Chapter 170: Could Senior Brother Have Forgotten?

An hour passed by leisurely.

Inside the room, Liu Chen finished practicing his Cultivation Technique. After a good stretch, he got up and carefully looked around the room.

The room had a Sound Insulation Array. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so quiet outside.

‘It’s a shame this room is a bit small, or I could’ve practiced my Swordsmanship. The Frosty Winter Seven Tribulation Sword is close to evolving into my own unique style. I’ll be learning many other types of Swordsmanship in the future. Whether it’s the Cyan Lotus Demon-Slaying Sword or the Frosty Winter Seven Tribulation Sword, I should try to condense them into a single, decisive strike. If I can’t kill with one blow, it’s safer to just flee.’

Liu Chen mulled this over. Instead of leaving the room, he took out the Cultivation Technique for the Thunder Sound Technique and began to study it carefully.

Liu Chen didn’t know how much longer it would be before the Flying Ship landed, but he figured it was better to practice Magic in his room than to watch the scenery outside and risk being disturbed by the disciples from Purple Bamboo Peak.

“We’ve arrived at the Great Xia Imperial City. Prepare to disembark.”

After an hour, Steward Lin’s voice came from outside. Liu Chen slowly rose and pushed open the door to his room.

Liu Chen stood on the deck, gazing into the distance.

Not far off, he saw other Flying Ships also bearing the banner of Purple Cloud Valley. Aside from a few unique markings representing their respective peaks, they were basically identical to the one Liu Chen was aboard.

He turned to look ahead, and a vast, ancient city that seemed to stretch on without end came into view.

“What do you think, Senior Brother? This is where Linglong and I used to live.”

Ji Suyao came up from behind Liu Chen, a hint of pride in her eyes. In a way, the Great Xia Imperial City was her family’s property. As for the Ye Family and the other families with mansions inside, they were merely residents.

“It’s quite magnificent.”

Liu Chen nodded. This Imperial City covered an area even larger than Purple Cloud Valley, rivaling Fire Dragon Valley in size. The only difference was the Spiritual Qi Density; Liu Chen could clearly sense it was slightly weaker here than in either Purple Cloud Valley or Fire Dragon Valley.

But this was, after all, a land of mortals. Even though Cultivators were present, the population was overwhelmingly mortal. It was not a true Cultivation Land.

“We’re planning to go home for a visit. Would you like to come with us, Senior Brother?”

Ye Linglong walked over and asked calmly. She and Ji Suyao had previously signed a Spirit Contract in front of their master, and she knew their senior brother would have to deal with the matter eventually.

But this was perhaps not his only reason for coming to the Imperial City. It would be best if he could come with them, but if he couldn’t, then she would have to ask the Patriarch to pay him a visit instead.

“I don’t have anything else pressing, so sure. Let’s go. Whose family are we visiting?”

Liu Chen looked at his two junior sisters. ‘They had a good relationship in the mortal world,’ he thought, ‘but if the Ye Family truly had close ties with the Great Xia Royal Family, the Nangong Family would never have tried to swallow them up. This means I can’t resolve their Spirit Contract issue by visiting just one of their homes.’

“The Ye Family, of course. After I see my parents and grandfather this time, I’m going to stay with the Ye Family. The palace is dreadfully boring.”

Ji Suyao pouted. She rarely saw her parents in the palace, but her grandfather, who should have been the busiest person, always made time to visit her every day. As for everyone else, they were so watchful it was like they wanted to count every grain of rice she ate.

“Then I’ll leave it in your hands, Junior Sister.”

Liu Chen looked toward Ye Linglong. ‘Speaking of which,’ he thought, ‘I wonder if Purple Cloud Valley has a place to stay here. If it does, I can go straight back into seclusion to cultivate once this is all sorted out.’

“Have you forgotten, Senior Brother? You’re an Honored Guest Elder of the Ye Family.”

Ye Linglong shook her head. Although she hadn’t written to her parents about it since, and the token he’d given her was still in her possession, his status as an Honored Guest Elder had been confirmed by Purple Cloud Valley. Which meant, she realized, that the Ye Family owed him six thousand Spirit Stones for this month’s stipend.

“I haven’t forgotten that, but I only ever met Patriarch Ye once.”

Liu Chen shook his head. At the time, he’d thought it would be the last time he ever saw Patriarch Ye. He never expected he’d have to meet him again—and on Ye Family territory, no less. Just thinking back on that first encounter felt like reliving a disaster.

Ye Linglong didn’t respond, instead pulling Ji Suyao aside. The moment the two of them stepped away, Yang Haichen and Ren Xunchun, who had been lingering nearby, immediately approached.

“The Imperial City has designated lodges. For every Ceremony, the disciples from the Three Immortal Sects almost always stay there. It isn’t mandatory, of course, but we all have to gather at the lodges when the Ceremony is over.”

Ren Xunchun spoke calmly. He glanced at Yang Haichen, thinking how he had participated in the last Ceremony and knew the procedures well. He just never expected to be back again this year, his Cultivation still at Body Tempering Peak.

“Senior Brother Ren, is your family also in the Imperial City?”

Liu Chen couldn’t help but glance at him. ‘His master and his wife’s departure is a certainty now,’ he thought. ‘It’s time to address the Ye Family’s future. More accurately, it’s time to make arrangements for my junior sister’s branch of the Ye Family.’

“The bulk of our family’s assets aren’t in the Imperial City, no,” Ren Xunchun said. “But any respectable Cultivation Clan within the Great Xia Dynasty will have some sort of presence here. Otherwise, you basically have no standing to participate in the affairs of the Cultivation Realm.”

Ren Xunchun shook his head and offered a casual explanation. Beside them, Yang Haichen stared at the approaching Imperial City without a word.

He had run away from this very city, heading for the Purple Cloud Valley Marketplace. To be back now stirred up truly complex feelings.

The Flying Ship flew slowly into the Imperial City, coming to a stop in a spacious square in the western district. This was the exclusive lodge for the Three Immortal Sects within the Imperial City.

“Ordinary families have to be inspected before they’re allowed through the city gates,” Ren Xunchun explained. “Only the Flying Ships of the Three Immortal Sects are permitted to fly directly inside.”

As they descended the ramp of the Flying Ship, Ren Xunchun continued his explanation. Liu Chen smiled and nodded; he genuinely hadn’t known any of these details.

Back when he lived as a mortal, the people of his own, not-so-prosperous town had hailed the Great Xia Imperial City as a Holy Land they could never hope to reach in their lifetimes.

Now that he was actually here, however, Liu Chen felt none of his former awe. Before meeting his master, he had only just learned that Cultivators even existed. If he hadn’t met his master, he might very well have come here himself to try his luck.

Even if he had managed to embark on the path of cultivation that way, it likely would have been many years later. He felt he could never repay his master’s kindness in this lifetime.

Once he finalized the Spirit Contracts for his two junior sisters, he could return and formally complete his discipleship ceremony. After that, his “master” would become his true Master. It was a subtle distinction, but one that signified a world of difference.

“Senior Brother, over here!”

Liu Chen had only taken a few steps after disembarking the Flying Ship when he heard Ji Suyao’s voice. He turned to see his two junior sisters standing with a middle-aged man in fine robes. Ji Suyao was waving him over.

“Senior Brothers, if you’ll excuse me.”

Liu Chen cupped his fists to take his leave, and both Ren Xunchun and Yang Haichen waved him off. Although each had planned on inviting Liu Chen to his own family’s home, they shared a tacit understanding not to mention it right now.

‘Knowing Junior Brother Liu’s personality,’ they thought, ‘he wouldn’t even be participating in this so-called Ceremony if he didn’t have important business to attend to. And since he brought his two junior sisters along, it’s pretty obvious what that business is.’