Novel Full Chapter 1005: 4: Love Only Makes People Stupid
Chapter 1005: Chapter 4: Love Only Makes People Stupid
Xu Yinglian stood inside the cave dwelling.
She was still in immaculate white, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall, unadorned by a pearl hairpin, devoid of makeup.
Her flawless face bore a pale and numb expression, staring blankly at her reflection in the bronze mirror.
Days after the attack on Heaven’s Gate Hall, Elder Changgeng had already been secretly removed from the Kunlun sect’s records.
This name, in an instant, fell from being the sect’s hot rising star to one that couldn’t even be mentioned.
Chi Song Immortal rushed back to Kunlun from outside that day and, after inspecting the Heavenly Gate Hall Secret Realm, quickly communicated with the Ziwei Master, reaching a unanimous consensus.
Elder Changgeng, it was feared, had already betrayed Kunlun.
Xu Yinglian refused to accept this conclusion, but her acceptance was irrelevant. After all, she had only recently reached the Nascent Infant stage, and in Kunlun, neither her reputation, connections, nor status had been fully established, so she could only watch as rumors quickly fermented within the sect.
Senior Brother…
Where on earth have you gone?
After standing in the cave for several hours, Xu Yinglian was as motionless as a wooden figure, until the sound of someone calling from outside slowly roused her.
Upon leaving the cave dwelling, she saw the Ziwei Master and Chi Song Immortal standing outside, looking at her with serious expressions.
“Qiong Ying,” the Ziwei Master said in a deep voice, “the sect has decided that you will be the next Sect Leader.”
Xu Yinglian showed no sign of emotion, only asked lightly:
“What about Senior Brother?”
“Qiong Ying,” Chi Song Immortal consoled her, “whether you believe it or not, your Senior Brother… after so many days, he has not surfaced, right?”
“Besides, on that day in the Heavenly Gate Hall Secret Realm, both you and the Sect Leader saw with your own eyes that he took action to steal the sect’s secret treasure, didn’t you?”
“I only saw Senior Brother standing there,” Xu Yinglian said coldly, “the Sword Light swept over the chess basket.”
“But that Sword Light was neither the Sword Light of the Tianyuan Yiqi Sword nor any Flying Sword that I’ve ever known my Senior Brother to use. Who knows whose Flying Sword it was?”
“Moreover, Senior Brother being able to suddenly disappear from the Heavenly Gate Hall Secret Realm clearly indicates the use of some kind of spatial spell.”
“I have spent countless days with Senior Brother; would I not know what spells he has, or has not, practiced?”
“Master, Immortal,” she bowed deeply once more, biting her lip as she spoke, “Junior is not trying to exonerate Senior Brother, merely pleading for the sect to give more time, so that I may uncover the truth.”
“If Senior Brother was coerced by villains, made to appear as if he betrayed the sect and was then abducted, hastily concluding this way only brings pain to our kin and joy to our enemies, does it not?”
The Ziwei Master and Chi Song Immortal exchanged uncomfortable glances.
With Changgeng’s strength and wit, few in this world could kill him.
Entering the Heavenly Gate Hall Secret Realm, coercing him, and then using spatial arts to take him away?
And setting aside whether such a master exists, why would anyone do this?
If one were merely hostile to Kunlun, wouldn’t killing Changgeng outright be simpler?
Even though both of them, with their long years of experience, had likely guessed that Changgeng had defected, among the current Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, Elder Qiong Ying’s potential and prospects were unmatched.
Changgeng had no worldly relatives, so his background couldn’t be thoroughly checked, whereas Qiong Ying had a full family in the Xu Family of Southern Heaven.
During the time following the theft in the Heavenly Gate Hall Secret Realm, aside from tracking the traitor Changgeng, the Ziwei Master and Chi Song Immortal were also engaging with the Xu Family of Southern Heaven to diligently investigate Xu Yinglian’s lineage.
The results showed that Xu Yinglian was a pure-blooded Xu Family member, who even grew up at the family residence with little chance of being switched.
She was absolutely unlikely to betray Kunlun.
Since she wouldn’t betray, the candidate for the next Sect Leader naturally shifted from Changgeng to Qiong Ying… But Qiong Ying was so engrossed in past sentiments that she was completely unwilling to believe that Changgeng had betrayed, so what was to be done?
“Ying Lian,” the Ziwei Master couldn’t keep it in anymore, gently persuaded, “the sect hasn’t definitively said Changgeng is a traitor, but this… his current whereabouts are unknown, and he isn’t in contact with the sect. The future Sect Leader’s successor is missing; it would certainly be a joke outside.”
“Exactly,” Chi Song Immortal thought the best course now was to placate the young girl, “If Changgeng someday returns to the sect and explains himself, you can simply give the Sect Leader successor position back to him.”
“Of course,” the Ziwei Master echoed, “during this period, the sect will also mobilize personnel and resources to search for Changgeng’s whereabouts.”
“Thank you, Master, Immortal,” Xu Yinglian bowed again to the ground, indeed no longer refusing the matter of the Sect Leader candidacy.
After the Ziwei Master and Chi Song Immortal left, Xu Yinglian silently returned to the cave dwelling, again falling into a mindless state.
With her Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart, the intelligence to perceive what the Sect Master Immortals could see, could she not see?
It’s just that, even with a ten-thousandth chance… she refused to accept that her Senior Brother had defected from Kunlun!
Who knows how many more hours passed before Xu Yinglian, looking at her haggard reflection in the bronze mirror, finally trembled and spoke:
“There are too many mysteries in this.”
“If Senior Brother were a traitor, what would he gain by infiltrating Kunlun?”
“He was a candidate for the next Sect Leader, with full access to the sect’s resources and treasures.”
“Even taking it to the extreme, given time, with Feather Transformation into an immortal, his rank and power could even rival that of Chi Song Immortal.”
“Why would he betray, why would he need to betray?”
“It doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t make sense! I must find out the truth, clear up the reasons, I must restore Senior Brother’s reputation…”
Suddenly, two lines of clear tears flowed down her flawless face, drowning her trembling voice.
Xu Yinglian slowly lowered her head, letting the tears fall on the back of her hand, trickling along her clenched fists like a string of tiny pearls.
“I don’t accept, I don’t accept…”
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother, Senior Brother…”
“My… husband…”
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Eastern Emperor Realm.
Since the truce among the lords, major military actions have subsided while small-scale skirmishes persist unendingly.
Notably was the military raid launched by the West State against the North State a few years ago.
The conflict saw victories and defeats on both sides, ultimately ending with a West State retreat, but leaving the North State heavily afflicted and unable to attack the Central State further.
Nowadays, anyone discerning among the lords can see the grand trend is set, with the North State camp having no strength left to resist.
The reason is simple: The longer Qi Qiaosong reigns, the deeper his control over the Qilin Clan becomes.
As long as Qi Qiaosong can completely dominate the Qilin Clan, coupled with the strength of his maternal White Tiger Clan, the Central State camp, possessing two great lords, remains as stable as Mount Tai.
The Eastern State’s Azure Dragon has always swung with the prevailing wind and will not initiate an attack on the Central State without sufficient assurance.
In this way, even if the North State teams up with the South State to launch a full assault on the Central State, they have no power to breach the capital and establish a new ruler.
The North State is beyond saving!
Qi Weihong is destined to be just a prince of the former dynasty, with the friendship between the Qilin and White Tiger enduring!
Accompanying such a conclusion becoming more ingrained, many Kun Race within the North State have begun to call for offering Qi Weihong to the Central State, to renew ties with the Qilin.
Just yesterday, Xuan Gui had executed three rebellious Demon Races in succession, slightly quelling such voices—but everyone knows this is not a long-term solution.
With the trend already clear, even those among the Demon Race can see it; how could Xuan Gui internally remain united? Clan leader Gui Yan is already overwhelmed, and Gui Ling’er sees it all, anxious at heart.
Fortunately, the Xuan Gui ancestor has yet to show signs of shifting, but if this continues, it is only a matter of time before they change their mind…
While she was deeply worried, she suddenly received a letter delivered by someone else.
Seeing the name on the letter, Gui Ling’er’s expression immediately froze.