Chapter 289: After All, I Won

"Someone protected him?"

A look of suspicion appeared in his eyes; Shen Yu found it hard to imagine who could be behind the scenes protecting someone like Mou Qing.

It was a pity that the person before him was merely a messenger; he couldn't extract any useful information from him, otherwise, Shen Yu would have already searched his heart directly.

However, thinking about it, it was possible; after all, what Mou Qing had done was almost common knowledge, yet they couldn't find the evidence to take him down. Did they really think everyone was a fool?

Such a massive corrupt official—one would think many people had set their sights on him long ago, yet in such an environment, Mou Qing had sat firmly in his position for decades without a single issue. It was unbelievable to tell anyone.

"Then who has such great power to erase all traces, or rather, such great power to make people stop investigating? Could it be... the Imperial Household?"

Mou Qing was, after all, a First Rank Marquis; the imperial court didn't want to lose face, so it seemed this possibility was not entirely out of the question.

Or perhaps the imperial court found Mou Qing useful and couldn't bear to kill him for the time being, or maybe they were waiting to fatten him up before slaughtering him.

"Lord Shen, I am just a messenger, I don't know anything. However, those people specifically told me something."

Seeing Shen Yu's expression, the other party immediately showed a fawning look and hurriedly told Shen Yu everything he knew.

"They said the person who wanted to protect Mou Qing was not the Imperial Household, but someone else—a high-ranking official in the court!"

"Not the Imperial Household?" He raised an eyebrow slightly. Besides the Imperial Household, who else could have such great power to wipe away all these traces, to the point where even the Black-Clad Guard couldn't find a shred of evidence?

Among the high-ranking officials of the court, who could pull that off?

Suddenly, Shen Yu seemed to have a realization, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"A Three-Dynasty Elder, Lord Chen Xing!" If there was anyone else who could cover all this up, only this Three-Dynasty Elder had such ability.

But then Shen Yu shook his head and said to himself with certainty, "Impossible!"

The righteous Qi on Chen Xing was upright, noble, and extremely pure. Such a person was by no means a great villain, and even less likely to shield corrupt officials.

Yet, this fleeting possibility was like a seed of doubt, and this seed had already been planted.

"I guess our Lord Shen has probably already guessed that it is Chen Xing cleaning up Mou Qing's mess. If Chen Xing hadn't stepped in, Mou Qing would have long been taken down by our Emperor!"

"I also guess Shen Yu will go to question Chen Xing to his face, and our Lord Chen will not deny it either!"

At this moment, inside a teahouse in the Capital, two people sat opposite each other. One of them had white hair and a white beard, but his face was ruddy, without a single wrinkle.

The other person was dressed in hemp clothes, with a full, thick beard, looking like a crude, burly villager.

Before these two lay a chessboard covered in Chess Pieces; at this moment, both of them had thoughtful expressions. One hand held a Chess Piece while they pondered how to move.

The game they were playing had entered a white-hot stage. Both sides were trading moves, and the game was becoming increasingly dangerous.

"Leader, aren't you afraid that Chen Xing will argue?" After a moment of contemplation, the white-haired old man suddenly looked up and said, "If Chen Xing explains everything clearly, wouldn't the Leader's long-term planning be in vain!"

"He won't say it!" Shaking his head with a smile, the Dahuzi's fierce and rugged face seemed to reveal a shrewdness and wisdom, appearing extremely incongruous.

But only the white-haired old man knew that their Leader's appearance changed constantly, and to this day, no one had seen his true face, including himself.

The Leader never trusted anyone, and he only trusted himself!

Looking at the chessboard before him, a glimmer of excitement seemed to flash in the Dahuzi's eyes.

"Chen Xing's character is indeed admirable. He would rather bear the burden himself than drag Shen Yu down with him."

"In Chen Xing's eyes, someone like Shen Yu is hope. If his death could preserve this hope, he would certainly die without hesitation!"

Speaking of this, the Dahuzi couldn't help but laugh out loud, as if everything was under control, and the Chess Piece in his hand fell lightly onto the board.

"And I know Shen Yu's personality too well. He appears upright and unyielding, but in reality, he is stubborn and self-opinionated. How could people like them be wrong about what they have decided!"

"If he thinks Chen Xing is only glorious on the surface, but is actually engaged in sordid dealings in secret, with hands stained with sin, what do you think he will do?"

"It's been so long, when has our Lord Shen ever been soft-hearted when killing? And when has he ever held back? Even if the person opposite him is Lord Chen Xing!"

"Lord Chen won't explain, willing to accept death. And Lord Shen? He never goes soft when facing evil, and he is decisive in killing!"

"This is a checkmate, with no solution!"

As the Dahuzi played this move, the game, which had been a back-and-forth, suddenly became a sure victory.

Seeing this, the white-haired old man's pupils shrank slightly, and he couldn't help but flatter, "So the Leader has already calculated every possible path I could take. The Leader truly has calculated the human heart; it is admirable!"

"The Leader wants Shen Yu to kill Chen Xing. A brilliant move, and the layout is even more brilliant!"

"Hehe!" Facing the white-haired old man's flattery, the Dahuzi gave a light smile; though he appeared indifferent, he could not hide his smugness.

From the very beginning, Yan Ruyi was just a discarded Chess Piece; his true targets were Chen Xing and Shen Yu!

Since it is a game of chess, one must not only look three steps ahead but also not be limited to a single game.

The Chess Piece that is Yan Ruyi is not only meant to stall Shen Yu and facilitate opening a gap in the Forbidden Land. It is also a lure, a lure to draw Shen Yu completely into the game.

Once this Chess Piece is played, the entire situation becomes clear.

Inside the Forbidden Land is Mu Zishan; no one knows better than him how terrifying this person is. Within the Forbidden Land, he has been suppressed by him for a hundred years.

Even if a gap has appeared in the Forbidden Land, and even if Mu Zishan is at the end of his rope, this torrent of Spirit Qi will likely not be able to break through the dam that is Mu Zishan for some time.

Therefore, before the Spiritual Qi Surge arrives, he still has plenty of time to make more preparations.

"Yes, isn't that Shen Yu hateful of evil? I just want him to kill Chen Xing, this Three-Dynasty Elder."

"Chen Xing has worked diligently in the imperial court for so many years, and his students and old acquaintances are all over the world. Whether in the imperial court or the jianghu, he holds significant prestige."

"As long as Shen Yu takes action against him, regardless of the reason, he will be in a position where he cannot clear his name no matter what. At that time, just a little bit of fanning the flames will be enough to make his reputation notorious."

"Hah!" With a soft snort, the Chess Piece in the Dahuzi's hand fell again. The speed of the game became faster and faster, and the killing intent grew stronger.

"Shen Yu has offended so many people in the last two years; I imagine there will be no shortage of people willing to kick him while he's down. By then, he will never be able to wash himself clean."

"Our Three-Dynasty Elder, Lord Chen Xing, has a level of prestige among the common people that is beyond imagination. If the people of the world learn that it was Shen Yu who killed Lord Chen, who do you think they will blame?"

"At that time, Shen Yu will be pointed at by thousands and spurned by the masses!"

"He wants to be a hero, but I just won't let him have his way. I want him to be pointed at by thousands, I want him to become the target of public criticism, and I want him to never be able to turn things around!"

"He is single-mindedly devoted to acting for the people and upholding justice, but I will make the people he cares about most backstab him and curse him."

"The Leader's strategy to destroy his heart is amazing. In this way, the world-renowned Lord Shen Yu is finished!"

"That's not enough, far from enough!" Shaking his head, a trace of smugness flashed in the Dahuzi's eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up into an arc.

"At that time, with just a little guidance, a self-righteous person like Shen Yu will fall into confusion and doubt why he worked so hard to run around for these common people."

"Take Yan Ruyi of the Yan Family for example; back then, wasn't he just like that bunch of stubborn bones in the Yan Family? But look at the result—didn't he still end up as a corrupt official?"

"The Yan Family had been upright for generations, yet in the end, wasn't it all ruined in a single stroke?"

"Therefore, with just a little bit of final guidance, he can be made to sink deep into the mire, never to break free again."

"Without experiencing such betrayal and disappointment, how could he be willing to fall into the darkness!"

"Furthermore, Shen Yu killed Chen Xing; the imperial court surely cannot remain indifferent. With just a little more provocation, it is not impossible to repeat the old affair of Mu Zishan from back then!"

"Mu Zishan back then slaughtered his way through the vast imperial court, and our Lord Shen Yu's strength is even greater than that of Mu Zishan back then."

"Understood!" Instantly grasping the leader's layout, the white-haired old man exclaimed repeatedly, "The leader is wise; without the slightest effort, you have removed two obstacles!"

"Who told Shen Yu to be so strong, and so stubbornly set on opposing us? Who told our Emperor Majesty to be so inflexible, and to consistently refuse to cooperate!"

"Just wait. The storm is coming. Any obstacle standing in my path shall be ground into powder!"