The Clues

Du Chen was slightly bewildered, utterly confounded by the old man's peculiar discourse. Cautiously, he asked, "Master, are you implying..."

"Five days ago, you defeated Sea Emperor Thanes, correct?" Zigurd asked solemnly.

"Yes, Teacher!" Du Chen muttered inwardly, thinking, *This old man isn't one to be petty!*

Zigurd glared fiercely at Du Chen. "But why did you use Du Chen, the Divine's Secret Technique instead of the Battle God Academy's styles?"

*Could I have defeated the Sea King using Battle God Academy techniques?* Du Chen grumbled internally. Suddenly, Zigurd across from him burst into hearty laughter... It turned out the old man was, for once, playing a trick on Du Chen. "Did Sea Emperor Thanes have any message for me?"

Du Chen could see that the old man was genuinely delighted by his student's achievement, his eyes crinkling shut with mirth. A warmth spread through Du Chen's heart, and he chuckled, "Yes, he said he was utterly convinced by your prowess in teaching, Master!"

Zigurd let out a small laugh, his goatee quivering. "I can hardly take credit for that. Alas, though you are my student, I haven't been able to teach you much..."

And so, master and disciple exchanged a few pleasantries and spoke of mundane matters. Du Chen recounted his recent experiences and the task the Pontiff had entrusted him with. Upon hearing of the Pontiff's mission, Zigurd's expression soured slightly. He waved a hand dismissively. "Hmm, this is all for the grand endeavor against the Fiendkind. You go and attend to your business. Also, find time to visit Battle God Isle and settle your graduation!"

Du Chen bowed and withdrew, performing the full courtesies of a student. In fairness, his time with old man Zigurd wasn't extensive, and their master-disciple bond wasn't profoundly deep. Yet, Zigurd was undeniably a venerable elder, and Du Chen held him in reverence rather than affection. Furthermore, the deeply ingrained Daoist concept of respecting teachers and valuing the Dao from his previous life compelled him to honor the old man from the bottom of his heart.

Watching the serendipitously encountered Zigurd enter the Pontiff's Golden Tent, and catching sight of Ferdinand's purple eyebrows, Du Chen instinctively touched the Golden Token of Slaughter tucked within his robes.

Who exactly was Number Three, who had helped Brockman and Philip escape that day? Anyone privy to the Papal Curia's entire strategic deployment must have held a high position within it. Yet, the Pontiff had already purged the high-ranking Curia members who participated in that battle, without uncovering a single clue! Could it be... that Number Three, in the eyes of the world, wasn't at the Grand Chasm that day, but was engaged in other affairs, and yet Number Three cleverly orchestrated a scheme, deceiving both the Pontiff and the masses, to secretly arrive at the Grand Chasm and create an escape opportunity for Brockman?

Du Chen released the Golden Token of Slaughter, thinking, *With the Pontiff's intellect, he must have already considered this. I just need to await the revelation of Number Three's identity!*

Du Chen strolled towards the tent where Deboning and the others resided. Anya and Beibei had already arrived, dragging Snoopy by the ears. The two Grand Matriarchs were cradling Snoopy, sighing mournfully—they had learned of Wolf's fate, but were unaware that the one who told Du Chen this secret was Julie!

And a portion of the ashes of their sister, Lieutenant General Julie, was in Deboning's hand beside them.

After recounting his conversation with the Pontiff, Du Chen commanded, "Next, we must pursue the matter of the missing remains of the Fallen Gods heroes. Grand Matriarchs, I trouble you to notify Porter as quickly as possible. Tell him not to come here, but to go directly to Durkes City and await me! Brook, you shall accompany me to the Grand Chasm for an inspection!"

Once they stepped outside, free from other ears, Du Chen's true nature shone through. He clapped Deboning on the shoulder and praised him, "You've done an excellent job in my absence! It seems that when a fellow who rarely deceives suddenly decides to trick people, the effect is genuinely remarkable!"

Deboning's seasoned face flushed, but inwardly, he was smug. *Young Master intends to make me the second most influential figure in Durkes City. If I don't give my all, wouldn't outsiders brand me an 'unsupportable good-for-nothing'? Where would my reputation as Nether Blade stand then?*

Du Chen seemed to be testing Deboning, asking, "Have you discerned the meaning behind the Pontiff bestowing upon me the Golden Token of Slaughter and listing me as one of the five individuals on the 'clean' roster?"

Deboning pondered for a moment, then spoke grimly, "His Holiness is shrewd. He's killing two birds with one stone: compelling you, Young Master, to help him eliminate spies, while simultaneously probing and testing you!"

Du Chen rubbed his nose and chuckled. "Elaborate!"

"Sama first used the pretext of the great anti-Fiendkind cause to effectively carve Durkes City out of Lanning's territory, prompting Bargnar to deploy Arges's troops to monitor us, thus placing Durkes City under Lanning's suppression... But then, immediately afterward, he granted you the authority to kill! This is a tactic of both grace and might!"

Du Chen shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.

Deboning asked curiously, "Was what I said incorrect?"

Du Chen let out a cold scoff. "You've said it all correctly, but any seasoned political veteran of a noble house could see these things! The Pontiff's ambition extends far beyond that!"

Seeing Deboning's confusion, Du Chen sneered, "Now that the Fiendkind are trapped by the Huhuhu Beasts, the pressure on the Pontiff from the Subterranean Abyss has decreased a hundredfold! Therefore, his primary objective has shifted to purging dissidents! And those five individuals on the list are all but slaughtering blades in his hand!"

Deboning was greatly startled. "Young Master, why is this?"

Du Chen pointed to his own nose. "Take me, for instance... I've wanted to eliminate Arges for a long time!" Deboning gave a sheepish smile. "But Young Master, you've always worried that the stigma of parricide would condemn you to an inescapable damnation!"

"Indeed! But the Pontiff has granted me the authority to kill. If I wished to eliminate Arges now, I would only need to fabricate some evidence, brand him a Fiendkind spy, and by then, the hundreds of millions of faithful across the Three Continents, represented by the Pontiff, would support my parricide. Furthermore, they would hail such an act as... upholding righteousness by sacrificing kin!"

Deboning nodded in sudden realization. "In a few days, we're still going to deal with Arges's invading troops. If he dares to provoke you again then, you genuinely might strike him down..."

"Precisely. But once I eliminate Arges, the Lanning Empire will not only lose a renowned general and commander, but its two hundred thousand heavy armored main Army Corps will instantly lose their combat effectiveness. This would severely cripple the nation's power, giving the Pontiff ample opportunity to infiltrate and manipulate Lanning!"

Du Chen shrugged. "Among the five of us on that list, who doesn't have enemies? Who doesn't have someone they wish to eliminate? Just wait, before the Fiendkind even arrive, humanity will plunge into a period of chaos!"

Deboning frowned. "How could the Pontiff be so disregardful of the greater good?"

Du Chen pointed to himself. "Because I've instilled in him the confidence of absolute victory over the Fiendkind. He believes he can control humanity's internal strife, which is why he dares to play such a game! And earlier, his insistence that I not publicize the matter of the Huhuhu Beasts was precisely to ensure his plan to purge dissidents proceeds smoothly!" Du Chen weighed the Golden Token in his hand and smiled. "The Pontiff truly has me cornered. I'm utterly unwilling to give up this Golden Token... Tsk tsk, it aligns with Heavenly Reason, to raise the banner of justice and falsely accuse and secretly harm one's enemies. What Prerogative, who could bear to relinquish it?"

He clapped Deboning's shoulder once more. "You've done very well already. In the future, think a little more deeply!"

Deboning nodded earnestly!

***

The Auerbach Grand Canyon appeared before them. Du Chen followed the steps into Orbach's tomb. Now, the mausoleum was severely damaged, with debris and ruined walls everywhere. The mere dozen or so beastmen Crimson Mausoleum Guards who remained were tearfully repairing it. Orbach's coffin lay open in the center of the tomb, its lid askew, revealing an empty interior.

Deboning stepped forward and explained, "When the coffin was opened that day, this was its condition. No one had touched it. Andy and I checked everything—the scent, the mechanisms, the burial items... all were undisturbed. It was as if Orbach's corpse had simply vanished from the coffin!"

Orbach's corpse had been stolen without a trace; the method of the crime left no discernable clues...

Du Chen circled the coffin several times. After his professional eye confirmed there were truly no anomalies, he sought out a few Crimson Mausoleum Guards and asked, "When was the last recorded instance of the Supreme Father God's body appearing before people?"

A Mausoleum Guard replied, filled with grief and indignation, "It was one hundred and twenty years ago, when the Old King obtained a precious treasure he wished to present to the Supreme Father God, and opened the coffin to behold the Supreme Father God!"

Well then! The time of the corpse's disappearance could be any point from one hundred and twenty years ago up to August 31st of this year!

"Were there any remarkable properties of the Supreme Father God's body? For example, something that could lead to a Sudden Surge in Power or the like..."

Deboning answered on his behalf, "His Holiness the Pontiff has already investigated. The Supreme Father God's corpse might be useful to the Fiendkind Undead legion, but apart from that, it is merely a..." He glanced at the tearful beastman, "—a very incomplete corpse!" In other words, Orbach had died so horribly that not even his mother would recognize him, utterly useless!

*Damn it!* Du Chen thought. *There are no clues regarding the motive either!*

He asked several more questions in succession, but yielded no results. Just as Du Chen was about to lose hope, a Mausoleum Guard spoke, "Lord Francis, you are the last to inspect the coffin. If you find nothing, please step aside so we can restore the coffin and reconstruct the sacred artifact defense mechanism!"

"Sacred artifact defense mechanism?"

"Yes, to prevent anyone from desecrating the Supreme Father God, the Saint Baton Family Head installed sacred artifact lock mechanisms on the inner walls of the coffin. Anyone attempting to open the coffin and steal the corpse without the secret key would be slain on the spot!"

A thought stirred in Du Chen's mind. "During the great battle with Bonis, what state were those mechanisms in? Were they activated?"

"At that time, Bonis and the Thunderfire Cannons clashed, and the aftershocks brushed open the coffin. Whether the internal mechanisms were activated, or what state they were in... we are unclear. The light that day was simply too intense; perhaps they activated, and we simply didn't see it!" The Mausoleum Guard paused. "Some have also suspected that those sacred artifact lock mechanisms might hold clues to the missing corpse, but despite their searches, they found nothing, merely wasting our time repairing the tomb. Do you... truly wish to inspect them again?"

Du Chen urgently ordered, "Bring me all the remaining parts of the lock mechanisms!"

Others hadn't found clues, but was Du Chen just anyone else?

He took the remnants of the sacred artifact locks and examined them, then had the Mausoleum Guards reassemble them according to the diagrams. Du Chen simulated the locking and unlocking process of these mechanisms, then shook his head. "Regrettably, I too have found nothing. Very well, continue with your repairs. I will no longer disturb the Supreme Father God!"

The Mausoleum Guard wore an expression that said, "Just as we expected," and grudgingly collected the remnants!

Exiting the Grand Chasm, Deboning asked, "Young Master, did you truly find nothing?"