Chapter 1296: Rumors Begin to Stir

Could Wu Chang refuse?

He wanted the Demon Canon.

But with the Nine Saints presently restraining one another, he could not simply promise the matter outright. The frustration inside him was considerable.

Never in his dreams had he imagined Yuan Gang would actually turn out to be Zhao Xiongge's son.

If he had known Zhao Xiongge possessed such a weakness, why would matters ever have reached this point?

Regret was useless.

There had never been any reason to think in that direction before.

Who could possibly have imagined that Zhao Xiongge, who had loved the Saintess so deeply, would somehow have produced a son with another woman?

Who could have imagined it?

Wu Chang slowly drew his legs back from the cliff and rose.

"I'll first look at the situation and see what can be done."

Zhao Xiongge said, "Listen carefully."

"I'm not asking you to drag him out temporarily just to placate me, take the thing, and then let him die afterward."

"Don't play tricks with me."

"What I want is for him to survive this calamity safely."

"No one in the Sacred Realm is to trouble him again."

"I want my son to live out this life in peace."

"Otherwise, the fact that you obtained that thing will not remain secret."

"Killing me will be useless."

"Others will still learn of it."

"You should understand exactly what consequences that would bring."

How could Wu Chang fail to understand?

Otherwise, he could simply drag Yuan Gang out for the moment, use him to satisfy Zhao Xiongge, obtain the Demon Canon, kill Zhao Xiongge, then toss Yuan Gang back and let the others deal with him.

"You should worry first about whether I can actually save your son."

Wu Chang's reply was cold.

But beneath Zhao Xiongge's threat, killing intent had already risen inside him.

Some matters could only be postponed.

If possible, he would obtain the Demon Canon first.

So long as it could help him achieve his final objective, once he succeeded, he would make certain this man learned what it meant to beg for life and be denied death.

"Do not let Nantian Wufang know about this," Zhao Xiongge said. "Otherwise, he may stop me from handing the thing to you."

"You don't need to tell me that."

Wu Chang snorted coldly.

"I also suggest you keep your own mouth shut."

"Yuan Gang doesn't know the relationship between us," Zhao Xiongge continued. "Don't let him know."

Wu Chang gave a low laugh.

He very much wanted to say that the Saintess must have been blind to have fallen for something like Zhao Xiongge.

But he worried the remark might wake the man up to something.

The words reached his lips and were swallowed back.

With a flash, Wu Chang shot into the sky and disappeared.

Zhao Xiongge let out a long breath.

His body slowly leaned backward until he lay flat on the ground, both arms crossed beneath his head.

A little later, another figure descended beside him and looked down from above.

"He came?"

It was Nantian Wufang.

Zhao Xiongge gave a quiet acknowledgment.

Nantian Wufang stared at him.

"What was it about?"

"What else could he possibly come looking for me about?"

"Wasn't it you who called him here?"

Zhao Xiongge looked back at him.

"Do you think that's possible?"

"My people saw you contact one of the men he stationed here," Nantian Wufang said.

"That man immediately sent a message by Goldenwing, and then Wu Chang arrived."

"What matter could make him rush here so quickly to see you?"

"What are you trying to say?"

Nantian Wufang's voice turned cold.

"I'm warning you."

"If you dare hand over something that should not be handed over, I will not let you off!"

"You're thinking too much."

Zhao Xiongge said, "I've told you before. The thing isn't in my hands."

"So there won't be any problem for the Demonic Sect."

A gust of wind suddenly stirred Nantian Wufang's black-and-white hair.

"I hope so."

He turned to leave.

Zhao Xiongge suddenly called after him.

"Nantian, I angered him and he smashed my wine gourd."

"Have someone bring me a new one."

"Go into the city and buy one yourself."

Nantian Wufang flashed away.

Still lying on the ground, Zhao Xiongge stared up at the sky and muttered to himself.

"Bastard. Bastard."

"You'd better be right, or I'll end up offending everyone on both sides."

...

The prisons inside Wentian City were extremely secure.

Because of Misty Pavilion's responsibilities, there were special facilities built specifically for dealing with demons, monsters, ghosts, and other abnormal beings.

Inside a place of iron walls and heavy metal, Yuan Gang's arms were bound by reinforced iron chains and suspended overhead.

His entire appearance was horrifying.

He had been tortured beyond recognition.

Every strand of hair had been pulled from his head.

At this moment, muffled cries of agony kept forcing their way from his throat.

He hung from the chains, struggling weakly.

Steel needles had been inserted into his body, sealing his acupoints and preventing him from breathing and circulating his hardening art.

He could only endure the Spirit-Torment Pill's effects directly.

The pain was so extreme his eyes seemed ready to burst from their sockets.

"Give him the antidote."

The interrogators had been watching to see how long Yuan Gang could continue keeping his mouth shut when a deep voice suddenly sounded behind them.

Everyone turned.

At some unknown moment, a bare-chested man with loose, disheveled hair had appeared behind them.

His cold gaze was fixed on the suspended Yuan Gang.

Wu Chang.

The group was startled and hurriedly cupped their hands in salute.

Wu Chang spoke again.

"I said give him the antidote."

One Misty Pavilion member from Tianmo Sacred Land immediately hurried over, rummaged through another man's sleeve for the antidote, then rushed to Yuan Gang.

He forced it into Yuan Gang's mouth and used magic to help suppress the Spirit-Torment Pill's effects.

Wu Chang waited in silence, watching Yuan Gang's reaction.

After meeting Zhao Xiongge, Yuan Gang's safety had become something he now had to care about.

Upon returning to the Sacred Realm, Wu Chang had not gone back to Tianmo Sacred Land.

Afraid something might happen to Yuan Gang here, he had come directly to the prison.

With Wu Chang standing there, everyone remained utterly silent.

No one even dared breathe too loudly.

To many of them, this man was terrifying.

He had been the one who forced his way into the ranks of the Nine Saints from outside the original Eight Saints.

Some of the things he had done back then still made people's hearts tremble whenever they were mentioned.

Footsteps came from outside.

Huo Kong, Presiding Administrator of Misty Pavilion, had hurried over after receiving the news.

He stepped forward and bowed.

"Greetings, Sacred Venerable Tianmo."

Wu Chang ignored him and continued waiting.

Only after Yuan Gang's violent struggling gradually eased did Wu Chang say indifferently, "Take him down."

"This..."

Huo Kong looked troubled.

He cupped his hands.

"May I ask what instruction Sacred Venerable has?"

Wu Chang turned his head and stared at him coldly without speaking.

The look plainly said:

Did you not hear me tell you to take him down?

Feeling the pressure in that gaze, Huo Kong's throat moved.

In the end, he waved toward the interrogators.

Someone immediately hurried over, released the chains, and lowered Yuan Gang to the ground.

Yuan Gang, barely conscious after the agony, collapsed where he fell.

Wu Chang suddenly raised one hand.

With a grasping motion, the half-unconscious Yuan Gang was pulled through the air toward him.

Wu Chang caught one of his arms and held him upright.

Then he turned and began dragging the man away.

Huo Kong froze.

He hurried after him.

"May I ask what Sacred Venerable means by this?"

"Does Sacred Venerable intend to interrogate him personally?"

"If so, there is no need to leave."

"Whatever you require can be prepared here."

"Too noisy."

Wu Chang did not even look back.

"I'm taking him for now."

Huo Kong's heart sank.

The very thing he feared had happened.

He hurriedly said, "Sacred Venerable, that would not conform to the rules."

"If you do this, I will have no way to explain matters to the other Sacred Venerables!"

"I received information that someone is plotting to assassinate the prisoner."

Wu Chang's voice remained cold.

"There are too many people here harboring secret intentions."

"I will take him back to Tianmo Sacred Land for protection."

"Give them that explanation."

"Sacred Venerable, this really won't do..."

Huo Kong had not even finished speaking when Wu Chang vanished with Yuan Gang in a flash.

Who inside the prison would dare stop him?

Huo Kong immediately chased after them.

By the time he emerged from the prison, Wu Chang had already become a black speck vanishing into the distant sky.

"Ah..."

Huo Kong let out a long sigh.

He truly did not know what terrible luck had fallen on him for him to take control of Misty Pavilion at precisely this moment.

Fine.

Since Wu Chang had already provided an explanation, Huo Kong could only report it exactly as given.

Even if he wanted to do otherwise, what choice did he have?

If ordinary people from Tianmo Sacred Land had come, Misty Pavilion could have blocked them.

But Wu Chang himself had acted.

Who here could stop him?

...

A figure streaked across the sky and entered the cavern of the Demon Palace at Tianmo Sacred Land.

Seeing Wu Chang return, Hei Shi hurried forward to pay his respects.

Then he saw Wu Chang casually toss someone onto the ground.

It was Yuan Gang.

Hei Shi froze.

"Sacred Venerable, this is...?"

"I personally brought him back from Wentian City."

"Take him away and guard him well."

"Do not let anyone remove him."

Wu Chang had brought Yuan Gang back for the same reason as before.

He was worried something might happen to Yuan Gang in Wentian City.

It was safer to keep the man under his own control.

As for the method of handling the larger problem?

First, he would bring Yuan Gang back.

First, he would seize Zhao Xiongge's weakness in his own hand.

Everything else could be handled afterward.

"Uh..."

Hei Shi froze again, then asked, "Could Sacred Venerable already have received the news?"

Wu Chang, walking farther inside, asked without turning.

"What news?"

Hei Shi pointed toward the unconscious Yuan Gang.

"Wasn't it because of Lü Wushuang and Yuan Se?"

Wu Chang abruptly stopped.

"Explain clearly."

"Yes."

Hei Shi immediately understood.

Wu Chang did not know yet.

Hei Shi had thought his master's reaction had simply been astonishingly fast.

If Wu Chang had no idea, then why had he suddenly gone and seized Yuan Gang?

Suppressing his doubts, Hei Shi reported, "This subordinate just received information."

"Rumors have begun spreading inside the Sacred Realm."

"Before Niu Youdao was assassinated, when he came out of Wuliang Garden and encountered Lü Wushuang, he reportedly told her that the person he had actually uncovered suspicious clues about and intended to investigate was Ding Wei, then Presiding Administrator of Misty Pavilion."

"Ding Wei?"

Wu Chang slowly turned around.

"Where did these rumors come from?"

"Is there evidence?"

Hei Shi shook his head.

"They've only just begun circulating."

"There is no evidence yet."

"I've already ordered people to investigate."

Wu Chang said slowly, "Ding Wei is Yuan Se's disciple."

"Lü Wushuang would not protect him without reason."

"If this is true, then it means Lü Wushuang and Yuan Se joined forces to suppress the matter?"

Hei Shi replied, "Thinking about it now, Ding Wei was removed from his post as Presiding Administrator of Misty Pavilion by Yuan Se on the grounds that he handled the investigation poorly."

"Combined with the rumors now spreading, there are indeed suspicious points."

"What points?"

"One detail in the rumors is especially thought-provoking."

"Under the present circumstances, no one actually wants to take over the position of Presiding Administrator of Misty Pavilion."

"Ding Wei supposedly handled the case badly and was punished by being removed."

"But at a time like this, was removal truly punishment?"

"It looks more like release."

"Then there is Xuan Yao."

"Under Yuan Se's approach of preferring to punish the wrong person rather than let anyone escape scrutiny, Xuan Yao somehow committed suicide because he could not endure the torture."

Wu Chang began pacing slowly back and forth.

After a while, he gave a low laugh.

"I was just worrying that Lü Wushuang might refuse to let the matter of her disciple go."

"Whether these rumors are true or false, this is like someone delivering a pillow the moment I feel sleepy."

It was more than merely giving him an excuse for bringing Yuan Gang here.

Zhao Xiongge's condition was that Yuan Gang's safety had to be guaranteed even afterward.

But Yuan Gang had killed Lü Wushuang's disciple.

If, after everything was over, Lü Wushuang decided to settle that account, no one could reasonably object.

If Wu Chang could not prevent that, then he could not truly claim to have saved Yuan Gang.

And if Zhao Xiongge later revealed that Wu Chang had obtained the Demon Canon, the consequences would be severe.

Now the situation depended on what Lü Wushuang herself had to say.

Otherwise, it might become difficult to tell who was actually causing trouble for whom.

Hei Shi did not know any of this.

He had not yet connected the matter to Zhao Xiongge.

He had no choice but to remind Wu Chang.

"Sacred Venerable, because of Yuan Gang, our side has already caused the others to become suspicious once."

"Wouldn't bringing him here this urgently again be somewhat inappropriate?"

"Inappropriate?"

Wu Chang turned toward him and stated the matter openly.

"Yuan Gang is Zhao Xiongge's son."

"Zhao Xiongge wants to exchange the Demon Canon for his son."

[End of Chapter 1296]