MMB Chapter 427: Doubt
Chapter 427: Doubt
The youth in plain white daoist robes stepped over the corpse lying before him, and continued deeper into the grandest mansion in Jiangdu Prefecture.
His gait was steady.
Inside the residence, figures moved in clusters; they were the constables from Jiangdu Prefecture who had rushed over after hearing the news, scurrying around the courtyard.
Many of them noticed the youth in the plain white daoist robes who had just entered the courtyard.
Normally, after such a major incident, outsiders would absolutely not be allowed into the Kang Mansion.
Yet not a single person dared to block Chen Yan’s path.
Not long ago, the Kang Family had made a public scandal in Jiangdu Prefecture by throwing several unruly delinquent youths into the Bamboo River.
Compared to ordinary civilians, these constables had far better access to information.
They knew those troublemakers had met such a tragic end because they had offended someone they should never have provoked—
the very youth who had just stepped into the Kang Mansion’s courtyard.Not only had the Kang Family had those juveniles dealt with for him, they had even lent him the Listening to the Waves Pavilion in the southern part of the city for temporary residence.
That alone showed how much importance the Kang Family placed on this youth who looked no older than fifteen or sixteen.
That attention made everyone hesitant and uneasy.
Thus, when Chen Yan entered the Kang Mansion, no one dared to speak up; they simply chose to look away.
Chen Yan kept walking deeper into the mansion.
He saw the pavilion in the courtyard, where a solitary middle-aged man sat on a bench with a dazed expression.
This was the sole survivor of the Kang Family massacre, Kang Keyang.
Beside Kang Keyang stood a man in Yunxi official garb, the county magistrate of Jiangdu Prefecture.
This county magistrate was whispering something to Kang Keyang.
Though some distance away, Chen Yan heard him clearly:
Jiangdu Prefecture had already sent people to Chendan Prefecture to notify the branch family head—Kang Zongze, Kang Keyang’s uncle—about the matter.
It wouldn’t be long before this last Kang family Martial Arts Grandmaster personally came to Jiangdu Prefecture.
As for the capital, a message had been sent there too; the Imperial Commissioner should arrive soon.
Listening to the county magistrate, Kang Keyang merely sat there in a numb daze, nodding from time to time, nothing more.
This was undoubtedly a sensational event that would shock all of Yunxi Country.
Even neighboring states like Great Yu and Liaolong would be shaken by it.
Chen Yan moved his gaze away from Kang Keyang and continued farther into the residence.
He stepped over bloodstained bluestone slabs and skirted around overturned potted plants and scattered utensils.
Finally, he saw the four cultivators wearing deep green daoist robes.
Huang Yong stood with his hands behind his back, his expression dark and extremely displeased, exuding an oppressive chill.
He had never imagined something like this would happen.
As the Protector of the Daoist Hall within the Illusion Time Pavilion of Mirage Palace, Huang Yong was a mid-stage Qi Sea Realm cultivator.
Last night, after the banquet ended, he had sat on his bed in meditation to recuperate.
Then the next morning, when he opened his eyes, the Kang Mansion had already turned into a sea of corpses.
Huang Yong reacted quickly; he immediately crushed a communication talisman and informed Elder Zheng of Mirage Palace about what had occurred at the Kang Mansion in Jiangdu Prefecture.
So far Elder Zheng had not replied.
Facing what had happened at the Kang Mansion, Huang Yong’s mood was naturally very heavy.
Chen Yan walked through the path the constables had made and approached the Mirage Palace cultivators.
His footsteps caught Huang Yong and the others’ attention.
“Senior s,” Chen Yan said, stopping to bow in greeting to Huang Yong and the others.
Huang Yong slowly turned to look at the so-called rogue cultivator youth.
From Huang Yong’s scrutinizing gaze, Chen Yan detected a trace of suspicion and wariness.
However, this Mirage Palace Protector did not take Chen Yan for the murderer.
He judged the youth unworthy of such an accusation.
To slay over three thousand people in one night—such a heinous act—would be impossible without exceedingly high cultivation.
Chen Yan was only a Body Forging Realm cultivator.
Though a cultivator like him would be overwhelmingly superior to ordinary mortals, even if those three thousand people were lined up before him, he simply could not have done it.
Huang Yong’s suspicion of Chen Yan stemmed from another reason.
Chen Yan’s identity was dubious.
Huang Yong was very familiar with this border area between the southeastern Western Region and the northwestern Southern Region of the Chenping Continent.
No legacy of cultivators had ever appeared here.
Not to mention cultivation sects, even solitary rogue cultivators had never shown up.
That was precisely why Chen Yan seemed so out of place.
That Kang Zongdan had cultivation made sense.
He had been personally instructed by Elder Zheng sixty years ago.
But Chen Yan?
“Chen, young friend, are you unharmed?” Huang Yong asked.
“Unharmed,” Chen Yan replied.
“But the Kang Mansion—what a calamity.”
As he spoke, Huang Yong shook his head, then continued:
“I’ve heard, Chen young friend, that you are a rogue cultivator?”
“Yes.”
Chen Yan answered.
Huang Yong paused for a moment, his gaze steady as he looked at Chen Yan:
“Where are you from?”
Huang Yong was probing his identity.
Chen Yan glanced briefly at Huang Yong’s eyes and met his gaze for an instant.
He could still easily feel the hostility in the Mirage Palace Protector’s look.
For someone who had lived who knew how many years like Chen Yan, Huang Yong’s petty tricks were hardly worth mentioning.
“Chuanyang Mountain,” Chen Yan answered.
“Never heard of it.” Huang Yong shook his head, then said:
“Chuanyang Mountain lies within the borders of Erquan Country. It’s a gathering place for rogue cultivators. As for the Erquan mountain range, it’s actually a small area. If you still don’t know it, then I can only say the Erquan range falls within the sphere of influence of the Xuan Sheng Sect.”
Xuan Sheng Sect was one of the top sects in the Western Region of the Chenping Continent, with a long history.
When Chen Yan had traveled in the Southern Region searching for an Ascending to Immortality Dao Basis, he had once encountered a girl from Xuan Sheng Sect.
She had introduced herself as He Xiyao back then.
Chuanyang Mountain and the Erquan mountain range did indeed exist, and were indeed within Xuan Sheng Sect’s sphere of influence.
Chuanyang Mountain truly was a gathering place for rogue cultivators.
When Chen Yan learned on Kang Keyang’s boat that Kang Zongdan might be a cultivator, he had already fabricated an identity for himself that was hard to poke holes in.
That would avoid many unnecessary troubles.
Just like right now.