The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 204 - 16 Interrogation

Chapter 204: Chapter 16 Interrogation

They hadn’t yet reached where Qingzhou was located when cries and shouts echoed from a not-too-distant cave.

"Dragon Chief, please forgive this crime! Another disciple of the Zhenwu Sect brought by Blood Bat No.6 is just too cowardly. He was terrified as soon as he was put on the punishment device and has been howling nonstop," the black-clothed man following at the side hurriedly explained.

However, Qing Yu, who had closed off her hearing, wouldn’t hear any of it. Therefore, she casually overlooked the matter. It was the weakness of that disciple from the Zhenwu Sect that truly astonished Qing Yu. After all, he was a disciple of a renowned Great Sect of the present age, yet he had collapsed just from being put on a punishment device. She was curious to meet his master, to see who had taught such an odd disciple.

With an indifferent shake of her head, "No matter, lead me to the cave where Qingzhou is."

To maintain a so-called sense of mystery and dignity in front of her subordinates, she had to change not just her voice but also the way she referred to herself, which was honestly a bit of a hassle. Qing Yu was starting to miss the days when she only had a bunch of mindless, heartless Exorcism Sword Guards.

"Yes, Dragon Chief, please come this way."

Following the guidance of her black-clothed subordinate, Qing Yu passed through several caves and arrived at the cave where Qingzhou was placed.

The injuries of Qingzhou seemed to have stabilized. His complexion was still pale, but it no longer had the deathly pallor that suggested he could die at any moment. He lay on a stone platform with two people at his side, constantly transmitting True Qi to sustain his life.

But Qing Yu knew that at best, this was nothing more than a dying flicker of vitality. If she removed the two people who were forcefully pouring True Qi into Qingzhou to use the "Death Enduring Technique," he would die violently on the spot within moments.

And that time had come.

"Step back," she motioned with her hand for the others in the cave to leave, including the two who had been forcefully prolonging Qingzhou’s life. What came next, no longer required their presence.

After the subordinates left after performing their etiquette, Qing Yu’s gaze shifted to Qingzhou, who was still unconscious, "Stop pretending, the ’Death Enduring Technique’ might forcefully suppress your wounds, but it doesn’t suppress pain. A person in a coma can’t endure pain as you have."

In this moment with just the two of them, Qing Yu reverted to her original tone of voice, no longer feigning mystery. And Qingzhou, who had been feigning unconsciousness, opened his eyes after his ruse was seen through, showing a hint of confusion as he looked at the person wearing a bronze mask by his side.

He knew that the owner of the bronze mask was the Dragon Head Young Master Yu of the Azure Dragon Association, a sudden genius who had leapt to the eighth place on the Dragon and Phoenix List. If the confrontation with Qingxu had leaked out before, it was very likely his ranking would move up another four places.

What puzzled him was that he shouldn’t know this mysterious Gong Ziyu, yet Young Master Yu’s voice inexplicably felt familiar to him.

"Who are you, exactly?" Qingzhou asked, voicing the confusion in his heart. He was aware of his own bodily condition; death was imminent, and he had nothing left to worry about.

And Qing Yu, quite generously, quite benevolently, granted Qingzhou this last question, or rather, wish.

"Pleased to meet you, Elder Brother Qingzhou," Qing Yu slowly removed the bronze mask from her face, revealing the true face of Gong Ziyu, who was widely speculated about in the worldly society, "Your junior, Qing Yu, thanks you for your care back in Yang City."

"You... you..." Despite almost a year passing, Qingzhou still remembered this face, which hadn’t changed much. That was the first time he had killed a fellow disciple. Despite Qing Yu’s exile, she was still a disciple of the Zhenwu Sect.

It was Qingzhou who had deflected Xiao Gao’s Sword Qi, slicing open the then grievously injured "Junior Sister Qing Yu," causing her to die an unnatural death.

And nearly a year had passed since this already dead junior brother astonishingly reappeared before him, now looking at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.

A tremendous shock swept through Qingzhou’s heart and, in that instant, Qingyu’s eyes seemed to emit a strange glow, plunging Qingzhou into a state between sleep and wakefulness, lucidity and stupor.

Yin Yang Technique·Mind Control Spell.

Once again donning a bronze mask, Qingyu’s long hidden true face was concealed beneath it as he issued the command, "Tell me all the Martial Arts you know."

A trace of struggle flickered across Qingzhou’s face but vanished in an instant. Already at the end of his strength, where would he find the power to break free from Qingyu’s control? He could only numbly recount all the Martial Arts he was aware of.

"Xuanwu Sea Control... Vermilion Bird Burning Sky..."

Among these, what Qingyu was most interested in were the Zhenwu Sect’s Four Symbols Ultimate Skills. Unfortunately, Qingzhou focused on cultivating the "Xuanwu Sea Control" and the "Vermilion Bird Burning Sky," which he hoped to reverse cultivate once his "Xuanwu" skill reached its peak. As for the others, to avoid distraction, he did not delve into them.

"What a pity..."

He hadn’t obtained all the Four Symbols Ultimate Skills he desired, only half, and it was certainly quite regrettable. Having witnessed the power of Qingxu’s Four Symbols Cycle, even just to complete the evolution of the "Circulation of the Six Voids Technique" from the remaining Seven Strengths, not to mention the "Four Symbols Produce Eight Trigrams," would be of great benefit to Qingyu.

And the person who had caused this failure right on the verge of success was none other than Qingzhou, who was now under his control.

Thinking of this, a flash of murderous intent shone in Qingyu’s eyes. Nevertheless, it was not yet time to kill Qingzhou. "Qingzhou, tell me, who was it that ordered you to kill Qingyu?"

The directness of the question seemed as if Qingyu had already concluded that the death of his stand-in was not an accident on Qingzhou’s part, but deliberate.

Qingzhou’s answer did not deviate from his expectations.

"It was Master Qingxu. The Sect always intended to bring Qingyu back. After the rumors about the Zhenwu Sword emerged, following discussions between the Sect Leader and the other six Peak Masters, it was ultimately decided to bring Junior Brother Qingyu back into the ranks of the true disciples. Master Qingxu, fearing that the three Peak Masters who had supported Master Xuan might support Junior Brother Qingyu in the future, which would hinder his ascension to the next Sect Leader, secretly ordered me to eliminate Junior Brother Qingyu at an opportune moment."

"To eliminate a future obstacle by secretly manipulating his own men to act, Master Qingxu is indeed decisive. If such a thing were to be exposed, his position would be unstable right now, let alone later."

Qingyu did not underestimate Master Qingxu’s caution; rather, he found him decisively courageous.

Just imagine, if he had underestimated Qingyu, allowing him to be brought back into the Zhenwu Sect, and then, according to the usual trope, the younger junior brother makes a strong comeback, ascending to the top with the help of the system and his mentors, eventually knocking the eldest senior brother and the villainous Sect Leader from their high perch. Isn’t this a very common plotline?

Master Qingxu’s decision was indeed necessary, but he didn’t anticipate that Qingyu, the junior brother who had been under house arrest for years, would be so cunning as to prepare a stand-in to die in his place ahead of time, effecting a Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell.

Up to now, this junior brother had indeed grown to a point where he could firmly suppress him.

Such speed of growth, once Master Qingxu learns the truth in the future, he should take pride in having pressured Qingyu into faking his death and fleeing—otherwise, he wouldn’t need to wait; in just a year or two, his position as the confirmed successor to the Sect Leader would become unstable.