Misty Rain of the Old Times

A master of innate talent could easily rise to the middle or upper ranks in any power or even the imperial court. How could Chen Xuan let this person go so easily?

It's one thing if you don't encounter an organization like the Black Diagram Society, but they just had to provoke you. How could Chen Xuan remain indifferent?
At this moment, Chen Xuan seriously suspected that the so-called strange land of gigantic things deep in Wanku Mountain was just a message released by the Black Map Society to attract many idle people to come and explore. After a long time, no one set foot there, and then they took the initiative to release the map. It was all a self-directed and self-acted performance.

Even if the speculation is true, it doesn't mean that the place doesn't exist; only the truth can move people's hearts.

It's even possible that the Nine-Linked Blade from years ago was spread to the martial arts world of neighboring countries by them. At that time, that guy wanted to stop Chen Xuan from entering the palace, but he killed too quickly and didn't have time to ask in detail. Of course, Chen Xuan didn't care at all at that time.

If both of these things were orchestrated by the Black Map Society, then what is their purpose? This person in front of us is a breakthrough point. We may not be able to get all the information about the Black Map Society from him, but we can definitely get something of value.

Chen Xuan's arrival in the settlement city was purely by chance, but he was unexpectedly targeted by the Black Map Society, which attempted to sow discord between him and the Jing Kingdom's royal family. In order to do so, they did not hesitate to set up a scheme to eliminate Zhou Tao in order to drag him down with them.

This is certainly not enough to put Chen Xuan on the opposite side of Jing State. To put it bluntly, even if Chen Xuan killed the current crown prince in front of Lao Deng, he would probably have to ask for a reason before he would give an explanation.

But what if the Black Picture Society succeeds in sowing discord? They are doing just that right now!
Previously, Du Juan said that the Black Tu Society was a bunch of mentally ill people who were afraid that the world was not chaotic enough and secretly stirred up trouble and created chaos without any reason. But now it seems that their plans are very big and clearly beyond the scope of ordinary people's understanding.

Hopefully, this guy can offer something of value.

At this moment, Zhou Tao's death is insignificant; the real issue concerns Chen Xuan himself.

Suppressed by Chen Xuan's absolute power, this person was powerless and couldn't even choose to die. This was the most terrifying thing, and he completely panicked.

Under relentless questioning, determined to get his answer, he pleaded in terror, "Of course the sky won't fall, but I really can't tell you! It'll cause a huge mess. Please, don't ask anymore. It's best if you don't know, otherwise you'll only be asking for trouble and putting yourself in a huge crisis. Just kill me, and pretend I never existed, okay?"

The more he said that, the more Chen Xuan wanted to get involved. He couldn't be bothered with such a trivial matter. It wasn't that Chen Xuan wanted to cause trouble, but they had already started plotting against him. If he let it go now, there would be a next time. Rather than reacting passively, he might as well take the initiative.

Looking at him calmly, Chen Xuan chuckled, "You have no choice. Either you tell me everything you know about the Black Tu Society now, and I'll give you a quick death, or you suffer the consequences before you speak. The process is different, but the result is the same. It's up to you to choose."

"Young Master Chen, why are you doing this to yourself? Why make things difficult for yourself?" the other person said earnestly.

I was just enjoying my life, and you all secretly plotted against me. Is this what you call asking for trouble? If I don't get to the bottom of this, I don't even want to think about what else you might do.

Too lazy to waste words, Chen Xuan said silently, "I'll give you three breaths to consider. Either tell me what you know, or after I finish speaking, I'll hand you over to the Martial Arts Restriction Bureau. They're professionals; no matter how stubborn you are, they can pry you open. And don't even think about a Grandmaster-level expert tampering with your consciousness and risking their life to keep your secret. They've already been suppressed by me. I said, you have no choice. Let's begin."

The truth is that if Chen Xuan hadn't used his superior cultivation and mental will to help his brain, his head would have exploded like a watermelon long ago. Not to mention that his brain was only tampered with by a Grandmaster, even if he were killed to his face to keep the secret, it would be impossible. The reason why the problem was temporarily suppressed rather than resolved was because Chen Xuan never intended for this guy to live.

Three breaths passed quickly. Under Chen Xuan's final ultimatum, he had no idea how many thoughts had flashed through his mind, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Knowing full well that he couldn't withstand the torture methods of the Forbidden Martial Arts Division, and that he couldn't even die if he wanted to, he simply closed his eyes and said, "Young Master Chen, you win. I'm telling you, since death is inevitable anyway, it's better to be free sooner rather than suffer."

"Why waste so much time on words if you'd said so earlier?" Chen Xuan nodded and said, "Please speak."

However, he did not answer directly, but looked around with difficulty: "I don't know how you control them, Young Master Chen, but what I am about to say is too important. It would be best if you alone knew it. How about I write it down in your palm?"

He had spoken so seriously before, and it was very likely that what he said next would cause unnecessary turmoil if more people knew about it. With these thoughts in mind, Chen Xuan decided to listen to what he had to say first, and said, "I don't have the habit of getting entangled with other men. Just say it directly. No one else can hear it. With me here, no one can get any information without my permission."

Since that's been said, the other party nodded and said, "I believe what Young Master Chen says, so I'll be frank. I don't actually know much about the Black Diagram Society, even though I'm a member of this organization myself. I don't know their true purpose, and everything I do is just following orders."

Even with his patience, Chen Xuan couldn't help but say, "This is all nonsense. Say something useful."

“Okay, Black Picture Society is very mysterious. As a member of it, the only thing I’m sure of is that this organization is related to Buddhism, nothing more,” the other party said frankly.

Raising an eyebrow, Chen Xuan pondered, "Buddha? Could this Black Diagram Society be something the Wuxiang Temple created?"

Chen Xuan immediately associated the Wuxiang Temple with just one word from the other party. After all, it was so mysterious. If the Wuxiang Temple, one of the righteous leaders with a compassionate heart, was providing cover, then it would be normal not to find any trace of the Black Diagram Society.

Furthermore, since last year, Wuxiang Temple has kept its gates tightly closed, which makes it hard for Chen Xuan not to think that they are up to something in secret. Are those monks really so well-behaved?

In particular, this guy's mind was manipulated by a Grandmaster-level expert, and coincidentally, there was a Grandmaster-level expert in charge of Wuxiang Temple. Moreover, some of the methods of Buddhism are related to the mind.

If Chen Xuan hadn't received numerous inheritances from a half-step immortal and hadn't forged his own path to become a grandmaster, he probably wouldn't have been able to find anything of value in this person even if he had caught him.

But when Chen Xuan uttered the words "Wuxiang Temple," the other party decisively shook his head and said, "I'm talking about something related to Buddhism, not Wuxiang Temple itself, but the Buddhist community, the Buddhist school, and Buddhism. Do you understand, Young Master Chen?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan's heart stirred. The level of understanding had risen dramatically. Wuxiang Temple was merely a martial arts sect within the Jing Kingdom, but it could not represent Buddhism. At most, it could only be described as a temple and a branch. Buddhism and Taoism, on the other hand, were prevalent throughout the world, each with its own ideology, doctrines, and civilization. Martial arts were merely a means of self-defense.

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Xuan said, "Continue."

"That's all I know. I don't know anything else. Now, Young Master Chen, you understand why I said that if the news were leaked, it would cause a huge uproar. It concerns Buddhism. There are countless believers in the world, and my Jing Kingdom alone has more than ten thousand. Once the Buddhist nature is questioned, the world will be in chaos," the other party said with unease.

That's true. Once faith collapses, the consequences are unimaginable. Many people live by their faith. It's not just a matter for one family or sect, but for hundreds of millions of people!

Chen Xuan replied calmly, "I don't think this is a big deal. You're making it sound so serious. Let's just say the sky won't fall. Even if there were no Buddha in the world, would people stop living?"

"Young Master Chen, is that what you actually think?" The other party suddenly chuckled, his eyes filled with cruel mockery. Perhaps having already revealed the most important secret, he simply began to slack off.

Nodding, Chen Xuan asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Ha, Young Master Chen, you speak so arrogantly. Do you have no sense of respect whatsoever?" the other party asked, shaking his head.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan said, "The path of martial arts can enable people to master earth-shattering methods. Great power belongs to oneself, so why talk about revering ghosts, gods, immortals and Buddhas? Although the concept of human immortals is ethereal, it is within human reach. Therefore, everyone can be on par with immortals and Buddhas. Just keep your distance and respect them. What is there to fear?"

After pausing for a moment, Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "Of course, I'm not without faith. I believe in whatever is spiritual. Just consider me flexible."

Upon hearing this, the other party stared at Chen Xuan in astonishment, never expecting him to utter such unorthodox words. He sighed and said, "Ignorance is bliss. Young Master Chen may have powerful cultivation, but you presumptuously compare yourself to gods and Buddhas. How arrogant! Even if you have the cultivation of a Grandmaster, so what? Even if there is only one Grandmaster monk in Wuxiang Temple in the Jing Kingdom, there are many Grandmasters in the Buddhist world. There are even those who have undergone tribulations in the mortal realm, and it is not impossible for some to achieve the Golden Body and the Immortal Fruit. Now, Young Master Chen, do you still want to ask?"

The so-called indestructible golden body he mentioned refers to the level of Buddhist practitioners, the immortals, who are transcendent and detached from worldly affairs; they are essentially immortals or Buddhas, just with different names.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "You've taken this far afield, of course I have to keep asking. What else do you know?"

It turns out that the Black Picture Society was actually orchestrated by the Buddhist community behind the scenes; the waters here run incredibly deep.

Shaking his head, the other party frankly said, "That's all I know. I really don't know anything else. I don't even know who the second person in the Black Diagram Society is." "Is that so?" Chen Xuan continued thoughtfully, "Then let's put it another way. Was the strange place deep in Wanku Mountain spread by your organization?"

"Yes and no. In the beginning, someone did go there by chance. We were just pushing things along from behind," the other person hesitated for a moment before nodding.

This answer was similar to Chen Xuan's guess. He then asked, "So, what about the map? Did you also contribute to that?"

"No, we offered it up voluntarily. So many people have been unable to find the place for so long. It's a mysterious place, so we thought we'd make a big fuss and get more people to explore it." This kind of irrelevant information came out of the other party's mouth without hesitation.

However, Chen Xuan was baffled and asked speechlessly, "Since you have a map, why don't you secretly explore it yourselves? Instead, you lure so many people to their deaths. What's the point?"

"Young Master Chen, you've asked the wrong person. I don't know. I was just following orders," the other person said, leaving Chen Xuan almost speechless.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan asked again, "Then what about me? What is your purpose in scheming against me and sowing discord between me and the Jing Kingdom's royal family? In other words, what benefit do you gain from it?"

"I don't know either, that's what they ordered..."

Chen Xuan interrupted him immediately, speechless, "Come on, you don't know anything. With your cultivation level, how come you act like some nobody?"

"That's the truth. The Black Picture Society has the shadow of Buddhism behind it. Compared to them, I'm not even an ant," he said self-deprecatingly.

Having said that, Chen Xuan was truly at a loss for words and could only say, "Fine, since you don't know anything, just saying that the Buddhist sect is behind this is enough. I'll find someone to ask later. I haven't been to Wuxiang Temple yet, I don't know if those monks will welcome me. If they're also involved in plotting against me, how good the old man is to me! If there's a misunderstanding, how heartbroken he'll be, and I might have to pull some strings again."

Since it was Buddhism that was behind this, and Jing Kingdom is only so big, Chen Xuan's first priority should naturally be to find Wuxiang Temple.

He cares a lot about the old man. If Wuxiang Temple really got involved, he wouldn't mind making it the next Wu family. So what if there's a Grandmaster-level expert in charge? Chen Xuan has killed more than one of those kinds of people!
Of course, even if Chen Xuan was certain that what the other party said couldn't be a lie, he wouldn't just believe his side of the story. He would still need to verify it later. Besides, this wasn't just his business. The Black Tu Society was causing trouble and creating chaos everywhere. Once he figured it out, he would have to inform the old man. At the very least, he would have to clean up the territory of Jing Kingdom.

However, the other party shook his head and said, "Useless Young Master Chen, what reason do you have for setting foot in Wuxiang Temple? They have long since closed the temple and stopped interfering with worldly affairs. My word alone is not enough to stand up to scrutiny, and no one will believe it. It will only make people think that you are abusing your power to slander and defame others, which will backfire and cause you trouble. Moreover, if you go too far, you will attract the attention of all Buddhist sects in the world. Can you withstand that, Young Master Chen?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan nodded in deep agreement, saying, "I must say, this is indeed the brilliance of your Black Diagram Society—standing in the light while doing dark things, making it impossible for anyone to take action."

"It seems Young Master Chen understands what I mean. Since no one else knows about our conversation, let's just leave it at that and pretend it never happened," the other party suddenly laughed.

With a smirk, Chen Xuan said, "So you still want to live?"

"Since I've said so much and I'm still alive, I naturally want to live," he said frankly.

But Chen Xuan said, "I'm only helping you suppress it temporarily. You've already said all this. Once I let go, do you think you'll still be alive?"

As his expression froze, Chen Xuan chuckled again, "And you're mistaken about one thing: I'm not a judge, I don't concern myself with evidence. If I have a goal, I'll naturally get to the bottom of it. The reason I've been wasting so much time talking to you is simply because I had absolutely no clue before."

"It seems I am doomed, so Young Master Chen, do you really intend to oppose Buddhism on your own?" he said with a bitter laugh.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "You're overthinking it. I'll target whoever's targeting me. The Black Diagram Society wants to get me, so naturally I'll retaliate. What does this have to do with Buddhism? I'm just helping to eliminate pests."

"It seems you're afraid too, Young Master Chen..."

"I haven't finished yet. If Buddhism gets involved during this process, I wouldn't mind arm wrestling with them. I'm just killing time anyway."

"you!"

"Alright, enough of this nonsense. You only said a tiny bit of useful information, so it wasn't a waste of breath. Now I'm curious about how you're going to die," Chen Xuan said, waving his hand and looking at him playfully.

As he spoke, he released the suppression and protection that had been placed on his brain.

The next moment, the other person's expression changed, as if he had become a different person. A golden swastika appeared in his eyes as he looked at Chen Xuan calmly and said, "Young Master Chen, you have good methods. Why be so persistent? Now that you have come into contact with these things, why not join the Black Diagram Society?"

Seeing this, Chen Xuan tilted his head slightly and smiled, "Playing tricks, it's not like you're remotely controlling someone's consciousness. It's just a psychological suggestion left beforehand. Who do you think you can fool with such a little trick? You probably thought you'd have a 'face-to-face' conversation with me when you started plotting against me, right?"

"Then, Young Master Chen, will you agree? If you agree, there will be further instructions," the other party said, still neither happy nor sad.

Looking at the other party with great interest, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "It's quite intelligent, just like an AI. Is it all pre-programmed?"

However, the 'program' set up by the other party clearly did not give such a response. It seemed to freeze for a moment before nodding and saying, "In that case, I hope Young Master Chen will know when to stop and take care of himself."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other person's expression froze, and a relieved smile appeared on their face before they fell silent.

Sure enough, if you let go of the suppression, you'll die. No wonder people say they don't even dare to think about the Black Diagram Society, because even thinking about it will kill them. The methods of Buddhism are indeed remarkable.

Touching his chin, Chen Xuan wondered if this guy was actually sent by the Wuxiang Temple.

Forget it, I'll just go to Wuxiang Temple and ask them later. I just don't know if they'll deny it to the death; there's a high chance they'll deny it.

"This is indeed a serious matter, involving the entire Buddhist community, not just the Wuxiang Temple. So what exactly is the Buddhist community trying to achieve by creating this black image and stirring up trouble everywhere? Is it to provide solace for people during times of chaos, leading to widespread Buddhist worship and prosperity? It can't be that Buddhist practice emphasizes universal salvation, and they're artificially creating chaos so that a certain high-ranking monk can save the world from calamities, can it?"

After thinking it over and over, Chen Xuan really couldn't figure it out. He decided not to dwell on it for now and to ask directly when he had some free time.

If it were just the Black Diagram Society, Chen Xuan wouldn't mind everyone knowing about it and being condemned by everyone. However, after some conversation, he realized he didn't know anything about the Black Diagram Society at all, and instead had more doubts. Especially since it involved Buddhism and the beliefs of countless people, he couldn't make a big fuss about it.

It could really be a major disaster, no less than a natural one!

It's easy to imagine how fanatical believers can be. Chen Xuan himself doesn't care, but there's no need to throw the world into chaos. If Chen Xuan acts recklessly and someone takes the opportunity to fuel the flames, it's not an exaggeration to say that.

'If I can't solve the problem, can't I at least deal with the person who caused it? It's not a big deal. Let's get our hands on the Earth Magnetic Essence first, then we can deal with things slowly. We have to take it one step at a time.'

While Chen Xuan was thinking about these random things, he waved his hand, and the members of the Black Diagram Society turned into ashes, as if they had never existed.

Without obtaining more information, keeping it is useless, not even as a witness; it would only cause trouble. It's better to erase the traces... (End of Chapter)