Chapter 868: Dire Calculation

"Y… Young Master?!"

Several Xiao family elders, especially those who had placed great hopes in Xiao Tianquan, disregarded rank and protocol, immediately rose from their seats and rushed to the upper seat, testing Xiao Tianquan's breath, feeling his pulse, sensing his spiritual awareness—all at once turning as pale as paper.

Some pulled out pills and shoved them into Xiao Tianquan's mouth.

But their hands trembled so badly it took them ages to get them in—utterly useless.

Xiao Tianquan's seven orifices were grotesque, his breath gone entirely.

"R… really… dead…"

In an instant, everyone's bodies turned icy cold.

One elderly Xiao family elder looked up at Xia Jiancha, his gaze filled with resentment, accusation, and fury.

But due to the gap in cultivation and status, he dared not show it too openly, only growled:

"Xia Jiancha… what exactly happened here?"

The Xia family's Jin Dan cultivators exchanged uneasy glances.

Xia Jiancha himself frowned deeply, no longer the calm, unshakable man he had been before.

This matter was truly too bizarre.

He never imagined that one day, someone would suddenly drop dead before his eyes—and he'd sense not the faintest clue.

No trace of spiritual power or blood qi, no sign of any spiritual artifact or Dao technique.

Just like that… drank a cup of wine, went mad, then died.

To outsiders, it even looked like…

He, this True Person, had killed Xiao Tianquan!

Xia Jiancha stepped closer to Xiao Tianquan's corpse.

Several Xiao family elders grew wary, wanting to step forward and stop him—but held back, intimidated by Xia Jiancha's profound cultivation and imposing aura.

At that moment, the elderly Xiao family elder sighed deeply and said earnestly:

"My Xiao family's Young Master has suffered misfortune, dying suddenly. I beg Xia Jiancha to investigate clearly and bring justice to the Xiao family."

"Elder!"

The other Xiao family elders still looked resentful.

"Be silent!" the elderly elder hissed, shaking his head. "This has nothing to do with Xia Jiancha."

The Xia and Xiao families are allied; Xiao Tianquan was a pivotal figure.

Xia Jiancha had no reason to kill the Xiao family's Young Master.

Moreover, even if he wanted to kill, he wouldn't do it here, before so many Xiao family elders.

At first, the shock and fury had blinded the Xiao elders—but now, after a moment's reflection, they all realized this, and stopped blocking Xia Jiancha.

Xia Jiancha stepped beside the dead Xiao Tianquan, examined him briefly, and his frown deepened further.

Not a single trace…

With his decades of experience in criminal investigations, he found not the faintest clue.

It was as if, in sudden ecstasy, his mind had snapped, unable to suppress the malevolent energy, which then recoiled and shattered his spiritual sea, causing blood to pour from all seven orifices…

This was impossible.

Xia Jiancha withdrew from his sleeve a palm-sized blue jade compass, about to trace the karmic threads—but as soon as the thought arose, his fingers twitched, his pupils shrank, and he immediately clamped the compass shut.

Xia Jiancha said nothing, slowly returning the compass to his sleeve.

Yet no one knew that his hand hidden within his sleeve was trembling.

At the same time, a deep chill surged through Xia Jiancha's heart.

Malevolence!

This was the most terrifying omen of evil he had ever sensed—a dread so immense within karmic threads.

Xia Jiancha's gaze turned icy.

The Method of Heavenly Fate was highly unusual; few cultivators studied it, and most didn't even believe in it.

But he once heard a single phrase from a high-level master:

"If you do not observe Heavenly Fate, do not peer into karmic threads, fortune and misfortune become unpredictable, your life no longer yours to command."

He remembered those words vividly.

Thus, after his Nascent Soul breakthrough, he devoted himself entirely, humbly seeking guidance from a clan elder, spending over a decade until the elder, moved by his sincerity, granted him a fragment of the Heavenly Fate Method.

But the Way of Heavenly Fate stood utterly apart from ordinary cultivation paths.

He only began learning it after reaching Nascent Soul—and to this day, he had mastered only the barest surface.

Yet even that "surface" shattered his entire understanding of the cultivation world.

Some events, seemingly natural disasters, were in truth human conspiracies.

Beneath what appeared foolish lay deep, oceanic schemes and calculations.

Every person in the world, seemingly "independent," was in truth a puppet, their spiritual pathways pre-set and their springs wound tight by unseen hands.

Now, his understanding was shattered once more.

He had personally experienced the "great terrors" spoken of by his elder—real, tangible, and horrifying.

Xia Jiancha vividly recalled his clan elder's words:

"If you can calculate karmic threads, calculate. If you cannot, don't."

"If you can calculate" means: don't fear wasting spiritual awareness, don't be lazy—calculate karmic threads often; seemingly trivial matters may hide Heavenly Fate.

"If you cannot, don't" means: the moment a warning stirs in your heart, stop immediately—lest you calculate what you must not, and invite an unknowable catastrophe.

Until now, he had always followed "if you can, calculate." Now, for the first time, he faced "if you cannot, don't."

Xia Jiancha's expression was utterly solemn.

The elders of the Xiao family exchanged startled glances and whispered, "Supervisor, have you discovered anything?"

Xia Jiancha snapped out of his thoughts, his face as cold as water; after a moment, a flash of sharp light gleamed in his eyes as he spoke slowly:

"His physical meridians, qi sea, and consciousness sea—all self-destroyed, with no signs of external force… Either he made a mistake in cultivation, or…"

Xia Jiancha paused slightly, then spoke with solemn intensity, "A Heaven's Mechanism adept used a karmic art to sever his life force!"

At these words, the Xiao elders all paled.

Heaven's Mechanism adept!

"Supervisor Xia, do you know…"

Xia Jiancha shook his head and sighed, "Though I am of the Feather Transformation realm, my mastery of karmic principles is shallow. I just tried to divine it, but found nothing…"

The elderly Xiao elder frowned, then sighed, "Then we must return and summon the Ancestor."

Xia Jiancha said nothing.

After a moment's hesitation, the Xiao elder bowed to Xia Jiancha and said, "I have one humble request."

Xia Jiancha nodded. "Speak freely."

The Xiao elder said, "This matter is suspicious. To avoid gossip, could you, Supervisor, keep it silent and not mention it to outsiders?"

Xia Jiancha replied, "Naturally. At this point, it is not what my Xia family wishes either. Your nephew Xiao Tianquan has extraordinary talent and boundless potential—I hold great hope for him. It is tragic that heaven envies talent; I too feel deep regret."

After speaking, Xia Jiancha added lightly:

"The dead deserve respect. Though he may have been youthful and reckless, with some flaws in conduct, now that he is gone, all of it must be buried. If others inquire, the Dao Ting Si will declare he died in the line of duty—granting your nephew dignity."

The Xiao elders all bowed in gratitude: "Supervisor Xia, your benevolence is profound. Thank you."

Some of the elders knew exactly what kind of man Xiao Tianquan was and what he had done; others did not.

But even those who had not known before, now seeing his sudden, gruesome death and the terror on his face, clearly understood he had committed sins and reaped karmic retribution.

Xiao Tianquan was a core scion of the Xiao family—fate shared, glory and disgrace intertwined.

If he had truly committed disgraceful acts and been exposed, it would shame the entire Xiao family.

For Xia Jiancha to overlook it and grant the Xiao family face was perfect.

The Xiao elder said, "We will return his body as soon as possible, report to the Ancestor. The Ancestor has also studied karmic principles—he will surely uncover who among the shadows plotted against our core scion…"

Xia Jiancha nodded in approval. "That is well."

Then his expression grew slightly solemn, and he casually remarked:

"Tianquan was publicly cursed to death—this is not only an insult to my Xia family, but a slap to the Xiao family's face. The one behind this likely is your enemy, unwilling to see our two families allied, hence this treacherous scheme."

"If your Ancestor masters karmic arts, please ask him to trace this karmic thread and uncover who fired the hidden arrow. Not only the Xiao family, but my Xia family will not let this go unpunished."

The Xiao elder bowed. "Thank you for your kindness, Supervisor Xia. I will surely report this to the Ancestor and ask him to deliberate."

Xia Jiancha nodded.

The banquet ended abruptly.

Originally filled with merriment, the gathering had now witnessed bloodshed and death—the atmosphere had turned eerie.

The Xiao elders dared not delay. They placed Xiao Tianquan's corpse in a coffin, gathered all his belongings, bid farewell to Xia Jiancha, and hurried back to the Xiao family.

Xia Jiancha watched them depart, but when his gaze fell upon Xiao Tianquan's coffin, a suppressed revulsion finally surfaced in his eyes as he whispered:

"What a pity… the Lifespan Talisman Seed came too late…"

…

Xiao Tianquan was dead. The news was concealed, but it could not be fully hidden—certainly, whispers would reach the Dao Ting Si.

For Xiao Tianquan was an Executive Officer of the Dao Ting Si.

Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi were handling the aftermath of the Yanzhi Boat when they received a document.

It was an internal Dao Ting Si document, visible only to those of Diansi rank or higher.

It contained only a few brief lines, no context, direct and blunt:

"Xiao Tianquan, Executive Officer of the Xiao family, died bravely in the line of duty."

Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi froze, momentarily thinking they had misread.

After verifying several times, shock surged through both their hearts.

Just moments ago, Xiao Tianquan—protected by the Feather Transformation–ranked Xia Jiancha—had simply…

Died?

"Died in the line of duty" was merely an excuse.

The true cause of death must be something too sensitive to disclose.

The two raised their heads and exchanged a silent glance—both thinking the same thought:

How did he die?

Or rather… who killed Xiao Tianquan? How?

Yet no matter how hard they racked their brains, they could not imagine who, or by what means, could kill the Xiao family's most direct disciple beneath the eyes of a Feather Transformation adept.

The room fell silent.

Each pondered deeply, yet found no clue.

Moments later, several more official documents arrived—all reporting sudden, unexplained deaths within a single day across Qianxue Prefecture and its surrounding regions: escaped cultivators, imprisoned criminals, family disciples, even sect disciples—all dead under mysterious, violent circumstances.

Their identities differed, their deaths varied, but without exception, all had died suddenly and inexplicably.

Gu Changhuai and the other tightened their brows.

"Sudden death…"

Gu Changhuai murmured.

The word felt strangely familiar.

Suddenly, he remembered—back at the tavern in Yan Shui City, Mo Hua had said:

"Men act, heaven watches; Xiao Tianquan has done too many wicked deeds—who knows what day heaven will punish him, and he'll suddenly drop dead..."

Not only Gu Changhuai, but Xia Diansi also remembered.

The two stared at each other, both feeling utterly unbelievable.

"Mo..."

Xia Diansi opened her mouth, but halfway through, she saw Gu Changhuai shake his head—clearly telling her not to mention that name now.

Xia Diansi swallowed the name "Mo Hua," her expression dazed:

"This must... be a coincidence, right?"

She thought for a moment, then her gaze suddenly sharpened as she asked Gu Changhuai: "Yesterday you..."

Gu Changhuai nodded: "Sent him back. Delivered him to the Grand Void Gate's mountain gate. He should now be inside the sect, diligently cultivating."

Xia Diansi exhaled in relief.

If that was the case, then it probably had nothing to do with Mo Hua.

After all, he'd only said one sentence.

It couldn't possibly be that Mo Hua's words carried divine authority—that whoever he wished dead, would die.

Xia Diansi shook her head.

But in Gu Changhuai's heart, he vaguely felt it wasn't that simple.

Knowing Mo Hua as he did, there was no reason for him to utter such words without cause.

If nothing had happened, it would've been fine.

But now, his words had come true—this could no longer be dismissed as empty talk.

When he said Xiao Tianquan "has done too many wicked deeds and will perish by his own hand," it was likely because at that moment, he had already determined Xiao Tianquan was doomed.

Why...

Gu Changhuai frowned. Since entering Qianxue Prefecture, he had known Mo Hua for five years.

In those five years, Mo Hua's height hadn't changed noticeably, but his abilities had surged forward dramatically.

And it was the kind of advancement that ordinary people couldn't perceive.

His cultivation might seem unremarkable, but his formation arts, Dao techniques, and other methods kept emerging endlessly.

From initially being inscrutable, he had now reached a point that bordered on the inconceivable.

A single word became prophecy. Words carried divine authority.

If Xiao Tianquan's death had nothing to do with Mo Hua, he wouldn't be surprised.

But if it did, he wouldn't be surprised either.

In fact, the absurd notion that Mo Hua had simply spoken and decided Xiao Tianquan's life or death—Gu Changhuai now found himself unable to fully reject it...

But he still kept this matter silently buried in his heart, never telling anyone.

And in Yan Shui City.

Ye Hong still hadn't abandoned his desire for revenge.

Though he knew it was impossible, he was now utterly alone, with nothing left to lose.

Thus, he had nothing to fear.

Three days later, he finally, through every possible means, obtained a piece of news.

Xiao Tianquan died in the line of duty...

In that instant, Ye Hong first felt disbelief, then he remembered the words Mo Hua had spoken to him.

"Men act, heaven watches..."

Ye Hong smiled bitterly, two streams of clear tears flowing down.

He went again to the banks of the Yan Shui River, poured a flask of wine onto the riverbank, and offered it to his two innocent children who had died unjustly; then, facing east, toward Qianxue Prefecture and the Grand Void Gate's location, he bowed three times from afar, kowtowing:

"Thank you, Young Master's great grace!"

"May the Young Master achieve the Great Dao, uphold justice for all, and bring forth a clear, righteous Heaven and impartial Earth."

The Xiao Family.

In a hidden, grand cave mansion within the forbidden zone.

The Xiao Family's ancestral elder, white-haired and clad in black robes, stared at Xiao Tianquan—whose soul had been obliterated, blood streaming from all seven orifices—and his heart trembled with grief and rage.

He was his most beloved great-grandson.

The direct heir he had chosen to inherit his legacy and elevate the Xiao Family further.

But now, this most cherished great-grandson had died, inexplicably, like this.

The Xiao Family's ancestral elder's eyes were bloodshot, his voice like a frozen abyss:

"What happened?"

Beside him, the Xiao Family's elder dared not raise his head, quietly recounted everything that had transpired at the banquet, then slowly said:

"Ancestral Elder, do you think this might be... Xia Jiancha..."

The Xiao Family's ancestral elder sneered, "He's no fool. Why would he, without cause, publicly kill my grandson? Moreover, this man is deeply calculating and far more complex than you imagine—he would never do something so reckless and pointless, inviting a mortal feud with the Xiao Family..."

"Ancestral Elder speaks truly..." said the Xiao Family elder.

The Xiao Family's ancestral elder's face brimmed with anger, then forcibly suppressed it, and asked: "When Quan'er died before him, what did he say?"

The Xiao Family elder replied: "Xia Jiancha said Tianquan Young Master bore no external injuries. His death may have resulted from a cultivation mishap—or... from a Heaven's Mechanism adept severing his life force with a karmic technique."

"Heaven's Mechanism adept..." The Xiao Family's ancestral elder snorted coldly. "How many Heaven's Mechanism adepts are there? Would a Heaven's Mechanism adept, with nothing better to do, go through such elaborate trouble to kill a single Foundation Establishment heir of the Xiao Family? If he had such power, why not just come kill me directly?"

The Xiao elder dared not answer.

Xiao Tian's gaze darkened, then asked: "Did that Xia Inspector calculate it himself? Couldn't figure it out?"

Xiao Changlao recalled: "He did take out a blue jade Luo Pan, made a few calculations, but soon frowned and put it away—it seems he did try, but lacked the ability to discern anything…"

Xiao Tian nodded, his heart slightly eased.

"Instruct them to set up the Celestial Mechanism Luo Pan, prepare the karmic artifacts, then clear everyone out, seal the cave dwelling, and allow no one to disturb."

"Yes."

Xiao Changlao knew this ancestor of the Xiao family had, by chance, received a secret transmission of a Celestial Mechanism art, and had attained profound mastery.

The reason the Xiao family had risen to a fifth-rank clan was largely due to this ancestor's use of the Celestial Mechanism art to avoid misfortune and seize advantage.

This "abandoning darkness for light," betraying the Gui Shui Sect and joining the Xia family, had also been foreseen by this ancestor.

It was the Xiao family's chance to advance further.

But now, this karmic thread seemed to have encountered some "anomaly…"

Xiao Changlao felt a twinge of dread, but before the ancestor, he dared not speak further—only after arranging everything properly did he dismiss the others and seal the cave dwelling.

He knew the ancestor was autocratic and treasured this Celestial Mechanism art above all; during divination, he forbade any peeking.

The great door slowly closed, the cave dwelling sealed tight.

Xiao Tian sat alone before the corpse of Xiao Tianquan.

Not long ago, this vibrant, promising great-grandson had often visited him, obediently calling him "Laozu," but now, in an instant, they were forever parted—the white-haired sending off the black-haired.

His heart grew heavier with grief.

This "grief" also clouded his mind, causing him to commit a grave taboo:

An unstable Dao heart must not peer into Celestial Mechanism or trace karmic threads.

But now, he could not care less.

He must find out who dared commit such a heinous act—murdering Xiao family's celestial prodigy.

Besides, that Xia Inspector was merely a Yuhua, barely familiar with the surface of karmic principles—he had calculated and nothing happened.

He himself was a Dongxu, had studied Celestial Mechanism for years, guiding the Xiao family away from harm and shielding them countless times; even if he could not discern anything, it would not be disastrous.

Xiao Tian silently recited the Celestial Mechanism art, his spiritual sense flowing, beginning to trace the karmic threads of Xiao Tianquan's bloody corpse.

He was calculating Xiao Tianquan's karmic thread.

But as he traced, he suddenly froze in shock.

Celestial Mechanism shifted, karmic threads reversed.

Xiao Tian saw his great-grandson, outside, torturing and slaughtering innocents.

He saw him aboard the Yanzhi Boat, indulging in wine, women, and debauchery.

He saw him in a water fortress, slaughtering cultivators, then sacrificing them all to an unknown altar…

No!

Wrong!

Xiao Tian's expression changed.

This blood-soaked, malevolent figure with fierce eyes was not the obedient, well-behaved great-grandson he knew!

Why?

Why had he never noticed before?

What had clouded his perception?

Now that Xiao Tianquan was dead, this veil lifted, and the truth surfaced?

Xiao Tian suddenly felt a chill crawl up his back.

He continued his divination…

At that moment, a faint Celestial Mechanism warning appeared.

But Xiao Tian, agitated and emotionally turbulent, ignored the warning.

He wanted to know what this seemingly obedient great-grandson had truly done.

And who had killed him!

Even if his great-grandson had acted wickedly, he was still Xiao family—no outsider had the right to pass judgment.

Even if he deserved ten thousand deaths, only he, the ancestor, had the right to punish him—no outsider had the authority to kill his grandson!

Unconsciously, Xiao Tian's eyes darkened with blood.

He continued his divination, and soon saw the Long Wang Temple.

He saw a group within the Long Wang Temple, but all of them were blurred, indistinct.

Especially one figure, faint and elusive, like a little ghost.

He did not know if this "little ghost" was a living person or something else, but its presence was extraordinary, impossible to ignore.

As if this little ghost was the core of the group, and the source of Xiao Tianquan's deepest resentment.

But the little ghost always faced away from Xiao Tian.

Xiao Tian wished to see its face, so he expended more spiritual energy, pushing his Celestial Mechanism art to its limit.

But before he could discern anything, the little ghost suddenly paused—as if sensing someone trying to see him.

He fulfilled Xiao Tian's expectation, slowly turning his head toward him.

In stunned silence, Xiao Tian finally saw the little ghost's face.

It was a horrifying visage, dripping black blood, as if freshly hatched from an embryo, adorned with strange goat horns.

The little ghost grinned at Xiao Tian, revealing a childish yet unnatural smile.

Xiao Tian silently drew a cold breath.

A chill surged straight to his crown.

The anger faded, and he finally came to his senses.

He finally realized he had made an extremely fatal mistake.

He had seemed to calculate… something he should never have calculated.

The Xiao family's Ancestor forced calm, silently averted his gaze, trying to withdraw his spiritual sense from the little ghost's stare.

But a more vast, more ancient, and chillingly terrifying aura gradually arose from all around.

As if disturbed by him, some evil "presence" had slowly awakened from an eons-long slumber…