Chapter 114: The Situation at Changping
“Forget it. Since Junior Brother Li wants to play the gallant protector, then the two of you may go together tomorrow night.” He casually tossed the token, not toward Li Qingfeng or that Junior Sister Cen, but to the other side.
“Fellow Daoist Cheng, how impressive you are.”
Song Yan casually reached out and caught the token.
Cheng Yu gave a cold laugh, showing no intention of staying any longer.
He merely turned his head to give Song Yan a meaningful look before departing.
“I hope Fellow Daoist Song’s days in Changping from now on will go smoothly.”
He then led several cultivators and turned to leave.
“Old Song!”
Li Qingfeng’s eyes lit up. Seeing the inner sect disciple’s robe on Song Yan’s body, his expression turned to shock.
“You… you broke through to late-stage Qi Refining?”
“About three months ago.”
Song Yan nodded.
Old Li chuckled: “Then I should be calling you Senior Brother Song.”
“Sure. It will be at least half a year before you get the breakthrough pill and make your own advancement, right?”
Song Yan pretended to be serious: “For these six months, you have to call me senior brother every day.”
“Get out of here.”
The atmosphere instantly lightened considerably.
The surrounding Eastern Abyss Sect disciples also came over to greet Song Yan.
In this rotation, several of the Eastern Abyss Sect’s inner sect disciples had returned. This batch that came together seemed to have only three inner sect disciples.
In the eyes of these outer sect disciples, each one was a pillar of support.
The elders were lofty and above it all. Even if they truly cared, it was difficult for them to constantly attend to the daily missions and situations of these outer sect disciples.
Having an inner sect disciple made all the difference.
“Thank you, Senior Brother Li.” The female disciple’s voice was somewhat choked. “Thank you, Senior Brother Song.”
Song Yan waved his hand: “You should go back first.”
As twilight deepened, Song Yan and Li Qingfeng moved indoors.
“Qingfeng, what exactly is the situation in Changping right now?”
Li Qingfeng let out a long sigh: “It is extremely chaotic…”
“All six major sects know that Changping is overrun with demonic cultivators, but no one has taken the lead to act.”
“Why is that?”
“Because Changping does not only have demonic cultivators.”
Li Qingfeng explained in detail: “The rogue cultivators here… are actually heretical cultivators, and they have quite a significant presence.”
“Not only that, the yokai cultivators from the Corpse Bone Abyss are also quite active.”
“According to senior inner sect disciples, the higher-ups speculate that some kind of heretical treasure must have ended up here, drawing all these demons and monsters to this place.”
“I see…”
Song Yan nodded.
Li Qingfeng continued: “It is chaotic on the outside, and the alliance of the six major sects is not united as one. Our situation… you just saw it yourself.”
“It is difficult…”
After a moment of contemplation, Song Yan asked: “Cheng Yu is just an inner sect disciple of the Sun-Shooting Sect. On what basis does he interfere with your movements?”
“Originally, the Sun-Shooting Sect and the Eastern Abyss Sect were on good terms, with frequent exchanges between the two.”
“But that guy’s parents are both elders of the Sun-Shooting Sect, responsible for arranging missions for us…”
When Li Qingfeng reached this point, Song Yan understood immediately.
He furrowed his brow: “Have you not reported this to the elders?”
“It is no use…”
“His reasoning cannot be faulted.”
“Changping is in such chaos that danger lurks everywhere. There are no safe missions, and someone always has to take them. Based solely on our word alone, it holds no weight.”
“At most, they might just add a few more people to the task.”
“The other Sun-Shooting Sect disciples are actually quite decent. It is only this Cheng Yu who targets us at every turn.”
“And those Xuan Yuan Sect bastards beside him…”
Li Qingfeng stopped midway through his sentence, let out a soft sigh, and said no more.
He changed the topic: “Old Song, you have just arrived in Changping and have not yet been assigned any missions. If your luck is bad, you might also end up being tormented by him in the future.”
“…” Song Yan remained silent.
He had a very clear understanding of his own bad luck. Given such a miserable possibility, it was almost certain to happen.
Ever since picking up the Yin Yang Pearl at the Fire Worker Stronghold, he had been remarkably unlucky throughout.
Perhaps it was because fortune was conserved—finding the Yin Yang Pearl had used up all his good luck?
He did not curse heaven or blame others, but merely pondered how to survive his year in Changping safely.
As long as that Cheng Yu person existed, he could not help but guard against any hidden schemes he might devise.
“…”
Truly troublesome.
After much deliberation…
It seemed that killing him was still the simplest option.
Song Yan was startled by his own thought.
Now in Changping, with the six-sect alliance, if he truly moved to kill a fellow cultivator and someone discovered even the slightest trace, it would not end well.
Moreover, Cheng Yu’s parents were both elders of the Sun-Shooting Sect…
“…”
Truly troublesome…
…
The two comforted each other, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and slightly dispelled the gloom before Li Qingfeng took his leave.
Song Yan held a low-grade spirit stone in his hand, his Condensing Qi Technique slowly circulating within.
“Too slow.”
He sighed inwardly. The spiritual energy here was already thin and impure, making refinement extremely slow. To make matters worse, the Condensing Qi Technique he cultivated was also a sluggish cultivation method.
The combination of both factors made his cultivation speed as slow as a crawling tortoise.
Forcing himself to complete the day’s cultivation, Song Yan lay down still dressed and gradually drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, he rose early, freshened up simply, and then sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, taking a Yellow Sprout Pill.
With the assistance of the pill, today’s cultivation efficiency was indeed much higher.
“Perhaps when I return to the sect this time, it will be time to take up the Dao of alchemy again…”
Soon, the day’s basic cultivation was completed.
He pushed open the door and walked toward a cluster of buildings within the city.
At this moment, many cultivators in Nourishing Hall, like Song Yan, were emerging from their rooms and heading in the same direction.
In the dimly brightening sky, several streaks of light approached from the distant horizon.
The ordinary mortals within the city saw this scene and cried out in alarm. Some immediately knelt and prayed.
The mortals here lived truly unsettled lives.
With demons and monsters appearing at the drop of a hat, they nearly placed the guarding cultivators upon an altar.
Yet what was somewhat awkward was that these mortals had grown accustomed to seeing cultivators walking through the city.
They only regarded the streaks of light in the sky as immortals.
Looking at it this way, even the common folk here understood—without Foundation Establishment, one was no different from a mortal.
Song Yan smiled self-deprecatingly without stopping his steps.
Lianheng Tower, main hall.
Xu Ziqing and several elders holding key positions from the six major sects were each arranging important duties for their disciples.
Song Yan stood below, and among the elders, he spotted Senior Master Cong Yuzhen, whom she had encountered during the North Watch Mountain expedition.
“The six major sects actually attach such importance…”
Both Cong Yuzhen and Xu Ziqing could be considered talented disciples of the Foundation Establishment generation among the six major sects.
Yet they were still sent here for long-term stationed service. Apart from the internal “promotion” intent, it also demonstrated the attitude of the six sects.
In addition, there were some familiar faces.
For example…
Shen Huai of the Xuan Yuan Sect.
Seeing this person, Song Yan’s gaze cooled slightly.
The matter at Silent Valley had long passed, but that did not mean he had forgotten.