chapter 37 Conspiracy ===

The knife hit the dantian, and the black-clothed leader sat weakly on the ground. A strong dizziness overwhelmed him. Verdantius Liu activated the Ghost pupil, and his soul sea began to deplete. His eyes sparkled with stars, and his body swayed, on the verge of collapsing. "Deacon Qi, take care of this, kill them." Having reached his limit after defeating the black-clothed leader, Verdantius Liu stood on the spot, the radiance fading from his right eye. He closed his eyes, focusing on repairing. The remaining four black-clothed individuals stood still, forgetting to escape. Their leader had been defeated by someone in the mere Innate Realm. Deacon Qi, recovering from the shock, brandished his long knife and charged. The remaining four black-clothed men were caught off guard. Deacon Qi cut down three of them with a single stroke, leaving one to escape into the distance. "Where do you think you're going!" If one escaped, it would be a nightmare for the Xu family. To eradicate any potential threats, it was necessary to kill them all. Information about the incident could not be leaked, especially considering the Tone-Breaking Army's status as an elite force of the Great Yan Dynasty. Deacon Qi suddenly released his grip on the long knife, and it flew through the air. The escaping black-clothed man was impaled, the blade piercing through his body. Blood gushed from his chest, staining the purple-gold ore on the cargo wagon. Having slain everyone, Deacon Qi had a lingering fear on his face. He pulled out the long knife and approached Verdantius Liu. "Young Master, are you okay?" His tone was filled with respect, and there was a profound change in his attitude towards Verdantius Liu, now mixed with awe. "I'm fine. Rest for a while, then clean up the battlefield and remove all traces." Fifteen guards sprang into action, bringing clean water and washing away the bloodstains on the cliff. It took an hour, but Qifeng Canyon was restored to its original state, leaving no traces behind. Several guards went to the entrance of the gorge, brought back the two horses that had escaped, and tied them back to the wagon. The bodies of the Tone-Breaking Army soldiers were completely incinerated, leaving only the black-clothed leader kneeling on the ground. His eyes were filled with malice. "Kid, you're doomed. Killing a member of the Tone-Breaking Army means you can't escape, even if you run to the ends of the earth. Prepare to meet your end." The black-clothed leader let out a harsh laugh. After an hour of recovery, Verdantius Liu's soul sea was replenished. He opened his eyes, gazing at the black-clothed leader without a trace of emotion. "If I spare your lives, will the Xu family be spared?" Verdantius Liu sneered. Their presence here was already suspicious. They had to kill to cover up the Tone-Breaking Army's involvement in the attack on the Xu family, erasing any evidence of the Tone-Breaking Army entering Canglan City. The short knife was drawn, and Verdantius Liu walked towards the black-clothed leader, placing the blade against his neck. The dantian shattered, rendering him no different from an ordinary person. "You're right. The Xu family is doomed. Offending the Tone-Breaking Army, even the current Emperor can't save you from doom." The black-clothed leader emitted a sinister smile. They had come here to seize the Xu family's purple-gold mine, and then wipe out the Xu family completely, eradicating all traces. Willorus Song had not spoken the truth. He surely knew who these people were, afraid of implicating himself. Instead of revealing the Tone-Breaking Army, he only told Verdantius Liu that a powerful force had arrived in Canglan City. "Speak, what's your name, and who sent you?" Verdantius Liu asked coldly. Tone-Breaking Army wouldn't intervene in family conflicts, and they risked punishment to ambush the Xu family. There must be someone behind the scenes, manipulating the situation. "Kid, don't waste your effort. We, the Tone-Breaking Army, have undergone special training. You won't get a single word from me." The black-clothed leader spat and refused to take Verdantius Liu seriously. Relying on some weird sorcery to severely wound him didn't make Verdantius Liu a true opponent. In a real battle, he would be the one to die. The fifteen guards dispersed around the area. A few walked towards the entrance and exit of the gorge, ensuring no one would intrude. "Young Master, I've heard of Tone-Breaking Army. They underwent the most brutal training, including one stage where they were tortured by the enemy to extract information. Military law would be enforced for anyone who spoke." Deacon Qi, approaching, frowned. Tone-Breaking Army was known for its strict self-discipline, and the emergence of such an incident was unusual. Having heard this, the black-clothed leader wore a proud expression. All members of the Tone-Breaking Army were extraordinary talents. "Is that so? Then I want to see how tough your bones really are." Verdantius Liu didn't emit a particularly strong aura. Calm and composed, he sheathed the short knife and walked behind the black-clothed leader. For some unknown reason, when Verdantius Liu walked behind him, the black-clothed leader shivered all over. This kid was too mysterious, and there were many incomprehensible things about him. "If you can endure for ten breaths, I'll let you go." After speaking, he pressed his right hand onto the neck of the leader in black, and a strange coldness penetrated his body. Subsequently, the body of the leader in black began to shake violently. "Ah! Ah! Ah!" Before even reaching one breath, the black-clothed leader let out a miserable scream. Qifeng, who witnessed this, was startled. What had the Young Master done to cause such a drastic change in the black-clothed leader? His facial expression contorted in pain. Other guards, with lingering fear in their eyes, looked over but dared not get too close. The wretched screams emitted by the black-clothed leader sent shivers down their spines. "Young Master, what did you do to him?" Deacon Qi swayed on his legs, puzzled by what the Young Master had done. The black-clothed leader had twisted into a ball, and the bones in his body made a nauseating cracking sound. His knee joints were bent upward like a deformed monster. "Bone-separating and Muscle-twisting Hand combined with the Ants Devouring Heart Technique." Verdantius Liu casually stated, as if describing something extremely ordinary. Bone-separating and Muscle-twisting Hand was understandable, but what about the Ants Devouring Heart Technique? Could it really cause someone so much pain? Compared to those tortures, it was on a different level altogether. "Young Master, you've doomed him. I confess, I confess! Please, quickly release me." In less than five breaths, the black-clothed leader struggled to spit out a few words, willing to confess. He couldn't bear it any longer. It was not physical pain but agony inflicted on the soul. Tone-Breaking Army trained soldiers with physical punishment, something they could endure. However, the Ants Devouring Heart Technique was different. It invaded the mind, making survival unbearable and death unattainable. Verdantius Liu had slightly underestimated the Tone-Breaking Army by promising only ten breaths. Realizing that, he patted the black-clothed leader's back a few times, and the excruciating pain slowly subsided. Sweat soaked his clothes, making him look like he had been pulled out of water. "You're not human; you're a devil. You must be a devil!" The black-clothed man's eyes towards Verdantius Liu changed, now filled with fear. His body shivered, and he looked utterly defeated. Surprisingly, Deacon Qi nodded, agreeing with the black-clothed leader's words. Performing such monstrous techniques, only immortals could possess such skills. If not a devil, then what? "Speak! Who are you, and who sent you?" Sitting on a rock, seemingly unconcerned, Verdantius Liu continued questioning. No one usually passed by this place. "My name is Thornex Zhou, a captain in Tone-Breaking Army's Heavenly Character Camp. A few days ago, I passed through Canglan City on official business. I had a meeting at the City Lord's Mansion, and coincidentally, Tian Family and Wan Family's leaders were also present. We discussed some recent events in Canglan City." Thornex Zhou slowly narrated, confirming Verdantius Liu's speculations. As expected, there were connections to the Tian Family and Wan Family. Unexpectedly, this matter involved the City Lord's Mansion. "Tone-Breaking Army holds a high position, and the small Tian Family and Wan Family can't order you around, can they?" This was a straightforward fact that puzzled Verdantius Liu. Why would the Tone-Breaking Army, with no grievances against the Xu family, provoke such trouble just because of the Tian Family? "It's true. I can't deny that. But you see, the City Lord of Canglan was also a member of Tone-Breaking Army back then. We were comrades, with a deep bond. I came here for business, just catching up with an old friend. Unexpectedly, Lichenus Qi casually mentioned the situation in Canglan City and asked me to help him with something. All he wanted was to scare the Xu family, snatch some goods, and not hurt anyone." Thornex Zhou didn't dare to conceal anything, revealing all he knew. "The goods you snatched a few days ago were part of this plan?" "Yes!" "Why did you resort to killing and silencing today? A few days ago, you were only robbing goods; it wasn't as serious as today." Verdantius Liu continued questioning. Today, the Tone-Breaking Army seemed intent on killing everyone, not just taking goods. "We were too greedy. The Tian Family and Wan Family were willing to pay ten million gold coins to the Tone-Breaking Army for this job. They wanted us to handle it discreetly, leaving no traces of the Tone-Breaking Army's involvement. I suffered a significant loss of gold coins in the capital last month and was short on funds. So, I agreed." Thornex Zhou didn't hide the fact that he had taken the job to profit personally, resulting in his entanglement in this mess. "One million gold coins just for scaring the Xu family? Why didn't they send their own people to intercept?" Paying a million gold coins to the Tone-Breaking Army was a significant amount. It could hire a hundred thousand mercenaries to guard the area. Why spend it on Tone-Breaking Army? "I'm not very clear on that. I heard they had more important matters to attend to." Thornex Zhou knew only this much. He had simply wanted to make a profit, but he ended up risking both his life and wealth. These two families were indeed playing a ruse, aiming to lure Silvianus Xu away and let him enter the Sunset Mountains. They could then seize the opportunity to occupy the Xu family's industry. Everything was perfectly calculated. "Didn't expect the honorable Captain of Tone-Breaking Army to be as foolish as a headless pig. You were used, and you didn't even realize it. If I'm not mistaken, you must be holding some unsavory secrets of Lichenus Qi, right?" Verdantius Liu revealed a hint of disdain. Thornex Zhou, on the other hand, suddenly stood up, looking at Verdantius Liu with a terrified expression. This person was indeed a devil. "How did you know?" Thornex Zhou panicked, his eyes filled with fear. Deacon Qi, on the other hand, seemed confused. How did the Young Master know so much? From one incident, he deduced so much more. "It's simple. Since you were comrades, I don't believe Lichenus Qi's hands are so clean. He must have done something shady, right? Am I correct?" Verdantius Liu casually spoke, as if he had just mentioned an ordinary matter. Thornex Zhou, with his mouth wide open, nodded involuntarily. Lichenus Qi's notorious reputation left no room to guarantee that he hadn't killed innocent people. "You suddenly arrived in Canglan City, claiming to catch up with old friends. In reality, you were in financial trouble and wanted to extort Lichenus Qi. To stabilize you, he asked for your help in a matter: robbing the Xu family's goods. So you agreed." Thornex Zhou's mouth was agape, completely petrified.