Chapter 70: Entering the Sect

Chapter 70: Entering the Sect

July 29, 2020, Great Qin Calendar.

The sky over the Capital City was washed clear by a heavy rain, bright blue with a gentle, warm sun. The air carried the fresh scent of flowers and grass, refreshing and pleasant.

Weather like this made people feel like smiling without realizing it.

However, not many people paid attention to this sunny day after the rain.

Because everyone’s attention was drawn to the news published by various media outlets early in the morning. Almost every face wore the same two big words—

Shock!

It was like pouring oil on a fire.

The original fire was already burning fiercely enough.

The various heated discussions and debates brought about by Zhao Tianping’s death had made the Great Qin internet as hot as red-hot iron.

And this poured-on oil not only made the internet explode completely but also caused a real-world explosion!

The impact of these pieces of news was comparable to a nuclear blast—truly astonishing!

The first announcement—

Great Qin solemnly declared: Eastern Sea City, whether in the past, present, or future, is an inseparable part of Great Qin! No matter who occupies this city, its ownership cannot be changed.

The second announcement—

The interest group led by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Qingbo and others was successfully dismantled. They betrayed national interests abroad, engaged in rampant corruption domestically, harmed high-ranking officials of the empire, and attempted to harm the prince… When their deeds were exposed, they even rebelled…

During the arrest operation, Sun Qingbo and others were killed on the spot due to fierce resistance.

For further updates, please follow Great Qin News.

The third announcement—

The Monarch, who had been seriously ill for many days, finally appeared before the cameras. In the presence of the Prime Minister, Military high command, and other important ministers of Great Qin, he declared Qin Hao as the Crown Prince of Great Qin!

Among these three pieces of news, especially the middle one, was simply too explosive.

And it seemed… these three pieces of news were somehow connected to each other.

The first one wasn’t actually that explosive. The issue of Eastern Sea City’s ownership was already an old topic.

For nearly a hundred years, it had been brought up from time to time, though it was mentioned less frequently in recent years.

This time it was mentioned again, combined with the news that had been circulating online recently and the extremely severe wording of the second announcement—

The diplomatic missions of Chu and Zhao secretly entered Great Qin, and Deputy Prime Minister Sun Qingbo committed treason.

The problems here were far too big!

Anyone seeing news like this couldn’t help but make connections.

For Great Qin, which had been peaceful for many years, news like this was like a thunderclap, leaving countless people’s minds blank.

Then, many self-media outlets gradually began to reveal more things.

For example, the members of the Chu and Zhao diplomatic missions who left the Imperial Garden in a miserable state during the heavy rain last night; for example, the large numbers of City Guard Army that appeared on the streets of the Capital City starting from midnight last night to enforce martial law; and for example, photos posted online of the homes of relevant individuals from Sun Qingbo’s interest group being searched and confiscated…

Various kinds of information instantly flooded Great Qin’s internet. Both online and offline, everyone sensed a completely different atmosphere.

Great Qin… really had a change in the sky!

Among all this news, some people still brought up Ling Yi, who had killed Zhao Tianping in public.

Because in the second announcement, Zhao Tianping’s name was also clearly listed!

Only, it was toward the end. More people’s eyes were drawn to the prominent names listed earlier, somewhat overlooking him.

Interestingly, even if someone mentioned Ling Yi’s name, it didn’t get much response. The related topics suddenly had very few people discussing them; the previous heat was gone.

Before the explosive, mega-news of Sun Qingbo’s interest group committing treason, both Ling Yi and Zhao Tianping seemed rather insignificant.

Was that really the case?

Yes, but not entirely.

What many people didn’t know was that suppressing the heat of topics related to Ling Yi was the result of collective efforts from Great Qin’s high-level officials down to people like Su Qingqing, Luo Xue, and Jian Ying.

It wasn’t that no one tried to link Ling Yi killing Zhao Tianping with the collapse of Sun Qingbo’s group, but all topics about Ling Yi were directly throttled in traffic.

Meanwhile, topics about Sun Qingbo and his associates were given maximum promotion.

Additionally, the extravagant, corrupt, and decadent lifestyle details of the fallen bigwigs were publicized everywhere.

Ling Yi, who was originally a highly trending figure, disappeared from people’s sight almost overnight in this almost unbelievable way.

When the final verdict came out later, Great Qin would also try its best to distance Ling Yi from it all.

Even if Ling Yi couldn’t be completely separated by then, issuing an additional decree would solve the problem.

The victor becomes king, the loser becomes a bandit—an eternal truth.

If the successful ones last night had been Sun Qingbo, Qin Xu, and their group, then in today’s news, Ling Yi would definitely have become an extremely evil murderer, someone nailed to the pillar of shame for centuries to come.

That was reality.

At this time, Ling Yi had once again disguised himself to look like the middle-aged man from before.

Pulling a suitcase filled with Spirit Stones and carrying a large backpack full of supplies, he quietly left the Capital City with Qian Luoying, taking Jiang Yuntong and Mo Yunwu along, very low-key in a taxi. They embarked on the road back to Heaven’s Gate Sect.

Facing his decision, although Su Qingqing and Ling Yun were reluctant, they both expressed understanding.

Sister Zhao, who had sent him the Jade Box and jade carvings overnight, also thought Ling Yi temporarily leaving was the right choice.

The best way to let the heat around oneself cool down was to disappear from the public eye.

After a while, people would naturally forget about you.

This was also beneficial for Ling Yun’s upcoming studies.

Moreover, the distance between Heaven’s Gate Sect and the Capital City was actually very close. It was easy for Ling Yi to return if he wanted.

This was also an important reason why Su Qingqing and Ling Yun ultimately expressed understanding.

If he were really leaving for good, creating a separation between the immortal and mortal worlds, they would definitely have strongly opposed.

Ling Yi also made an arrangement with Sister Zhao to temporarily leave the last batch of goods with her, and he could pick them up anytime.

It’s just that the next time Ling Yi entered the Capital City, he would definitely do so in a different way and would not easily appear in public again.

Ling Yi, along with Qian Luoying and her two disciples, soon arrived at the entrance to Heaven’s Gate Sect, halfway up the mountain.

Here, Qian Luoying looked at Ling Yi and said, “So next you will…”

Ling Yi smiled and shook his head. “I’ll go straight to my Grotto Abode. Heaven’s Gate Sect doesn’t belong to me; the Grotto Abode is my home. But if Sister can persuade your Sect Leader, then maybe we can be good neighbors in the future.”

Though he said that, Ling Yi knew in his heart that with a personality like Lian Ziqing’s, the hope of being good neighbors was very slim.

Especially since Ling Yi had used the Enchantress’s power to injure him.

He had also suggested to Qian Luoying that she simply not mention meeting him to Lian Ziqing, just say she couldn’t find him, to avoid a lot of trouble.

But Qian Luoying believed she could persuade Lian Ziqing to coexist peacefully with Ling Yi, since there were no deep grudges between them.

Why make it a fight to the death?

Since that was the case, he would let her be. Let her learn what it meant that people’s hearts could be treacherous.

Whatever the outcome, Ling Yi didn’t mind, and Qian Luoying should be fine too.

After all, she was an Elder of Heaven’s Gate Sect, with a fairly high status and position. Lian Ziqing wouldn’t likely do anything to her over something like this.

So, hitting a wall wasn’t necessarily bad.

How could a person mature without facing setbacks?

With the Enchantress present, Ling Yi did not care about Lian Ziqing’s attitude.

If he was sensible, they could all get along peacefully; if he wasn’t, at worst they could just repeat what happened last time—after all, the Enchantress was much stronger now than before.

Dealing with Lian Ziqing here was no pressure at all.

It would make him understand one thing: even though the Heaven’s Gate Sect had been settled here for a thousand years, this was not their territory!

Mo Yunwu and Jiang Yuntong did not know much about what happened the night before. They only knew that their master and Uncle went to kill a great villain, but they did not realize how shocking their actions were.

Mo Yunwu looked at Ling Yi reluctantly. “Uncle, can my senior brother and I come to play with you often?”

Qian Luoying said, “Don’t be foolish. After returning to the Sect, before I explain everything to the Sect Leader, you must not say a single word about this. And you are not allowed to go find Uncle, understand?”

Mo Yunwu pouted, nodded, and gave an “Mhm.”

Although Qian Luoying was still as straightforward and simple as ever, her recent experiences had eventually made her a little more mature.

Then, Ling Yi recited an incantation, his figure flashed, and he disappeared before Qian Luoying and her two disciples.

“Uncle is really amazing!” Mo Yunwu said with some envy.

Qian Luoying nodded. She was almost numb to the various miraculous methods Ling Yi had shown.

She looked at her two disciples and warned them again, “Remember, you must not speak of the recent events to anyone.”

After receiving their affirmative replies, Qian Luoying then took her two disciples and also returned to the mountain Sect.

After many days, Ling Yi reappeared in the Grotto Abode and asked the Enchantress, “Didn’t you say the passwords were dynamic?”

“This one is fixed!”

The Enchantress’s tone carried a hint of laziness.

“…”

Alright, it’s your Grotto Abode, you can say whatever you want.

The Jade Box was retrieved. The jade pieces that were hollowed out in the middle were also meticulously carved by Master Jiang into various knickknacks and pendants. He even carved out two bracelets.

It had to be said, Master Jiang’s craftsmanship was truly amazing!

Each small piece was exquisitely beautiful and delightful to hold.

The two bracelets were just right, one for Su Qingqing and one for Ling Yun. The remaining pieces were also given to the two girls, which made them extremely happy.

These were Master Jiang’s works. It was hard for ordinary people to even see them, let alone own so many at once.

When Ling Yi asked about the handling fee, his elder sister waved her hand. “Sis took care of it for you!”

Alright, he already owed his elder sister many favors; one more wouldn’t hurt. He would find a chance to make it up later.

Ling Yi first carefully cleaned a stone bed in the corner of the Grotto Abode, then placed the suitcase and large backpack on it.

The Enchantress: “…”

Only then did he ask the Enchantress, “Now that we’ve settled here, do we still need to pick those two fruits?”

“Of course we have to pick them. Don’t you understand that ripe fruits will fall off?”

“…”

He was mocked by this Enchantress again.

“But you need to learn how to carve Formation Arrays on the Jade Box first. Otherwise, the Jade Box won’t be able to preserve those two Primordial Spirit Fruits,” said the Enchantress.

“Didn’t you say you would do this?” Ling Yi frowned. He didn’t even know jade carving, and now he had to carve Formation Arrays?

“No, you have to do it yourself!” the Enchantress said very seriously.

“This… is it easy to learn?” Ling Yi looked unsure.

“Hmm, it should be quite easy, right?” the Enchantress said lightly.

Should be quite easy?

Thinking about how unreliable the Enchantress was, Ling Yi deeply doubted her words.

But unexpectedly, this time the Enchantress really didn’t trick him!

Two hours later, Ling Yi pointed at the lines on the blueprint and asked the Enchantress, “Is it right?”

The Enchantress didn’t speak for a long time.

“Is it right?” Ling Yi asked again.

The Enchantress still didn’t speak.

“What’s the meaning of this? Just tell me whether it’s right or wrong. If it’s wrong…”

Before Ling Yi could finish, the Enchantress angrily interrupted—

“Yes! You’re a clever little genius! Satisfied?”

Ling Yi: “…”

Why the sudden anger?

The Enchantress was wildly complaining in her heart: How did he learn it so fast? How is that possible? It took me two days back then! Even though this is the simplest sealing Formation Array, this thing really isn’t that easy to learn! Not that… easy!

Especially since Ling Yi was merely at the Meridian Unlocking stage, yet he even effortlessly mastered the final “Spirit Point Activation” step.

It’s simply unfair!

At this moment.

Inside the Heaven’s Gate Sect.

In Lian Ziqing’s room.

After a period of rest, Lian Ziqing’s injuries were mostly healed, but he was still not fully recovered.

The damage caused by the Enchantress’s strike that day was actually quite severe.

It was just that the Enchantress wasn’t strong enough back then; otherwise, given her nature, it was hard to say whether Lian Ziqing would have survived.

After Qian Luoying returned, she came to see Lian Ziqing right away, both to visit and to report.

“Luoying, you’re back? Any news?” Lian Ziqing looked at Qian Luoying with a smile.

“How is the Sect Leader’s health?” Qian Luoying asked with concern.

“Haha, I’ve been fine for a while now! Just a minor injury, it didn’t affect me at all. It healed in a few days!” Lian Ziqing laughed heartily.

“That’s good, then I can rest easy,” Qian Luoying didn’t doubt him. She looked at Lian Ziqing. “Sect Leader, I met that person!”

“Oh? How was it? Tell me quickly!” Lian Ziqing’s eyes lit up, and he perked up immediately.

“That person… is quite extraordinary.”

Qian Luoying carefully chose her words. Before getting acquainted with Ling Yi, given her personality, she would likely have spilled everything to Lian Ziqing like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, including the half portion of the cultivation method!

This was also why Lian Ziqing had sent her out.

Qian Luoying was straightforward in nature; she wouldn’t lie, and she disdained lying!

“His cultivation level isn’t particularly high, but his methods are extremely formidable. I went to the Capital City and cooperated with the high-ranking officials of Great Qin. I helped them capture someone, and they helped me find clues.”

“And then?” Lian Ziqing looked at Qian Luoying and pressed.

“The clues were found quickly. Coincidentally, that person was the one the Great Qin officials were targeting…”

Lian Ziqing showed a surprised expression on his face. “Such a coincidence?”

“It was very coincidental. And although his cultivation level was lower than mine, I was no match for him,” Qian Luoying sighed. “He even captured me on the spot. Fortunately, he was somewhat wary of my Sect identity, and since we had no deep-seated grudge, he only kept me by his side for a while as his bodyguard, helping him deal with those who didn’t know better.”

Lian Ziqing immediately looked shocked, staring at Qian Luoying. “You said his cultivation isn’t very high, but he captured you?”

Qian Luoying nodded. “Yes, this person’s methods are profound and unfathomable. Even you, Sect Leader, didn’t…”

Lian Ziqing coughed twice.

Qian Luoying also avoided this topic. “During my time by his side, I gained some understanding of this person. He is very powerful but low-key. He isn’t the type to seek trouble. In the end, he didn’t give me a hard time and even let me return.”

Lian Ziqing slightly frowned, looking at Qian Luoying with some confusion.

He instinctively felt that Qian Luoying seemed to have something hidden in her words.

“That’s it?”

He looked at Qian Luoying.

Qian Luoying nodded. “I have a suggestion.”

Lian Ziqing looked at Qian Luoying. “Go on.”

“We should not make an enemy of this person. That Grotto Abode originally belonged to him. If we really go by who came first, he was there first. I asked him, and there’s actually nothing left inside the Grotto Abode.”

“Think about it carefully. Our Sect has been established here for over a thousand years. Even if there was something inside, it would have long rotted away…”

“He said his ancestors chose to build the Grotto Abode there because of that Spirit Stone Vein. And that Spirit Stone Vein has been mostly mined out by us over the years…”

In fact, these words were not spoken by Ling Yi. She wanted to persuade Lian Ziqing this way.

Lian Ziqing remained silent, not speaking.

Qian Luoying continued, “He also didn’t ask us for Spirit Stones because of this. So, I think there’s no need for us to provoke such an enemy for no reason. I’m certain that provoking him… would definitely be a wrong choice.”

Lian Ziqing was silent for a long time. Then he finally looked up and smiled slightly at Qian Luoying. “You’re right. If that’s really the case, we indeed have no need to be his enemy. Hmm, you’ve been out for so long this time; you must be tired. Go back and rest properly. We can talk about other things later!”

A happy smile appeared on Qian Luoying’s face. See, the Sect Leader isn’t the kind of person who can’t be reasoned with. Now it’s good, Ling Yi can rest easy.

She would estimate the time later and, when he had almost used up his Spirit Stones, she would tell him this good news.

Then Yun Tong and Yun Wu could also feel free to go seek guidance from their Uncle.

Soon after Qian Luoying left, a person came out from the inner room.

This was a seemingly ordinary middle-aged man, with a plain and unremarkable face, average build, and no distinctive features in his attire.

He was the type who would be hard to find in a crowd after one second.

“Well?” Lian Ziqing asked lightly.

“Elder Qian… hid some things,” the man said.