Chapter 3874 — Truly Inexplicable
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Though they had now narrowed the suspicion onto Kang Jingming, and by all logic the target was clear and the next step obvious - with anyone else they would have seized him without a second word - this one was Xu Lingchong's underling. Even Nan Tianguan dared not move against him rashly.
Nan Tianguan suddenly halted and, with a cold face, looked Yu Jiang up and down until Yu Jiang was thoroughly unnerved. Only then did he say, "Martial Nephew, how exactly did you come to fall out with Lin Er?"
Nan Tianguan was not clear on the matter between Yu Jiang and Lin Er. He only knew that Nan Tianyong had been killed by Lin Er while standing up for this disciple of his, but he had never carefully asked what the root of it was.
"Uh..." Yu Jiang hemmed and hawed for a moment, then answered vaguely, "Reporting to Martial Uncle, your disciple first came to feud with this Lin Er over competing to buy a certain item at the Hong Merchant Guild."
The words "Star Ink Stone" - Yu Jiang would never let Nan Tianguan learn of them unless there was absolutely no other way. Nan Tianguan was now a master at the great perfection of Foundation Establishment, on the verge of assailing the Golden Core stage, and so the Star Ink Stone tempted him even more than it did Yu Jiang.
Once Nan Tianguan knew of the Star Ink Stone's existence, then even if they managed to wrest it back from Lin Er, there would be no share in it for Yu Jiang. Making a wedding dress for someone else - Yu Jiang was certainly not about to do such a foolish thing.
"What item?" Nan Tianguan was no ordinary man either; fooling him was no easy task, and he caught the crux of it in an instant.
Yu Jiang's heart tightened, but he forced himself to stay calm. "An ordinary treasure for assisting cultivation. Its value isn't very high - it's simply not often seen."
"An ordinary treasure?" Nan Tianguan frowned, then said with a suspicious look, "Truly just an ordinary treasure? Then if Kang Jingming is this Lin Er, as Xu Lingchong's underling who has concealed such formidable strength, would he compete with you over a mere ordinary treasure?"
"Uh..." Yu Jiang was speechless now. In his earlier panic he had blurted out a lie, forgetting that the man before him was likewise a most astute master, who had caught the flaw at once.
Seeing Yu Jiang stammer and fall silent, Nan Tianguan's expression turned even colder, and he said in a low voice, "I have just thought it over carefully. This Kang Jingming - Xu Lingchong was the one who sent us to seek his help, and he is Xu Lingchong's underling. If he is Lin Er, I suspect Xu Lingchong may have ordered it!"
Nan Tianguan paused, glanced at the somewhat flustered Yu Jiang, and his tone turned more severe than ever before: "Now that Xu Lingchong casts a covetous eye on my position as managing eldest senior brother, I will not let slip even the slightest hidden danger. If necessary, I would not mind using some insidious means even on you, Martial Nephew. You should have heard your master say before that I am skilled in the Minor Formless Art and have incorporated a few heterodox techniques into it as well - so I know a Soul-Searching Art that can directly read another's consciousness and memories, do I not?"
At these words, Yu Jiang broke out in a cold sweat down his back. Had he not been pinned by Nan Tianguan's powerful aura at that moment, he would likely have been frightened into turning and running on the spot!