Chapter 195: Du Xiezi's Speculation

Watching the young couple walking together in the distance, Xiao Zhan and the others could not help but reveal knowing, maternal smiles.

"I never expected that Your Excellency Yun Shan would also engage in such unbefitting behavior?"

The white-haired and white-bearded Yao Lao glanced at Yun Shan, who was also peeking, and could not help but tease him.

"Venerable Yao, you are joking. This old man is merely concerned about his own disciple's lifelong matters; how can you call this neglecting one's proper work!" Yun Shan retorted.

"Zhan would like to thank Senior Yun Shan here for playing matchmaker for my good-for-nothing son."

Seeing Xiao Yan's foolishly happy expression, Xiao Zhan also felt quite relieved; at the very least, the hurdle of his wife back home had been cleared this time.

"Clan Leader Xiao, that is where you are wrong." Yun Shan praised, "The talent of that little fellow Xiao Yan is the best this old man has ever seen in his life; how can you call him good-for-nothing?"

"Furthermore..." Yun Shan laughed, "If Clan Leader Xiao says his own son is good-for-nothing, wouldn't that be mocking Venerable Yao's poor judgment?"

"Is Clan Leader Xiao being serious?" Yao Lao did not mind cracking a joke either.

"Yes, yes, yes, it was Zhan who failed to consider things thoroughly." Xiao Zhan apologized repeatedly.

Feeling this peaceful moment, Yun Shan could not help but sigh with emotion, "I wonder if this old man will still be able to enjoy days like this in the future."

"Senior Yun Shan." Xiao Zhan looked at Yun Shan solemnly and said:

"Our Ancestor has made it clear that if you are willing, you may hide within his forces after the matter is concluded. There is no need to worry about the Soul Hall's retaliation."

"Oh?" A smile appeared on Yun Shan's face, "Thank that old fellow on my behalf."

"However, I have no intention of hiding away like this. I want to see for myself whether that Soul Hall truly has the ability to take this old man's life!"

This left Xiao Zhan and Yao Lao, who were beside him, stunned.

As one of the most outstanding talents in the Jia Ma Empire back in the day, and now having become a Dou Zong powerhouse in less than two hundred years, Yun Shan naturally exuded an imposing aura.

"Haha, it seems it was I, Zhan, who was overthinking things." Xiao Zhan laughed heartily.

"Senior Yun Shan, please rest assured. This Dou Qi Continent is vast; the Soul Hall cannot cover the sky with one hand."

"Might the two of you explain the matter regarding the Soul Hall you just mentioned?" Yao Lao finally found an opportunity to interject; he was extremely concerned about the news regarding the Soul Hall that the two were discussing.

Xiao Zhan and Yun Shan exchanged a glance, and then the former smiled: "Since the old gentleman wishes to know, we shall not hide anything."

"Presumably, the old gentleman has already learned that a war is about to break out between the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire, right?"

"Mm." Yao Lao nodded to indicate there was no issue; after Xiao Yan entered Jiama Shengcheng, he had felt that the atmosphere was unusual.

He had specifically asked about it when he met Ya Fei, and the latter naturally laid all these matters out; after all, given Xiao Yan's identity, it was only a matter of time before he knew.

Yao Lao, who was on the scene at the time, had also heard about this.

Originally, he thought this was merely an ordinary war between two countries, which was the norm for the Northwest Continent.

He had not expected that there were actually some secrets involved.

"Could it be that the war is related to the Soul Hall?"

Yao Lao asked in a cold voice, considering the possibility of participating in the war in his heart. He hated the Soul Hall to the bone and would never miss any opportunity to strike at them.

However...

"Although Zhan knows of the deep hatred between you and the Soul Hall, I still wish to offer a reminder..." Xiao Zhan said seriously.

"The most important thing for you, old gentleman, is to wait in peace for the opportunity to reshape your body; do not expose your existence."

Xiao Zhan said, filled with killing intent: "We have made full preparations for this war; we will certainly ensure that those from the Soul Hall never return!"

"It was this old man who was meddlesome!" Yao Lao could also distinguish between what was important and what was urgent, and he agreed with Xiao Zhan's words.

"Is the Soul Hall's force this time very troublesome?" Yao Lao asked with a frown.

Yun Shan and Xiao Zhan both nodded in unison, and the latter said: "The person behind the scenes for the Soul Hall this time appears to be a Heavenly Venerable-level powerhouse."

"Heavenly Venerable?" Yao Lao's expression was solemn, "Powerhouses like Heavenly Venerables are rare even in the Soul Hall; why would one appear here?"

"We are also unclear about this." Xiao Zhan was also helpless; to run into a Heavenly Venerable-level powerhouse so inexplicably was simply bad luck.

"However, Venerable Yao need not worry." Xiao Zhan comforted him:

"Before the war begins, Yan'er will leave, and you, old gentleman, only need to head to Jia Nan Academy in peace."

Yao Lao nodded solemnly. As he currently only possessed the combat strength of a High-level Dou Zong, he would be like a drop in the bucket in a battle between Venerables; it would be better for him to leave.

If the news that he was still alive were to reach the Soul Hall, things would truly become dire.

Chu Yun Empire, Wanxie Sect.

As a land of Poison Masters, the Chu Yun Empire was filled with poisonous creatures everywhere. The Wanxie Sect, the strongest sect in the empire, was even more so, shrouded in poisonous miasma all year round.

Inside the dim great hall, the Wanxie Sect Supreme Elder Xie Biyan and Sect Leader Xie Shan were both kneeling on the ground. Sitting in the seat of honor was a bare-chested middle-aged man with a poisonous scorpion tattoo on his face—this was the Heavenly Venerable sent by the Soul Hall: Du Xiezi.

"How is it? Have the matters in the Jia Ma Empire been investigated clearly?" Du Xiezi toyed with an emerald-colored scorpion in his hand and asked nonchalantly.

"R-Reporting to you, my Lord, this subordinate still needs a little more time." Xie Shan said, trembling.

Xie Shan had a deep understanding of this Lord's methods; by comparison, death would be an easy thing.

"What is going on?" Du Xiezi's expression did not change, "It has been so long and still no results?"

"Are you wanting to play with my little darling?" As Du Xiezi spoke, he tossed the scorpion in his hand out.

The moment the scorpion left his hand, it instantly expanded to several dozen meters, its massive tail hook pressing directly against the ceiling.

Its entire body emitted a faint green glow as it let out a hiss toward Xie Shan.

The latter was already trembling so hard his legs were shaking, and he lowered his head to plead for mercy: "My Lord, please forgive me. I beg you to give this subordinate one more chance."

"Give this Venerable a reason." Du Xiezi snorted coldly.

"This subordinate can be certain that other forces are secretly interfering in the Jia Ma Empire."

Xie Shan had never felt his brain work so well, and he spoke his speculation at a rapid speed.

"Hm?" Du Xiezi frowned, "Explain clearly."

"Yes!" Xie Shan felt as if he had been granted a reprieve, knowing his old life had been saved.

"Two months ago, we sent a Fourth Grade Peak Alchemist to participate in the Alchemist Grand Meeting, yet, recently, there has been no news of that Alchemist at all."

"Get to the point." Du Xiezi was already tired of this noisy Xie Shan; if not for the fact that this person was a Dou Zong and still of some use, he would have fed him to the scorpions long ago.

"Yes!"

Xie Shan continued:

"After much investigation by your subordinate, two Grade 5 Alchemists under the age of thirty appeared at the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Grand Meeting, and one of them is even less than twenty years old."

Less than twenty years old?

"Are you certain?" Du Xiezi immediately asked, "If there is any deception..."

"You know the consequences!" Du Xiezi said coldly.

"Everything your subordinate says is the truth!"

"Which faction is it that has intervened in the Jia Ma Empire?" Du Xiezi pondered to himself.

A Fifth Grade Alchemist could not catch his eye at all, but considering the person's age, while not the top-tier genius, it was still quite good.

Du Xiezi did not believe the Northwest Continent had the ability to cultivate such a genius.

"Are there any other reasons?"

"Yes... there are more!" Xie Shan said repeatedly:

"On the battlefield at the border between the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire, many unknown experts have suddenly appeared recently, among whom there is a large number of Dou Wang and Dou Huang experts."

"It is precisely because of these people's presence that our Chu Yun Empire's scouts are completely unable to infiltrate the interior of the Jia Ma Empire."

"Hmm, continue the investigation." Du Xiezi was satisfied after receiving these answers. At the very least, he could confirm that the Jia Ma Empire indeed possessed power that did not belong to their local forces.

The Hall had sent him out originally to preside over the plan in the Northwest Continent, and the Jia Ma Empire, a vacuum zone where the Hall's influence had not yet covered, was the top priority.

Since he had gathered information, this trip arranged by the Soul Hall at least did not end in returning empty-handed, "Sending a few Heavenly Level Protectors from the Hall should be about enough."

Du Xiezi was very confident in his own strength. Even if a faction were truly intervening in secret, he could still solve the problem.

Sending Heavenly Level Protectors was just to have them clear out the small fry.

As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes; Xiao Zhan probably never dreamed that while they had racked their brains trying to divert the Soul Hall's attention, the one who ultimately deepened Du Xiezi's suspicion of the Jia Ma Empire was actually the Xiao Clan members he had summoned.