https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-518-Reactions-to-Su-Chen-s-Victory/12995448/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-520-Inviting-Su-Chen-to-the-Qiu-Clan-as-a-Guest/12995450/
Chapter 519: Aftermath of the Duel
Chapter 519: Aftermath of the Duel
December 13, 2024
The news of my duel with Wulan Manor had spread far and wide, even more than I had anticipated.
Within four days, almost the entire Great Zhou Kingdom had heard about it.
If it weren't for the sudden announcement of the duel with Wulan Manor, who knows how many people would have flocked to witness the event.
Especially with the outcome, the people of Great Zhou were overjoyed.
The dissemination of news naturally accelerated and reached a broader audience.
Over the past few days, Su Chen sat in a teahouse in the city, listening to the conversations of others, and had already learned a great deal.
The news that reached the common folk often had artistic embellishments.
Details tended to change as they passed from one person to another.
Among the news Su Chen heard, there were claims that after winning the duel, he had delivered many inspiring words.
He had become an exemplary figure, motivating Martial Artists to strive for progress.
As a direct participant in the event, Su Chen felt somewhat embarrassed by these words of praise.
Especially since he knew he wasn't that exceptional.
The descriptions of him were exaggerated, making him feel a bit self-conscious.
After listening to more of these stories, Su Chen didn't take them too seriously.
The content of the people's conversations was too emotionally charged.
There was too much fabrication.
Especially statements like: "A Wulan Manor disciple was so scared that they cried on the spot!"
"Sun Xuerong was so furious that she spat blood, bowed in apology, and begged for forgiveness."
These scenes seemed more like something out of a storyteller's tale.
They were completely different from what Su Chen had seen and experienced.
After all, Wulan Manor was a major Sect with a thousand-year-old legacy.
Their selected disciples couldn't be that incompetent.
Being scared to tears was simply impossible.
If Wulan Manor's disciples were truly that inferior, Su Chen wouldn't have faced such danger.
At most, people like Che Yanchang would have been shocked and surprised.
Su Chen's strength had indeed far exceeded their expectations.
But it was impossible for him to scare them to tears.
These descriptions were undoubtedly embellished by the Great Zhou people as they spread the news.
The information about Sun Xuerong was also likely fabricated.
As a Profound Realm powerhouse, it would be extremely difficult for her to reach the point of spitting blood in anger.
Moreover, at the end, she had taken the time to personally attack Su Chen.
There was no indication that she was angry enough to spit blood.
Su Chen treated the various news he heard from the people as mere storytelling.
He believed only twenty percent of what he heard.
On the seventh day, Su Chen finally started seeking out others.
He prepared to purchase accurate intelligence from a news vendor.
It had been seven days since his duel with Liu Siyun.
The news vendor had already verified the information and offered it at a more affordable price.
In the wilderness outside the city, a person wearing a bamboo hat approached.
Some news vendors were careful to conceal their identities, while others didn't mind being recognized.
The person before Su Chen was one of the former.
Su Chen was straightforward, asking directly for intelligence about his duel with Wulan Manor.
He was particularly interested in the situation of various factions after the duel, especially Wulan Manor.
He wanted to know the state of this Jin Kingdom Sect, their specific attitude, and what they had done afterward.
The man in the bamboo hat didn't seem to doubt Su Chen's inquiries.
At this point in time, countless people in Great Zhou were seeking information about the event.
It was too exhilarating.
Many local officials, upon hearing the rumors, also came to purchase news.
This situation was unprecedented.
In the past, these high-ranking officials had little interest in such news.
Most of the buyers were from various Sects.
The man in the bamboo hat began to describe the situation, from the beginning to the end, seemingly covering every detail.
"You're saying that Su Chen didn't duel with Wulan Manor's disciples but instead faced a younger generation member of the Liu Clan from Jin Kingdom?"
Su Chen asked, feigning ignorance.
This way, he could conceal his identity while also seeking further clarification.
"You must have heard many rumors, mistaking Su Chen's duel with a Wulan Manor disciple.
Some rumors even mentioned Che Yanchang's name from Wulan Manor.
But the truth is, Su Chen never fought any disciple from Wulan Manor.
It was Liu Siyun from the Liu Clan who dueled with Che Yanchang and won the qualification.
It was Liu Siyun who ultimately dueled with Su Chen and lost to him."
Hearing this description, Su Chen felt a bit more convinced by the man in the bamboo hat.
The information he provided was relatively accurate.
He continued, "After you left, the Wulan Manor disciples who came after you were trapped in a Formation Array for an entire day."
Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn't help but feel amused.
Being trapped in an array under the watchful eyes of so many must have been embarrassing.
It was only because Sun Xue Rong and the others had reached the Profound Realm that they were able to escape sooner.
Otherwise, the array could have held them captive for much longer.
"Did the Wulan Manor disciples do anything harmful to Heaven's Pivot City?" Su Chen asked, taking the opportunity to inquire about something he wanted to know.
"It's said that this time, the Wulan Manor disciples were accompanied by many other Jin State powers to supervise them. This was to prevent them from affecting the relationship between Jin and Zhou Kingdoms. So, the Wulan Manor disciples didn't cause any trouble in Heaven's Pivot City."
Su Chen felt relieved to hear that Heaven's Pivot City was unharmed.
He urged the man in front of him to continue, wanting to know more about Wulan Manor's subsequent actions.
"Most of the Wulan Manor disciples have returned to Jin State, but Sun Xue Rong hasn't. According to our sources, she has other plans."
Su Chen took out a gold ingot and slipped it into the man's hand.
The man's pause was a clear indication that he wanted more money for the valuable information.
After receiving the payment, he continued without hesitation, "Sun Xue Rong has declared to Jin State that she is no longer an Elder of Wulan Manor. She was originally from Great Zhou, so her return doesn't seem unusual. However, based on our understanding, Sun Xue Rong's actions don't seem well-intentioned. Jin State currently prohibits its warriors from causing trouble in Great Zhou. Sun Xue Rong's return to Great Zhou is likely an attempt to continue targeting you, hoping to gain favor with Wulan Manor."
Hearing this about Sun Xue Rong, Su Chen couldn't help but frown.
She had become the vanguard against him.
From start to finish, it was Sun Xue Rong who had wronged him, not the other way around.
However, it was only natural.
This time, Sun Xue Rong had assisted Wulan Manor in dealing with him, and they should have had the upper hand.
At least, from the moment he accepted the challenge, the matter should have been concluded in the eyes of the Wulan Manor disciples.
But no one could have predicted the final outcome.
As the leader of the group, Sun Xue Rong was undoubtedly accountable for the failure.
Not only did her mission fail to eliminate Su Chen, but it also tarnished Wulan Manor's reputation.
As a major sect in Jin State, they had publicly reneged on their word in front of so many people, and even then, they didn't achieve their goal.
Su Chen guessed that Sun Xue Rong wouldn't dare to return to Wulan Manor to report her failure.
By staying in Great Zhou to deal with him, she was probably trying to make up for her mistake.
Returning to Wulan Manor at this point would likely cause her anxiety, fearing blame from her sect.
Su Chen had obtained most of the information he sought.
On his way back, he contemplated the situation.
Sun Xue Rong knew him and Great Zhou well.
When he had first arrived in Heaven's Pivot City and gradually rose to prominence, Sun Xue Rong, as an Elder of Cloud Bright Sect, had left the sect because of him.
She faced numerous questions and had to devise ways to defend herself and explain her actions.
During this process, she had gathered a lot of information about Su Chen.
Her presence in Great Zhou, targeting him, would undoubtedly cause significant trouble.
Especially with his mother and younger sister in the Great Zhou Imperial Capital.
If she started investigating in the capital, it would spell big trouble for him.
Su Chen felt that he might have to deal with Sun Xue Rong first.
As a Profound Realm expert, she could move freely in Great Zhou.
If he didn't eliminate her, it would be as if Wulan Manor had a Profound Realm expert constantly tracking him and his family.
Moreover, Sun Xue Rong likely harbored deep resentment towards him.
Ever since the incident with the Cloud Bright Sect, she had encountered significant trouble while dealing with me.
My departure from the Cloud Bright Sect was also partly due to her efforts.
This time, she failed to achieve her goal by relying on the Wulan Mountain Mansion to deal with me.
In her heart, Sun Xue Rong's hatred towards me is probably no less than Fan Chengyan's.
When dealing with me, she seemed more proactive than the others.
Fan Chengyan sent other Transcendent Realm experts, but none of them were as dedicated as Sun Xue Rong.
She, Sun Xue Rong, would actively assist me.
Returning to the inn where he was staying, Su Chen checked out and left today.
He prepared to go to the Jin Kingdom again.
The fundamental issue was that his own power was insufficient to meet his needs.
Improving his strength was the key to standing firm in this world.
To resolve all dangers and crises, enhancing his power was always the top priority.
Before leaving, Su Chen thought for a moment.
He returned to Tian Gang City once more.
Disguised as if he were returning, he wasn't there to seek out Upper Proclamation Master and the others.
This time, Su Chen was looking for Duan Qing Lang.
In the Jin Kingdom, he had encountered too many constraints.
The biggest problem was intelligence.
The information he currently had was just a small portion leaked by Zhu Ming Palace.
Additionally, there was also his identity as a Sixth Rank Array Master.
He could obtain some related news from the Array Alliance.
However, most of the information from the Array Alliance was formation array-related.
The news he wanted to gather was not easily accessible.
The relationship with Zhu Ming Palace had gradually become distant.
Even without filtering, the information they provided would likely decrease in the future.
But these were far from meeting his needs.
Su Chen felt that the information he needed was becoming more and more extensive.
A grand sect like Zhu Ming Palace was not much different from the Wulan Mountain Mansion.
The Wulan Mountain Mansion was not under Fan Chengyan's control.
Zhu Ming Palace was not under Yao Wen's command.
Even if their core members still supported him, the future would inevitably lead to growing distance due to various pressures from other sect factions.
Perhaps one day, unable to withstand the pressure, Zhu Ming Palace might retract its support.
Therefore, Su Chen wanted to establish his own information network.
In the inn he had previously stayed at, Su Chen spotted Duan Qing Lang.
Seeing Su Chen in disguise, Duan Qing Lang seemed to recognize him instantly.
Su Chen calmly sat down beside Duan Qing Lang.
After experiencing that incident, Duan Qing Lang seemed to have matured significantly.
"Were you waiting for me here? Did you guess that I would come to find you?"
Duan Qing Lang looked at Su Chen and nodded seriously.
"After returning, I thought about it carefully.
I took the words you said and analyzed them one by one."
"What did you analyze?"
A hint of a smile appeared on Su Chen's face as he listened to Duan Qing Lang's response.
"At first, I was a bit angry.
Recalling those past events, I felt that Brother Su was making a fool out of me.
My words and actions at that time must have seemed extremely ridiculous in Brother Su's eyes.
But after careful consideration, I understood a lot.
With Brother Su's strength, even disciples from grand sects in the Jin Kingdom are no match for him.
Why would Brother Su toy with me? After much thought, I feel that you were testing me.
You gave me those messages and let me spread them.
This was a direct test to see how capable I truly am."
Duan Qing Lang gazed at Su Chen.
After experiencing that incident, he seemed to have genuinely matured.
Su Chen nodded, his smile widening.
"Understanding this also proves that I didn't misjudge you.
You do possess some talent in this area."
"But I still don't understand why Brother Su is testing me. What is the purpose?
It doesn't seem likely that you want me to help gather information.
After all, grand sects like Tian Gang City should obtain information more accurately and swiftly than us.
We are merely seeking a living.
In terms of ability, we are undoubtedly far inferior."
Duan Qing Lang seemed to have guessed something, but he was skeptical.
Unsure if Su Chen's visit was as he had suspected, he hesitated.
Seeing this, Su Chen no longer concealed his intentions.
"I came to ask you to establish another information network in the Jin Kingdom."
(End of Chapter)
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