The moment Su Miaoyin saw it was Yu Yan, her imposing manner weakened considerably.
Ignoring the anger from her scalded hand, she put on a beaming smile and said, “So it’s Immortal Lord Minghuai. Since you’re here, why didn’t you show yourself sooner? Please, sit. I’ll pour you some tea.”
Yu Yan sneered and didn’t move.
Su Miaoyin had to smooth things over. She put down her cup and said, “You’re right. I haven’t taken good enough care of my disciple over the years. Perhaps I truly misjudged her and overlooked her talent. But Qi Qing was rescued by us from a beast tide and is an officially registered disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Now that she wants to leave, as her master, can’t I try to persuade her to stay? Besides, leaving the sect is no small matter. It’s not something I can approve on my own. The Sect Leader and the sect registry both need to be involved. Haste makes waste. I believe you both understand this.”
She deliberately brought up the beast tide to remind Qi Qing that she owed a debt of gratitude to the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Such a hasty and seemingly reasonless departure would simply not be permitted.
In the past, Qi Qing truly didn’t matter much.
But after learning of Qi Qing’s abilities, how could she dare let her go easily? One must understand, the Heavenly Emperor is the Heavenly Dao; wherever the Heavenly Dao departs, that place will inevitably decline. She tried to make her stay, firstly, to preserve the Heavenly Sword Sect’s fortune, and secondly, she didn’t want to be questioned herself.
Qi Qing was her disciple. She had been fine before, so suddenly proposing to leave the sect would inevitably cause controversy. People would wonder if there was a problem with her as a master that forced her disciple to leave.
Moreover, the death omen on Qi Qing was still present. Back then, it was because she had seen this death omen that she sent Qi Qing out to deliver a letter. Who knew that after Qi Qing returned, the death omen hadn’t disappeared but had instead become even clearer.
It was still hard to say whether this matter was related to Immortal Lord Minghuai.
And now, this Immortal Lord was standing right opposite her.
She had heard from others that this Immortal Lord cared a lot for Qi Qing, even arguing with the Sect Leader over her. Later, she was constantly by Qi Qing’s side. No matter how one looked at it, it was highly suspicious.
They probably hadn’t known each other before.
The only possibility was that the other party had also discerned Qi Qing’s true identity and wanted to use this method to sever Qi Qing from the Heavenly Sword Sect and claim her for herself.
For public or private reasons, for sentiment or logic, she could not hand Qi Qing over.
But she also didn’t want to offend Yu Yan, so she could only turn to Qi Qing again, “Qi Qing, listen to me, your master. The Heavenly Sword Sect is the greatest sect in the land; countless people wish to join but cannot. You hold such a significant advantage; you should make the most of it. Once you become a direct disciple, what cultivation methods would be beyond your reach? It would be such a pity to leave!”
She was trying to persuade Qi Qing while also appeasing Yu Yan, striving to calm the situation and, at the very least, buy some time to discuss the matter properly with the Sect Leader.
She knew Qi Qing was soft-hearted. If she humbled herself and spoke so earnestly, Qi Qing couldn’t possibly remain as unyielding as Yu Yan.
Qi Qing also didn’t want to antagonize the Heavenly Sword Sect over such a small matter. The Heavenly Sword Sect held considerable influence in the immortal realm, and it was best not to offend them if it could be avoided. It wasn’t that she was timid or afraid of trouble, but she didn’t want to drag Yu Yan into it.
Since Su Miaoyin was willing to discuss things properly, following the normal procedures was the ideal outcome. Aiming to ease the tension, Qi Qing also relented slightly, saying, “Master, it’s my fault for bringing this up so hastily. It’s understandable that you can’t accept it immediately. However, my mind is made up. Could you please see if you can help? As long as the matter can be settled, it doesn’t matter if it takes a bit longer. In the future, if the Heavenly Sword Sect needs anything, I, your disciple, will go through fire and water without hesitation.”
Seeing her firm attitude, Su Miaoyin could only nod.
“Alright, I will discuss it with the Sect Leader. But,” Su Miaoyin probed indirectly, “can you tell me your reason for leaving? Perhaps if you share it, the issue can be resolved, and you won’t have to go. We’ve been master and disciple; for us to part so ambiguously… I feel somewhat…”
“I’m sorry, I truly don’t intend to hide it from you.” Qi Qing bit her lip and said, “This matter concerns my privacy and isn’t something I can make public.”
Su Miaoyin was about to ask again when Yu Yan interrupted, “Enough. If she doesn’t want to say it, don’t press her. Everyone has things they prefer to keep private. Do you enjoy being relentlessly questioned?”
With that, she pulled Qi Qing by the hand and turned to leave.
Qi Qing followed her out the door. Looking back, she saw Su Miaoyin, her face heavy with worry, staring blankly at the shattered teacup in her hand.
She truly didn’t understand why Su Miaoyin, who hadn’t paid her any mind in her previous life, was so concerned about her in this one.
Actually, it wasn’t just Su Miaoyin. In her previous life, when she was at her lowest and facing her most difficult times, no one in the sect had been willing to stand by her.
She could accept it. People naturally seek advantages and avoid harm, and this was even truer in a world where the weak were prey to the strong.
Only Yu Yan was an exception.
She looked up at Yu Yan. The other woman had her back to her, flying forward on her sword. She also didn’t understand why Yu Yan would stand by her so unconditionally. What did she possibly have to offer in return?
The two flew on their swords towards Welcoming Guest Peak. As soon as they landed, they saw a busy Mo Tao. He was exchanging pleasantries with someone and, seeing them approach, smiled and said, “Immortal Lord Minghuai has also arrived. Perfect timing! Let me introduce you. This is the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Origin Sect, Immortal Lord Wuwang.”
This Immortal Lord Wuwang didn’t look old and was quite handsome, with a gentle demeanor. He said, “I have long heard of Immortal Lord Minghuai’s great name. Meeting you today, I see you truly live up to your reputation.”
Yu Yan had no desire to exchange pleasantries. She returned the courtesy and was about to leave.
The man had clearly never received such a cold reception, and his expression changed instantly. Mo Tao, seeing this, quickly tried to smooth things over, “Immortal Lord, please wait. Last time, I asked you to diagnose my disciple, and I still don’t know the result. If you’re not busy, could we speak privately for a moment?”
Yu Yan frowned. “The result? I already told your attendant.”
“Yes, but I haven’t heard the specific details from you yet. It so happens that several powerful figures from various immortal sects have gathered. With a few days still before the birthday banquet, I’d like to invite everyone for a joint consultation. I hope you can understand this old man’s earnest desire to save his disciple.”
“Wait a moment.” Yu Yan pondered briefly, then took out a voice transmission stone and gave it to Qi Qing. “I’ll be gone for a little while,” she said. “Call me if anything happens. Don’t let anyone bully you again.”
Qi Qing hadn’t expected Yu Yan to still be thinking of her at a time like this, worried she might be bullied. Sensing the curious gazes from those around, she immediately blushed, nodded, and told Yu Yan not to worry and to go ahead.
After Yu Yan left, Mo Tao smiled and said, “The Immortal Lord seems quite fond of our young disciple. I wonder what special qualities she possesses to have earned your favor?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.” Yu Yan didn’t answer directly. If she hadn’t been curious to hear the ‘lofty opinions’ of those people, she wouldn’t have agreed to this baffling consultation in the first place.
She had stayed in the heavens for a long time and was genuinely curious to see how far the current immortal realm had progressed, and how much real ability these so-called great powers of the world actually possessed.
Meanwhile, Qi Qing returned to the area near Yu Yan’s guest room and saw many disciples bustling about, helping to tidy up the residences.
They had likely been roped into cleaning the guests’ accommodations, a task usually handled by outer sect disciples. Looking closely, she recognized many familiar faces. Skinny Monkey was there too, but he was no longer giving orders; instead, he was one of those being bossed around.
His former underlings had turned the tables and were now condescendingly ordering him around. When he moved too slowly, they even lashed him with a whip.
“Hurry up! Still think you’re the boss?” one of his former underlings, Wang Ming, yelled loudest and struck the hardest. It wasn’t enough for him to beat Skinny Monkey until he collapsed; he deliberately struck his already injured spots.
Skinny Monkey clutched his head, curled into a ball, and continuously begged for mercy. Looking closely, his body was covered in whip marks; there wasn’t an untouched patch of skin on him.
No one nearby intervened; most watched with cold indifference. Qi Qing frowned and, as if prompted by an unseen hand, called out for them to stop.
Wang Ming glanced in her direction, recognized her, and immediately cowered. He quickly trotted over, rubbing his hands together fawningly. “Sister Qing, what are your orders?”
“What are you doing?”
“Beating him, of course! Ever since you taught him a lesson last time, he hasn’t been able to command any respect at all. Who would listen to him anymore?” Wang Ming laughed. “You have no idea, Sister Qing, this Skinny Monkey is truly despicable. If you hadn’t put him in his place, he’d still be lording it over us! Just say the word—saltwater or chili water—I’ll definitely rub it into his wounds with all my strength!”
