Chapter 73: Chapter 73
After Geng Weizhi left, Shen Xiuhan let out a long breath of his own and set off toward home.
Along the way.
The night breeze was cool, the streets and lanes quiet.
Shen Xiuhan fished out the jade bead he had seized from Qu Bushi and turned it between his fingers, studying it closely.
The bead was no bigger than a fingernail.
Perfectly translucent, with a faint shimmer of light rippling deep within, as though a whole lake had been sealed inside.
The warmth of his palm seeped in.
The bead’s surface responded with a soft, dewy luminescence, undulating like water — thoroughly otherworldly.
Shen Xiuhan walked and toyed with the bead, and a thought stirred in his mind.
【Today’s Intelligence has refreshed!】
【Intelligence 1: The mysterious jade bead you seized from Qu Bushi is called the Sea-Overturning Pearl. It is one of Diaohailou’s “Four Great Inheritance Spirit Artifacts,” and contains three layers of arcane function.】
【First: When its bearer enters water, they may breathe beneath the surface like a fish or turtle, move freely, and see as clearly as in broad daylight. Unless an opponent has cultivated the Divine Eye, they cannot detect the bearer’s presence.】
【Second: Cultivating the Abyssal Frost-Fiend Sea-Overturning True Scripture while holding this artifact yields twice the result for half the effort, with progress advancing by leaps and bounds.】
【Third: When its bearer executes water-aligned techniques or arts, the artifact’s power amplifies the attack beyond the bearer’s own realm, unleashing the destructive force of a higher tier.】
‘Diaohailou…’
Shen Xiuhan’s steps faltered. A flicker of exasperation crossed his gaze.
Diaohailou again.
He had been hearing those three syllables far too often lately — the name was almost triggering at this point.
The organization was shrouded in mystery, as though it had sprung from a crack in the earth. No matter how he dug, he couldn’t turn up so much as half a lead.
He shook his head, set the tangle of thoughts aside for the moment, and turned his attention to the three functions.
Abyssal Frost-Fiend Sea-Overturning True Scripture…
The name alone reeked of overwhelming power. It had to be one of Diaohailou’s core cultivation methods.
Unfortunately, the Sea-Overturning Pearl was merely a supplementary artifact for cultivating the scripture — it didn’t contain the transmission itself.
That particular function was a flower in a mirror, a moon in the water — visible but forever out of reach.
The third function, on the other hand, made Shen Xiuhan’s eyes burn with interest.
That was precisely how Qu Bushi — a mere Manifest Strength fighter — had forced out that terrifying Force Projection beyond his realm: by tapping into this very power.
Shen Xiuhan did a quiet mental inventory.
Among all the martial arts he currently possessed, the only one with any tie to the element of water was Thousand Lakes Fishing.
But Thousand Lakes Fishing was an angling technique. What kind of “Force Projection” could it possibly generate?
Fishing Projection?
Shen Xiuhan laughed in spite of himself.
He shelved the thought. He’d head back to Yunyi Island in a few days, take the pearl underwater, and run some experiments. That would tell him soon enough.
By comparison, it was actually the first function that set his pulse racing.
“When its bearer enters water, they may move silently and freely…”
Shen Xiuhan’s eyes brightened as a surge of excitement rose in his chest.
Wasn’t this the legendary water-repelling pearl?
The site where Diaohailou’s true-transmission disciple had perished lay right near Chenjian Wu’s stronghold.
Despite being stationed on Yunyi Island for days, Shen Xiuhan had never dared approach those waters.
But now, with the Sea-Overturning Pearl in hand, perhaps he could…
A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes, then was quickly tamped down.
‘Forget it. No use overthinking. Everything can wait until I’m back on the island.’
Shen Xiuhan tucked the bead into his coat and turned to the remaining two pieces of intelligence.
【Intelligence 2: Word of Qu Bushi’s death has already reached Chenjian Wu. Chenjian Wu is in an uproar. The Third Chief, “Spear General” Lu Juncheng, has personally traveled to the site of Qu Bushi’s fall to investigate. However, the corpse had already been disposed of by Ji Wen. Lu Juncheng found nothing and returned empty-handed.】
‘They already know…’
A keen light swept through Shen Xiuhan’s gaze.
‘Ji Wen… handled the scene after all.’
The intelligence confirmed what Shen Xiuhan had suspected: he knew Ji Wen had been lurking in the shadows. He had simply feigned ignorance.
Ever since Ma Xianyang had tried to have him killed over the silver-striped fish, Shen Xiuhan had grown far more cautious in his dealings.
After a kill, he would never be careless enough to leave the body where it fell.
This time, he had done so deliberately — as a test of the Ji clan, to see whether they could truly be trusted.
If the Ji clan meant what Ji Xue had said — that they would shoulder the consequences when Chenjian Wu came looking — then Ji Wen would certainly clean up the scene and erase every trace, rather than leaving Qu Bushi’s corpse in the open for Chenjian Wu to follow back to Shen Xiuhan.
‘It seems… giving them the head was the right call. At least for now, they’re proving reliable.’
A measure of reassurance settled in his chest. He shifted his gaze to the final piece of intelligence.
【Intelligence 3: Your deployment information was leaked by an internal spy to the Bai family, who in turn relayed it to Chenjian Wu, where it ultimately reached Qu Bushi, Wang Neng, Zhu Jing, Sun Erniang, and the others. Identity of the spy: Lu Ya, Patrol Envoy of Squad A, Yunyi Island.】
‘The spy is Lu Ya… and he reports to the Bai family?’
Shen Xiuhan’s pupils contracted. A dark current surged through his thoughts.
This piece of intelligence genuinely caught him off guard.
Before his death, Wang Neng had blurted out: “He’s not a fresh Blood Tempering novice like the intel said…”
That single line had already led Shen Xiuhan to suspect that Chenjian Wu had planted a mole on Yunyi Island. He had even entertained suspicions about Lu Ya.
He had guessed the right man — but the wrong puppet master.
The Bai family!
Why would they plant a spy inside the Ji clan’s garrison?
And more critically — the Bai family was in league with Chenjian Wu.
Shen Xiuhan drew a deep breath. His expression grew heavy.
‘There’s something bigger behind all of this.’
Before he could think further, his feet carried him to a cloth merchant’s lane near South Market. Two figures emerged from the opposite direction.
Shen Xiuhan’s memory was excellent. He recognized them at once — the same Ji clan guards who, an hour ago at the West Market wharf, had whisked Ji Xue and Ji Yao away.
The pair spotted him and their faces lit up. They hurried over, clasped their fists, and spoke in rapid tones.
“Patrol Envoy Shen, please wait! We’ve been looking everywhere for you. The head of the household has sent an urgent summons — please come to the estate at once!”
“The head of the household?”
Shen Xiuhan’s eyebrows rose.
“That’s right.”
The taller of the two men cast a wary glance up and down the lane. Seeing it empty, he leaned in and dropped his voice, his brows dancing with excitement.
“Patrol Envoy — it’s wonderful news!”
Shen Xiuhan understood at once.
The Ji sisters must have told the full story the moment they arrived home — the ambush on the road, the battle, and the severed head of Qu Bushi. That was why the head of the household had dispatched men to find him without delay.
A brief calculation, and he nodded.
“…Lead the way.”
The two guards led him past the north market and turned into a secluded, spacious lane paved with dark brick and canopied by ancient scholar trees.
The lane was deep and quiet. In the gathering dusk, the occasional birdcall drifted down from the treetops, deepening the air of seclusion.
Before long, a grand vermilion gate came into view, hung with a plaque reading “Ji Manor.” Two white marble lion statues flanked the entrance, imposing and stern.
Even from a distance, Shen Xiuhan could make out a familiar figure pacing back and forth before the gate — clearly waiting for some time.
Ji Zhong.
The moment he caught sight of Shen Xiuhan, a broad smile broke across Ji Zhong’s face. He closed the distance in three quick strides, his voice brimming with admiration.
“Young Master Shen! It’s been too long, and you’ve well and truly exceeded this old man’s expectations!”
Shen Xiuhan dimly recalled their last meeting. The gap in status had been vast.
Back then, Ji Zhong had been reclining on a cushioned couch in the Scripture Library, content to have a doorman pass word ahead — and that alone had counted as a courtesy.
This time, he had come out to the front gate in person. His bearing was markedly humbler.
Even his self-address had changed — no longer the dignified “this old man,” but the self-deprecating “this decrepit one.”