Novel Full Chapter 2784 - Your Edge Is Hidden in its Sheath. When Will You Draw Your Sword?
Chapter 2784 – Your Edge Is Hidden in its Sheath. When Will You Draw Your Sword?
Mo Lanhe stiffened, then stood there in a daze. As the chief elder of the inner sect and a Sword Monarch, he’d assumed that the founder would at most punish him. He would never have guessed that the founder would order his death!
Sect Leader Shi Huiyan could no longer remain seated. “Founder, Junior Apprentice Brother Mo erred, but his crimes aren’t worthy of death. Please, calm your fury!”
The other old-timers spoke up too, one after another.
Qi Jingzhen was silent.
Mo Lanhe bowed. “I am willing to renounce my position as elder, then face the wall of contemplation in penance. I won’t leave until your fury has abated!”
Even as he spoke, his eyes dimmed. He’d never deliberately made trouble for Li Muchen; at most, he looked the other way, letting Yun Husheng suppress him.
Similar situations were commonplace in any sect, entirely unremarkable. But this time was obviously different. They’d kicked an iron board!
“I understand that in your eyes, Li Muchen’s unfair treatment was a trivial matter,” Qi Jingzhen said solemnly, “But it’s during these ‘trivial’ moments that a sect’s character is destroyed! Never mind the rest. Even if Li Muchen really had no backer, did he deserve to have his rightful spot given to Wang Yuan?”
He rose, his gaze terrifying to behold. “At our peak, we were one of the top five greatest Heavenly Monarch factions on the continent, but look at us now! We’re barely even in the top ten. Why is that?”
His voice boomed throughout the hall. The crowd fell silent, their faces alternating white and green.
Qi Jingzhen sighed. “A single mistake can lead to disaster, just as an ant hole can cause the collapse of a thousand-mile dike.
“I used to think that our decline was due to our insufficient foundations and small reserve of experts, but now, I see that none of that matters!
“Our decline began when you, the sect’s higher-ups, started disregarding its ‘trivial’ day-to-day affairs. It was inevitable that this would one day lead to disaster!”
His face was stern, and every word went off like a thunderclap. All of them could tell that he was truly furious.
Sect Leader Shi Huiyan’s face filled with shame. He bowed and clasped his fist. “As the leader of the sect, I cannot avoid responsibility for our mistakes. Please, punish me, Founder!”
Qi Jingzhen looked at him. “Take someone to visit the Wang Family. Tell them that if they dare harm so much as a hair on Li Muchen’s head, I’ll annihilate them down to the last man even if it kills me!”
Shi Huiyan nodded solemnly. “Rest assured, Founder. Your stance is the Blueleaf Sword Court’s stance!”
Qi Jingzhen swept his gaze across the room. “You must break before you can build. That’s true of individuals, and of sects, too. I’m going to reorganize the entire sect. All of you have erred, so you’d best each write an essay of self-reproach! Otherwise, don’t blame me for my poor manners!”
“Understood!” The crowd nodded, their gazes dim. They would never have guessed that Li Muchen would land them in such trouble!
But it was too late for regrets.
They could already foresee that the founder would strike while the iron was hot and cleanse the sect thoroughly! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have used the phrase “you must break before you can build.”
Word soon reached the rest of the sect.
When Luo Xiao heard the news, he fell onto his butt, completely despondent. A long time passed before he slapped himself across the face. “I really was blind! Others strive for greater heights, while I just keep on jumping into deeper and deeper pits!”
But although he didn’t know it, in Su Yi’s eyes, Luo Xiao was just a passerby. Yes, he’d distanced himself from Su Yi, but Su Yi wouldn’t have cared even if he’d tried to curry favor.
That very day, Qi Jingzhen saw an unexpected—yet somehow totally expected—face.
Yao Monarch Lian Luo!
“‘You must break before you can build,’ huh? Well said.”
Lian Luo’s ten-foot frame stood there, his face ferocious and his bald head gleaming, his whole body emanating immense, imposing pressure.
Qi Jingzhen stood there, dwarfed in comparison. He grimaced. “I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you, Senior.”
Lian Luo patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve already done quite well. The Blueleaf Sword Sect has a chance to rebuild itself. I’m sure it’ll return to prominence in the days to come.”
But Qi Jingzhen was still melancholy. He sighed. “It’s a pity that we couldn’t hold onto Li Muchen. We missed out on an enormous opportunity.”
Although no one else in the sect knew it, it was actually Lian Luo who’d built Heart Sword Tower! At the time, he laughed and said that if anyone ever overcame the ninth floor, he should make them their future leader, no matter who they were. He guaranteed that doing so would help the sect rise to new heights! Perhaps that wouldn’t make them the greatest sect in the Literati Continent, but it would at least get them into the top three.
That was why Qi Jingzhen was so excited and happy to discover that Li Muchen had overcome the ninth floor. He saw it as a prime opportunity to revitalize the sect. Who’d have thought that this wondrous opportunity would slip through his fingers?
“Li Muchen could never have become your closed-door disciple, nor could he have become the leader of the Blueleaf Sword Sect,” said Lian Luo. “It wouldn’t matter even if I requested he do so personally.”
Qi Jingzhen fell silent. He was truly stunned!
Because this admission unquestionably meant that Li Muchen wasn’t one of Lian Luo’s juniors after all.
“Then…” Qi Jingzhen started to ask.
But Lian Luo shook his head before he could finish the question. “It’s a secret. Guess what? If even you, the founder of the sect, had been unable to accept Li Muchen, the Blueleaf Sword Sect would have been wiped off the map.”
Qi Jingzhen’s hair stood on end.
“Fortunately, you did well,” said Lian Luo. “I’ve always clearly differentiated between friend and foe. Li Muchen cultivated in your Blueleaf Sword Sect for two years, and you at least know how to handle things. This ends here.”
Qi Jingzhen clasped his fist. “Thank you, Senior!”
His tensed heart finally relaxed.
“Keep these secrets for me, will you? No matter what happens next, so long as you hold on, I guarantee that the Blueleaf Sword Sect will one day be the greatest in the Literati Continent,” said Lian Luo.
With that, he turned to leave.
Qi Jingzhen stood there in silence for a long time, unable to calm down. Keep the secret? Just what is Li Muchen’s background? Why would Yao Monarch Lian Luo value him so highly? Why go so far as to promise to make my sect the greatest in the continent, just to keep what little I know under wraps?
The more he thought about it, the more astonished Qi Jingzhen felt, and the more he celebrated his decision. Fortunately, I didn’t let that fool Du Ya trick me. Had I believed that Li Muchen was a spy and killed him…. No, wait! With Lian Luo here, there’s no way I could have killed him. But if I’d tried, the Blueleaf Sword Sect would have been ruined!
It seems Senior Lian Luo is afraid that Li Muchen’s identity will come to light when he enters the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone. That… will be the Blueleaf Sword Sect’s true test! We’ll just have to see whether or not I can hold on!
“Li Muchen” had cultivated in the Blueleaf Sword Sect under a false name for two years. If his identity came to light, people would surely come here to investigate.
Qi Jingzhen wasn’t stupid. He immediately realized that this was the test Lian Luo was referring to. He wanted them to hide Li Muchen’s connection to Lian Luo!
Qi Jingzhen let out a long pent-up breath, his eyes filling with determination.
……
A white cloud hovered beneath the firmament of the Literati Continent.
A red-robed figure languished atop it.
“Did you succeed?” Lu Hongpao asked softly.
Lian Luo approached, an obsequious smile on his face. “A trivial matter, Master. It’s already been resolved.”
Lu Hongpao crossed her legs and stretched. “I’ve got to say, my good brother hasn’t disappointed me. I almost thought he’d lose his temper and massacre the Blueleaf Sword Sect. I was even ready to swoop in and wipe his ass for him if need be.”
Lian Luo smiled. “But His Excellency Su held back!”
Lu Hongpao couldn’t help but smile and sigh, “The prouder the sword cultivator, the more prone they are to drawing their sword in anger and drenching the ground in blood.
“But in my eyes, those sword cultivators capable of sheathing their swords are the strongest.”
Anyone could draw a sword, but not just any sword cultivator could put it away.
“Over the past two years, my good brother has hidden his true identity and kept a low profile. It might have seemed like he hasn’t accomplished anything, but in truth, his understanding of the Eternal Heavens Domain has changed completely,” said Lu Hongpao softly, her gaze deep and profound. “He’s learned to hide his edge, and he’s learned how the Eternal Heavens Domain operates. His cultivation base has advanced, too. He’s no longer the blank sheet of paper he was when he first arrived. I’ve got to admit I’m surprised, and pleased, too.”
She took out a jug of wine, took a sip, and paused to savor its flavor. Her eyes narrowed in contentment.
Lian Luo noticed that this was the very jug of wine that Su Yi had casually given her. Judging by its fragrance, it was no supreme brew. Yet Lu Hongpao obviously cherished it. It was just one jug of wine, and almost three years had passed, but every time she drank, she took only the tiniest of sips, as if she were afraid of running out.
“But all of that was just petty, trivial nonsense. The true spectacle will unfold in the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone.” Lu Hongpao sighed. “I managed to hide what happened in the Blue Peak Continent for now, but anyone determined to investigate would be able to find hints as to what really happened. And the Eternal Heavens Domain has never lacked for intelligent people.”
Lian Luo was instantly solemn. “Has someone discovered His Excellency Su’s involvement?”
“Mm,” said Lu Hongpao. “Yang Lingxiao from the Heart-Tempering Sword House is a lead, as are Mu Qing and Yu Guangjun from True Martial Sword Court. Princess Qin Suqing of the Great Qin Empire and her retainer, Luan Yunzhong, are a lead, too.
“Follow them, and it wouldn’t be hard to uncover my good brother’s true identity.
“That aside, far too many people left the battle outside the Huaihuang Empire alive,” said Lu Hongpao, gently drawing her finger along her cheek. Her brow furrowed.
“Had I known, I’d have killed them all a long time ago!” said Lian Luo.
Lu Hongpao laughed. “Fool! Do you really think that would be enough to let my good brother evade detection forever?”
Lian Luo shook his head and smiled sheepishly. “I’m not sure what it is, but I feel like my brain functions less efficiently when I’m around you, Master.”
Lu Hongpao sent him flying with a kick. “Scram!”
She paused, then said, “Two weeks remain until the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone reopens. Take that time to investigate how many Heavenly Sovereign-level factions will be sending their representatives, and gather said representatives’ information.”
Lian Luo nodded his assent. “Understood!”
Lu Hongpao stood up on the cloud, then gazed down at the Literati Continent and whispered, “My good brother is like a sword hidden in its sheath. When he reveals his edge, who in this world will be able to block his sharpness? I… am looking forward to it!”