Chapter 343: Thinking of Change in the Prison Cell

"Chief," Yang Yi called out, somewhat timidly.

Although Yang Sixuan was Yang Yi's second uncle, ever since he had entered the Ruling Sect Justice Division, Yang Yi had called him Chief, whether in private or in public.

Seeing Yang Sixuan finally look up from his desk, Yang Yi said, "Shang Xiangyu has had two furnace explosions while refining pills, which killed three Registered Disciples. Furthermore, in the last two or three years, two other Registered Disciples have gone missing from his mountain peak. You had previously warned me to keep an eye on Shang Xiangyu."

"Who would have thought, this fellow, shortly after the second furnace explosion, requested leave from the Sect, saying he wanted to go out and travel for over half a year."

"When I heard this news, my heart started thumping. And sure enough, not many days after this Shang Xiangyu left, that Pan Yong under his command ran into trouble."

Upon hearing this, Yang Sixuan clearly became interested. He closed the yellowing ancient book in his hands and asked, "What happened to Pan Yong?"

He had also heard about Shang Xiangyu going out to travel. However, the reason Shang Xiangyu gave the Sect for his leave was that he had encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation. He was well aware of this point; Shang Xiangyu had been stuck at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm for several years. Without a breakthrough, he would likely have no hope in this lifetime! When a Martial Artist encounters such a juncture in their cultivation, it is common to go out and travel, either to seek opportunity or to temper their state of mind, so he had not paid it much mind.

But now, Yang Yi coming to see him at this time clearly meant he had discovered something.

A cold glint flashed in Yang Sixuan's deep eyes. Seeing that he was clearly interested in listening, Yang Yi felt encouraged, took two steps forward, and continued, "Not long after Shang Xiangyu left, Pan Yong actually used his Star Disk to exchange for six types of rare medicines at the Medicine Pavilion. Then, he found Qin Yun of the Lower Courtyard and obtained a permit to leave the mountain. He then absconded. Moreover, Chief, the six rare medicines Pan Yong exchanged at the Medicine Pavilion are all auxiliary medicines for cultivating the Womb Treasury Sutra!"

"Auxiliary medicines for cultivating the Womb Treasury Sutra?" Yang Sixuan's gaze flickered. He stood up and paced back and forth near the desk.

"Correct!" Yang Yi's tone carried a hint of excitement as he said, "And, when I went to investigate Pan Yong's case, I incidentally turned Shang Xiangyu's mountain peak upside down."

Hearing this, Yang Sixuan turned his head and glanced at Yang Yi.

Yang Yi remained unmoved and continued, "I found this in a hidden compartment in Shang Xiangyu's stone chamber."

As he spoke, Yang Yi placed a stack of books from his bosom onto the desk beside Yang Sixuan and said, "Books about the Filthy Blood Sect and the Filthy Blood Divine Art, and they are early, rare editions."

"The Filthy Blood Sect? Early rare editions?!" Yang Sixuan sat back down before the desk and flipped through the top five books regarding the Filthy Blood Sect and the Filthy Blood Divine Art.

As the Chief of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, the cases that had worried him most over the past ten years were those concerning the Filthy Blood Sect.

Yet, for ten years, under his suppression, the Filthy Blood Sect had not only failed to perish but had instead become even more secretive and powerful.

This had always made him feel deeply ashamed! And what he was most vigilant about was the Filthy Blood Sect's infiltration of the Sect.

This point was not only a Red Line for him, Yang Sixuan, but also a Red Line for the Elder Council!

Yet Shang Xiangyu, as an Inner Sect Disciple of the Sect and a Pharmacist, had many of the Sect's resources tilted in his favor. But in the hidden compartment of this person's stone chamber, there were actually early rare editions of books on the Filthy Blood Sect!

And there were as many as five of them; it was clearly something he had collected deliberately!

Yang Sixuan had seen no fewer than a hundred books from various periods of the Filthy Blood Sect, and he knew at a glance when these five were from.

His face was already as dark as the bottom of a pot. He moved the top five books aside, continued flipping through the rest, and asked, "Were these also found in the hidden compartment of his stone chamber?"

"Oh. They all were."

As Yang Sixuan flipped through them, he discovered that several were notes on alchemy and poisons.

Yang Sixuan set those notes aside and looked at the last book in his hand, the Five Poisons Gu Insect Art.

As soon as he opened this somewhat damaged and yellowed book, a waxy yellow human-skin scroll fell out from within.

Yang Sixuan frowned and spread the human-skin scroll out in his hands first.

He saw that it was filled with dense, tiny characters.

"Nine Nether Great Treasury Art?!"

Yang Sixuan held the human-skin scroll and looked at it carefully by the candlelight.

He had only read the first paragraph when he determined that this art was a secret technique, and judging by the level of its analysis and reasoning, it must have come from the hand of a powerhouse in the Dongming Realm!

However, as he read on, Yang Sixuan's expression changed abruptly!

This art was originally supposed to be a secret technique for breaking through the Qi Cyclone Realm using a rather bizarre line of reasoning. But, in the middle chapters, it suddenly started rambling and talking nonsense.

Yang Sixuan's face was ugly, and he frowned and cursed, "To practice it this way, wouldn't it just refine a person to death?"

Once Yang Sixuan said this, he was suddenly startled!

Because he thought of one thing.

This secret technique called the Nine Nether Great Treasury Art had indeed originally used a rather peculiar line of reasoning to break through the shackles of the Qi Cyclone Realm.

But the middle chapters had been tampered with by someone.

He was able to see through it at a glance because he was also a Martial Artist of the Dongming Realm; he knew the conclusions of the analysis and the source of the Qi-circulating methods in the text very well.

But Shang Xiangyu was only a Martial Artist at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm. He could not see the trap in this human-skin scroll at all, and this secret technique could help him break through the shackles of forming a Qi Cyclone.

He believed that Shang Xiangyu, having been stuck at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm for several years, must have tried to form a Qi Cyclone more than once, but had never succeeded.

Then, his state of mind upon obtaining this technique could be imagined!

He would definitely practice it!

However, after this technique was tampered with, not only would it be impossible to form a Qi Cyclone, but it would also destroy his origin, causing his origin to wither and for him to die within a month!

Yang Sixuan suddenly looked up at Yang Yi and asked, "When did Shang Xiangyu's hair turn white?"

Yang Yi was taken aback by Yang Sixuan's sudden question; he did not understand why Yang Sixuan was suddenly asking about this.

"It seems... it was half a year ago..."

Yang Yi had an impression of Shang Xiangyu's hair suddenly turning white. At the time, he thought that since Shang Xiangyu was a Pharmacist, perhaps he had eaten some medicine and turned himself into that ghostly state.

But now, Yang Sixuan was suddenly asking about this; could there be more to it?

He knew well that his second uncle was always taciturn and would never ask about this for no reason.

Yang Sixuan stood up again, hands behind his back, and paced back and forth by the desk.

"... Half a year ago?!"

"That is to say, half a year ago, he began to practice this art, and his origin was already damaged; he only had a month of life left."

Yang Sixuan had gradually sorted out the thread of the matter. "But Shang Xiangyu is a Pharmacist; he must have a way to keep himself alive..."

"However, relying on medicine alone, it is absolutely impossible to cure his condition of withered origin..."

As Yang Sixuan walked, he suddenly stopped, turned his head to look at the five rare books about the Filthy Blood Sect on the desk, his eyelids twitching, and said, "This fellow wants to join the Filthy Blood Sect!"

"Second Uncle, who did you say wants to join the Filthy Blood Sect?" Yang Yi exclaimed, "You mean Shang Xiangyu? He wants to join the Filthy Blood Sect?!"

Yang Yi only felt that Shang Xiangyu was problematic; even if early rare books of the Filthy Blood Sect were found in his hidden compartment, he could only be investigated for a crime of suspicion. But just now, Yang Sixuan's tone was so certain that Shang Xiangyu wanted to join the Filthy Blood Sect.

Although he could not be sure what Yang Sixuan was judging by, he absolutely trusted his judgment.

"I knew it, there is a major problem with this guy!" Yang Yi said with a flash in his eyes.

"Regarding the furnace explosion last time, didn't you tell me that Shang Xiangyu had a Registered Disciple who arrived this year, the one called Duan something?" Yang Sixuan suddenly looked at Yang Yi and said.

"Yes. Duan Rong!"

"Where is the person?"

"I have captured him! He is locked in the Dungeon."

Yang Sixuan gave Yang Yi an appreciative look and said, "Let's go, take me there!"

Inside the Dungeon of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, it was neither damp nor dim.

On the Wooden Frame in the Corridor, there was a brazier, and the bright firelight illuminated most of the cell.

In the cell opposite Duan Rong, a haggard-looking old man was lying down with his legs crossed, covered by an animal skin blanket. He squinted at Duan Rong and said, "Kid, what did you do to get yourself thrown in here?"

Duan Rong glanced at the old man, ignored him, and sat down in the darkness of the corner.

Seeing this, the old man spat on the ground and cursed, "What a rude little brat. Do you think I even want to bother with you? Who do you think you are?"

Duan Rong heard the old man cursing him, but there was not a single ripple in his heart. He needed a quiet environment to carefully consider what might happen next.

The development of events clearly had variables! It was already different from what he had originally planned and considered, so he had to re-evaluate everything.

Duan Rong sat cross-legged in the darkness with his eyes tightly shut, but his thoughts were churning like a tide...

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, footsteps suddenly echoed in the Dungeon.

The footsteps were clearly getting closer and closer.

Duan Rong suddenly opened his eyes and immediately lay down on the pile of straw by the wall.

Duan Rong lay there and looked at the Corridor outside the bars, seeing two people walking over.

One of them was Yang Yi, while the other walked in front of Yang Yi, but that person was wearing a black cloak that completely covered their head and face.

Duan Rong lay there, unable to glimpse their face.

But that person walked in front of Yang Yi, while Yang Yi followed respectfully behind them. This alone was enough to reveal the person's status.

Just as the person in the black cloak approached.

In the cell opposite Duan Rong, the old man who had been lying there lazily suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if he had received a great shock. He threw off the animal skin covering him and crawled to the very back of the cell.

When he threw off the animal skin, the sound of clattering iron chains came from there; the old man's shoulder blades were actually pierced by chains as thick as an arm.

Duan Rong clearly saw that the moment the old man saw the person in the black cloak, immense fear welled up in his eyes.

In almost an instant, Duan Rong concluded that this person was extremely dangerous!

Just then, Yang Yi had already taken out a key, opened the cell door, and then he and the person in the black cloak walked into the cell one after the other.

Duan Rong had already sat up from the straw pile.

Yang Yi stood behind the person in the black cloak, looked at Duan Rong, and said coldly, "Duan Rong! The Lord has come to ask you questions. Answer whatever you are asked, do you understand?"

Duan Rong glanced at Yang Yi, then looked at the person whose entire face was deeply hidden in the black cloak, sat cross-legged, and said, "Please ask, Lord."

"Shang Xiangyu exploded his furnace twice; what was he refining?"

Duan Rong's eyes flickered; the voice was hoarse and steady, and the person was likely quite old.

"I don't know."

Duan Rong's voice was cold, without a trace of emotion.

Of course, Duan Rong knew that Shang Xiangyu's first furnace was a Rejuvenation Pill and the second was a Blood Spring Pill. But these were things he only knew through devouring the Spirit Tool of Shang Xiangyu's long-discarded waste; how could he tell others?

Duan Rong paused slightly and said, "Actually, the furnace only exploded once."

"What?!" Yang Yi suddenly shouted, glaring at Duan Rong, and said, "Then why didn't you tell the truth when I was investigating the furnace explosion?"

Duan Rong looked at Yang Yi, sneered, and said, "Master Shang and Pan Yong were both there at the time. What did you want me to say?!"

Yang Yi wanted to speak again, but Yang Sixuan immediately waved his hand to stop him.

Yang Sixuan looked at Duan Rong and asked, "You just said it only exploded once?"

"That's right." Duan Rong looked at the person hidden in the black cloak before him and said, "It only exploded the first time. Shang Xiangyu succeeded the second time."

"Succeeded the second time?!" The person in the cloak's voice was full of shock.

Duan Rong said, "Shang Xiangyu killed his own younger brother and used his younger brother's blood to refine a Blood Pill!"

Yang Yi stood there, feeling chilled to the bone.

He knew Shang Xiangyu had a foolish younger brother, and only then did he recall that the fool had disappeared since the second furnace explosion. However, Yang Yi had never directed his attention toward the fool.

A brief silence fell within the cell; clearly, the two people in front of Duan Rong were still digesting the bombshells Duan Rong had just dropped.

This was what Duan Rong had already planned.

How could he ensure he could walk out of the Ruling Sect Justice Division's Dungeon?

That was to cooperate, he had to be sufficiently cooperative! Plus, as a Registered Disciple who had just entered the Sect this year and was uninvolved in this case, there was a high probability he would be released!

But the information he provided had to be shocking enough, and also sufficiently credible!

Duan Rong chose to expose the second furnace explosion!

Of course, there was one thing he couldn't smooth over. That was why Shang Xiangyu hadn't killed him. He couldn't say he had killed Chen Hu as a pledge of loyalty. Furthermore, the other party would likely ask why Shang Xiangyu hadn't killed Pan Yong. He couldn't just tell them about Shang Xiangyu using Insect Gu to control them while he himself hadn't been affected by the Insect Gu.

Duan Rong had already thought it through. If it couldn't be smoothed over, there was no need to.

Isn't it normal for things to be shocking and shrouded in mystery? Why? Let them go ask Shang Xiangyu. As long as they could capture Shang Xiangyu.

Yang Sixuan pondered Duan Rong's words.

After inferring from the known information earlier, he felt there were logical contradictions.

Shang Xiangyu exploded his furnace twice while refining medicine! He was clearly refining a very important drug.

This drug must be capable of alleviating his condition of source depletion.

However, two furnace explosions meant his refining had failed!

Yang Sixuan inferred that Shang Xiangyu's source had been damaged for half a year; without medicine to alleviate it, it would have been impossible for him to hold on until he practiced the Filthy Blood Divine Art to heal himself.

Because, whether it was finding the Filthy Blood Sect, finding a way to gain their trust, joining them, or finally cultivating the Filthy Blood Divine Art, all of it required time.

If there were no batch of medicine to alleviate the symptoms, Shang Xiangyu could not have held on.

And now, having heard Duan Rong's explanation!

Yang Sixuan suddenly felt that the contradictions in his original logical deductions no longer existed. It turned out Shang Xiangyu had finished refining the medicine before leaving the mountain.

Yang Sixuan was almost certain that what Duan Rong said was the truth.

"Then Chen Hu and Yin Cong, neither of them died from a furnace explosion?" While Yang Sixuan was deep in thought, Yang Yi, who was standing behind him, finally couldn't help but ask.

Yang Sixuan's eyes flickered; he was also waiting for Duan Rong's answer.

Duan Rong said, "They were killed by Shang Xiangyu."

Inside the cell, silence fell once again.

After a while, Yang Yi asked again, "Was it because he used his own younger brother to refine medicine and was afraid you would leak it?"

Duan Rong said, "Perhaps."

Yang Yi said, "Then why didn't he kill you and Pan Yong?"

Duan Rong glanced at Yang Yi and said coldly, "I don't know."

Yang Sixuan, his eyes hidden in the shadows of his cloak, stared at Duan Rong's face, judging the truth or falsehood in Duan Rong's words.

(End of this chapter)