Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 231 - One Hundred Eighty-Two: The Chips

Chapter 231: Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Two: The Chips

Kill the young man before me?

Neither the Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect nor the Great Elder dared.

Not killing a messenger during wartime is a martial virtue, but for the one with a blade to their throat, it is an essential quality.

The crystalline object in Xu Yuan’s hand consisted of a set of two, a single-use item.

Crushing one would emit a special Origin Qi shockwave, and the other within a certain range would respond in kind.

A simple method of short to medium-range communication that had been in use for thousands of years.

The Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect recognized it, but he still didn’t stop his movements, continuing to forcefully prolong his daughter’s life while staring intently into Xu Yuan’s eyes.

The silence as heavy as death was finally broken by a sigh.

It was the Great Elder, who seemed ready to suggest a price to spare Zhou Xiaohe’s life:

"Young Master, may I ask you..."

"There’s nothing to discuss," Xu Yuan interrupted.

After a moment of silence,

The Great Elder slowly rose from the cushion and bowed deeply to Xu Yuan:

"Young Master, I’ve been rude."

Xu Yuan wasn’t sure if the two old men were putting on an act or genuinely emotional, but upon seeing this, he nodded in acknowledgment of their behavior.

In the heavy silence, the aged figure of the Great Elder turned and took slow steps towards the Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect.

Clutching the dying Zhou Xiaohe, the Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect knelt on the ground and looked up.

Then,

He saw the coldness in the Great Elder’s eyes.

In that instant, the Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect seemed much older, but he still protected Zhou Xiaohe:

"Nie Gongxu, what do you think you’re doing?!"

Zhou Xiaohe’s mind was fading, on the brink of death, and her eyes conveyed fear intermingled with a hint of relief.

After a brief silence, the Great Elder spoke with firm resolve:

"Sect Master, I agree with your earlier decision."

"....."

The Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect was visibly startled by these words.

He clearly understood what the Great Elder was implying.

Xia Wenlin.

Centuries ago, the word of the Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect might have been absolute, but a thousand years later, comparing the Sect’s power structure to an elders’ council, as those golden-haired monkeys from across the sea would call it, wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Now his authority as Sect Master was only slightly greater than that of a regular Elder, and it was near impossible to enact decisions that might harm the Sect’s short-term interests but were beneficial in the long term.

Centralization of power.

A dream he had contemplated many times, yet never been able to realize.

But with the support of the Great Elder, everything would go much smoother.

Taking a deep breath, the Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect’s voice trembled slightly:

"What do you mean?"

The Great Elder glanced at Zhou Xiaohe cradled in the Sect Master’s arms, his expression calm:

"I am aware of Xiaohe’s situation. Though infatuated with her beauty, she harbored an obsession with Li Zhu. Now that Li Zhu is dead, she might still be influenced by him. The current situation might be a release for her as she is now."

"...." The Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect remained silent.

Xu Yuan sat to the side, listening to the conversation that didn’t require any sound transmission techniques, his eyes reflecting contemplation.

Perhaps the Sect Master of Myriad Manifestation Sect really was showing genuine emotions, but Xu Yuan didn’t dare believe it.

The dialogue between these two old foxes definitely wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed on the surface.

They were certainly communicating privately through sound transmission.

And if these two were using sound transmission, he wouldn’t be able to hear it.

Pausing for a moment, Xu Yuan asked in his mind:

"Old Man Luo, can you hear their sound transmission?"

In the current situation, the two old men of Myriad Manifestation Sect would not dare use their will-spirit to probe Xu Yuan, and the Saint’s Remnant Soul spoke casually:

"Both of them have cultivation above Primordial. How could I, merely a soul body now, possibly hear their sound transmission?"

"Don’t you know the Yantian Art?" Xu Yuan asked.

The Saint’s Remnant Soul rolled his eyes and scoffed, "I only managed to secretly learn the Heavenly Word Scripture part of the Yantian Art. If you want to eavesdrop, you should ask your sweetheart. She has learned all four Chapters."

At these words, Xu Yuan pictured Tianyan’s stunning face and sighed softly in his heart:

"Let’s not talk about it, I’ve almost completely forgotten everything by now..."

The Saint’s Remnant Soul chuckled:

"If she teaches you the Soul Chapter, you’ll naturally remember."

Xu Yuan hummed dismissively in his mind:

"If I encounter her alone again, I might only get imprisoned, but you, an old fox who stole her sacred Art, would most likely pay with your life."

The Saint’s Remnant Soul grinned broadly:

"Jiatiange isn’t having an easy time nowadays. If the world knew Jiatiange still existed, the first power to be eradicated would definitely be them. Xu kid, think about it, who would want a power capable of divining the future to loom over their heads? At least the Prime Minister’s Mansion has some room for maneuver, but Jiatiange would be untouchable unless a great calamity struck. They wouldn’t have the time to bother with me, let alone imprison you, the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister’s Mansion."

Xu Yuan fell into a slight silence:

"But you did learn their secret cultivation technique."

The Saint’s Remnant Soul was nonchalant:

"To learn that technique, one must use the Heaven Transmitting Stele."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan’s eyes sharpened:

"Heaven Transmitting Stele?"

Instead of being secretive, the Saint’s Remnant Soul laughed and said:

"Even if the Yantian Art was transcribed by conventional means, it cannot be practiced. Otherwise, how could I only practice the Heavenly Word Mantra? You might think of it as comprehending the Dao Charm of the Enchantress Divine Sakura Tree. Usually, Jiatiange ensures they have two to four Saint Heirs or Saintesses at minimum. Rumors say that besides the standard four Chapters, there’s a fifth Chapter only the Pavilion Master can practice. If Tianyan has learned the fifth Chapter, she might be able to teach you the Soul Chapter."