Chapter 629: The Storm is Coming

"Someone protected him?"

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

It was a pity that the person before him was merely a messenger; he could not obtain any effective information from him, otherwise, Shen Yu would have already searched his heart directly.

However, thinking about it, it was possible; after all, the things Mou Qing had done were almost common knowledge, yet no evidence could be found 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 managed to sit firmly in his position for decades without a single incident. 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 would not 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 was reluctant 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 know nothing. However, those people specifically told me something else."

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 wants to protect Mou Qing is not the Imperial Household, but someone else—a high-ranking official in the court!"

"Not the Imperial Household?" He raised his eyebrows slightly. Besides the Imperial Household, who else could have such great power to erase all these traces, to the point that even the Black-Clad Guard could not find a shred of evidence?

A high-ranking official in the court—who could possibly pull that off?

Suddenly, Shen Yu seemed to have an epiphany, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"A Three-Dynasty Elder, Lord Chen Xing!" If there was anyone else capable of covering 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 energy in 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 who is cleaning up Mou Qing's mess. If Chen Xing hadn't stepped in, Mou Qing would have been taken down by our Emperor long ago!"

"I also guess that Shen Yu will go to confront Chen Xing in person, and our Lord Chen will not deny it either!"

At this moment, in 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 and without a single wrinkle.

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

In front of these two lay a chessboard covered in Chess Pieces; at this moment, both of them were in a contemplative mood. 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 perilous.

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

"He won't say it!" Smiling and shaking his head, the Dahuzi's fierce and rugged face seemed to reveal a shrewdness and wisdom that appeared 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 undoubtedly die without hesitation!"

Speaking of this, the Dahuzi could not help but laugh out loud, as if everything were under his control, and the Chess Piece in his hand fell lightly onto the chessboard.

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

"If he thinks that Chen Xing is only superficially glorious, but secretly engages in sordid acts 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 will not explain and will willingly accept death. And Lord Shen? He never goes soft when facing evil; he is decisive in killing!"

"This is a fatal blow, with no solution!"

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

Seeing this, the white-haired old man's pupils shrank slightly, and he could not 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 laugh; though he seemed indifferent, he could not hide his smugness.

From the very beginning, Yan Ruyi was merely 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 limit oneself to a single game.

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

With this Chess Piece played, the entire situation became 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 Spirit Qi surge will likely not be able to break through the dam that is Mu Zishan for a while.

Therefore, before the Spirit 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 court for so many years, and his students and old acquaintances are all over the world. Whether in the court or in the martial arts world, he possesses significant prestige."

"As long as Shen Yu takes action against him, regardless of the reason, it will be like mud falling into his trousers—he won't be able to explain it clearly no matter what. At that time, just a little push will be enough to make his reputation notorious."

"Hmph!" With a light 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 those willing to kick him while he's down. By then, he won't be able to clear his name."

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

"By then, Shen Yu will be pointed at by thousands and spurned by the masses!"

"He wants to be a great 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 determined to act for the people and uphold justice, but I will make the people he cares about most backstab him and revile him."

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

"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.

"By then, with just a little guidance, someone as conceited as 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 what was the result? Didn't he still end up reduced to 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 able 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 uprooted two obstacles!"

"Who told Shen Yu to be so strong, and so stubbornly determined to oppose 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 turned into powder!"