Chapter 14

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At the foot of Spirit Void Sect’s mountain stood a hundred-man contingent, fully equipped and ready to depart. Dressed in the uniforms of the Law Enforcement Hall, they looked imposing and formidable.

Three carriages stood in their midst.

“Junior Brother Gu, see how well I’ve treated you? I specially requested a carriage from the captain. Of course, you’ll have to cover the cost yourself.”

“Certainly, certainly.”

Gu Changqing hurriedly took out some spirit stones. He had been worried that Ji Yan’s health might not hold up along the way.

“Many thanks, Senior Brother.”

Gu Changqing cupped his hands in thanks. He knew the Law Enforcement Hall was making a little extra money on the side, but if paying spirit stones could buy them a more comfortable journey, he was willing to spend them.

“Haha, I knew you’d be satisfied.”

Zhang Yuan burst into laughter.

Neither of those two had ever been short of money. Even Zhang Yuan was tempted to start a carriage escort business after this, but after thinking it over, he decided it probably was not practical.

Aside from Junior Brother Gu being extravagantly wealthy and terrified of death, who else would be willing to spend spirit stones on such a short five-day journey?

After chatting for a while, the Foundation Establishment senior brothers finally arrived, rather late.

The first two carriages belonged to them.

Foundation Establishment cultivators could fly on their swords, but they were leading the group to North City. If they did not wish to walk, their only choice was to travel by carriage.

As for flying artifacts…

Large flying artifacts consumed an enormous amount of energy and could not be deployed except under special circumstances.

Small flying artifacts could not carry many people. Thus, Qi Condensation cultivators still had to rely on their feet to cross mountains and rivers.

“Set out.”

With the Foundation Establishment senior brother’s order, the procession began its journey.

In the distance, high upon Spirit Void Sect’s mountain, several people gnashed their teeth in frustration.

“Damn it! It’s the Law Enforcement Hall!”

“What are we supposed to do? I never expected them to travel with the Law Enforcement Hall. He really is clever.”

“Our plans are probably ruined.”

“I heard long ago that Gu Changqing was timid as a mouse. It seems the rumors were true.”

“What else can we do? I’m backing out. I don’t dare provoke the Law Enforcement Hall.”

“I’m backing out too.”

“But… I already notified the rogue cultivators.”

“No matter. You never showed your face anyway. The rogue cultivators will act out of greed, and the Law Enforcement Hall can deal with them. Besides, do you really think those rogue cultivators will dare make a move after seeing the enforcement squad?”

“…”

The sect disciples who had planned to make a fortune were bitterly disappointed. They had never imagined that, after tailing such a fat sheep, they would run into an enforcement squad.

They were clever, but their target was no fool either.

Apart from them, several disciples who had been secretly watching slipped away as well.

With a forest so vast, every kind of bird could be found within it. The same was true of Spirit Void Sect, the most powerful sect within a thousand-mile radius.

The sect had tens of thousands of disciples, and the disparity between rich and poor was immense. There were always some disciples willing to risk danger for wealth.

But taking risks did not mean throwing away their common sense.

If they truly had the ability to do so, they would not have targeted Gu Changqing in the first place.

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Thus, upon seeing the enforcement squad, they knew there was no hope. Not to mention the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed with the squad—even the sight of a hundred-man force was enough to dissuade them from fighting head-on.

They were gone. Gone for good.

Little Spring Peak.

After Chen Yifeng learned what had happened, he gave a cold laugh. “Consider yourself lucky.”

Bing Ning smiled faintly, looking genuinely delighted as she gently advised him, “Second Senior Brother, please stop targeting Ninth Junior Brother. In the end, I was the one who wronged him. Seeing him depart safely fills me with joy. I should visit the enforcement squad another day and thank them.”

“Junior Sister.”

Chen Yifeng’s attitude toward Bing Ning was entirely different. Gazing at her with deep affection, he said earnestly, “You don’t owe him anything. You already compensated him with thirty thousand spirit stones. Isn’t that enough? You should think more about yourself instead of always worrying about others.”

Bing Ning shook her head lightly. “I’m selfish too. If it weren’t for my stubbornness, Junior Brother would never have…”

“What does that have to do with you? It was our master’s order.”

“But…”

Bing Ning sighed softly, her face filled with guilt. “It was my failure to act discreetly that nearly harmed Junior Brother. Fortunately, he traveled with the enforcement squad. Otherwise, I would never have been able to put my mind at ease.”

“Junior Sister, this was my fault. Stop saying you owe him. I was the one who spread the rumors, letting everyone know that he possessed a great deal of wealth.”

“Second Senior Brother, you…”

Bing Ning widened her beautiful eyes in disbelief.

Chen Yifeng said, “Junior Sister, you’ve already compensated him. People ought to know that. Otherwise, everyone will assume you still owe him something. I didn’t do anything else—I merely told a few truths. Isn’t everything fine now?”

In fact, Gu Changqing had even gotten the better of them by securing a place in the enforcement squad’s carriage.

“Second Senior Brother, please don’t do this again.”

Bing Ning’s soft plea, coupled with her beautiful and delicate manner, melted Chen Yifeng’s heart.

“Junior Sister, you’re simply too kind. Don’t worry. I won’t go looking for trouble with him.”

He was nothing more than a useless disciple who had been expelled from the sect. There was no need to take him seriously. Chen Yifeng could not be bothered to quarrel with an insect.

Yes, an insect.

At that moment, both Gu Changqing and Ji Yan were nothing more than insignificant insects in their eyes.

But was Bing Ning truly unaware of Chen Yifeng’s actions?

Ji Yan had already traced the matter back to Little Spring Peak. Could Bing Ning really be innocent?

She had received all the benefits, while someone else had done the dirty work.

…

Gu Changqing had no idea that, before long, he would inexplicably acquire another debt of gratitude.

The enforcement squad had been summoned by him.

The spirit stones had been paid by him.

Yet Bing Ning would go and offer her thanks, forcibly placing another favor upon his shoulders.

Gu Changqing seethed with anger. However, even the members of the enforcement squad thought Bing Ning sincere and righteous, concerned for her fellow junior disciple.

There was nowhere for him to vent his frustration. At last, he understood why that female cultivator from the Chen family had been so furious. Who would want to owe someone a favor for no reason?

Fortunately, Gu Changqing and Ji Yan held low status.

Once Bing Ning had put on her little performance, she quickly forgot about them.

Otherwise, Gu Changqing might truly have begun considering flight. A woman blessed by destiny was far too troublesome; he wanted nothing to do with her.

Whether the connection brought good or bad, being entangled with her always invited one problem after another.

He had no desire to endure another forcibly imposed “favor.”

If he refused to accept it, he would be branded ungrateful and shameless. That was simply intolerable.

Of course, all of that lay in the future.

At that moment, inside the carriage, Gu Changqing reclined comfortably against a soft cushion, eating spirit fruits and sipping spirit tea in complete leisure.

The carriage was a high-grade first-tier artifact. Sitting inside, one could not feel the slightest jolt. Moreover, thanks to spatial expansion formations, the carriage chamber was exceptionally spacious—large enough for someone to roll around inside.

The only thing that displeased Gu Changqing was that, once they left the sect’s territory, the spiritual energy became thin, insufficient to support the cultivation of a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator.

That was why sects and clans alike valued spiritual veins so highly.

The hardships faced by rogue cultivators stemmed from the same cause. Without sufficient spiritual energy to sustain them, they could not cultivate to higher realms.

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Whether sects or market towns, all had protective spirit-locking formations in place. These prevented spiritual energy from dissipating—and also served as a form of monopoly.

“Junior Brother Gu, it’s certainly comfortable in here.”

Zhang Yuan came over to chat, climbing into the carriage with the ease of an old acquaintance.

Gu Changqing smiled and handed him a packet of spirit fruits. “Have some.”

“Gladly.”

Zhang Yuan was not the least bit bashful. He picked up a spirit fruit, took a bite, and began chatting with a beaming smile.

“Senior Brother Ji, are you settling in all right?”

Ji Yan nodded and smiled gently. “The carriage is very comfortable. Thank you for looking after us.”

“It was nothing. I’m glad you’re satisfied, Senior Brother Ji. I was worried your health might not agree with the journey.”

He felt some sympathy for Ji Yan’s frail body. Still, Junior Brother Gu was the truly unfortunate one—a perfectly good direct disciple reduced to such circumstances.

It was enough to make anyone sigh.

And yet, he really was extravagantly wealthy.

It was essential to build a good relationship with him. After all, on the surface at least, he still had two Golden Core Adepts standing behind him.

With one party willing and the other receptive, the three of them soon fell into easy conversation, and their relationship grew considerably closer.

“Junior Brother Zhang, could you tell me a little about North City? I have some businesses there, but I would rather not offend the local powers.”

Ji Yan’s smile was warm and his manner amiable. When he was not suffering from his divided state of mind, he treated others with such grace that being around him felt like basking in a spring breeze.

Zhang Yuan was secretly amazed. As expected of the sect’s former prodigy—even with his spiritual roots crippled, his bearing was still something Zhang Yuan could never hope to match.

“There are four major clans in North City, and each has disciples serving in the sect. The Zhang clan runs the pill trade. The Li clan specializes in talismans. The Bai clan made its fortune through commerce and operates the auction houses. The Yang clan manages the farmland. Apart from them, there are thirteen smaller clans.”

“However, the Law Enforcement Hall holds the greatest authority in North City. All the clans are affiliated with Spirit Void Sect, so you needn’t be overly wary of them. So long as you do not violate the law, no one will dare act against you in North City. Our hall master is not someone who tolerates disorder.”

Ji Yan smiled. He had learned all this long ago. Otherwise, he would never have chosen to come to North City.

“I heard the Li and Bai clans are on poor terms.”

“Just a minor dispute. It won’t cause any real trouble. Our hall master is keeping watch, so they don’t dare act rashly. At most, they trade barbs. If you ask me, they simply don’t know how fortunate they are. In other places, families are destroyed and entire clans exterminated at the slightest provocation. With our hall master protecting them, they’ve practically hit the jackpot.”

Gu Changqing nodded emphatically. He liked places that were this safe.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, the sounds of fighting erupted outside.

Gu Changqing lifted the carriage curtain, his expression changing. “Demons!”

Zhang Yuan smiled. “Don’t worry. They’re only a few low-level demons. They’ll be dealt with shortly.”

Ji Yan frowned slightly. “Why are there demons here?”

By rights, there should not have been any demons near Spirit Void Sect.

“Alas.” Zhang Yuan sighed. “No one knows what’s happened these past two years. Demons have been appearing everywhere. We’re also carrying out an extermination mission on our way to North City, so we’ll clear them out along the route and destroy them before they have the chance to grow strong enough to harm anyone.”

“Have you discovered the cause?” Gu Changqing asked.

Zhang Yuan shook his head. “Who knows? They seem to have appeared naturally out of nowhere. Fortunately, their levels are low, so they’re easy to handle.”

Gu Changqing’s brows drew tightly together as an inexplicable sense of unease arose in his heart.

He had the feeling that the world was about to descend into turmoil.

Monsters and demons ran rampant when a nation was on the verge of collapse.

Spirit Void Sect was not a nation, but it was no different from one. If demons were appearing even beneath the protection of such a colossal power, one could only imagine how chaotic the outside world had become.

Zhang Yuan smiled. “Relax. Nothing serious will happen. Extermination missions have already been issued in every region. These demons are nothing more than minor pests and can be wiped out with a flick of the fingers. Junior Brother Gu, have you not checked the sect’s missions lately?”

Gu Changqing gave an awkward laugh. “It’s more than just lately. I haven’t looked at them in over half a year.”

In any case, he never descended the mountain. Normally, he simply accepted a formation-related mission and left. As a result, he was something of a minor celebrity in the Mission Hall.

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