After Yue Chi left the detention center, Chen Yan sat alone in the cell pondering for a long time.
The sect was divided with numerous factions, engaged in both open and covert struggles.
But based on the information Chen Yan had gathered so far, he found it difficult to judge who was right and who was wrong.
Yet who was right and who was wrong didn't matter to Chen Yan in the slightest.
What did these messy power struggles have to do with a mere outer sect disciple like him?
Oh, now he was a Kongyuan Mountain disciple.
But if he died again, in the next cycle of reincarnation, whether he would be an outer sect disciple or Kongyuan Mountain disciple remained unknown.
For Chen Yan, what truly mattered was the conspiracy brewing deep within the murky waters hidden behind all this.
The outer court disaster that would occur over two years later was likely the result of this conspiracy.
He had gone through twenty cycles of reincarnation just to save Cheng Ziying from that death, which had even become an obsession for Chen Yan.
And just when Chen Yan had decided to give up and distance himself from Cheng Ziying, he unexpectedly made new discoveries.
Qingchan Peak, Caijun Tower, the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul, Steward Song's list...
Chen Yan believed he was gradually approaching the truth.
"Click!"
A crisp sound came from the cell door.
It was the sound of the lock being opened from the outside.
The familiar Enforcement Hall disciple stood at the cell doorway, bowing obsequiously toward Chen Yan who sat inside the cell.
"Senior Brother Chen, you may leave now," said the Enforcement Hall disciple.
Chen Yan remained silent, merely shaking his leg slightly.
The shackles on his ankles jingled.
"Oh, please forgive me, Senior Brother Chen. Look at my terrible memory, hahahaha..."
The Enforcement Hall disciple hurried to Chen Yan's side, knelt on one knee, and removed the leg shackles.
Chen Yan stood up and stretched his body slightly.
So heavy, so burdensome.
These leg shackles were made from a special type of iron and engraved with energy suppression formulas to disrupt the wearer's true energy circulation.
Perhaps for cultivators above the Passable God Realm, the effect wasn't so significant, but for those at Qi Sea Realm and below, wearing these shackles was equivalent to having their cultivation crippled.
True energy surged from the Martial Spring, flowing through every meridian in Chen Yan's body.
As true energy quickly filled Chen Yan's meridians, his limbs that had stiffened from lack of movement for too long regained normal sensation.
"I've troubled you these past days," Chen Yan said slowly, speaking with his back to the Enforcement Hall disciple.
"Not at all, this is what this disciple should do," the Enforcement Hall disciple replied, rubbing his hands together while still wearing an obsequious smile.
"Hmm, I'll mention your name to Steward Wu later and have him properly promote you," Chen Yan said.
Steward Wu's full name was Wu Kuan, and he was the steward of the outer court's Enforcement Hall.
"How could I trouble you like that? Then I'll trouble Senior Brother Chen," the Enforcement Hall disciple said, his smile blooming even more brightly.
"It's just a small favor," Chen Yan said, then stepped out of the cell.
Only after Chen Yan's figure had walked far away did the Enforcement Hall disciple suddenly remember something very important:
"Senior Brother Chen... he doesn't even know my name..."
...
After Chen Yan left the detention center and retrieved his Soul Ice Needles, he headed straight for his residence.
Dusk had already dyed the mountains dark blue, and according to Second Uncle-Master Yue Chi, Zhao Bin would come to pick him up before sunset.
There wasn't much time left.
Chen Yan returned to his residence, walked to the tea table by the window, brushed the dust off the table surface with his fingertips, and carefully checked for any changes in the room's details.
During the half month he had been imprisoned in the detention center, no one had entered.
Then, Chen Yan began packing his belongings.
He didn't have many things that absolutely needed to be taken—the only useful items were probably those high-grade Qi Regulation Pills and the unfinished Frost Soul Grass.
"Senior Brother Chen."
A familiar young man's voice came from outside the door.
Chen Yan walked to the door and opened it to find Sun Lu standing there smiling—the disciple of Zheng Fuyue, steward of the outer court Spirit Plant Workshop.
"Hearing that Senior Brother Chen was leaving the detention center today, I specifically came to visit you," Sun Lu said.
"You're quite well-informed," Chen Yan remarked.
"Senior Brother Chen, what are you saying," Sun Lu said with a smile, shaking his head, then his tone became somewhat meaningful:
"But the things I should know, and the things I shouldn't know, I already know about them all."
"Is that so?"
"For example, aren't you currently packing your luggage to go to Kongyuan Mountain?" Sun Lu said slowly.
"...That's right," Chen Yan had to admit.
"Besides that, I also already know about Elder Lin being removed from his position as outer court elder, with Steward Xue temporarily acting as outer court elder."
"I'm sorry," Chen Yan said:
"Now that my master can barely protect himself, the promise we made to Steward Zheng probably..."
"Senior Brother Chen doesn't need to apologize. My master and I completely understand," Sun Lu said with a smile, shaking his head:
"I came here today not to discuss these matters with you."
"Then what did you come to say?"
"It's about Song Mingde, Steward Song's matter," Sun Lu said.
Chen Yan couldn't help but feel his breath catch slightly, and his heartbeat quickened.
"What did you discover?" he asked.
"Good," Sun Lu replied:
"Speaking of which, it was also a coincidence. During the outer court competition some days ago, there was a group of disciples gambling in the corner of the viewing stand. Coincidentally, one disciple bet on your victory in the second round, which caught my interest.
"Later, during my conversation with him, I unintentionally learned some remarkable information."
Chen Yan raised his eyebrow slightly:
"What information?"
"That disciple had once seen Steward Song at the immortal gambling den in Taiyun City. It was at that gambling den that Steward Song lost all the Merit Hall's accounts."
"And then?"
"That disciple said after Steward Song lost all his spirit stones at the gambling den, he went into the inner area. What happened inside, no one knows," Sun Lu said:
"After Steward Song left Taiyun City and returned to the sect, not long after, he surrendered himself to the Enforcement Hall and was imprisoned."
"You mean to say..."
"Perhaps Senior Brother Chen could make a trip to Taiyun City. You might be able to uncover more truth."
As he spoke, Sun Lu paused slightly:
"With Senior Brother Chen's cultivation progress, you'll probably break through to the Qi Circulation Realm soon."
According to Kongshan Sect's rules, Body Forging Realm disciples were not permitted to leave the sect without being accompanied by a cultivator at Martial Spring Realm or above.
"Thank you," Chen Yan said, cupping his hands toward Sun Lu:
"It's a pity that the matter you and Steward Zheng entrusted to me and my master probably cannot be completed."
"No problem!" Sun Lu said.
"What my master and I wanted was never just the position of outer court elder. We'll still need Senior Brother Chen's support in the future."
As he spoke, Sun Lu bowed once more toward Chen Yan.
As for his true thoughts, probably only he himself knew.