Chapter 820: Perhaps This Is Fate?

“Blood Butcher True Lord?”

Zhao Xuan had tucked his entire body into a rune-covered azure dharma robe, not daring to extend even a single finger beyond its folds. This robe could resist the spiritual probing of a Mahayana cultivator — the absolute supreme treasure among his collection.

He mulled it over for a moment, then spoke in a suspicious tone:

“I’ve never heard of this name. Did you send anyone to look into it?”

The man who had previously met Chu Xingchen answered with a humble expression:

“That senior claimed it was an old title. Though he looks young, his age is likely considerable. I dispatched inquiries before coming.”

“The only Blood Butcher True Lords making noise recently are insignificant Nascent Soul cultivators. If you trace back through history, there’s only one from over eight hundred years ago who bore the name.”

“Records say he obtained Dao Authority but refused to return it to Xuanqing Heavenly Sect. He then used the Authority’s power to slaughter several cities as blood offerings, and the righteous sects gave him the epithet ‘Blood Butcher.'”

“In the end he was hunted down and killed by Xuanqing Heavenly Sect. Back then, only Integration realm cultivators could earn the title ‘True Lord’ — it wasn’t like today, when Nascent Soul cultivators can claim it freely. So by the old records, this Blood Butcher True Lord is very likely him.”

“His name was — Xu Si.”

“If he was already at the Integration realm over eight hundred years ago, and when I met him he showed not a trace of aging — nothing like someone whose cultivation has been stalled for centuries — then now… he could very well be at Mahayana.”

“The white-robed female cultivator at his side is likely equally unfathomable in her cultivation.”

“Sect Master, but they sent word that they won’t negotiate unless you come in person. We must proceed with extreme caution.”

Zhao Xuan finished listening, his gaze piercing through the azure dharma robe to regard the deputy of the Black Crow — Changping, a Spirit Transformation realm cultivator, once his most trusted confidant.

His ability to gather and organize intelligence hadn’t weakened over the years.

After so long apart, Changping showed no resentment, and despite knowing the danger, he was willing to come in person.

The Evil Spirit Sect had been built to its current scale largely thanks to this man’s efforts. His aptitude was modest, but that hardly mattered.

The pity was that he was an evil cultivator — never trustworthy, always requiring a guard kept up.

“They carried the Black Crow Direct Decree, so they were specifically seeking me out. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made such a spectacle if it were just business.” Zhao Xuan’s voice turned hoarse and heavy. “If it really is this ‘Xu Si’ — a blood-energy cultivator who may have reached Mahayana — wanting to see me, he wouldn’t have let things go so easily.”

“Not exactly polite by our standards, but to him, it may already be giving us considerable face.”

“A Mahayana blood-energy cultivator…”

Zhao Xuan fell into brief contemplation.

A Mahayana cultivator was certainly terrifying, but not necessarily something he couldn’t handle.

They were evil cultivators, after all. Surely the Eighteen Immortal Sects weren’t just for show?

If he couldn’t deal with it himself, Zhao Xuan would find a way to make the Eighteen Immortal Sects intervene whether they wanted to or not.

Framing others and redirecting trouble eastward — these were tricks he’d long since perfected.

Zhao Xuan’s fingers idly traced the jade token bearing the address Chu Xingchen had given him.

A Mahayana evil cultivator who’d been dormant for who knew how many years, emerging for one obvious purpose — to attempt Tribulation Transcendence.

Zhao Xuan looked up at Deputy Changping:

“Gather more intelligence. Pay special attention to the movements of the Eighteen Immortal Sects, and dig up more about Xu Si’s history. Await my orders.”

“Also, relay this to Chief Wang An. Have him stay alert as well, and ask if he has any other information.”

Deputy Changping bowed at the waist, his tone gentle:

“Understood. May the Sect Master prosper.”

With that, Deputy Changping lowered his head and departed.

Zhao Xuan didn’t set off immediately for Eight Directions Valley. Instead, he sat quietly for a while, reorganizing his thoughts before slowly rising to his feet.

He couldn’t just walk straight back to Eight Directions Valley, of course. With practiced ease he took winding detours along the way, pausing now and then to perform good deeds and deliberately leave behind the name of the Eight Directions Valley Master — planting evidence.

It took several extra days before he finally returned.

Eight Directions Valley currently boasted one hundred and seventy outer disciples, thirty inner disciples, two direct disciples, and over a dozen elders.

In a remote corner of Central Continent, this was already considerable strength.

Zhao Xuan had long since cultivated the local impression of being a formidable yet benevolent leader brimming with decisive charisma.

No matter how filthy the schemes churning in his heart at this moment, the moment he set foot in Eight Directions Valley, a warm smile would appear on his face almost involuntarily. All pretense of authority vanished, and his tone softened into something almost affected.

Zhao Xuan nodded to disciples he encountered on the path, then strolled back to his great hall. He sank into his seat with an expression of undisguised exhaustion.

Any choice that would irrevocably determine the course of one’s life would naturally make a person hesitate and wear them down.

If he truly pursued a breakthrough to Mahayana — or even Tribulation Transcendence — then this Eight Directions Valley, this small sect he’d built for the future, would inevitably be discovered.

Zhao Xuan harbored no illusions that after personally participating in the sacrifice of an entire nation, the Eighteen Immortal Sects would be incompetent enough to miss Eight Directions Valley.

All his disciples would discover that their supposedly kind and gentle sect master was in truth the utterly despicable master of the Evil Spirit Sect.

The disciple he’d invested so much hope in — Li Ye’an — would probably be devastated.

The master who’d wholeheartedly taught him virtue was, from head to toe, an evil cultivator.

He’d poured over a century of effort into this place.

Making this decision truly wasn’t easy…

“Valley Master, this disciple has something to report.”

From beyond the door came Li Ye’an’s voice.

The cold, sinister expression on Zhao Xuan’s face slowly subsided. After a moment’s silence, he put on a warm smile and said:

“Come in.”

Li Ye’an entered at the sound of his voice, cupped his fists in a salute, and spoke:

“This disciple has an important matter to report to the Valley Master.”

“What important matter? Look how delighted your face is.”

“The Valley Master will surely be pleased to hear it.” Li Ye’an’s eyes blazed with excitement. “Xuanqing Heavenly Sect led a mass of cultivators in a surprise raid on the vicinity of the Gathering Scholars Pavilion yesterday. The entire pavilion was swept clean, and every evil cultivator who’d gotten wind of it was eliminated.”

The smile on Zhao Xuan’s face froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered — he’d already anticipated this, so it was no surprise.

Things had reached this point, and it was still within an acceptable range.

But Li Ye’an clearly hadn’t finished. His tone grew even more exultant:

“The cultivators from Xuanqing Heavenly Sect then followed the trail and captured an Evil Spirit Sect deputy who’d still been gathering intelligence, rooting out a sizeable Evil Spirit Sect cell.”

A bad feeling surged through Zhao Xuan. He hurriedly asked:

“What’s the name of the captured deputy?”

“Xuanqing Heavenly Sect tracked it down — the deputy’s title is Changping!”

Zhao Xuan’s mind went blank, though he could still hear Li Ye’an’s jubilant voice continuing:

“How laughable that an evil cult would dare claim the name ‘Changping.’ Truly the delusion of a madman.”

Zhao Xuan fixed his gaze on Li Ye’an, suppressing his emotions to ask calmly:

“How do you know so many details?”

Li Ye’an smiled serenely, looking rather proud:

“Because I was the one who detected the anomaly, and I was the one who reported it to Xuanqing Heavenly Sect!”

“That day, the disciples from Xuanqing Heavenly Sect commissioned me to investigate…”

Zhao Xuan could no longer hear the details of Li Ye’an’s serendipitous account. All he felt was something in his chest.

Something that had already forced his hand.