Chapter 808: Threat (1/2, please subscribe)

Hearing Fang Yue mention the four words "Soul-Communing Jade Pendant," Elder Duo's expression visibly changed.

He looked gravely at Fang Yue, his voice low and cold: "You know of this item?"

"Not only do I know of it, I also know the function of the Soul-Communing Jade Pendant. Moreover, I've already examined this Soul-Communing Jade Pendant — it's empty inside. Let me guess, Elder Duo wants an empty Soul-Communing Jade Pendant, and Elder Duo himself is bound within the hull of the Han Jiang Giant Ship and cannot break free… so Elder Duo wants this Soul-Communing Jade Pendant in order to escape the hull, regain freedom, and that requires our help, right?"

Hearing this, Elder Duo's pupils immediately contracted.

In just a few short seconds, the richness of Elder Duo's shifting expressions had already caught up to the volume of the past several days, showing that the shock Fang Yue had dealt him was all real and solid.

However, there was still one thing Fang Yue had guessed wrong.

"Not your help — his!"

The one Elder Duo was looking at was, unmistakably, the dumbstruck Tian Ruichi.

The rapid shifts in the situation on the scene, and the sheer volume of information, left him a bit unable to keep up.

Hearing Elder Duo's words, Tian Ruichi could only point blankly at himself.

"Me? Why me?"

"Because this Soul-Communing Jade Pendant is a defective one. The Soul-Communing Jade Pendant is an immortal-grade ghost artifact — even in the vast Qing Guo, one could not find many. But if the standard is lowered, and only a defective product is required, then the top-tier figures of Qing Guo can still get their hands on one. Tian Jian once not only did me a kindness, but also told me outright that he had a Soul-Communing Jade Pendant in his possession.

And now, he has handed this defective Soul-Communing Jade Pendant to you, and stated outright that only you can use the Soul-Communing Jade Pendant, and that your life must be preserved at all costs."

Perhaps because his purpose had already been exposed, Elder Duo was quite candid, staring fixedly at Tian Ruichi.

"Whatever you want, use the Soul-Communing Jade Pendant, help me break free from the ghost-curse of the Han Jiang Giant Ship, and I will be willing to do you a favor!"

A defective Soul-Communing Jade Pendant?

Only Tian Ruichi can use it?

Is there such a saying? Could it be that Tian Jian tampered with it?

Although the Soul-Communing Jade Pendant is an immortal-grade ghost artifact, so many years have passed that surely someone could have researched something out, and it seems normal that some tampering might have been done.

Just as Fang Yue was thinking, the parchment suddenly jumped out.

【Impossible!】

What's impossible?

【The Soul-Communing Jade Pendant cannot be tampered with. Even if it's defective, there's no way to change the essence of the Soul-Communing Jade Pendant — at most, layers of array restrictions can be laid upon it.】

【So it's just that Tian Jian's methods were clever enough that Elder Duo couldn't see the flaw, not that he had the ability to alter the Soul-Commucing Jade Pendant.】

Is there any difference?

【It's very simple. One is fundamentally altering an immortal-grade ghost artifact — the difficulty is no different from refining a brand-new immortal-grade ghost artifact. The other is the power of arrays and similar methods; a skilled array-breaker could lift the so-called claim that only Tian Ruichi can use it.】

Fang Yue's eyes lit up.

"Could it be that you…"

【I didn't, I can't, don't come to me! Still sulking! Not talking to you anymore!】

If you can't, then you can't — what's there to get angry about.

Fang Yue had watched the parchment rattle on at length, thinking this fellow had some new ability again, something that could help him snag some benefit.

Although the defective Soul-Communing Jade Pendant in Tian Ruichi's hands was no different from one in his own hands, if he were the one in control, negotiating matters with Elder Duo would certainly be much more convenient to handle.

"Brother Ye, what do you make of this matter?"

While Fang Yue was communicating with the parchment, Tian Ruichi was clearly in a quandary.

He had absolutely no idea how to operate this Soul-Communing Jade Pendant, so how could he speak of first rescuing Elder Duo and then proceeding with the voyage.

Fang Yue gave him a look, telling him to hold steady for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"Elder Duo, wanting us to help is naturally fine. But there's one thing you need to make clear first…"

Before Fang Yue could finish speaking, Elder Duo spoke up directly.

"Blazing Flame Sect is the Fourth Prince's people. Tian Jian had some ties with the Fourth Prince, so they will detain you for a period of time. Their subsequent decision regarding you will be made based on the situation."

"…Uh, that's not what I wanted to ask, but thanks for the intel."

"…"

Blazing Flame Sect, the Fourth Prince…

Speaking of which, Tian Jian is getting pretty close to these princes, isn't he? First his disciple cozied up to the Seventh Prince, then the Fourth Prince's Blazing Flame Sect came to provide support — isn't this fellow afraid of inviting trouble?

The Emperor's health is failing, the Nine Dragons are vying for the heir — this matter is known to virtually everyone in Jingcheng, and a fence-sitter is always the priority target for elimination, no matter the time.

Noting this information in his heart, Fang Yue did not continue pressing the matter, but said,

"What I really want to ask is, suppose we drag you out of the Han Jiang Giant Ship and pull you into the Soul-Communing Jade Pendant — what will become of this Han Jiang Giant Ship?"

"I don't know."

"You see, that's the problem. If you leave and the ship remains, the worst case is we power it by manpower. But if you enter the Soul-Communing Jade Pendant and the ship simply falls apart, we'd be done for too, wouldn't we."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Take us back to the capital. Once we reach the Jingcheng docks, I'll have Tian Ruichi draw you into the Soul-Commuing Jade Pendant!"

Elder Duo let out a cold laugh: "You want to snatch the wolf without lifting a finger? In your dreams!"

As he spoke, the Han Jiang Giant Ship had already come to a halt, motionless on the surface of the Han Jiang.

This scene, Fang Yue had seen before — it was unmistakably one of the parchment's predicted outcomes.

Only back then, Elder Duo had stopped moving because the Ghost Stones were insufficient, out of power.

But now, it was Elder Duo stopping of his own accord.

"Yese Liming, isn't it? I'll give you a condition too. Have Tian Ruichi draw me into the Soul-Commuing Jade Pendant right now, or I'll just stay stopped right here and go nowhere, waiting for the strangeness of the Han Jiang to devour you all, and then I'll leave on my own."

Faced with Elder Duo's threat, Qingchen and Tian Ruichi both changed color at once. Only Fang Yue remained as calm as still water, without even a hint of wavering, and slowly uttered four words.

"How many years?"

"What?"

"How many years have you been imprisoned in this Han Jiang Giant Ship? A hundred years? Five hundred? A thousand?"

"... What do you mean?"

"Tian Ruichi is the only hope, in all your long years, of being able to carry you off the great ship of Han Jiang and escape the sea of suffering for good."

"And then?"

"You got us killed today. Are you sure you'll ever meet a second Tian Ruichi, a second Soul-Communing Jade Pendant?"

Old Helmsman sneered: "Who says I want to get Tian Ruichi killed?"

*Slap. *

Fang Yue shot out a hand, clamping down on Tian Ruichi's neck in an instant, and said coldly: "Who says you *didn't* get Tian Ruichi killed?"

"Mmph—?!"

Tian Ruichi's eyes went wide, his face flushing crimson where his neck was gripped. He slapped uselessly at Fang Yue's arm, on the verge of being unable to breathe.

"..."

Old Helmsman's smile froze.

His expression, at a speed visible to the naked eye, twisted into fury, and he roared: "Touch so much as a single hair on his head and see what happens!!"

The violent roar echoed through the hull.

(End of chapter)