Chapter 796: Great Sage's Tomb

The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower showed no surprise, a gentle smile gracing his face. When discussing business, he no longer appeared to be an aloof powerhouse. "My services are very expensive," he stated. "Even your master might not be able to afford me. What price are you prepared to pay?"

Kang Lin bowed. "I understand," he said. "However, this junior has brought astonishing intelligence this time. It's precisely why we're here."

The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower smiled. "Let's hear it first," he said. "If it meets my price, I'll eliminate this person for you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fan's heart chilled. This was a true businessman; there was absolutely no room for personal sentiment. Even if he had just been getting along well with you, perhaps even showing some appreciation, he would turn around and kill you without hesitation if the price was sufficient. Realizing this, Jiang Fan pondered whether he should also offer some valuable items to trade with the Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower.

Kang Lin cast a cold glance at Jiang Fan and the other two. He was ready to reveal the inside story directly, not caring if they overheard. He was confident that the Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower would not refuse this transaction, and once the deal was struck, Jiang Fan and his companions were certain to die. What did it matter if they heard it now?

"Master," Kang Lin asked, "have you heard that, a thousand years ago, there was once a True Spirit on this continent?"

The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower narrowed his eyes. "Are you referring to the legendary Earth Phoenix said to have guarded this land?" he questioned. "That's merely a legend. Its existence cannot be verified."

Kang Lin smiled faintly. "We've found it," he said.

"What?" The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower's pupils contracted sharply, a hint of shock flickering in his eyes. "Are you certain? Rumor has it that was a True Spirit! You understand what it means to be called a True Spirit, don't you?"

Kang Lin replied, "Of course I understand. The realm of a Great Sage! The absolute pinnacle of all beings! Three generations of our Divine Movement Sect have scoured countless ancient texts across Taicang Great State. We investigated for a full hundred years, finally pinpointing its resting place."

The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower's gaze grew serious. "No wonder your Divine Movement Sect has been excavating grand tombs for the past century, offending many forces in the process," he remarked. "The world always thought your Divine Movement Sect was insatiably greedy, not even sparing burial offerings. So your ambition is truly immense. And you actually managed to find clues. This Master is quite impressed with you."

He was tempted. No one could remain indifferent to the tomb of a Great Sage. Even a single item retrieved from it could be a divine artifact capable of altering destiny.

However, he didn't agree immediately. Instead, his eyes glinted as he said, "If this matter gets out, do you know the consequences? Setting aside whether the bloodline descendants of this Great Sage would come looking for trouble, just the renowned sects and major powers of Taicang Great State would arrive to seize it! At that point, rivers of blood would be a minor matter; if someone were to fan the flames, the destruction of your Divine Movement Sect would be highly probable."

Kang Lin confidently explained, "That's why we've remained idle. Even though we confirmed the Earth Phoenix's tomb ten years ago, we dared not make a move to avoid any leaks. It wasn't until today, with the Hell Beast's return, that we saw our chance. We're taking advantage of the continent's turmoil to loot the Earth Phoenix's mausoleum under the Hell Beast's name. By then, even if someone discovers the mausoleum has been excavated, they will only suspect the Hell Beast. It's perfectly reasonable for the Hell Beast, weakened after a century of suppression, to consume the remains of a Great Sage to restore its body. Moreover, we have consistently helped the Hell Beast commit numerous atrocities along the way. Even if the Hell Beast could speak, it couldn't explain itself clearly with a hundred mouths."

Upon hearing this, the Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Plotting for a hundred years and achieving success in a single day," he mused. "Your Divine Movement Sect's plan is truly flawless. However, despite all your calculations, you overlooked this group of Heavenly Mystery Pavilion disciples right before you, didn't you?"

The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower looked at the trio with surprise. If not for their interference, the Divine Movement Sect's century-long plan would have been flawless. Of course, it wasn't too late now. Eliminating Jiang Fan and his companions, destroying all the Divine Movement Sect members' bodies, and erasing any traces would allow them to continue their operations silently.

Kang Lin, too, glared hatefully at Jiang Fan and the other two. "I don't know where the problem lies," he admitted. "Everything was clearly seamless, without a single flaw. Yet these three seemed to have seen through the Hell Beast traces we faked, and hunted us down relentlessly."

The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower examined the trio with interest. "This Master is also very curious," he said. "Who is so capable as to have seen through the Divine Movement Sect's grand plan? Even I didn't see where the problem was."

He had also been to the scene of the atrocities, yet he hadn't noticed anything amiss and also believed it was the work of the Hell Beast.

"Of course, it was clever and beautiful me," Wu Manyue declared, lifting her chin and surprisingly taking responsibility. The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower was clearly tempted by the deal. If he decided to kill them later, he would surely target the person who disrupted the plan first, to eliminate future troubles, before moving on to the others. By taking the blame, she hoped to give Ren Guhong and Jiang Fan a slightly better chance of escape, repaying Jiang Fan for saving her previously.

At that moment, her shoulder slightly slumped. Jiang Fan's strong hand rested on her shoulder. "No need to take the blame for me," he said. "If the Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower decides to act, none of us three will escape."

The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower gave a wry smile. "It was you?" he asked. "How did you find out?"

Kang Lin also stared intently at Jiang Fan. He racked his brains, but he couldn't understand why the Divine Movement Sect's carefully laid plan had been so easily broken.

Jiang Fan extended five fingers, then pressed down his thumb. "Because," he said faintly, "the Hell Beast had one of its fingers cut off by me. It only has four fingers. But the claw marks left on the bodies by your beast all had five distinct marks."

Good heavens! Kang Lin felt as if thunder had struck him. The reason they were exposed was actually... such a trivial detail! No one could have imagined the Hell Beast was missing a finger, could they? Even the predecessors of the Divine Movement Sect couldn't have imagined this, no matter how hard they thought!

The Master of Jiangshan Yipin Tower was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. "So that's how it is!" he exclaimed. "The Divine Movement Sect never dreamed that someone had seen the Hell Beast and even made a mark on it! Hahahaha."

Kang Lin's face was extremely grim. He said in a deep voice, "Master, it's not too late to salvage the plan now. As long as we eliminate them all, we can still empty the Great Sage's tomb without anyone knowing. I can represent my master and invite you, Master, to develop it together. So, Master, is this transaction agreed upon?"