Chapter 190: Xu Sanshi's Plot
Elsewhere.
In the halls of the Xuanming Sect.
After sending away the bearded town physician, Xu Sanshi sat alone in his study. A cigar hung lazily between his lips, his face calm and composed—not at all angered by the disruption of his plans.
"Well, let that unknown brat try. When Nannan loses all hope, she'll come crawling to me," he murmured, the corner of his mouth curling into a faint smirk.
He walked over to the window, gazing out at the manicured gardens, but his thoughts strayed far away—to the modest little house belonging to the Jiang family.
He knew perfectly well the condition of Jiang Nannan's mother.
Over a year ago, he had already noticed her declining health—an irreversible degeneration of her life force. No healer in the world could cure such an illness.
Except for one thing—the sacred medicine of the Xuanming Sect, the Xuanming Pill. Its restorative power could rejuvenate vital organs and rekindle a dying body's essence, even partially reverse decay.
Xu Sanshi, however, hadn't caused nor interfered in her deterioration. He simply took advantage of it.
After all, his true target was Jiang Nannan herself.
When Jiang Nannan rejected his advances time and again, he set his sights on her mother instead.
The Xuanming Turtle martial soul required one special condition to evolve—to absorb the pure yin energy of a virgin to catalyze the process of advancement.
His family had already prepared several candidates for him, but Xu Sanshi's heart was fixed on Jiang Nannan.
So when he learned that her mother had fallen ill, he bribed the local physician, instructing him to casually mention the miraculous "Xuanming Pill." That alone would be enough.
Once her mother's life reached its final moments and despair consumed Nannan, that pill would appear to her as the only thread of salvation.
And when desperate enough, she would pay any price for it—including herself.
Of course, he wouldn't reveal his involvement. Everything would be arranged by one of his subordinates while he feigned ignorance.
Then, when the act was done, he'd play his role—pretending to be drunk, lost in confusion, and later guilt-ridden. He'd console Jiang Nannan, take responsibility, and gradually "win" her heart.
He would blame it all on his family's strict political ties, leveraging sympathy while continuing to care for her mother. Eventually, Jiang Nannan would yield.
His smile widened faintly. "But that kid who showed up out of nowhere… who was he? Nannan doesn't seem close to anyone. Could it be that damned Ye Chen?"
A flicker of unease crossed his heart.
"No… I need to confirm it myself," he muttered, tapping ash from his cigar.
Of course, he couldn't risk showing up personally and exposing his interest. Instead, he decided to send the same physician again to check the situation tomorrow.
The man was a perfect pawn—useful and expendable.
…
Meanwhile, in a quiet inn not far from Shrek City, Ye Chen had seen and heard everything through his Heavenly Infinite Eye.
"So I was right. No wonder that old goat kept pushing the Xuanming Pill—it all traces back to the Xuanming Sect."
After all, Xu Sanshi had been forced to take an extended leave from the academy. Officially due to Ye Chen's "curse," though in truth, he'd likely have left anyway—to complete his fifteen-year coming-of-age ceremony.
And the "virgin sacrifice" prepared for his advancement? Jiang Nannan.
Ye Chen even suspected that Jiang Nannan's mother's overwork had been manipulated from the shadows, though he lacked proof.
In the original timeline, the Xuanming Pill was absurdly rare. A poor civilian family like Nannan's could never have known about it. That alone proved the trap was deliberate—the Xuanming Sect using the pill as bait to rob Nannan of her purity.
But now, with Ye Chen's intervention, that plan was doomed to fail.
The old doctor's actions confirmed the link—he was clearly a tool of Xu Sanshi and the Xuanming Sect. Nannan was already marked as prey.
As for the "redemption" arc of Xu Sanshi from the original story? Ye Chen scoffed inwardly.
It was nothing more than an act—false guilt meant to deceive Nannan.
If he had truly cared, a single honest word earlier would've changed everything.
"The curse didn't finish you off? Then I'll handle it personally," Ye Chen said calmly, rubbing his chin.
In an instant, his body shimmered and vanished.
Using his Heavenly Infinite Eye and his teleportation ability, he appeared directly within the heart of the Xuanming Sect.
He didn't plan to kill Xu Sanshi.
No, death was far too easy an escape.
Since Xu Sanshi's martial evolution required a certain sacrifice, Ye Chen would make sure that the desire behind that requirement was… permanently erased.
…
…
Late at night.
A lamp still burned in Xu Sanshi's study. He reclined in a chair, a cigar glowing faintly at his fingertips, smoke curling through the air.
Through the window, the lights of the Xuanming Sect flickered across the courtyard, and a confident smile tugged at his lips.
He had already sent someone to survey the situation. As long as that mysterious boy wasn't Ye Chen, everything would progress exactly as he planned.
Once his martial soul evolved into the Super Martial Soul—Xuanwu—his power and talent would soar beyond measure.
When he returned to Shrek Academy, even Beibei wouldn't be able to defeat him.
"Heh, I'm so outstanding… why can't Nannan see that?" he sighed, feigning melancholy.
If she'd only agreed to him willingly, he wouldn't have needed to go this far—he rationalized.
And besides, he didn't think he was doing wrong. Everything was "for her own good."
Nannan was a commoner, struggling alone through talent and luck. But with him, her future would be secured. He'd give her comfort, care—and her mother would live, thanks to the Xuanming Pill.
Just as these thoughts passed his mind—
Snap.
The brightest soul lamp in the room flickered out abruptly, without warning.
Only a sliver of moonlight seeped in through the window, casting cold silver across the floor.
"Who's there?!"
Xu Sanshi's instincts flared as he leapt up, activating his Xuanming Turtle martial soul—
Too late.
A Seal of Divinity descended upon him.
Ye Chen had used ten percent of his soul power to craft it—enough to immobilize even ten-thousand-year beasts.
The instant it struck, Xu Sanshi froze as if turned to stone—body, soul power, and martial spirit completely suppressed.
And from the darkness behind him, a shadow emerged silently.
No sound. No energy fluctuation. Only a calm presence—Ye Chen himself.
Frozen in terror, Xu Sanshi barely managed to move his eyes, desperate to see the figure behind him.
But he couldn't even turn his head.
His body no longer obeyed his will.
He had become a statue before death's quiet gaze.
(END CHAPTER)
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