Chapter 564: Chapter 564: The Hidden Truth (2)

Meanwhile, the original Li Feng’s brows furrowed deeply after hearing all those words.

He stood beside his future self in silence for a moment, eyes fixed on the scene of the sickly young girl and the masked man.

Then a low murmur escaped him, filled with clear disbelief.

"...How is a plague even able to do that?"

Infecting people was one thing.

But contaminating the Fortune Providence of an entire dynasty... an invisible foundation that should have been far beyond the reach of ordinary methods... was something else entirely.

Even with everything he had witnessed so far, the scale of it still felt abnormal.

Beside him, the future Li Feng remained silent for a short while, empty eyes still fixed on the unfolding memory.

Then, in a soft voice, he began to explain.

"...It is possible," he said quietly, "if the one who created the plague already stands at a level where fortune itself can be treated as material."

His gaze did not shift from the bamboo house.

"Ordinary plagues act on flesh, blood, and vitality. But something refined by that Venerable of the Divine Blood Sect can be anchored directly onto the Fortune Providence of a land."

"Once it is successfully released into the Dragon Vein, it no longer needs to spread from person to person. The dynasty’s own fortune becomes the carrier."

He continued in the same calm tone.

"So every living being who draws upon that land’s providence... whether they know it or not is slowly connected to the plague. That is why it can contaminate an entire dynasty without relying on normal transmission."

Hearing this, the original Li Feng’s eyes widened in surprise.

"...Doesn’t that mean this Venerable Dreamless is quite dangerous?" he asked quickly. "Should I focus on killing him after this?"

The future Li Feng answered softly, without looking away from the memory.

"There is no need for that."

The original Li Feng turned toward him in confusion, clearly not understanding the calm certainty behind those words.

But before he could ask further—

The memory shifted.

The bright daylight around the bamboo house dissolved like mist. In its place came a cold, rainy night.

Dark clouds hung low over the bamboo forest, and the steady sound of rainfall filled the quiet surroundings.

Water dripped from the leaves and gathered in small puddles along the muddy path.

Then a familiar tall figure emerged from the rain.

It was Brother Peng.

His black cloak was soaked through, and his steps were unsteady as he finally stopped and leaned heavily against a bamboo tree.

His breathing was rough, and his complexion was pale.

Raising one hand to cover his mouth beneath the mask, he let out a low, slightly bitter complaint between breaths as a trickle of blood seeped between his fingers.

"...As expected of a Venerable. They sure have a lot of tricks."

The original Li Feng stared at the injured masked figure in the memory, still puzzled by his future self’s earlier words.

"...What do you mean there’s no need?" he asked, turning toward the black-cloaked version of himself.

"If that Venerable Dreamless is the one who created a plague capable of contaminating an entire dynasty’s fortune, then shouldn’t—"

"Because that Peng Jianwei already killed Venerable Dreamless."

The future Li Feng’s soft voice cut in before he could finish, calm and certain as he continued watching the rainy scene.

"There is no need for you to do anything about him."

The original Li Feng’s eyes widened again at the name.

’Peng Jianwei...? That’s him?’

If he remembered correctly, that was the exact name the False Crown had roared the moment it fully emerged... filled with fury and recognition.

At the time, he had not known who it referred to.

But now, standing inside this memory and looking at the injured masked man leaning against the bamboo tree in the rain, the connection was impossible to ignore.

Just then—

The door of the small bamboo house opened.

Zi Yuanling stepped out into the rainy night, her frail figure framed by the dim light from inside.

The moment her eyes fell on the soaked and unsteady man leaning against the tree, worry flooded her pale face.

"Brother Peng!"

Without regard for the rain or her own weak body, she quickly moved toward him, her voice filled with clear alarm.

But before she could reach him—

Peng Jianwei suddenly pushed himself away from the tree and rushed forward.

Despite his injuries, his movement was still sharp.

He grabbed Zi Yuanling by the wrist and, without giving her a chance to question him, pulled her straight into the bamboo house with him.

The wooden door shut firmly behind them, cutting off the rainy night outside.

Inside the bamboo house, Zi Yuanling blinked in confusion at the sudden speed with which she had been pulled in.

Before she could fully steady herself, Peng Jianwei’s excited voice rang out beneath the mask.

"Young Miss Zi! I have found a way to fulfill your wish!"

His tone was no longer weary from injury, but filled with sharp, barely restrained excitement.

"...I found a way to cure the Dynasty from that hidden plague!"

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Nearby, the original Li Feng’s eyes widened as he connected the dots.

"...Could it be that her goal..."

Beside him, the future Li Feng gave a quiet nod.

A complicated emotion flickered across his usually empty expression as he continued to watch the scene.

"Yes."

His voice was soft.

"Zi Yuanling’s goal was to cure the plague from the entire dynasty... to destroy the plague that took her parents’ lives."

The original Li Feng turned to look at his future self, eyes still carrying traces of surprise.

"...You said that as if you already knew about it."

The future Li Feng remained quiet for a moment, his gaze still fixed on the memory of the rainy bamboo house.

Then he answered in a low voice.

"Yes... because that is what Peng Jianwei told me before I killed him."

A faint, complicated emotion passed through those empty eyes.

"But at the time... I found it hard to believe anyone’s words, as my mind was clouded and enemies were everywhere."

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