Heaven’s Shadow

Chapter 191: Casting a Net

There are sixteen days left until the next full moon night.

The Su family has been actively working within the sect, trying to get Su Mo released. They refuse to believe that Su Mo, who was raised in luxury, could be connected with the evil demons of the Devil Sect.

In fact, it’s not just the Su family that believes this; most of the prominent families in Kunwu City share a similar view. As a result, rumors spread that He Yi’s sudden trouble with the Su family was a retaliation for what happened to his brother He Gang. Such rumors naturally spread.

These rumors are particularly distressing, causing people to feel trapped and frustrated. However, He Yi seems resolute and indifferent to the external pressures, continuing to detain Su Mo despite the Su family’s demands.

The Su family’s efforts within the sect also encountered unexpected resistance. Almost all the True Immortals above the Nascent Soul stage refused or declined to intervene on their behalf, including Su Qingjun’s master, Wood Origin True Master.

After a day or two of this deadlock, the atmosphere in the Kunlun Sect changed dramatically. Many families that had been furious and indignant suddenly fell silent. 

Those who have been around Kunlun Mountain for hundreds of years know how to read the wind and adapt to the situation. 

Although Su Qingjun had recently had a falling out with Su Mo and even taught him a lesson, resulting in a cold war with her family, she could not remain detached. After all, Su Mo was her biological brother, and her parents were frantic. She still went to plead with her master, Wood Origin True Master.

Everyone in Kunlun knew that Wood Origin True Master cared for Su Qingjun, but he still shook his head and refused her request.

Su Qingjun was puzzled and worried. Wood Origin True Master sighed and, ensuring there was no one else around, spoke quietly to her, “Things are different now. This matter has caught the attention of the True Monarch. An investigation must be carried out, and no one can stop it. You should be careful and avoid drawing attention.”

Su Qingjun was shocked, her face turning pale, and her voice trembling as she whispered, “Master… Could it be that True Monarch Bai Chen is targeting our Su family…”

“Silence!” Wood Origin True Master’s expression changed immediately, and he quickly hushed Su Qingjun, then checked the surroundings. Despite being in Wood Origin True Master’s own cave, where eavesdropping would be nearly impossible, he was still very cautious.

After a moment, Wood Origin True Master sighed in relief and took Su Qingjun to a more secluded spot. “Listen carefully. First, this matter is not specifically targeting your Su family. Your brothers are just unlucky to be involved in this case. As long as there are reasonable explanations, He Yi won’t make things too difficult for you. Didn’t Su Qian and Su Wen both get released?”

Su Qingjun nodded, her expression improving slightly as she seemed to breathe a little easier, though she still looked worried. “What about Su Mo?”

Wood Origin True Master did not answer that question directly but grunted and said, “Secondly, what you don’t know is that the one paying attention to this matter is not True Monarch Bai Chen but True Monarch Tian Lan.”

“Ah?” Su Qingjun was surprised. “True Monarch Tian Lan? How could he…”

Wood Origin True Master’s face was serious as he continued, “Although True Monarch Tian Lan doesn’t often stay on Kunlun Mountain, he is one of the two supreme transformation stage True Monarchs of our sect. I heard that he recently wrote a letter harshly criticizing the sect leader, Xian Yue, for allowing the appearance of demons and the murder of people on Kunlun Mountain. The continued lack of progress in the investigation has led to accusations of incompetence!”

Su Qingjun’s face turned pale. Although she was not at the highest level of the cultivation world, she had grown up hearing and seeing many things in the prominent family and had followed Wood Origin True Master from a young age due to her exceptional talent. She instinctively covered her mouth and gasped, “How could True Monarch Tian Lan speak to the sect leader like that?”

Wood Origin True Master smiled and said, “He is a transformation stage True Monarch and also the sect leader’s uncle, so he naturally has the right to speak in such a manner. You didn’t see Xian Yue’s reaction—although he was displeased, he still gritted his teeth and endured it.”

Su Qingjun, being intelligent, quickly thought of another issue and whispered, “What about True Monarch Bai Chen…”

Wood Origin True Master replied calmly, “Given the circumstances, True Monarch Bai Chen will not say much.”

Su Qingjun nodded but still showed concern. Wood Origin True Master glanced at her and sighed, “Qingjun, you know that our Iron Branch is weak. Now, the sect is filled with internal struggles and power conflicts, especially among the Kun Branch. We cannot afford to get involved with the two True Monarchs. If they become angry, the consequences could be disastrous.”

Su Qingjun nodded silently, not saying anything further. Wood Origin True Master thought for a moment and then reassured her, “From my perspective, if your brother really hasn’t done anything wrong, he will probably just endure some hardships, but nothing too serious.”

Su Qingjun looked up suddenly and asked, “Master, is that true?”

There are sixteen days left until the next full moon night.

The Su family has been actively working within the sect, trying to get Su Mo released. They refuse to believe that Su Mo, who was raised in luxury, could be involved with the evil demons of the Devil Sect.

In fact, it’s not just the Su family that thinks this way; most of the prominent families in Kunwu City share a similar view. Consequently, rumors have spread that He Yi’s sudden trouble with the Su family is a retaliation for the incident involving his brother He Gang. Such rumors naturally circulate.

These rumors are particularly distressing, causing people to feel trapped and frustrated. However, He Yi seems resolute and indifferent to the external pressures, continuing to detain Su Mo despite the Su family’s demands.

The Su family’s efforts within the sect also faced unexpected resistance. Almost all the True Immortals above the Nascent Soul stage refused or declined to intervene on their behalf, including Su Qingjun’s master, Wood Origin True Master.

After a day or two of this deadlock, the atmosphere in the Kunlun Sect changed dramatically. Many families that had been furious and indignant suddenly fell silent.

Those who have been around Kunlun Mountain for hundreds of years know how to read the wind and adapt to the situation.

Although Su Qingjun had recently had a falling out with Su Mo and even taught him a lesson, resulting in a cold war with her family, she could not remain detached. After all, Su Mo was her biological brother, and her parents were frantic. She still went to plead with her master, Wood Origin True Master.

Everyone in Kunlun knew that Wood Origin True Master cared for Su Qingjun, but he still shook his head and refused her request.

Su Qingjun was puzzled and worried. Wood Origin True Master sighed and, ensuring there was no one else around, spoke quietly to her, “Things are different now. This matter has caught the attention of the True Monarch. An investigation must be carried out, and no one can stop it. You should be careful and avoid drawing attention.”

Su Qingjun was shocked, her face turning pale, and her voice trembling as she whispered, “Master… Could it be that True Monarch Bai Chen is targeting our Su family…”

“Silence!” Wood Origin True Master’s expression changed immediately, and he quickly hushed Su Qingjun, then checked the surroundings. Despite being in Wood Origin True Master’s own cave, where eavesdropping would be nearly impossible, he was still very cautious.

After a moment, Wood Origin True Master sighed in relief and took Su Qingjun to a more secluded spot. “Listen carefully. First, this matter is not specifically targeting your Su family. Your brothers are just unlucky to be involved in this case. As long as there are reasonable explanations, He Yi won’t make things too difficult for you. Didn’t Su Qian and Su Wen both get released?”

Su Qingjun nodded, her expression improving slightly as she seemed to breathe a little easier, though she still looked worried. “What about Su Mo?”

Wood Origin True Master did not answer that question directly but grunted and said, “Secondly, what you don’t know is that the one paying attention to this matter is not True Monarch Bai Chen but True Monarch Tian Lan.”

“Ah?” Su Qingjun was surprised. “True Monarch Tian Lan? How could he…”

Wood Origin True Master’s face was serious as he continued, “Although True Monarch Tian Lan doesn’t often stay on Kunlun Mountain, he is one of the two supreme transformation stage True Monarchs of our sect. I heard that he recently wrote a letter harshly criticizing the sect leader, Xian Yue, for allowing demons and murders on Kunlun Mountain. The continued lack of progress in the investigation has led to accusations of incompetence!”

Su Qingjun’s face turned pale. Although she was not at the highest level of the cultivation world, she had grown up hearing and seeing many things in the prominent family and had followed Wood Origin True Master from a young age due to her exceptional talent. She instinctively covered her mouth and gasped, “How could True Monarch Tian Lan speak to the sect leader like that?”

Wood Origin True Master smiled and said, “He is a transformation stage True Monarch and also the sect leader’s uncle, so he naturally has the right to speak in such a manner. You didn’t see Xian Yue’s reaction—although he was displeased, he still gritted his teeth and endured it.”

Su Qingjun, being intelligent, quickly thought of another issue and whispered, “What about True Monarch Bai Chen…”

Wood Origin True Master replied calmly, “Given the circumstances, True Monarch Bai Chen will not say much.”

Su Qingjun nodded but still showed concern. Wood Origin True Master glanced at her and sighed, “Qingjun, you know that our Iron Branch is weak. Now, the sect is filled with internal struggles and power conflicts, especially among the Kun Branch. We cannot afford to get involved with the two True Monarchs. If they become angry, the consequences could be disastrous.”

Su Qingjun nodded silently, not saying anything further. Wood Origin True Master thought for a moment and then reassured her, “From my perspective, if your brother really hasn’t done anything wrong, he will probably just endure some hardships, but nothing too serious.”

Su Qingjun looked up suddenly and asked, “Master, is that true?”

—

The next day, Kunlun Mountain, which seemed calm, suddenly stirred with activity.

Before noon, Su Mo, whom the Su family was anxiously waiting for, had not yet been released. However, He Yi had sent people to question several individuals, including Lin Kuangyi and Zhang Zhi, who were present during the dispute at the Liuxiang Garden.

When this news reached him, Lu Chen had a bad premonition. Sure enough, in the afternoon, someone came to Feiyan Terrace.

The visitor was a Kunlun disciple from the Heavenly Soldiers Hall, who was actually He Yi’s junior. Although the visitor was polite, their attitude was very firm as they “invited” Su Qingjun and Lu Chen to go with them to meet He Yi.

No one wanted to go see He Yi under such circumstances. It was said to be a chat, but everyone knew it was likely a trap. A careless word could result in being detained, and those detained would likely dare not resist.

With the strict rules of the Kunlun Sect, this matter was personally instructed by the sect leader to investigate the Devil Sect’s demons; behind it was the shadow of the high-ranking transformation stage True Monarch. Who would dare offend such figures?

Lu Chen and Su Qingjun had no intention of resisting and agreed to go with the visitor. However, Lu Chen privately sent many friendly greetings to the bald He Yi in his mind.

Previously, it was only said that He Yi was detaining people, but when Lu Chen was actually taken to the location, he was astonished to find that He Yi had chosen to detain and question the suspects at a nameless mountain peak’s back, in a place called the Righteous Tomb.

When he saw the dark courtyard and confirmed the location, Lu Chen felt a secret satisfaction. Su Mo, detained in such a place, would probably face significant hardships in the coming days.

Unlike Lu Chen, who had some foreknowledge, Su Qingjun had never been to this place before. Seeing the eerie and ominous location, she, like everyone else, showed a look of disgust and surprise, not expecting there would be such a place on Kunlun Mountain.

Though displeased, they had to go. As they were about to knock on the door, the large black gate of the Righteous Tomb suddenly opened, and a person staggered out. Looking closely, it was He Yi.

Note – 

“True Monarch” (真君) and “True Master” (真人) are not the same in cultivation novels. They represent different levels of achievement and authority:

1. **True Master (真人)**: This title generally indicates a highly skilled and advanced cultivator who has reached a significant level of mastery in their cultivation practice. It is a term of respect but does not necessarily denote the highest level of cultivation.

2. **True Monarch (真君)**: This title suggests an even higher level of cultivation and authority than a True Master. A True Monarch is often seen as a more powerful and influential figure, having attained a greater depth of understanding and control over their spiritual or elemental abilities.