Star Odyssey

Chapter 3199: Evidence

After Progenitor Ku woke up, Lu Yin had asked Lu Yuan to look into the connection between the Progenitor and Zhao Ran, but Progenitor Ku had only been able to say that he did not know.

Progenitor Ku only knew that Zhao Ran was waiting for someone, and he had seen her during his youth. After becoming a Progenitor, he had seen Zhao Ran again, and yet she had looked the same as before. That was when Progenitor Ku had realized that Zhao Ran was extraordinary, though he had not been able to determine what was so special about her.

Zhao Ran wandered about the universe, seemingly immortal, yet constantly forgetting everything. If such a person did not have some sort of hope, dying would be better than living.

Three cups of hot tea were set on a stone table. Green steam rose from the cups, giving them an eerie appearance. However, for those who were familiar with Zhao Ran, they understood that this appearance actually indicated that the tea had been well-made and that she had made some progress.

“The first time I saw this girl, I already knew that she was connected to Destiny. However, at the time, I didn’t make the connection to Destiny and simply believed that there was an issue with Inverse Enigma,” Xuan Jiu said.

Starsibyl interjected, “You thought that it was a problem with Mr. Zhu.”

Xuan Jiu scratched his head. “That’s true. Who would’ve considered the legendary Destiny back then? Destiny’s Enigma technique made my scalp go numb, and I assumed that Senior Brother Zhu was working against me somehow. You know how sneaky he is, always with that creepy smile.

“This girl stirred a reaction from Destiny’s Enigma, so I assumed that she had been sent by Senior Brother to make trouble for me. After testing her a few times, I learned about her memory loss. While it seemed possible to figure out what was wrong with Destiny’s Enigma technique from her, the longer I stayed with her, the greater the danger I felt.

“So, I left. I tried to avoid this girl after that, but she always managed to find me. It was rotten luck.”

Zhao Ran nodded in agreement. “Yes, I’m rotten goods.”

She may not have understood most of what Xuan Jiu had said, but the word “rotten” resonated deeply with her.

“You already know what happened after that. The girl started following you, so I tried to stay away from both of you. Honestly, I don’t know anything else about her. I just didn’t want to get involved,” Xuan Jiu said.

For once, it was clear that the man was telling the truth.

Lu Yin had not expected to learn anything about Destiny from Xuan Jiu. No matter what the old man said, he was nothing more than someone who had cultivated Inverse Enigma. He was not a powerful cultivator at all. Even Skymender was more valuable than Xuan Jiu. The old man’s only value was possibly his sense of impending doom.

Without sufficient strength, just being able to sense danger would not provide him any help in finding Destiny, nor would Xuan Jiu be able to expose any of her secrets.

When he finished speaking, Xuan Jiu leaned closer to Lu Yin and offered an ingratiating smile. “Lord Lu, please send that girl away. I won’t be able to rest easy with her around.”

Lu Yin replied, “She makes tea for people here. What can you do?”

Xuan Jiu gave the green vapor steaming out of the cups on the table an odd look. “You call this... tea?”

With that, Xuan Jiu settled into the Heavens Sect. The man was determined to not leave again, though he also had no choice in the matter. Without the security that Heavens Sect offered, Xuan Jiu felt threatened.

As for Zhao Ran, there was no question that she was more useful than Xuan Jiu.

Ten days passed, and the butterfly returned. Again, Tian En asked about Tian Fa, and Lu Yin gave the same answers as before, frustrating the butterfly with more questions about Feng Bo. The butterfly was so angry that her voice lost its usual gentleness.

Once a few more days went by, the butterfly returned yet again. Still, she asked Lu Yin about Tian Fa, while also threatening the Heavens Sect. Lu Yin continued to bring up Feng Bo, while telling Tian En that she needed to show him Feng Bo’s head if she wanted to have a conversation. Without that, Lu Yin refused to continue talking. Helpless, the butterfly was left with no choice but to visit the Scourge.

“Tian En, I’m not lying to you. Feng Bo truly is dead. The truth of the matter is, with only four Boundary Guardians, it’s impossible for you to oversee the entire megaverse, and it’s often pure chance that you encounter outsiders. If Feng Bo wasn’t already dead and you learned of his existence, then I would have already turned him over to you. However, he really is dead,” True God stated calmly.

The butterfly flapped her wings. “Tian Fa’s death is no small matter. Yong Heng, I need your help to thoroughly investigate this incident."

"There’s no need to investigate anything. They were killed by Lu Yin," True God stated bluntly.

Tian En replied, "Of course, I know that. The only ones in this entire megaverse capable of killing Tian Fa are your Aeternus and his Heavens Sect. What I need is to find out is how it happened. With evidence, there will be justification for dealing with the Heavens Sect."

True God clasped his hands behind his back. "Cultivation has always been a matter of survival of the fittest. Since when do we cultivators concern ourselves with things like evidence?"

"We do when strength is equal."

"Do you believe that the Heavens Sect has the strength to compare to the Boundary Guardians?"

"If not, how could Tian Fa be dead?"

"What do you plan to do now?"

Tian En hesitated before answering, "I need help from your Aeternals."

"That’s not up for question," True God agreed.

Their conversation could not be overheard even by the Great Sovereign, who was within one of the columns of light of her Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm. She was very curious about the Boundary Guardians, as the four were quite extraordinary individuals.

Far away, on the mountain behind the Heavens Sect, Lu Yin was staring at a chessboard, frowning.

Across from him sat Wang Wen, who was already confident of his own victory. There was a smug smile on his face. "Well, Dao Monarch Chesspiece, it looks like I’ve won again."

Lu Yin readily complimented the other man. "As expected of the smartest person in the Outerverse. You seem rushed when you make your moves, but all of them are actually interconnected. They are all endless variations of moves that are centered on the same strategy. Impressive."

Wang Wen grinned. "Exactly! When it comes to cultivation, even a thousand of me can’t compare to you, but when it comes to chess, hehe, Dao Monarch Chesspiece, you still have much to learn."

Lu Yin shook his head. "Alright, I lost."

Wang Wen set his own piece down. "The existence of the Boundary Guardians places our Heavens Sect at a disadvantage. While one of them has been killed, the surviving three will likely join forces with Aeternus. If those two sides combine, things will turn catastrophic for us. Is that what you’re preoccupied with, Dao Monarch Chesspiece?"

Lu Yin replied, "I don’t have a choice but to be worried about it."

Wang Wen stood up, and looked down at the chessboard from a higher vantage point. "All sapient creatures have one characteristic in common: concerns.

"Concerns originate from gaining or losing things that are in one’s own self-interest. Even the Boundary Guardians have to be busy evaluating the pros and cons of becoming enemies with the Heavens Sect. They can't attack us directly, as the duties that they’ve been bound to for countless years still bind them. They first need to prove that we’re related to Tian Fa’s death and offer irrefutable evidence.

"While it may seem absurd that powerhouses at their level need evidence to act against someone, the fact that they do is proof of our Heavens Sect’s power. If not for Ancestor Lu Yuan becoming an Ortuser, as well as Matriarch Hongyan Mavis’s return and the establishment of the Three Suns and Six Rulers and the Inner and Outer Eight Paths, the Boundary Guardians wouldn't hesitate at all."

Lu Yin looked at Wang Wen. "So, are you saying that we shouldn’t give them any leverage?"

"You’re already doing just that, Dao Monarch Chesspiece. What I'm saying is that you need to be on guard against them seeking outside help. The Aeternals understand humans better than anyone, and they’re the ones most likely to find evidence that you killed Tian Fa. Even if they just want to frame you, only Aeternus can pull something like that off. The Boundary Guardians need an excuse, one that’s believable," Wang Wen calmly explained.

He was not sharing any sort of profound truth or secret strategy, just simple words. However, there were times when the more complex the situation was, the simpler the solution that could actually work.

Aeternus? Because I’ve been so wary of the Boundary Guardians, I've held back from doing anything to the Aeternals. However, the more I continue on in this manner, the more likely it is that Aeternus will meddle in the matters between the Boundary Guardians and the Heavens Sect. The Boundary Guardians are so powerful that I’ve actually overlooked Aeternus. How could I let that happen?

The real enemy has always been Aeternus.

I was already preparing to go into seclusion and use Possession to stir up trouble for Aeternus. My consciousness has recovered, and I’ve made preparations regarding True God. After that, Xuan Jiu showed up, and after he decided to stay in the Heavens Sect, Wang Wen wanted to play chess, and I agreed to that.

"With our game done, I'll be off," Lu Yin said as he stood to leave.

Wang Wen was confused. "Dao Monarch Chesspiece, where are you going?"

"Seclusion."

Wang Wen stared at Lu Yin's back and smiled as the Dao Monarch walked away. Wang Wen genuinely hoped to see the Heavens Sect return to the peak. He had risen up from the tiny little Ironblood Weave, and while Wang Wen had seen the vastness of the universe, he felt that it was not vast enough. He sought control, even if the only way to achieve it was by helping another acquire it.

The smartest person in the Outerverse? No, Wang Wen wanted to be the smartest in the entire megaverse.

"By the way, it's almost time. You know what to do, right?" Lu Yin's voice was faint, as he spoke while walking away.

Wang Wen grumbled, "Don't tell me to deal with this stuff. This is the kind of thing that should be left to Wei Rong. This is such a hassle!

"Still, Dao Monarch Chesspiece is growing increasingly cunning..."

Lu Yin arrived at the location he used for his secluded trainings and raised a hand. His die appeared. He hoped that Wang Wen would not disappoint him.

A tap of his finger set the die spinning, and the first roll landed on three pips: Enhance. Unfortunately, he had no money remaining. Disappointed, he could only continue, so he tapped the die again...

Right as Lu Yin went into seclusion, new rumors started spreading like wildfire, until the news was regarded as common knowledge. The rumors claimed that Astral Anura had killed Tian Fa.

While most people did not know the name Tian Fa, they did know that Astral Anura had killed a creature that had the appearance of a blood-red liquid while in the Mirari Realm. As for who instigated the rumors, no one knew. In fact, no one knew any details beyond what the rumors shared.

Yong Heng had been asked to help Tian En expose the truth of Tian Fa's death, and neither of them believed a word of the rumors.

Again, the butterfly visited the Scourge.

"It couldn't have been Astral Anura. While he is a Dukkhan, you should know that toad’s strength. There is no way he’s Tian Fa’s opponent," True God stated confidently.

The butterfly replied, "That's why I came to see you. At the Hundred Weapons Universe’s auction, the first person to enter the Mirari Realm was the Lost Clan’s Shan Gu, and he was followed by a man named Daheng. After them, Second Life entered, and they were followed by Tian Fa. Once they entered, none emerged again.

“Right now, I have two questions.

"First, how did any of them learn how to enter the Mirari Realm? That’s a secret that is known to only a few within your Aeternus. How did Shan Gu learn of it?"

True God replied, "The Heavens Sect might also have that information. Don’t forget that the Lu family has an unbroken lineage stretching back to the Heavens Sect era."

"That's true.

“Second, even if those people worked together, it’s impossible for them to have defeated Tian Fa. On top of that, none of them have come out of the Mirari Realm, not even Astral Anura. I'm certain that Tian Fa is dead, but what about the others? Yong Heng, I am asking you to help me look into this."

True God looked at the butterfly. "I'm certain that Lu Yin also entered the Mirari Realm."

"Certainty isn’t the same as evidence. We can't just act against the Heavens Sect without justifiable reason. We also have our limitations," Tian En replied.

"I'll find you the evidence you need. This isn't our first time working together," True God answered.

Once the butterfly was gone, True God stared out across the Scourges. The truth was quite clear to him: Tian Fa had been killed by Lu Yin's hands, and both Yong Heng and Tian En knew it. The problem was the fact that Tian Fa had died in the Mirari Realm, which made it impossible to confirm any of the details.

The Boundary Guardians could not attack the Heavens Sect without reason. If they could, they would have already done so. They needed an excuse, one that would justify outright destroying the Heavens Sect.