After successfully deceiving Song Yan, the group realized it was impossible to learn the root of the jade pendant’s resentment directly from her. It appeared she truly knew nothing of the events that followed the tragedy, so they left her to rest.
Late that night, Xie Yuan had intended to speak further with Shen Zhuo, but Pei Chuan unceremoniously barred him from the courtyard. Xie Yuan had no choice but to return the following morning.
Early the next day, Xie Yuan knocked on Shen Zhuo’s door, only to find Pei Chuan already seated at the table. As the door opened, Pei Chuan looked up with a gaze that suggested he was guarding against a kidnapper trying to make off with his child.
Xie Yuan said helplessly, “Brother Pei, why must you look at me like that? I am only here to discuss matters with Daoist Shen.”
Pei Chuan picked up his teacup, his expression blank. “Speak, then. I shall listen as well.”
Hearing the commotion, Shen Zhuo emerged from the inner room. “Daoist Xie, you have arrived.” He poured tea for Xie Yuan and refilled Pei Chuan’s cup before taking his seat.
Xie Yuan set aside his usual casual demeanor and got straight to the point. He pulled the jade pendant from his sleeve; its surface was still covered by a thin layer of white light.
Pei Chuan set down his teacup and offered sincere praise. “To be able to maintain spiritual energy for such a duration without it dissipating is impressive.”
Xie Yuan unfolded his fan, demurring, “It is the work of the jade spirit within this white jade fan, not solely by my own power.”
As he spoke, he hooked his fingertip and withdrew the spiritual energy attached to the object. In an instant, wisps of black mist began to seep from the surface of the pitch-black jade. The mist twisted in the air like a living creature, circling a few times before gradually drifting outward. It tentatively reached toward Pei Chuan, but it snapped back as if encountering its nemesis, turning instead to lung toward the other two.
Seeing most of the black mist rushing toward him, Xie Yuan gave a light wave of his white jade fan, the breeze scattering the resentment. Although the black mist condensed once more, it no longer moved rashly.
“Resentment manifesting as aura,” Xie Yuan said deeply. “It seems ordinary methods will struggle to dispel this.”
Shen Zhuo added, “This resentment was gathered from human lives. The hatred of dozens of souls from the Song family remains here. To eradicate it, we must ensure they receive justice; only then will it truly settle.”
Xie Yuan snapped his fan shut, his expression solemn. “This object is one of the few relics my Master left in this world. I cannot stand by and watch it become a vessel for resentment.” He looked up at Shen Zhuo, his tone resolute. “I must eliminate this resentment.”
Shen Zhuo met his gaze and asked, “How do you plan to do that? Do you intend to go up Fengyan Mountain to demand a blood debt for the Song family?”
At the mention of Fengyan Mountain, Xie Yuan fell silent. Beside them, the quiet Pei Chuan looked at Shen Zhuo, looking as if he wanted to speak, but he remained silent. The room fell into a hush.
Staring at the jade pendant, Shen Zhuo suddenly remembered his main mission. He summoned the system in his mind and asked, “Since I have helped Xie Yuan find the pendant, is my mission complete?”
[Ding! Main mission detected as incomplete. Please uncover the truth and seek justice for the wronged. The mission will be completed once the target character considers the matter concluded.]
Shen Zhuo sighed inwardly; he knew it would not be that simple. He looked at Xie Yuan, who was examining the pendant closely, and spoke up. “Perhaps there is another way, one we have not yet considered.”
Xie Yuan immediately pressed, “What way?”
Shen Zhuo pointed to the black mist swirling around the pendant. “The triggering of this resentment might have been an accident, but its exploitation might not be a coincidence.”
“You mean someone else is manipulating the resentment?”
“I am not certain,” Shen Zhuo continued. “But if there truly is a mastermind, things become easier. Finding the perpetrator should resolve this resentment.”
“Even if there is one, who could it be?” Before Xie Yuan finished his sentence, a frail figure appeared in his mind. “Could it be?”
Pei Chuan shook his head in negation. “Miss Song Yan is a mere blind woman who has never practiced immortal arts. How could she have the ability to manipulate resentment?”
“I suspected her as well,” Shen Zhuo agreed. “But manipulating resentment works on the same principle as Daoist Xie wielding the jade fan; both require spiritual energy or a spiritual treasure as a medium. Miss Song has no trace of spiritual energy or resentment on her. It is truly difficult to link her to this.”
Hearing this, Xie Yuan fell silent once more.
On his way to the small building at dawn, Pei Chuan had already straightened out the details of the situation. “Xie Yuan, how do you plan to dispose of this pendant?”
“I will continue to seal it temporarily with the spiritual power of the white jade fan,” Xie Yuan said, his fingertip brushing the fan’s bones. “Does Pei the Just have any insights?”
Pei Chuan shook his head. “None. Only that this resentment seems particularly fond of you. Be careful.”
“Naturally.”
Xie Yuan opened his fan, and the jade pendant was once again enveloped in that warm white light. With the primary business concluded and no new leads to explore, Pei Chuan began to wordlessly clear the tea set in front of Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan tucked the pendant into his sleeve, smiling faintly. “Brother Pei, you truly do not wish for me to stay a moment longer.”
Pei Chuan’s gaze was calm, his voice flat. “I will not see you out.”
Xie Yuan fanned himself, amused. “A visitor is a guest. Is this how Pei the Just treats his guests?”
“If you visit the Xuanyun Sect in the future, I shall naturally treat you with the etiquette due to a guest.” Pei Chuan’s teacup clicked onto the tray. “But stay away from Xiao Zhuo.”
With a sweep of Pei Chuan’s sleeve, the door swung open. Seeing that the other was not joking, Xie Yuan did not push his luck further and took his leave.
As the courtyard gate closed, the last trace of Xie Yuan’s aura was completely shut out. Pei Chuan turned abruptly, his long sword clanging as it left its scabbard, the cold light pointing directly at Shen Zhuo’s throat.
“Who, exactly, are you?”
Pei Chuan’s gaze was like the deep ice of a frozen pond, devoid of the gentleness he usually showed his junior brother. “The junior brother I raised since childhood has mediocre aptitude and meager spiritual power. He knows very little of spiritual energy, let alone the entanglements of resentment.”
“Though you resemble him perfectly in appearance, stature, and even subtle habits, you are absolutely not him.” Pei Chuan’s words were as hard as iron, and a killing intent emerged in his eyes. “Speak. What did you do to him?”
The sword tip moved forward another fraction. Shen Zhuo felt the cold touch against his neck grow sharper.
[Warning! Warning! Identity has triggered suspicion from a key character. Please respond immediately! Otherwise, the host’s soul will be separated from the body and expelled by the Heavenly Dao!]
The system’s piercing alarm exploded in his mind. Shen Zhuo’s breathing hitched. He had long anticipated this. The original body had been raised by Pei Chuan himself; occupying this body would eventually lead to being found out. Pei Chuan’s lack of suspicion over the last two days had allowed him to relax slightly. Now, it seemed he had relaxed too soon.
He steadied his voice and said, “I am indeed Shen Zhuo.”
Pei Chuan’s expression did not change, and the sword tip remained motionless. He clearly did not believe this explanation. Shen Zhuo sighed. As his Adam’s apple moved, it touched the sword tip, drawing a shallow line of blood.
“Still not telling the truth!” Pei Chuan barked. The coldness on his face was something Shen Zhuo had never seen in either of his two lives. “I will ask one last time. Who are you?”
[Warning! Key character Pei Chuan’s killing intent continues to rise. Please respond cautiously and do not further provoke him.]
[Ding! Emergency mission issued: Calm Pei Chuan’s anger.] [Mission Reward: None. Failure Penalty: Soul destruction.]
Pei Chuan’s gaze did not waver for a second. Shen Zhuo had no doubt that the sword would pierce his throat in the next moment. He tried to explain further, “If I were not Shen Zhuo himself, how could my constitution and appearance be identical to his?”
“Yes, I noticed something was wrong long ago, but you look so much like him. I was unwilling to be certain.”
Hearing that slight softening in his tone, Shen Zhuo felt a bit of relief. But the system’s voice rang out again.
[Mission not yet complete. Please continue your efforts. Please find a reasonable excuse to gain key character Pei Chuan’s trust.]
Shen Zhuo felt a headache coming on. “I truly cannot think of a reasonable excuse.”
After a brief silence, the system’s electronic voice slowly spoke:
[Ding! Triggering mission hint. To satisfy logical consistency, the host may claim to be the Shen Zhuo who returned from the future, thus possessing more information than the original body.]
Shen Zhuo was speechless. “Even I do not believe such a thing; how could Pei Chuan?” Shen Zhuo retorted. “Besides, even if it were a journey through time, there must be a reason, right?”
[The host can say you came to prevent a disaster.]
“Impossible. Who would believe such a story?”
While Shen Zhuo argued with the system in his mind, Pei Chuan suddenly changed his tone. “Even if the exterior is identical, the interior might not be. Speak. When exactly did you possess Xiao Zhuo’s body?”
At the word “possess,” Shen Zhuo was momentarily silenced. Although this body was almost identical to his from his past life, in a sense, he truly had possessed it. And as for where the original soul had gone, he had no idea.
The system sensed his wavering and immediately issued a sharp hum in his mind:
[Please do not give up! The target has not yet struck, which means there is still room for maneuver! Please respond carefully! Mission failure will result in the host’s total death!]
Shen Zhuo was already unsettled, and the noise made him knit his brows. “Then what do you want me to say?”
[It is suggested the host answer according to the system’s prompts.]
Seeing Shen Zhuo’s silence, Pei Chuan moved his sword closer. A fraction more, and blood would stain the cold blade.
[Warning! Warning! Target’s killing intent is set. If no measures are taken, the mission will fail, leading to a penalty ending! Warning!]
Even without the system’s warning, Shen Zhuo could feel the freezing sword intent pressing against his vitals. At the final moment before the blade fell, he blurted out, “I am the Shen Zhuo who traveled back from the future!”
This absurd answer caused Pei Chuan’s sword to stop abruptly. Although the sword was not moved away, it remained steady in place. Shen Zhuo heard him say, “I do not believe you.”
“I told you he would not believe it!”
[Detected target character’s emotions have softened. Please do not give up. Based on the target character’s deep bond with his junior brother, the mission success probability is high. Please continue.]
Shen Zhuo was stunned. Looking at that gleaming long sword, he could not see where anything had softened. But since the system provided this prompt, he could only push forward with the script provided. “I have indeed returned from the future, and thus I know the root of the resentment. I have come back precisely to prevent this catastrophe.”
Pei Chuan’s wrist trembled slightly, and the blade swayed. “What catastrophe?”
Shen Zhuo continued to weave the story. “Resentment gathers between heaven and earth, demonic energy blankets the continent, a Demon Sovereign descends, and all life is devastated.” Mentioning the Demon Sovereign, he naturally thought of Moyuan. “In the future, the Demon Sovereign slaughters the entire immortal world, and cultivators of a hundred sects become wandering souls.”
Pei Chuan stared at him intently, as if trying to find any flaw in his expression. After a long silence, he finally lowered his sword. “How am I to believe you?”
Shen Zhuo turned his gaze toward the door where Xie Yuan had left and said in a low voice, “The resentment on that jade pendant is the omen.”
Pei Chuan listened, then spoke very slowly, “Xiao Zhuo, can I believe you?”
“Brother Pei,” he answered.
[Ding! Emergency mission: Calm Pei Chuan’s anger, completed.] [Detected key character Pei Chuan is still in a state of high suspicion. Please act cautiously and consolidate trust as soon as possible to avoid triggering further doubt.]
Hearing the mission completion prompt, Shen Zhuo’s mind relaxed. He instinctively raised his hand to touch the slight wound on his neck. Just as he moved, he met Pei Chuan’s gaze again.
Pei Chuan grabbed his wrist. Shen Zhuo thought he was going to interrogate him again, but instead heard him say softly, “Do not touch it.”
A white light from Pei Chuan’s fingertip passed over Shen Zhuo’s neck. A slight itching sensation came from his skin, and Shen Zhuo realized he was using spiritual energy to heal him. Pei Chuan said no more, and Shen Zhuo did not know what to say; the two stood in silent opposition.
Shen Zhuo lowered his eyes, looking at his wrist being held. His thoughts were in a tangle. Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted in the distance, abruptly breaking his train of thought.
Boom!