79: Chapter 79 Entrusted by an Old Friend
“Brother Chu, it’s been a while. Your cultivation has become increasingly refined.”
Chu Sheng was drinking tea in the courtyard. Seeing him walk in, he did not get up, merely nodding.
The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease.
“Attendant Han is too polite. Sit.”
Han Li sat on a stone stool, his gaze sweeping over Chu Sheng, secretly suspicious in his heart.
Lin Hao’s death was too suspicious.
A pampered son of the Qi Induction Second Grade, falling off a cliff for no reason, without even a trace of a struggle.
Others might believe it was an accident, but he did not.
Yet, after investigating for several days, he found nothing.
The Chu Sheng before him still wore that harmless appearance, with his Qi Induction cultivation displayed there; no matter how one looked at it, he didn’t seem like someone capable of killing Lin Hao without a sound.
“Brother Chu,” Han Li began tentatively, “have you heard about Lin Hao’s affair?”
Chu Sheng picked up his teacup and took a sip.
“I’ve heard. It’s a pity.”
Han Li stared at him, finding no flaws, and had to let it go.
“Let’s not talk about that.”
He changed the subject, “Brother Chu, how have you considered the matter of the recommendation to the Qinglan Sect that I mentioned last time?”
Chu Sheng set down his teacup and looked at him.
“Brother Han, I actually have something I want to ask you.”
Han Li was stunned: “What is it?”
“I heard you have some connections in the Qinglan Sect.”
Chu Sheng looked at him, his gaze calm, “Could you help recommend me?”
Han Li was stunned.
He had originally intended to trick Chu Sheng into going to the Qinglan Sect so that the Second Elder could deal with him.
He didn’t expect this kid to actually propose going on his own initiative?
“Brother Chu wants to go to the Qinglan Sect?”
He probed, “Why?”
Chu Sheng smiled.
“People strive for higher places. Qingshi Town is too small; I want to go see a larger world.”
Han Li was ecstatic inside, but his face remained composed.
“Since Brother Chu has such ambition, I am naturally willing to help. In that case, three days from now, I will take you up the mountain.”
Chu Sheng nodded.
“I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Han.”
After Han Li left, Chu Sheng opened the inventory of the simulator.
The three Profound-grade low-tier magical treasures from the last simulation feedback were still lying quietly inside.
He had seen in the shop before that buying a single Profound-grade treasure cost 300 simulation points.
Three items would be 900 points.
Yet he had bundled three items for 200 points.
“That’s enough.”
He closed the interface, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Han Li wants to recommend him to the Second Elder?
That suits his intentions perfectly.
This time, the person he intends to meet is not the Second Elder.
It is someone else.
Three days later, outside the mountain gate of the Qinglan Sect.
Han Li led Chu Sheng, entering the mountain gate without any obstruction along the way.
“Brother Chu, I’ll take you to meet the Second Elder first.”
Han Li said while walking, “The Second Elder is the head of the Hall of Punishments. You should rely on him in the sect in the future.”
Chu Sheng nodded, but his footsteps suddenly paused.
“Brother Han, I have an uninvited request.”
Han Li looked back: “What is it?”
“I want to visit the Scripture Pavilion first.”
Chu Sheng smiled, “I’ve long heard that the Qinglan Sect’s Scripture Pavilion has a rich collection of books, and I’d like to see it.”
Han Li frowned.
“Scripture Pavilion? What’s good about that place...”
“Brother Han, don’t worry, just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”
Chu Sheng took out a bag of spirit stones from his robe and shoved it into his hand, “Consider it for buying tea, Brother Han.”
Han Li weighed the heft, and his brows relaxed.
“Fine then, go and come back quickly. I’ll wait for you at the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion.”
Scripture Pavilion, third floor.
Chu Sheng pushed open the door and walked in.
In the corner, a hunched figure was dozing by the window.
Old Man of the Pavilion Guard.
Li Chunfeng.
Chu Sheng looked at that aged face, a complex emotion surging in his heart.
In the fourth simulation, it was this old man who taught him the Sixteen Swords of Yan Yun, and was ultimately nailed to the cliff wall.
Before dying, he shoved the crown princes token to him, saying, “Alive, one is a person of the Yan Kingdom; dead, one is a ghost of the Yan Kingdom.”
“Senior.”
Chu Sheng walked over and clasped his hands in a salute.
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard opened his eyes, his murky old eyes sizing him up.
“Young man, who are you looking for?”
Chu Sheng took out that jade pendant from his robe and shook it slightly.
The jade was warm and moist, with the character “Yan” carved on the front and the four small characters “crown princes token” on the back.
The pupils of the Old Man of the Pavilion Guard contracted sharply.
He took the jade pendant and looked at it over and over again three times.
“Where... did you get this?”
His voice was tight.
Chu Sheng looked at him, his gaze calm.
“Entrusted by an old friend.”
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard fell silent.
After a long while, he spoke slowly.
“Is that old friend... still doing well?”
Chu Sheng sighed inwardly.
Old man, you are asking about yourself.
“He is still alive.”
He said softly, “It’s just... it’s not yet the time for him to die.”
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard was stunned.
Why did that sound so strange?
He stared at Chu Sheng, his gaze like lightning.
“Young man, who exactly are you?”
Chu Sheng did not avoid his gaze.
“Someone who wants to live.”
He paused, “And someone who wants to help the Yan Kingdom live on.”
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard furrowed his brows.
He discovered something was wrong.
This young man’s aura... is the Ju Zhen Realm!
When did the Qinglan Sect produce such a young Ju Zhen expert?
And he has the crown princes token, he knows his identity, and what he said... seems to be hinting at something.
“Senior,” Chu Sheng suddenly spoke, “the junior has a request.”
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard suppressed the suspicion in his heart and said in a deep voice: “Speak.”
“The junior wants to hang my name at the Scripture Pavilion.”
Chu Sheng looked at him, “No need to take me as a disciple, no need to pass on techniques, just let certain people know that the junior is your person.”
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard narrowed his eyes.
“You want to borrow my name to block whom?”
Chu Sheng smiled.
“The Second Elder.”
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard fell silent.
He recalled the scene of Han Li bringing Chu Sheng in just now.
Han Li is the nephew of the Second Elder, so bringing Chu Sheng to the Qinglan Sect surely had no good intentions.
This kid wants to borrow his name to make the Second Elder hesitant.
“Why do you think I would help you?”
Chu Sheng took out a small bottle from his robe and placed it on the table.
“This is a condensing true pill of the second grade. If Senior is willing, there will be a bottle every month from now on.”
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard was stunned.
Second-grade high-tier condensing true pill?
In the entire Qinglan Sect, alchemists who can refine second-grade high-tier pills can be counted on one hand!
What is this kid’s background?
“You...”
He stared at Chu Sheng, his eyes complex, “What exactly do you want to do?”
Chu Sheng put away his smile and looked at him seriously.
“Senior, the junior doesn’t want to do anything. I just want to live.”
He paused, “Live to see the day the Yan Kingdom truly stands up.”
The Old Man of the Pavilion Guard shuddered.
This sentence struck his deepest obsession.
Decades have passed.
He has been lurking in this foreign land for that very day.
“Good.”
He put away the jade pendant and the pills, “From today on, you are a disciple... no, a guest elder hanging your name at the Scripture Pavilion. Whoever wants to touch you, must first pass through me.”
Chu Sheng clasped his hands in a salute.
“Thank you, Senior.”
Walking out of the Scripture Pavilion, a stone in Chu Sheng’s heart fell to the ground.
With the brand of the Old Man of the Pavilion Guard, if the Second Elder wants to touch him, he will have to think twice.
Even if the Second Elder doesn’t care, at least on the surface, he wouldn’t dare to act.
That is enough.
He needs time.
Han Li was still waiting at the entrance; seeing him come out, he greeted him and asked: “Brother Chu, how was the visit to the Scripture Pavilion?”
Chu Sheng smiled.
“Very good. I even met the Old Man of the Pavilion Guard; the old gentleman is quite amiable.”
Han Li’s expression changed.
Old Man of the Pavilion Guard?
That mysterious old man, whom even the Second Elder has to be three parts polite to when they meet?
How did this kid get connected with him?
“Br-Brother Chu...”
He gave a dry laugh, “Let’s go see the Second Elder.”
Chu Sheng nodded and followed him forward.
Passing through an open area, he suddenly stopped.
In the distance, several towering mountain peaks were looming.
Spiritual power surged there, and the aura of demon beasts faintly drifted over.
“Brother Han, what place is that over there?”
Han Li took a look.
“Oh, that’s the formation eye of the sect-protecting array. The demon beasts of the Liuyun Mountain Range are suppressed there, guarded jointly by the four sects.”
Chu Sheng’s heart stirred.
“Four sects?”
Han Li nodded, thinking that this wasn’t a secret anyway, and pointed to the distant peaks.
“Our Qinglan Sect counts as one. There’s also the Yan Yue Sect, the Bati Sect... the strongest one is the Fengming Valley, located beside the Fengxian Ruins, and their strength is a big cut above ours.”
He paused and lowered his voice.
“In every formation eye, a Condensing True Great Demon is suppressed. It’s said that the most powerful one is almost about to break through to the Spirit Sea Realm.”
“But this is not something we should worry about.”
Chu Sheng’s eyes lit up.
Condensing True Great Demon?
Four of them?
His demon refining pot is currently hungry.
“Brother Han,” he suddenly asked, “are these formation eyes guarded by people at all times?”
Han Li looked at him inexplicably.
“Of course they are guarded. At least an elder from each of the four sects is on duty; it’s very strict.”
Chu Sheng nodded and didn’t ask any more.
But in his heart, he had already begun to calculate.
Four Condensing True Great Demons...
If he could collect them into the demon refining pot, how much cultivation could he refine?
“Proceed with caution.”
He warned himself in his heart, “Cannot be impatient, cannot be reckless. This time, I must be steady.”
He looked up toward those mountain peaks, his gaze deep.