Obtaining Top Art on Family's Extermination Night

"Shui Qianrou ran away from home back then, but just before she could make it to shore, she was captured by people from the Joyful Zen Temple and the Flower Moon Sect.

"There was no warning of her movements. Not even the Palace Master of the Celestial Water Palace noticed, yet those heretics knew...

"Was it you who leaked the information?"

"...Yes... So what if it was?"

Ironman wore a nonchalant expression. The blow he had taken was severe—the bones in his chest had completely caved in. Driven by Fang Shuwen’s Inner Strength, the shattered bone fragments pierced his internal organs, and blood trickled from his mouth and nose.

Knowing he was on death’s door, he acted with a kind of brazen defiance.

Fang Shuwen nodded. He had found the matter strange at the time. It was just as he’d suspected—there was a mole.

Otherwise, if not even the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion knew what was happening with the Celestial Water Palace, how could the Flower Moon Sect and Joyful Zen Temple have had such far-reaching capabilities?

To be able to capture Shui Qianrou with such precision?

"So... you’re also the one who instigated Shui Qianrou to run away from home?"

"...She, she was just a little girl... A few... a few vague, misleading... words... and she, she believed them to be true...

"Hahaha."

As Ironman spoke, he seemed to have reached a triumphant part of his story:

"The Celestial Water Palace... They think their women are born noble, but they are just foolish and blissfully ignorant of it...

"It’s utterly laughable..."

Fang Shuwen thought for a moment:

"So Shui Qianliu is in your hands?"

Ironman said nothing, just stared coldly at Fang Shuwen.

Fang Shuwen sighed:

"Things have come to this. Why bother struggling?

"You’re about to die... Is there any point in keeping these secrets?

"Look at your so-called allies. If I promised them their lives for the information, do you think they’d keep silent?"

Before Ironman could open his mouth, the monk hastily said:

"I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Ten *li* outside the East City Gate, there’s a Mountain God Temple. There’s a hidden space beneath it. The mechanism is the lamp stand on the altar. You just need to twist it, and the temple’s statue will move aside. Shui Qianliu... is locked up down there."

Ironman’s eyes widened in uncontrollable rage:

"Bastard... You worthless bastards!!!

"Damn it... Back then, I was a poor judge of character... getting involved with that venomous bitch Shui Man...

"She destroyed my fiancée, and then had the gall to say... if I turned from my wicked ways... she would be willing to marry me...

"Who the hell would want that!

"All these years, I... I endured humiliation and shouldered a heavy burden, all for the sake of... for the sake of revenge...

"But I... but now I’ve once again... been a poor judge of character... conspiring with worthless fools!

"You... you spineless, ball-less cowards... After I die, I’ll become a vengeful ghost... and I will tear you... to a million pieces!!!"

Hearing this, the monk’s face darkened, and he couldn’t help but curse back:

"You have the nerve to lecture us?

"And what makes you such a good person? Don’t act like you’re some martyr who’d rather die than submit...

"What do you think those three words, ’Cyan Fang Sword,’ mean?

"As the saying goes: ’The green snake’s mouth, the hornet’s stinger!’

"You are the venomous fang in that snake’s mouth—cunning, cruel, and vicious. Just like that wretched wife of yours, how many families did you two destroy back in the day, leaving them broken and dead?

"Was she wrong? You’re exactly the kind of person who should turn from their wicked ways!

"And Shui Man even married you! All these years... and you showed not a shred of affection for her as your wife.

"You killed her without a second thought!

"There are thousands upon thousands of heartless people in this world, but you must be the master of them all!!"

"You... You!!"

After saying the word "You" twice, perhaps because he could no longer suppress his injuries, or perhaps because he was overcome with rage, Ironman finally spat out a huge mouthful of blood. With a THUMP, he could no longer support himself and collapsed limply to the ground.

The blood he sprayed out was like a mist, settling in tiny specks all over his body.

The light in his pupils finally dimmed.

Fang Shuwen sighed softly and turned his gaze to the man and woman.

The two of them immediately began to beg for mercy:

"Mercy, Lord Evil God!!"

Fang Shuwen’s expression did not change:

"That Mountain God Temple, is that the gathering place for your group? Is everyone there?"

"Well, our Joyful Zen Temple’s abbot isn’t there."

The monk said:

"The Sect Leader of the Flower Moon Sect isn’t there either... They are both with Elder Ye."

"Elder Ye..."

Fang Shuwen’s first thought was of Ye Wufeng, but he dismissed it at once. He considered for a moment:

"Is it that so-called Blood Demon Ancestor from back then... Ye Wucheng?"

"Yes, yes, that’s him!!"

The monk nodded repeatedly:

"All of this was actually planned by Tie Hancang and Elder Ye Wucheng.

"Tie Hancang was working in the Celestial Water Palace, and he had some dealings with Elder Ye in the past. Somehow, they managed to get in touch.

"In the end, they came up with a plan to use Shui Qianrou to stir up conflict between the Seven Eastern Sects and the Celestial Water Palace, in order to throw the Eastern Domain Martial World... into chaos.

"Elder Ye wanted to cause a major disturbance in the Eastern Domain, to carve out a place for people like us to settle down.

"Tie Hancang, on the other hand, wanted the Celestial Water Palace to be destroyed.

"The two... hit it off almost immediately.

"That’s what led to everything that followed.

"As for Shui Qianliu, he was also lured here by Tie Hancang.

"It only took a little bit of poison... He lost consciousness, and when he woke up, he was already locked up in the dungeon of the Mountain God Temple."

Fang Shuwen nodded:

"I see. Thank you both for telling me.

"In that case, I’ll see you on your way."

The two exchanged a look, and both saw the delighted surprise in the other’s eyes.

They hastily cupped their fists:

"Thank you for sparing us, Lord Evil God."

With that, they got up and were about to run.

Fang Shuwen, however, was a little puzzled:

"When did I say I wouldn’t kill you?"

As soon as he said this, the two of them felt as if they had been plunged into an icy cavern.

They couldn’t help but look back at Fang Shuwen, and the monk said, trembling:

"But... but just now..."

"Just now? Did I say I wouldn’t kill you?"

Fang Shuwen looked confused.

The woman hastily said:

"Just now... just now you said to Tie Hancang, ’If I promised them their lives...’"

"Sigh..."

Fang Shuwen sighed.

"You said it yourself. My words were, ’If I promised.’

"But I never actually made that promise to you, did I?"

The two of them thought about it carefully, and it seemed that was indeed the case.

Could it be that they had misunderstood?

At this thought, they tapped their feet and, with a SWISH, tried to leap away and flee for their lives.

But in the next moment, Fang Shuwen made a grabbing motion with his hands, and the two of them were instantly seized as if by a pair of giant, invisible hands, their bodies uncontrollably falling into Fang Shuwen’s grasp.

He pressed his palms on top of their heads, forcing them both to their knees on the ground.

Activating the [North Nether Divine Technique], he drained all their Inner Strength into his own body. Finally, with two THUDS, the two of them collapsed.