Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Blossoming of the Spider Lilies

Wenren È wasn't someone like Zhongli Qian who wouldn't miss a single detail. When it came to strategy, he knew he couldn't compare to Zhongli Qian. He couldn't even match Shu Yanyan's sense for detail.

But few rulers of the past and present were known for their cleverness. As the Xuanyuan Sect Master, Wenren È didn't need to consider every detail himself. He just needed to assign the right people to the right places, and be able to trust them.

If all the doubts pointed to Yin Hanjiang, then the situation actually became simple. He only needed to trust Yin Hanjiang to not betray him.

Thus he had called over Yin Hanjiang and asked who he thought, aside from him, might know Wenren È was in possession of two books, as well as who in Xuanyuan Sect could cover up their own identity without any traces.

Yin Hanjiang figured out the first question. He had a good memory, and remembered that though Wenren È was alone with him on the day he obtained the book, there was one person who had kept asking what book the Venerable had obtained, and whether a celebration should be prepared. Yin Hanjiang didn't easily forget anything involving Wenren È, and even remembered that when Wenren È had been reading, Altar Master Yuan had paced back and forth outside his door several times.

And Altar Master Yuan had only brought up planning a celebration this once. When Wenren È returned after the Great Sect War, having increased his power greatly, Altar Master Yuan didn't mention celebrating. Neither had he brought it up after their thirty-year seclusion.

After Yin Hanjiang relayed this, Wenren È considered the personalities of everyone in Xuanyuan Sect. Protector Shu was sharp, Protector Qiu was straightforward, Altar Master Miao was secretive, Altar Master Ruan was reckless, Altar Master Shi was cowardly, and Altar Master Yuan was cunning. None of them were lacking in ambition, but the ones who could stay undercover for thirty years without acting after obtaining the book were probably only Protector Shu, Altar Master Miao, Altar Master Shi, and Altar Master Yuan.

Shu Yanyan had died by Cen Zhengqi's hand in the book. She and Hè Wenzhao were enemies, and the books had all chosen people who appeared to favor the protagonists, so there was no possibility of her having it.

If Altar Master Miao had gotten it, he would've wondered why the Violet Spirit Master was a man, and used his gu insects to interrogate him on the location of the third volume. Since he hadn't, he wasn't very suspicious.

The remaining suspects were Altar Master Shi and Altar Master Yuan. In order to confirm his conjecture, Wenren È had sent a message to Zhongli Qian, asking him what kind of person would be able to change their name and hide in the Xuanyuan Sect for centuries.

Upon receiving the message, Zhongli Qian was a bit dumbfounded. Why was he, an outsider, being asked to weigh in on Xuanyuan Sect's internal affairs?

Even so, Zhongli Qian gave the question his proper attention. After listing out multiple possibilities, he arrived at his conclusion—it was most likely to be the person in charge of the register.

Thus, Altar Master Yuan was the biggest suspect. Of course, Wenren È had no evidence, but did you need evidence to act in Xuanyuan Sect? Did Wenren È need to justify his actions before killing one or two subordinates?

However, in order to deal with every threat in one move and obtain the second book smoothly, Wenren È had to wait for a time.

There were only two reasons for the person with the book to lay low for so long. The first was killing Wenren È, and the second was to increase his own power.

Since the second volume took place in the immortal realm, it would probably mention very few opportunities that could be obtained in the cultivation world. The only clue he had was that the Burning Sky Immortal and the Burning Sky Drum shared a name. Since the drum was an immortal artifact, there's no way it could share a name with the lord of the immortal realm without being connected to him. They would've at least shown some respect.