King of Creation
Chapter 601 - 594 Humanity

Chapter 601: Chapter 594 Humanity

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As the Head of the Inner Affairs Hall, Zhu Ling held a revered position within the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, placing his residence in the innermost depths of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect Main Temple, not far from the Divine Sect Main Hall.

The guards near the Divine Sect Main Hall were naturally extremely strict, far beyond what Ye Zhen had previously encountered at the Moonlight Hall. Every five hundred meters, Ye Zhen could sense extremely concealed fluctuations of power.

It was only with the use of his Sword Vein Divine Power, Sword Heart Enlightenment, that he was barely able to sense that faint trace of power fluctuation as he approached.

Beyond those secret guards, there was an overt guard stationed every three hundred meters, serving as a visible deterrent. However, these overt guards’ Cultivation was much less formidable than the power fluctuations emitted by the secret guards.

Most of them were at the Peak of the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm, and all were advancing in years, presumably loyal Martial Artists of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect who could not break through to the Vein Forging Realm and thus held seniority within the Sect.

It had to be said that the identity of Jiao Xi that Ye Zhen was currently impersonating was quite useful. The concealed guards simply glanced at him and, recognizing the attire of Jiao Xi from the Sunshine Hall, closed their eyes again.

Most of the overt guards were either familiar with or recognized Jiao Xi.

Those with a distant relationship just casually asked where Jiao Xi was heading.

This wasn’t small talk but rather their way of interrogating, albeit with a degree of personal touch, as this area was already close to the heart of the Divine Sect, where both the Forbidden Land and the Temple were situated.

Those with a closer relationship would engage in a warm chat, and Ye Zhen handled each one, as after all, these overt guards were only at the Peak of the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm; in terms of status, they were far below Jiao Xi.

Even a nod from Ye Zhen in response was a courteous gesture.

Thus, Ye Zhen was able to pass through the heavily guarded heart of the Temple and arrive at the entrance of the Head of the Inner Affairs Hall’s mansion, Zhu Ling, without any of the guards, either overt or covert, suspecting the authenticity of this ’Jiao Xi.’

Of course, Ye Zhen’s Disguise Skill was no mediocre feat.

More than ten days ago, when Ye Zhen used the True Transformation Disguise Skill to impersonate Jiao Xi and ambush Liu Hong, it was in haste, and he could only roughly transform his appearance to resemble Jiao Xi’s, largely matching the facial features.

The rest, such as hair, beard, attire, and stature, significantly differed from the real Jiao Xi, which is why Liu Hong noticed something amiss after the second glance.

But today was different.

Since Ye Zhen had resolved to retaliate against Yua Hanjing in his Silent Chamber, he had prepared well in advance.

He had found a suitable fake beard from the disguise items stored in his storage ring and trimmed it, spending time arranging his hair carefully.

Jiao Xi was almost two inches shorter than Ye Zhen; by using the Bone Shrinking Technique to contract his bones with a series of crackling sounds, Ye Zhen was able to approximate Jiao Xi’s height, and their builds were rather similar.

Since Jiao Xi had a dark complexion, after leaving Tian Guizhang, Ye Zhen further darkened his face with a special solution and, dressed in the attire of the Sunshine Hall, Ye Zhen could pass as a living Jiao Xi as long as he remained silent.

In fact, even if Ye Zhen were to speak, there would be few giveaways. Included in the True Transformation Disguise Skill were techniques for changing one’s voice. Although Ye Zhen had limited interaction with Jiao Xi, he could imitate his voice to about ninety percent accuracy.

The only flaw Ye Zhen had was in the aura of his Cultivation. The Cultivation aura of Jiao Xi, who was at the Fifth Stage of Vein Forging Realm, could not be mimicked.

It was because of this flaw that Ye Zhen had to continuously maintain his Sword Vein Divine Power, Sword Heart Enlightenment.

Sword Heart Enlightenment, a Divine Power Martial Skill, gave off an air of mystique that could cover up the fact that Ye Zhen was only at the Third Stage of the Soul Sea Realm.

With all these measures, even if Ye Zhen encountered someone who knew Jiao Xi well, he could cope for a while without immediately revealing any flaws.

According to what Ye Zhen had learned from Tian Guizhang, Jiao Xi had a very ordinary relationship with the Head of the Inner Affairs Hall, Zhu Ling. Not just with Zhu Ling but due to reasons surrounding an extremely secret matter, Jiao Xi didn’t have a good relationship with anyone else in the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, except for Yao Sen.

This also explained why, after Liu Hong’s incident, no one spoke up for Jiao Xi.

"I am Jiao Xi from the Sunshine Hall, here to pay my respects to Eldest Young Master Zhu!" Standing at the gate of Zhu Ling’s mansion, the Head of the Inner Affairs Hall, Ye Zhen declared his intention to Zhu Ling Mansion’s butler.

Being in the Main Temple of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect meant extremely strict security, so the residences of high-ranking officials within the Sect had relatively relaxed defenses and few guards.

For instance, the mansion of the Head of the Inner Affairs Hall, Zhu Ling, was now guarded by just a couple of aging Soul Sea Realm Martial Artists, and the old butler seemed to have attained his Cultivation through sheer perseverance.

This posed no threat to Ye Zhen.

"Elder Jiao, you wish to visit the Eldest Young Master? The Eldest Young Master typically doesn’t receive guests in the evening. Perhaps I should submit your name card first?" the old butler Zhu Fu hesitated.

As the old butler of the Head of the Inner Affairs Hall, Zhu Ling, Zhu Fu recognized all the higher-ups of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, and naturally knew Jiao Xi, who had formerly held the post of the Third Commander of the Sun and Moon Divine Guards.

"Very well!"

Ye Zhen handed over a name card from Tian Guizhang and was taken to the guest lounge in the Flower Hall by the old butler Zhu Fu.

"Please wait here, Elder Jiao. I will return shortly!"

Almost at the same time, within the clouds above Zhu Ling’s residence, two figures were hidden, observing the scene below. These two were none other than Yua Hanjing and Jiao Xi. The event that just unfolded had caught their attention, and seeing someone enter the mansion of the Head of the Inner Affairs Hall, Zhu Ling, Jiao Xi looked questioningly at Yua Hanjing for instructions.

"Ye Zhen has entered. Go get ready, and remember, stick to the plan!" Yua Hanjing ordered emotionlessly.

"Was that person who just entered Ye Zhen?" Jiao Xi was somewhat puzzled.

It was already nighttime, and deep clouds enshrouded the mountains. The moonlight was faint, appearing and disappearing. They were hidden within the layers of clouds, and at a distance, so the scene they had just witnessed was not very clear. Even with Jiao Xi using all of his Eye Power, he couldn’t make out whether the person was indeed Ye Zhen or not.

"If not Ye Zhen, who else could it be?"

"If it were someone coming to seek an audience with Zhu Ling, that old butler would have rejected them immediately, instead of inviting them in. Given Zhu Ling’s esteemed status, even you in the past would likely have trouble gaining an audience as you pleased. It seems likely that Ye Zhen must have used Tian Guizhang’s name card to meet with Zhu Jiutian," said Yua Hanjing.

"But, if Ye Zhen is here to seek an audience with Zhu Jiutian, is Ye Zhen really going to clash with Zhu Jiutian and subsequently be exploited by us?" Jiao Xi was still somewhat uncertain.

Yua Hanjing’s gaze toward Jiao Xi suddenly turned icy, "To call you a pig would actually be a bit generous!"

"I..."

Insulted like this, Jiao Xi’s face suddenly flushed red, but as his skin was dark, it wasn’t noticeable. Even so, he dared not burst out in anger in front of Yua Hanjing.

"All that information you’ve gathered about Ye Zhen, have you read it for nothing? And also, Ye Zhen’s every move and action since he emerged in the True Spirit Domain, have you overlooked them all?"

"Are you analyzing your opponent, or are you analyzing a pig?" Yua Hanjing rebuked sharply.

Fuming slightly, Jiao Xi retorted, "Who says I haven’t analyzed? This Ye Zhen often does the impossible, always surprising others. In the several recorded battles, he has always won against the odds, and moreover, this lad is extremely cunning..."

As Jiao Xi spoke, a mocking smile crept onto Yua Hanjing’s face, growing ever more pronounced, causing Jiao Xi to gradually slow his speech.

"Is that all your analysis? That’s just information anyone could recite after reading the reports, even a pig! What I want is the analysis of what these actions reveal behind the information!"

"Behind the information, isn’t it just those things? I really don’t understand why you are so certain that Ye Zhen will make a move on Zhu Jiutian. Even a fool wouldn’t do such a thing, right?"

"Hmph, idiot!"

"From the information bought from Stars Tower, did you read the part about the reason Yan Cong and Ye Zhen became enemies?"

"I did!"

"And your thoughts?"

"Foolish, of course. Creating an enemy like Yan Cong out of thin air. A few ordinary people died, so what? Why bother killing Yan Kun and his son Yan Shaqi?"

"Indeed, you are a fool! This matter demonstrates that although Ye Zhen doesn’t necessarily consider himself a paragon of justice, he has a strong sense of honor and is prone to help those in distress. Besides, other minor details in the information about Ye Zhen also support this. Not to mention, Ye Zhen’s recent pursuit of Liu Hong beyond the Forbidden Land due to a maid’s death further proves this point. It’s a pity he was thwarted before achieving success," said Yua Hanjing.

"A sense of honor? I wouldn’t have realized that if you hadn’t mentioned it..." Jiao Xi admitted awkwardly.

"That is human nature. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Ye Zhen, a Soul Sea Realm Martial Artist, or someone from the Vein Forging or even the Establishment Realms; no one can escape those two words—human nature! Even I can hardly stand Zhu Jiutian’s atrocities. Compared to him, Yan Kun and his son are far less offensive. How could Ye Zhen stand by without taking action upon seeing Zhu Jiutian?

If I had not grasped the essence of human nature early on, how could I be where I am within the Sun and Moon Divine Sect?"

Upon hearing this, veins on Jiao Xi’s forehead throbbed noticeably.

"Now go, what are you waiting for?"

"Yes!"

In the night sky, watching the figure of Jiao Xi descending, Yua Hanjing issued another reminder, "Be sure to choose the right moment. Do not act until Zhu Jiutian is severely injured!"

"Understood..."

...

Inside the Flower Hall of the Head of the Inner Affairs Hall at Zhu Ling Mansion, Ye Zhen watched the butler Zhu Fu leave, and his Divine Sense spread out like water, his Spirit Perception swiftly extending to the thousand-meter radius around him.

Everything within a thousand meters was within the sensory range of Ye Zhen.

"Not many people, only two guards in the yard... the rest are all ordinary maids..." Ye Zhen’s Spirit Perception even caught up with the old butler who had just left to report.

With a thought, Ye Zhen discreetly followed behind the old butler Zhu Fu, heading towards the Eastern Courtyard where Zhu Jiutian resided. Along the way, aside from encountering a few maids, there were no others.

The closer he got to Zhu Jiutian’s Eastern Courtyard, the fewer the people, with scarcely a shadow in sight. However, a faint sound began to reach Ye Zhen’s ears, sounding somewhat indistinct.

Ye Zhen concentrated his hearing, and as he drew closer to the Eastern Courtyard, the sounds grew clearer; they were the hysterical screams of a woman, laced with a hint of desperation.

Ye Zhen frowned and quickened his pace. In just a few moments, he reached the entrance of the Eastern Courtyard, where two Soul Sea Realm Martial Artists stood guard.

Upon seeing those two Soul Sea Realm Martial Artists, Ye Zhen’s expression froze in surprise! (Don’t miss the fantastic giveaway event! Get your chance to win cool phones! Follow ’Stars Tower Network’ official WeChat account (add friends on WeChat by searching for qdread), and participate right now! Prizes for everyone; follow the qdread WeChat account instantly!) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly passes at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)