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 faint flash of amazement.

Today, Wen Rou did not look like the proprietress of a tavern. Instead, she looked like a female swordswoman roaming the martial world.

Her makeup was light, her hair tied into a simple high ponytail with a red scarf.

She wore a set of black fitted clothes, though they were somewhat too small, tightly wrapping her plump and enticing body and outlining breathtaking curves.

Yet the hem below was abruptly cut off at the roots of her thighs, with high slits on both sides. As she walked, her two long, straight, full legs, white as jade and gleaming with life, flickered in and out of Chen Yuan's sight.

Chen Yuan could give 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 reached for the heavens, their power boundless.

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

"What did Boss Wen call me here for?"

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

"What makes Boss Wen think I should know?"

"A woman's intuition."

Wen Rou raised a finger and lightly tapped Chen Yuan. "After Blackwater Gang found Duan Kun and the others' corpses, I found an opportunity to inspect them. They had all died beneath a swift blade.

"The last time, you set a trap and deceived Zuo Xinglie. If I'm not mistaken, Zuo Xinglie's famed ultimate arts, the Autumn Water Startled Swan Saber and the Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula, should both be in your hands.

"There is a ninety percent chance that Duan Kun and the others died at your hands, though I do not know why you wanted to kill them.

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

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

Chen Yuan smiled.

Wen Rou truly deserved to be a wind-media spy of Skywind Rain-Listening Tower. From only a few scattered clues, she had inferred quite a few things.

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

"So Boss Wen called me here to threaten me? To tell 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 rest upon irrefutable factual evidence.

"Besides, since you dared come to me back then, you should have known Skywind Rain-Listening Tower's rules. We do not use intelligence to threaten anyone, nor do we take the initiative to sell intelligence."

As the foremost wind-media organization in the martial world, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower possessed the hidden secrets of countless major sects and countless experts.

Knowing so many secrets yet surviving without being destroyed to this day was because 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 carried a ninety percent likelihood, would not be listed by Skywind Rain-Listening Tower as confirmed intelligence.

Likewise, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower would not take the initiative to sell information about you to your enemies merely because it possessed such intelligence.

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

But unless Mystic Whale Gang came to Skywind Rain-Listening Tower of its own accord and paid a great price to buy it, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower would absolutely not approach Mystic Whale Gang to sell the intelligence.

At the same time, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower had an unwritten rule.

Those who proactively provided them with intelligence were regarded as friends of Skywind Rain-Listening Tower within its system.

Naturally, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower treated such friends, who could often provide it with intelligence, favorably.

For instance, it would prioritize providing them with intelligence. If outsiders came seeking information about them, Skywind Rain-Listening Tower would also conceal it for them and would not sell their information.

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

He had provided Wen Rou with information about Zuo Xinglie. That contribution was no small matter.

Though it was not enough for the entirety of Skywind Rain-Listening Tower to conceal information for him, at the very least, with Wen Rou, Chen Yuan's information was not something just anyone could investigate.

Chen Yuan had dared to seek out 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 was not the one who did them."

Chen Yuan tapped the table. "At the same time, there is something I need Skywind Rain-Listening Tower to do for me."

"What is it?"

"Spread the news that demonic and evil people are conducting blood sacrifices in Linked Mountains City to the Murong Clan of Dragon City. Do not make it too deliberate; make it seem natural. And spread it only to the Murong Clan of Dragon City, not to the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance."

In the original plot, matters only became enormous after Jiang Kaitai had been conducting blood sacrifices in Linked Mountains City for some time. The news was even carried abroad 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 set things in motion early. He could not allow Jiang Kaitai to use blood sacrifices on the divine artifact for so long, or Jiang Kaitai's strength would become somewhat uncontrollable.

Likewise, the Murong Clan was an indispensable link. 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, he was afraid he would not even get a sip of the soup.

Therefore, he needed the Murong Clan to receive the news early and send people, but he could not allow the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance to follow along.

Only by adjusting both sides' strength to an equal level could he make the snipe and clam fight while the fisherman profited.

Naturally, there would certainly be all sorts of unforeseen complications. What he needed to do was eliminate as many of those complications as possible.

Wen Rou pondered for a moment, her brows faintly furrowing. "What you ask is somewhat difficult. The Murong Clan is a top great lineage of Youzhou, and Dragon City, where its lineage resides, is not open to outsiders. It contains only Murong Clan members and their retainers.

"Though Skywind Rain-Listening Tower has many spies, it is difficult for us to infiltrate Dragon City and deliver the news.

"Moreover, it will be difficult not to let the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance know.

"The One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance is the exact opposite of the Murong Clan of Dragon City. The supplies needed by Sun-Piercing Valley, where it is based, must all be transported in by external merchant caravans.

"If some merchant caravan learns the news and spreads it, that is not something we can control.

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

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

"To speak frankly, even if you sold Heavenly Wolf Gang, you could not afford this bill."

Chen Yuan nodded. "I know this is somewhat difficult, which is why I intend to make a deal with Boss Wen and exchange a piece of intelligence for it."

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

"Then what about information that the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's divine weapon, the Sun-Piercing Sword, has developed a problem? Is that enough?"

"What did you say!?"

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

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

All the top powers in the world possessed Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms to suppress their 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 the Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms, the sect would still have a chance to rise again.

Conversely, if the Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms were gone, then even if the sect had tens of thousands of people, it could not escape decline and destruction.

As a top great power of Youzhou, if the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's divine weapon, the Sun-Piercing Sword, had truly developed a problem, this intelligence would absolutely be among the highest-grade information. It was more than enough to offset Chen Yuan's request!

"Whether it is true or false, you will know after verifying it."

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

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

Wen Rou said, "Everyone in the martial world knows about that. It was from then on that the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's prestige began to weaken."

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

Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms might belong to a power, but that did not mean the power could completely control them.

Only an existence truly acknowledged by Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms was qualified to be called a Weapon Lord. Only a Weapon Lord could fully unleash the might of Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms.

However, every power had different methods for gaining the recognition of Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms and becoming a Weapon Lord.

Some relied on bloodlines, some on strength, while others relied on formations, sacrifices, and all sorts of strange and chaotic methods.

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

Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms were sentient existences, and every one of them possessed a different nature.

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

If the Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms found you pleasing to the eye, you could become the Weapon Lord. It was that simple.

Conversely, even if your strength shook heaven and earth, if the Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms did not acknowledge you, you could not become the Weapon Lord.

This led to some powers having Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms not in the hands of their strongest members. Instead, an ordinary disciple could become the Weapon Lord and control the sect's lifeline.

The One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance's divine weapon, the Sun-Piercing Sword, was comparatively well-behaved. 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 the Weapon Lord, capable of bringing the Divine Weapons and Demonic Arms' might to its fullest.

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

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

"Not becoming the Weapon Lord would have been 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. This 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 truly was a heaven-shaking matter.

So great that the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance might even decline completely because of it, perhaps even be destroyed!