CHAPTER 491: CHAPTER 365 BE CAREFUL WITH THAT NUN_2

Chen Yi, with memories of two lifetimes, understood that

Yin Weiyin was someone who never appeared in his past life, and to Yin Weiyin, wasn’t he the same?

Now that he thinks back, no matter how you look at it, it’s a strange, twisted fate.

Li Yangong gave a series of instructions, and after listening, Chen Yi stood up and said:

"Elder Li, this is farewell."

As soon as he finished, the sound of footsteps outside the door grew more hurried, and Chen Yi turned and left the dungeon.

Staring at Chen Yi’s retreating figure, a chilling breeze wafted through the prison cell.

As the gloom brushed past, Li Yangong peered through the bars, gazing toward the direction Chen Yi had left.

After a long pause, the Elder of Punishment coldly chuckled and muttered to himself:

"He actually thinks I haven’t learned, after all these years in the underworld, who the true Song Shengbao really is."

A gust of eerie wind reinforced the twisted smirk on Li Yangong’s face.

From the moment Chen Yi stepped inside, suspicion had already gnawed at him.

Even as Chen Yi later produced the golden paper, Li Yangong still harbored doubts.

Fearing that lies would be divined, he didn’t utter falsehoods, but... there were things seemingly trivial yet crucial that he deliberately withheld.

Such as why the former emperor trusted their demonic sect...

In the eerie dungeon, dread-fueled cold lamps burned brightly.

As frigid winds swept past, those cold-fueled lamps flared more fiercely.

Li Yangong’s pupils dilated, his beard and hair trembling.

Out of the wind appeared Chen Yi: "You think I wouldn’t realize you knew?"

Li Yangong’s spine stiffened with fear: "You didn’t leave?!"

Chen Yi smirked: "What else? Let’s carry on. Let’s talk about things I don’t yet know..."

.........

Soon after.

Chen Yi walked leisurely out of the eerie dungeon.

They had discussed nearly everything that needed to be discussed.

The cold, numbing floor tiles stretched beneath his feet. The wind in the dungeon carried the tormented screams of souls—a sound which echoed unrelentingly—but their suffering couldn’t compare to what Li Yangong endured.

Had they tortured him from the outset, Li Yangong would never have divulged what Chen Yi wanted to know, instead sealing his lips completely.

One must understand: humans are ruled by emotions. If one out of ten secrets remains unspoken, it’s as good as guarding them unto death.

But if someone reveals eight out of ten secrets, extracting the rest doesn’t require much effort.

With some clever conversation tactics, even those unwilling to disclose will one day spill everything.

As Chen Yi walked halfway out of the eerie dungeon, he stopped.

He then heard a slightly familiar voice near his ear:

"Namo Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, how unexpected to meet you here, benefactor."

Chen Yi turned his head and saw Dong Guifei slowly approaching. Judging from the direction she came and her facial expression, it seemed she had received information from someone.

"Why have you come here?"

"I should rather ask you that, benefactor."

Jueyin’s response was neither warm nor distant—the monk’s humble demeanor looked as though nothing had ever transpired between the two of them.

Chen Yi pondered briefly and said, "An exchange of information?"

"Precisely my intention." Dong Guifei pressed her palms together, bowing.

"I inquired about matters concerning the demonic sect. Have you heard about the Prince of Xiang’s mansion being confiscated due to his involvement with the sect?"

Thinking about her position in the imperial palace, Chen Yi cautiously tested the waters.

The matter of the Xiang Prince’s confiscation was surely known to Dong Guifei, who nodded slightly, "This nun has heard that the Xiang Prince, though once a son of the former emperor, lived extravagantly—with neither talent nor ambition—and after the Princess passed away, he turned to the demonic sect and thus brought calamity upon himself."

"Haven’t you noticed something peculiar about this?"

"Peculiar?"

Seeing the puzzled look on the long-haired nun’s face, Chen Yi pointed out directly:

"How could a paper figure produce a child?"

Dong Guifei’s pupils widened with sudden realization.

Chen Yi said coldly, "The Xiang Prince was already a member of the sect."

"Benefactor, are you suggesting... the former emperor acknowledged a member of the demonic sect as his son, allowing him to reside as a Prince?"

Dong Guifei suddenly had a bolder conjecture but dared not voice it.

Chen Yi calmly replied, "The former emperor had long-standing ties with the demonic sect."

That’s why the demonic sect could gain the former emperor’s trust in the underworld—their relationship predated everything else; there was no need to earn it.

Dong Guifei chanted a Buddhist prayer a few times and sighed deeply.

After processing the information briefly, she found Chen Yi staring at her.

It was her turn to disclose valuable information. Dong Guifei said, "I imagine the benefactor is more interested in matters within the Capital City, so this nun will share one piece of information today regarding the Empress Dowager."

"Speak."

"The Empress Dowager... has always been devout in her faith of the Buddhist Law, hence she annually commands palace representatives to offer incense and prayers to temples and monasteries across the land."

The Empress Dowager, as the mother of the nation, could never depart the Capital City freely, nor could she visit every single monastery given their vast number. Consequently, sending representatives for Buddhist rituals was commonplace; Chen Yi wasn’t surprised upon hearing this. But in the next moment, his expression changed abruptly.

Dong Guifei paused, then said each word slowly:

"The emissary dispatched for these Buddhist rituals, whose monastic title is Zhihui, is Master Zhihui."

Chen Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "Anything else you know?"

Dong Guifei shook her head and replied, "This nun, confined to the Cold Palace, knows only this much."

Monks do not speak falsehoods. Although their exchange had only unfolded briefly, the two had built a certain level of mutual trust after experiencing so much. After computing a few things inwardly, Chen Yi chose not to doubt her.

Chen Yi walked ahead, with Dong Guifei trailing a modest distance behind.

As they exited the dungeon, Chen Yi saw Zhou Yitang already waiting not far ahead.

Chen Yi quickened his pace toward her, but before he could say anything, Zhou Yitang asked:

"Who was that?"

Seeing her demeanor, Chen Yi didn’t even need to turn his head to know she was referring to Dong Guifei.

Considering he hadn’t yet explained his engagement to Little Yin, letting her discover his association with a nun now...

Chen Yi didn’t dare imagine how she’d respond.

He calmly said, "An acquaintance met along the way—a Korean."

The one-armed woman listened while observing Dong Guifei, who glanced at them once before turning to leave, causing her concern to dissipate slightly.

"That woman is a nun, yet she keeps her hair and has broken one of the great vows."

Zhou Yitang warned:

"Her virginity belongs to someone unknown—you must not build deep connections with her."

Master’s teaching carried weight, and Chen Yi nodded earnestly in compliance.

Seeing how seriously he listened, a flash of emotion passed through Zhou Yitang’s eyes.

In his past life, when first ascending the mountain, he was just like this—every word she said, he would follow.

Though many things were different in this life, when she saw him wield the living sword again, perhaps everything had, after all, returned full circle.

Two individuals destined for each other must always endure hardships and twists.

"How do you plan to leave the Capital City?" Zhou Yitang asked lightly.

Chen Yi lowered his gaze in thought.

Leaving the Capital City could be easy or difficult, depending.

With his name already erased from the Spring and Autumn Registry, he could use any pretense to leave.

But the problem lay in how to evade pursuit once outside the city.

There’s no such thing as eternal vigilance against thieves...

"First, I must lull the Empress Dowager into complacency..." Chen Yi paused before continuing, "Then find an opportunity to make her have no choice but to let me go."

Zhou Yitang suggested, "Impeachment?"

Chen Yi nodded. He had indeed considered this method. Now, as the Capital Prince’s quasi-son-in-law, getting his help to orchestrate an impeachment against himself and force his exile wasn’t impossible.

But impeachment alone wouldn’t suffice—certainly not.

To the woman of Jingren Palace, he was a fine blade—no matter how the officials impeached, how could she let go of such a tool?

Nonetheless, some vague thoughts began to take shape in his mind.

He turned to Zhou Yitang with a smile and asked:

"Master, will you help me?"

"Find your own way." Zhou Yitang replied.

Chen Yi wasn’t surprised by her answer—back in the Secret Realm, she had already made it clear that teaching him Taoist skills this time would be the last bit of help she would provide.

Counting everything, since leaving the underground palace, Zhou Yitang had helped him countless times. Now that he was relearning the Living Sword, past-life resentments between them were diminishing, and Chen Yi became more cautious not to upset her.

Especially since she had already done so much for him.

So Chen Yi sighed resignedly and said:

"I didn’t truly expect you to help me—I was only dreading that the Empress Dowager might arrange a forced marriage."

Zhou Yitang replied coldly, "I’ll help."

Chen Yi: "..."

He chuckled helplessly but felt a sense of unease.

This wife from a past life remained unaware of the engagement...

At such a critical moment, he didn’t want unnecessary drama. If he upset Zhou Yitang once more, who could say if she’d turn around and collaborate with the Empress Dowager?

Moreover, Zhou Yitang seemed not entirely to have abandoned the notion of severing his Three Corpses.

In short, everything needed to proceed slowly—the engagement news had to be smoothly introduced, with her being placated first, only then could it prevent any mishaps.

After some silence, with his thoughts finally steady, Chen Yi resolved that no matter how he planned to leave the Capital, his first task was to escape the underworld and see daylight once more.