Chapter 217 - 215: Entrustment

Chen Qingyang was also sizing him up, as if confirming his identity. "Senior Brother, I am Chen Qingyang, from Cyan Bamboo Peak, under Master Jing Yuan. What exactly happened here?"

Hearing this, the few of them lowered their guard.

Senior Brother Li thought for a moment, then sized up Chen Qingyang's Cultivation, seemingly unable to recall such a person. "Why have you come here? I don't believe I've seen you before."

Chen Qingyang explained, "I was dispatched by Fulu Workshop to retrieve an Immortal Grass from the Cave of Myriad Images. Inside the cave, I ran into members of the Demon Sect. During the fight, I overheard that some of my fellow disciples from the Tai Xu Sect were trapped by an Array, so I thought I'd come see if I could help. But by the time I got here, it seems everything was already over."

After he finished, it wasn't just Senior Brother Li; the others also fell into deep thought.

"I see. You came here alone?"

Chen Qingyang nodded. "That's right."

"Did you meet any other fellow sect members on the way?"

Senior Brother Li saw through his Cultivation level at a glance and naturally didn't believe Chen Qingyang was the one who had just been tangling with the Demon Sect. He just assumed it was a coincidence.

Chen Qingyang's story happened to align perfectly with what the people from Ci Yun Temple would say, making everything fit together seamlessly.

"No, I didn't. Senior Brother, what in the world happened here?"

"SIGH!" Senior Brother Li let out another long sigh. "We were indeed trapped. We only managed to escape later and fought a bloody battle with the Demon Sect. We're the only ones who survived. My surname is Li, and my given name is Zheng. You can just call me Senior Brother Li."

After saying this, he looked Chen Qingyang up and down again. "Very good. Knowing we were trapped and in danger, you still dared to come to our rescue. Thank you, Junior Brother!"

Although Chen Qingyang had done nothing, he still received his thanks.

"Senior Brother, you're too kind. Besides, I wasn't able to help with anything."

Senior Brother Li shook his head. "It's no matter. By the way, were you able to get that Immortal Grass?"

Chen Qingyang replied, "I got it. It's being kept at Ci Yun Temple for now."

Senior Brother Li said, "Good. There's nothing more to be done here, so you can rest easy. I'd like to ask a favor of you, if I may."

Chen Qingyang asked, "What is it?"

Senior Brother Li explained, "When Xuanwei Master left, he ordered us to guard this place. The Demon Sect's infiltration of the Yong Kingdom is highly unusual, and the Master suspects they're plotting something."

"Now, only the five of us are left, making it even more inconvenient for us to leave. Therefore, I'd like to ask you to deliver a letter to Nine True Mountain. The reasons behind all this are extremely complex, and only a letter can explain everything clearly."

Immortal Cultivators, after all, have numerous ways to send messages, such as using Talismans. But if one wants to explain a matter clearly, a letter is the most appropriate method.

Chen Qingyang could also infer from this that Xuanwei Master had scoffed at Ding Xiulong's story but was secretly taking it seriously.

'Since I have to go to Nine True Mountain anyway, there's no harm in doing this for them.' "No problem. However, I left the four stalks of Immortal Grass in the care of Ding Xiulong at Ci Yun Temple. I'll have to ask Senior Brother Li to pass on a message for me, asking him to hold onto them for a while longer."

Li Zheng immediately agreed. He then took out a brush and ink from his sleeve and dashed off a long letter. After carefully blowing the ink dry, he sealed it and handed it to Chen Qingyang.

"I cultivate on Xu Lingfeng under Master Jing. I'm indebted to you today, Junior Brother. If you're back at the Sect in the future, you can come find me on Xu Lingfeng. I'll be sure to show you proper hospitality."

He spoke kindly, with courteous manners and a merciful gaze, making it extremely difficult to connect him with the ruthless, battle-hardened Daoist he had been.

'Xu Lingfeng... what a coincidence.'

'With his Cultivation, he might have been to the Xu Lingfeng Secret Realm. It might be necessary to interact more in the future.' As Chen Qingyang raised his hand, five pills rolled out from his sleeve and onto his open palm in front of Li Zheng.

"These are Tier Four Qihuang Replenishing Truth Pills. I refined them myself. They should help you all recover your Primordial Energy. Please, don't refuse them."

The moment he said he refined them himself, no one dared to look down on him. And upon hearing they were Tier Four, even for cultivators of their level, the pills were considered quite valuable.

This time, it wasn't just Li Zheng; the other disciples also warmed up to Chen Qingyang. 'When there's mutual value, there's reason to stay in close contact in the future.'

"Aiya, Junior Brother Chen is truly a righteous man! We owe you a great debt today. My dear junior brothers and sisters, you must all remember this in the future," Senior Brother Li instructed. The others behind him naturally agreed.

After another round of pleasantries, Chen Qingyang decided not to return to Ci Yun Temple. Instead, he got his bearings and headed straight for Nine True Temple.

It was nearly dusk when he set out, and before long, the sky had turned completely dark. After traveling four or five hundred li, Chen Qingyang spotted a town below and descended.

It was a small city nestled in the mountains. A single road served as both its entrance and exit. At night, the city gates were closed, with soldiers patrolling atop the walls.

He entered the city directly, found an inn, and asked for a superior room. It was only from the inn's attendant that he learned this city was called Western Realm. Further west, one would leave the borders of the Yong Kingdom, cross a vast mountain range, and traverse a desolate, uninhabited land before finally reaching Nine True Mountain.

Since few merchants passed this way, the attendant didn't forget to boast a little to Chen Qingyang about the sights beyond Nine True Mountain, just to prove how knowledgeable he was.

"Beyond the mountains, there's a Daoist Temple called Nine Truths. Nine Masters live there, battling Demon Fiends day and night. It's because of them that we can live and work in peace and have three meals a day... To the southwest of Nine Truths, you'll enter the kingdom of Demon Fiends..."

He spoke with such earnest conviction, as if he had seen it all with his own eyes. Chen Qingyang just treated it as a bit of entertainment.

He sat down on the bed, took out a handful of Spirit Stones, and began to meditate to recover his strength, waiting until the next morning to head toward Nine True Mountain.

「Two days and two nights later.」

He finally saw the familiar mountain range. Nine peaks stood tall, like nine Masters. Nestled halfway up the central peak was a "Bright Pearl"—the Nine True Temple.

When Chen Qingyang landed at the entrance of the Nine True Temple, it was evening again. Last time he came, he wore green robes; this time, he was in Vermilion and Purple Attire. A Little Daoist Child at the gate saw him and immediately invited him in.

When Chen Qingyang mentioned he was quite familiar with Master Lu, the young Daoist pointed him toward the path up the mountain and told him he could go up on his own.

He had stayed here for a full month before and had been to almost every corner of the temple. A quarter of an hour later, he was once again outside Master Lu's small courtyard halfway up the mountain.

The gate was ajar. 'Considering this Temple Master's past,' Chen Qingyang thought, 'he must have already guessed I was coming.'

He didn't stand on ceremony, pushing the gate open and walking in, then closing it behind him. The door to Master Lu's small cabin was open. A long table was set up, and Lu Qingyu was sitting there, holding a cup of tea, his gaze fixed on the outside.

"I was wondering why a magpie woke me up this morning. So, it was because a distinguished guest has arrived!" He didn't get up, just smiled and spoke to Chen Qingyang. Only extremely close old friends would act this way.

Chen Qingyang bowed with his hands clasped. "Senior Brother Lu."

"Sit. I've already prepared tea for you."

"Alright."

He sat down opposite Lu Qingyu, coincidentally blocking the light from the doorway. Perhaps finding it too dim, Lu Qingyu lit the three candles in the room.

"So, tell me. What brings you all the way back to my Nine True Temple, a journey of tens of thousands of li?"

There was no need for pleasantries with him. Chen Qingyang took the Brocade Box from his robes, opened it, and placed it before him.

The pill inside was entirely golden and shrouded in a layer of white light. It glowed on its own even in the darkness. It also had some kind of special pattern on its surface, making it look like a carved Magical Artifact.

'So this is what a Tier Eight Elixir looks like.'

"Senior Brother Lu, do you recognize this elixir?"

Lu Qingyu was the picture of nonchalance. He merely glanced at it before saying, "Although your Cultivation has improved rapidly, an elixir of this quality would be difficult for you to refine at your current level. This must be the handiwork of that master of yours, right?"

Chen Qingyang wasn't surprised that he had guessed correctly, but he was slightly taken aback that the other man had so casually mentioned how fast his Cultivation was improving.

However, he didn't ask about it or even show that he cared. He simply replied, "Senior Brother is correct. My master asked me to deliver this. This elixir is highly beneficial for those who practice the Chongyang Technique. It should be useful to you, Senior Brother."

"Useful, useful... perhaps it's useful!" As if just humoring him, he swept his sleeve across the long table, and the elixir vanished.

"Do you know why your master sent me this elixir?"

'Other than to buy his silence, I can't think of any other reason.' Chen Qingyang shook his head.

Lu Qingyu just smiled and said, "That's right. It's just as you guessed—hush money. But don't you worry. It's not to keep me quiet about the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo, but rather to stop me from speaking about what he did here. He also warned that this concerns a major affair of the Sect."

At this, he let out a derisive laugh. "He's just trying to fool me, though. I don't believe his nonsense for a second. But since I've accepted the elixir, I have to do what I promised. That's why I've only told you what he did."

Chen Qingyang paused for a moment. "So... is this elixir useful for your Cultivation, Senior Brother?"

Lu Qingyu chuckled. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking, you little rascal. Maybe it's useful, maybe it's not. The point is, I lost all my Cultivation, but I kept the Divine Sense and sharp perception of a Golden Core True Monarch. This became even more true after I was trapped in the Bridge of Longevity. As a result, I can always notice things others can't. My mind is much clearer than it used to be."

The man was implying that he could see through Chen Qingyang's Cultivation, or at least that he didn't believe Chen Qingyang was truly only at the first stage of the Essence Condensation Realm.

"I am deeply grateful to you, Senior Brother Lu. Otherwise, how could the greatest opportunity in all of the Cyan Nether Continent have fallen into my lap? With its help, my Cultivation is naturally improving very quickly."

Seeing Chen Qingyang being so frank, Lu Qingyu said, "That's why you must be even more cautious and hide yourself well. Otherwise, if the secret of your rapid Cultivation improvement is exposed, without a Golden Core True Monarch to protect you, you'll very likely be flayed alive and have your tendons ripped out, all so they can study what's causing you to improve so fast..."

At this point, he gave a sardonic laugh. "Heh heh, you have no idea how dark a person's heart can become when they've been stuck at a certain realm for A Hundred Years, or even thousands of years. You're someone I have my eye on. I can't let anything happen to you."

It was clear he was genuinely looking out for him.

"Alright. I'll be sure to remember your words, Senior Brother Lu."