Chapter 72: Clearly Idiocy

“City Lord of Clear Moon? He was involved?” Jiang Taixuan’s expression darkened.

“Yes, the City Lord of Clear Moon was the mastermind. He was the one who produced that pill formula.” Cai Zhong answered. After a brief pause, he added, “Since you know about the Blood Elixir, you can probably guess the fate of those trafficked geniuses.”

“You people…” This truly enraged Jiang Taixuan. “Did you refine all those geniuses into Blood Elixirs?”

“I only handled these matters; refining the Blood Elixirs was done by the City Lord and the two guild masters.” Cai Zhong pleaded. “I had no choice; I stumbled upon this by accident and was forced into it.”

“What about Mu Yun? And Qingyue Academy Head?” Jiang Taixuan suppressed his fury and asked grimly.

“We intended to capture Ying Mingyue, but unexpectedly Vice Chancellor Liu Qingming arrived. He fought desperately despite suffering heavy injuries to save both of them, and then they vanished without a trace.” Cai Zhong spoke in a low voice.

“So, Mu Yun and Ying Mingyue aren’t hurt? They genuinely escaped? And you have no idea where they went?” Jiang Taixuan contemplated.

“Yes.” Cai Zhong nodded.

“One last question. Did you kill the two department heads of Clear Moon Academy?” Jiang Taixuan asked coldly.

“That was the Guild Master’s intention. I was merely the executor.” Cai Zhong replied.

“Very well.” Jiang Taixuan murmured softly, then immediately opened the door to the Dojo and pulled Lin Chen out.

“Field Master Jiang, I’ve proven that what I said is true. Can you release me now?” Lin Chen quickly implored.

“You…” Cai Zhong looked at Lin Chen and instantly realized he’d been tricked.

“Lin Chen, do you remember what I said?” Jiang Taixuan stared coldly at him.

“What?” A sense of foreboding washed over Lin Chen; Jiang Taixuan was likely going back on his word.

“I will show you how the Divine Devil Dojo kills.” Jiang Taixuan snorted coldly and glanced at Li Yuanba. “Kill these two!”

“Jiang Taixuan! You treacherous coward! If you dare kill me, the Mercenary Guild and the City Lord’s Manor will never let you go!” Cai Zhong snarled a threat.

“Clear Moon Academy will also avenge me!” Lin Chen growled with equal ferocity.

“Even two Vice Chancellors of Clear Moon Academy were schemed against. Who will avenge you?” Jiang Taixuan sneered contemptuously. “Severely injuring Mu Yun’s grandmother, trafficking geniuses, refining Blood Elixirs… Letting you go would be a betrayal of my own conscience!”

“One of the two pills given to Clear Moon Academy was real. If we die, you’ll meet your end tomorrow!” Cai Zhong countered with a cold laugh.

“Skillful maneuver,” Jiang Taixuan applauded, his expression suddenly turning icy. “First, have me kill Lin Chen, then trick Clear Moon Academy into attacking, getting them to come kill me. Without lifting a finger, you wipe out both the Divine Devil Dojo and Clear Moon Academy. Impressive. Unfortunately, you don’t understand the Divine Devil Dojo.”

“Whether it’s the three great powers of Clear Moon Academy, the Mercenary Guild, and the City Lord’s Manor, or indeed the entire Clear Moon City, what does the Divine Devil Dojo have to fear?”

Jiang Taixuan let out a cold laugh and waved his hand. “Kill them. Hang their bodies at the entrances of their respective factions. Make sure it’s clear: ‘Executed by the Divine Devil Dojo’.”

“Rest assured, Field Master, that’s simple.” Li Yuanba stated dispassionately.

Watching Li Yuanba depart, Jiang Taixuan’s face clouded over. This matter involved the City Lord of Clear Moon, the Mercenary Guild, and Clear Moon Academy – the three top-tier powers, the strongest forces in Clear Moon City.

Even if all the top families united, they wouldn’t be a match. Worse still, those top families might very well be involved too.

Jiang Taixuan accessed the Celestial Network and posted: “Clear Moon Academy Trafficked Geniuses! Mercenary Guild Chief Steward Cai Zhong Conspired! Execution Justified!”

After posting, Jiang Taixuan went straight to sleep. The deaths of Lin Chen and Cai Zhong would surely alarm certain individuals. Posting or not posting now wouldn’t make much difference at this point.

He now understood exactly who was behind all this. Having schemed for so long, they were unlikely to give up easily.

As for letting Lin Chen and Cai Zhong go? Jiang Taixuan wasn’t that magnanimous. If he hadn’t been considered useless, causing Su Qingqing to leave for a different master, perhaps they would have been refined into Blood Elixirs too.

Once Li Yuanba finished, he directly strung the bodies back up in the tree. Qingyue Forest settled into slumber, while the entire Clear Moon City was thrown into an uproar.

Clear Moon Academy, too, was thrown into chaos once more. In just these past few short days, the academy had suffered heavy losses: two teaching department heads, three Enforcement Hall members, and one Steward had all met tragic ends.

More importantly, one of their Vice Chancellors, who had been in secluded cultivation attempting a breakthrough, had failed and perished within his sealed chamber. The entire Clear Moon Academy descended into pandemonium.

In the chaos and panic, no one noticed the corpse nailed to the academy’s main gates. The eyes were wide open in death, staring sightlessly.

Outside the gates of Clear Moon Academy, an old beggar glanced at the corpse without the slightest flicker of shock. His grimy face showed no expression. “Executed by the Divine Devil Dojo,” he muttered. “It seems I must go see Jiang Taixuan.”

Inside the Mercenary Guild, the Guild Master and Elders gathered together, raising their cups in celebration. “After today, that fellow will surely attack the Divine Devil Dojo tomorrow. They will annihilate each other! Then, Clear Moon City will be ours alone!”

“Vice President, what about the City Lord’s side…?” A Foundation Building Elder hesitantly asked.

“His Blood Elixir has already been refined. We really must thank Clear Moon City’s major families; they gathered the required materials in a single day. Once the City Lord breaks through, it will be our turn.” The Vice President sneered.

“A pitiful place like Clear Moon Academy actually dared to claim equal standing with our Mercenary Guild as the top power? Ridiculous!”

“But we haven’t located Liu Qingming yet. Could he have gone to their backing sect for aid?” A Foundation Building Elder voiced concern.

“Rest easy, all of you,” the Mercenary Guild Master declared coldly. “The sect behind Clear Moon Academy is already overwhelmed with their own troubles. Otherwise, would they have handed their geniuses over to us so readily?” He had made absolutely sure before beginning.

Clear Moon Academy did once have sect support, but that sect had long since declined. Barely able to protect itself, how could it possibly muster the resources to come help?

That night, the academy was in turmoil, the Mercenary Guild’s leadership partied, the Divine Devil Dojo slept soundly, and the City Lord’s Manor remained utterly quiet, seemingly abstaining from any intervention.

Early the next morning, Jiang Taixuan awoke. Ahuai was staring at him with a bizarre expression. Huang Ruoyan and Ximen the Fatty sat to one side, unusually silent.

“What’s the matter with all of you?” Jiang Taixuan frowned.

“Field Master… was it really you who killed Lin Chen and Cai Zhong?” Ahuai’s face looked strained.

Jiang Taixuan nodded impassively. “Was there any doubt? I made it perfectly clear: ‘Executed by the Divine Devil Dojo’.”

“Brother Xuan, have you gone mad?!” Ximen the Fatty suddenly jumped up, shrieking. “By doing this, you’ve offended two major powers simultaneously! A Vice Chancellor from Clear Moon Academy has ended his seclusion! He’s coming to kill us!”

“Don’t panic yet,” Jiang Taixuan raised a calming hand, opened the Celestial Network, and glanced at the top-ranked post. He stated calmly, “Clear Moon Academy has rotted. They sold their own students. Don’t you want to know what kind of geniuses’ vital blood, and maidens’ Yin essence blood, were used to refine the Blood Elixir?”

“Field Master, are you saying… those geniuses sent off to the sects… they all became ingredients for the Blood Elixir?” Ahuai’s face paled.

Huang Ruoyan and Ximen the Fatty both shuddered, disbelief written on their faces. “Thi- this is impossible! How could Clear Moon Academy do such a thing?”

“I interrogated Lin Chen and Cai Zhong last night… they confessed everything…” Jiang Taixuan recounted the story.

Ximen the Fatty’s expression was a mix of emotions. “Brother Xuan, I have to say this. Usually, when you say my IQ is insufficient, I let it pass. But killing them? That was clearly idiocy!”

Huang Ruoyan cast an admiring glance at Ximen the Fatty. “Young Master Ximen is truly clever! Even he thought of that! Field Master, you really made a mistake. Those were both witnesses!”

Jiang Taixuan shot a sidelong glance at the pair. “Is this amusing? Showing off affection?”