Chapter 48: Affairs of the World

**Episode 2, Chapter 25: Affairs of the World (End of this Chapter)**

"If he had escaped, I would have had to take you to Yuanchu Mountain immediately," Immortal Meng said with a smile.

"Thanks to you, Great-Aunt, otherwise this would have been a really big problem," Meng Chuan said gratefully.

Murong You, who was bound tightly like a zongzi, stared at Meng Chuan and said in a low voice, "Young Master Meng, I truly admire you. With such strength, you disguised yourself as merely a Visceral Manifestation Realm expert who only mastered secret techniques. You hid your true abilities incredibly well; our defeat is undeniable. We calculated many things this time: that Immortal Meng excels at detection, that Palace Lord Yuyang possesses domain abilities... If we had just a few breaths of time, those Godfiends wouldn't have been able to find us at all. But we never expected that both Gao Laosan and his companion would die by your hand, and even I was forcefully entangled by you for so long!"

Being entangled consumed too much time.

That's why Immortal Meng was able to capture him.

With even a little time, hiding in any underground passage would make them extremely difficult to detect. Earth and rock significantly impede detection, and rivers are also strong barriers. The moment Murong You jumped into the canal, Meng Chuan quickly lost his sensory connection. Had he been given just two more breaths of time, Immortal Meng wouldn't have been able to find Murong You either.

"You should just shut up," Immortal Meng said, glancing at him. Invisible threads pierced Murong You's body, and he immediately lost the ability to speak, hear, or see.

"He can't hear or see now," Immortal Meng whispered. "Normally, when you spar with me or your father, your strength is only comparable to theirs. But during that recent burst, you felt several times stronger and could even suppress Murong You. Even two Deputy Hall Masters of the Skywolf Gate died by your hand. Was it because of your glabella space?"

"Yes," Meng Chuan nodded. "But I can only unleash a few powerful moves. The first two moves killed the two Deputy Hall Masters, and the subsequent three consecutive moves only severely wounded Murong You; I couldn't kill him."

"To be able to boost your power so much..." Immortal Meng frowned slightly. "This is truly unheard of. Remember, keep this a secret. Even when you participate in the Yuanchu Mountain assessment, as long as you're confident of passing, there's no need to reveal your glabella space. Once you enter Yuanchu Mountain, consult the ancient texts there to understand what the glabella space signifies... only then should you decide whether to disclose it."

"After all, something so mysterious could be a good thing, or it could be linked to some hidden secrets," Immortal Meng said.

"Understood," Meng Chuan nodded.

"When do you think you'll be able to reach the Seamless Realm?" Immortal Meng pressed.

"My Godfiend foundation is extremely profound, so the Visceral Manifestation Realm will take a bit longer for me. I estimate I'll fully break through to the Seamless Realm by the end of this year or early next year," Meng Chuan replied.

"A longer growth period is a good thing," Immortal Meng nodded. "Even if you reach the Seamless Realm by the end of this year, you'll need to consolidate your cultivation properly, preferably to the point of 'Condensing the Elixir'! Then you can take the Yuanchu Mountain assessment next year at the end of the year. Taking the assessment at eighteen... that's quite appropriate. Even if you fail, you can still participate at nineteen or twenty."

According to Immortal Meng's plan, Meng Chuan would have a total of three opportunities to take the assessment: at eighteen, nineteen, and twenty years old.

"Yes," Meng Chuan nodded.

"No outsiders discovered this confrontation, did they?" Immortal Meng inquired.

"It was dark, and the Skywolf Gate chose a relatively secluded ambush location, so no masters were observing," Meng Chuan replied.

"Alright, you should go back now. Don't tell anyone about what happened today," Immortal Meng said. "As for those three from the Skywolf Gate, let's just say I killed them."

"Understood," Meng Chuan replied, feeling quite relieved. Immortal Meng wasn't trying to take credit; as a Godfiend for nearly eighty years, she wouldn't bother with such a small contribution. She was doing her best to protect Meng Chuan.

The battle on the night of the sixth day of the second lunar month unfolded silently.

Meng Chuan returned to the Meng Manor by Mirror Lake.

"A'Chuan, weren't you going to the ancestral home? You're back rather quickly," Liu Qiyue said, having just returned herself, when she saw Meng Chuan following right behind her.

"I used light footwork to travel, so of course it was fast," Meng Chuan chuckled.

Liu Qiyue had no idea that a battle with far-reaching consequences for Dongning Prefecture had secretly erupted during the short time they were apart.

Meng Family Ancestral Home.

A torture chamber.

"Swear you'll let me leave alive, and I'll tell you everything!" Murong You roared, bound by chains, his body trembling constantly.

Immortal Meng stood there calmly and said, "Don't delude yourself into thinking you'll live. Once I've caught you, death is certain. However, if you tell me the exact location of the Skywolf Gate's Dongning branch, I will grant you an easy death, a complete release. Otherwise, forget ten or twenty days—even for one or three years! You won't be able to die. You'll endure torture day and night, forever sinking into hell with no hope of escape."

Immortal Meng had long acquired experience in torturing these scum from the Skywolf Gate.

"The Dongning branch, no, no..." Murong You was unwilling to give in easily. "Let me leave Dongning Prefecture alive, otherwise you'll never know anything."

"We'll take our time," Immortal Meng said, leaning on her staff. Invisible threads pierced Murong You's body, and he immediately let out a piteous howl.

Under the excruciating torture, time seemed to slow down a hundredfold, a thousandfold. Murong You endured endless torment, with no end in sight.

"Let me leave alive."

"Let me leave alive."

His will to survive made Murong You hold on, but Immortal Meng stood there expressionlessly, strands of threads continually piercing and tormenting Murong You's body.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

To Murong You, it felt as though an eternity had passed. He was almost driven mad by the torture, desperate for release, longing to escape this sea of suffering.

"I'll talk," Murong You finally relented.

Before dawn, Murong You confessed everything completely, and then received what he desired—eternal release!

Immortal Meng then exited the torture chamber.

Soon after—

Led by Immortal Meng, nine elders and one hundred twenty Visceral Manifestation Realm experts of the Meng family divided into seven teams and began their operations simultaneously. They completely eradicated the Dongning branch's headquarters and its six important strongholds. These strongholds included pawn shops open to the public, the residence of a prominent merchant, and even a security escort agency... Within one hour, the Meng family swept them all away.

The next afternoon.

Immortal Meng moved back to the Meng Manor by Mirror Lake to reside temporarily.

"Great-Aunt, these books?" Meng Chuan asked, looking at a box of books and some scrolls in the courtyard.

"I interrogated Murong You all night and learned the location of the Dongning branch's main lair," Immortal Meng said. "The other subordinates of the Dongning branch didn't know their three leaders were dead. Caught off guard, they were swiftly overwhelmed by our Meng family within an hour. The core members of the Skywolf Gate's Dongning branch were completely wiped out; only one Visceral Manifestation Realm expert managed to escape."

"From today onwards, the Skywolf Gate in Dongning Prefecture will be blind. They won't be able to infiltrate Dongning Prefecture and establish a complete intelligence network for three to five years," Immortal Meng said with a slight smile. "Meng Chuan, you've done a great deed that benefits the common people of Dongning Prefecture."

Meng Chuan also smiled, feeling exceptionally good. Without the Skywolf Gate stirring up trouble, Dongning Prefecture would be much more peaceful. However, he also understood that, with time, the Skywolf Gate would gradually infiltrate Dongning Prefecture again.

"These books were recovered from the Skywolf Gate's Dongning branch. Some of them are suitable for you to read," Immortal Meng said. "Looking through them will broaden your horizons."

"Yes," Meng Chuan nodded.

Meng Chuan immediately began to flip through the books. These books primarily described various secrets of the world. The Skywolf Gate was responsible for gathering intelligence on all aspects of humanity across the land, and many of the books contained within the Dongning branch were ones Meng Chuan had never seen before.

"The world is divided into three parts: the three human dynasties, the 'Great Zhou Dynasty', the 'Black Sand Dynasty', and the 'Great Yue Dynasty'. The Great Zhou Dynasty was established by the oldest sect, 'Yuanchu Mountain'; the Black Sand Dynasty by 'Black Sand Cavern Heaven'; and the Great Yue Dynasty by 'Two Realms Island'," Meng Chuan nodded slightly. "And Yuanchu Mountain, Black Sand Cavern Heaven, and Two Realms Island... are the supreme three sects of humanity."

"These three supreme sects, filled with powerful Godfiends, jointly resist the invasion of the demon race."

"The demon race is truly powerful."

Meng Chuan read the intelligence records. The demon race's strength was immense, even surpassing that of humanity. The three human sects also constantly strove to resist, remaining entirely on the defensive! Godfiends, one after another, guarded major cities. Renowned Godfiends like King Anhai, famous throughout the land, suppressed vital passes, protecting all of humanity. Yet, for all these years, the three supreme sects had never completely lost any territory. Even if briefly occupied by the demon race, it would be swiftly reclaimed.

"These scoundrels from the Skywolf Gate," Meng Chuan thought, growing increasingly furious as he read. Some believed humanity had no hope, while others coveted benefits from the demon race. In essence, this led to the formation of a sect known as the 'Skywolf Gate,' which infiltrated humanity. The Skywolf Gate lurked everywhere, providing intelligence on humanity to the demon race. It was a source of widespread human hatred, and this time, Meng Chuan had merely severed a small tendril of the Skywolf Gate's Dongning branch.

"I'm still a mortal now, and my role is too small. I must become even stronger," Meng Chuan mused silently.

The annihilation of the Skywolf Gate's Dongning branch was silent, known only to the high-ranking officials of Dongning Prefecture. In official court records, the deaths of the three leaders of the Dongning branch were attributed to Immortal Meng.

Dongning Prefecture grew increasingly peaceful and harmonious.

On the twenty-fifth day of the third month, news spread from Yuyang Palace that Yan Jin had comprehended 'Sword Force'. This news immediately shook all five Godfiend families in Dongning Prefecture. After all, comprehending 'Force' at seventeen was truly dazzling, a talent comparable to the Old Ancestor of the Zhang family.

Just three days later, the Meng family announced that Meng Chuan had also comprehended 'Blade Force'. When Yun Fuan of the Yun family heard this news, he smashed all his favorite porcelain in his study. The Meng family's standing among the five Godfiend families also rose significantly; the other four Godfiend families no longer dared to underestimate them. After all, comprehending Blade Force at seventeen... practically guaranteed entry into Yuanchu Mountain, and everyone was highly optimistic about Meng Chuan's future.

(End of this Chapter)