256: fear

Inside the main cabin of the Flying Ship.

The seemingly calm mask from the deck had been completely torn off; Mo Chenggui's face was as grim as still water, his fingertips unconsciously fiddling with a warm mutton-fat white jade pendant.

The jade pendant was lustrous and warm to the touch. It was originally an object he wore year-round to calm his mind, but now it was being rubbed until it was slightly hot, its edges almost sinking into his palm.

His eyes stared gloomily at the map of the Southern Border hanging on the cabin wall.

The map was made of Yao Beast skin, with mountain ranges and city passes meticulously outlined in cinnabar and silver powder; even the miasma zones deep in the dense forests were clearly marked. At this moment, it seemed as if his dark gaze would burn two holes through it.

On the table below the map, a cup of long-cooled Cloud Mist Tea emitted a faint white vapor. Droplets of water condensed on the rim slowly slid down the side of the cup, hitting the jade tabletop with a soft "tap" that sounded exceptionally piercing in the deathly silent cabin.

Below the cabin, four Guest Elders stood with their hands down, their postures so respectful they were almost stiff.

On the left was a tall, thin old man, Worshipper Zhang, the most senior Guest Elder of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce. At this moment, his usually steady face was filled with uncontrollable resentment and indignation, his gray beard trembling slightly due to his agitation.

He endured it again and again, but finally couldn't hold back and was the first to break the silence:

"Elder! That Situ Jun is nothing more than a stray dog! He lost his position as City Lord in North Border City before, and now he's just a pathetic Cultivator relying on others. How dare he be so arrogant! Just now on the deck, he dared to contradict you in public, his words showing no respect for our Qingyun Chamber of Commerce! In my opinion, it's better to..."

At this point, a sudden flash of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes. He quietly raised his right hand and made a clean throat-slitting gesture, his tone full of killing intent:

"Directly eliminate him, lest others follow suit and disrespect our Chamber of Commerce in the future!"

"Better to what?"

Mo Chenggui's voice suddenly rang out, cold as ice, betraying no emotion.

But it was this plain, wave-less sentence that caused Worshipper Zhang's movement to freeze in mid-air, as if he had been struck by a Body-Fixing Art.

His Adam's apple bobbed twice, and he couldn't even say half a word. Cold sweat trickled down his cheeks from his temples.

Mo Chenggui slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over Worshipper Zhang, then passing over the other three Guest Elders who also wore looks of indignation.

One of the three was dark-faced and burly, the Late Golden Core Stage Elder Li; another was dressed in green robes and holding a feather fan, the seemingly elegant but deep-scheming Mid Golden Core Stage Elder Wang; and there was also a female Cultivator with a fair face and a graceful figure, the Late Golden Core Stage Elder Zhao, who was proficient in Talisman arts.

"You'll go?"

Mo Chenggui's gaze stopped on Worshipper Zhang, his tone flat but carrying invisible pressure.

"Or will you go?"

He pointed at Elder Li, then swept his gaze over Elder Wang and Elder Zhao, finally landing back on Worshipper Zhang.

That gaze was too sharp, as if it could pierce through one's heart. Worshipper Zhang felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and he subconsciously lowered his head, not daring to meet his eyes.

The other three also bowed their heads. The resentment and indignation on their faces were now entirely replaced by fear.

Although they were annoyed by Situ Jun's rudeness, they also knew Mo Chenggui's temperament. If he were truly confident in taking action, he would never have asked back like that.

"A bunch of fools!"

Mo Chenggui suddenly slapped the jade table beside him. The celadon teacup on the table rattled, and scalding tea splashed out, creating dark water stains on the jade table.

He stood up and looked down at the Guest Elders, the disappointment in his eyes almost overflowing:

"Do you really think Situ Jun is just an ordinary City Lord who has lost his power?"

As his voice fell, he took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently twice, clearly suppressing his surging anger.

But even so, the residual shock in his eyes could not be hidden, and his voice was a few degrees lower than before, carrying a hint of undisguisable alarm:

"Just now on the deck, I secretly probed him with my Nascent Soul Divine Sense... Do you know what the result was?"

The Guest Elders all looked up, their eyes full of confusion.

How powerful was the Divine Sense of a Nascent Soul Cultivator? Ordinary Golden Core Cultivators were like transparent glass under its investigation. How could there be an accident?

Mo Chenggui's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling:

"When my Divine Sense entered his body, it was like a clay ox entering the sea, without even stirring a single ripple. I only felt a bottomless darkness! Even more terrifying... I vaguely felt a very faint backlash force. Although that force was weak, it carried a pressure that a Golden Core Cultivator could never possess! If I hadn't reacted quickly and retracted my Divine Sense in time, I'm afraid by now... my Sea of Consciousness would have been damaged!"

These words were like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens, exploding in the ears of the four Guest Elders!

A Nascent Soul Divine Sense couldn't probe through? And there was backlash?

What did this mean?

The four people present were all Cultivators with significant Cultivation, and they immediately understood the key point.

Either Situ Jun possessed a Heaven-Defying treasure that could block Divine Sense probes, and the grade of that treasure was extremely high, enough to withstand the Divine Sense of a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Or... the other party's Cultivation was not the Mid Golden Core Stage or Late Golden Core Stage mentioned in the reports, but had already broken through to the Half-step Nascent Soul stage, or perhaps even the Nascent Soul Stage, or even higher!

But the intelligence clearly showed that when Situ Jun arrived in East Lin City, his Cultivation was still at the Mid Golden Core Stage! In just one short month, how could he have broken through to such a Realm?

Worshipper Zhang's face instantly turned pale. Cold sweat rolled down his cheeks like broken pearls, soaking the collar of his robe.

He had been clamoring to get rid of Situ Jun just now, but now he didn't even dare to mention the words "take action" again.

If Situ Jun really was a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, with his meager skills, going up would just be seeking death.

Elder Li clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his face full of disbelief; the feather fan in Elder Wang's hand stopped in mid-air, the ink bamboo pattern on the fan seemed to have lost its usual elegance; Elder Zhao's mouth opened slightly, her eyes filled with horror.

The four of them looked at each other, seeing the lingering fear in each other's eyes.

Just now on the deck, they had followed Worshipper Zhang in glaring at Situ Jun. Thinking back now, that wasn't a confrontation; it was practically a walk past the gates of hell!

Mo Chenggui closed his eyes and raised his hand to rub his brow, exhaustion and apprehension intertwining in his eyes.

He had held the position of Elder in the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce for many years and was long accustomed to calculating everything and controlling the overall situation. What he hated most were these unpredictable variables that he couldn't see through.

This trip south was originally for the Immortal Cave of Daoist Ming Ya.

When passing through East Lin City, he had originally wanted to use the Chamber of Commerce's prestige to suppress Situ Jun and incidentally expand the Chamber's business in East Lin City, but he later left in anger.

Meeting him again in the Southern Border, he had wanted to probe his background, but he hadn't expected that this probe would reveal such a massive hidden threat.

Situ Jun's public defiance and the unfathomable depth he now displayed had completely disrupted his rhythm, even making him start to suspect whether this trip to the Southern Border held other unknown risks.

"Investigate!"

Mo Chenggui suddenly opened his eyes, the exhaustion swept away, leaving only inquiry and deliberation.

He looked at the Chamber of Commerce Manager standing in the corner of the cabin. The Manager was dressed in gray, with an ordinary face but a capable air; he was one of his trusted aides.

"Use all resources to thoroughly investigate Situ Jun!"

Mo Chenggui's voice was cold, carrying an unquestionable command:

"From his birth until now, every experience, every person associated with him, especially all his movements after leaving North Border City—don't miss a single detail! I want to know exactly what Opportunity he obtained to have such a Breakthrough in such a short time!"

"Yes! Elder!"

The Manager didn't dare to delay and immediately bowed and retreated, his footsteps hurried.