Jiang Chen fixed Elder Ke with a cold stare. "This is your last chance."
Elder Ke was, after all, a man who had lived for over a thousand years and witnessed countless great battles. Yet now, threatened by Jiang Chen, he couldn't muster even the faintest intention to resist.
The situation was dire. Even if he wanted to, he had no choice but to bow his head.
"Friend, this prohibition involves a sensitive matter of the Moon God Sect. Back then, an internal power struggle within the Moon God Sect led to a certain faction's Holy Maiden being cast out into the secular world as an infant. This matter has always been a source of shame for the Moon God Sect, so discussion of it is strictly forbidden. Very few people know about it. Now, after so many years have passed, I never expected that an Origin Realm martial artist would come asking about it. So..." At this point, Elder Ke's voice grew somewhat halting as he secretly sized up Jiang Chen.
Hearing these words, Jiang Chen's heart suddenly began to race.
The Moon God Sect's shame? A Holy Maiden from a certain faction cast out into the secular world? Why did this sound so familiar? In an instant, Jiang Chen recalled what the innkeeper Niu Wu had told him at the Flying Horse Inn in Golden Bell City of the Great Cangyun Kingdom in Glass King City.
The Moon God Sect once had an infant girl who fell into the secular world...
Could it really be such a coincidence? Was this the very information he had come to seek?
From Niu Wu's intelligence, Jiang Chen had obtained certain clues. He believed that the Holy Maiden cast into the secular world was most likely his biological mother in this life.
And he had come to Frost Moon City, to the Oblique Moon Upper Region, precisely to investigate this lead.
In that moment, Jiang Chen could no longer contain himself, his thoughts scattering in every direction.
"If this Holy Maiden is my mother, then who is the Origin Realm martial artist who was asking about her?" Jiang Chen could hardly bear to follow that thought to its conclusion.
The answer was practically on the tip of his tongue. But at this moment, he almost didn't dare to accept it.
He suspected that this so-called Origin Realm martial artist, Liu Zhen's close friend, was most likely his father, Ye Feng! This deduction was entirely logical.
Yet, part of Jiang Chen didn't want it to be true. Because, according to what Elder Ke had said, his father had come here several months ago to inquire about the Holy Maiden.
And he himself had already been handed over by the Fallen Heaven Society to the Moon God Sect. If the Moon God Sect truly held such a taboo about this matter and forbade anyone from discussing or inquiring about it, then anyone who violated that rule would surely meet a terrible end.
What Jiang Chen feared most right now was this: if the person who had been asking about the Holy Maiden was truly his father, then his father might already have been killed by the Moon God Sect.
At this thought, Jiang Chen could no longer maintain his composure.
His gaze shot out with endless frost as he fixed it on Elder Ke. "Old man Ke, someone merely came to ask about a single piece of information, and you handed them over to the Moon God Sect. Is this the principle of your Fallen Heaven Society? Customers can be betrayed at any time, can they?"
Jiang Chen's tone turned furious in an instant, his emotions exploding outward.
Elder Ke stared in stunned silence. He clearly couldn't quite understand what had just happened. Why had this young man's tone changed so abruptly?
Even if he really had been hired by Liu Zhen at a high price, there was no reason to be this emotionally invested, was there?
Judging by his manner and his tone, it was as if this man had a blood feud against him. Was that really necessary?
An Origin Realm martial artist — in the Upper Eight Regions, an Origin Realm martial artist was barely different from an ant.
"Friend... you must understand, no matter how powerful the Fallen Heaven Society may be, we are still a force within the Oblique Moon Upper Region. In the Oblique Moon Upper Region, no matter who you are, you must obey the Moon God Sect."
Elder Ke smiled bitterly. "The Moon God Sect has repeatedly issued strict orders: if anyone in the Oblique Moon Upper Region discusses this secret, no matter who they are, they must be captured on the spot and handed over to the Moon God Sect."
"And then?" Jiang Chen's voice was colder than ice, as though a massive glacier were bearing down on them.
"And then... and then..." Under the crushing weight of Jiang Chen's aura, Elder Ke found himself unable to continue, stammering until he could no longer speak.
"Brother Mo, Brother Dragon — strike!"
Jiang Chen's emotions could be held back no longer. He called out directly to the Peerless Great Emperor and Long Xiaoxuan.
Long Xiaoxuan had been waiting for Jiang Chen's signal all along. Upon hearing this, he was delighted and charged straight at those Royal Realm powerhouses. The Peerless Great Emperor, seeing Jiang Chen's emotions erupt so suddenly, realized there must be more to this matter than met the eye.
With a chuckle, his figure flickered. In the next instant, he had landed directly in front of Elder Ke. Elder Ke's face changed drastically, and he was about to react, when suddenly the Peerless Great Emperor's hand came to rest on his shoulder.
The hand pressed down on him like an entire mountain, and Elder Ke's expression transformed at once. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't move even a fraction.
"Senior, please show mercy..." A trace of despair flickered through Elder Ke's eyes. "I... if you kill me, the lords of our Fallen Heaven Society will not let this rest."
The Peerless Great Emperor chuckled. "I originally only intended to restrain you and leave the rest to them. But since you actually dare to threaten this Emperor, then I really do want to see just how your Fallen Heaven Society lords plan to not let it rest. Heh heh heh."
Hearing this, Elder Ke's soul nearly fled his body. What? This Emperor? Could he... could he be an Emperor-level powerhouse? In that instant, Elder Ke's entire body went rigid, his mind going blank, with only one thought repeating itself: I'm done for. I'm done for. I've actually provoked an Emperor-level powerhouse. What sin has the Fallen Heaven Society committed?
The Peerless Great Emperor wore an expression of perfect leisure as his palm gave a gentle pat.