Chapter 479: Chapter 283: Suspicion (2)

Chen Qin’s face was ashen. He had never expected Fang Yue to be so domineering, much less that he himself would be so utterly defenseless before him. As the son of the current Prime Minister, he was used to a life of luxury and privilege. ’When have I ever been so humiliated?’

But the situation forced him to yield. He knew that if he didn’t agree to Fang Yue’s terms, he probably wouldn’t get out of this in one piece.

"Fine, I agree," Chen Qin said, his voice trembling as he pulled a silver banknote from his robes and handed it to Fang Yue.

Fang Yue took the silver banknote and shot Chen Qin a cold glance. "Remember, this isn’t a place for you to run wild. Get out!"

As if granted a pardon, Chen Qin scrambled to turn and flee the secret room.

His heart swelled with fear and resentment, but there was nothing he could do.

He knew he had suffered a major setback today.

Meanwhile, Fang Yue satisfactorily put away the silver banknote, Secret Manuals, Elixirs, and other treasures.

He knew these rare Secret Manuals and Elixirs would be an immense boon to his cultivation journey.

As for that silk-robed young man, Chen Qin, he was merely a small pebble on the path of cultivation—nothing to be concerned about.

Afterward, Fang Yue continued to search the secret room for other treasures.

He knew Duke Wei’s private collection had to contain more than just this.

And he needed more resources to enhance his own power.

After a thorough search, Fang Yue finally found all the treasures he needed. Satisfied, he prepared to leave the secret room.

However, just as he was about to leave, a cold glint of light shot out from the shadows.

Startled, Fang Yue instantly dodged aside.

The cold glint revealed itself to be a sharp dagger, which plunged into the ground right where he had been standing.

"Who’s there?" Fang Yue shouted, warily scanning his surroundings.

But all around was silent. The glint of light seemed to have shot out from the void, followed by nothing but stillness.

A chill ran down Fang Yue’s spine. He knew he had likely been targeted by a hidden enemy.

He didn’t leave right away. Instead, he stood perfectly still, sensing the auras in the surrounding area.

After many years of cultivation, his Perception Ability far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Not even the slightest fluctuation in the surrounding auras could escape his notice.

To his surprise, however, he couldn’t sense any unusual auras at all.

The secret room seemed to have suddenly become a place of absolute silence, devoid of any living creature besides himself.

Fang Yue’s brow furrowed. He knew this was highly unusual.

Then, his gaze fell upon the dagger.

He quickly discovered something amiss.

’A warning note? Who could it be?’

Fang Yue noticed a line of small characters carved into the dagger’s hilt. Leaning in for a closer look, he found a cryptic warning: "1:45 PM, Mountain God Temple outside the city."

The message sent a jolt through Fang Yue. He realized this wasn’t a simple ambush, but a deliberate act by someone who wanted to warn him away from this place.

’Who could it be?’ Fang Yue wondered.

He knew his actions within Duke Wei’s estate had attracted attention, but whoever could locate him so precisely and issue such a warning was no ordinary person.

Though puzzled, Fang Yue was keenly aware of his current predicament.

Since someone had issued a warning and set a time and place, he decided to leave the secret room for now and attend this mysterious rendezvous. He wanted to find out who was watching him from the shadows and knew his every move.

With that thought, Fang Yue immediately left the secret room and, at the appointed time, arrived at the Mountain God Temple outside the city. It was now 1:45 PM. Sunlight filtered through sparse clouds, dappling the temple’s dilapidated roof, and the air was thick with a mysterious and solemn atmosphere.

Fang Yue stood before the Mountain God Temple, scanning his surroundings. Aside from the occasional birdsong and the rustling of leaves in the wind, it was utterly silent. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then pushed open the temple’s main doors.

CREAK... The heavy doors swung open, releasing a gust of cold, damp air that struck him in the face. Fang Yue frowned but didn’t back away, stepping straight inside.

The interior of the Mountain God Temple was dim and sinister. The statue of the enshrined Mountain God looked particularly eerie in the faint, yellow light. Fang Yue scanned the area but found no trace of anyone else. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Did I come to the wrong place? Or is the person who sent the warning just toying with me?’

Yet, just as he was about to turn and leave, a voice suddenly spoke from right beside him. "You’ve come."

Fang Yue whipped his head around to see a mysterious figure dressed in black, their face hidden by a veil, step out from the shadows.

He couldn’t make out their face, but from their voice and build, he could tell it was a woman.

"Who are you? Why did you lure me here?" Fang Yue asked, his guard up.

"You don’t need to know who I am. I brought you here to tell you something,"

the mysterious woman said coldly. "You are already entangled in a massive conspiracy. Duke Wei’s death was only the beginning."

A chill went through Fang Yue. He knew this undertaking wasn’t simple, but he never expected to be dragged into a conspiracy.

He stared intently at the mysterious woman, trying to read something in her eyes.

However, the mysterious woman’s eyes were deep and cold, like a pool of stagnant water, betraying no emotion.

Her veil concealed most of her face, revealing only her eyes, but those eyes seemed to pierce right through to a person’s soul.

Although he couldn’t see the mysterious woman’s face, Fang Yue could still sense an undeniable authority in her tone. He knew she wasn’t joking; what she said was very likely the truth.

At this thought, a chill ran down his spine. He had thought he was simply searching for some rare Secret Manuals and Elixirs, but he had unexpectedly stumbled into a massive conspiracy.

The mysterious woman’s words sent ripples through Fang Yue’s mind, but he quickly composed himself and asked calmly, "You say I’m embroiled in a conspiracy. Can you give me more details?"

The mysterious woman fell silent for a moment, as if weighing the pros and cons of revealing more.

Then, she spoke slowly, "This conspiracy involves high-ranking court officials, Jianghu powers, and might even be connected to the Imperial Family. Duke Wei was just one of the victims. His death was meant to cover up a much larger secret."

"Otherwise, did you really think you could have killed him so easily? How naive! If there wasn’t a hidden hand guiding events, you would have been dead long ago!"

Fang Yue was stunned by her words.

He had assumed he’d managed to kill Duke Wei through his own strength and wits, but now it seemed things weren’t that simple.

"A hidden hand? Are you saying someone deliberately arranged for me to kill Duke Wei?" Fang Yue asked, frowning.

The mysterious woman nodded. "That’s right. You were just a pawn being used. Duke Wei’s death was only meant to conceal a greater secret, one that involves high-ranking officials, Jianghu powers, and possibly even the Imperial Family."

A surge of fury welled up inside Fang Yue. He couldn’t believe he had been used, turned into a pawn in someone else’s scheme.

But at the same time, he felt a wave of lingering fear. If this mysterious woman hadn’t warned him, he would have remained completely in the dark.

"Then what should I do?"

Fang Yue asked. He knew he was now caught up in a massive conspiracy, and escaping it wouldn’t be easy.

The mysterious woman glanced at Fang Yue, seemingly satisfied with his reaction. Then, she said slowly, "You now have only two paths. The first is to abandon everything, leave the Capital City immediately, and flee to someplace far away.

But in doing so, you would also give up any chance of uncovering the truth.

"The second is to stay here and cooperate with us. This will give you the opportunity to uncover the truth, but this path is fraught with danger."

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