Chen Yan did not go to Cangwu Residence to see Fu Qian. Instead, he chose the completely opposite direction.
"Chen Yan."
Bai Qiming, sitting in the main hall, smiled and nodded slightly. His eyes, narrowed into slits, looked at Chen Yan, who was bowing respectfully before him.
"I know you."
"Just over a month ago, you killed Qi Yadong, a candidate for the Chief Disciple position of Kongyuan Mountain, during the outer court competition. You also managed to oust Lin Qifeng, the Sect Leader's beloved disciple, from his position as an outer court elder, sending him to the rear cliff for contemplation. One could say you turned the entire recent layout of Kongyuan Mountain upside down."
"As Lin Qifeng's disciple, after his transfer away from the outer court, you also followed him back to Kongyuan Mountain, rising from an outer sect disciple to an inner sect disciple in one fell swoop. I must say, you are indeed a remarkable figure. If your talent were a bit stronger, you would undoubtedly become a pillar of our Kongshan Sect in the future."
Chen Yan did not speak, but he was greatly shaken inside.
He had never imagined that a figure of Bai Qiming's stature would know so much about him.
Moreover, Chen Yan couldn't figure out at all whether Elder Bai's words were meant to praise him or to mock him sarcastically.
Bai Qiming asked.
"Forgive this disciple's presumption. Before I state my purpose, I have a question I wish to ask Elder Bai."
Chen Yan said.
"Ask."
"Elder Bai, why are you willing to see me?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Qiming fell silent for a moment, then laughed.
"What kind of question is that?"
"This disciple merely wishes to know the answer."
Chen Yan replied.
"It's because you came to pay your respects to me, and..."
Bai Qiming paused briefly.
"...I am very interested in you."
"Might I ask if the Elder is interested in me as a person, or in the information I possess?"
Chen Yan continued to ask, his attitude neither servile nor overbearing.
"Before, it might have been the information you possess. But now, perhaps I'm starting to become interested in you as a person as well."
Bai Qiming stated.
"I am here to make a deal."
Chen Yan said.
"What kind of deal?"
"This disciple has some perplexing matters I wish for the Elder to clarify for me. In return, I can exchange the information I possess with you, Elder."
"That is indeed fair."
Bai Qiming said.
"Speak. What do you wish to know?"
"Where is the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul from Caijun Tower now?"
This was an extremely sharp question.
Suddenly, vast and mighty true energy instantly filled the entire True Dharma Hall. Bai Qiming, who had been quite amiable, now had a fierce and severe look in his eyes. Hundreds of strands of innate true energy drifted around him.
Chen Yan felt as if his entire body was being squeezed, making it difficult to breathe.
"How do you know that the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul has gone missing?"
Bai Qiming asked. But before Chen Yan could give an answer, he seemed to figure it out himself.
"Elder Fu Qian told you?"
"Yes."
"Have you mentioned this matter to anyone?"
"No."
Chen Yan answered with difficulty.
Immediately, the spiritual pressure that had filled the entire True Dharma Hall vanished completely.
Bai Qiming frowned tightly, as if pondering something. Then, very quickly, as if he had reached an understanding, he revealed an expression of contempt and sarcasm.
"Elder Fu Qian suspects me?"
Exactly what Fu Qian was thinking, Chen Yan did not know.
However, he did indeed have such suspicions. In fact, Chen Yan himself was already convinced that the loss of the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul was related to the Qingchan True Dharma faction.
The reason was nothing else but because Chen Yan knew about the events that would occur a little over two years later.
After the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul, possessing cultivation equivalent to the Unity Realm, triggered that tragedy in the outer court, the faction that benefited the most on Qingchan Peak was the one led by the True Dharma Elder.
Therefore, it was not strange for Chen Yan to harbor such suspicions.
Chen Yan did not answer Bai Qiming's question.
What Bai Qiming thought was his own affair.
The disappearance of the Demon Suppression Stone that was suppressing the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul was absolutely no trivial matter.
Although the divine consciousness of that wisp of the Black Flood Dragon's remnant soul was almost completely worn away, this former Great Demon of the Dao Union Realm was still terrifying. Even after ten thousand years had passed, its strength remained above the Unity Realm.
The Unity Realm is the seventh realm of the Nine Realms Below Immortality, and also the first realm of the Upper Three Realms.
If one does not count those Grand Elders within the sect who pay no heed to worldly affairs, there are only three people in the entire sect whose cultivation realm has reached or surpassed the Unity Realm.
They are: the current Sect Leader of Kongshan Sect, Yun Yichen.
The Sword Master Elder of Yibai Peak, Ye Qingya.
The Sword Master Elder of Mingxiao Peak, Ge Wenqiu.
A mighty being of such cultivation level could, in an instant, reduce a city like Taiyun City, with its population of tens of millions, to rubble.
The reason the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul caused over ten thousand casualties in the Kongshan Sect's outer court within the span of seven breaths was because its divine consciousness was almost completely obliterated. What killed the Kongshan Sect disciples was merely the demonic aura pressure it unconsciously released.
"Hmph, Elder Fu is getting on in years and increasingly fails to distinguish right from wrong."
Bai Qiming snorted coldly.
Chen Yan still did not speak. He also couldn't think of a reply.
"I cannot answer your question for you."
Bai Qiming said.
"However, I can exchange some other information for your intelligence."
"Please speak, Elder."
"You don't even know what information I'm going to talk about. Are you sure you want to exchange?"
Bai Qiming asked in this manner.
"Naturally."
Chen Yan replied.
He came here today precisely intending to exchange some of the chips in his hand with Bai Qiming.
Because Elder Fu Qian was not trustworthy.
Of course, Bai Qiming was also not trustworthy.
The only one worthy of trust was Chen Yan himself.
"Those two Martial Spring Realm cultivators who died on the official road last night were both from Yuanhua Mountain."
Bai Qiming said.
Chen Yan's heart tightened. He had never expected Bai Qiming would use this piece of information to exchange with him.
"What, are you frightened?"
Seeing the change in Chen Yan's expression, Bai Qiming laughed.
"Yue Chi's little disciple has been openly asking around everywhere if any Martial Spring Realm cultivators have mysteriously disappeared from the sect recently, so I paid a bit of attention."
"Two died last night, both disciples of Yuanhua Mountain. One was the manager of Yuanhua Mountain's External Affairs Hall, the other was a disciplinarian at Yuanhua Mountain's Training Grounds. They were ambushed and killed on the road between the sect and Taiyun City last night. Both were killed with a single strike."
"These two were inner sect cultivators of Kongshan Sect. For them to be killed within the sect's sphere of influence is like slapping the sect's face. Given Yuanhua Mountain's style, they should be determined to get to the bottom of this and then launch a punitive expedition."
"But what's interesting is that such a major incident involving the death of two Martial Spring Realm cultivators was suppressed. Not a single whisper of it leaked out..."
As he spoke, Bai Qiming paused briefly, and the smile on his face instantly vanished.
"Who do you think is the one who suppressed the news?"