33: Chapter 33 I'll Destroy Your Spiritual Roots and Give You Freedom

She watched helplessly as those few hideous black insects lunged toward her; the fear emanating from the depths of her Divine Soul forced a distorted scream from her throat.

However, the bone-piercing, heart-wrenching pain she expected did not arrive. A slender, powerful hand had appeared before her face at some point, and with a pinch in the Void Realm, those Soul-Eater Insects—capable of causing the Divine Soul of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to collapse—were crushed into dust by a Spiritual Pressure condensed to the extreme, as if they were nothing more than insignificant sesame seeds.

Xiao Wu gasped for air, cold sweat dripping from her temples and soaking her coarse linen clothes.

She looked up, still shaken, and met Shen Xiao's eyes, which were as deep as an ancient pool.

Shen Xiao shook his hand as if he had merely swatted an annoying fly, his tone chillingly indifferent: "Scared like this? It seems the psychological quality of a spy needs improvement."

"You…" Xiao Wu's pupils dilated, her throat feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton.

Just then, the black pillar of smoke rising into the sky from the direction of Green Water Valley had spread, like a pitch-black heavy hammer striking the heart of half the Qingming Sect.

The explosion was not a simple release of Spiritual Qi, but carried a decaying aura that devoured the Divine Soul; even separated by several mountain peaks, Xiao Wu could smell the nauseating stench of blood.

She stared fixedly at the apocalyptic scene in the distance, then looked at the man beside her who didn't even show a ripple of emotion, with only one thought in her mind: A madman, this is absolutely a madman.

Shen Xiao had no time to pay attention to her internal monologue.

He walked slowly to the edge of the herb field, where a stiff corpse lay—it was Deacon Sun. The moment he felt the explosion at Green Water Valley, this once arrogant Outer Sect Deacon seemed to realize he had caused a monstrous disaster; he had been scared to the point where his heart meridian snapped, or perhaps he was backlashed by some Restriction. His death was gruesome, his eyes bulging with terror.

Shen Xiao used his toe to gently kick a bronze token that had fallen from the corpse's embrace.

The token rolled a few times on the ground and, with a "ding," stopped right at the tips of Xiao Wu's feet.

"Take a look. This is Deacon Sun's identity token, along with this deed that he personally signed and imprinted with his Divine Sense."

Shen Xiao took out the extorted paper from his robe and shook it casually.

"The chain of evidence is clear: Deacon Sun, resentful over losing the herb field, snuck over in the middle of the night to poison it. Who would have thought that the poison he used would have a violent chemical reaction with 'certain things' already buried beneath this land? Not only did he blow himself up, but he also ignited the herb storage of Green Water Valley in the process."

Xiao Wu looked at the token and the deed; the aura imprint on them was clearly visible, and they even retained the thick resentment Deacon Sun had in life.

She looked up abruptly, her voice trembling: "This is impossible… The Spiritual Vein under Green Water Valley is the lifeline of Senior Brother Lin Yun. Even if Deacon Sun were stupid, he couldn't possibly…"

"He certainly isn't stupid, but his hand shook."

Shen Xiao interrupted her, a playful smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

"Besides, if I say Deacon Sun did it, then Deacon Sun did it. You are the 'foreman' here; you witnessed him sneaking in, you witnessed him scattering the poison powder, and then you witnessed the chain explosion, right?"

Xiao Wu looked at Shen Xiao's face, which seemed somewhat divine in the morning light but was actually cold to the core, and a chill shot from her tailbone straight to her scalp.

She understood that if she didn't nod, the next person to die in the field, labeled as an "accomplice to the arsonist," would likely be herself.

She gritted her teeth, as if swallowing a highly toxic Medicinal Pill, and nodded heavily:

"Yes… Senior Brother Shen is right. The culprit is indeed Deacon Sun."

Not long after, the immortal vessel of the Qingming Sect's Law Enforcement Hall cut through the sky, and dozens of menacing Law Enforcement Disciples quickly sealed off the scene.

The leading Elder Lei's face was so gloomy it was as if water were about to drip from it.

The explosion at Green Water Valley not only destroyed the herb field but also blew open a secret chamber beneath the ruins, which was piled high with Sect supplies that Lin Yun had privately seized by abusing his position over the years, as well as a grey ledger recording a large number of illicit transfers of benefits.

"What is going on?"

Elder Lei's voice was as loud as thunder, causing the fallen leaves in the forest to tumble down.

As the "victim," Shen Xiao was leaning weakly against a broken stone tower, his face pale (though it was an act), his tone extremely precise and on point:

"Elder, please examine this. I only took over this place yesterday and intended to work diligently for the Sect. Who knew that Deacon Sun was so narrow-minded that he would sneak in at night to poison the field in revenge? Xiao Wu and all the herb pickers can testify. If not for my good fortune, I would have likely turned to ash along with this herb field by now."

Xiao Wu lowered her head and repeated the "truth" Shen Xiao had instructed her to tell, her voice trembling.

Elder Lei inspected Deacon Sun's corpse and the deed, and compared the aura of the Bone-Melting Powder remaining at the scene, then snorted coldly:

"Privately setting up industries, harming the public interest to enrich himself, and now daring to detonate forbidden items out of personal spite, affecting the Sect's Spiritual Vein! The dogs taught by Lin Yun are getting bolder and bolder!"

A bucket of dirty water was firmly dumped onto the heads of the deceased Deacon Sun and Lin Yun, thanks to Shen Xiao's precise micro-management.

"Shen Xiao! You despicable villain! I'll kill you!"

A crimson sword light whistled toward him, carrying a violent aura that tore through space.

Lin Yun rushed over, his hair disheveled, his eyes blood-red like a ghost, and the veins on his forehead throbbing.

He had just arrived from the ruins of Green Water Valley, and his heart was bleeding.

Those were all the resources he needed to advance to the Golden Core Stage, and they were all destroyed!

Not only that, but the wolf-like Law Enforcement Disciples of the Sect had even raided his secret stash!

"Senior Brother Lin is trying to silence me!"

Shen Xiao screamed (acting skills at full marks), yet his figure moved with extreme agility, performing a backflip in the air to narrowly dodge the lethal sword strike.

"Boom!"

The Sword Qi struck the broken stone tower behind Shen Xiao, causing the already teetering structure to collapse instantly, sending rubble and dust flying everywhere.

"Stop!"

Elder Lei was furious.

Killing a fellow Disciple in front of the Law Enforcement Hall was no longer arrogance; it was a slap in the face of the Law Enforcement Hall!

He waved his large sleeve, and a massive Spiritual Power handprint materialized out of thin air, swatting Lin Yun down from the air like a chick.

"With the evidence conclusive, do you still have the nerve to commit violence?"

Elder Lei landed in front of Lin Yun, his gaze like a knife.

"Evidence? He framed me! Sun Hai is my man; how could he possibly bomb Green Water Valley!"

Lin Yun struggled frantically, pointing at Shen Xiao and roaring,

"Elder, he is the one behind this! His System… no, it's his demonic arts!"

"Enough!"

Elder Lei looked at Lin Yun's out-of-control state, and his favorability toward him had already dropped to a negative number.

In the world of cultivation, accusations without evidence were just the rants of a shrew.

He used a backhand Silence Spell to seal Lin Yun's mouth and said coldly:

"Lin Yun failed to govern his subordinates strictly, allowed his servant to commit violence, and intended to harm a fellow Disciple in public view—his crimes are compounded! Take him away, lock him in the Cold Prison of the Cliff of Reflection, and wait for the Hall Master to deal with him!"

The Law Enforcement Disciples swarmed forward and dragged away this once high-spirited Child of Destiny like a dead dog.

Lin Yun's dead fish eyes stared fixedly at Shen Xiao; if looks could kill, Shen Xiao would have been obliterated tens of thousands of times by now.

Shen Xiao brushed the dust off his long robe and watched the Law Enforcement immortal vessel depart, the almost imperceptible curve at the corner of his mouth finally blooming into a smile.

[Ding! Plundered 1 Destiny Point! Current Destiny Points: 5!]

[Evaluation: A textbook example of a frame-up; the credibility of the Child of Destiny is plummeting at the speed of light.]

Late at night, everything was silent, and the faint smell of gunpowder smoke still lingered in the air of Black Wind Mountain.

Shen Xiao sat on the roof, holding a pot of Spiritual Wine he had swiped from Baibao Pavilion, drinking alone under the moon.

"Isn't it stuffy hiding in the shadows? Beautiful Xiao, or should I call you… an assassin of the Shadow Sect?"

Shen Xiao took a sip of wine and said without turning his head.

The black shadow moved slightly, and Xiao Wu, like a silhouette blending into the night, landed quietly behind him.

At this moment, she had changed into tight-fitting black leather armor that outlined her breathtaking curves; her eyes were as sharp as an awl, and there was no longer any of the timidity she had shown during the day.

"How did you find out?"

Xiao Wu's voice was as cold as ice, and the dagger in her hand shimmered with a faint blue light under the moonlight.

"My Breath Concealment Technique—even a Nascent Soul old monster might not see through it if they don't investigate carefully."

"Details determine success or failure."

Shen Xiao turned around and shook the wine pot.

"A village girl who digs herbs every day would have calluses on her fingers and the web of her hand—those are signs of long-term sword and crossbow usage. Furthermore, when you screamed during the day, although the sound was loud, your eyes were full of killing intent, not a shred of fear."

Xiao Wu's pupils contracted suddenly, and her dagger raised slightly:

"Since you saw through it, you still dare to keep me until now? The explosion at Green Water Valley was not some chemical reaction at all; it was a Formation you set up, right?"

"Does it matter?"

Shen Xiao took a Jade Slip from his robe and tossed it over casually.

"This contains the map of three strongholds Lin Yun has privately hidden outside the Qingming Sect, as well as a list of several Loose Cultivator forces he is currently contacting. If your Shadow Sect takes this job, you should be able to get quite a bounty, right?"

Xiao Wu took the Jade Slip, scanned it with her Divine Sense, and her breathing suddenly became rapid.

The information on it was more comprehensive and lethal than what she had found after lurking for half a month.

"Why give this to me?"

She stared at Shen Xiao vigilantly.

"The tree that is Lin Yun has not yet fallen; I need someone on the outside to help me trim its branches."

Shen Xiao stood up and patted her shoulder, his smile appearing extremely cunning under the moonlight.

"During the Outer Sect Competition three months from now, Lin Yun will use some kind of forbidden technique to force a breakthrough. At that time, I want your Shadow Sect to help me 'manufacture' a small accident. As a reward, I can leave Lin Yun's head for you to collect your bounty."

Xiao Wu clutched the Jade Slip tightly and looked at Shen Xiao deeply.

This man clearly only had the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, yet he gave her a sense of oppression as if she were facing an abyss.

"Shen Xiao, you are a hundred times scarier than Lin Yun."

"You flatter me."

Shen Xiao tilted his head back and finished the last drop of wine, then turned around nonchalantly.

"Remember to renovate the herb field tomorrow; I quite like those Red Sun Flowers, don't let them truly wither."