NOVPUB◎The Truth of the Past, A Deception◎
Not only Helian Zheng, but everyone else present was stunned.
Seeking justice for Pei Zhi? From whom? And what kind of justice?
Pei Zhi dared to travel the martial world under the alias "Wen Zhuzhi," using his real appearance, which meant he didn’t resemble his parents enough to be recognized.
Thus, the Carefree Sect had yet to uncover his true origins.
"Shopkeeper Lu, what do you mean by this?" Shangguan Huai asked. "Does Commander Pei have some history with the Carefree Sect?"
Whispers broke out among the crowd.
"Who is Huan Meng?"
"The former leader of the Carefree Sect’s Six Elites. His father was a sect elder—a ninth-level Martial King."
"That ninth-level Martial King who perished outside Moonview City, taking down the Gu God Sect’s ninth-level ancestor with him?"
"Exactly."
"Does Commander Pei have some connection to Huan Meng?"
"I truly don’t know. It doesn’t seem like the Carefree Sect is aware either."
Amuyan stood behind Lu Jianwei, gazing at Pei Zhi’s back, her heart inexplicably tightening.
When she first saw Pei Zhi in the cave, she had felt a similar stirring.
The remaining five elites of the Carefree Sect seemed to realize something and stepped forward, staring at Pei Zhi as if wanting to speak but hesitating.
After that incident, they had withdrawn from the martial world’s affairs, but they had still heard of the Mystic Mirror Bureau.
Once the Alliance Leader’s decree arrived, they had also inquired about the events at the inn’s arena.
The wealthy merchant Wen Zhuzhi of Jiangnan was none other than the Mystic Mirror Bureau’s commander—and Pei Zhi was afflicted with a rare poison.
Considering his age—was it truly just a coincidence?
Lang Ye, never one to hold back, gripped his broadsword and demanded, "Why did you bring up Brother Huan?"
"Right now, I’m the one questioning Helian Zheng," Lu Jianwei said coolly. "Did you kill Huan Meng?"
Helian Zheng chuckled and shook his head. "No. Brother Huan was the leader of the Six Elites. I was just an ordinary disciple—how could I have that capability?"
"You know who did."
"Of course I do," Helian Zheng pointed directly at Amuyan. "Brother Huan died in the chaos of the Gu insect outbreak, and the culprit stands right behind you."
The crowd: "..."
The veiled figure killed Huan Meng?
And Shopkeeper Lu abducted the veiled figure from the Carefree Sect?
What kind of madness was this?!
"Helian Zheng, haven’t you spun enough lies?" Amuyan suddenly lifted her veil, revealing a gaunt, ghastly face. "The deaths of the Huan father and son were all your doing!"
"Amuyan! So you really are alive!"
Lang Ye raised his blade, ready to charge, but Yin Sui stopped him.
"Yin Sui, what are you doing?!"
Xie Tongshu spoke for the first time. "Idiot."
"You—"
Lou Qingyi cut in. "All these years, I’ve wanted to ask Sect Leader Helian one question. Back then, you brought an outsider woman into the sect and placed her on Moonlight Peak—now known as the Abandoned Peak. She never interacted with anyone else in the sect. Why would she suddenly unleash a Gu insect outbreak?"
"Exactly." Luo Xianshan’s gaze turned icy. "After the Gu insect chaos, the more I thought about it, the less it made sense. She never left the peak and barely even saw Brother Huan. Why would she target him?"
Helian Zheng feigned innocence. "I don’t know. I was deceived too. Perhaps her ancestors had a grudge against the Huan family, and she deliberately got close to me, coaxed me into bringing her into the sect, and waited for the chance to kill them."
"Helian Zheng," Yin Sui said coldly, "the sect’s rules state that once one reaches the seventh level of internal strength, they may choose their own peak and recruit disciples. Back then, you reached the seventh level and chose this peak. Your master named it ‘Moonlight’ in hopes that you would broaden your horizons."
Helian Zheng sneered. "I know. He wanted me to ‘embrace the moonlight.’ He was always lecturing me, saying the Carefree Sect’s Six Elites were the best of our generation, that you all were free-spirited and unrestrained, while I was too calculating—that it would hinder my progress."
"Your master was quite perceptive," Lu Jianwei remarked mildly.
"Perceptive? What did he know?" Helian Zheng’s eyes reddened with sudden fury. "He wished his disciple was Huan Meng or Xie Tongshu! He only cared about his own reputation!"
Yin Sui sighed. "But your master told the former sect leader more than once that his disciple was exceptionally talented—just overly sensitive and burdened by too many worries. If he could open his heart, he might even reach the Grandmaster realm."
"You’re lying! He never respected me—why would he say such things to outsiders? He’s long dead. You can make up whatever you want—I won’t believe it!"
Lu Jianwei studied his expression closely. The resentment and bitterness didn’t seem feigned.
These words had likely festered in his heart for years.
But a schemer of his caliber wouldn’t lose control so easily.
He was stalling for time.
Activating the jade array wasn’t easy—he was waiting for the right moment.
Lu Jianwei smiled faintly. Unfortunately for him, that moment would never come.
Earlier, when they entered the cave, Pei Zhi had already deduced the method to dismantle the array.
Helian Zheng had lured the elite fighters to the Abandoned Peak for two reasons: to pin the blame on Amuyan and to secure an escape route.
Now that his scapegoat and Gu Emperor plan had failed, the sect’s grand array was his last resort.
The obedient Carefree Sect disciples and the hidden puppet assassins were all meant to be sacrifices for the array.
But whether the array activated now was up to her.
Lu Jianwei toyed with the puppet Gu Emperor in her palm, cutting off their debate about his "master."
"Elder Xie, were you involved in Huan Meng’s death?"
Xie Tongshu appeared cold and detached, but in truth, he saw everything clearly. During the chaos at the inn’s arena, he had acted with the sect’s greater good in mind.
She chose him as the breakthrough point because she knew him best—and because such a person was most likely to reveal the truth.
Xie Tongshu countered, "Helian Zheng claimed you possess the Yin-Yang Gu. Is that true?"
"Yes," Lu Jianwei replied frankly. "So you needn’t worry."
Xie Tongshu nodded. "Good."
"Xie Tongshu, what’s this about a Yin-Yang Gu?" Lang Ye frowned. "What are you two talking about? Don’t do anything foolish."
Yin Sui explained, "The Yin-Yang Gu is the emperor of all Gu emperors. It can suppress all other Gu emperors in the world—capable of both killing and curing any rare poison."
"Suppress other Gu emperors? So that means—" Lou Qingyi’s eyes snapped to Lu Jianwei. "Is this true?"
Lu Jianwei smiled. "I thought the Carefree Sect forbade the study of Gu arts. Yet Elder Xie and Elder Yin seem quite knowledgeable."
The Yin-Yang Gu wasn’t common knowledge.
Xie Tongshu said simply, "I’ve been searching for it."
"I’ve investigated it as well," Yin Sui added.
The other three elites: "..."
"Elder Xie, it’s your turn to answer my question," Lu Jianwei said.
Xie Tongshu: "The deaths of Huan Meng and his wife were indeed my doing. Someone ordered me to poison them."
His calm tone delivered the most chilling words.
Everyone present was stunned.
Yin Sui gave a bitter smile. "I poisoned them too."
"And me." Lang Ye stepped forward.
Lou Qingyi: "I contributed to the poison as well."
Luo Xianshan: "And I."
The crowd: ???
This was probably the most unbelievable scene they had ever witnessed.
Wan Cong's round face could hardly contain his astonishment. He stared straight at the five elders and couldn’t help voicing everyone’s thoughts.
"You all really know how to play."
Lu Jianwei said, "When I met my Pei Zhi, he happened to be carrying five different poisons in his body."
The five elders: "..."
Everyone else: "..."
Could such a coincidence exist in the world?
No.
Lang Ye’s expression was agitated. "You—you are—"
"You’re Huan Meng’s son?!" Helian Zheng’s voice overpowered Lang Ye’s, his face filled with disbelief. "You didn’t die?!"
Surviving to adulthood while afflicted with five poisons sounded about as likely as a cripple ascending to heaven.
Yin Sui scrutinized Pei Zhi’s features and remarked, "You don’t resemble Huan Meng or his wife. That’s why we didn’t recognize you before."
When the Huan family met their tragic fate, Pei Zhi was only three years old. A child’s features at that age hadn’t fully developed, and since Commander Pei had always worn a mask, the appearance of Jiangnan’s wealthiest man wasn’t something the martial world paid much attention to. Thus, no one had connected him to the Carefree Sect.
"Are you really Young Master Huan?" Lou Qingyi gripped her flying hook tightly, her voice trembling. "How… how did you… survive?"
Compared to them, Pei Zhi remained remarkably composed.
"My parents entrusted me to a servant."
"I knew you were taken away," Lou Qingyi murmured, dazed. "But you were poisoned too. You were so young."
No one believed a child afflicted with five poisons could survive.
When Lu Jianwei first heard about it, she too thought the balance formed by the five poisons was a stroke of divine mercy.
But later, while studying the Five Elements Poison, she realized that the balance might not have been a coincidence.
That so-called "glimpse of hope" wasn’t fate—it was man-made.
By precisely controlling the dosage of each poison, it was possible to create a temporary equilibrium that wouldn’t immediately kill.
If the five antidotes were administered in time, the poisons could be neutralized.
But if the five poisons fully fused into a new toxin, the poison would become incurable.
In short, while the poisons were still counteracting each other, there was a chance. Once they evolved into the Five Elements Poison, there was no cure.
It had been a desperate gamble.
Xie Tongshu chose that moment to speak. "The poison Huan Meng took wasn’t administered by you. He took it willingly."
"What are you talking about? I don’t understand!" Lang Ye clawed at his hair in frustration. "What do you mean he took it willingly?"
Xie Tongshu sneered. "Because he didn’t want you to bear the guilt."
"But Young Master Huan…" Lou Qingyi refused to believe it. "His wife and son were poisoned too."
No matter how much Huan Meng was willing to sacrifice himself, he would never have let his wife and child ingest poison.
"Because their poisoning wasn’t part of Huan Meng’s plan," Xie Tongshu’s gaze turned icy. "It was Chang Ci who did it."
Chang Ci—a name that sounded unfamiliar.
But the older generation present stiffened at the mention of that surname.
The previous sect leader of the Carefree Sect had been surnamed Chang. Chang Ci was his son, the young master of the sect at the time.
Logically, as the young master, Chang Ci should have long made a name for himself in the martial world. Unfortunately, the brilliance of the Carefree Sect’s Six Heroes had overshadowed him. His talent was mediocre, his skills lacking—he simply couldn’t compare.
Many had pitied him, lamenting how he paled beside the Six Heroes. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
During the Gu insect uprising, he died in an accident.
Since then, there had been no news of him in the martial world, and many younger warriors had never even heard of him.
The martial artists listening were itching with impatience. Why did these people always speak in riddles?
Just explain everything clearly already!
Lang Ye voiced their frustration. "Xie Tongshu, what else do you know? Spit it out!"
"Brother Xie, I understand now." Yin Sui’s expression was dazed, tinged with bitter realization. "I finally understand."
Lou Qingyi’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Xie Tongshu, Huan Meng knew we poisoned him, didn’t he?"
"Xie Tongshu, explain properly!" Luo Xianshan’s face was fierce.
"Amuyan planted gu insects in the sect’s disciples and our clansmen to blackmail us into poisoning Huan Meng with the toxins she provided.
"But the poisons she gave weren’t lethal. At the time, none of you knew the others were also being threatened. You naively believed the poison you administered wouldn’t kill Huan Meng because the sect had physicians and antidotes.
"A single poison, with Huan Meng’s martial prowess, wouldn’t have been fatal—he could have held on long enough for treatment. So you went along with Amuyan’s scheme, adding her poison to the water vat in Huan Meng’s residence.
"But you didn’t know the vat already contained other poisons. No matter how strong Huan Meng was, he couldn’t suppress five toxins indefinitely with his inner energy. You were all too sheltered by him—utterly foolish."
Lang Ye’s eyes brimmed with tears. "You… you didn’t poison him, did you?"
"No. I’ve never tolerated being controlled." Xie Tongshu’s voice was cold. "Don’t you think it’s too coincidental that Amuyan decided to kill Huan Meng right after news of the old sect leader’s death reached the sect?"
Lang Ye: "But wasn’t she insane? Who can predict a madwoman’s thoughts? She claimed her love with Helian Zheng was forbidden, blamed the sect’s strict rules, and called Huan Meng and the old sect leader the root of all evil. Doesn’t that prove she was deranged?"
"Does she look insane to you now?" Xie Tongshu snapped. "You believe everything others say? Then why didn’t you believe your sworn brother Huan Meng could handle this?"
Lang Ye: "..."
His gaze shifted to Amuyan—her gaunt, withered figure—and the confusion in his eyes gradually cleared, replaced by endless regret.
Yin Sui looked at Xie Tongshu. "I should have realized sooner. Given your temperament, you would have gone straight to Huan Meng and told him everything. After learning the truth, he pretended ignorance and played along to protect the sect and our clansmen, didn’t he?"
"I secretly informed him. He sensed something was wrong and went with me to confront Chang Ci." Xie Tongshu’s sharp gaze pierced Helian Zheng. "But we didn’t know Chang Ci had already been manipulated. To secure his position as sect leader, he planned to eliminate Huan Meng."
Luo Xianshan’s face darkened with realization. "Though Chang Ci’s martial talent was lacking, he excelled in medicine. With the old sect leader and Huan Meng’s father dead, and Huan Meng’s reputation surpassing his, he grew afraid."
"So he pretended to cooperate with Huan Meng’s plan," Lou Qingyi finally pieced together the truth. "The balance of the five poisons must have been his doing. That way, he could deceive Amuyan without actually sacrificing Huan Meng."
Amuyan only wanted to eliminate Huan Meng, her "greatest threat." As long as he was poisoned with five toxins, even if he temporarily suppressed them, death would be inevitable.
She didn’t understand the art of poison equilibrium, so this deception would make her lift the gu curse.
Once the curse was broken, the sect could immediately administer the antidotes to Huan Meng.
Had Chang Ci kept his word, things wouldn’t have come to this.
Lang Ye roared, "But Huan Meng and his wife still died! And Young Master Huan was poisoned too!"
"To eradicate the root." Xie Tongshu’s eyes were bleak. "Young Master Huan’s talent surpassed even his father’s."
When Huan Meng discovered that his wife and son had also been poisoned, he realized that Chang Ci had betrayed him. Desperate to flee the sect, yet weakened by the five poisons coursing through his body, he was ambushed halfway by puppets. With his last strength, he and his wife entrusted their child to a trusted ally before perishing outside the walls of Cangzhou.
Many had heard of the Gu insect chaos, but few knew the harrowing details behind it.
Earlier, in the Gu God Sect, Pei Zhi and Lu Jianwei had discussed the cause of the poisoning, but the truth revealed today diverged greatly from their assumptions. It seemed the old servant who had helped Huan Meng escape back then hadn’t known the full story—only the part about the "five conspirators working together to poison him."
"How absurd," Yin Sui muttered bitterly, shaking his head.
"Truly absurd," Lu Jianwei sneered, her chest tight with anger. "Senior Huan was entrusted by Sect Leader Chang to ensure the young sect leader’s succession. Who could have guessed that after his death, the very heir he trusted would turn on the Huan family?"
Xie Tongshu added, "After news of Senior Huan’s death spread, Huan Meng had suspected it was no accident."
"Of course it wasn’t," Zhao Xian finally interjected. "When the Ancestor suddenly left his seclusion back then and perished in battle against Huan the Martial King outside Moonview City, it seemed like an accident—but there were too many unanswered questions."
"What questions?" Lang Ye pressed eagerly.
The others perked up, realizing this trip had been worth it. The turbulent history of the Carefree Sect and the Sky Pillar Hall was more dramatic than they’d imagined, stirring their hearts with each revelation.
Zhao Xian explained, "The Ancestor was nearing the end of his lifespan. To break through to the Grandmaster realm, he wouldn’t have left seclusion lightly. He had been searching for methods to aid his breakthrough. According to ancient texts in the hall, there was a medicinal formula said to expand a warrior’s meridians, facilitating cultivation advancement."
"That sounds familiar."
"Expanding meridians? Isn’t that what Zhuang Wenqing’s puppet assassins used?"
"Exactly! That’s the same method they employed!"
"Manager Lu," Zhao Xian turned to Lu Jianwei, "when you raided the Thousand Miles Pavilion, I argued with you over the distribution of assets—because I was searching for that very formula among their treasures."
Lu Jianwei waited for him to continue.
The Thousand Miles Pavilion did possess the formula, but she saw no need to inform Zhao Xian of that.
"Years ago, our hall once found such a formula. The Qi family was tasked with escorting it, but the convoy mysteriously vanished en route, and the formula was lost."
Lu Jianwei understood. "So the remaining members of the Qi family were expelled from the sect?"
Pei Zhi had mentioned that Qi Chuan’s jade pendant dated back three generations. The incident Zhao Xian referred to must have been at least forty-five years ago.
Back then, the Sky Pillar Hall was the foremost sect in the land, deploying countless elites in search of the formula—so it was plausible they had found it.
"The Qi family was the most trusted by the Ancestor, wielding immense influence within the hall. With so many elite disciples, they could have even supplanted the Ancestor’s lineage. Their arrogance was notorious. After the incident, with the walls crumbling, many accused them of stealing the formula for themselves."
The listeners fell silent.
Had they been in the Ancestor’s place, losing something so crucial, they too might have lashed out at the Qi family.
Moreover, with the escort party disappearing without a trace, the hall needed someone to blame. Punishing the Qi family was inevitable.
The only question was how much the Zhao family had fueled the flames.
Given their current power, they must have played a significant role back then.
Zhao Xian turned to Xie Tongshu. "So, when the Ancestor emerged from seclusion over twenty years ago, it was likely for that formula. After the Qi family’s betrayal, he no longer trusted others with such matters."
"I see now," Wan Cong murmured, eyes widening in realization. "If someone spread word that Senior Huan had obtained the formula and was on the verge of becoming a Grandmaster, the Ancestor would have had no choice but to act—whether out of desire for the formula or fear of Huan the Martial King’s rise."
Everything fell into place.
The Sky Pillar Hall had long reigned supreme, but the Carefree Sect’s meteoric rise had begun to threaten their dominance.
A single ninth-level Martial King like Huan was enough to keep the Ancestor awake at night.
Huan was in his prime, while the Ancestor was nearing his end. If the latter died, the Sky Pillar Hall would inevitably be overshadowed by the Carefree Sect.
The Ancestor had two choices: seize the formula and ascend to the Grandmaster realm, or ensure Huan’s demise so the hall wouldn’t fall beneath the sect after his death.
But the Ancestor hadn’t anticipated that after Helian Zheng became sect leader, the Carefree Sect would produce another ninth-level Martial King.
In the end, the Sky Pillar Hall failed to maintain its supremacy as he had hoped.
The lingering doubts in Lu Jianwei’s mind suddenly cleared, leaving her thoughts lighter.
She asked, "Then the question remains—did Huan the Martial King actually possess the formula? And who leaked the news?"
A ninth-level Martial King, second only to the Ancestor, wouldn’t let such sensitive information slip easily.
The others also found it hard to believe.
Zhao Xian reasoned, "The puppet assassins in the arena had expanded meridians, proving the Thousand Miles Pavilion had the formula. So I suspect the disappearance of the Qi family’s convoy and the Ancestor’s final battle with Huan outside Moonview City were both linked to the pavilion."
It made perfect sense.
The group nodded in agreement, their gazes shifting to Helian Zheng.
It was common knowledge that Helian Zheng had corresponded with Zhuang Wenqing and carried the Gu Emperor. After those events, he had been the one to benefit the most.
He was the prime suspect.
As for Amuyan—
She was an outsider Helian Zheng had personally brought into the Carefree Sect. At first, she might not have even understood the local language. Everything she knew came from him.
So, whatever Helian Zheng told her, she would believe.
While there were plenty of brutes among martial artists, most were of sound mind.
The truth was laid bare before them.
But one mystery remained.
Wan Cong asked, "Sect Leader Helian, your sect’s current ninth-level Martial King has never made a public appearance, has he?"
When the Sky Pillar Hall had confronted the Carefree Sect years ago, they were repelled by the aura of a ninth-level Martial King, and rumors of the sect’s new powerhouse spread.
Yet this Martial King remained shrouded in secrecy—even his name was unknown.
Had his sudden appearance to back Helian Zheng been connected to the Thousand Miles Pavilion?
Helian Zheng knew the tide had turned. No matter how he argued, no one would believe him. Better to vent his grievances now.
"What ‘Six Heroes of the Carefree Sect,’ what ‘sect leader and heir,’ what ‘ninth-level Martial King and Ancestor’—all of you were played for fools! How laughably stupid!"
Lang Ye bristled with rage. "The sect treated you well! Why commit such atrocities?"
"Treated me well?" Helian Zheng laughed coldly. "Lang Ye, dare you describe what your life was like before you met Huan Meng?"
"..."
Helian Zheng scoffed. "Can’t answer? You were just luckier than me, stumbling into Huan Meng’s care. And me? I scraped by at the sect’s lowest ranks for years, fighting tooth and nail just to earn a master’s recognition. By the time you were hailed as one of the Six Heroes, I was still grinding through missions for scraps of copper—and even then, my master looked down on me."
"Helian Zheng, no one looks down on you—you're the one who looks down on yourself," Yin Sui retorted.
"I don’t look down on myself!" Helian Zheng snapped. "I’ve never believed my talent is inferior to any of yours. But who truly sees my potential or my efforts? Even a fool like Lang Ye can earn Huan Meng’s favor—why can’t I?"
Xie Tongshu scoffed, "Self-pity."
"What do you know? You were born with the sect’s resources at your fingertips. You have no idea how hard it is for disciples like me at the bottom. Xie Tongshu, deep down, even you think the others aren’t worthy of Huan Meng’s regard, don’t you? The so-called 'Six Elites of the Carefree Sect'—shouldn’t it just be the 'Two Elites'?"
Lang Ye barked, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
"I share your thoughts," Helian Zheng ignored Lang Ye, his gaze fixed on Xie Tongshu. "In my eyes, only you and Huan Meng are worthy of being my rivals."
Lou Qingyi sneered, "You’re not fit."
"Delusional," Luo Xianshan’s voice dripped with killing intent. "You incited Chang Ci."
Helian Zheng nodded. "Correct. He and I are the same—suffocating under the weight of your 'Six Elites' title. I understood him perfectly, so I had someone whisper in his ear. His hatred for you runs as deep as mine. Born a young master, yet excluded from the Six Elites—how infuriating!"
"Did you kill him too?"
Helian Zheng smirked. "How could I? He died at the hands of those disciples infected with puppet gu."
"Those disciples were under your control."
"No, Amuyan controlled them." Helian Zheng’s grin turned sinister. "I did nothing. I merely… spoke a few words."
Amuyan let out a hoarse, broken laugh, her voice like a rusted bellows.
"Back then, I took the name 'Muyan' and willingly followed you into the Carefree Sect. But you told me your sect had discovered my foreign origins and forbade us from being together. You claimed to face insurmountable opposition, so you hid me in the Moonpeak residence, warning me not to leave.
"Yet I didn’t know—while you confined me there, you told others I’d gone mad from gu cultivation, unrecognizable and unfit for society, hence my imprisonment on Moonpeak.
"To my face, you played the victim. To your sect, you feigned devotion, begging their forgiveness for refusing to abandon me.
"After Sect Leader Chang’s death, you came to me, saying Chang Ci would inherit the position. You swore he was kind-hearted, willing to bless our union and even hold a grand wedding for us.
"But when the Martial King Huan died suddenly, you returned, warning me that Huan Meng was power-hungry. To seize the sect leadership, he planned to sacrifice us to rally the elders and disciples.
"I believed you. I gave you the puppet gu larvae, and you secretly infected the sect’s disciples and the families of the other five elites—all so we’d have leverage to escape.
"You handed me poison, ordering me to threaten them into dosing Huan Meng. His death would stain their hands, disqualifying them from challenging Chang Ci. Once Chang Ci took the throne, we could be together openly.
"I was deceived, but I am not innocent."
Amuyan finished recounting the past, her eyes locking onto Pei Zhi, brimming with remorse.
"No wonder I felt such turmoil when I first saw you. I listened to lies and brought ruin upon you all."
