Su Yu's hand holding the teacup remained unchanged.
The icy tea slid down his throat, and he could even clearly feel the tiny bit of body heat that the tea carried away.
Yao One's answer, on the surface, perfectly matched Zhao Kuohai's statement.
An eccentric and reclusive ancestor who disliked seeing people.
A manor lord who hadn't set foot in the forbidden area for over a decade.
That sounds reasonable.
But Su Yu's intuition detected a subtle discord that was being deliberately concealed.
"Supplies?"
He put down his teacup, his voice echoing in the quiet room, as casually as if he were asking about the weather.
"What kind of supplies were delivered?"
This problem is like a death knell.
The tattoo on Su Yu's wrist, the soul imprint belonging to Yao One, began to tremble violently and uncontrollably.
Fear, like the deepest ink, instantly stained its entire soul.
"I... I can't say... the ancestor... he'll kill me!"
Yao One's soul fluctuations were tinged with sobs and filled with despair.
Su Yu remained silent.
He simply raised his eyes and calmly glanced at his wrist.
Deep within the sea of consciousness, the majestic Purple-Gold Prison-Suppressing Platform trembled slightly.
A dark gold rune on the [ Prison-Suppressing Soul Chain ] imprinted on the essence of Yao One's soul suddenly lit up.
"Ah--!"
Soundless scream exploded within Yao One's soul sea.
It was a pain that could not be described in words, as if its entire existence had been thrown into the hellfire that Spirit Transformation, and was burned, crushed, and reassembled inch by inch.
This absolute dominance, originating from the level of life itself, instantly shattered all its hopes.
I'll talk! I'll talk!
Yao One's voice was distorted by extreme fear, and he dared not hesitate for even a moment longer.
"No... not supplies... it's... it's living people!"
Every month, the Grand Elder's lineage would 'select' a group of disciples from outside the manor or from some disobedient affiliated Lineage and send them into the depths of the Bone-Eroding Abyss!
They... they are all materials for the ancestor's research on the ' Ancient Soul Fusion Method '!
A living person.
Material.
Two cold words, when combined, create a hellish picture.
In the depths of Su Yu's eyes, the tranquil lake surface finally rippled slightly.
I see.
Those distorted "failures" were not accidents, but rather defective products from the assembly line.
Zhao Y ehan was an accomplice, while the ancestor Zhao Wuji, who had lived for two hundred years, was the mastermind behind it all.
So, what about the manor owner Zhao Kuohai?
Su Yu's thoughts raced like a sophisticated instrument, rearranging and recombining all the clues and doubts.
A huge logical paradox appeared before him.
If Zhao Kuohai and Zhao Wuji are in cahoots, why did he show up tonight to "save" me and Zhao Chengkong?
Wouldn't it be better to keep the secret by letting that Earth Realm Fifth Level Ink Abyss Bone Crocodile kill them?
The death of a captain of the Demon Suppression Bureau and the heir to a manor in their own forbidden territory is a troublesome matter that could cause a huge uproar.
As the head of the manor, Zhao Kuohai couldn't possibly be unaware of this principle.
He appeared to be there to save the day, but in reality, he was more likely trying to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
What he stopped was not Zhao Wuji from killing people, but rather Zhao Wuji from killing someone he "shouldn't have killed" at the "wrong" time.
He was afraid.
Su Yu's fingertips tapped lightly on the cold tabletop, producing a rhythmic, soft sound.
What Zhao Kuohai feared was not Zhao Wuji, but the Demon Suppression Bureau.
The death of a young master of the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor on his own territory would likely be treated as an internal matter by the Demon Suppression Bureau.
However, if it was a regular captain of the Demon Suppression Bureau who died at the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor, then the nature of the incident would be completely different.
The Demon Suppression Envoy Qing Province, Wang Du, the strongest man in Qing Province, will never let this go.
When the army arrives and thoroughly investigates the manor, the secrets of the Bone-Eroding Abyss will no longer be able to be hidden.
Therefore, Zhao Kuohai had to step in and protect Su Yu.
His unusual behavior was not due to collusion with Zhao Wuji.
On the contrary.
He was waiting.
Su Yu's gaze pierced through the window frame, looking at the pale moon in the night sky, and his thoughts instantly became clear.
Zhao Kuohai knew very well that with his own cultivation at the Earth Realm Fifth Level and the current weakness of the Soul Control Faction, he was simply no match for the Grand Elder Zhao Y ehan and the unfathomable Zhao Wuji.
A head-on confrontation will only lead to certain death.
Therefore, he could only endure, compromise, and even tacitly approve of some of the other party's actions in order to buy time.
He was waiting for a breakthrough opportunity.
Waiting for an outside help that can shift the balance of power within the manor...
Zhao Chengkong's letter of appeal to the Demon Suppression Bureau was originally intended as the first line of defense.
But Su Yu's unexpected arrival disrupted his plans, but it also presented him with a new opportunity.
That's why he "happened" to appear, and why he said those half-truths to appease Zhao Chengkong and Su Yu, pushing all the conflicts to the elders' meeting three days later.
Because his real reinforcements are arriving soon.
That's interesting.
Within this village, three forces exist: one plays the good cop, one plays the bad cop, and the third hides behind the scenes, waiting to overturn the table.
A barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of Su Yu's lips.
This game of chess was much more interesting than he had imagined.
For the next two days, the entire Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor was shrouded in a tense atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing.
The clansmen of the Grand Elder's lineage became increasingly arrogant, frequently patrolling the training grounds and the main hall, practically taking over the core area of the entire manor.
Meanwhile, the Soul Control Faction was in a state of panic, with most members staying indoors.
Zhao Chengkong locked himself in his room, his aura growing more and more subdued each day. The gentle warmth he once possessed had been completely worn away, replaced by a chilling sharpness.
He was waiting, waiting for the elders' meeting in three days, waiting for an opportunity to settle blood debts.
Su Yu acted like a true guest, spending his days meditating in the bamboo courtyard and reading some miscellaneous notes from the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor, ignoring the turmoil in the outside world.
Until the morning of the third day.
Just as dawn broke, a clear, high-pitched sword cry, seemingly capable of piercing gold and splitting stone, soared into the sky without warning from outside the gates of the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor!
The sound pierced through the thin mist of the mountain-protecting array and resounded in every corner.
Su Yu, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
He took a step forward and his figure appeared in the courtyard, looking up towards the mountain gate.
Dozens of dazzling sword lights, like an inverted meteor shower, tore through the dawn and sped toward the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor.
The leading sword light was particularly swift, its azure light dazzling and its sharpness unmatched.
Above each sword light stood a figure, all dressed in flowing blue Daoist robes, with swords strapped to their backs, and a lifelike small sword embroidered in silver thread on the sleeves of their robes.
Azure Sword Manor!
Su Yu's gaze landed precisely on the leading cyan sword light.
Above the sword light was a tall, slender young woman with flowing black hair, stunningly beautiful features, and eyes as bright as morning stars.
He is one of the four prodigies in the Blood-Colored Secret Realm.
Li Xi.
She came too.
The foreign players, including Zhao Kuohai, have arrived!
Dozens of sword lights hovered in the air above the plaza in front of the main hall of the Heavenly Evolution Mountain Manor. The powerful Sword Intent pressure instantly enveloped them, causing the faces of the patrolling Soul Fusion Faction disciples below to change drastically.