122 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 122: The Insider Currently, the development of events has diverged significantly from the plot that was initially set in the original work. In the original narrative, the protagonist Qin Miao's cultivation reaching the Golden Core stage was considered the early part of the story. The potential ranking tournament at Qingyuan City was at the intersection of the early and mid stages of the plot. During his stay in Qingyuan City, with the two great treasures "Dragon Bone Blade" and "Cloud-Cover Robe" in hand, Qin Miao's cultivation attained the Golden Core stage, thereby officially entering the ranks of cultivators with significant capabilities. However, two crucial events occurred before this advancement. The first was an incident involving the demon faction's saintess, Du Ruo, which was supposed to occur within half a year after a group from Mount Yucang returned from the Hun Yuan Realm. The demon faction's members launched an unprovoked attack on Mount Yucang, causing significant damage. The invaders not only managed to infiltrate the mountain soundlessly but also cut off communication between the main peak and the other peaks. Typically, only the sect leader was stationed at the main peak, with the elders guarding each of the other peaks to protect the main peak. The demon faction's assault occurred even without triggering the mountain protection formation, timing it perfectly when the sect leader was away, leaving the main peak vulnerable. Apart from several Golden Core elders, there were no higher cultivators for defense. It was just an ordinary day, with many disciples at Mount Yucang diligently studying under their elders. Suddenly, small units from the demon faction launched their attack on the main peak, throwing the situation into chaos. This event resulted in numerous casualties among the young disciples at Mount Yucang. If not for Qin Miao's desperate breakthrough to alert the outside world and prompt assistance from the other peaks, the sect might have suffered irreparable damage. The situation was puzzling: how did the demon faction know the whereabouts of the sect leader, the defensive layout of Mount Yucang, and how did they manage to pass through the protection formation undetected? Who was the insider? The sect leader promptly returned upon hearing of the incident, mobilizing the entire sect to search for the traitor collaborating with the demon faction, but ultimately, nothing was found. Someone was protecting the insider, and since they were not easily suspected, it was impossible to find evidence. However, what drew more attention was the demon faction's side of the story. The saintess, Du Ruo, was actually sidelined without her knowledge. The mission originally commanded by the Demon Emperor was to search for the Cloud-Cover Robe, and the massacre of low-level cultivators at Mount Yucang caught her by surprise. But most of her subordinates were directly loyal to the Demon Emperor, and she couldn't just leave them behind, so she had to cover their retreat. Du Ruo and a few other Nascent Soul demon cultivators confronted the elders of Mount Yucang who had arrived in time, and even though it was just a fleeting encounter, she was recognized. The demon saintess is a disciple of the Demon Emperor and his proxy in power; regardless of Du Ruo's wishes, this incident was branded as being instigated by the Demon Emperor. And the events didn't stop there. The dreadful news spread throughout the cultivation world, causing the thirteen seats of the celestial sects to urgently convene and demand an explanation from the Demon Emperor. So far, everything seemed standard. However, the subsequent actions of the Tai Xu Sect were utterly unexpected. When Mount Yucang's search for the insider yielded no results after two months, they overstepped their bounds, accusing Mount Yucang of harboring criminals and demanding the sect gates be opened for an external investigation. Li Huai naturally couldn't agree to such an outrageous request, as it would mean another blow to Mount Yucang's reputation. Unexpectedly, the Tai Xu Sect bypassed him and sent people to Mount Yucang during the thirteen seats' discussions. This blatant offense was not sincerely meant to help Mount Yucang find the traitor; their target was Qin Miao from the start. In a certain sense, their motive was the same as the Demon Emperor who sent Du Ruo to seek the Cloud-Cover Robe. When Qin Miao managed to escape the demon faction's blockade to deliver the message, Tai Xu Sect used this reason to suspect him. But when they tried to capture Qin Miao, Huai Ye realized that the sect master's decree held by the opposing party was forged. Tai Xu Sect had ulterior motives, prompting him to protect Qin Miao's escape. The Tai Xu Sect elder failed to succeed, realizing that Huai Ye was not to be underestimated. As the potential ranking assembly approached, they couldn't miss such a prime opportunity, so they pretended to fail and killed Huai Ye. Before the sword pierced Huai Ye's chest, the probing cut lopped off four fingers from Huai Ye's right hand—a message clear to see. This Tai Xu Sect elder, Bai Jinghuan, was the sect master's junior brother and a member of the first family in the cultivation world, the younger brother of Bai family's head. How could he easily face punishment? If Li Huai were alone, perhaps he could only swallow his grievance, but Mount Yucang had been slapped in the face repeatedly. His beloved disciple was deliberately harmed, and this enmity had to be avenged. Li Huai found his master, Daoist Lianlong, traveling outside, and the two of them combined forces. One was in the early phase of the Grand Ascension, the other a hidden expert of the Divine Transformation stage. Since the Tai Xu Sect provoked them first, and knowing they were at fault, the sect refused to let Bai Jinghuan pay with his life. Eventually, the sect's master intervened personally, severing one of Bai Jinghuan's arms, and thus the matter concluded. Huai Ye ultimately perished a few months before his twentieth birthday. By then, Mount Yucang and Tai Xu Sect were irreconcilably at odds, each seeing the other as a more hated enemy than the demon faction. Tiandi Sect, always the peacemaker, realized hosting the potential ranking assembly would escalate tensions, so they postponed the competition under a pretext to avoid further chaos. Because of this, when Qin Miao returned to Mount Yucang from his exile, he was just in time for the postponed tournament, where he could finally retaliate against Tai Xu Sect on the stage and make a name for himself in the cultivation world. At present, neither the demon invasion nor Huai Ye's murder has occurred. After the bloody incident in Huaihai City, the cultivation world was at peace once more. Major sects were busily preparing for the potential ranking assembly. Now, with his cultivation only at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, Qin Miao could still register and compete, though achieving a notable placement would be difficult. Beneath the tranquility, however, dark currents swirled. Before parting with Du Ruo in Huaihai City, Xiang Shiyan had warned her to be cautious, not to become a blade in someone else's hand unknowingly. She was curious about the Demon Emperor's knowledge of the secret treasures, but since Du Ruo merely had a cooperative relationship with her and wouldn't divulge too much about the Demon Emperor, Xiang Shiyan could only remind her, trusting in Du Ruo's intelligence to grasp her meaning. Perhaps because of this, although Du Ruo hadn't contacted her again, Mount Yucang hadn't suffered the same events as in the original story, and Huai Ye had lived safely until now. However, this didn't mean those events would never happen. Xiang Shiyan needed to be prepared, especially since the spy funneling information to the demon faction was still mingling comfortably with the disciples. Xiang Shiyan poured a cup of tea for the other person. The young woman looked at her, hesitating. She glanced at the tea, her expression skeptical, as if she wondered whether something had been added to it, debating whether or not to drink. Xiang Shiyan thought she wouldn't drink it, so when Long Ruiqing downed the contents with ease, she was somewhat surprised, though her face showed none of it. She remarked lightly, "Have you been so busy today that you didn't even have time to drink water?" Long Ruiqing placed the cup down slowly, the young woman in her early twenties wore a smile, replying courteously, "Not really, it wasn't that busy." "These trivial matters shouldn’t all fall on you." Xiang Shiyan took a sip of the tea from the same pot. Long Ruiqing's gaze flickered briefly, but she made no further comment. "How could they not, I am just a foolish and inept niece, serving the sect in this way is at least fulfilling." What guilt could you have that could be absolved in such a manner? Long Ruiqing wasn't as incompetent as she claimed. On the contrary, she had joined Yu Ming as a disciple with a rare Wind Spiritual Root. She excelled in the path of talismans, reaching the Golden Core stage at twenty, a prodigious talent. But compared to Huai Ye and Xiang Shiyan, her brilliance was somewhat overshadowed. Long Ruiqing's hands rested over her knees. "If you have any instructions, just let me know, there's no need for such kindness." "Nothing much, merely chatting." Xiang Shiyan recalled seeing the fleeting encounter between the master and disciple of Fu Liu Peak on the ship. Initially assuming they had some conflict or that Yu Ming perceived something amiss beforehand, Long Ruiqing, however, seemed naturally indifferent as if greeting a stranger. "Oh? Then what does Senior Uncle wish to chat about?" "Why did your senior sister keep you out of the door?" The girl's expression turned slightly unnatural as if startled by Xiang Shiyan's sudden question. She nervously pinched her fingers, saying nothing. After a while, Long Ruiqing lowered her head, speaking slowly, "You should ask my master, I cannot say." Xiang Shiyan imagined Yu Ming wouldn't share such matters either; that person's temper was poor and stubborn, likely considering it shameful, unwilling to reveal it to outsiders. Not expelling Long Ruiqing from Mount Yucang, only prohibiting her from approaching Fu Liu Peak, was probably to avoid arousing curiosity and to keep the reason concealed. Her master likely harbored deep resentment, still gnashing his teeth with hatred since that day. If only it were true. When Yu Ming passed by just now, there wasn't the hatred or anger in his eyes that Long Ruiqing had anticipated. Perhaps, after all, it wasn't considered a major issue, and with time, it had faded. Maybe this is what Yu Ming wanted. He didn't resist having Long Ruiqing as a substitute for Qi Wei Jun. If that's the case, it left Long Ruiqing feeling somewhat uneasy. Hesitating answers during questioning, affectionate words perhaps meant for no one, staring into empty spaces... Long Ruiqing wasn't sure how much she needed to hurt Yu Ming to make him understand that the person violating him wasn't his kind senior sister, but rather a traitorous student. Long Ruiqing snapped back to reality, responding to Xiang Shiyan's cold gaze with a placid smile. If Yu Ming really confided in Xiang Shiyan, she would surely stand up for her senior sister. Besides, despite her useless master's advanced age, she was far less mature and resilient than the youngest junior sister. What would Yu Ming do without her... A nameless anger surged from nowhere. Clearly, it was Long Ruiqing who wanted to distance herself from Yu Ming, yet now she found herself unsettled. She exhaled sharply, trying to dispel her frustration, and tentatively asked, "Why would Senior Uncle suddenly want to ask this?" Xiang Shiyan didn't respond verbally, she only offered her another cup of tea in silence. Long Ruiqing lowered her head, "I thought maybe Junior Sister He had mentioned something." The woman's hand hesitated briefly in the air, then she frowned and asked, "What about He He?" "No, if she mentioned nothing... then it’s nothing." Long Ruiqing easily downed the second cup, shedding her previous restraint. She seemed indifferent, unfazed by the honorable elder pouring her tea. After all, Xiang Shiyan was the host and she the guest, the questions were hers to ask, not Long Ruiqing's. Xiang Shiyan hadn't anticipated He He's involvement, but she had sought out Long Ruiqing now precisely because the timing was right. It was time for a serious conversation with this junior, who had nowhere to run on this isolated ship, cut off from any possible reinforcements. "Alright, since you refuse to answer questions about others, let me ask about matters concerning yourself alone." Xiang Shiyan stood, smoothing the creases in her clothing. She stood there, as if embodying the very facade of Mount Yucang. Strangely, at this moment, Long Ruiqing's nerves eased. Her expression faltered, hand slowly reaching to tap the hand Xiang Shiyan clenched around her throat. She pondered what kind of person Qi Wei Jun, also called one of the "Yucang Twin Beauties," might be? No matter what kind of person she was, to hold such a place in her master's heart, she must have been incomparable. Long Ruiqing chuckled, prompting Xiang Shiyan to frown and lift her hand, gripping the girl’s neck, leaving her feet dangling. "Why did you betray the sect?" Ah, she couldn’t answer that either... Long Ruiqing’s eyes flickered as they connected with Yu Ming’s astonished gaze from the doorway. Author’s Note: Thank you to all the little angels who cast their votes or poured out their support in the form of nutrient solutions during the period of 2022-05-04 35:35:41~2022-05-05 35:20:15~ Special thanks to the little angels who poured nutrient solutions: Abu 10 bottles; Wula 2 bottles. Thank you all for your support. I'll continue to work hard! This site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)