Chapter 14: Attending the Meeting at the Pill Hall
The next day.
Following Lin Qifeng’s instructions from the previous night, Chen Yan arrived early at the boundary marker of Kongyuan Mountain.
As the main peak of Kongshan Sect, Kongyuan Mountain rose majestically above the sea of clouds, its reflection stretching across the sky.
The mountain peak shimmered with golden sunlight, with ten thousand rays of dawn light slicing like blades through the bamboo groves between the cliffs.
Above the mountain gate, four large characters were carved: “Empty Destiny Freedom.”
A mountain-guarding disciple stood before the gate. When he saw the outer court robe Chen Yan was wearing, he immediately puffed out his chest, his arrogance swelling even more.
As a disciple of Kongyuan Mountain, he seemed to think it was perfectly natural to feel superior to those outer sect disciples.
“Halt, travel document.”
The mountain-guarding disciple stopped Chen Yan and spoke.
Chen Yan naturally disliked this disciple’s haughty attitude—even Qingchan Peak’s Chief Disciple Chu Xiyao wasn’t as arrogant as him.
So Chen Yan remained silent, simply tossing the token from his waist to the mountain-guarding disciple.
The disciple took the token, looked closely at it, and his expression immediately changed:
“Outer Court Administrator… Elder Lin’s personal token?”
Although Lin Qifeng’s cultivation was only at the Qi Sea Realm and he currently belonged to the outer court, he was still Yun Yichen’s disciple after all.
The words “Sect Leader’s Personal Disciple” alone could overwhelm the vast majority of Kongshan Sect disciples with sheer presence.
“Junior brother, what, what is your relationship with Elder Lin?”
The mountain-guarding disciple’s attitude instantly improved, even becoming somewhat obsequious.
“I’m just here to handle some matters for Elder Lin at Kongyuan Mountain. Please grant me passage, senior brother.”
Chen Yan replied.
He wasn’t willing to acknowledge the so-called “master-disciple relationship” between himself and Lin Qifeng, nor was there any need to do so.
“Of course, junior brother, please proceed.”
The mountain-guarding disciple stepped aside, clearing the path for Chen Yan.
The inner sect appeared much quieter compared to the outer court.
This was because there were naturally fewer inner sect disciples, and they were more focused on secluded cultivation.
Kongyuan Mountain’s Alchemy Hall was located in the southeastern corner of the mountain peak—a five-story pagoda.
As Chen Yan approached the Alchemy Hall, the number of Kongyuan Mountain disciples around him began to increase slightly.
They all cast curious glances at Chen Yan, though their curiosity didn’t linger on him for long.
While an outer court disciple in the inner sect was unusual, he was ultimately just an outer court disciple.
Chen Yan entered the Alchemy Hall. Behind the counter on the first floor stood a young man about his age, roughly seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a yellow gown.
The young man was propping up his chin, seemingly dozing off behind the counter.
When he heard footsteps entering the Alchemy Hall, the young man slowly opened his eyes, then looked somewhat bewildered at Chen Yan standing before him.
“Senior brother.”
Chen Yan initiated the greeting.
Even though they were similar in age, Chen Yan would still proactively address the other as senior brother.
This was mainly due to the distinction between inner sect and outer court.
Respecting the inner sect as superior was common knowledge.
“Outer sect disciple?”
The young man spoke.
“That’s correct.”
Chen Yan replied.
“Lin Qifeng, Elder Lin sent you?”
The young man continued asking.
Chen Yan was slightly taken aback:
“Exactly.”
“Did Elder give you a token?”
“Yes.”
“Give it to me.”
Chen Yan removed the token from his waist engraved with the four characters “Outer Court Administrator” and handed it to the young man.
“Wait a moment.”
After verifying the token’s authenticity, the young man in the yellow gown turned and walked toward the staircase behind him.
About five minutes later, the young man returned behind the counter.
“Elder Lin asked me to come here to collect Body Forging Liquid…”
“Master is waiting for you upstairs.”
The young man interrupted Chen Yan.
This young man’s master?
He had just referred to Lin Qifeng as uncle-master.
Under normal circumstances, ordinary Kongyuan Mountain disciples should address Lin Qifeng as Elder Lin or Elder Lin, just like that mountain-guarding disciple.
Which meant this young man’s master was also a personal disciple of the sect leader?
It seemed Lin Qifeng sending him to Kongyuan Mountain to collect Body Forging Liquid wasn’t a spontaneous decision, but something that had been arranged long ago.
As for why he was the one coming to Kongyuan Mountain in this cycle, it was probably just coincidence.
Even if it weren’t him, Lin Qifeng would have sent someone else.
Arriving at the third floor of the Alchemy Hall, a wave of scorching medicinal fragrance washed over him. Chen Yan followed the direction of the scent and saw behind a simple wooden screen stood a bronze alchemy furnace.
Behind the alchemy furnace stood a white-haired elder, playing with a jade slip in his hand. He wore Eight Trigrams Daoist robes, his white hair neatly combed into a cloud bun with a hairpin inserted.
The moment the elder’s gaze fell upon Chen Yan, he again felt the sensation of his true energy flow becoming sluggish.
And in the elder’s eyes flashed several traces of innate true energy’s divine essence.
Another cultivator at the Myriad Transformations Realm or above!
“You’re the disciple Qifeng took?”
The white-haired elder slowly spoke toward Chen Yan’s direction.
“This junior Chen Yan pays respects to elder.”
Chen Yan quickly made a bowing gesture.
“If we’re discussing seniority, you should call me Second Uncle-Master.”
The elder said with a smile.
Just as expected, the white-haired elder before him was a personal disciple of Kongshan Sect’s current sect leader Yun Yichen, and also Lin Qifeng’s senior brother.
“Second Uncle-Master.”
As the elder wished, Chen Yan addressed him thus.
“Has Qifeng been well recently?”
The white-haired elder continued asking.
Chen Yan hesitated momentarily, pondering how to answer. After all, he had only met Lin Qifeng for the first time last night, and then inexplicably became his disciple.
“All is well.”
Ultimately, Chen Yan could only give such an ambiguous answer.
“It’s been over ten years since I last saw Qifeng. Since that time he offended master, master has never allowed him to set foot on Kongyuan Mountain again, nor permitted us to visit him in the outer court.”
The white-haired elder said this.
So something like this had happened?
He originally thought Lin Qifeng was dispatched to the outer court because the sect leader wanted to completely control the outer court.
He didn’t realize there were elements of exile mixed in regarding Lin Qifeng.
“Among master’s six disciples, Qifeng and I had the closest relationship. Before he went to the outer court, he made an agreement with me that if something major ever happened, he would send his disciple to Kongyuan Mountain to find me.”
The white-robed elder continued.
So that’s why Lin Qifeng suddenly took him as a disciple—to convey information to his second senior brother?
“So, what happened with Qifeng?”
The elder asked.
“Last night, a deacon from the outer court’s Merit Hall died, surnamed Song, named Song Mingde.”
Chen Yan replied.
“Song Mingde?”
The white-haired elder raised his hand, lightly stroking his beard:
“Don’t know him.”
“Song Mingde was a deacon of the outer court’s Merit Hall, possibly connected to Qingchan Peak. Qingchan Peak’s Martial Elder Fu Qian seems to view his death as very important.”
“Old Dog Fu…”
The white-haired elder frowned, apparently holding quite a grudge against Elder Fu Qian.
But wasn’t the wording a bit too extreme?
Although the white-haired elder before him appeared much older than Fu Qian, Fu Qian’s actual age was more than three times that of the white-haired elder.
And Fu Qian’s seniority was even the same generation as the previous sect leader. In principle, even Yun Yichen should address Fu Qian as uncle-master when meeting him.
The white-haired elder’s fingers continuously tapped on the jade slip in his hand:
“However, speaking of Fu Qian, I do indeed know something.”
“Second Uncle-Master, please speak.”
“Fu Qian is searching for the ‘Cause of Calamity’.”
The white-haired elder said.
Novel Full