Chapter 521: Pure Blood City (Two-in-One)

Every high-ranking official in the Great Prison received a questionnaire.

They called it a questionnaire, but it contained only a single question.

"Warden Mu has determined that Tian Che and Wei Qiao are the prime suspects in the murder of Tan Yan. Please state your opinion—

Tian Che is more suspicious.

Wei Qiao is more suspicious.

Neither is suspicious.

Both are suspicious."

There was no evidence and no explanation. Even the prompt itself was only a single sentence.

Staring at the four options, many officials worried themselves gray.

What was this? This was calling a deer a horse!

This was a naked attempt to force them to pick a side!

What were they supposed to do?

The real issue was that Yan Jing had set a time limit. He demanded them all back within three hours.

Some older officials tried to feign illness, but Yan Jing didn't let them off the hook—he went straight to their doors and knocked.

Wasn't this utter nonsense?!

Yet, looking at Ai Qing, looking at Tan Yan, and then looking at Tian Che and Wei Qiao—if these newly prominent figures could meet such fates, who dared to complain? These three hours could easily be called the most chaotic three hours the Great Prison had seen in years.

Those who belonged to factions made internal calls, forming alliances while secretly hoping their usual rivals would slip up during the reshuffle.

Those without factions shivered in fear, their eyes darting between the options, entirely unsure of what to choose.

Just like that, the three hours came to an end.

Every high-ranking official held their breath, quietly waiting for the outcome.

Inside an office.

Behind a door bearing the plaque "Commissioner Yan," Yan Jing stared at the collected questionnaires and yawned.

"These questionnaires were collected individually from each person, absolutely preventing any leaks. Looking at the results, roughly half wrote that both men are suspicious. The fewest number of people voted that neither is suspicious..."

Ning Wei had just finished tallying the results. With Ai Qing and Tan Yan gone, and Tian Che and Wei Qiao arrested, the higher-ups were all scrambling to protect themselves. Left completely unsupervised, he had been called over by Yan Jing to act as an assistant.

"What are you going to do?"

He looked at Yan Jing.

Yan Jing yawned again.

"Nothing."

"Nothing... meaning what?" Ning Wei didn't quite grasp Yan Jing's intent.

Yan Jing picked up the cup on the desk and took a sip.

"Nothing means nothing."

Ning Wei was even more confused.

"Weren't you testing their loyalties? These are the results you wanted."

"Wrong. This isn't the result I wanted."

Yan Jing set down his cup.

"These are the heavily sanitized results they produced after three hours of agonizing."

"Given three hours, did you think these higher-ups were idiots?"

Ning Wei paused.

"Then you wanted to..."

"Mainly, I wanted to muddy the waters and buy a little more time for your Pops—who is my boss."

Yan Jing picked up the thick stack of questionnaires from the desk and stood.

"And then, I wanted to throw a smokescreen."

He called someone in, ordered them to make copies of the questionnaires, and had them delivered to Weng Lingxiao and Song Huien.

This maneuver left Ning Wei completely stunned.

These questionnaires were the product of both factions racking their brains.

Yet Yan Jing barely even glanced at them.

Mu Tian hadn't seen a single one.

Instead, the people seeing them were Weng Lingxiao and Song Huien.

If he remembered correctly, many of the answers in that stack were completely inverted.

For example, some of Weng Lingxiao's subordinates had written that Tian Che—Weng Lingxiao's own secretary—was more suspicious.

The same was true for people on Song Huien's side.

"We... we seemed to have told the higher-ups that these questionnaires were absolutely confidential."

After Ning Wei spoke, he lapsed into silence.

He understood.

Whatever else the man in front of him could do, he was an absolute master at sabotage.

There was no way the two vice wardens could have known in advance what everyone had written. Once they saw these questionnaires, a storm was bound to sweep through the Great Prison. At the very least, Mu Tian's side would gain a few days of peace.

"But this treats the symptoms, not the root cause..."

Ning Wei frowned.

Under the current circumstances, he couldn't see Mu Tian's path to victory.

Outside, the five major regions were practically ready to rebel, with six Ninth Tier criminals glaring like tigers watching their prey.

Inside, Weng Lingxiao and Song Huien were both harboring their own ulterior motives.

If Mu Tian were in top condition, they might still have a fighting chance.

But...

"That's right, it treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

Yan Jing smiled.

"So aren't I relying on you for that?"

"Me?"

Ning Wei was bewildered.

"You want me to advance to the Ninth Tier?"

"Heh, you certainly know how to dream." Yan Jing's lips curved upward.

"I mean I want you to marry for an alliance."

"I heard that Pure Blood City isn't some weak Domain."

Ning Wei's spirits immediately sank.

He pursed his lips and said, "It's certainly not a weak Domain."

"Have you heard of Heavenly Kingdoms? Ninety percent of the land up there is wasteland. The vagrants living on it suffer from starvation, and the vast majority would kill a man for a slice of bread. They spend their entire lives searching for the places within that Domain known as Heavenly Kingdoms."

"Among them, four Heavenly Kingdoms stand above all the rest: the Life Heavenly Kingdom, the Mechanical Heavenly Kingdom, the Data Heavenly Kingdom, and the Pure Blood Heavenly Kingdom. Pure Blood City is the Pure Blood Heavenly Kingdom."

Hearing Ning Wei's words, Yan Jing's eyes flickered.

He had heard some of those names before.

The Mechanical Heavenly Kingdom was mentioned in the description of the Chaos Gloves, an item capable of synthesizing multiple objects; the text stated the gloves hailed from a Heavenly Kingdom composed entirely of machinery. Furthermore, both it and the Life Heavenly Kingdom seemed to share a certain connection with Minhu's East and West Lake Prefectures.

Then there was the Data Heavenly Kingdom. His very first Heavenly Kingdom mission had targeted the Data Heavenly Kingdom, but because his persona, Luo Sheng, had fled Minhu and ended up in the Peace Heavenly Kingdom, he had altered his objective.

"So to speak, I really do have quite the affinity with that place..."

Yan Jing murmured.

"What did you say?"

Ning Wei asked in confusion. He felt like he had heard something, yet also like he had heard nothing at all.

"I said, how strong is that place?"

Yan Jing asked.

"Stronger than the Great Prison."

Ning Wei sighed.

"Two large Families live in Pure Blood City. Each Family has a Tenth Tier entity."

"There are even rumors that both Families possess an Eleventh Tier Demigod Realm."

Yan Jing raised an eyebrow.

"That's wonderful. Your Pops is saved."

Ning Wei remained expressionless.

"Do you really think that if Mu Tian is on his deathbed, Pure Blood City will go to war with the other factions of the Great Prison just for my sake?"

"Who knows?" Yan Jing chuckled.

"It's completely impossible."

Ning Wei bluntly shot the idea down.

"The reason Pure Blood City is named Pure Blood City is that they value the purity of their Bloodline. You could say figuring out how to increase Bloodline purity is their lifelong pursuit."

"An outsider like me wouldn't hold any status there whatsoever."

Yan Jing seemed highly intrigued by the place.

"Does that mean everyone there marries their close relatives?"

"It doesn't seem like it..."

Ning Wei was not entirely sure himself.

"Inbreeding within a Family seems to lead to a terrifying hereditary disease, so I'm not exactly sure how they maintain their Bloodline purity. Regardless, it seems to be an ironclad rule that the two Families cannot intermarry."

"I heard that once, a boy and a girl from the two Families fell in love. Disregarding the ironclad rule, they secretly pledged their lives to one another. When the two Family heads found out, they flew into a towering rage."

"One of the children was killed on the spot, and the other's fate wasn't much better."

Yan Jing patted Ning Wei on the shoulder.

"Look on the bright side. Maybe you're the chosen one, and after you marry that girl, the child you conceive will boost their Bloodline purity to two hundred percent."

"That's fucking called atavism," Ning Wei deadpanned.

Right as the two were conversing, a sudden knock came from the door.

"Come in."

Yan Jing called out.

Ning Wei prepared to find a place to hide, but Yan Jing pulled him back.

There was no need to hide, because the person entering was Cen Ji.

"Welcome."

Yan Jing smiled.

"I accept your proposal."

Cen Ji didn't look at Ning Wei; her gaze was fixed straight at Yan Jing.

"You help me restore my former status, and I will work for you."

"Excellent." Yan Jing smiled.

"An excellent trade."

"As it happens, that person gave me a token allowing me to do three things, and now I can do the second."

"You will be able to return to your previous position very soon, Lady Cen."

Cen Ji was not excited, nor did any smile grace her face.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go to war, of course."

Yan Jing wore a smile.

"But not right now."

"For now, go pour me a cup of tea. Black tea."

The Desolate Forest.

"Everyone, on your feet."

Yan Jing looked at the Wizards before him.

After so many days of tempering, the Wizard Tribe was no longer what they used to be.

Piercing, icy winds blew from their hands and ravaged the entire Desolate Forest. It was supposed to be the onset of spring, yet at this moment, the Desolate Forest held absolutely no signs of vibrant life. A bleak white covered every leaf and branch, forming a true forest of ice and snow.

Six Seventh Rank cultivators.

One Eighth Tier cultivator.

This was the fruit of the resources Yan Jing had invested over this period.

It wasn't exactly top-tier, but it was enough.

"Huo Tong, rally the troops. We go to war."

Yan Jing said softly.

"Conquer half of the Desolate Forest within three days."

Huo Tong nodded, her eyes shining with radiant vitality.

This was the confidence she gained from stepping into the Celestial Immortal realm and discovering her own path.

Three days.

He said three days, so it would take three days.

Three days later, the Wizard Tribe army led by Yan Jing had conquered half of the Desolate Forest through brutal tactics, their unique Wizard-transformation abilities, and extreme speed.

After ascending to the Eighth Tier, Huo Tong's strength had undergone a complete metamorphosis.

Her dual abilities of ice and fire were practically invincible on the battlefield, allowing her to slay six Eighth Tier experts in rapid succession.

Throughout those days, Yan Jing hadn't even needed to strike.

But today was different.

Today, Huo Tong ran into a tough opponent.

Opposite the Wizard Tribe's forces, a towering figure with a body like dead wood stood in the middle of the road. With a gloomy gaze locked onto Yan Jing in the crowd, he spoke coldly:

"Mr. Wen, haven't you been taking things a bit too far these past few days?"

Tree Man.

When Ning Wei and Cen Ji were being hunted down, this figure had appeared. Acting on the orders of Sequence 4, the Ninth Tier Criminal known as the Wilderness Priest, he had warned Yan Jing to keep his mouth shut and not reveal Wen Qiao's crimes to the Great Prison.

"Is that so?"

Yan Jing chuckled.

"I think I've been quite reasonable. The last time we met, I took your words to heart and didn't leak the slightest bit of information to the Great Prison." "That is not what I am referring to."

The Tree Man smiled coldly.

"The Desolate Forest is Mr. Merkel's Desolate Forest. If you only wanted to play around, Mr. Wen, that was fine. You could play however you pleased before Judgment Day arrives."

"But if you push your games too far, you make things very difficult for Mr. Merkel. Do you understand my meaning?"

Yan Jing smiled.

"Then we go to war."

He said it with such casual nonchalance, as if he were talking about eating a meal rather than starting a war.

The Tree Man's expression darkened.

"You think you can start a war just because you gathered a few Eighth Tier cultivators?"

"Who do you think you are?"

Yan Jing said no more and merely waved his hand.

"Capture him."

"You wouldn't dare!!!"

The Tree Man's expression shifted as weird energy bloomed around his body. The crowd felt something burst from the earth at their feet, growing and expanding at terrifying speeds. Sharp branches aimed straight for their necks.

But Huo Tong had already taken a step forward. Her hands formed incantations, and flames materialized between heaven and earth. Countless embers danced in the wind, landing on the trees erupting from the ice and incinerating them in an instant.

Seeing the situation turn against him, the Tree Man spun around to flee. The other Eighth Tier cultivators surged forward, forming a circle to block his escape, their bodies surging with weird energy.

In just a few brief moments, the Tree Man let out a miserable shriek and fell in defeat under their collective siege.

On branches as withered as rotting wood, all the bark was stripped away, and the trunk suffered severe damage.

"You dare! Wen Xu!!! Now that you've provoked Lord Merkel, there won't be a single path of survival left for you in this Desolate Forest!!!"

The Tree Man shrieked while clutching his face, his voice sounding like peeling bark.

"Heh."

Yan Jing chuckled. Approaching the Tree Man, he reached out and patted the creature's face.

"You didn't have this attitude back then, did you? If I'm not mistaken."

"Even if Merkel kills me, what does it matter? Hmm? Will you be alive to see it?"

He wrapped his hand around the Tree Man's neck and gradually tightened his grip.

Fear surfaced in the Tree Man's eyes.

He never expected Yan Jing genuinely intended to kill him.

It wasn't Wizard-transformation, nor was he holding back!

He struggled desperately. In his mind, Yan Jing's strength was not necessarily at the Summit level. If he could stall until Merkel arrived, there would still be a chance. But when Yan Jing finally exerted his true strength, the Tree Man realized he was wrong.

Completely and utterly wrong.

The terrifying force erupting from Yan Jing's palm instantly bypassed his bark—which was tough enough to buffer several tons of pressure—and crushed his throat. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"No, no..."

Reaching out with both hands, the Tree Man grabbed onto Yan Jing's arm for dear life, finally wanting to beg for mercy.

But it was too late.

He felt the earth tremble. He felt the surrounding forest come alive as thousands upon thousands of trees roared and grew.

Merkel had arrived.

Merkel had come to save him.

But it was all too late.

His eyes bulged in despair as he breathed his last.

Huo Tong watched the surrounding trees pierce through the ice and grow wildly. Her expression turned grim, and her hands formed signs once more. Fire and ice, two diametrically opposed forces, erupted simultaneously from her palms. Blue-white and orange-red arcs of light flared together, rushing toward the trees that had already shot up to a hundred meters tall. With a loud crash, the vast river of ice struck the forest, but it failed to delay the trees' growth. The brilliant flames leapt onto the branches, only to be swallowed up and extinguished by countless leaves.

Boundless mist materialized.

From within the mist, a short figure emerged.

The figure wore a poor-quality wooden mask painted with watercolors that resembled a child's doodle. In his hand, he held a branch that looked as though it had been casually picked up from the side of the road, using it as a cane.

His hair was slicked back and he wore a suit, while his silver-white hair betrayed his age.

Looking at Wen Xu, he smiled.

"You killed my man."

"Good, very good."

"Wen Xu, isn't it?"

"That is your name, yes?"

"Tell me, how do you want to die?"