The lamplight in the Document Room flickered, casting the solemn figures of everyone onto the walls. The connection between the "mysterious person" and divination cultivators, between them and rebelling against heavenly principles, pressed like a heavy shadow on everyone's hearts. And in Tang Xiaoqi's heart, this cloud of suspicion overlapped and intertwined with the figure of one who had once been regarded as a senior mentor, one who had provided him with crucial guidance -- Tianjizi, creating an unsettling mist.
He dismissed the elders, leaving only Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng. Some speculations, before being confirmed, should not spread, lest they cause unnecessary panic and suspicion.
"Master Brother," Tang Xiaoqi's voice was particularly clear in the silent room, carrying a barely detectable gloom. "Regarding Senior Tianjizi, I always feel... there are some places that are quite strange."
Mu Qingfeng's expression serioused, gesturing for him to continue.
Tang Xiaoqi closed his eyes. Memory fragments related to Tianjizi surged up in his heart like a tide, each one being examined with his now more acute and discerning gaze.
"The first encounter was after I first ventured out, when I was caught up in the Shadow Snake Pavilion auction disturbance in the wandering cultivator city. He appeared as if he had calculated the timing perfectly, gave me the words 'heaven's secrets must not be revealed,' pointed out the connection between the Four Symbols Soul Crystals and the Demon Overlord, and guided me to the East Sea, Southern Border, Northern Plain, and Western Desert... It seemed like guidance from a senior to a junior, helping me grow and fight the Demon Overlord."
"However," Tang Xiaoqi opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. "Looking back now, every time he appeared, it was precisely at a critical turning point in my life, or after I made significant breakthroughs or obtained key treasures. His guidance seemed to help me avoid many detours, but also as if... invisibly pushing me onto a road he had preset? A road of constantly collecting Four Symbols Soul Crystals, constantly conflicting with Shadow Snake Pavilion and the Demon Overlord, constantly growing stronger?"
Mu Qingfeng's brow furrowed tightly. "Are you saying... he might have been using you?"
"Whether he was using me or not is still difficult to determine." Tang Xiaoqi slowly said. "But the second key encounter was after I obtained the Azure Dragon Soul Crystal in the secret realm. He appeared again, telling me the Four Symbols Soul Crystals were related to the ancient seal, that the Demon Overlord was gathering them to break the seal. And he left the riddle 'Starfall Place, Origin of the Dao,' guiding me to the Heavenly Palace."
"During my journey to the Heavenly Palace, I indeed gained much, my cultivation greatly increased, and my Dao seed sprouted. But there, I also encountered an ambush by the Demon Overlord's forces and nearly lost my life. And these eight characters, 'Starfall Place, Origin of the Dao,' when carefully savored now, besides pointing to the Heavenly Palace, could they... have a deeper meaning? 'Starfall'... does it imply some kind of downfall and ending? 'Dao Origin'... where does it point?"
He paused, his tone becoming even heavier. "What makes me most suspicious is his final 'death.'"
"He burned his remnant soul to help me deduce the Demon Overlord's whereabouts, seemingly for the great righteousness of the world, sacrificing heroically. But with his identity as an heir of the House of Celestial Secrets, skilled in divination and seeing through heavenly secrets, could he truly not calculate his own time of death? Not calculate the backlash from forcibly deducing? Or was his 'death' itself part of the plan? A 'casting off the cicada's shell,' or... to cover up a deeper purpose?"
Tang Xiaoqi recalled the complex gaze in Tianjizi's eyes before he dissipated -- there was compassion, determination, but also... a hint of inexplicable, as if seeing through all the cycles of fate and destiny... indifference?
"There is also this Zhoutian Star Disk." Tang Xiaoqi took out the antique luopan again. "He passed it to me, saying it would be useful 'when the Heavenly Palace opens.' This item is indeed a treasure, having helped me many times. But was giving it to me truly trust and entrustment, or... thereby binding some kind of 'karma' or 'attention' onto me? Could the 'mysterious person' being so precise about my movements also be related to this star disk?"
He told Mu Qingfeng in detail about the powerful interfering force he felt when deducing the "mysterious person" through the star disk, and the fragment of cold, calculating intent.
"The 'divination cultivator aura' Shadow Nine mentioned, the interference encountered during the star disk's divination, and that intent of rebelling against heaven..." Tang Xiaoqi's gaze was profound. "All of this makes me unable not to cast my suspicious gaze toward that Senior Tianjizi who should have long 'perished.'"
"If he is not dead, if he is the 'mysterious person,' then what was the purpose behind everything he did before -- the so-called guidance, help, even sacrifice? To push me to grow, collect Four Symbols Soul Crystals and purification origin, ultimately... for his so-called 'great sacrifice' and welcoming the 'Saint Lord's return'?"
This speculation was too terrifying and shocking! A senior expert who had once been regarded as a model of righteousness, who had given everything to fight the Demon Overlord, was actually the mastermind hiding behind the scenes, scheming an even greater conspiracy?
Mu Qingfeng listened in silence for a long time, his face full of shock and disbelief. He took several deep breaths before slowly saying, "Xiaoqi, your suspicion... is not without reason. The various coincidences and doubts truly are difficult to explain with common sense. If Tianjizi truly did not die and harbors such malicious intent, then his concealment and scheming are terrifying to the extreme!"
He looked at Tang Xiaoqi, his gaze heavy. "But this matter is of great significance and involves deep implications. Before we have conclusive evidence, we absolutely must not speak of it publicly, otherwise it will not only cause turmoil within the Righteous Alliance but also alert the enemy."
Tang Xiaoqi nodded heavily. "I understand. I will investigate this secretly. If Tianjizi truly has problems, he will inevitably have follow-up actions. That 'mysterious person,' along with the 'Void Realm' and the 'sacrifice,' are the breakthroughs."
He put away the Zhoutian Star Disk, a flash of determination in his eyes. "Regardless of who the mastermind is, whatever their purpose, I will never allow them to succeed."
Inside the Document Room, the lamplight remained as before. But both understood clearly that a dark battle far more complex and dangerous than facing Shadow Snake Pavilion or even the Demon Overlord had already quietly begun. The former guide might be the final enemy. The foundation of trust had already shaken, the path ahead was shrouded in mist, and every step required careful consideration. The clouds of suspicion about Tianjizi hung like a sharp sword over their heads, unknown when it might suddenly fall.