Chapter 524: The Drunkard's Intent Lies Not in the Wine (Two in One)

"Did you kill them?"

The woman turned her head slightly at Weng Lingxiao's voice.

Her features were genuinely soft; not even the pallid moonlight could lend a trace of coldness to her face.

The corners of her lips curled up.

"I'm not telling you."

Weng Lingxiao gripped the iron bars, killing intent surfacing in his eyes.

"I advise you to settle down."

The woman laughed, a genuinely delighted sound.

She reached up, resting her fingertips against her neck.

"You want to lay a hand on me? There's no need."

"I can do it myself."

As she spoke, her pale pink nails pressed forward a fraction. Bright red blood beaded from her neck, trickling down like water droplets. The veins on the back of Weng Lingxiao's hand bulged against the iron bars.

She was threatening him.

This woman was the crucial link for Mu Tian to take that final step. If anything happened to her now, Mu Tian, bereft of all hope, might lose control completely. Should that happen, whoever caused her accident would be the first to face his wrath.

Left with no choice, Weng Lingxiao took a few steps back in concession.

But indignation still gnawed at him.

Outside, that human had meddled in his affairs, sickening him for days.

And now, even a prisoner could manipulate him.

It pushed the hatred in his heart to its absolute peak.

"You might not fear death, but someone else naturally will."

He glared at the woman, his gaze burning, before turning on his heel and leaving.

Only after confirming Weng Lingxiao had left did Wen Qiao pick up a tissue and wipe the blood from her neck.

She sat back on the bed, moved aside the book she had used for cover, and retrieved the newspaper hidden under her pillow, reading it intently. "Bring me all the information you have on that Wen Xu."

Weng Lingxiao had summoned a subordinate.

He had arranged for someone to warn Wen Xu previously, but he had never met the boy himself, nor had he looked into him.

To him, an existence of that level wasn't worth his personal intervention.

But things were different now.

Soon, all the intelligence regarding Wen Xu was laid out before him.

"Physical pain worsening... The two have depended on each other since childhood..."

Weng Lingxiao read through all the information on Wen Xu and Wen Qiao, making his decision.

"Bring Wen Xu over from the Wizard Tribe."

He ordered his newly promoted subordinate.

The subordinate left.

But less than half an hour later, the man returned sweating profusely. He practically tripped over himself in front of Weng Lingxiao.

"S-Sir... That Wen Xu... Wen Xu is..."

"Something isn't right."

After stammering for a few seconds, the subordinate only managed to squeeze out those few words.

Weng Lingxiao's gaze turned icy. He hated it when people dragged their feet.

Spit it out. What did 'something isn't right' even mean?

Just as he thought, Tian Che understood him better.

"Speak clearly."

He held onto the last of his patience.

"This... This..."

The subordinate genuinely didn't know how to explain it.

Weng Lingxiao's expression darkened.

"Say whatever there is to say. If you can't finish in one sentence, say it sentence by sentence!"

"Wen Xu beheaded the man we sent."

Weng Lingxiao instantly erupted in fury.

"What tier of useless trash did you send?!"

"It... It was Zhao Yu."

The subordinate stammered out.

Weng Lingxiao froze.

A figure wearing a mask and wielding an iron chain instantly surfaced in his mind.

If he remembered correctly, Zhao Yu should have already reached the Summit. Among his subordinates, his strength was above average. Moreover, he was the very person sent to warn Wen Xu last time.

"He killed an Eighth Tier?!"

Rage surged across Weng Lingxiao's face.

"How is that possible?!"

The files stated clearly in black and white that Wen Xu's tier wouldn't exceed the Third Tier.

"I... I don't know either..." The subordinate's head was drenched in sweat.

"Who gave you this news?"

At the question, the subordinate sweated even harder. Trembling, he pulled out a photograph and handed it to Weng Lingxiao.

The instant he saw the picture, fury rushed straight to Weng Lingxiao's head.

In the center of the photo, a man's body hung from a tree, his severed head suspended off to the side.

It was unmistakably Zhao Yu.

The subordinate whispered from the side.

"I... I found out that a Summit expert and multiple Seventh Tiers appeared in the Wizard Tribe recently. Afterward, they began their conquest in the Desolate Forest. As of now, the number of Eighth Tiers... has already... already... reached over a dozen..."

The words exploded like muffled thunder in Weng Lingxiao's ears.

Over a dozen Eighth Tiers?!

This far exceeded a single Third Level Complete Domain!

In such a short period of time, how could those homeless bugs possibly achieve this?!

Right then, the subordinate's voice rang out again.

"Furthermore... the current Wizard Tribe... is said to be led by Wen Xu... They have already occupied half of the Desolate Forest..."

Weng Lingxiao's mind reeled once more at the news.

Led by Wen Xu... Wasn't the Wizard Tribe ordered to interrogate him?

How could this be...

"What about Merkel?"

He looked at his subordinate.

"In this situation, how could that old bastard just let the Wizard Tribe run wild?"

"Merkel... sent someone with a message... saying... saying... saying..."

The subordinate's voice trembled.

"Saying they've decided to coexist peacefully with the Wizard Tribe... Moreover... saying... if you send any more people to the Desolate Forest... they'll prepare an immediate attack on the Great Prison... He also said... even if... even if you don't send anyone... they... they will attack the Great Prison sooner or later..."

By the end of it, the subordinate didn't even dare listen to his own words.

The room fell into a prolonged silence.

Finally, just when the subordinate felt he might suffocate, Weng Lingxiao's voice broke from above.

"Fuck!!! Let them come!!!"

Weng Lingxiao was shaking uncontrollably from anger, his silver-rimmed glasses nearly warping against his eye sockets.

"Come! Let them all come! Damn it! Let them find out exactly what kind of place this is!!!"

The subordinate didn't dare say a word. He had never seen Weng Lingxiao lose his composure like this.

Clearly, the recent series of events had kept him suppressed for too long.

And the news he brought today had finally lit the fuse.

His soul had nearly been frightened out of his body, terrified that Weng Lingxiao would make an example of him.

But eventually, Weng Lingxiao regained his calm.

Intellect was his weapon. He lacked Mu Tian's tyrannical strength and Song Huien's ability to please all sides. For him, calculated thought and composure were where his advantages lay.

He couldn't afford to throw them away.

Finally, he adjusted his glasses and spoke softly.

"Alright. Since they want to fight, we'll fight."

"Sir... To start a war at a time like this..." The subordinate trailed off.

In truth, he wanted to point out that if they started a war now, Song Huien's faction was highly likely to swoop in and reap the benefits.

But Weng Lingxiao's expression was placid.

"Who said we were the ones fighting?"

The subordinate blanked, not fully grasping Weng Lingxiao's meaning.

"Contact Song Huien and report this matter to Warden Mu. Convene a high-level decision-making meeting, and let's see who actually ends up fighting..." Weng Lingxiao said indifferently.

"Doesn't he love to show off? Then let him show off to his heart's content."

"I'm going to attack the Desolate Forest?"

Yan Jing looked at the meeting report Cen Ji had brought and laughed.

Mu Tian had declined to attend the high-level meeting. It was ultimately hosted in name by Weng Lingxiao and Song Huien, and the result...

...was exactly as he had expected.

"Go on."

Yan Jing patted Cen Ji's shoulder.

"I told you I called you here to fight a war. Go on now, it's time for you to earn your merit."

"Once you conquer the Desolate Forest..."

Cen Ji grimaced and refused to budge.

"You're sending me to my death."

"How could I be sending you to your death?" Yan Jing blinked.

"You are currently the Great Prison's only candidate. If you don't go, who will?"

"The other side has a Ninth Tier!" Cen Ji tried to protest.

Yan Jing's face darkened.

"So you're saying I should go?"

"When you first came to find me, you weren't like this."

"That was beca—"

Cen Ji's voice trailed off.

Finally... she sighed.

"If the other side brings out a Ninth Tier, can I flee?"

This was already her limit; she wasn't even at the Eighth Tier.

Merely asking that meant she had already embraced the resolve to die.

"You can."

"Then my..."

"No," Yan Jing flatly refused, his expression cold and ruthless.

Cen Ji nodded sorrowfully and turned to leave.

Right then, Ning Wei, who had been standing off to the side, suddenly spoke up.

"I will go with you."

Cen Ji paused in her tracks.

She looked up at Ning Wei.

"There's no need, Young Master. You still have an important marriage alliance to fulfill, which concerns the Warden's safety. If anything were to happen, this humble servant could not bear the responsibility. I can go alone."

Hearing Cen Ji's words, Ning Wei seemed to realize something. He looked over at Yan Jing, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Cen Ji bowed and walked out the door.

Seeing that Cen Ji had left, Ning Wei finally couldn't hold back.

"That day I was in your office, she was right at the door?!"

Yan Jing looked entirely innocent.

"I didn't know."

"You..."

Ning Wei was left speechless. He completely failed to appreciate the sick sense of humor of the human in front of him.

It reminded him of someone else who also enjoyed such sick jokes and used similarly brutal methods...

Thinking about it, he suddenly felt that Yan Jing and Wen Xu were quite alike.

If he had to draw a distinction, Wen Xu was comparatively milder.

"I want to go."

Ultimately, he steered the topic back on track.

"It's impossible for Cen Ji to win alone."

"She doesn't even know Wen Xu; Wen Xu will kill her."

"Are you close with Wen Xu?" Yan Jing asked, instantly leaving Ning Wei dumbstruck.

"Anyway... I guess you could say it's decent..."

Ning Wei forced out the few words.

"Something isn't right with you."

Yan Jing looked at Ning Wei, his gaze piercing.

"You know my relationship with Wen Xu, and you know I won't let Wen Xu kill Cen Ji. Yet you still want to go. What exactly are you doing this for?" Ning Wei remained silent.

If he couldn't find the right words in front of Yan Jing, it was better not to speak at all.

Otherwise, the more he said, the more he would be seen through.

"Go then."

Amidst the silence, Yan Jing suddenly relented with a laugh.

"If you're worried about your little girlfriend, that is."

"Because once you get married, there won't be many opportunities like this left."

Ning Wei didn't say a word. He gave Yan Jing a single look, turned, and walked out the door.

After the two of them were gone, Yan Jing brewed a cup of tea.

Once he finished it, he left his office and shortly arrived at the door to Mu Tian's office.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Boss, I have a report!"

The moment Yan Jing finished speaking, the door opened on its own.

"Aren't you afraid I might have the two vice wardens trailing right behind me?"

Yan Jing smiled, looking at Mu Tian behind the desk.

Mu Tian kept his eyes closed and didn't reply.

Or rather, he simply ignored Yan Jing.

Yan Jing didn't feel embarrassed. He shut the door and made himself at home, sitting on the sofa by the window.

He already knew that Mu Tian was constantly preparing to step into the next stage.

Once those preparations were complete, he would make his move on Wen Qiao.

That High-Grade Healing Potion he had given him last time seemed to have worked quite well. Mu Tian's condition was gradually stabilizing.

"Ning Wei went to the Desolate Forest."

Yan Jing picked up the mineral water on the table.

Mu Tian's eyebrows twitched.

"There's a rebellion over in the Desolate Forest. I told Cen Ji to handle it, but Ning Wei insisted on tagging along."

Yan Jing unscrewed the cap and took a sip. As expected of the special water supplied to the Warden of the Great Prison, it was crisp and sweet.

Mu Tian's eyebrows twitched even harder.

"But Warden, you don't need to worry. I think that kid probably doesn't have feelings for Cen Ji. The marriage alliance will likely proceed as normal; I have no idea why he wanted to go."

Yan Jing acted as if he didn't notice Mu Tian's increasingly agitated reaction.

"But the problem now is that the enemy is quite strong. Quite strong indeed."

"Word has it that Merkel is among the rebels this time."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Mu Tian snapped his eyes open.

He glared at Yan Jing. Those monolidded eyes didn't look very large, but Yan Jing knew this was his absolute limit.

That was as wide as they could get.

Yan Jing still pretended not to notice and took another sip of mineral water.

"Rest assured, though. I've already instructed Cen Ji that she is allowed to run if Merkel shows up."

"Of course, another slight issue is that Wen Xu is also among the rebels."

"You know Wen Xu, right? Wen Qiao's younger brother."

Yan Jing was just about to drink again when Mu Tian's voice suddenly boomed, as loud as a lion's roar.

"Stop drinking!!!"

Yan Jing's hand jerked, spilling mineral water on his pants.

"Look at you. What are you getting so worked up for..."

Yan Jing brushed off his wet pants with his hand.

"What exactly is going on?!"

Mu Tian floated over in front of Yan Jing, his expression dark as murky water.

Yan Jing blinked.

"Which part do you want to hear?"

Yan Jing spent about thirty minutes explaining the current situation to Mu Tian.

Even Mu Tian couldn't help but freeze after listening to that thirty-minute recount.

Wen Xu had led the Wizard Tribe to conquer the Desolate Forest, the Wizard Tribe now possessed over a dozen Eighth Tiers, the high-level meeting had decided to send Yan Jing into battle, Yan Jing had ordered Cen Ji to go instead, and ultimately it had turned into Ning Wei going.

"Why aren't you going?!"

Mu Tian glared at Yan Jing.

Faintly, Yan Jing felt as if he could hear the hidden first half of that sentence.

"Sending my son! Why aren't you going yourself?!"

Yan Jing looked unbothered.

"If I go, who is going to hold back the two vice wardens? If they really come knocking on your door, I can lend a hand."

"It's completely unreasonable for you to blame me right now."

"Besides, isn't it fine that Cen Ji and Ning Wei are going? You don't like Cen Ji anyway, and you don't like Ning Wei either."

He raised his eyes and looked at Mu Tian.

"Right?"

Mu Tian's expression darkened as he turned his back.

"Call Ning Wei back."

"On what grounds?"

Yan Jing looked at Mu Tian.

"The Young Master fleeing on the eve of battle—that wouldn't be very appropriate, would it?"

"And why just call Ning Wei?"

"Taking ten thousand steps back, if Ning Wei really does withdraw, who's going to hold off Merkel and Wen Xu?"

Mu Tian clenched his fists.

Yan Jing hadn't said much, but every single word struck him right where it hurt.

After a few seconds of silence, he looked at Yan Jing.

"What are your thoughts?"

"I don't mind either way."

Yan Jing smiled.

"I've already completed my first task. And the second one... looks like it's about to be completed too."

Yan Jing had previously told Mu Tian that his second task was to mend their father-son relationship.

Of course, he had made that up.

In reality, his three tasks were to root out the mole, conquer the Desolate Forest, and the final uncompleted third task... was to ascertain Wen Qiao's true intentions. "Your task is almost done?"

Mu Tian was very displeased.

If Yan Jing finished his tasks, then he would lose a powerful assistant.

True, Yan Jing was incredibly irritating.

But he had to admit that Yan Jing was a highly capable and formidable assistant.

"I feel you're still far from it. If you don't help me figure something out, I will never meet with Ning Wei again."

Mu Tian crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Yan Jing.

Yan Jing narrowed his eyes.

"Acting like a scoundrel—that's not quite right, is it?"

"I don't mind either way."

Mu Tian chuckled. He sat back down behind the desk, throwing Yan Jing's own words right back at him.

Yan Jing's brow furrowed tightly, putting on a troubled expression.

Minutes later, he looked at Mu Tian.

"The problem still lies with that Wen Xu."

"I don't know exactly what kind of deal you and Wen Qiao made. Why did that Wen Xu suddenly become so strong? What is Wen Qiao's actual attitude toward Wen Xu? If her deal with you was for her to sacrifice herself in exchange for Wen Xu's freedom, then why was Wen Xu captured? If her deal with you wasn't self-sacrifice, then what leverage do you have to ensure her cooperation?"

"You've seen the current situation."

"If you don't explain this clearly and keep hiding things from me, there is nothing I can do to help."