Chapter 268: Trust or Not?

"Kill them without mercy!"

Qin Yun's voice crashed against the ground, rippling out in all directions and echoing through the somewhat spacious hall.

Ha... Wei Zhenghong's face revealed a look of someone enjoying a good show, while those from Qin Yun's faction glanced at each other in dismay.

Inside the prison cage, Fang Luoxun had already accepted his fate. His expression was utterly vacant, and hearing those words only caused his eyes to twitch slightly.

Fan Zhao, however, reacted completely differently. Even though his mouth was sealed shut and his mental energy locked away, rendering him incapable of making a sound, his eyes snapped wide open. They overflowed with a complex mix of indignation, despair, and profound sorrow.

The conflict between Qing Cang and Qin Yun was common knowledge. He also knew that once he fell into Qing Cang's hands, he would have no chance to defend himself.

Despite that, a sliver of hope had remained in Fan Zhao's heart—a subconscious resistance against death.

That hope had reached its absolute peak just moments ago when he saw his teacher, Venerable Qin Yun, standing there completely unharmed.

He never expected that the only thing waiting for him would be those four merciless words: kill them without mercy.

He understood in his heart that Qin Yun had been forced into a corner. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it was impossible for his teacher to say anything to absolve him.

But objective reality was one thing; experiencing it firsthand was another. A trace of resentment inevitably welled up inside him. Hadn't he targeted Su Chen entirely for Qin Tianlin's sake?

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Fan Zhao repeatedly slammed his forehead against the metal cage, his eyes bloodshot. Given his physical constitution, this naturally wouldn't cause him any real harm, but the dull, heavy thuds resonated deep within the hearts of everyone present.

Seeing this, the people gathered around Qin Tianlin couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow.

The excitement brought about by Qin Yun's return was largely dissipated by the grim scene.

They were well aware of the Bronze Sect's regulations, yet they still could not stop a certain thought from surfacing: 'That is your disciple, after all. Is there truly no other way?'

"Excellent!" Qing Cang clapped his hands in praise. "Knowing that Senior Apprentice Brother has the resolve to place righteousness above family loyalty puts my mind at ease."

Qin Yun remained expressionless. Qing Cang ignored him and called out directly, "Hall Master Wu!"

Wu Feng, the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, had been ready and waiting. Standing at the forefront, he stepped out immediately upon hearing his name, his expression stern and solemn.

"I leave these two in your hands. Please investigate this matter impartially and produce evidence that will convince everyone."

Qing Cang trusted Wu Feng quite a bit. The last time, it was exactly this man who had relentlessly pursued the matter with Hu Qi, causing Qin Yun to lose a great deal of face.

"Understood." Wu Feng nodded, his cold gaze falling upon Fan Zhao and Fang Luoxun. Colluding with Evil Gods was a heinous, unforgivable crime.

Qing Cang then added, "Arrest whoever is implicated, capture whoever is involved. Venerable Qin Yun has already declared it—as long as the truth is verified, kill them without mercy!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many within Qin Yun's faction shuddered inwardly. Their expressions grew anxious, terrified of being dragged into the mess. Qing Cang had thoroughly disgusted Qin Yun this time. With Fan Zhao's situation acting like a fishbone in the throat, it would be difficult for Qin Yun's subordinates to stir up any trouble in the short term.

Standing off to the side, Su Chen clearly observed the shifting emotions of the various factions.

Qing Cang's goal was simple: to prevent Qin Yun and his faction from hijacking the entire Bronze Sect as much as possible.

Under normal circumstances, Qing Cang would not lightly oppose Qin Yun, since the man was a Morning Star Tier powerhouse of the Sect. Any infighting would only deplete their collective strength.

But right now, choosing the lesser of two evils was necessary. Compared to the disastrous storm Qin Yun might bring, Qing Cang would much rather see the man dead.

Naturally, Qin Yun and his faction did not want that to happen and would undoubtedly try everything in their power to survive.

Every fraction of prestige stripped from Qin Yun meant one less fraction of resistance they would face in the future. With Fan Zhao's incident conveniently presenting itself, Qing Cang was naturally going to capitalize on it.

It also served as a stark warning to those who hoped to resume their scheming now that Qin Yun had returned.

Seeing that the matter was mostly settled, Chu Lingyuan spoke up. "Since we have a plan in place, let us return first. There are quite a few Sect members waiting outside the Stargate, and we shouldn't cause them any further distress."

Qing Cang added, "The corpse of the Divine Son is in the flying ship. Hall Master Wu, make sure to take it with you."

Wu Feng nodded. The crowd had nothing more to say. They gathered their thoughts and were just about to leave when the expressions of Qing Cang and the other two leaders shifted simultaneously, causing them to halt their steps.

Seeing that the three heavyweights hadn't moved, the crowd exchanged glances and stopped as well.

A moment later, the three of them suddenly bowed toward the empty air in perfect unison and declared in deep voices, "As you command!"

Seeing this, everyone immediately understood what had happened.

Sure enough, Chu Lingyuan turned back to them. "The Ancient King has summoned the three of us. You all may head back on your own."

"Understood..." the crowd responded in unison. They watched as the three leaders transformed into streaks of light, soaring straight toward the Ancient King Palace.

With the three heavyweights gone, the atmosphere in the area lightened considerably.

Wu Feng took a few people with him, greeted Su Chen, and then boarded the somewhat dilapidated flying ship.

Wei Zhenghong sidled up to Su Chen, looking him up and down in amazement. "You've got one hell of a tough life, kid! That bastard Fan Zhao colluded with a Divine Son of an Evil God, yet they still couldn't manage to kill you!"

Su Chen was secretly left speechless by that blunt remark, but he was already used to Wei Zhenghong's communication style. He offered a wry smile. "It was just blind luck. It seems Senior Apprentice Brother Qing Cang had already grasped the clues beforehand."

Su Chen lied without an ounce of pressure, easily shifting all the credit onto Qing Cang. After all, no one was going to bother verifying such minor details with the man himself.

Right at that moment, Wu Feng suddenly cried out in shock, "Why are there two Divine Son corpses?"

His subordinates had already wheeled out the metal coffins holding the remains. Upon inspecting them, they couldn't help but be stunned.

Two?

The people who were walking away froze in their tracks. Even Fan Zhao and Fang Luoxun inside the prison cage looked bewildered. Although Qing Cang had repeatedly mentioned them colluding with a Divine Son earlier, he had never specified the number, leaving everyone to assume there was only one.

"Star Seed Su?" Wu Feng asked, his voice tinged with doubt.

Su Chen nodded. "There are indeed two. They appear to belong to the Faceless Ghost and the Black Buddha."

Wu Feng's expression grew even uglier. His icy glare looked ready to flay Fan Zhao and Fang Luoxun alive. "Colluding with two of them at once. How truly impressive."

Fan Zhao was completely dumbfounded. Where did a Divine Son of the Faceless Ghost come from? Wasn't it only the Black Buddha?

The others exchanged baffled glances. Qin Tianlin frowned, both astonished and deeply disappointed that two Divine Sons had still failed to eliminate Su Chen.

"Two Evil God Divine Sons? I can't believe he actually pulled that off. All these years of cultivation, and he's completely wasted his life like a useless mutt!" Wei Zhenghong bellowed loudly.

The members of Qin Yun's faction looked awful. They quickened their pace, desperate to leave the area as soon as possible.

Watching the disheveled retreat of Qin Tianlin and the others, Wei Zhenghong grinned, feeling incredibly refreshed.

"The situation is unpredictable right now. It is best not to leave the core of the Sect," Shen Yi'an reminded them, ever the steady one.

"Agreed." Su Chen nodded. Following the others, he transferred to an aircraft and headed toward the Bronze Core.

Meanwhile, outside the Ancient King Palace, the three leaders touched down simultaneously. Chu Lingyuan stood in the center, Qing Cang on the right, and Qin Yun on the left.

"Come to think of it, it has been a very long time since the three of us sought an audience with Honored Master together," Chu Lingyuan suddenly remarked. He tilted his head back to gaze at the Grand Bronze Hall before them, a complex tone coloring his voice.

Qin Yun remained expressionless, while Qing Cang's voice was utterly indifferent. "Let us go, Senior Apprentice Brother. Honored Master is waiting."

Chu Lingyuan let out a soft sigh. The three stepped into the hall, looked up at the towering Bronze Giant before them, and bowed in unison. "Honored Master."

...

"Mhm." The Bronze Ancient King nodded. His gaze lowered, sweeping over the three of them before he let out a melancholy sigh. "I have had a total of thirteen students. Some were killed by enemies, some sacrificed themselves, and some died of old age. Now, only you three remain."

Perhaps it was the rare occasion of seeing the three of them gathered together that stirred a complex web of emotions within the ancient monarch's heart.

Hearing his words, the three of them displayed varying expressions. Their eyes flickered as if they had all recalled certain memories, yet none of them spoke a word.

"Qin Yun," the Bronze Ancient King suddenly called out.

Qin Yun nodded and stepped forward. "Honored Master."

"You went to the Royal Court to attend the Vast Sea's birthday banquet. Why did you enter that Lost Starfire?" the Bronze Ancient King asked.

This matter was still a mystery. The Royal Court had yet to provide any explanation.

"To answer Honored Master," Qin Yun replied after a brief moment of thought. "When I arrived at the Royal Capital, I was initially there to attend the birthday celebration of the Vast Sea Emperor. The proceedings went as usual, but near the end of the banquet, the Vast Sea Emperor suddenly summoned a few of us into a secret location."

"It was then that we learned the Royal Court had used a special method to anchor the Nether Realm near that Lost Starfire, and they invited us to explore it together."

"So hastily?" Chu Lingyuan furrowed his brows. "Did none of you consider discussing it with your respective Sects first?"

"We naturally declined at first," Qin Yun shook his head. "We all stated that we needed to consult with our Ancient Kings. However, the Vast Sea Emperor told us that the Lost Starfire had been highly unstable lately. If we missed that window of opportunity, there would never be another chance."

"Furthermore, he had the Prison-Suppressing King and the Night King accompany us. Although the five of us had our doubts..." Qin Yun paused here, appearing incredibly sincere as he continued, "The Lost Starfire was right in front of us. Believing it might truly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we finally agreed."

"You didn't even have the time to leave a message?" Chu Lingyuan was still skeptical.

Qin Yun sighed softly. "The Vast Sea Emperor did give us a choice. We were completely free to withdraw, but if we did, we would miss out on the endeavor entirely."

"That sounds highly suspicious," Chu Lingyuan said, his brow tightly knit. Yet, considering the circumstances at the time—the pressing deadline and the presence of two Morning Star Tier entities from the Royal Court—it would indeed have been difficult for Qin Yun and the others to outright refuse.

Qin Yun offered no response.

After a long silence, the Bronze Ancient King asked again, "What was the situation inside that Lost Starfire?"

Qin Yun sighed again, a bitter smile gracing his lips. "Honored Master, perhaps you won't believe me, but I truly don't know what actually happened inside."

He elaborated further, "The moment we entered the Nether Realm, we were indeed within the area enveloped by the Lost Starfire. But some unknown accident occurred, and the Starfire suddenly swallowed all of us whole."

"Inside, it was bizarre and chaotic. Many of the scenes were simply indescribable. I was in a completely dazed state the entire time. I have no idea how much time passed before I finally managed to escape."

"As soon as I came out, I found myself drifting through the starfield, heavily injured and on the verge of death."

Qing Cang finally couldn't hold back. "Not a single piece of useful information. Do you really expect to use these exact words to answer the other Sects, or even the Royal Court?"

"This is what I truthfully experienced. Or what, do you insist that I fabricate a convenient excuse?" Qin Yun retorted.

Qing Cang shook his head. "Telling me this is useless. Five Morning Star Tier powerhouses died. The resentment and fury burning in their factions' hearts will inevitably demand an outlet. How do you plan to deal with that?"

"If the situation becomes untenable, I will naturally provide them with an explanation," Qin Yun replied flatly.

Qing Cang relentlessly pressed him. "What do you mean by 'untenable'? What kind of explanation?"

"What thoughts does Junior Apprentice Brother have on the matter?" Qin Yun deflected, tossing the question back instead of answering.

Qing Cang didn't bother hiding his intentions and stated bluntly, "I suggest the best choice is for you to commit suicide. By fusing your remaining fire into the Starfire, you could at least make some final contribution to the Sect."

"And for the sake of the greater good, you shouldn't wait until the other factions force their way to our doorstep before doing it."

Being forced into suicide versus choosing it willingly carried vastly different consequences for the Bronze Sect. The former would only serve as proof of the Sect's—and even the Ancient King's—incompetence, causing morale to plummet and unity to crumble.

The latter, however, would be seen as Qin Yun's own personal choice. Qin Yun's eyelids twitched. Even Chu Lingyuan was taken aback; those words were far too nakedly aggressive.

"Qing Cang!" the Bronze Ancient King reprimanded.

"Honored Master." Qing Cang hurriedly lowered his head.

"Things have not reached that point yet," the Bronze Ancient King said evenly. "Though it is difficult for me to leave this place, we are not going to let others bully us freely. Let us wait and see how they react first."

"Understood." Qing Cang nodded. He held absolute reverence and trust for his master.

"Qin Yun," the Bronze Ancient King spoke again.

"Honored Master."

"Keep your people on a tight leash for the foreseeable future." At this point, the Bronze Ancient King's tone inevitably grew colder. "Colluding with Divine Sons of Evil Gods... what an absolute disgrace!"

"Yes," Qin Yun quickly replied.

"Also, focus on recovering from your injuries during this time. I am handing full authority over Sect matters to Lingyuan. Stay out of it for now," the Bronze Ancient King added.

Qin Yun's eyes, which had been largely devoid of emotion since he stepped into the hall, finally rippled with a hint of disturbance. In the end, however, he merely nodded. "Understood, Honored Master."

"Go."

Upon hearing this, the three of them exited the hall without a single word. Qin Yun immediately transformed into a streak of light and shot straight toward the Bronze Core.

Qing Cang stared at the fading streak of light before turning to ask, "Did you notice any clues along the way?"

"None at all," Chu Lingyuan shook his head. "When I found him, his injuries were indeed catastrophic. He was practically on death's door."

"Furthermore..." he added with a hint of hesitation, "If he truly knew why the others died, there would be no reason for him to hide it. It's highly possible that, just as he said, he genuinely knows nothing."

Qing Cang frowned. "You can know a person's face, but not their heart. Perhaps it involves the secrets of that Lost Starfire."

Chu Lingyuan sighed softly. "What happened back then wasn't entirely his fault, you know. Junior Apprentice Brother Dong Ling was, after all, corrupted by an Evil God..."

"That is ancient history. There is no need to bring it up, Senior Apprentice Brother..." Qing Cang interrupted expressionlessly, quickly changing the subject. "Is there any news from the Royal Court? How is the Prison-Suppressing King? Has he awakened?"

"It won't be that fast," Chu Lingyuan shook his head. "The representatives from the major Sects haven't all arrived yet. Confirming whether the Prison-Suppressing King can awaken will absolutely require the presence and testimony of every Sect."

"I see." Qing Cang nodded, then continued, "We need to intensify our patrols, both internally within the Sect and in the surrounding areas."

"Two Divine Sons infiltrated this time, belonging to the Faceless Ghost and the Black Buddha. They likely haven't given up on their malicious intentions. They are still trying to trigger a Falling Fire."

"Two Divine Sons?" Chu Lingyuan's expression shifted slightly. He genuinely hadn't known about this; back at the spaceport, he had assumed there was only one.

He nodded grimly. "Understood."

"Also," Qing Cang added after a moment of thought, asking one final question. "What exactly is the situation with the stolen Spirit Fire?"