Chapter 175 - 174: Ji Rang

Chapter 175: Chapter 174: Ji Rang

"Mm, I understand."

After a brief silence, the Master responded.

He then asked, "I heard... you went to the Nine True Temple. Did you gain anything there?"

This master of his was supposedly in seclusion, yet he was surprisingly well-informed. It seemed he knew about every single thing that happened in the outside world.

"Master, I merely broadened my horizons. I happened upon a fight between a Master and the Demon Sect, but with my level of Cultivation, I couldn’t get involved. At most, I could only observe from a distance."

The Master then said, "Do you know Lu Qingyu?"

Unsure why he had specifically brought him up, Chen Qingyang simply nodded.

"What’s your relationship with him? Did he say anything to you? And did you discuss... Li Qianxue?" He paused deliberately when he mentioned her name.

This string of three questions all revolved around one thing: whether Lu Qingyu had spoken to Chen Qingyang about Li Qianxue.

"We’re not exactly familiar. I can only say we’re acquainted. He was the one who received us the first time at the Nine True Temple. After that, we didn’t see each other much, so we had no further interaction."

At this, the Master asked no more. Chen Qingyang asked in turn, "Master, do you perhaps know this Lu Qingyu?"

The Master nodded. "That’s right. Three years ago, after Li Qianxue was ambushed, I also recuperated at that temple for some time, so I became familiar with him."

Chen Qingyang continued to ask, "I’ve also heard this involves an Immortal Mansion inheritance. Were you involved at the time, Master? And that you were later ambushed by the Demon Sect, leading to what’s happened today?"

"Sigh!" The Master’s expression was incredibly complex. "Yes, that’s correct. It shouldn’t have been like this, but she just had to..."

He trailed off, the words on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he swallowed them back. Chen Qingyang asked again, "Why do you feel that way, Master?"

The Master clenched his jaw and didn’t speak for a good while. When he finally spoke, he only said, "I know you have a close relationship with her, but with your current Cultivation, don’t get involved in these things. And don’t ask anymore. It won’t do you any good."

Hearing this, Chen Qingyang could only drop the matter. "Yes, Master."

Master Jing Yuan seemed to feel he had said enough to his disciple, so he stood and walked out into the courtyard.

"As my disciple, you must abide by these rules. First, you must dedicate yourself to the Alchemy Dao. Second, do not stray onto a crooked path or learn skills simply to stir up trouble. Stay far away from Master Water Moon’s disciples. Third, do not ask about Li Qianxue’s affairs again. It does not concern you. As for the fourth..."

The Master paused. "We were not fated to be master and disciple. This only happened because Liu Pei intervened on your behalf. Therefore, if you do not abide by my rules, I will expel you from my tutelage."

’This master of mine is truly strict. First, he refused to see me, and now that we’ve met, he says things like this.’ Even if Chen Qingyang had other questions, he lost the desire to ask. "Yes, Master."

With a final glance at the Star Disc above, the Master walked out of the courtyard. "In a few days, I will send one of your senior brothers to find you."

After speaking, he mounted a gentle breeze and vanished without a trace.

Chen Qingyang returned to the Alchemy Room and sat down, systematically reviewing his conclusions about his master.

’The Master lied. He was the one who hid the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo; that much was already certain.’

’Today, I also discovered that he doesn’t actually want Li Qianxue to wake up. But Li Qianxue saved his life, which makes no sense.’

’He’s a Pill Master and has never practiced Sword Cultivation. Hiding the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo would be useless for him. That’s the third strange thing.’

’As someone who understood human nature, Chen Qingyang knew that so many illogical things couldn’t revolve around one person without a reason. There had to be a secret behind it all.’

’As for his master’s personality, Chen Qingyang was inclined to believe the evaluations from his senior brother and others. He truly had a heart devoted to the Dao, prioritizing his pursuit of it above all else.’

’Connecting all these points, Chen Qingyang couldn’t help but suspect that the person who had leaked information to the Demon Sect was his very own master.’

’A single-minded devotion to the Dao could also mean a willingness to disregard kinship and righteousness. As long as the benefits outweighed the costs in his own mind, and as long as the Yu Xiao Demon Sect offered a sufficient reward, he would have a motive.’

’He didn’t want Li Qianxue to wake up because he was afraid she had noticed something. He didn’t want the Sword Embryo to fall into the Sect’s hands, perhaps to create a diversion at the time, or for some other purpose.’

’More importantly, Master Lu from the Nine True Temple had warned him, which was as good as saying there was something wrong with his master.’

’The hardest thing in the world to fathom is the human heart. No matter how shocking or impossible it all seemed, Chen Qingyang had to take precautions.’

’I thought things would be peaceful once I came to Cyan Bamboo Peak, but I’m still caught up in Li Qianxue’s affairs. Master Jing Yuan must have also found it quite the coincidence when he learned who I was.’

...

「Three days passed.」

Chen Qingyang had just concluded his meditation when he stood up in the courtyard. He saw a man in a Vermilion and Purple Robe walking up the White Jade Steps.

Instead of continuing past the small courtyard, the man turned toward it. Chen Qingyang immediately realized this must be one of his senior brothers, one of Master Jing Yuan’s disciples.

"Are you Chen Qingyang?" the man asked.

"That I am. May I ask who you are, Senior Brother?"

The man said, "My name is Ji Rang. I am Master’s fourth disciple. You should call me Fourth Senior Brother."

Chen Qingyang immediately bowed to him. "Fourth Senior Brother, please, come in!"

Ji Rang had a broad build, and the wide robe draped over him gave him a rather ancient air.

He had a square jaw, a fair complexion with a long beard, and two long, narrow Phoenix Eyes that added a touch of an immortal’s air about him. It was as if he had been steeped in incense smoke for years on end.

"So it’s your Array that’s been siphoning off all the nearby Spiritual Qi. If Eldest Senior Brother hadn’t intervened with the Law Enforcement Hall, I’m afraid it would’ve been dismantled long ago. Junior Brother, although your Cultivation is not high, this Star Cultivation Aspect of yours shows some skill. If it could be improved further, it would be even better."

Almost everyone who came for the first time commented on the Array, but he was the first to suggest improvements.

Chen Qingyang was curious. "Senior Brother, are you perhaps also an expert in Arrays?"

Ji Rang said, "I used to cultivate the Alchemy Dao as well, but I later discovered I was more passionate about Arrays, so I switched my focus. Because of that, I angered Master so much that he refused to speak to me for nearly a hundred years. He only forgave me recently, after I started showing results."

A casual remark to the speaker, but a telling one to the listener. Chen Qingyang recalled his master’s words from a few days ago: ’We were not fated to be master and disciple...’

"You have a resolute character, Senior Brother. An ordinary person would have likely buckled under the pressure and given up on Arrays long ago."

Ji Rang waved his hand dismissively. "It wasn’t that serious. He just wouldn’t speak to me, so I ignored him right back." He said it so casually, as if it were nothing.

Chen Qingyang then asked for his opinion of Master Jing Yuan. "In your view, Senior Brother, what kind of person is our master?"

Ji Rang thought for a moment. "You’ve been a disciple for a while now, have you even met Master yet? If you ask me, Master is a proud man. His Dao is the source of all his pride, and he can’t tolerate any mishaps."

"Junior Brother, you need to understand that among all the Life Light Masters on Cyan Bamboo Peak, his cultivation period has been the shortest. Master has every right to be proud. You must remember that when you deal with him in the future."

’He could sense his senior brother’s good intentions. Since Master Jing Yuan was so strict, the disciples he raised couldn’t be bad.’

"I understand. Thank you for the advice, Fourth Senior Brother."

"No need for formalities. If Master hadn’t lifted the ban, none of us would have dared visit you. I’m here today to pass on a Cultivation Technique of our lineage. Twenty of the thirty-six Inner Sect Disciples practice it."

As he spoke, he performed the Universe in the Sleeve technique and handed a book to Chen Qingyang. Chen Qingyang didn’t get a close look, but he could make out the title on the cover: *Nanming Red Emperor’s Celestial Burning and Sea Boiling Daoist Truth*.

"Additionally, Master arranged for me to introduce you to Fulu Workshop. I’m a little curious—was this Master’s idea, or did you ask to go?"

Unsure why he would ask, Chen Qingyang replied, "Does it make a difference?"

"Not really," Ji Rang said. "I’m just curious."

"Then you can assume I requested it myself."

Ji Rang said, "Junior Brother, I can get you in, but I have to warn you about a few things first. Pill Masters can gain a lot of advantages by joining Fulu Workshop, and with your Cultivation, you just meet the qualifications."

"However, along with those advantages come many tedious tasks. You might even have to risk your life. It would be much better if you could wait until your Cultivation advances and you officially enter the Inner Sect."

Chen Qingyang now understood his earlier hesitation. Ji Rang felt it was too soon for him to join Fulu Workshop.

"That’s understandable. If there are benefits, there must be a price to pay. What kind of tasks are they?"

Ji Rang pointed to himself. "Take me, for example. I serve as a Guardian Envoy in Fulu Workshop. My main tasks are controlling Arrays, gathering Spiritual Qi for Immortal Grass, and providing portable Arrays for my colleagues. That’s how I earn benefits from Fulu Workshop."

"If you join, Junior Brother, you’ll definitely be assigned monthly tasks to find spiritual herbs and medicines. It’s fine if they aren’t time-consuming, but if one is, you could spend the entire month bogged down by it."

"If you could break through to the Essence Condensation realm, your speed with Wind Control would be more than ten times faster. At your current level, it is indeed quite troublesome."

’None of this was a problem for Chen Qingyang; in fact, he thought it sounded quite simple. He could have Gentle Breeze handle the tasks of finding herbs and medicines. As long as he could reap enough benefits from Fulu Workshop, everything would be fine.’

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I’ll figure out a way to handle those things. I’ve heard that Elixirs sold at Fulu Workshop fetch a high price in Spirit Stones, and that it has many exclusive recipes. Is that true?"

Ji Rang said, "That’s absolutely true. It’s one of the ways our Cyan Bamboo Peak competes with the Separation Dragon Pill Institute and... bargains with the Sect. You have to understand, Cyan Bamboo Peak has the most Pill Masters outside of the Separation Dragon Pill Institute. Without Fulu Workshop, we’d be pushed around."

Chen Qingyang had no interest in delving into the relationship between the Sect, Cyan Bamboo Peak, and the Separation Dragon Pill Institute. All he cared about was that he could benefit. "As long as that’s true, nothing else is a problem."

Ji Rang laughed heartily. "You’ve got the right idea, Junior Brother! Once I’ve scheduled a meeting with the workshop’s Steward, I’ll introduce you. You should prepare your single best Elixir to present for the assessment."