East Sea said indifferently, "I understand what you want to say, but I can tell you, it wasn’t me who did it."

Chen Yan frowned.

East Sea shook his head, "Arranging for people to ambush the Noble Sect representatives’ flying ship halfway through, setting up the scene to look like the work of the Demon Race, framing the Demon Race—this wasn’t done by me, nor was it I who ordered someone to do it."

Chen Yan knew who did it—Third Young Master Gu from the Gu Family, Gu Tongbing.

But Gu Tongbing later told Chen Yan that it was his organization, paid to do the job, employed to carry out this case.

And Gu Tongbing, because he was deeply committed to doing his "Great Mission," wanted to gather funds to accomplish great things, travel the world, attract talent, and gather like-minded individuals. So, as the esteemed Third Young Master of the Gu Family, he joined a sort of underground assassins’ organization, participating in this case.

Initially, Chen Yan thought Gu Tongbing’s organization, which he was committed to for the Great Mission, was the group ambushing the Noble Sect flying ship halfway through.

He even felt at the time that this organization did not resemble the kind that Gu Tongbing described as wanting to break exploitation—it seemed more like terrorists conducting ambush attacks.

Later, as the two became closer, Chen Yan realized that the "Great Mission Organization" Gu Tongbing had in mind hadn’t yet been pieced together by him, hadn’t yet taken form, and existed only in Gu Tongbing’s beliefs.

The group that Third Young Master Gu joined to ambush the flying ship was merely a mercenary assassin organization.

Third Young Master Gu was just seeking experience, traveling the world, seeking opportunities, hoping to recruit more like-minded people during his travels.

Of course, regardless, Chen Yan never intended to join Gu Tongbing’s cause—he wasn’t doing it out of idle boredom.

"Those who hired to ambush the Noble Sects and frame the Demon Race... it was Zhan Li’s group that did it."

East Sea did not hesitate, directly revealing the answer to Chen Yan.

Chen Yan thought for a moment, nodded, and sighed.

This answer wasn’t too surprising.

"Zhan Li’s mentor, named Luo Xiuqing, was the former patriarch of the Ghost Race—now dethroned and confined at Ghost Cloud Cliff for reflection.

You can’t say that woman was incapable. If we speak of ability and skill, she was one of the rare intelligent people among the Ghost Race patriarchs in recent generations.

But unfortunately, it was because she was too smart, with too many little clevernesses but lacking great wisdom. So often, when doing things, she ended up at a disadvantage."

As East Sea spoke, Chen Yan asked, "...how so?"

"People with little cleverness often have two flaws.

The first flaw is that clever people like to calculate too much, and when calculating too much, they think too much. Because of excessive concern over gain and loss, and they dwell on superficial benefits and losses.

The second flaw is that when thinking too much, they inevitably overthink things, getting themselves trapped in calculations and ploys, losing a lot of courage, and gradually sinking into a quagmire that they cannot extricate themselves from."

As East Sea spoke, his tone carried a hint of disdain, coldly saying, "This incident is like Luo Xiuqing’s handiwork; Zhan Li personally attended the City of No Return to oversee and strategize the operation directly.

Of course, I understand their intentions.

The Ghost Race in the Southern Border wants to fight against the Demon Race, so they wish to attract more Noble Sects, hoping more Noble Sects would stand on the Ghost Race’s side.

Thus, they did many things, such as, over the years, strengthening trade relations with the Noble Sects, even at the expense of many benefits, using benefits to buy the Noble Sects’ support.

For instance, this operation was planned to split the relationship between the Noble Sects and the Demon Race. Framing the ambush as the Demon Race’s doing isn’t a stupid idea, it might even have some effect.

But these methods..."

Before East Sea could finish, Chen Yan sighed and interrupted him, continuing, "These methods are all petty tricks that cannot be put on the stage."

East Sea’s eyes lit up as he smiled at Chen Yan, "The ancestor said you would surely understand this matter."

Chen Yan shook his head and said, "I wouldn’t say understand, but I can grasp some basic principles."

East Sea laughed heartily, "Let’s hear it."

Chen Yan slowly said, "Ambushing the representatives of the Noble Sects and framing the Demon Race is a method; it’s not very ingenious, but it’s passable.

Firstly, the Demon Race has always done things quite... barbarically or greedily.

Secondly, the Demon Race and the Ghost Race are enemies, and the Ghost Race is holding the Heaven-Crashing Ceremony, the Demon Race wants to disrupt it, so ambushing the representatives participating in the ceremony halfway—the logic holds, and there are reasons to believe it.

As for the Noble Sects sending people to investigate the truth afterward, it’s actually not important.

Because the Ghost Race is the local power, they have all the means to make the case realistic, making the clues apparent, making it difficult for the outside investigators to find out the truth.

Moreover, the truth is not important, because..."

As Chen Yan spoke, he glanced at East Sea and shook his head, "Because those hired killers that successfully ambush are only capable of targeting second-rate or lower Noble Sects, you can’t even touch the truly top-tier elite sects.

It’s merely killing a few representatives of mid-to-low-ranked sects; it’s not enough to make significant waves.

The top-tier Noble Sects won’t care about such matters—only the top-tier Noble Sects and sects are the forces deciding the situation.

As for the death of a few representatives of smaller Nobles, it’s just tilting the public opinion more in favor of the Ghost Race.

So, these are, after all, petty tricks.