Chapte 91 The Palace (1/2)
Night had just fallen. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, mobilizing the Mystic Cyan Cultivation Method around his body over and over again. He did this to stabilize his Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm. He was thinking: had I simply left in the day, and Senior Sister Luo not pulled me back, maybe, just maybe, two of us might not meet again...
Sudden footsteps resounded from the outside. Xiao Chen knew who it was even without using his Divine Sense. He left his bed lightly, pushed open the door and went out. He cupped his fists. ”I wonder why Master has visited me so late in the night?”
Liu Yunzheng smiled lightly and entered the house with him. After some time, he pressed down on the back of his hand and said, ”Han Chen, you have been with the Teal Jade Sect for almost a month. Tell me, how have your Senior Sister Liu and Senior Brother Gu treated you these days?”
Xiao Chen wondered if it was that daytime matter. Did he see something wrong in his and Senior Sister Luo's eyes? He gave a slight smile. ”All my senior brothers and sisters have treated me well.”
No one needed to mention how Liu Fenghuang treated him. Gu Hanxuan also visited him before and taught him some sect skills attentively. He did not treat him like an outsider, nor was he haughty. Even Shen Qian had changed her attitude toward him somewhat. And Mo Yaozhui had never treated him like an outsider either.
Liu Yunzheng nodded and smiled. After some time, he asked again, ”Actually, there are times when even I cannot make the decisions. As for you, your prospects are limitless... isn't that so?”
Xiao Chen understood what he meant. He just needed to add that a true man would need a wife. He nodded and smiled as well, without saying a word. Liu Yunzheng took out something from his bosom. It was that dragon pill. He said, ”You have been here for a month. I have nothing to give you as your teacher. This dragon pill can help improve your cultivation greatly.”
”But...” When he thought about how Liu Fenghuang and the rest almost lost their lives earning this dragon pill, Xiao Chen got up in a hurry. ”It's too precious. Your disciple dare not accept it.”
Liu Yunzheng gave a gentle smile and placed the dragon pill in his hand. He continued smiling. ”Your Senior Brothers Gu and Duan... ” When he mentioned ”Senior Brother Duan”, a look of grief flashed across his face. He continued, ”And your Senior Sisters Chu and Shen, Senior Brother Mo... I have given all of them gifts a month after their acceptance into the Sect. How can you be any different?”
”Errr... thank you, Master!” Xiao Chen could no longer reject.
Liu Yunzheng nodded and smiled. He got up. ”I shall not interrupt your training. I take my leave.” Xiao Chen answered, ”I will see you out, sir.”
Liu Yunzheng shook his head and smiled. When he reached the door, he turned back again. ”By the way, we need to visit the palace in three days' time. I will arrange two disciples to be with you these few days. You can either ask them to do something, or make them leave.” After he said this, he left the courtyard.
Watching his retreating figure, Xiao Chen did not know what to think. Was it he himself who was at fault these days? It seemed that Liu Yunzheng was not at all on his guard against him. It was he himself who had been over-vigilant. Now that so many heroes were on the rise, Liu Yunzheng had to prop the sect up entirely on his own. It was not easy. Besides, there was that Third Prince, who obviously thought poorly of him.
He shook his head forcefully and told himself again and again, ”Your mission here is the zither strings. You cannot harbor any feelings for a flower or a tree here!”
At this time, in the Zhou imperial palace.
Yu Wenmu told everything he saw at the Teal Jade Sect to his father Yu Wenji, the Emperor. Yu Wenji did not look too pleased. The latter flicked his sleeve and said, ”If he were such a rare talent, why did you not treat him well? Why treat him so coldly?”
Yu Wenmu said indifferently, ”No, it's just that I don't like the way he looked at Shangyan. After all, he's just a divine zither player. Once he loses the divine zither, how different is he from a commoner?”
”You!” Yu Wenji shook his head and sighed. ”Mu'er, there are times when you are really not sensible. The Qing State is getting more and more powerful, and our surrounding countries are all glaring at us covetously. Once our country loses the Spiritual Meridian, we will find it hard to regain it. We must try to pacify and recruit all kinds of talents now... ”
”Very well, Father. I'm here for the Immortals League Competition. If you are not happy with me, I shall return to the Nanzhan Subcontinent tomorrow.”
”You!” Yu Wenji could not help shaking his head and sighing. ”Very well. Your Second Elder Sister will be back soon. Visit her if you can spare the time.”
…
Three days passed very quickly. Teal Jade Sect was immensely busy today. All its disciples had rushed off to the mountain gate square. According to the past rules, every participating sect must prepare itself at the palace three days before the competition.
Xiao Chen was among the crowd. He heard the disciples disputing among themselves.
One said, ”I heard that the Qing State has got the No. 7 on the Heaven List, None-flower Dust, to take part!”
Another was surprised. ”You can't be serious! You mean that None-flower Dust whom they quipped ”a blade of flower, a blade of dust, a nightfall of flowers without dust”? If he's here we don't have to fight. Our Zhou State is sure to lose!”
That earlier disciple said in a whisper, ”But seriously, with all his abilities, that None-flower Dust can even beat our Master for fun... ”
Although the two said in a whisper, Xiao Chen heard everything. He wondered if that None-flower Dust was really as powerful as they claimed. Liu Yunzheng was already in the middle stages of the Core Forming Realm. Could that man be at the Peak of the Core Forming Realm, or even in the Nascent Soul Realm? All the fighters in the Heaven List were young superiors. What kind of a monster was this man?
After nearly an hour, all the disciples gathered at the mountain gate square. Liu Yunzheng summoned the Flying-cloud Stone. More than twenty disciples mounted up the stone. Those below them cheered them on. ”Senior Brother Gu! Senior Sister Chu! You must return in triumph!”