Chapter 2907: Little Weasels  

"If Lord Wei is dead, then what’s happened to the Transcendent Universe?" Luo Shan asked as he stared at Lu Yin.

The two men locked eyes, and Lu Yin laughed. "You don't still want to become the ruler of the Transcendent Universe, do you?"

Luo Shan’s eyes narrowed. He really wanted to say something, but he kept it to himself in the end.

Lu Yin glanced over at Mr. Daheng. "If that’s what you want, then why don’t you deal with your own issues first? There’s Mr. Daheng watching you in your Three Monarchs Universe. There’s no way he has good intentions."

Luo Shan looked over at Mr. Daheng, and the Arborean’s eyes flickered. "I was merely passing by. Since Lord Lu doesn't believe me, then just forget it."

Lu Yin stared at Luo Shan.

The Monarch spoke slowly. "Mr. Daheng and I have only met each other a few times, and we both respect each other. I believe that Mr. Daheng is not here because he was watching me, as I have nothing that warrants his attention."

"Well, in that case, then let's end this little meeting." With that, Lu Yin left.

As long as he was present, the two men would not say anything.

There were many deeply hidden matters, and unless the depths were plumbed, there was no telling when they would surface.

If not for the Lu family’s return and the sudden spike in the Heavens Sect's strength, Lu Yin would have never dared to disturb the murky waters. However, the situation had changed drastically, and he wanted to discover what had been hidden.

Lu Yin left, and Mr. Daheng also turned to leave.

Luo Shan's voice entered the Arborean’s ears. "Why have you been watching me? I made it clear from the beginning that there is nothing between the two of us. Everything from the past should have disappeared."

Mr. Daheng's voice grew cold. "I already told you. I was not watching you."

Luo Shan abruptly attacked, and he lashed out at Mr. Daheng with a hand. The Arborean dodged, but he still glared at Luo Shan. "Do you want us both to die? Lu Yin has his eye on both of us."

Luo Shan looked quite irritated. "That's still better than having you plotting against me without knowing why. Why have you been watching me?"

Mr. Daheng took a deep breath, but he still hesitated.

Luo Shan quietly stated, "If you don’t tell me, then you can forget about leaving! I’ve already been reduced to this, and unless something changes, I won’t ever be able to live anywhere other than the Endless Frontier. In the worst case scenario, you say nothing, and then let’s see how long you can stay turtled up in the Arboreal Realm. You’ll either be forced to defect to the Aeternals or be exiled to the Endless Frontier, just like me. You’re the only one who can choose."

Mr. Daheng's eyes flushed red. "Don't try to force me! You’re the one who instigated things with the Origin Universe!"

"That matter is already in the past, and yet you’re still watching me. You’re the one trying to force me!" Luo Shan shouted back in a restrained voice.

Even if the Three Monarchs Universe had been annexed to the Endless Frontier and Monarch Mu killed, Luo Shan refused to live under the eyes of another.

Mr. Daheng let out a long breath. "Fine. You are also hoping for this matter to be put to an end, and I would like for the two of us to never have to meet again. Everything from the past should be settled and laid to rest. In that case, give me the stone that Chen Le gave you."

Mr. Daheng knew that he could no longer try to secretly target Luo Shan. That bastard Lu Yin had exposed matters, making it impossible for things to continue as they had been.

Luo Shan was stunned. "What stone?"

Mr. Daheng sneered. "You still want to pretend? Weren’t you the one who sent Chen Le to join my Liberation Palace?"

Luo Shan's eyes flared. "Chen Le was a part of your Liberation Palace?"

Ever since Chen Le had given the Peaks and Rivers Rock to Luo Shan, Mr. Daheng had only been able to think of two options. The first was that someone had helped Chen Le remove the obstruction that Mr. Daheng had placed on the man, which had allowed Chen Le to break through and become a Monarch. The second possibility was that Monarch Luo had sent Chen Le to join the Liberation Palace and that Luo Shan had been behind all of Chen Le’s actions.

When the people of the Three Monarchs Universe joined the Heavens Sect, Mr. Daheng had leaned towards the possibility that the Heavens Sect had helped Chen Le. It seemed very likely, but the possibility of Luo Shan being behind everything was still possible, especially since the stone had been given to Luo Shan. That rock was the true object of Mr. Daheng’s desires.

If Luo Shan knew nothing about the true purpose of the stone, then it would mean the first possibility was true. However, if Luo Shan knew what the Peaks and Rivers Rocks were for, then it would prove that he was the one truly manipulating things behind the scenes. After all, if the Heavens Sect had been the ones to help Chen Le, then why had the stone gone to Luo Shan? Lu Yin’s personality made such a possibility impossible.

As time passed and Mr. Daheng had thought more and more about the situation, he felt that Luo Shan was more likely the one directing Chen Le’s actions.

Chen Le must have joined the Heavens Sect at Luo Shan’s orders, as the Heavens Sect’s actions in the Three Monarchs Universe was not something that could be reversed. For that reason, Chen Le had been sent to join the Heavens Sect in order to find an opportunity for Luo Shan to deal with Lu Yin.

Mr. Daheng had become increasingly convinced that this theory of his was accurate.

"Luo Shan, you and I have known each other for a long, long time, and I know you very well. I know that having Chen Le join the Liberation Palace in order to scheme against me is not beyond you. In fact, it could even be said to be completely in line with how you do things. Are you trying to tell me that you don’t know about that stone? Ridiculous! Now that the two of us are speaking openly, give me the stone! From this moment forward, the two of us will never cross paths again, or else you will come to regret it!" Mr. Daheng openly threatened the Monarch.

Luo Shan suddenly looked down at his cosmic ring, only now remembering that, right after Chen Le had broken through and become a Monarch, he had inexplicably given Luo Shan a rock. Chen Le claimed to have found it on the Endless Frontier, after which he had been targeted by a corpse king, which suggested that the stone was important. However, Chen Le had also said that he had no idea what the stone was for, and so he had given it to Luo Shan.

At that time, Luo Shan had been protecting the border of the Three Monarchs Universe, and he had been on guard against Forgotten Ruins God. He had not paid any attention to the matter, and he had simply accepted the stone without much thought. Was that the stone that Mr. Daheng wanted?

Luo Shan's eyes flickered, as he realized that he had been deceived from the very beginning. Chen Le must have defected to Lu Yin even before his breakthrough, which was when Lu Yin had been posing as Xuan Qi. Somehow, Xuan Qi must have convinced Chen Le to give the stone to Monarch Luo in order to divert the Liberation Palace’s attention away from Chen Le.

"Chen Le did give me a stone with a portion of a landscape painting on it," Luo Shan agreed.

Mr. Daheng’s eyes practically blazed as he stared at Luo Shan.

The Monarch’s eyes narrowed. "But why should I give it to you? You hid in my Three Monarchs Universe in order to take this stone, likely wanting to take advantage of my injuries from the battle in the Transcendent Universe. It’s been months since then, and yet you never did anything or approached me. Thus, the only possibility is that you have been waiting for an opportunity to kill me."

Mr. Daheng quietly replied, "I never had any intention of killing you. I merely want that stone."

Luo Shan sneered. "I have no idea what that stone is for, and I also never knew that Chen Le had joined the Liberation Palace, but it's not too late for me to learn about those things now. Why do you think that you can take the stone away from me? Don't forget, I have always stood above you. You have never once surpassed me."

A dangerous light glinted in Mr. Daheng's eyes. "Luo Shan, I know you, and you know me. I swear by the freedom that I have pursued throughout my life that, if you do not give me that stone, disaster will befall you. You will surely regret your decision."

Luo Shan's eye twitched. From what he knew of Mr. Daheng, this oath was extremely vicious. It might be possible for Mr. Daheng to not care about his own cultivation and strength, but he absolutely cared about his so-called freedom. The man had been pursuing it ever since he had been a child.

"I, Luo Shan, do not fear you." Luo Shan turned around and left.

Mr. Daheng’s eyes grew sinister as he watched Luo Shan vanish.

Lu Yin watched everything from a distance. The two men he was observing clearly did not have a simple relationship. They must have known each other for a long time, but Luo Shan had not given the stone to Mr. Daheng. Mr. Daheng must have either not mentioned the matter to the Monarch, or Luo Shan must have refused to give the stone away.

Regardless of which was true, the two men would continue to be tangled together because of the Peaks and Rivers Rock.

After separating from Mr. Daheng, Luo Shan set out to find Lu Yin.

"Regardless of the final outcome in the Transcendent Universe, you did release Little Mu. I told you at that time that all grudges between us would be erased." Luo Shan spoke bluntly.

Lu Yin grew contemptuous. "You wanted to blame me for Monarch Mu's death earlier. What did you just figure out?"

Both men knew that, if it were possible, neither would hesitate to eliminate the threat that the other posed. Lu Yin's first choices would be to confer a god or anoint a champion, while Luo Shan preferred to simply kill Lu Yin. They both tacitly understood the other, which was also why Lu Yin had nothing to say about how Luo Shan had escaped during the battle against Shaman God. In fact, Lu Yin had already considered using that matter as an excuse for when he would eventually go after Luo Shan.

However, neither could do anything to the other for the time being.

Lu Yin could not instigate any sort of internal conflicts within the Sixverse Association, while Luo Shan lacked the necessary strength to attack Lu Yin in the current situation.

Luo Shan glanced at the ruins of the Mo Courtyard. "You helped Chen Le get away from the Liberation Palace."

Lu Yin neither admitted nor denied anything. He wanted to see what Luo Shan had to say.

"Mr. Daheng is a very complicated man, and he will do whatever is necessary to achieve his goals. He has already confirmed that I had nothing to do with what happened with Chen Le, which means that he will target you next. You told Chen Le to give me this stone, so I will now give it back to you." Luo Shan took out the stone with a partial landscape painting on it from his cosmic ring and handed it to Lu Yin.

Mr. Daheng was watching from the Mo Courtyard, and his expression twisted horribly.

Lu Yin looked at Mr. Daheng, and then at Luo Shan.

Luo Shan sneered. "What? Do you lack the courage to accept it?"

Lu Yin felt curious. "Why not just give it to Mr. Daheng?"

Luo Shan replied, "I want to see if the magnificent Dao Monarch Lu of the Origin Universe will dare to take this stone."

Lu Yin smiled. "It’s just a stone, and yet you choose to use it to try to provoke a conflict between me and the Liberation Palace instead of trying to earn a favor from either of us. Luo Shan, it’s no wonder why your Three Monarchs Universe has fallen to such a state. I can see why even Shao Yin did not regard you as much.”

With that, Lu Yin accepted the stone while Luo Shan glared at him. Lu Yin had always wanted to retrieve the stone from the Monarch, but it had never been the ideal time.

As for Mr. Daheng, he was welcome to try to take the stone.

The crusade to conquer the Endless Frontier was also intended to draw out all of these little enmities. Lu Yin wanted to shake the Sixverse Association up. As people tried to hide their heads, they would expose their tails and make all of their plots and schemes transparent.

Luo Shan raised a hand to stop Lu Yin. "Lord Lu, I’ll caution you that Mr. Daheng never does anything that he’s uncertain about. He is not my opponent, and yet he hid in the Three Monarchs Universe with the intention of taking the stone from me. That is clearly a problem, as it indicates that there is someone else behind him.

"Do not underestimate that man."

At this moment, Mr. Daheng started approaching them.

Luo Shan glanced at the Arborean, turned, and then vanished.

Lu Yin held the stone. This was the third Peaks and Rivers Rock that he had obtained. He had obtained one from the Han family, another from the Voidchaos region, and now this last one. Chen Le had given the stone to Luo Shan, but Luo Shan had returned it to Lu Yin.

Luo Shan had given the stone to Lu Yin in an open manner where Mr. Daheng would definitely see the exchange. The Monarch clearly wanted to incite a conflict between the Liberation Palace and Lu Yin. This was not something clever or even hidden, but it was rather sinister. Additionally, it was clear that Luo Shan had his own goals, though Lu Yin had no idea what those were.

The Monarch’s greed was such that he desired to seize the Transcendent Universe. When his attempt to do so had failed, he had quickly set aside his hatred over Monarch Mu’s death and the fall of the Three Monarchs Universe to quietly and peacefully go to the Endless Frontier. This was a normal reaction; just like an ordinary human, Luo Shan would attack when he felt like he had an advantage, but he would hide his hatred when he lacked the necessary strength.

In comparison, Mr. Daheng’s motivations were hidden much more deeply.

Lu Yin toyed with the stone, a smile on his lips as he watched Mr. Daheng approach.

Mr. Daheng only stared at the stone as he rushed over. He addressed Lu Yin in a very polite tone. "Lord Lu."

Lu Yin held the stone in one hand and carefully observed it. "Don't even bring up wanting to leave again. If I hear that come out of your mouth again, I’ll ask my senior brother to deal with you."