Qingchan Peak.
Gazing at the distant Caijun Tower, Chen Yan suddenly felt a sense of unreality wash over him.
That night when he met Chu Xiyao had completely altered the course of his life.
Song Mingde's death had dragged him, a mere marginal outer sect disciple, into the swirling vortex of a conspiracy.
"Chief Disciple Chen!"
"Senior Brother Chen!"
Walking along the streets of Qingchan Peak, young disciples frequently greeted Chen Yan.
Now, he had truly become a benchmark figure among the contemporary young disciples of Kongshan Sect, deeply respected and admired by them.
Chen Yan stood before a building on Qingchan Peak that he was most familiar with.
He stepped directly inside, and across the courtyard's icy pond, he saw the figure of the man who once wielded immense power on Qingchan Peak.
However, this Martial Elder, once so powerful, now also lived almost in seclusion, detached from worldly affairs.
"Did I permit you to enter?"
Fu Qian stared at the Go board before him, then slowly spoke.
"If I wish to enter, I believe Elder Fu currently lacks the qualification to stop me."
Chen Yan said.
"Oh?"
No trace of dissatisfaction or anger could be heard in Fu Qian's tone. He merely slightly lifted his eyelids and slowly said, "The Imperial Law Court gave you a token."
"Yes."
Chen Yan replied.
"They gave me the token, hoping I would help them investigate two people."
"And have you investigated?"
Fu Qian asked.
"Not yet, and I have no desire to."
Chen Yan said.
"Because I feel it's unnecessary. It would be better to simply come and seek your counsel directly, Elder Fu."
Regarding this, Fu Qian did not deny it.
"You seem to hold considerable grievances against me."
Fu Qian stated.
Chen Yan smiled and bowed with clasped hands, offering no words.
"Defying a Grand Elder brings no benefit whatsoever."
Fu Qian continued immediately after.
"You are the Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain. Is your bright future not worth two lives?"
"Is it truly a bright future, or merely a cowardly existence?"
Chen Yan countered.
Fu Qian, faced with this retort, fell silent for a moment.
After a few breaths of time, he suddenly burst into loud laughter, sweeping away the previously oppressive gloom.
"Hahahaha, good, excellent! Over a year ago, I told you that you would never be content with merely being a pawn."
"I have no interest in manipulating the fates of others."
Chen Yan shook his head.
"Yet, in the vast majority of circumstances, if you do not wish for others to manipulate your own fate, you must manipulate the fates of others."
Fu Qian said.
"You don't have only that one path."
"Such as?"
Chen Yan asked.
"Go to the ferry dock at Mingxiao Peak. Someone will be waiting for you there."
...
The depth of the Five Great Sects' foundations was far greater than imagined.
The Heavenly Summit calamity, which would have spelled utter annihilation for many ordinary sects, caused no substantial harm or impact to the massive scale of the Five Great Sects.
As long as the sect's prodigies who perished were not of Qin Qingyu's caliber, recovering their vitality was merely a matter of time.
Just like Kongshan Sect.
Chen Yan felt that the current Kongshan Sect was no different from the Kongshan Sect before the Heavenly Summit calamity.
He now stood by the ferry dock at Mingxiao Peak.
Chen Yan himself didn't know why he had listened to Fu Qian's words and come to Mingxiao Peak to wait for someone to meet him.
The hem of Chen Yan's Daoist robe was lifted by the mountain wind, revealing two tokens hanging at his waist.
One was engraved with "Kongyuan Chief Disciple," the other with "Kongshan Imperial Law Court."
Standing here, Chen Yan couldn't help but recall with a sense of unreality that afternoon a year ago when he departed from this very spot for Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Who could have imagined so many events would unfold on Heavenly Summit Mountain?
"Chief Disciple Chen!"
A young disciple from the dock approached, stood behind Chen Yan, and bowed to him with clasped hands.
"You are?"
Chen Yan turned around.
He sized up the young disciple before him.
"D-Disciple Zhu Chuang, dispatched by order of the Transmitter, to come and receive Chief Disciple Chen."
The young disciple stammered.
"Transmitter?"
Chen Yan asked, puzzled.
"Which Transmitter?"
Chen Yan inquired.
Transmitter was a position established within the larger immortal cultivation sects of this world.
Their status within the sect was slightly higher than that of stewards and ceremonial officials.
"The Transmitter is currently hosting a banquet at Mingxiao Tower. He said it's a rare opportunity to meet and wishes to properly entertain you, Chief Disciple Chen."
The young disciple ignored Chen Yan's question and continued.
A banquet?
For immortal cultivators, that was indeed a rarity.
The young disciple appeared very apprehensive in Chen Yan's presence, his voice even trembling slightly.
Since this young disciple had entered Kongshan Sect, this was the first time he had encountered a major figure like a peak's Chief Disciple.
"Am I some kind of monster?"
Seeing the young disciple's nervous demeanor, Chen Yan chuckled.
"No, no, not at all! It's just... Chief Disciple Chen is truly... too graceful and elegant... no, I mean, exceptionally distinguished!"
It seemed Chen Yan's teasing had the opposite effect, making the young disciple even more nervous.
Enough, important matters took precedence.
"Lead the way."
Chen Yan said.
"Yes!"
The young disciple responded.
Kongshan Sect's only ferry dock was established on Mingxiao Peak, making Mingxiao Peak the sect's most externally engaged peak for interactions with other sects.
Precisely because of this, Mingxiao Peak appeared more worldly and secular compared to the other three mountains and peaks.
There was even a dedicated external market established near the dock, and Mingxiao Tower was located within this market. Kongshan Sect cultivators often hosted banquets here for fellow disciples or visiting Fellow Daoists.
Mingxiao Tower was a five-story golden pavilion. The plaque above its main entrance bore the three large characters: "Ming Xiao Lou."
"Two Senior Brothers, how many in your party?"
As soon as they stepped into Mingxiao Tower, an attendant quickly came forward to greet them.
The attendant's attire was not that of a Mingxiao Peak disciple, but rather the uniform of a Kongshan Sect outer court disciple.
"We're looking for someone."
The young disciple beside Chen Yan said.
"Might I ask who you are looking for..."
The outer court disciple inquired again.
"Our Transmitter."
"Right away, please follow me!"
The outer court disciple showed a look of sudden understanding, then turned to lead Chen Yan and the young disciple.
This reaction left Chen Yan deeply perplexed.
Which Transmitter was it?
"You two, please enter!"
The outer court disciple pushed open the door to a private room and spoke to Chen Yan and the young disciple.
Inside the room, behind a table, sat a slightly plump middle-aged man. Seeing Chen Yan appear at the door, he swiftly stood up and bowed with clasped hands.
"Mingxiao Peak Dock Transmitter, Qiguan Jin, pays his respects to Chief Disciple Chen!"
Chen Yan instinctively prepared to return the courtesy to the middle-aged man before him.
Yet, in the very moment Chen Yan began to bend forward in his bow, he suddenly shuddered.
Wait a moment. What did he just say his name was?
Chen Yan remembered that night two years ago, the list he retrieved from the Gambling Den.
He would never forget those thirteen names on the list.
And Qiguan Jin's name was prominently among those thirteen!