Chapter 1673: Change

Zu'an was surprised. How did gunpowder get brought up again?

Although this world is one of cultivation, gunpowder also exists. However, its power is far inferior to the firearms of his previous life and to the skills of some high-level cultivators in this world. Yet, its low cost and easy availability make it widely used in the military and mining industries.

Sensing his confusion, Yun Jianyue explained, "Initially, a batch of gunpowder was being transported by the imperial court to Yi Commandery. It was meant to be handed over by the Prince of Yan, but it was robbed along the way. Jiang Zhong, the Embroidered Uniform Emissary in charge of investigating the case locally, concluded after his investigation that the gunpowder had been stolen by the Demonic Cult, and the case was closed."

Zu'an remarked, "Elsewhere, that conclusion might have been acceptable. But he didn't know that the Prince of Yan and the Demonic Cult had already formed a secret alliance."

Yun Jianyue glared at him, clearly displeased with his use of 'Demonic Cult.' "That's right, we certainly knew we weren't responsible, and the Prince of Yan believes us. Therefore, the person who came to that conclusion is suspicious."

"The Prince of Yan sent people to investigate Jiang Zhong, and they happened to find him being hunted by a mysterious group attempting to silence him. The Prince of Yan's subordinates took advantage of the chaos to rescue him."

"Where is Jiang Zhong now?" Zu'an asked. When he had first realized Jiang Zhong was suspicious, people had searched everywhere but couldn't find him.

"The Prince of Yan likely hid him away or silenced him," Yun Jianyue said, shaking her head. Such a minor figure was clearly of no concern to her.

"Later, the Prince of Yan interrogated Jiang Zhong. At that point, Jiang Zhong was desperate and had no choice but to seek refuge with the Prince of Yan," Yun Jianyue replied. "It seems he had become addicted to gambling, lost his entire fortune, accrued massive debts, and his engagement was called off. The deeper he fell, the more opportunities the Phantom Pavilion found to bribe him."

"Gambling is truly ruinous," Zu'an thought, realizing that the Embroidered Uniform system in Yi Commandery was also flawed. It was baffling that one of their own emissaries could fall so deep without being detected sooner.

"However, Jiang Zhong didn't know the Phantom Pavilion's details; he merely followed orders, and his contact had long since vanished." Even as the Demonic Cult Master, Yun Jianyue clearly harbored some apprehension towards the mysterious Phantom Pavilion.

"What happened to that missing gunpowder?" Zu'an asked.

"My investigation over this period shows that the last trace of the gunpowder disappeared near Purple Mountain," Yun Jianyue said. "I suspect it has already been transported there."

"What?!" Zu'an was greatly alarmed. The sheer volume of gunpowder used by the imperial court for military supplies would be immense. If it was truly hidden in Purple Mountain, what were they planning? Considering the emperor's impending visit for the grand sacrificial ceremony, their objective wasn't hard to guess.

"However, I don't know its exact location," Yun Jianyue continued. "It would be nearly impossible for such a large quantity of gunpowder to be brought in undetected. This suggests it must be under the protection of a powerful figure on Purple Mountain."

"Are you suspecting Wang Wuxie?" Zu'an's heart pounded. With Purple Mountain entirely under his dominion, he was certainly the prime suspect in such a matter.

"Wang Wuxie is indeed a suspect," Yun Jianyue nodded. "Furthermore, people from the Nine Daoist Sects cannot be ruled out. Many arrived early on Purple Mountain for the Great Daoist Competition. If they provided assistance, it would be difficult for the Zhengyang Sect to investigate their affairs."

"So, you've been disguised as Elder Peng of Kongming Island this whole time, secretly investigating this matter," Zu'an mused, recalling recent events. "No wonder I always sensed a familiar aura from Peng Wuyan. It's fortunate I didn't have any conflicts with them and even helped them several times; otherwise, they'd surely hate me." He then asked, "By the way, what happened to the real Elder Peng and Peng Wuyan?"

"I killed them," Yun Jianyue stated with a straight face. "I am, by nature, a ruthless demoness."

Zu'an frowned. While he knew her identity, his interactions with her had rarely revealed her brutal side. Hearing such a declaration still made him uncomfortable.

"Look at you, all scared," Yun Jianyue scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, killing people like them would be too wasteful. I've merely imprisoned them. I'll release them after this whole affair is over; who knows, I might even manage to plant a mole within the Daoist sects."

Zu'an finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked with a smile, "How is the investigation progressing?"

"Hong Lei and I have been investigating this matter for days, but unfortunately, we haven't uncovered anything," Yun Jianyue said, her expression somewhat enigmatic. "Sometimes, a lack of findings can be very telling."

Zu'an paused. "What do you mean?"

"I had previously suspected other Daoist sects, but they are merely guests here. It would be impossible for them to hide such a large quantity of gunpowder undetected by me," Yun Jianyue paused, her expression growing solemn. "On the entire Purple Mountain, I fear only Wang Wuxie could manage such a feat."

"He seems to have such an otherworldly demeanor, and as the Grand Tutor, surely he wouldn't engage in such activities?" Zu'an said, recalling Wang Wuxie's appearance over the past few days. He truly couldn't discern anything unusual.

"Otherworldly demeanor?" Yun Jianyue sneered. "That's because you never saw his embarrassing attempts to pursue the Ice Stone Maiden when he was young."

Zu'an was speechless. Yan Xuehen's charm was indeed immense; it was no surprise that the older generation admired her. In fact, it would be more concerning if they didn't.

Yun Jianyue's expression turned serious. "The reason I came to you today is twofold: first, to intercede for the Prince of Yan, and second, to remind you that the Prince of Yan has painstakingly built his influence in Yi Commandery for years. Do you truly believe he would be dealt with so easily?"

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat. "You mean..."

"The Prince of Yan commands tens of thousands of elite soldiers; if incited, they could easily cause trouble," Yun Jianyue continued. "Furthermore, as far as I know, you haven't apprehended the Prince of Yan's heir or Prime Minister Sun Xun, have you?"

"Do they dare to rebel?" Zu'an's expression flickered. With Zhao Hao still on the throne and the imperial court strong, raising an army now would be like hitting a rock with an egg, wouldn't it?

"You can't expect everyone to be entirely rational," Yun Jianyue said slowly. "Once pushed to the brink of desperation, nothing they do would be surprising."

Just as Zu'an was about to speak, his heart stirred. He pulled out the Embroidered Uniform Emissary's gold token, which was transmitting a message: The Prince of Yan's army had surrounded Yi City, demanding his release, and the city was on the verge of falling.

Zu'an's heart sank. Although he knew these forces couldn't stir up much trouble and would surely be swiftly suppressed by Zhao Hao and the imperial court, the common folk of Yi City, along with Xiao Jianren, Zhang Zitong, and others, might not survive the impending conflict.

"I'm going to Yi City!" Zu'an declared, standing up.

"I'll go with you. After all, if the Holy Cult loses the Prince of Yan as our backer, our days will also be difficult," Yun Jianyue said, standing up as well and putting Elder Peng's mask back on.

Outside, Xie Daoyun was pacing worriedly. Zhang Zijiang chuckled, "Miss Xie, please don't fret. Grand Master Zu's cultivation is peerless; he won't be in any danger."

Xie Daoyun's face flushed slightly as she whispered, "I'm not worried, but Elder Peng is a senior Daoist, capable of training a formidable disciple like Peng Wuyan. Her cultivation must be unfathomable, and Grand Master Zu... is still quite young, after all."

Just then, the door creaked open, and Zu'an and Yun Jianyue emerged.

Xie Daoyun rushed forward to greet them. Zhang Zijiang, too, dropped his relaxed demeanor and looked at Zu'an with an anxious and worried expression.

"I'm fine. I need to go out for a bit; please take care of yourselves," Zu'an replied.

"Grand Master Zu, is there an urgent matter?" Xie Daoyun asked, concerned.

"Don't worry, there's a minor issue in Yi City. I'll go resolve it; there's no danger," Zu'an casually reassured her, not wanting her to worry.

Xie Daoyun then let out a slight breath of relief.

Zu'an had initially intended to ask Zhang Zijiang to investigate the gunpowder on Purple Mountain. However, he then had a change of heart: wouldn't it be perfect if Zhao Hao were blown up? Why should he worry about him? This thought brought him relief, and he waved goodbye to the two.

After they departed, Yun Jianyue suddenly smiled. "That Miss Xie seems quite concerned about you."

Zu'an chuckled awkwardly. "Friends. It's just concern between friends."

"Friends, again? You certainly have many pretty female friends around you," Yun Jianyue sneered.

Zu'an looked at her in surprise, a playful expression on his face. "Are you jealous, Sister Yun?"

Yun Jianyue's face flushed, and she glared at him fiercely. "Go away! I'm just standing up for my Hong Lei." "What are you laughing at? Do you want me to tear your mouth apart?!" "Are you still laughing?"

After they descended the mountain, Zu'an brought out his Wind and Fire Wheels and invited her to join him.

Yun Jianyue hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "I'll just fly on my own," she said, clearly intending to maintain her distance from him.

Zu'an mused that she truly was worthy of being Yan Xuehen's sworn enemy; their thoughts were strikingly similar.

He didn't press the matter. Once they were airborne, he sought to make conversation. "By the way, was that turtle spirit in Blackwater Pond also part of your arrangement?"

It was because the turtle mentioned a woman throwing the body of Gold Token Number Seven into Blackwater Pond that night that they had grown suspicious of the Carefree Pavilion.

Yun Jianyue was startled. "What turtle spirit? The Prince of Yan only had Jiang Zhong lead you towards the Carefree Pavilion because he knew you had discovered a connection to a woman."

"You don't know about the turtle spirit?" Zu'an was taken aback. He had always assumed the Prince of Yan had arranged the turtle spirit to intentionally mislead him toward Tang Tian'er, believing the plan only faltered because the Prince was unaware of his relationship with her. But now, it seemed Yun Jianyue had no knowledge of the turtle spirit's existence at all.

"Indeed, I didn't know," Yun Jianyue replied. "I had wondered how you knew Gold Token Number Seven was connected to a woman before his death. Was it because of a turtle spirit in Blackwater Pond, then?" As the Demonic Cult Master, she was well-informed and naturally familiar with legends of spirits and monsters.

Zu'an recounted the incident at Blackwater Pond. Yun Jianyue frowned deeply, and after a moment, she suddenly spoke: "Have you ever considered that the turtle spirit might not have lied to you?"

Zu'an paused. "Then why did it run away nervously and leave that message?"

Yun Jianyue smiled faintly. "You're usually quite clever, kid. Why are you so muddled now? Think about it: if you were that turtle spirit, and there was an entity that could end your life at any moment, would you dare to remain there?"

"As for things like incense offerings, they're trivial compared to life. As long as it's alive, it can slowly re-accumulate them; there's no reason to risk staying there."

"And regarding the message it left, considering the significant loss it suffered because of you, it's quite normal for it to get in a little jab, wouldn't you say?"

Zu'an was speechless. Too many thoughts flooded his mind at once.