Flaying's True Identity: The Original Is Deceased

Du Chen had informed Xue Ji of Sixth Sister Sherine's disappearance, and she fell silent.

Du Chen mused, "Though finding Eldest Brother and Flaying is paramount, Xue Ji is Young Aunt Sherine's sister. I absolutely cannot abandon her, gravely injured and still recovering, in these desolate wilds!" Secretly calculating the effects of his Lotus Holy Light from earlier, Du Chen said, "Miss Xue Ji, if I treat your injuries daily, you should fully recover in about a month. If you don't mind, how about staying by my side for that month?"

Xue Ji shook her head. "Benefactor has pressing matters. Xue Ji dares not burden Benefactor!"

Du Chen waved a hand dismissively. "It's no trouble. Since you're Sherine's sister, you're hardly an outsider to me! If I were to stand by and ignore a friend's sister grievously wounded, how could I ever face Sherine again?" He spoke these words with genuine sincerity.

Xue Ji covered her mouth, chuckled softly, and looked up. "Sixth Sister is inherently reserved and reclusive, not fond of social interaction, and rarely makes friends. But if she recognizes someone as a friend, they must be a trustworthy confidant! Xue Ji will trouble Benefactor!" She bowed in thanks.

Du Chen secretly circulated his inner strength, intending to summon a lotus, carry Xue Ji with him, and then swiftly go in search of Flaying.

Just then, Xue Ji asked, "Benefactor, there is one more matter Xue Ji wishes to entrust to you. Please find Sixth Sister as quickly as possible. The enemies our sect has encountered this time are incredibly formidable, and their methods utterly ruthless. My Venerable Master deduces that these might be foes our sect provoked in its earlier years. It's highly probable they intend to annihilate our entire lineage, so Sixth Sister is also in grave danger."

Du Chen nodded. "You speak truly. Once I've understood the situation at Amulang Mountain, I will immediately go search for Sherine. Miss Xue Ji, you were ambushed this time—did you not obtain any clues about your assailants? I still command some influence across the Three Continents; perhaps I can help you investigate their trail, even the slightest hint. This would also be helping Sherine!"

Xue Ji replied with a bitter smile, "Those three individuals were utterly bizarre and enigmatic. Xue Ji only knows that one was a lecherous old man with yellowed teeth who immediately offered to divine one's destiny. Another was a young man with a horsetail braid, somewhat effeminate, who styled himself an artist. As for the one who struck me… a red Flat-Top's Helm and black robes!"

"What!?"

*The three individuals Xue Ji described… Old Bovin, Jamis, and that enigmatic organization!* A tempest surged within Du Chen's heart. *Sherine knows Old Bovin from Battle God Isle, and their relationship was quite good. How could Old Bovin suddenly bring people to kill Sherine's sister?*

*And the Flat-Top's Helm, black robes… Isn't this organization fully at odds with Water's Embrace Lake? On the return journey from Silvermoon Island, the mysterious figures who ambushed and slew Donna and the four Divine Envoys clearly demonstrated their stance: they are irreconcilably hostile to Water's Embrace Lake, and their next step is to unleash their full might against it! So, this Xue Ji is… someone from Water's Embrace Lake? And Young Aunt Sherine is also a disciple of Margaret!?*

Du Chen suddenly realized something was amiss!

He rubbed his nose, then looked at Xue Ji again. Du Chen's impression of her plummeted instantly. *Damn it, she's an Old Hags, decades old, yet masquerading as an innocent young girl! Hmph! I'll have Deboning keep an eye on Flaying and Eldest Brother for now. This old witch wants to play? I'll play along! She seems so naive and inexperienced in the ways of the world, doesn't she?*

Du Chen immediately put on an anxious expression, then dangled a piece of The Bait. "Miss Xue Ji, I've never heard of the first two individuals you mentioned. However, about half a year ago, I received news of a blasphemous murder case that occurred in the outskirts of Turco Port. The killer at the time matched the description of your third assailant, and among the deceased… one was named Donna!"

Xue Ji exclaimed in shock, "So Donna is already dead!"

Du Chen feigned surprise. "You know Donna? I don't know much about that murder case, but according to the civilians in the carriage who later gave statements, the killer displayed an ingrained, profound hatred for the Divine Margaret! Could it be… that you are a disciple of Water's Embrace Margaret, one of the greatest heroes in human history, the Venerable Divinity?"

Xue Ji paused slightly. Hearing Du Chen's utterly respectful tone towards Margaret, she nodded with a faint smile.

"Ah, my apologies! My sincere apologies!" Du Chen quickly bowed. "So Sherine is also… Heh heh, back then, Sherine, just like you, refused to reveal her sect! But what is there to hide? A disciple of the Divine Margaret—what an honorable status!?" Rubbing his nose, Du Chen asked thoughtfully, "Those people are actually enemies with the Divine Margaret? Are they Fiendkind remnants, or perhaps traitors among humans? Miss Xue Ji, did the Divine Margaret have any enemies in her early years? Perhaps we can discern The Clues about our foes from there."

Xue Ji pondered, "In her early years, Master commanded the Firmament War Zone, personally slaying countless enemy Generals. Enemies were naturally plentiful."

Du Chen shook his head. "What I just said was also incorrect. The Fiendkind was entirely annihilated by the Divine Emperor Prince in ancient times, so they couldn't be the Divine Margaret's early enemies. Miss Xue Ji, has the Venerable Divinity encountered any powerful adversaries in recent years?"

Xue Ji hesitated slightly. "Although Master has commanded that Xue Ji not reveal the secrets of Water's Embrace Lake carelessly, Benefactor is asking to help me, so Xue Ji dares not conceal. After the War of Fallen Gods, our Water's Embrace Lake rarely interacts with others. There are only two factions with both the capability and reason to seek vengeance against us…"

Du Chen rejoiced inwardly.

Xue Ji softly uttered a name. "The first is the so-called Foremost Battle God beneath the Starry Sky, Charlemagne!" She shook her head slightly. "But three hundred years ago, Charlemagne was grievously wounded by my Master and could not possibly have lived much longer! And though Charlemagne had thirteen wives, most were slain by my Master. Even his only daughter was afflicted by Water's Embrace Holy Radiance, a malady none in the world could cure!"

*Heavens, Charlemagne fared so miserably back then? He retreated to Battle God Isle simply to await his demise!* Du Chen could imagine how wretchedly Margaret must have dealt with Charlemagne, but there surely were ancient secrets involved that Xue Ji was unwilling to divulge further.

Xue Ji continued, "And the second faction is the descendants of the Yessar God. Benefactor may not have heard of Yetha; they are an extremely secretive cult that once had conflicts with my Master. Approximately eighteen years ago, Master personally descended to the mortal realm, apprehended their contemporary Saintess named Phil, crippled Phil's son, and even slew the Saintess's Guardian Battle God, Glynn, the Spectral Blade. This cemented a deep, irreconcilable hatred between us."

Du Chen's heart felt as though it plunged from his chest to his gut, then surged back up to his throat. *Glynn was already killed by Margaret. So who is the current Flaying!?*

Du Chen already knew all about the grievances between the Holy Yessar Church and Water's Embrace Lake arising from the Art of Artifact Annihilation, having learned it from the story-loving Mas. But *Flaying* died during Margaret's capture of Phil all those years ago—what was going on!?

Xue Ji then said sorrowfully, "If they truly are Yetha's people, then it would be much simpler. Sixth Sister and Glynn, the Spectral Blade, once shared a certain affection. She even severed ties with my Master over Glynn's matter and settled on Battle God Isle. If the enemy is Yetha, Sixth Sister should be safe."

Du Chen found this strange and hastily inquired about Sherine and Glynn's past.

Xue Ji offered a bitter smile. "Years ago, Sixth Sister entered Battle God Academy under Master's orders to carry out a mission…"

The matter between Sherine and Glynn was not complex. With the intelligence he possessed and Xue Ji's account, Du Chen quickly understood everything: In her early years, Sherine entered Battle God Academy on Margaret's orders and befriended Glynn, who was more than ten years her senior… but due to the rules of Water's Embrace Lake, nothing came of it. Later, Margaret captured Phil and slew Glynn, leading Sherine to turn against Margaret over Glynn!

However, at that time, Margaret had already killed Arthur's mother and Roland's wife—who were Xue Ji's Seventh Sister and Eighth Sister—and her fury had largely subsided. Since Sherine and Flaying had no substantial relationship, Margaret effectively banished Sherine from Water's Embrace Lake, allowing her to settle on Battle God Isle!

Yet, many years later, the supposedly deceased Glynn reappeared before Sherine, entering Battle God Academy alongside Francis…

Du Chen seethed inwardly, *Margaret, that woman is truly ruthless!*

With a cold gaze, Du Chen secretly scrutinized Xue Ji, then chuckled kindly, "Miss Xue Ji, I understand everything you've said. Your body is still quite weak; why don't you rest for a moment? I'll go take care of my own matters right away, and then we'll go find Sherine together… Here, I have some medicinal concoctions prepared through alchemy. Please take these first!"

Xue Ji suspected nothing and swallowed several pills. But less than half a minute after the pills entered her mouth, her head lolled to the side, and she fell into a deep sleep!

Du Chen sneered coldly. "Medicinal concoctions? These are sedatives to induce unconsciousness!"

Tossing Xue Ji into a Lotus Holy Light, keeping her close and concealed, Du Chen himself piloted his last remaining Lotus, rocketing out of the cave like lightning, following the agreed direction to pursue Deboning!

After flying for about half an hour, Dus's voice suddenly echoed in his Divine Sense: "Francis, your Eldest Brother Steve just burst into maniacal laughter, yelling something like, 'Found it! I'm here!' And Flaying roared fiercely, 'Francis! Francis!'… Both of their voices were extremely odd!"

Du Chen's brows furrowed deeply. "The crucial question is, where are they now!?" Before he could finish, a mass of black and crimson mist suddenly erupted skyward from the direction of Blade of Heaven Peak. Following it, five ethereal ribbons of black, green, blue, red, and yellow light shimmered into existence!

"No need to tell me, I know where they are now!"

The Fire Lotus Lantern materialized, its explosive power instantly amplified, and Du Chen lunged towards Blade of Heaven Peak!

Not far away, a stream of black and azure mist also surged forward, several times faster than Du Chen. It was Deboning, who had also detected the anomaly, drawing closer. "Young Master, Flaying is on Blade of Heaven Peak!"

"I see him! Deboning, fly there at maximum speed and protect Eldest Brother! As for Flaying…" Du Chen stared intently at Blade of Heaven Peak, then flung the Fire Lotus Lantern to Deboning. "Capture him! Take this—Dus will coordinate with you from within Eldest Brother's body!"

Deboning was startled.

Du Chen declared coldly, "The true Flaying died eighteen years ago!"