Inside the Hall of Equilibrium, Yan Kesh was busy "balancing the ledger."
Balancing the ledger, in Yan Kesh's dictionary, meant ensuring that Yan Bohai was not dead, not insane—but suffering just enough to function as a filter for Qiu Moren.
Yan Kesh stood inside a secret underground chamber. Before him, Yan Bohai hung suspended in midair, bound by chains infused with cold energy from Su Ran on the left, and scorching heat from Qiu Moren on the right—channeled through a formation.
Yan Bohai no longer resembled a human.
He was a Catalyst.
Half his body was frozen solid. The other half was charred black. His eyes were wide open, but his consciousness had long since shattered. Only faint, broken groans escaped his throat.
"Stable," Yan Kesh murmured, checking the pulse on Yan Bohai's neck.
[ASSET STATUS: BIOLOGICAL FILTER]
[Capacity: 70%]
[Estimated Total Failure: 8 Months]
"Enough time to find a replacement," Yan Kesh noted calmly in his physical ledger.
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his head.
This was no ordinary headache.
This was an Audit Alarm.
The ledger within his mind trembled violently. Its pages flipped on their own in frantic succession.
[WARNING! WARNING!]
[External Connection Detected!]
[Source: Heaven]
[Type: ACTIVE OBSERVATION]
"They've arrived," Yan Kesh hissed. His face tightened.
He had anticipated this. Manipulating the death of a Foundation Establishment Elder would inevitably trigger the Heaven Ledger Pavilion.
But he hadn't expected them to arrive this quickly.
"He Qiu!" Yan Kesh shouted through voice transmission.
A second later, He Qiu appeared at the doorway. "Master?"
"Seal the underground sector. Activate maximum-level aura obfuscation. Do not allow anyone to enter or leave this chamber. Not even Qiu Moren."
He Qiu's expression shifted. "What happened, Master?"
"The tax collector has arrived. And our warehouse is full of illegal goods."
Yan Kesh hurried upstairs.
He changed out of his blood-scented work robes into clean silk garments. He combed his hair and sprayed incense perfume to mask the medicinal stench clinging to him.
He had to look normal.
He had to look like an ambitious but ordinary Vice Sect Master—not a manipulator of fate.
Just as Yan Kesh sat down behind his desk and lifted a cup of tea—for appearance's sake—the sky above the Ash Vein Sect split open.
There was no explosion.
Only a beam of silver light descending slowly, passing through the roof of the Hall of Equilibrium as if it were made of mist, landing directly in front of Yan Kesh's desk.
The light faded.
Revealing Liang Ze.
Spotless white robes. Dimly glowing silver eyes. And a small notebook in his left hand.
He hadn't entered through the door.
He had entered through coordinates.
"Good afternoon," Liang Ze said flatly.
His eyes immediately scanned the room—before settling on Yan Kesh.
Yan Kesh pretended to panic. He dropped his teacup.
Crash!
"W-who are you, sir?! How did you enter past the protective formation?!" Yan Kesh acted like a shocked, weak cultivator.
Liang Ze did not answer.
He opened his notebook.
"Name: Yan Kesh. Former disciple of the Yan Clan. Expelled due to damaged soul root. Current status: Vice Sect Master of the Ash Vein Sect. Correct?"
Yan Kesh swallowed.
"Y-yes… May I ask where Sir is from?"
"Heaven Ledger Pavilion. Silver-Class Observer, Liang Ze."
At the mention of the Heaven Ledger Pavilion, Yan Kesh immediately stood and bowed deeply.
"Forgive this ignorant one! I did not know a Heavenly Envoy would descend upon this filthy place."
Liang Ze stared at Yan Kesh with his silver eyes.
[SCAN TARGET: YAN KESH]
[Cultivation: Undetected / Anomaly]
[Aura: Chaotic Yin-Yang Mixture]
[Fate Status: Obscured]
Liang Ze frowned.
His eyes could see the cultivation level of anyone.
But when he looked at Yan Kesh…
He saw fog.
Something was obstructing his perception.
"Yan Kesh," Liang Ze said, stepping forward. "I am looking for someone. Yan Bohai. His fate thread was severed within your territory. Where is his corpse?"
A trap.
If Yan Kesh said he didn't know, he would be lying.
If he said Yan Bohai died, Liang Ze would demand the body.
Yan Kesh straightened. His panicked face shifted into one of sorrowful regret.
"Ah… Elder Yan Bohai…" Yan Kesh sighed deeply. "A true tragedy. He came to attack us, but… he fell into the Fire Crater at the mountain peak. His body… was completely incinerated by volcanic flames. Nothing remains."
"Completely incinerated?" Liang Ze's gaze sharpened. "If his body was destroyed, his soul should have been released. But we detected no soul release."
Liang Ze raised his hand.
A small mirror floated above his palm.
The Mirror of Truth.
"I will inspect your memories. Do not resist."
This was not a request.
It was an order.
Yan Kesh's heart pounded violently.
If his memories were inspected, everything would be exposed.
The Audit in his mind.
Yan Bohai in the basement.
Su Ran.
Everything.
He had to Forge the Documents.
"Please, Sir Observer," Yan Kesh said in resignation. "This humble one has nothing to hide."
But inside his mind, Yan Kesh executed a mad maneuver.
[TECHNIQUE: ARCHIVE REDIRECTION]
[Data Source: Yan Kesh Memory (Fabricated)]
[Content: Staged Death of Yan Bohai]
[Cost: Burn 500 Units of Yan Bohai Vitality]
As the mirror's light touched Yan Kesh's forehead, he activated the connection.
He did not use his own energy.
He burned the remnants of Yan Bohai's tortured soul to create an overwhelming reality hallucination.
Inside the mirror, Liang Ze saw the scene.
Yan Bohai fighting Qiu Moren.
Yan Bohai slipping.
Falling into the lava crater.
His body burning completely.
His soul screaming—trapped within volcanic rock.
A natural seal.
The scene was flawless.
Because it was paid for with real suffering.
Liang Ze withdrew the mirror.
He looked slightly uncertain—but the visual data was consistent.
"Trapped in volcanic rock…" Liang Ze murmured. "That explains why his soul was not detected escaping. The Ash Vein Crater has natural soul-sealing properties."
Yan Kesh exhaled in relief.
This time, genuinely.
"Yes, Sir. We did not dare approach the crater. It is too dangerous."
Liang Ze closed his notebook.
The case appeared resolved.
Yan Bohai was dead.
Accidental death.
Soul sealed naturally.
But Liang Ze did not leave.
Instead, he sat down in the guest chair and stared at Yan Kesh intently.
"Yan Bohai's case is concluded. But something else interests me."
He pointed at Yan Kesh's chest.
"You have no soul root. No cultivation. Yet you emit life force equivalent to one hundred healthy humans. And you became Vice Sect Master of a demonic sect."
His silver eyes narrowed.
"Yan Kesh… what exactly are you?"
Yan Kesh smiled faintly.
The first trial was over.
Now came the second.
Personal Asset Audit.
"This humble one is merely a merchant, Sir," Yan Kesh said calmly. "I do not cultivate Qi. I cultivate… connections."
"A merchant?"
"Yes. I sell hope to the desperate. And the life force you sense… is nothing more than the gratitude of my patients."
A poetic explanation.
But Liang Ze was an auditor.
He did not believe in poetry.
"I will remain here for three days," Liang Ze declared suddenly. "I want to observe your 'business.' If I discover even a single trace of forbidden techniques that violate Heavenly Law…"
He gently touched Yan Kesh's mahogany desk.
The desk silently disintegrated into fine dust.
"…I will correct your existence."
Yan Kesh bowed deeply once more.
"It is an honor, Sir Observer."
But inside, Yan Kesh cursed viciously.
Three days.
Three days of field audit.
Damn it.
For three days, he could not torture Yan Bohai.
He could not harvest Su Ran.
He could not "feed."
His energy reserves would fall into severe deficit.
This was a cold war.
Yan Kesh had to hide his crimes directly beneath the nose of a cosmic auditor—
while slowly starving to death.
"He Qiu," Yan Kesh called after Liang Ze left to inspect the sect.
He Qiu appeared immediately, pale-faced.
"Yes, Master?"
"Prepare the best room for Sir Observer. And…"
Yan Kesh grinned.
His eyes were dangerous.
"…find out what Sir Observer hates the most. Food, sound, smell… anything."
"We cannot kill him."
"But we can make him uncomfortable."