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Chapter 591: Grabbing

Even more unsettling was the formidable demonic energy possessed by these guests.

His gaze fell upon two figures in a dark corner, their hat brims pulled low. Their demonic energy was astonishingly vast, no weaker than that of Demon Sixteen, whom he had previously encountered.

This scene genuinely made Shi Chun secretly apprehensive.

Some guests looked up towards the entrance, while others, whose backs were turned, heard the commotion but showed no inclination to look back.

Given the overall atmosphere among these guests, Shi Chun couldn't help but suspect they were all part of the same group, even though not everyone present possessed demonic energy.

From what he knew of demonic cultivators, not all of them wielded demonic energy. Yet, several were present here at once—the largest gathering he had ever witnessed.

Demonic cultivators were assembling here, at the foot of Litian Sect's mountain, and their timing coincided precisely with the departure of some high-ranking Litian Sect members.

This made him ponder deeply and inevitably suspect that they were targeting Litian Sect.

If that were truly the case, it would be an incredibly audacious move. Litian Sect's power was no joke; setting aside other aspects, their vast array of magical artifacts alone was overwhelming, even for demonic cultivators.

Moreover, supported by immense resources, Litian Sect's combat prowess would not be weak. This was the profound heritage of the cultivation world's foremost artifact-forging sect—not just anyone could offend them.

After assessing the situation, the boatman turned to Shi Chun and his companion, grimacing. "My esteemed guests, I am truly sorry, but perhaps we should try another inn."

Wu Jinliang was about to blurt out something but was cut off by Shi Chun, who remained composed. "Since it's full, let's find another one then."

With that, he turned and left, giving Wu Jinliang a meaningful look.

Wu Jinliang immediately fell silent and followed.

The boatman bid farewell to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper waved goodbye, still apologizing. "My apologies, apologies, Old Hei. I'll treat you to drinks another day."

The boatman waved back, acknowledging his words.

At the small dock, after the two guests boarded, the boatman untied the rope, threw it back to the bow, then leaped onto the bow himself. He walked to the stern, spun his body like a millstone, and dropped low as if doing a sweeping kick. His legs transformed into a snake's tail, sliding into the water. He then used his body to pull the boat, turning it around and setting off.

Shi Chun noticed some guests inside the Clear Ripple Inn watching them from the doorway or windows.

Soon, the clear water rippled, and the reeds along the bank obscured their view of each other.

After they had traveled a little distance, Wu Jinliang finally turned back and asked, "Old Hei, is business usually this good in this place?"

The boatman replied helplessly, "No, it's not usually like this. It's quite out of the way, so business this good is extremely rare. My esteemed guests, the inns in these water channels are usually quite peaceful. I can take you to another one, so you can see if you like it."

Shi Chun said, "I've never spent a night on a boat before, Old Gao. How about we try sleeping on the boat and watching the stars tonight?"

Wu Jinliang didn't understand, but he knew how to respond, vaguely saying, "Sounds good to me."

Shi Chun asked the boatman, "Old Hei, can we use your boat as an inn for the night?"

With a flick of his hand, he tossed over a money bag.

The boatman caught it and weighed the contents. It was enough to buy him two new boats. His brows instantly lifted in a smile. "It's not very comfortable spending the night on a boat, but if you two want to experience it, then it's entirely up to you. As long as I earn money, it's all fine."

Though he couldn't understand the eccentricities of the wealthy, he respected them.

Shi Chun added, "Then we won't keep you for the night. You can come find the boat in this area tomorrow."

"Alright, make yourselves at home then." The boatman cheerfully pushed the boat away, then dove into the water. He transformed into a large black snake, surfaced beside the boat with a wet, serpentine head, baring ferocious fangs to greet them, then plunged back into the water, his long body disappearing as he swam swiftly away.

Shi Chun surveyed the surroundings, using his magic to steer the boat.

Wu Jinliang then whispered, "What's going on?"

Shi Chun quietly replied, "Those guests in the inn just now might all be demonic cultivators."

Wu Jinliang was startled, then immediately realized something. "Could they be targeting Litian Sect?"

Shi Chun countered, "Are they collectively here for sightseeing?"

Wu Jinliang turned his head to look in the direction of Litian Sect, muttering to himself, "Do demonic cultivators have the strength to directly confront Litian Sect? At most, they'd pull off something sneaky. It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it, that we arrive and immediately encounter demonic cultivators causing trouble at Litian Sect?"

Whether it was a coincidence or not, staying to observe was certain, which was why Shi Chun wanted the boat.

With a boat, even if they were discovered, they would have a plausible reason for being there.

So, the boat didn't travel too far. Unfamiliar with the area, Shi Chun navigated the boat through the waterways, eventually finding a patch of reeds or similar tall grass to dock in, staying within the observation range of his right eye. From there, he began observing the inn.

It was another task that consumed his vital energy. Occasionally, he tried to transmit messages to Situ Gu again, but received no reply...

Meanwhile, Young Master Nan had been secretly apprehended.

He was at a venue, socializing with friends, when someone whispered in his ear that a certain person was looking for him.

He temporarily excused himself from the gathering and, upon turning into an uninhabited area, was cornered by several individuals. After they revealed their identities, they quietly took him away.

Once he was in the carriage, methods were immediately applied to him. He was restrained, and restrictions were placed on his body. Only then did he realize the situation was dire.

The person who had called him away returned to his friends and made excuses, saying that Young Master Nan had urgent business and had to leave.

Young Master Nan was taken directly to a large prison and thrown into a dimly lit interrogation room. Looking at the torture instruments around him, even the well-traveled Young Master Nan couldn't help but gulp.

After a wait, someone finally arrived. It was none other than the elder who had previously taken Shi Chun's letter from him: Jia Huan, the Right Saint Marquis of the Eastern Victory Royal Capital.

This visit was, naturally, still about the male corpse case in the Royal Court. After comparing the 'demon eyes' records, no traces of suspicious individuals leaving the scene were found. They couldn't possibly consider the Queen, who had been present and left, as a suspect, could they?

This meant the suspect might still be hidden among those who were at the scene, so all relevant personnel had been detained, involving many people.

Although the 'demon eye' comparison had ruled out Shi Chun as the perpetrator, the Queen was enraged. Upon receiving the report, she disregarded any possibilities or judgments, still believing that something was amiss and anything was possible. In short, until the culprit was found, no suspect, no matter how minor the connection, would be released.

Anyone implicated was to be, in a word: "Arrested!"

If the Right Saint could execute it, he should. If not, she would find someone else to do it. Could the Right Saint really say he couldn't?

At this moment, Young Master Nan was greatly surprised to see the elder appear. Having mingled in high society for so long, this man had shown him the most care and assistance.

Now, with this turn of events, he immediately knew that this matter was likely extraordinary.

He promptly cupped his hands and asked, "Right Saint, what is the meaning of this?"

Jia Huan offered no explanation and went straight to the point: "Where is Shi Chun?"

Young Master Nan paused, then countered, "What has he done now to alarm Your Grace to personally handle it?"

What had he done? Jia Huan didn't know what Shi Chun had done either. At this point, there was no logic to discuss; they just needed to apprehend the person. After all, the soul-binding pouch Shi Chun sent had a reactive link during the Royal Court incident. Jia Huan said in a deep voice, "Answer my question."

Young Master Nan hesitated. "If I'm not mistaken, he should still be trapped in the Gathering Cave Continent."

Jia Huan: "You have a parent-child talisman with him, don't you?"

Young Master Nan nodded. "Yes."

Jia Huan waved his large hand, remotely releasing the restrictions on Young Master Nan, and commanded, "He might also be in the Royal Capital right now. Contact him immediately."

"He's in the Royal Capital?" Young Master Nan was surprised as he slowly pulled out his parent-child talisman.

Jia Huan warned him, "If he's not caught this time, I won't be able to protect you either."

This was essentially a warning to Young Master Nan not to play tricks or gamble with his own life.

Young Master Nan looked bewildered. He hadn't done anything wrong; he had always been honest and followed the rules, at most engaging in some borderline activities. How had he suddenly become unprotected? How was he suddenly facing a dead end? What was going on?

He couldn't help but ask again, "Right Saint, what exactly did Shi Chun do?"

However, Jia Huan couldn't tell him. The matter of the Queen's chambers had been strictly sealed off, not to be divulged. In a heavy tone, he said, "If you drag your feet any longer and someone else takes over, they won't be so polite."

Alright, Young Master Nan looked down at the parent-child talisman in his hand and finally understood why he had been secretly apprehended. It was to avoid alerting Shi Chun.

Internally and externally, he was conflicted. If this contact truly lured Shi Chun out, it would be another act of betrayal.

But did he have a choice?

Bringing him to an interrogation room clearly conveyed the message.

He knew his weak point; he knew he couldn't endure torture. He knew that under severe interrogation, he would eventually comply.

This situation was genuinely different from past entangled people and events; there was no room for him to maneuver.

So, he eventually steeled himself and sent a message to Shi Chun.

After a long period of quiet waiting, the parent-child talisman showed no response. Young Master Nan looked up and said, "Where did you get the information that he's in the Royal Capital? Is there some misunderstanding?"

Jia Huan spoke again, "Contact him again."

Alright, Young Master Nan could only comply. He sent the message, waited, and then sent it again.

After several repeated attempts yielded no response, Jia Huan gave up, tilted his head, and called out, "Wei Mo."

From the dim corner of the entrance, footsteps sounded. A man in a ginger-yellow gauze robe, wearing a neatly fitted gauze hat, with a square face and three long strands of beard, emerged from the shadows. It was none other than Wei Mo, the Domain Lord of the Native Continent.

"Right Saint." Wei Mo saluted upon appearing, then nodded slightly to Young Master Nan. "Young Master Nan, it's been a while."

Jia Huan: "I'm entrusting him to you. Take him to the Gathering Cave Continent. You'll have all the support you need. Make sure to find Shi Chun."

Given his status and position, it was impossible for him to personally handle such trivial matters all the time.

Wei Mo smiled bitterly to himself, wondering what bad luck had befallen him to receive such an assignment. The reason given was his familiarity with Shi Chun, claiming he understood Shi Chun better than anyone else.

But how familiar was he? He understood nothing! He had only met Shi Chun twice.

The problem lay precisely in that minor interaction with Shi Chun. If he wasn't familiar, why had he personally inscribed a plaque to guarantee Mount Wukang's safety for him?

It left him with unspeakable bitterness and no way to defend himself.

Explaining too much might be seen as shirking the duty, so he was just asked if he would do it.

The question was, how? He didn't even know what trouble Shi Chun had caused, yet he was being ordered to escort Young Master Nan to the Western Ox Gathering Cave Continent to apprehend Shi Chun.

It was entirely a situation of taking the job first and understanding the circumstances later.

At this moment, despite his myriad frustrations, he could only cup his hands and accept the order. "Yes."

Jia Huan then solemnly addressed Young Master Nan, "I'm not trying to scare you, but if Shi Chun isn't caught this time, the consequences will be 'better to kill by mistake than to let one slip away.' Much blood will have to be shed to quell this matter, and by then, I won't be able to protect you!"

Not just Young Master Nan, but even Wei Mo, upon hearing these words, secretly muttered to himself, what kind of trouble had that bastard Shi Chun gotten into to make even the Right Saint utter such a helpless statement? Had he truly poked a hole in the sky?

Jia Huan left after delivering his warning, leaving the two men in the interrogation room staring at each other.

After the footsteps faded, Young Master Nan finally cupped his hands politely and said, "Domain Lord Wei, long time no see."

Wei Mo waved his hand. "Alas, I haven't been a Domain Lord for a long time."

Just as he had predicted, his position as the Domain Lord of the Life Continent had been taken over, and he had been reassigned elsewhere. Now, he was inexplicably called upon again, and even his superiors didn't know why.

Young Master Nan didn't want to waste time on pleasantries and whispered, "What did Shi Chun do?"

Wei Mo spread his hands. "You ask me? I want to ask you! I was called to the Royal Capital and haven't even been here for half an hour from beginning to end. Let's go. Let's find a place to have a good talk first and get a general understanding of the situation."

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