Chapter 79 - 72: Public Enemy of Cyan Cloud Sect

Chapter 79: Chapter 72: Public Enemy of Cyan Cloud Sect

"...Junior Lu?"

After listening to Ji Chang, Yi Hanqing—a young man with a cold demeanor, sword-like eyebrows, and starry eyes—keenly caught the keyword "Junior Lu." Seeing Ji Chang’s resolute expression, he instantly understood.

He helped Ji Chang up and smiled, "Junior Ji, you truly live up to the name of a Cyan Cloud Sect disciple. Even in the face of such a threat, you can still maintain your original heart and keep your promises.

"In that case, it seems Junior Xue and I have been a bit too presumptuous. Please don’t take offense, Junior Brother.

"Junior Xue, return the letter to Junior Ji..."

"Huh?!"

Xue Youqing looked at Yi Hanqing, his face filled with visible confusion. He wondered why Brother Yi had suddenly stopped interrogating him. It was obvious that if they just applied a little more pressure, this Junior Ji would crack. Giving the letter back now meant all their previous efforts would be wasted. Brother Yi was being foolish!

Seeing Xue Youqing’s slightly resistant gaze, Yi Hanqing knew full well that this guy still hadn’t grasped the deeper meaning behind Ji Chang’s earlier words. He mused that Junior Xue was simply too green. If he went down the mountain to gain experience acting like this in the future, he would probably be strung along and deceived by those Demonesses. However, to preserve Ji Chang’s dignity, Yi Hanqing chose not to explain things to Xue Youqing here and now.

He simply snatched the letter from the reluctant Xue Youqing’s hands and solemnly returned it to Ji Chang.

Once Ji Chang securely tucked the letter away, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he looked at the two of them and asked curiously, "Brother Yi, I wonder... how did my letter end up in your hands?"

Yi Hanqing and Xue Youqing exchanged a glance before both bursting into laughter. Yi Hanqing then leaned in and whispered a few words to Ji Chang. Whatever it was he said, it caused Ji Chang’s face and ears to turn completely red on the spot.

After the two left, Ji Chang sat alone in his cave dwelling, his eyes vacant, as if his soul had left his body. A moment later, a loud wail erupted from within the cave.

"Ahhhh! Why didn’t anyone tell me that Junior Sister Li’s mother is the Mountain Guardian Elder of Ten Thousand Talisman Peak?!

"I asked someone to deliver a letter to Junior Sister Li! Not only did it fail to reach her, but my future mother-in-law read it first!

"How will I ever have the nerve to go to Ten Thousand Talisman Peak to see Junior Sister Li again?!"

...

Outside Ji Chang’s cave dwelling.

As soon as they exited, Xue Youqing couldn’t help but question Yi Hanqing.

"Brother Yi, why didn’t you let me continue pressing Junior Ji just now?

"I could see he was right on the verge of revealing who it was that ruined the intimate happiness of all the male cultivators in our entire sect."

Hearing this, a helpless expression appeared on Yi Hanqing’s handsome face.

"Junior Xue, when you have time, you really should talk to your master about letting you go down the mountain to gain some worldly experience.

"Otherwise, you’ll remain somewhat obtuse when it comes to the ways of the world.

"You must realize that although Junior Ji appeared to say nothing, he actually told us everything we needed to know.

"As long as we continue investigating on our own, we’ll naturally find the person we’re looking for.

"This way, Junior Ji neither broke his promise to the other party nor slighted the two of us. It can be considered the best of both worlds."

"Huh?!"

Xue Youqing looked at Yi Hanqing blankly, his bewildered gaze revealing a kind of pure, unadulterated stupidity. He could understand every single word Yi Hanqing said, but when put together, they made absolutely no sense to him. What did it mean that Junior Ji seemed to have said nothing, but actually said everything? Since when had Brother Yi picked up the bad habits of those guys from the Celestial Extreme Sect, enjoying these kinds of word games? Couldn’t he just explain things clearly at once? He felt that if they always acted like this, it would just make him look really stupid.

Seeing that Xue Youqing still hadn’t caught on, Yi Hanqing said helplessly, "Junior Xue, how many disciples surnamed Lu do you think there are in Danyang Peak right now?

"Add to that the fact that the person who offered the Cultivation Technique was brought by Junior Ji to meet Spirit Fire Junior Martial Uncle.

"Combining these two clues means this person either has a past connection with Spirit Fire Junior Martial Uncle, or he is a disciple who recently passed the assessment and entered Danyang Peak.

"I personally lean toward the latter. After all, every single Named Disciple of this generation in Danyang Peak has been placed under Spirit Fire Junior Martial Uncle’s name.

"In that case, we just need to look among the newly advanced disciples of Danyang Peak for someone surnamed Lu who also happens to have interacted with Junior Ji recently.

"Whoever meets these criteria is highly likely to be the guy who gave the Purple Mist Health Cultivation Technique to Spirit Fire Junior Martial Uncle."

"So that’s how it is! Brother Yi, you’re amazing!"

Yi Hanqing remained very calm in the face of Xue Youqing’s praise.

"It’s not that I’m amazing, but rather that you lack experience, Junior Xue, and don’t quite understand the ways of the world."

"You’re right, Brother Yi. I’ll talk to my master later and ask him to let me go down the mountain to gain experience.

"Oh, right, Brother Yi, there’s another thing I’m quite curious about. Could you just tell me straight?"

"Go ahead and ask, Junior Xue."

It was as if Xue Youqing had been holding it in for a long time, as he blurted it out immediately. "I was wondering why Qiu Shui Taoist of Ten Thousand Talisman Peak gave you the love letter Junior Ji wrote for Junior Sister Li. From what I see, you don’t interact with Junior Sister Li much normally."

Yi Hanqing pondered for a moment before explaining, "Hmm... It’s quite a coincidence, actually. It’s because Qiu Shui Taoist wants me to become Dao companions with Junior Sister Li."

"Huh?!"

Xue Youqing looked at Yi Hanqing in shock, his brain failing to process this turn of events. Although he didn’t understand much about worldly affairs, he still grasped basic social concepts. Junior Ji liked Junior Sister Li. Junior Sister Li’s mother, Qiu Shui Taoist, wanted Brother Yi and Junior Sister Li to become Dao companions. For this reason, she had specifically passed Junior Ji’s love letter for Junior Sister Li over to Brother Yi. He marveled at how complicated the relationships were, but it seemed he smelled some gossip here...

"Did you agree, Senior Brother?" he asked.

Yi Hanqing gave him a surprised look, then countered, "Do you think if I had agreed, I would have spoken to Junior Ji so calmly just now?"

"Why didn’t you agree?"

These words caused Yi Hanqing to fall silent for a long time. Then, looking toward the horizon beyond the mountain gates, he said faintly, "Just as Junior Ji tried his best to uphold his promise to Junior Lu even in that situation, I, too, have a promise I must keep.

"But because of this Purple Mist Health Cultivation Method, my master has found yet another excuse to forbid me from going down the mountain to get married. It gives me a massive headache."

"Huh? Is Master Wan Jian really that overbearing? When I saw the old man before, he seemed quite reasonable.

"Logically speaking, as long as the person isn’t from the Evil Demon and Heretic Dao, or someone of dubious background, the inner Elders won’t interfere. Could it be..."

Hearing this, Yi Hanqing sighed and said, "...Yes. Even though she has left it behind now, she was indeed forced to stay in a Demon Sect for some time."

"HISS!"

Xue Youqing gasped, his brows furrowing. She had spent time in a Demon Sect. No wonder Master Wan Jian was so opposed to this marriage! Not to mention that Yi Hanqing was a prodigy of the sect and the True Inheritance of Sword Concealment Peak. Even if he were just an ordinary disciple, the Cyan Cloud Sect would absolutely never allow him to marry a Demoness from a Demon Sect. This was a matter of principle, with no room for negotiation.

"So, Senior Brother, you’re insisting on finding Junior Lu just because he indirectly caused trouble for you?"

Yi Hanqing nodded, then said calmly, "That’s only part of the reason. The real reason I want to find Junior Lu is that someone told me that if I can find this person and report his situation to them, they can sneak me down the mountain."

"Who has that kind of capability?"

At this, Yi Hanqing pointed in the direction of the Cyan Cloud Sect’s Main Peak and said no more.

And this time, Xue Youqing immediately understood. Who else could have such capability? It was probably that batch of True Disciples from the Main Peak. After all, despite both being True Disciples, those from the Main Peak were different from those of the other peaks. True Disciples of the other peaks only needed a clean background and decent cultivation talent. But the True Disciples of the Main Peak were different. One had to have at least one parent originating from the Cyan Cloud Sect in order to become a True Disciple of the Main Peak. To call them the Second Generation Immortals within the Cyan Cloud Sect was not an exaggeration at all.

Thinking of this, Xue Youqing couldn’t help but laugh. Well then, it seemed these Second Generation Immortals had also suffered greatly because of this Purple Mist Health Cultivation Technique. They were so desperate that they wanted to drag out the person who offered this Cultivation Technique and thoroughly settle the score. To become the Public Enemy of Cyan Cloud Sect by offending almost all the male disciples of the entire sect right at the entry-level... This Junior Lu’s ability... was simply too great!

In his heart, Xue Youqing became even more curious about this Junior Lu, whom he had never met.

...