Chapter 272 : The Killing Scheme
Chapter 272: The Killing Scheme
The old Daoist’s brows furrowed. “If it truly is the Heaven Slaughter Sect, then that’s troublesome. Since they failed this time, they’ll surely resort to even more ruthless means next time.”
Chen Ming naturally understood the gravity of the matter.
The Heaven Slaughter Sect’s way of doing things was extremely sophisticated—almost like a platform.
The most terrifying thing about this platform was that, after becoming a member, one could receive a single assassination service without paying any price. Without lifting a finger, one could eliminate their greatest enemy.
The price, however, would come later—when the Heaven Slaughter Sect requested one favor in return.
Such a deal was too tempting for most people to resist.
Especially for someone like Gu Zhengwu, who believed he was about to lose his position as heir while his former rival was about to render great merit for the family and rise to power. His fate, in that case, was practically sealed.
In desperate situations, most people in this world were willing to make a deal with the devil.
For him, if he couldn’t overcome the crisis before him, there would be no future at all. As long as he could get rid of this hidden threat, no price would be too high to pay afterward.
The most ingenious part was that Person A’s commission could be fulfilled through Person B—without the Heaven Slaughter Sect lifting a finger themselves.
For example, someone like Gu Zhengwu, currently only a Second Grade cultivator. But once he ascended to the position of Patriarch and entered the Divine Repository Realm—how much could he accomplish for the Heaven Slaughter Sect then?
The Slaughter Demon Venerable of the Heaven Slaughter Sect was indeed a figure of great insight!
However, the thought of becoming a target of the Heaven Slaughter Sect made Chen Ming deeply uneasy. In his eyes, the Heaven Slaughter Sect was far more dangerous than the Blood Demon Sect, the Nine Nether Sect, or even the Undying Sect.
With a solemn expression, he asked, “Daoist, will the Heaven Slaughter Sect keep hunting me forever?”
The old Daoist shook his head. “No. The Heaven Slaughter Sect never does unprofitable business. If the one who commissioned the task dies, they’ll naturally stop pursuing you.”
Chen Ming’s eyes lit up. “So you mean, I just need to kill the one who made the commission?”
Dealing with Gu Zhengtian and Gu Zhengwu was far easier than going up against the Heaven Slaughter Sect.
The old Daoist nodded. “That’s right. But to kill someone inside the Duke of Jingguo’s Residence… that’s no easy feat. There’s more than one Divine Repository Realm expert stationed there.”
“To kill someone in the Duke’s Residence won’t work—but what if it’s inside the Qingwei Heaven?”
A confident smile appeared on Chen Ming’s face—he already had a plan. “I think there isn’t a person alive who could resist the opportunity to enter a Celestial Mansion.”
The old Daoist immediately understood his intent.
As the master of Qingwei Heaven, Chen Ming could naturally forge a “Guiding Immortal Token.” With such a token, one could enter Qingwei Heaven during a fixed period.
That was what people called an “entry slot.”
After finishing his words, Chen Ming suddenly grew worried. “Daoist, you’ve brought me here several times—won’t the experts of the Duke of Jingguo’s Residence notice? I heard the first Duke of Jingguo is still alive—a monster who’s lived for five hundred years.”
The old Daoist replied, “It’s fine. The first Duke of Jingguo rarely leaves his cave residence.”
The implication was that, aside from the first Duke himself, no one else could detect the Daoist’s presence.
Chen Ming couldn’t help feeling suspicious. Wasn’t this old Daoist supposedly equivalent to a First Grade expert? How could he possess such extraordinary abilities?
He had just slain a half-step Yang Spirit cultivator with nothing more than the fourth level of the God-Smiting Thorn—that hadn’t seemed impressive at all.
He asked tentatively, “Daoist, your cultivation shouldn’t be limited to First Grade, right?”
The old Daoist smiled and asked in return, “What do you think?”
As expected!
He had suspected as much.
Back when Tang Shouzheng mentioned that this Daoist was “equivalent to a First Grade expert,” Chen Ming had simply assumed he was a First Grade Yin Spirit cultivator.
In truth, that likely referred only to his combat power.
According to the Daoist’s own words, he cultivated solely for longevity and not for battle. His realm was probably far above First Grade.
To live over three hundred years—could he be beyond the Divine Repository Realm?
Chen Ming asked directly, “May I know what your current cultivation is, Daoist?”
The old Daoist merely shook his head and did not answer. Instead, he asked, “How do you plan to lure your two elder brothers into Qingwei Heaven?”
“I have my ways.”
“In that case,” the old Daoist said, “I wish you success on your journey.”
With that, he waved his sleeve and sent Chen Ming back.
Chen Ming was now effectively under house arrest in the Duke of Jingguo’s Residence. To lure his second and third brothers into his trap, he would have to rely on others.
The next day, Princess Mingyu came to visit him. To outsiders, it seemed perfectly natural—the two had just survived a deadly ordeal together, forming a bond through shared hardship.
Chen Ming merely asked Princess Mingyu to play a small role in his plan. He received an item from her hand, his expression suddenly changing before he hurriedly put it away.
By afternoon, he was summoned by Gu Haochuan. When he returned, the “Guiding Immortal Token” he had hidden on the beam was already gone.
Hook, line, and sinker. He just didn’t know which fool had taken the bait.
Thinking this, Chen Ming still had to act furious and helpless—storming out as if to confront his father, only to turn back halfway and lock himself in his courtyard until late at night.
All for the eyes of those secretly observing him.
“This is… a Guiding Immortal Token?”
In the Blade Sharpening Hall, Gu Zhengwu stared at the purple jade token in his hands, trembling with disbelief.
Different grades of Secret Realms had different tokens.
Ordinary Secret Realms used golden tokens.
Jade tokens, however, were proof of entry into a Celestial Mansion.
A Celestial Mansion!
In the entire capital, only the Imperial Family controlled such places—and more than one, at that. Beyond them, only the Nine Great Sects possessed such treasures.
Everyone knew that each of the Nine Great Sects stood unshaken for centuries because they each held a Celestial Mansion.
Every twenty years, the Imperial Family released only five entry slots to the outside world. Families across the capital fought bloody battles for them.
Yet the Duke of Jingguo’s Residence, despite existing for five hundred years since the founding of Great Jin, had never once obtained one.
That showed how rare and precious such a slot was.
And now, he had one in his hand.
If he presented it to his great-uncle, how could he not become the next heir?
Wait!
As his excitement cooled, Gu Zhengwu noticed that the token was purple. If he remembered correctly, the Imperial Family’s Celestial Mansion used red tokens.
So… which Celestial Mansion was this?
Purple… that color sounded familiar.
Suddenly recalling something, he rushed to the library and flipped through old records until he found an illustration identical to the token’s pattern.
“It’s Qingwei Heaven!”
A surge of elation rushed through him. This was a heaven-sent opportunity!
Everyone knew that the Ninefold Heaven was the sacred domain of the Human Race—supreme among Celestial Mansions, refined by an ancient mighty being into humanity’s stronghold.
In other Celestial Mansions, one might encounter danger, but Qingwei Heaven was different. There would be no peril there—anyone entering with a Guiding Immortal Token could gain immense fortune.
“Good thing I didn’t hand it over.”
Gu Zhengwu’s excitement soared. Such a chance naturally belonged to him.
If he could break through to First Grade within Qingwei Heaven, his position would become unshakable.
Following the instructions in the ancient book, he used his mind to sense the token and received information—at the hour of the Rat tonight, he could enter Qingwei Heaven through this token.
Now utterly convinced, he decided to depart that very night.
He returned to his courtyard, announcing that he would be entering seclusion.
Then, alone in the Blade Sharpening Hall, he waited silently.
Hour of the Rat.
Chen Ming felt the tortoiseshell in his hand tremble. He thought, He’s here!
A scene appeared before his eyes—an elegant man holding the Guiding Immortal Token, stepping into Qingwei Heaven.
It was the third brother, Gu Zhengwu—the very man whom Gu Xianyu had feared and hated most.
The second brother, Gu Zhengtian, at least kept up appearances, pretending to be harmonious before others.
But the third brother openly despised him—always mocking and bullying him with cruel words.
Once Chen Ming confirmed that it was indeed the third brother who had entered Qingwei Heaven, he activated the power within the tortoiseshell, opening the small world.
Whoosh!
He vanished from sight.
“Huh?”
Gu Zhengwu stepped into Qingwei Heaven, brimming with anticipation—only to find himself in a desolate world, shrouded in grey mist, utterly devoid of life.
He stared in disbelief. “This is Qingwei Heaven?”
Wasn’t it supposed to be a Celestial Mansion?
A sacred land?
How did it turn into such a wasteland?
It felt like the end of days.
“Disappointed?”
A voice suddenly sounded behind him. “The legendary sacred land of the Human Race, Qingwei Heaven… reduced to a dead realm.”
Gu Zhengwu spun around sharply. When he saw the person behind him, his pupils contracted. “You?!”
At that moment, realization dawned—he had been tricked.
Chen Ming smiled faintly. “Surprised? When you sent assassins to kill your own brother, did you think karma wouldn’t come back for you?”
Gu Zhengwu sneered coldly. “Just you? Do you think killing two First Grade cultivators of the Demonic Sects makes you invincible? Laughable.”
Chen Ming stared at him. “I admit I underestimated you before. I didn’t expect you’d have dealings with the Heaven Slaughter Sect. You went to great lengths to kill me.”
Gu Zhengwu froze.
Impossible—how could this brat know about the Heaven Slaughter Sect?
So it was him!
Chen Ming caught the flicker of shock in his eyes and confirmed that he was indeed the one who had commissioned the sect.
He smiled slightly. “Let me tell you another secret. The real Gu Xianyu was already killed by your men that day. The person standing before you is an impostor. And your father, Gu Haochuan, knows this. He only spared me because of my strength, hoping I’d help the Gu Family obtain a Celestial Mansion entry slot.”
“What?!”
Gu Zhengwu’s pupils shrank violently.
The next instant, his vision blurred—and suddenly, cold steel pierced through his chest. The tip of a sword jutted out before his eyes.
From behind him came Chen Ming’s calm voice, “If you’d done nothing, you would have smoothly become the heir. But you chose to have me killed and even hired the Heaven Slaughter Sect. I have no choice… but to kill you.”
As death closed in, Gu Zhengwu’s heart was filled with endless regret.
If only he had known…