206: Chapter 205: Heading Back to the Manor 206: Chapter 205: Heading Back to the Manor Hou Niao fully understood; this place was not just Feileng Spring nor was it the home of the blind elder, nor was it the sole existence…
If those Feileng Gems could appear in any Banyan Cave Mountain Spring, they were virtually impossible to be found.
The reason he had been able to find them was solely because he had gained the blind elder’s recognition.
Therefore, with different positions and standing at different heights, what one sees also differs.
His worries were quite superfluous.
“Disciple has been presumptuous, disturbing the senior.
I shall take my leave now.”
Feeling the young man turn to leave, the blind elder’s expression fluctuated between light and shadow.
He had been somewhat hasty in giving away the Grass Head Incense, owing a bit of a debt due to a chance factor; in fact, he had not gifted the Feileng Gem to anyone since it had formed in this area, because he knew full well the consequences of revealing it—where is there a cat that does not steal fish?
On the Jinxiu Continent, such Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were already rare, and once exposed, they would immediately attract a swarm of greed; the reason why Chong Ling and his disciple had not come was partly due to their Cultivation Techniques, but more importantly, it was because they were still unaware of the Feileng Gem, or else Hou Niao would have had nothing to do with it.
Not long after lighting the Grass Head Incense, he had rushed back, still unwilling to show the Feileng Gem readily, knowing that once some things started, they could never be stopped.
Yet this fellow had managed to withstand the threat of the Jingyang Creatures, putting him in a bit of a dilemma.
Ultimately, he still chose to fulfill his promise.
But he soon regretted it, for the one who came to take the opportunity was surprisingly a Sword Cultivator!
Sword Cultivators were the beginning of all troubles!
He hoped this fellow would meet an early end.
That was his wish, of course, he himself would never be involved in such causality.
On the Jinxiu Continent, chaos was burgeoning, and the times were about to change.
… Hou Niao left Jingyang Mountain, content; although his journey home had been somewhat rough, the outcome was not bad.
He had done what needed to be done and even had some unexpected rewards, which could be seen as recompense for his hard work.
Returning from Baiquan City, with no suitable waterways, he did not want to travel by boat again; riding at full gallop was more to his liking.
After a month, passing through Liuyang, he did not enter the city; the city always gave him a strange feeling, not because of the city itself, but because there were two people here who were very important to him, the old Daoist of Chong Ling and Daoist Hou Niao.
He had always been unsure how to face them; therefore, he decided to deal with this after stepping into the Tongxuan Realm.
Two days later, he finally had the chance to visit Jiangyou Town to see those four elders, but things are unpredictable, all four had been transferred, and the ones who replaced them were brother apprentices he did not recognize.
It seemed quite normal; in a place like the Quanzhen Sect, rotations typically happened every three years, and he had already spent two years in Yinling, plus another half year outside, so the changes were within expectations.
Was your journey smooth?
Gu Xiqiao made quite the kills, raising our Quanzhen’s prestige; was the Wen Family satisfied?
You’ve been away for half a year, and you have been quite dragging in your tasks.”
In the grand residence of Miao Gao Town, Yu Zhengxing finally served him a cup of tea.
Hou Niao replied respectfully, “Fairly smooth.
The child traffickers dealt in fake elixirs, they got what they deserved.
I merely acted according to the will of heaven; as for the Wen Family, they were quite satisfied, they thank elder uncle for his concern, saying your help was like sending charcoal in snowy weather, and these sacrificial offerings are enough for them to last a long time.”
Yu Zhengxing did not even look up, “Hmm, they thank me?
And then the thirteen branches of the Wen Family were reduced to just eight?
And they’re overjoyed over the death of seven cultivators?”
Hou Niao remained earnest, “Perhaps I was overly excited?
This can also be blamed on Teacher Uncle’s generosity.
Being from the countryside, I’ve never seen such wealth.
In my excitement, things got a little tangled.”
Yu Zhengxing clearly understood that this fellow was insinuating something, but this was his way of doing things; dissatisfaction had to be endured!
Daring to speak to an elder in such a sarcastic tone, had it not been for his splendid completion of the task, he would have been taught a lesson by now.
“You’ve reached Bridge Connection?
What are your plans next?”
Hou Niao was somewhat bewildered, “What plans could a disciple have?
I thank Teacher Uncle for fighting for my chance to return home and visit my family.
My wish has been fulfilled, and now I shall return to Yinling to protect the realm and keep the peace.”
Yu Zhengxing watched him with amusement, “Bridge Connection Realm, already the first realm below Tongxuan, do you think the Quanzhen Sect is so generous that they would assign a disciple such as you to patrol those stupid low-rank Demon Beasts?”
Hou Niao was taken aback, “The disciple is currently being punished…”
Yu Zhengxing was dismissive, “There are plenty of disciples in the Quanzhen Sect who’ve been punished!
The more exceptional, the more so it is.
If you haven’t been disciplined by the sect, dare you call yourself a Quanzhen Sword Cultivator?
Your Teacher Uncle is still burdened with several punishments; some are from before reaching Tongxuan, some are from offenses during the Tongxuan phase, and of course, there are the current ones…
To me, they are nothing but a fart!”
Hou Niao just laughed; he actually thought the same.
Such were the rules of the Cultivation World, especially for so-called Demon Sects like Quanzhen, where strength and realm were the sole standards for everything.
Now that he had reached Bridge Connection, he already possessed the potential to advance further.
Once he truly ascended to the Upper Realm, those so-called punishments would be nothing more than empty words, and no one would bother to bring them up again.
It might sound like the Cultivation World lacks discipline, but considering that each step in the cultivation process is a barrier and many fail to cross while few succeed, for the vast majority, these punishments are indeed taken seriously, and can be fatal.
“You have another task?
The disciple is willing to toil like a dog or a horse.”
Yu Zhengxing shook his head, “Where would I get so many tasks?
This task belongs to the entire Quanzhen Sect, a collective assignment, drawing on outstanding low-rank disciples from various states.
Basically, they’re all at the Bridge Connection Realm, and we need to pull you out to rub shoulders with some major forces.”
Hou Niao disapproved, “Sending us out to contend, those of us low-rank disciples who can’t even wield Flying Swords?
Yu Zhengxing glared at him, “I’ve already said, this is a decision made by the higher-ups of the Quanzhen Sect.
An old man like me cannot decide that; I can only manage this small part of Miao Gao Town, under which there are countless mischievous troublemakers like you.”
He pointed in front of him, “Pour your own tea, do you expect an old man to serve you?
I tell you, matters in the Cultivation World are not so simple; don’t think that the heads of each sect fighting one out to determine superiority can solve everything.
That’s a last resort, to avoid a complete fallout until the very end and to preserve a final way out.”
He sighed, “This kind of atmosphere has been led by the Daoist Sect and the Buddhist Sect, frustratingly enough, but there’s nothing that can be done about it.
Now, the Jinxiu Continent is showing signs of chaos, powers are bewildered, and all want to grasp the root of such turmoil.
In such a scenario, mutual understanding and probing of strength are the best methods, maintaining contact even if it means through confrontation.
Putting out you low-rank disciples as test subjects is just right, to observe the cultivation system and strength levels of the other side; after all, it’s no loss if you die.
When you cannot probe anything from each other, that’s when it’s our turn…
Testing each ascending layer, and the true decisive moment comes at the very end.
Therefore, the rise and fall of Jinxiu is everyone’s responsibility, of course, you young cultivators cannot escape it!”