Novel Full Chapter 189: Returning to Kongyuan Mountain
“Right now, rumors are flying all over the sect that Senior Brother Chen has gone missing.”
Inside the External Affairs Hall of the Kongshan Sect’s outer court, Li Xiuxiu said this as she poured tea into the cup in front of Chen Yan:
“And then suddenly seeing Senior Brother Chen on the outer court streets… it’s really…”
Chen Yan picked up the teacup from the table and took a small sip.
Even though they were burning with a thousand questions, neither Zheng Fei nor Li Xiuxiu dared to recklessly pry and ask Chen Yan what exactly had happened.
Because the gap in their status was too vast.
For the sect, the outer court was an important component.
Because the Kongshan Sect needed a large number of low-level cultivators to manage spirit fields, mine minerals, or maintain the sect’s various industries and influence spread across the Chenping Continent.
In other words, for the sect, outer court disciples were essentially just glorified laborers.
There was indeed a path for advancement, but it was extremely slim.
The Kongshan Sect had over twenty-five thousand outer court disciples permanently stationed within the sect. Adding in all the outer court disciples stationed externally, this number would rise to around seventy thousand.
Among these seventy thousand outer court disciples, the maximum number who could be promoted to the inner sect through various channels each year could be counted on one hand.
Therefore, the status gap between inner sect disciples and outer court disciples was quite obvious.
But Chen Yan was no ordinary inner sect disciple.
Kongshan Sect, Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain—that was his current title.
And the token from the Kongshan Imperial Law Court hanging at his waist was even more jaw-dropping.
Not to mention ordinary outer court disciples, even the outer court Supervisors rarely got to see someone of Chen Yan’s level more than a few times in their entire lives.
Even though his cultivation realm wasn’t high, currently still only at the Martial Spring Realm.
On the surface, it was the Martial Spring Realm.
Therefore, when Chen Yan told Zheng Fei and Li Xiuxiu that he wanted to ask for a cup of tea and rest his feet, both Zheng Fei and Li Xiuxiu were actually quite apprehensive inside.
Even though Senior Brother Chen had been very easy to get along with back in Taiyun City and had spoken up righteously for them.
But if you really talked about friendship, there wasn’t much actual friendship between the two of them and Chen Yan.
You could only say they were acquainted.
But now, this old acquaintance’s status had become that of a Peak Chief Disciple, incomparable to before.
Thus, the two were rather reserved.
“You’re currently working at the External Affairs Hall?”
Chen Yan asked Zheng Fei, who was standing to the side.
“Yes, Senior Brother Chen.”
Zheng Fei replied.
“How does it feel?”
Chen Yan continued asking.
“Being a manager disciple at the External Affairs Hall is definitely much better than going to work in the external spirit fields or mines.”
Zheng Fei said with a smile.
This was the truth. Postings outside the sect weren’t without lucrative positions, but working in spirit fields or mines definitely wasn’t one.
Not only was there no grease to skim, but when things got busy, it severely cut into the time disciples could allocate for cultivation.
As for those lucrative positions, without connections and proper arrangements, it was impossible to get in.
Fortunately, Zheng Fei had been quite diligent in his cultivation and was rather valued by his superiors. While still young, he had already become a manager disciple at the External Affairs Hall.
If everything went smoothly, he would likely be promoted to an administrator in the future, and it wasn’t impossible that he might even become an outer sect Supervisor someday.
An outer sect Supervisor represented Martial Spring Realm cultivation, real power in hand, and command over thousands of outer court disciples.
For almost all outer court disciples, becoming a Supervisor within the outer court could already be considered reaching the pinnacle of life.
Then, Chen Yan turned his head to look at Li Xiuxiu beside him.
Li Xiuxiu’s expression was clearly somewhat awkward, and she gave a strained smile.
“If you ever need any help, go to the Spirit Plant Workshop and look for Sun Lu. Just mention my name.”
Chen Yan said, then paused briefly:
“Both of you.”
Hearing this, Zheng Fei and Li Xiuxiu both showed expressions of gratitude:
“Thank you, Senior Brother Chen!”
The reason Chen Yan did this was simply on a whim.
As for having Sun Lu help, it definitely wouldn’t put Chen Yan in anyone’s debt.
In fact, you could say this was an opportunity Chen Yan was giving Sun Lu to perform well.
Another half-incense stick of time later, the sound of many footsteps came from outside the External Affairs Hall.
Chen Yan knew the inner sect must have received news of his sudden appearance.
But he didn’t know which side would come first.
Until he saw those Kongyuan Mountain cultivators, their Taoist robes embroidered with gilded cloud crane patterns, appear in a rush within the outer court’s External Affairs Hall.
“Chief Disciple Chen!”
The slightly boisterous middle-aged man leading them shouted loudly.
“Supervisor Li.”
Chen Yan stood up and responded:
“You’ve really gone to trouble.”
“It’s fine as long as you’re safe, Chief Disciple Chen!”
Seeing Chen Yan inside the External Affairs Hall, the middle-aged man visibly let out a sigh of relief.
The arrivals were precisely people from the Kongshan Sect’s Hall of Prudent Discipline.
They didn’t belong to any of the sect’s peaks or lineages and could intervene in the affairs of any peak at any time.
That being said, the direct leader of the Hall of Prudent Discipline was the current Kongyuan Mountain’s True Dharma Elder Zhong Yin, so where the Hall of Prudent Discipline’s loyalties truly lay was obvious to anyone with eyes.
Supervisor Li from the Hall of Prudent Discipline quickly moved close to Chen Yan’s side, lowering his own voice as he said:
“The situation is critical. No matter what, we need to get you back to Kongyuan Mountain first.”
…
Chen Yan had been missing on Yuanhua Mountain for nine days.
After the Yuanhua Mountain’s Enforcement Hall’s search yielded no results, the Hall of Prudent Discipline chose to forcefully intervene.
During this period, a serious conflict broke out between the Yuanhua Mountain’s Enforcement Hall and the people from the Hall of Prudent Discipline, ultimately leading to the Supreme Imperial Law Court personally stepping in.
Yet they still hadn’t found any trace of Chen Yan, dead or alive.
Lin Qifeng had already been protectively “confined” by Yun Yichen in Kongyuan Mountain’s Rear Cliff.
Against this current backdrop, the relationship between Kongyuan Mountain and the Imperial Law Court remained quite tense.
Especially after the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm, Kongyuan Mountain still hadn’t given the Imperial Law Court a satisfactory answer.
It was precisely because of this that Supervisor Li from the Hall of Prudent Discipline rushed to the outer court in such a frantic hurry, asking nothing, only hastily escorting Chen Yan, who had been missing for nine days, back to Kongyuan Mountain.
Kongyuan Mountain didn’t want Chen Yan to fall into the hands of the Imperial Law Court.
Especially after the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm, everyone in the Sect Leader’s faction knew full well what schemes Huo Mu was plotting.
And now, the Imperial Law Court’s repeated interventions had already made one thing clear.
That was, they already knew the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul was inside Chen Yan’s body.
But Chen Yan’s thoughts differed from those of Yue Chi, Zhong Yin, and the others.
He actually wanted to meet again with certain Grand Elders of the Imperial Law Court as soon as possible.
Chen Yan no longer needed to worry about the Kongshan Sect’s destruction.
Because the Kongshan Sect’s destruction was merely a consequence, a causality that arose because the cause-and-effect cycle hadn’t been completed.
Now, Chen Yan had already left Li Haoran’s Dao Domain.
This also meant the Outer Court Cataclysm would continue and repeat once more.