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Meanwhile, a majestic silver dragon silhouette descended outside the gates of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
"Greetings, Young Master Chu!"
The moment Chu Chengzhou dismissed his Space Holy Dragon spirit, Xiao Yin, and approached the sect's entrance alongside Xue Sha—the Eleventh Elder of the Spirit Hall—four gatekeepers of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect hurried forward to bow respectfully.
"Hmm. One of you go find my future father-in-law and tell him to meet me at the cemetery. I'll be waiting for him there," Chu Chengzhou said with a nod.
"Yes, sir!"
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At the cemetery located on the rear mountain of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, two figures came to a halt before a tombstone engraved with the words: "Beloved Wife Feng Heng's Resting Place."
Chu Chengzhou, having visited this grave previously with Ning Rongrong in his capacity as her fiancé, naturally knew exactly where his future mother-in-law was laid to rest.
"Kneel," Chu Chengzhou turned and ordered Xue Sha.
Thud!
Without hesitation, Xue Sha—the "devout follower"—immediately dropped to his knees before the tombstone.
Great Lord God commands me to do anything—even sacrifice my life!
Just then, approaching footsteps echoed from afar. It was Ning Fengzhi.
"Kid, who is this—?"
Ning Fengzhi instantly noticed Xue Sha kneeling before his late wife's grave.
"This is Xue Sha, the Eleventh Elder of the Spirit Hall—title: Blood Shadow—and the very assassin who murdered your wife all those years ago," Chu Chengzhou explained.
Ning Fengzhi froze in shock, his eyes swiftly reddening with overwhelming hatred as he glared at Xue Sha.
Yet, more than a decade had passed since that tragedy. Though his heart burned with rage, Ning Fengzhi retained his composure for the moment and managed to speak in a low, restrained voice: "But he's a Spirit Hall elder—what about the Spirit Hall itself…?"
"Past actions bear present consequences," Chu Chengzhou replied without hesitation. "Be it an ordinary elder or even one of their revered Hall Elders—I would still sever his head to honor my mother-in-law."
After a brief pause, he added, "However, Xue Sha was merely the executor. The one who gave the order—the true mastermind—was the former Pope, Qian Xunji."
"Qian Xunji… the father of Qian Renxue?" Ning Fengzhi asked, his face darkening.
"Precisely," Chu Chengzhou confirmed with a nod. "But please don't hold any resentment toward Xue'er. While she is indeed the daughter of your wife's killer, she is also the daughter of the one who avenged your wife."
"Eh? What do you mean?" Ning Fengzhi frowned, confused.
"Before Bibi Dong became Pope, she was the Spirit Hall's Holy Daughter and Qian Xunji's disciple. But you might not know this—Bibi Dong is also Xue'er's biological mother."
"So… Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong were married? A forbidden master-disciple romance?" Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but mutter in astonishment, his expression shifting dramatically.
Had it not been for the gravity of the moment—and the fact that Qian Xunji was one of his wife's murderers—he might have been thoroughly enjoying this scandalous revelation.
"They shared a daughter and were master and disciple, but it was no 'romance,'" Chu Chengzhou clarified. "Have you heard of Yu Xiaogang of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
"I've heard of him," Ning Fengzhi nodded. "The second son of Yu Yuenzhen—once famously labeled a 'useless cripple' in his clan. Though he later gained recognition as a 'theoretical master' among many soul masters for his academic work… though—" He shook his head, choosing not to elaborate further.
In truth, Yu Xiaogang wasn't an original thinker but rather a compiler of existing knowledge. His famed "Ten Core Competencies of the Martial Soul" were common sense to established soul masters from major academies or influential sects—nothing groundbreaking.
(A/N: Indeed, in the original storyline, Ning Fengzhi had lavished praise on Yu Xiaogang, even claiming, "He who gains the Great Master gains the world." But that was merely Ning Fengzhi's diplomatic flattery, done partly out of respect for Tang San.)
Chu Chengzhou had no intention of critiquing Yu Xiaogang. Instead, he continued calmly:
"After being exiled from his clan, Yu Xiaogang went to Spirit City, hoping to find a solution to his spirit deficiency within the vast archives of the Spirit Hall.
Back then, Bibi Dong was… not quite sharp in the head. She and Yu Xiaogang—like turtles and green beans—somehow took a liking to each other and eventually became lovers.
If Bibi Dong had been an ordinary soul master, it wouldn't have mattered. The Spirit Hall has legions of them.
But she was the Holy Daughter—the Pope's first-in-line successor, a genius meticulously groomed by the entire Spirit Hall. Qian Xunji would never allow his prized disciple to be 'claimed' by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Ordinarily, breaking up a romance wouldn't be so extreme—but Qian Xunji, unworthy of the title 'master,' forcibly violated Bibi Dong to ensure she remained within the Spirit Hall. That act led to Qian Renxue's birth.
First heartbroken, then defiled—Bibi Dong, already prone to extremism, developed a deep-seated hatred for Qian Xunji.
Later, Qian Xunji, coveting Tang Hao's wife's hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Empress soul ring and soul bone, led an ambush against the couple. In the end, Tang Hao's wife sacrificed herself, unleashing boundless spirit power that crushed Qian Xunji.
At the time, Tang Hao—still mindful of the Hao Tian Sect behind him—chose to spare Qian Xunji's life, swallowing his vengeance.
But Qian Xunji didn't survive long after. When he returned to Spirit City gravely wounded, Bibi Dong—who had been biding her time—seized the opportunity and took his life.
That's why I say: Xue'er is both the daughter of your wife's murderer… and the daughter of the one who avenged her.
Oh—and please keep all this to yourself."
Ning Fengzhi: "..."
Stunned speechless by this cascade of explosive revelations, Ning Fengzhi stood frozen in place.
So all this time, there were so many hidden truths behind those fateful events?
And if what Chu Chengzhou said was true… then the Hao Tian Sect—and Tang Hao himself—had been grievously wronged?
Eventually snapping out of his daze, Ning Fengzhi glanced at the kneeling assassin beside him and pulled out joss sticks, paper money, ritual wine, and other offerings from his storage-type soul tool.
Chu Chengzhou lit three incense sticks and bowed respectfully three times before his mother-in-law's grave. Then, he took out a significant amount of Heavy Silver—a rare, highly durable silver.
With a flick of his right fingertip, crimson light flared—melting the Heavy Silver ingots into a glowing mass of molten silver that hovered before him.
Next, azure light bloomed from his left fingertip. Drawing upon his nascent comprehension of the Water Dao, Chu Chengzhou transformed his gentle water-attribute spirit power into ice-element energy—completely encasing Xue Sha, the Eleventh Elder of the Spirit Hall, in an unbreakable block of ice.
In the next instant, under Chu Chengzhou's precise control, the molten Heavy Silver enveloped Xue Sha's frozen corpse entirely.
Soon, a human-shaped statue of Heavy Silver knelt before the grave—forever frozen in an act of penance.
Heavy Silver never rusts. As long as the tomb remained undisturbed, this kneeling statue would stay here for at least ten thousand years.
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