Chapter 2388 - Using Himself as a Pawn

The soul was a middle-aged man with a prominent mustache. He seemed as steady as a mountain.

He was extraordinarily tall, with hard muscles, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist. His eyes flashed like lightning, and even just standing there casually, he seemed as upright as a spear and powerful enough to hold the heavens aloft!

Yan Chizhen, the father of Yan Beixue.

He, Yi Daoxuan, Master Golden Crane, Jin Yuanzi, and the others had once been the eight ruling experts of the Endless Ocean.

He was valiant, honorable, and righteous. He’d once fought his way across the God Domain, armed with his Spear of the Big Dipper. In doing so, he’d intimidated the entire world.

Long, long ago, Yan Chizhen and Yi Daoxuan were dear friends. They faced life and death together, and they were as close as true brothers.

Now, after countless years of separation, Su Yi and his old friend Yan Chizhen ere reunited!

“Ol’ Yan, long time no see,” Su Yi said with a laugh, then walked up to examine Yan Chizhen’s soul.

After meeting Yan Beixue, Su Yi left thinking that Yan Chizhen was already dead. The news filled his heart with melancholy and grief.

Fortunately, as it turned out, Yan Chizhen hadn’t died after all. Only his soul remained, but even so, this was delightful news for Su Yi.

“You...” Yan Chizhen’s eyes flashed like divine lightning. He gazed intently at Su Yi for a moment before seeing to realize something. “Brother Daoxuan!?”

Su Yi laughed. “Back then, you thought I was dead. Not long ago, I thought you were dead. Fortunately, neither of us is actually dead!”

Yan Chizhen was obviously excited. He looked Su Yi up and down, then smacked himself in the face. When he felt a fiery, piercing pain in his soul, he couldn’t help but grin.

“I’m not dreaming! This is really happening! Hahaha——!” Yan Chizhen threw back his head and laughed with the utmost delight.

Su Yi was nothing but smiles too. Waves of emotion coursed through his heart.

When life was good, you had to enjoy it to the fullest. What was better than a reunion between old friends?

Yi Chen watched from not far away. When he took in Su Yi’s undisguised delight, he couldn’t help but feel stunned.

My indifferent, domineering father in law sometimes shows his emotions like this too? He can’t disguise his joy!

Su Yi and Yan Chizhen sat down and conversed, drinking and celebrating. They recounted their past experiences and sighed, momentarily overcome with emotion.

Yi Chen listened in silence.

Before learning that Yi Daoxuan was his father, his knowledge of Yi Daoxuan had been vague and insubstantial. All he knew was that Yi Daoxuan was a legend who’d once dazzled the entire God Domain. He was the greatest sword demon of the Endless Ocean, the leading sword cultivator of the God Domain, a man honored by every sword cultivator beneath the heavens.

He was like an ancient legend. No matter the era, anyone who pursued the Dao of the Sword inevitably heard tales of his exploits!

But that was the extent of it. Far, far too long had passed since Yi Daoxuan traversed the God Domain. Stories of him felt like myths and legends, fleeting and insubstantial.

But now, when he saw Su Yi seated on the ground, engaged in a lively conversation with an old friend, Yi Chen suddenly felt that the myths had become reality, and a legend were right in front of him.

It was so vivid and so realistic. He could just reach out and touch him.

More importantly... that legend was his father!

For a moment, Yi Chen struggled to calm down, and he sank deep into thought.

“Brother Daoxuan, who’s that kid?” Yan Chizhen asked out of nowhere, startling Yi Chen out of his reverie.

Yi Chen instinctively looked at Su Yi.

But Su Yi just said as if it were perfectly natural, “My son, Yi Chen.”

It was just four words, but Yi Chen’s heart shook. He felt as if he’d been acknowledged. This was his first time hearing Su Yi introduce him to someone else!

“Xinyao’s boy?” exclaimed Yan Chizhen.

“Xinyao” referred to Yu Xinyao, the woman who’d played an irreplaceable role in Yi Daoxuan’s life. She was from Qingwu Divine Court, and she was Hua Hongzhen’s senior apprentice sister, a tranquil, gentle woman.

When Yi Daoxuan fled to the ends of the earth, Yu Xinyao was there every step of the way, never forsaking him.

In the end, when their enemies ambushed and surrounded them in front of Qingwu Divine Court, Yu Xinyao sacrificed her life to buy Yi Daoxuan a chance to escape.

When Yan Chizhen brought her up, Su Yi felt ripples course through the depths of his heart.

“No.” Su Yi shook his head. “His mother is Lu Qingmei.”

Yan Chizhen’s brow instantly furrowed, visibly enraged. “Her!?”

Yi Chen’s heart clenched. He could see Yan Chizhen’s blatantly unconcealed enmity for his mother!

“There’s more to this story,” said Su Yi. “I’ll naturally explain it to you later.”

Yan Chizhen gazed intently at Su Yi for a moment, then nodded and said no more on the matter.

This was trust. THere was no need for explanations; Yan Chizhen was certain that when Su Yi wanted to talk about it with him, he would. There was no need to ask any further questions.

However, Yi Chen’s heart sank. He’d hoped to see how his stranger of a father would explain the situation to an old friend. He figured he might well be able to glean insights into how Su Yi really felt about Lu Qingmei from such a conversation.

Unfortunately, his hopes had been in vain. His father simply wasn’t willing to discuss it!

Su Yi and Yan Chizhen then went on to discuss Master Golden Crow, Jin Yuanzi, and their other “good friends.”

Demon Master Shen Ning and Jin Yuanzi were dead. Yan Chizhen had killed them both.

Master Golden Crane and the Divine Billows Sage Monarch had long since gone into hiding.

Demon Ancestor Treasure Leaf had been converted to Buddhism by the Dipankara Buddha, and he’d entered the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains to continue his cultivation. He was now one of its nine Temple Guardian Buddhas.

It was Demon Venerate Five Desires and Master Goddess Butterfly Cloud who gave Su Yi the most food for thought.

Much to his surprise, Yan Chizhen gave him an answer totally unlike what he’d been expecting.

“There’s more to Treasure Leaf’s conversion to Buddhism than meets the eye?” exclaimed Su Yi.

“That’s right.” Yan Chizhen glanced at Yi Chen, but Yi Chen just pursed his lips and stayed put. It wasn’t that he didn’t get the hint, but that he didn’t want to be taken for someone others could order about as they saw fit.

Su Yi wasn’t concerned. “Go ahead and speak.”

Yan Chizhen pondered briefly, then said, “When I heard word of your death, Demon Ancestor Treasure Leaf was the first person I sought out. I wanted to join forces with him to avenge you.

“But he urged me to lie low and endure instead of taking reckless action. At the time, I thought him a coward with no sense of duty, and in a fit of rage, I severed our bond,” Yan Chizhen said with an air of self-deprecation.

“It was only afterward that I learned that he had plans of his own. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about avenging you, but that he had plans of infiltrating your enemies’ ranks!”

Su Yi’s heart shook, and his eyes flashed. “You’re saying that he accepted the Dipankara Buddha’s attempts to convert him deliberately, for the sake of...”

“That’s right,” said Yan Chizhen. “The Dipankara Buddha’s heart is as unfathomable as an abyss. In order to earn his trust, Demon Ancestor Treasure Leaf prepared countless measures, and paid a brutal price, but in the end, he successfully infiltrated the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains.”

Yan Chizhen sighed. “But as I’m sure you’re aware, how could someone of the Dipankara Buddha’s intelligence not suspect that Treasure Leaf joined the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains with ulterior motives?

“Treasure Leaf even said it directly: no matter what he did, there was no way the Dipankara Buddha would ever really trust him!”

“But Treasure Leaf has no lack of patience, and he never let his hatred or thirst for revenge cloud his judgment. He’s been lying low all this time, waiting until he’s absolutely certain he can succeed. He won’t do anything reckless.”

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. “You’ve never suspected that Treasure Leaf really did surrender and join the Dipankara Buddha?”

“There’s no way,” Yan Chizhen said without even pausing to think.

He didn’t explain, but Su Yi nodded. “Based on the information I’ve gathered, Treasure Leaf has remained in the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains all this time, seldom leaving, but he’s never taken any steps toward revenge. If he hasn’t really joined the Dipankara Buddha, that’s clear proof of his patience.”

He paused, then said, “Of course, there’s another possibility. Treasure Leaf might be under the Dipankara Buddha’s control!”

Yan Chizhen was stunned. “With Treasure Leaf’s cultivation, he might not be able to kill the Dipankara Buddha, but I’m afraid the Dipankara Buddha has no means of controlling him. Treasure Leaf would never let himself become a fish on the chopping block.”

Su Yi sighed. “It’s hard to say. The Dipankara Buddha’s methods are far more terrifying than those of Gu Huaxian, the old hunchback, and the other old-timers.”

Here, Su Yi brought up the Paired Heart-Guiding Worms.

Gu Huaxian hadn’t just placed one to control her disciple, Lu Qingmei. Someone had once used one to control Su Yi’s disciple, Ning Xiu, too!

Yan Chizhen’s expression shifted. “Do you suspect that Ol’ Dipankara is using such a worm to control Treasure Leaf? Impossible! No matter how strange and sinister the worms are, Treasure Leaf is a grandmaster of demonism. There’s no way Ol’ Dipankara could place one in him without his consent!”

Su Yi had a strange light in his eyes. “And what if accepting the Paired Heart-Guiding Worm was the price he paid for his surrender?”

Yan Chizhen instantly fell silent, his expression full of uncertainty.

“In any event, don’t underestimate the Dipankara Buddha. The old bald donkey is the most dangerous of my enemies,” said Su Yi, rubbing his forehead. “As for Treasure Leaf? Everything will surely come to light sooner or later.”

Yan Chizhen nodded.

They went on to discuss Master Goddess Butterfly Cloud and Demon Venerate Five Desires.

“Of the eight of us, Butterfly Cloud was the most reserved, and she kept the lowest profile, never drawing attention to herself,” said Yan Chizhen, his eyes shining with reminiscence. “When I tried to avenge you, I contacted her. At least, I tried to. Unfortunately, she’d long since vanished without a trace.

“As for Five Desires...” Yan Chizhen sighed. “He didn’t betray you either, but... to protect himself, he had no choice but to compromise with your enemies. He disbanded his sect of his own accord and left the Endless Ocean.”

He looked at Su Yi. “Do you blame him?”

Su Yi shook his head. “We were once fellow Daoists, yes, but how could I demand that he avenge me? Everyone has their own ambitions, and their own difficulties. I’m not selfish enough to judge our old friendship based on whether or not he tried to avenge me.”

Yan Chizhen looked gratified. “I just knew you’d say that.”

Su Yi took a sip of wine. “It’s the ones who colluded with my enemies in secret that I hate.”

“If Five Desires is still alive, I know how to find him,” said Yan Chizhen. “Would you... like to see him?”

Su Yi paused, then sank into silence.