legs, fair and gleaming, appeared and disappeared before Chen Yuan's eyes.

Chen Yuan gave this look a solid nine out of ten. The missing point was for the lack of black high heels with red soles.

After all, red and black pointed skyward—boundless magical power.

Unfortunately, this world had no such thing as high heels.

"Boss Wen, what did you call me here for?"

Wen Rou carefully examined Chen Yuan, then suddenly said, "Recently, two great families in Linked Mountains City were consecutively wiped out in blood sacrifices. Do you know anything about this?"

"What makes Boss Wen think I should know?"

"A woman's intuition."

Wen Rou extended a finger and lightly tapped Chen Yuan. "After the Blackwater Gang found the corpses of Duan Kun and the others, I found an opportunity to inspect them. They were all killed by a fast blade.

"The last time, you set up Zuo Xinglie. If I'm not mistaken, Zuo Xinglie's signature techniques, the 'Autumn Water Startled Swan Saber' and the 'Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula,' should both be in your possession.

"There is a ninety percent chance that Duan Kun and the others died by your hand, though I do not know why you killed them.

"After Duan Kun died, rumors began spreading through Linked Mountains City that a vicious heretical criminal had entered the city. Soon after, the two great families were exterminated in blood sacrifices.

"When all these matters are connected, they all seem to involve you. Do you dare say you know nothing?"

Chen Yuan smiled.

As expected of a wind-network intelligence agent from Skywind Rain-Listening Tower, Wen Rou had deduced quite a few things from mere traces and clues.

Though she was not entirely correct, it truly was related to him.

"So Boss Wen came to threaten me? To tell the Blackwater Gang that I killed Duan Kun?"

Wen Rou curled her lips. "I merely suspect it; I have no absolute proof. Every piece of intelligence recorded by Skywind Rain-Listening Tower must be founded on conclusive factual evidence.

"Besides, since you dared come to me in the first place, you should know Skywind Rain-Listening Tower's rules. We do not use intelligence to threaten anyone, nor do we actively sell intelligence."

As the foremost intelligence network in the jianghu, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower could be said to possess the secrets of countless great sects and countless experts.

The reason it had endured without being destroyed despite knowing so many secrets was that Skywind Rain-Listening Tower followed its rules and knew what should be said and what should not.

All manner of conjectures and suspicions, even if they had a ninety percent chance of being true, would not be listed by Skywind Rain-Listening Tower as confirmed intelligence.

Likewise, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower would not take intelligence it possessed and proactively sell the information to your enemies.

For example, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower had now grasped Zuo Xinglie's whereabouts.

But unless the Mystic Whale Gang actively approached Skywind Rain-Listening Tower and paid a great price for it, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower would never take the initiative to sell that intelligence to the Mystic Whale Gang.

Skywind Rain-Listening Tower also had an unspoken rule.

Anyone who voluntarily provided them with intelligence was considered a friend of Skywind Rain-Listening Tower within its system.

Naturally, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower treated such friends—those who could regularly provide it with intelligence—well.

For instance, it would prioritize providing them with intelligence. At the same time, if outsiders came seeking information about them, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower would cover for them and would not sell their information.

Chen Yuan was now already considered a friend of Skywind Rain-Listening Tower.

He had provided Wen Rou with information on Zuo Xinglie, and that was no small contribution.

Though it was not enough to make the entire Skywind Rain-Listening Tower conceal his information, at the very least, no one could casually pry into Chen Yuan's affairs through Wen Rou.

Chen Yuan had dared to approach Wen Rou in the first place precisely because he knew Skywind Rain-Listening Tower's rules.

"Of course I trust Skywind Rain-Listening Tower's reputation. But regarding the blood sacrifices, all I can say is that I did not do them."

Chen Yuan tapped the table. "At the same time, I have something else I need Skywind Rain-Listening Tower to do."

"What is it?"

"Spread word to the Murong Clan in Dragon City that demonic forces are conducting blood sacrifices in Linked Mountains City. Do not make it too deliberate; make it seem natural. And pass the news only to the Murong Clan in Dragon City. Do not let the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance hear it."

In the original plot, Jiang Kaitai had conducted blood sacrifices in Linked Mountains City for some time before the matter grew enormous. It was even spread by traveling merchants, and only then did the Murong Clan and the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance learn of it and send people to investigate.

This time, Chen Yuan needed to act in advance. He could not let Jiang Kaitai use blood sacrifices on the divine artifact for so long, or Jiang Kaitai's power would become somewhat uncontrollable.

The Murong Clan was likewise an indispensable part of the plan. They had to send people.

But if Jiang Kaitai was weakened, the other side had to be weakened as well.

If the Murong Clan and the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance still arrived together this time, Chen Yuan feared he would not even get a sip of the soup.

So he had to let the Murong Clan receive the news early and send people over, while preventing the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance from coming along.

Only by bringing the strength of both sides into balance could he make them fight like a snipe and clam, while he reaped the fisherman's profit.

Of course, there would certainly be all sorts of accidents. All he needed to do was eliminate as many of those accidents as possible.

Wen Rou pondered for a moment and frowned slightly. "What you're asking is difficult. The Murong Clan is one of Youzhou's foremost great clans. Dragon City, where their clan resides, is not open to outsiders. It is inhabited entirely by members and dependents of the Murong Clan.

"Though Skywind Rain-Listening Tower has many secret agents, it would be difficult to infiltrate Dragon City and deliver the message.

"And it will also be difficult to keep the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance from learning of it.

"The One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance is the exact opposite of the Murong Clan in Dragon City. The supplies needed by Sun-Piercing Valley must all be delivered by merchant caravans from outside.

"If any caravan learns the news and speaks of it, there is no way to control that.

"If it were a minor matter, I could lend a hand. But for something this difficult, my authority is insufficient. We would need the cooperation of other Skywind Rain-Listening Tower branches.

"Since you know Skywind Rain-Listening Tower's rules, you should also know our prices.

"To be frank, even if you sold your Heavenly Wolf Gang, you could not afford this bill."

Chen Yuan nodded. "I know this is difficult, so I plan to make a deal with you, Boss Wen. I'll exchange a piece of intelligence for it."

"What intelligence? Information on Zuo Xinglie's level is not enough."

"Then what about news that something has gone wrong with the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's divine weapon, the Sun-Piercing Sword? Is that enough?"

"What did you say!?"

Wen Rou abruptly rose to her feet, staring at Chen Yuan with disbelief written across her face.

"This is no joking matter. If you dare fabricate such false rumors, not only will Skywind Rain-Listening Tower refuse to spare you, the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance will spare you even less."

Every top power in the world had Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms suppressing its fortunes. It could be said that their true trump cards were the Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms in their hands.

As long as the Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms remained, the sect's prestige remained.

Even if only one person wielded a Divine Weapon or Demonic Arm, the sect would still have a chance to rise again.

Conversely, without its Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms, even if a sect had tens of thousands of members, it would be unable to escape decline and destruction.

As a top power in Youzhou, if the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's divine weapon, the Sun-Piercing Sword, had truly developed a problem, that news would absolutely be top-tier intelligence. It would be more than enough to offset Chen Yuan's request!

"You'll know whether it's true after verifying it."

Chen Yuan said blandly, "Few disciples of the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance have gone out in recent months. That is because ninety percent of its disciples are trying to stabilize the Sun-Piercing Sword.

"Ever since Feng Tianxing, the previous alliance leader of the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance, known as 'Sword Rises with the Morning Sun,' died, no one in the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance has been able to become the Weapon Lord."

Wen Rou said, "Everyone in the jianghu knows about that. The One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's prestige has been declining ever since."

A Weapon Lord was someone who could truly control Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms.

A Divine Weapon or Demonic Arm might belong to a certain power, but that did not mean the power could completely control it.

Only someone genuinely acknowledged by a Divine Weapon or Demonic Arm was qualified to be called a Weapon Lord. Only a Weapon Lord could truly unleash all of a Divine Weapon or Demonic Arm's power.

However, the methods by which one earned the recognition of Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms and became a Weapon Lord differed from power to power.

Some relied on bloodlines, some on strength, while others depended on formations, sacrifices, or all kinds of strange methods.

Some Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms had no discernible rules at all.

Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms were sentient beings, and the sentience of each one differed.

Thus, some Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms required no inheritance method whatsoever.

If a Divine Weapon or Demonic Arm liked the look of you, you could become its Weapon Lord. It was that simple.

Conversely, even if your strength was heaven-shaking, if it did not acknowledge you, you could not become its Weapon Lord.

This led to some powers having Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms that were not held by their strongest members. Instead, ordinary disciples could become Weapon Lords and control the lifeline of their sects.

The One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's divine weapon, the Sun-Piercing Sword, was relatively straightforward. It recognized only cultivation strength and one's understanding of the Sun-Piercing Sword's Sword Intent.

Thus, nearly every generation's alliance leader was a Weapon Lord, able to unleash the full might of the Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms.

But for some reason, Fu Zhenxiu, the current alliance leader, had failed to become a Weapon Lord. This had caused the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's prestige to plummet.

"The One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's troubles do not end there.

"Not having a Weapon Lord would be one thing, but the Sun-Piercing Sword has even begun to grow restless. It no longer accepts the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's offerings, and it cannot even provide the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance with a Divine-Artifact Avatar. That is a major matter that truly affects the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's lifeline!"

The instant Wen Rou heard Chen Yuan say this, her expression changed.

This was truly earth-shattering news.

It was so grave that the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance might completely decline because of it—or even be destroyed!