57: Chapter 57 Who wouldn't want to get in through connections?

When the flying boat descended from the clouds, Xie Feng was standing in the inn's courtyard.

The dark black hull of the vessel in front was precisely the one that had flown over their heads a few days ago, and now it had flown back.

He was more familiar with the one behind it; it was exactly the same flying boat that had first brought him into the Sect back then.

The two flying boats crossed the city wall and descended toward the City Defense Mansion.

Xie Feng tapped his blind cane against the ground and turned to push open Tu Ziguan's room door.

Tu Ziguan was leaning over the table, drawing the breakdown diagram of the earth-shaking thunder's circuit, and raised his head when he heard the door open.

"What's wrong?"

"Flying boats. The imperial family's, and Qingyun Sect's. They both landed at the City Defense Mansion."

Tu Ziguan put down his brush, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

The direction of the City Defense Mansion was blocked by a row of low roofs, so nothing could be seen, but the extremely heavy, low-frequency tremor from the landing of the flying boats had not yet dissipated, causing the dust on the window lattices to rattle down.

"Both together?"

Tu Ziguan closed the window. "Did something happen?"

He felt out a jade token from under his pillow, infused it with Spiritual Qi, and pressed against the Spirit Stone.

The two decided to send a message to Wen Yushu.

When in doubt, ask the Young Master; he always knew a bit more than the rest of them.

The jade token lit up twice, and Wen Yushu's voice came from inside, carrying a slight static hiss compressed by Spiritual Qi.

"What is it?"

"Ranhuo City. The imperial family's flying boat and Qingyun Sect's flying boat have arrived together. Do you know about this?"

"I know. It was coordinated by the court.

The Tianque Sect initially wanted to suppress the matter of Ranhuo City, and they suppressed it for three months.

The abnormal temperature of the earth fire fissure, the loss of Spiritual Qi in the raw Materials, and the sealing of the mines—they didn't report a single one of these matters outward.

However, after the supply of copper ingots from Ranhuo City was cut off, the price of Artifact Refining Materials in the surrounding prefectures quadrupled, and the Directorate of Military Weapons of the court was the first to lose its composure.

The Directorate of Military Weapons directly submitted a memorial impeaching the Tianque Sect for concealing the report. On the very day the memorial was submitted, the imperial family dispatched the Third Princess to Ranhuo City to oversee the situation.

The Third Princess stayed in Ranhuo City for over half a month, and the longer she stayed, the more wrong she felt. She investigated and found that the data given to her by the Tianque Sect had all been polished and embellished.

She directly transferred a team of Imperial Guards from the imperial capital, sealed off the outer perimeter of the earth fire fissure, and then sent a letter of assistance for investigation to the Qingyun Sect."

"So who is leading the way on the flying boat?"

"Qin Tianzong," Wen Yushu said. "Elder of the Artifact Hall, Seventh Realm.

He brought a team of Inner Sect Disciples from the Artifact Hall, as well as two deacons from the Penal Hall.

The Tianque Sect also sent a Seventh Realm figure, surnamed Han, who is the chief of the Tianque Sect's Artifact Hall.

Both sides each sent a Seventh Realm expert, plus the Third Princess representing the court to oversee, and the three parties are investigating the matter of the earth fire fissure together.

The Sect's stance is very clear: the Tianque Sect suffered a silent loss in the matter of Cangyun City. If they are allowed to handle the problem of Ranhuo City alone this time, no matter how it is handled, they will eventually pin the blame on the Qingyun Sect.

Instead of passively accepting the blame, it is better to actively go in and watch them investigate."

Xie Feng nodded.

Reasonable. In the matter of Cangyun City, the Qingyun Sect seized the city defense authority from the Tianque Sect, causing the Tianque Sect to lose all face.

If the matter of Ranhuo City was allowed to be covered up by the Tianque Sect themselves this time, if they covered it up well, it would be them turning the tides, and if it blew up in their face, they would shift the blame. Either way, the blame could be shifted over.

However, it would be different if the Qingyun Sect directly participated in the investigation.

With all three parties present, each party watches the other two. If anyone dares to pull any tricks, the other two can immediately make trouble.

"What is the reaction from the Tianque Sect side?" Tu Ziguan gloated a little; he hadn't received fewer white eyes from the Tianque Sect Disciples when going out these past two days.

"Reluctant." A trace of an extremely faint smile appeared in Wen Yushu's voice.

"But there's no choice. With the Third Princess personally presiding, they dare not openly block the Qingyun Sect's people. Elder Han said a few polite diplomatic words in the conference hall, things like 'the two Sects share the same heart' and 'prioritize the overall situation'."

Xie Feng suddenly grew curious.

"Which Elder is Elder Qin?"

Tu Ziguan looked at Xie Feng strangely.

"You know him. He's the one who said you were arrogant the last time the two of us turned into dung beetles to see the Sect Master."

Oh! So it was that old man. Xie Feng remembered him, and remembered that he even talked back to him a couple of times back then.

"Where are you now?" Xie Feng asked.

"The Sect," Wen Yushu said. "I didn't go with the flying boats.

Elder Qin specifically named a few Fourth Realm Disciples from the Artifact Hall. I don't know how to craft items, but I can ask around for you. I have connections here as well, but..."

What did Xie Feng not understand? Among friends, you couldn't always make someone work for you for free.

"I'll share some contribution points with you when I get back."

An empty check—Xie Feng's contributions had long been exchanged for Spirit Stones and Materials.

"Deal," Wen Yushu said. "The Third Princess's letter of assistance for investigation includes a temperature curve of the earth fire fissure.

Over the past decade, the temperature has been steady. It started going up three months ago.

Regarding the earth fire fissure of Ranhuo City, the records in the Qingyun Sect's ancient texts are sparse, but one passage mentions the Far North. Six hundred years ago, a mighty Cultivator of the Tianque Sect brought back a fire anomaly from the Far North and suppressed it into the earth veins.

When that anomaly was sealed, the mighty Cultivator placed a rune lock on the outer periphery of the Seal, and the key to the lock was kept by successive city lords of the Tianque Sect.

If the key is still here, the Seal is still here.

If the key is still here, the temperature could not suddenly change. Xie Feng, the key might be gone.

Be careful in the city. After Elder Qin arrives, he will take over the coordination matters on the Qingyun Sect's side. The few of you are not mission Disciples, so you don't need to report in.

However, you can go try to fish for benefits in the city. The three parties will jointly investigate the earth fire fissure, and during the handling process, the mines on the outer periphery of the Seal might reopen.

The raw Materials in the mines are better than any copper ingots circulating on the market."

"Understood."

The jade token dimmed. Xie Feng removed the jade token from beside his mouth, and his blind cane tapped the ground.

Tu Ziguan leaned against the window.

"The Tianque Sect concealed it for three months. Not surprising. The earth fire of Ranhuo City is their lifeline, and half of the nearby Artifact Refining Materials come from this city. When a lifeline has problems, anyone would want to cover it up themselves first. And now it blew up in their face."

He picked up the copper shell of the earth-shaking thunder from the table and spun it around in his palm.

"A joint investigation by three parties, two Seventh Realms plus a princess. The pool of water in Ranhuo City right now is muddy enough."

"Muddy is good," Xie Feng said.

Muddy waters make it easy to catch fish. The Tianque Sect concealed the report first and is now in a passive position. With the Qingyun Sect and the royal family watching them, they must tread carefully at every step. At a time like this, they have no energy to manage a few Inner Sect Disciples of the Qingyun Sect picking up stones in the mines.

Mo Tang pushed open the door and walked in from the next room, still pinching half a piece of copper ingot sample in her hand, which she had acquired from a shop during the day.

"I heard the sound of the flying boats. Qingyun Sect's?" Xie Feng briefly recounted Wen Yushu's words.

After listening, Mo Tang put the copper ingot down on the table. "Elder Qin Tianzong is my Master's Senior Brother. Since he is here, the Disciples of the Artifact Hall will definitely enter the mines to take samples. I'll go report to him tomorrow."

"You backdoor person!" Xie Feng rolled his eyes. His own family couldn't be counted on; right now, his own family was in a state of cutting off all its branches.

"You have an official assignment," Tu Ziguan said. "We don't."

"You can disguise yourselves as my assistants," Mo Tang said as a matter of course. "Artifact Hall sampling requires manpower. I'll apply to bring two Inner Sect Disciples to assist, and Elder Qin won't ask too much. As long as you can work, he doesn't care who brought you in."

Xie Feng spun his blind cane around in his hand. "Alright. Tomorrow we go to Master Huo's shop first. The gun barrel should be ready. As for the cane body, if there are good Materials in the mines, it can be resolved on the spot."

"What if the mines are also empty?" Tu Ziguan asked.

"Can you stop tempting fate?" Xie Feng tapped Tu Ziguan's foot with his blind cane, and Tu Ziguan yelped as he jumped away.

"I wanted to ask last time, which restaurant is Fulai Pavilion anyway?" Mo Tang frowned; last time in Kumu Village she had heard these two say those words.

The night was already deep.

Tomorrow Xie Feng would have to go rummage through the stone pit no matter what, to find a stick at least; he couldn't keep running around everywhere with the statue of the God of Toads.