In the backyard of the Taiping Inn, a courtyard filled with miscellaneous goods.
Led by the middle-aged man in brocade, Su Yi entered a cellar and walked through a dark path for about half an hour.
Then, a palace constructed underground appeared in their sight.
Along the way, Su Yi had already sensed that something was amiss. When he saw such a palace, he couldn't help but ask, "Where are we?"
The middle-aged man in brocade stomped his foot and turned around, smiling, "You'll know once you enter the main hall, young master."
His smile was warm but carried a hint of strangeness.
Su Yi nodded.
He vaguely sensed that something had gone wrong at the Taiping Inn, which Weng Yunqi considered a contact point.
The underground palace was built entirely of stacked boulders. In front of the wide-open doors stood a pair of peculiar stone statues.
The statue on the left resembled a giant dog, pitch black in color, with three heads raised high and a ferocious appearance.
The statue on the right depicted a woman, gracefully slender in figure, with a serpent tail winding below her waist. Her crossed hands held a lantern resembling a lotus flower.
When Su Yi saw this pair of eerie stone statues, his eyebrow twitched, feeling a faint sense of familiarity.
He quickly recalled that the three-headed black dog was strikingly similar to the fearsome ghost beast known as the "Soul-Splitting Evil Hound" in the Netherworld.
As for the female statue, it resembled the descendants of the "Ghost Serpent" clan in the Netherworld, beings with a human head and a snake body.
In the eyes of evil spirits and ghosts, the Ghost Serpent clan was also known as the "Lantern Bearers," holding a highly esteemed position.
"This place is quite interesting," Su Yi thought to himself.
He never expected that with just a broken copper coin given by Weng Yunqi, he would inadvertently be led here.
However, since he had come, he might as well make himself comfortable.
Feeling utterly bored, Su Yi didn't mind exploring the mysteries hidden within this underground palace.
Beside the two stone statues in front of the palace doors, two guards were stationed.
Seeing the middle-aged man in brocade bringing Su Yi along, the two guards simultaneously clasped their hands and said, "Greetings, Elder Lu."
The middle-aged man nodded without saying a word, leading Su Yi straight into the main hall.
The main hall was brightly lit but devoid of any people.
"Now, young master, you can tell me about your situation," the middle-aged man in brocade said, sitting directly on the central seat, his smile still present but his eyes deepening with seriousness.
"I'm just here to take a look," Su Yi casually sat on a nearby chair. "But I'm curious why you brought me here. What are you planning?"
The smile on the middle-aged man's face faded, and he said, "Let's be straightforward. I hope the young master will cooperate."
His voice turned colder, carrying a hint of imposing authority.
Su Yi smiled and suddenly asked, "Are you a member of the Yin Sha Sect?"
"Since you've already figured it out, you should understand that the Taiping Inn, which Weng Yunqi regarded as a stronghold, is now under the control of our Yin Sha Sect," the middle-aged man in brocade said indifferently, his eyes glinting with a cold light. "And now, you are a fish caught in the net. Whether you live or die depends on your cooperation."
Su Yi remained calm as ever and unsurprised. He asked, "What do you want to know?"
The comfortably seated, overweight figure of the middle-aged man in brocade spoke casually, saying, "Tell me about your relationship with Weng Yunqi and why you came to this Taiping Inn. In short, if you want to stay alive, reveal everything you know."
Su Yi nodded and casually replied, "Weng Yunqi is my defeated subordinate. He promised to take me to meet the branch master of the Yin Sha Sect in Gunzhou, Hu Yanhai. So he gave me that broken copper coin, saying that I could establish contact with him through this Taiping Inn..."
Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged man in brocade interrupted, "What are you looking for from the branch master?"
His gaze was sharp and menacing.
"To inquire about the origin of a Soul Jade," Su Yi said.
"Soul Jade?" The middle-aged man's face slightly changed, and he instinctively straightened his posture. He said, "Did Weng Yunqi mention anything about that Soul Jade to you?"
Su Yi nodded, "Yes."
The middle-aged man's expression fluctuated, and after a moment, he suddenly shouted, "Wait! You just said that Weng Yunqi is your defeated subordinate. If that's the case, why did you come to this Taiping Inn to find him? Kid, I advise you to be honest!"
His eyes turned cold, as if he were a terrifying blade staring at Su Yi, exuding an oppressive aura.
Su Yi smiled and said, "Do you think I'm deceiving you?"
The middle-aged man snorted coldly, "Isn't that the case?"
Su Yi remained indifferent and said, "What if I tell you that I have killed three individuals: Blood Heng Zhenren, Chu Silang, and Liu Xianglan? Do you believe me?"
The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter with anger, "Kid, do you think I'm a fool? Are you trying to bluff me by putting on a show?"
Su Yi sighed lightly, "It seems that if I were to tell you that I killed Hu Yanbao, the son of your branch master, last night, you wouldn't believe it either."
"Only an idiot would believe that!" The middle-aged man said coldly, "Young man, I have been polite enough to you. Do you really think I am easy to deal with?"
Seeing this, Su Yi couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.
He was already bored, which led him to visit the Taiping Inn, but he never expected to encounter such a situation.
He stood up, no longer beating around the bush, and said straightforwardly, "Here's the deal. I'll give you a chance. If you honestly tell me where your branch master is now, I'll spare your life. Otherwise... you will really die. Think about it seriously."
The middle-aged man was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter, tears almost streaming down his face as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
After a while, he slowly stood up, his smiling face revealing a chilling murderous intent. "I've lived for so many years, but this is the first time I've come across someone like you who doesn't know their own limitations..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Su Yi extended his right hand and casually struck out with a palm, seemingly effortless.
But in the void, a brilliant palm imprint condensed, emanating a sharp aura akin to a sword's edge and a subtle and profound sense of Dao.
The middle-aged man in brocade's pupils contracted abruptly as he instinctively tried to defend himself.
However, how could the power of this palm, imbued with the might of "Dao Gang," be something that a mere first-level Martial Master like him could withstand?
And then--
Boom!
The overweight body of the middle-aged man was struck as if by an ancient divine mountain, forcefully sent flying. The chair and desk behind him shattered into pieces, debris flying in all directions. He crashed into the wall of the hall, convulsing, and spewed blood with a loud cough.
His arms were shattered, flesh and blood mangled, and the intense pain coursing through his body distorted his face.
"You... you..."
The middle-aged man was horrified, his eyes filled with fear. He couldn't fathom how he, a Martial Master, could be defeated so quickly and thoroughly.
"Bold!"
Outside the hall, two guards heard the commotion and rushed in.
Su Yi flicked his fingers twice in quick succession.
Swish! Swish!
Two finger forces shot out like sharp swords, slashing through the air. The two guards had no time to react before their heads were severed and sent flying, blood spraying like a waterfall.
This bloody scene startled even the Martial Master-level middle-aged man, causing his soul to tremble.
"Who are you exactly?" the middle-aged man trembled, fully realizing the gravity of the situation.
"I've said it before, I was just passing by. But no matter what I say, you don't believe me," Su Yi shook his head.
The middle-aged man cried out in panic, "I believe you, I believe you! Please, forgive me this once. If you're looking for Weng Yunqi, I can help you!"
Su Yi calmly stated, "Forgot to mention, I've already found Weng Yunqi's hiding place."
The middle-aged man: "???"
He was on the verge of going insane. If you've already found Weng Yunqi, then why did you come to this Taiping Inn!?
Are you just that bored!?
As if hearing the middle-aged man's thoughts, Su Yi sighed, "I am indeed a bit bored. Otherwise, why would I come here while casually strolling around?"
The middle-aged man: "..."
He was completely dumbfounded, unable to even curse in his heart. He felt an indescribable sense of helplessness. How could there be such a person in this world?
"In fact, if there was someone in this city who could accompany me for a drink, maybe I wouldn't have ended up here today," Su Yi's voice sounded somewhat desolate as he sighed softly. "Perhaps it's fate that, in my melancholy mood, I encountered you."
"Fate? Fate my ass..." The middle-aged man was at a loss for words, feeling like a calamity had befallen him.
"Do you recognize this?"
Su Yi took out the Soul Jade and asked.
"I do!" The middle-aged man quickly nodded. "It's the mysterious Soul Jade that was stolen by Weng Yunqi. But... how did it end up in your hands?"
Su Yi thought for a moment and said, "Today, I'll make an exception. As long as you tell me some clues related to this Soul Jade, I won't kill you."
The middle-aged man trembled all over, as if grasping at a straw of salvation. He hurriedly said, "Young master, I remember it clearly. Ten years ago, the helm master, Huyan Hai, received an order from the headquarters to go to the 'Bloodthorn Demon Mountain' for a secret operation. When Huyan Hai returned a month later, he brought back this mysterious Soul Jade! However, Huyan Hai was severely injured at the time. After returning to the Gunzhou Branch, he entrusted this Soul Jade to Weng Yunqi, whom he trusted the most. But Huyan Hai didn't expect that while he was in seclusion recovering from his injuries, Weng Yunqi would take this Soul Jade and some other treasures and directly betray him."
Su Yi contemplated and asked, "All of this happened ten years ago?"
"Yes!" The middle-aged man nodded hastily.
"The Bloodthorn Demon Mountain erupts in a beast tide every ten years. So, if I understand correctly, the secret operation Huyan Hai participated in must have taken place when the beast tide was happening in the Bloodthorn Demon Mountain..."
Su Yi's eyes flickered with a hint of strangeness.
Not long ago, the Martial Duke, Chen Zheng, had mentioned something related to the beast tide in the Bloodthorn Demon Mountain.
But he hadn't expected that this mysterious Soul Jade was highly likely to have been brought out by Huyan Hai from the Bloodthorn Demon Mountain ten years ago.
"Could it be that Qing Wan's origin is also related to the Bloodthorn Demon Mountain?"
As Su Yi contemplated, he suddenly recalled Ning Yuhua's words, stating that the mortal realm was far from being as simple as it seemed on the surface.