Translator: CinderTL
"Who could have done this?" Wu Yue asked, his face filled with disbelief.
"Who else but Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi?" Song Wen replied with a cold sneer.
"But why would they do this? Even if they knew you'd come seeking retribution, they could have simply fled. Why slaughter their own clansmen? And why deliberately drain their blood essence?" Wu Yue asked, puzzled.
"Perhaps they feared I possessed a secret art to track them through their bloodline," Song Wen suggested.
Wu Yue's eyes widened in surprise. "Senior, does such a secret art truly exist?"
Song Wen nodded.
During his time in the Lower Realm, Song Wen had witnessed such a secret art within the Corpse Demon Sect, known as the Bloodline Curse.
Back then, as a mere qi refining cultivator, he had seen the sect use this technique to locate all blood relatives of the Yan Clan after their betrayal.
Later, when Song Wen took control of the Corpse Demon Sect, the Bloodline Curse fell into his hands.
However, this secret art was extremely complex to execute, requiring the construction of a specific sacrificial altar, the arrangement of corresponding formations, and the forging of special magical artifacts.
"Zhu Tianlei has always styled himself as a righteous cultivator, yet his actions are far more ruthless and vicious than those of us Demonic Cultivators," Wu Yue said mockingly. "Though I've killed many myself, I've never laid a hand on my own kin. Heh heh heh... the Orthodox Path is truly a bunch of hypocrites."
His words dripped with disdain for Orthodox cultivators, clearly aimed at leveraging their shared status as corpse cultivators to forge a closer bond with Song Wen.
"Senior," Wu Yue continued after his tirade against the Zhu Clan, "how should we proceed in tracking Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi?"
"Let's start by stirring things up and investigating what exactly happened in Westwind City," Song Wen replied.
Though Westwind City had become a desolate wasteland devoid of Spiritual Qi, it wasn't entirely deserted.
Amidst the crumbling ruins, dozens of figures could be faintly discerned.
These were low-tier cultivators with meager cultivation bases, scavenging through the rubble, clearly searching for any treasures that might have been left behind.
For these rogue cultivators, even a broken spiritual artifact or a fragmented cultivation technique represented a rare opportunity.
The cultivators had long since noticed the Giant Flying Ship hovering above. Knowing its occupants were likely dangerous, they cautiously froze in place, standing motionless.
"Listen up, you below!" Wu Yue called out loudly. "Does anyone have any information about the recent events involving Westwind City and the Zhu Clan? Step forward and report immediately! If your information satisfies me, I'll reward you with a hundred mid-grade spirit stones."
Upon hearing this, many low-tier cultivators grew eager to try their luck, but hesitation held them back.
Suddenly, a female cultivator in her early twenties flipped onto a stone wall, bowed deeply, and clasped her hands in a respectful gesture.
"Reporting to Senior, this junior has some knowledge of the matter and dares to speak."
"Speak!" Wu Yue commanded.
The young woman continued, "Approximately forty days ago, two Divine Transformation Stage Seniors from the Zhu Clan—Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi—engaged in a fierce conflict for reasons unknown. Their battle reduced much of Westwind City to ruins, leaving only the Zhu Clan's stronghold intact thanks to its Clan Protection Formation. Zhu Yi was eventually defeated, wounded, and forced to flee. Zhu Tianlei returned to the Zhu Clan, activated some kind of sinister formation, and forcibly extracted the blood essence and souls of every member. Afterward, Zhu Tianlei also left Westwind City."
"Do you have any information about the whereabouts of Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi?" Song Wen's voice suddenly cut through the air.
The young female cultivator replied, "After Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi left, they never appeared in public again. However, as a junior with limited cultivation, I could only gather superficial information. It's possible they resurfaced later, but I have no way of knowing."
"Reward her," Song Wen said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Wu Yue immediately scattered a hundred mid-grade spirit stones, which rained down upon the young cultivator.
After catching the spirit stones, the cultivator bowed gratefully. "Thank you for the reward, Senior."
Song Wen asked, "Does anyone else have information about Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi?"
The crowd below fell silent, clearly sharing the same limited knowledge as the young cultivator.
"Senior, what should we do now?" Wu Yue asked Song Wen.
Instead of answering, Song Wen sank his consciousness into his Sea of Consciousness.
Within the Sea of Consciousness, Zhu Zhizhen's divine soul was suppressed by the Sea of Consciousness Black Hole, completely immobilized.
Seeing Song Wen's presence, she hurriedly greeted him.
"Greetings, Senior."
Song Wen smiled faintly. "You needn't be so obsequious now. I won't spare you."
Zhu Zhizhen replied, "This junior dares not ask Senior to spare my divine soul. I only beg you not to punish the Zhu Clan's low-tier cultivators. They are innocent and pose no threat to you."
"You're remarkably loyal to the Zhu Clan," Song Wen remarked. "Don't you resent Zhu Tianlei? It was his betrayal that prevented your escape."
"Zhu Tianlei is Zhu Tianlei, and the Zhu Clan is the Zhu Clan," Zhu Zhizhen replied. "They shouldn't be conflated. I was born of humble origins, abandoned by my parents at a young age. It was the Zhu Clan who took me in and allowed me to survive. Though I hate Zhu Tianlei, I bear no grudge against the Zhu Clan."
Song Wen wasn't surprised by Zhu Zhizhen's background.
Why would Zhu Tianlei go to such lengths to conceal his whereabouts, even slaughtering the entire Zhu Clan?
And Zhu Tianlei knew perfectly well that Zhu Zhizhen's corpse was in his possession.
His continued actions could only mean one thing: Zhu Zhizhen was not of the Zhu Clan bloodline.
In the cultivation world, it was not uncommon for clans to recruit talented outsiders to strengthen their ranks and ensure their lineage's survival.
"You value loyalty and cherish the Zhu Clan's legacy," Song Wen continued, his voice dripping with sinister amusement. "But Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi think differently. They've slaughtered every member of the Zhu Clan—the powerless mortals, the wailing infants, the frail elders... none were spared."
Song Wen's words were half-truth, half-lie, his voice cold and laced with schadenfreude.
"This... this is impossible!" Zhu Zhizhen exclaimed, her face a mask of disbelief and horror. "The Zhu Clan was built by Zhu Tianlei himself, and his lifespan is nearing its end. Why would he slaughter his own clan? Moreover, Zhu Yi has always cherished his people. How could he commit such a monstrous act?"
"Since you refuse to believe me, I'll let you see for yourself."
With that, Song Wen opened his Sea of Consciousness, allowing Zhu Zhizhen to perceive the outside world.
When she witnessed the desolate devastation of Western City and the withered corpses of her clan members, an indescribable grief washed over Zhu Zhizhen's face.
Gradually, this grief transformed into burning rage.
"Senior, did Zhu Tianlei and Zhu Yi truly do this?"
Zhu Zhizhen didn't doubt Song Wen. The state of the corpses and the ruins clearly indicated the massacre had occurred at least a month prior. At that time, her divine soul was still trapped within her body, and Song Wen was in seclusion.
"That's the information I received," Song Wen replied.
"What do you want me to do, Senior?" Zhu Zhizhen asked.
A faint smile played on Song Wen's lips. The woman was clever after all, and his efforts to persuade her hadn't been wasted.
"Do you possess any personal belongings of theirs? Give them to me, and I can summon their divine souls before you, allowing you to witness their soul scattering and spirit vanishing with your own eyes."
(End of the Chapter)