Chapter 542 - Five Countries, Nine Palaces and Thirteen Sects (2/2)
*Chi*
As Ning Fan turned around, his body transformed into a ray of travelling light and returned to Yue Country.
…
The Flying Snow Palace of the western part of Seven Apricot City was a newly-built palace that was meant for receiving all visitors.
In the Flying Snow Palace, Su Yan, Yue Lingkong, Ming Que, Xu Qiuling and the other women were sitting on the main seats, welcoming their guests.
On the guest’s seating, there were a man in green robes and a lady in pink robes. Forty plus Nascent Soul Realm cultivators and six Divine Transformation Realm experts were standing behind them in attendance.
That pink-robed lady was called Sun Han. She looked like she was at her late twenties. Her appearance was not peerlessly beautiful but she looked extremely dignified and decorous.
That green-robed man was called Yang Qiu. The way he spoke was rather refined and gentle. Unfortunately, there were a few scars on his face which made him look like a rough bandit.
The two of them were none other than the leaders of the Southeastern Cultivator Union – the Han and Qiu companion.
As for the cultivators who were standing behind them, all of them were rogue cultivators they brought from the union.
Su Yan was once the leader of a clan while Yue Lingkong was once the master of a sect. Therefore, it was an easy task for them receive the guests.
When the Qiu and Han companion arrived at Seven Apricot City, they never mentioned anything about their intention of their visit. They only said that they would tell them about it after Ning Fan returns.
“What exactly is the intention for the members of the Southeast Cultivator Union to come to Seven Apricot City?” Yue Lingkong asked Su Yan via telepathy.
“I have no idea. However, I heard that the Qiu and Han companions are rogue cultivators and they actually have already joined the Rain Palace. They even carry the identities as the feudal ranking elders of the Rain Palace and always help the Rain Sovereign pass a secret order. Perhaps the reason why they came is because they want to convey a secret message to Ning Fan…” Su Yan guessed.
At the rooftop outside the Flying Snow Palace, a small black sable was yawning lazily while guarding Seven Apricot City. It seemed like she was being wary of the Qiu and Han companions in case they bore malice toward the city.
All of a sudden, a ray of light flew into the city.
The little sable raised her head lazily and took a glimpse at the travelling light. Then, she snorted lightly and turned around to leave.
“Humph. This stinky man is finally back. It seems like he has successfully attained the Void Inquiry Stage. His luck is quite good…”
That travelling light was publicly exposing the Void Inquiry Stage aura force. It descended outside the Flying Snow Palace and turned into a young man in white robes. He was Ning Fan.
He slowly walked into the Flying Snow Palace. When the women in the palace sensed the Void Inquiry Stage aura force from Ning Fan, their faces were filled with joy. Apparently, Ning Fan had already achieved the Void Inquiry Stage with success.
The Qiu and Han companions were slightly stunned upon seeing Ning Fan enter the Flying Snow Palace. The two of them immediately rose to their feet. The man cupped his fists while the lady curtsied. Together, they said, “The Qiu and Han companions from the Fallen Autumn Country greet Marquis White Robe!”
“Fellow Daoist are being too polite. So what’s the matter that brought the two of you to visit my Seven Apricot City?” Ning Fan cupped his fists toward both of them and went to the main seat of the palace. His eyes unintentionally glimpsed at the group of Nascent Soul Realm and Divine Transformation Realm cultivators behind them.
When he saw no sign of Yun Ruowei among those cultivators, he could not help but feel slightly dispirited.
“The reason why we headed to Seven Apricot City is to pass an imperial order from the Rain Sovereign to you. Marquis White Robe, please have a look at this jade slip.”
Yang Qiu took out a jade box which contained a golden jade slip. As he flicked his finger, the jade box flew toward Ning Fan.
Ning Fan took out the golden jade slip and inserted his spirit sense into it. There was only one order from the Rain Sovereign inside the jade slip. After Ning Fan had read it, it instantly burned itself without fire and disintegrated into ashes.
The Rain Sovereign’s order was simple. He was just hoping that Ning Fan could head to the Rain Palace in the Middle State as soon as possible as he had something to discuss with him.
The reason why the Rain Sovereign made Ning Fan as a revered elder of the Rain Palace and even appointed him as the palace lord of the Scarlet Heaven Palace eventually was solely because Ning Fan’s ‘Indestructible Fire Body’ was of great use to him. He needed Ning Fan’s help to retrieve something from an abyss of flames.
He now found that it was about time to borrow Ning Fan’s power.
There was a formation technique that was set up on the golden jade slip that would make the jade slip to disintegrate after it was read once. Doubtlessly, the Qiu and Han companions completely had no idea about its content.
Since the Rain Sovereign passed this message to Ning Fan in such a secretive manner, the thing that he was up to did not seem to be something small. Without a doubt, the thing he wanted Ning Fan to get must be something extraordinary.
“Have Fellow Daoist read the secret order?” Yang Qiu asked with a faint smile.
“Mm. I’ve already received the order and I’ll head to the Middle State within the next few days.”
“Hehe. It’s good then. In this case, the two of us will excuse ourselves.”
“Wait a minute. I wish to ask about someone from the two of you.”
“Oh? Who does Marquis White Robe want to know about?”
“I have a friend called Yun Ruowei. I heard that she has joined the Southeast Cultivator Union. May I know where she is currently at?”
“Yun Ruowei?” Yang Qiu was rather surprised and held his stare at Ning Fan.
“I’ve long heard that Marquis White Robe is a genuine and sentimental man with an unconventional and frivolous bearing and has countless beauties. When I met you personally today, it seems that the rumors are true… Hehe. Yun Ruowei indeed is within my Southeastern Cultivator Union. However, she has a quite significant background. She is the blood younger sister of the White-Robe Sword God. It’s better that Marquis White Robe doesn’t mess with that lady in order to avoid getting yourself into a big trouble…”
It was already extremely polite of Yang Qiu to describe Ning Fan as a frivolous man. After all, Ning Fan’s name that was widely known in the Rain World was all about his notoriety and infamy.
Well, all of it was built on the countless people he had killed and the human cauldrons he had plucked.
When Yang Qiu came to Seven Apricot City today and saw Ning Fan have countless wives and concubines, he naturally was more convinced that Ning Fan was a lustful man.
However, it was none of his business how Ning Fan behaved. When Ning Fan asked him about Yun Ruowei, he just thought that Ning Fan had his eye on her. That was why he gave him a warning out of kindness.
Ning Fan shook his head helplessly. He did not expect that his name would actually have been ruined to such a point where he just talked about women and others would think that he was hatching a sinister plan in his mind…
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Yang. Yun Ruowei and I have already known each other. Both of them have a friendly relationship. The reason why I’m looking for her is because I have some questions that I need to ask her in person. I certainly harbor any malicious intentions…”
“Hehe. I see. It seems like I’ve misunderstood you… Since Fellow Daoist just wants to ask her some questions, I naturally can tell you where she is. However, I have one condition…”
“Oh? What condition does Fellow Daoist Yang have?” Ning Fan already figured out what Yang Qiu was asking after seeing a rising battle intent in Yang Qiu’s eyes that was itching the latter for a try.
Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel