met free Chapter 12 A Girl's Heart, A Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
Chapter 12 A Girl's Heart, A Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
Shen Qing stood there, watching their backs, a slight smile playing on her lips. Everything was proceeding according to plan.
He turned around, preparing to return to his quiet room.
Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly caught a figure standing at the edge of the training ground, not leaving.
It's Chung Sau.
"Why aren't you resting?" Shen Qing walked over.
"Sect Leader," Zhong Xiu raised her head, the moonlight illuminating her delicate face, "I have something I'd like to ask."
"explain."
"Were those two disciples from the Huang family really here to become apprentices and learn martial arts?"
Shen Qing looked at her but did not answer immediately. This girl was more perceptive than he had imagined.
What do you think?
Zhong Xiu was silent for a moment: "I think... they're here to keep an eye on us."
Shen Qing smiled.
"Very smart." His tone was flat. "But you don't need to worry about this. You just need to do one thing well."
"What is it?"
"Cultivation."
Shen Qing looked at the girl seriously and said:
"You are the most talented disciple of my Qingyun Sect. My expectations for you are higher than for anyone else. Those two Huang family members, or the Huang family behind them, are things I need to worry about. What you need to do is become stronger."
"When you become strong enough, these things will no longer be a problem."
Zhong Xiu remained silent for a long time before nodding.
"I see."
She turned and left, but after a few steps, she stopped again.
"metropolitan."
The mountain night wind ruffled the wisps of hair on the girl's forehead, and her eyes held an emotion that Shen Qing couldn't quite understand.
In the end, she said nothing.
"This disciple takes his leave."
Shen Qing watched her retreating figure without asking any further questions.
There has always been a theory of bloodline in the cultivation world, which means that one's aptitude is not innate, but rather limited by one's parents.
If this claim is true, given Zhong Xiu's talent, her background is probably not so simple.
Chung Soo-sun was born with clear meridians and a deep and meticulous mind.
Such a promising talent would be a core disciple in any sect.
But she was born in a mixed and chaotic place in the north of Qinghe City, like a precious pearl covered in dust.
Shen Qing had no intention of digging into the girl's secrets; everyone has their own secrets.
Shen Qing withdrew her gaze and walked towards the quiet room.
The backyard of Qinghe County Government Office.
The chessboard in front of Magistrate Zhao Yuanlang was still the same unfinished game. A black piece twirled between his fingers for a long time, but never fell.
"Still no movement?" His voice was unhurried.
Outside the door, Xuanji whispered, "Yes. After Huang Dehou hosted Shen Qing at Zuixianlou, he made no further moves. On Qingyun Mountain, the daily activities of clearing land, learning to read, and cultivating continue as usual."
Zhao Yuanlang's fingers stopped.
Who is Huang Dehou? How could he not know? With that greedy old dog's character, how could he not be tempted by such a piece of fat meat?
Huang Dehou has coveted the secret of Qingyun Mountain for at least ten years. Now that the Mountain-Bearing Taoist is dead, and the Qingyun Sect is left with only the dying Shen Qing and a group of mortal disciples, it is the perfect time to make a move. How could this old dog have held back?
"What did they talk about at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion?"
"Huang Dehou booked the entire third floor, and my subordinates couldn't get close. Afterwards, when we inquired, the restaurant staff only overheard a few words, and it seemed that Shen Qing mentioned Mo Wentian and the three-year protection of the Heavenly God Sect."
Zhao Yuanlang raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Mo Wentian, three years of protection."
"Shen Qing is more troublesome than he seems."
He certainly knew the rule of three years of protection.
The families of cultivators who die while being summoned by the Yingtian Divine Sect will be protected for three years.
However, this rule has always been a dead letter in the cultivation world of Chuzhou. Those who are conscripted are all cannon fodder. Who cares about the families of cannon fodder?
But Shen Qing brought it out, and did so perfectly.
Because Zhao Yuanlang himself was originally an outer disciple of the Heavenly God Sect.
Others may not accept this rule, but Zhao Yuanlang cannot. Otherwise, where would the sect's face be?
"How's the investigation into Mo Wentian going?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, we have dispatched men to Fenglin County. So far, we have only found out that Mo Wentian appeared in the county town sixteen years ago and fought a battle with the Golden Core cultivator Cang Songzi, which ended in a draw. His whereabouts have been unknown since then."
A draw? Their whereabouts unknown?
Zhao Yuanlang's fingers tightened slightly. Sixteen years ago, he could fight to a draw with a Golden Core cultivator. What about now?
If Mo Wentian were still alive, what level of cultivation would he have reached?
"Continue the investigation."
His voice deepened. "Furthermore, double the manpower from Qingyun Mountain. They don't need to get close, just keep an eye on things. Report back immediately if there's any disturbance."
"Yes."
The mystery fades away.
Zhao Yuanlang looked back at the chessboard and remained silent for a long time.
Shen Qing and Huang Dehou are like two chess pieces on a chessboard, restraining each other.
Huang Dehou dared not move because of the promise made by Mo Wentian and the Heavenly God Sect.
He dared not move, also because of Mo Wentian. Now, Shen Qing, who was clearly caught in the middle and on the verge of death, was fearless of anything.
"Interesting." Zhao Yuanlang suddenly laughed. "A man who's about to die has managed to keep two living people occupied."
He picked up the black piece and finally placed it down.
"I'll see how long you can hold out."
Three days later, at Qingyun Mountain.
Huang Wenyuan led the two boys up the mountain.
Shen Qing greeted them at the mountain gate. The two boys were one tall and one short. The taller one was called Huang An, and the shorter one was called Huang Ning. They were both about fifteen or sixteen years old and dressed in well-fitting blue robes. It was clear at a glance that they were from prominent families.
According to Huang Wenyuan, both of them were at the second level of Qi Refining and had mixed spiritual roots of four attributes, so they were not considered good talents in the Huang family.
"Sect Leader Shen, I entrust these two children to your care." Huang Wenyuan cupped his hands, beaming.
Shen Qing nodded, his gaze falling on the two youths: "Once you join my Qingyun Sect, you are disciples of my Qingyun Sect. I will treat you all equally. Do you understand?"
Huang An and Huang Ning replied in unison, "Disciples understand."
His tone was respectful, his posture humble, and there was not a single fault with him.
"Uncle Zhou, take them to their lodgings, according to the regulations for inner disciples."
Huang Wenyuan was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Shen Qing to enroll two members of the Huang family in the inner sect.
As he expected, even if Shen Qing didn't deliberately make things difficult for them, he would at least put the two of them in the outer gate to do odd jobs.
The regulations for inner disciples mean they will have better housing, better food, and more cultivation resources.
"Sect Leader Shen is too kind," Huang Wenyuan said, bowing once more.
Shen Qing smiled but didn't say anything more.
Treat him well? Of course he would treat him well.
Not only should they be treated well, but they should also be moved to tears of gratitude. Only by keeping them close at hand can they be controlled.
Only by offering them sufficient benefits can they be turned into pawns without them even realizing it.
The next two weeks were uneventful at Qingyun Mountain.
The day begins in the morning, and the morning lesson is naturally to practice the "Qingyun Qi Refining Technique". After breakfast, it's time to learn to read. In the afternoon, we take turns to look after the cultivated wasteland and practice martial arts. After dinner, it's time for evening lessons.
Shen Qing draws spiritual energy precisely at midnight every day, feeling the spiritual power in his dantian expand little by little, and his cultivation steadily advances towards the peak of the ninth level.
At this rate, Shen Qing felt that he would be able to reach the threshold of the tenth level in about a month.
As for the disciples, Zhong Xiu still made the greatest progress in the past half month, breaking through from the second level of Qi Refining to the peak of the second level, just one step away from the third level.
The daily contribution of spiritual energy increased from 3 strands to 4 strands, and one person's contribution was equivalent to that of forty Class C disciples.
Every time Shen Qing saw this number, she couldn't help but glance at Zhong Xiu a few more times.
The girl remained taciturn, arriving earliest for morning classes and leaving latest for evening classes every day.
He is completely focused when cultivating, and remains silent when it's his turn to farm.
She doesn't actively make friends, nor does she deliberately distance herself from anyone; she's like a green bamboo growing in a corner, growing upwards on her own.
Shen Qingming did not give her any special treatment on the surface, but he was extra attentive when giving her guidance.
Last time, after the ten-day settlement of Immortal Affinity Points, the girl received a half-hour guidance reward.
Because Zhong Xiu was eager to break through to the second level of Qi Refining, her spiritual energy became somewhat out of control. When Shen Qing was sorting out her meridians, he inevitably touched the girl.
The girl blushed at the touch from the opposite sex, and her reaction surprised Shen Qing.
He hadn't expected Zhong Xiu to be so precocious, and because of this, Shen Qing reminded himself to always remember the difference between men and women.
What Shen Qing found strange was that the girl Zhong Xiu's loyalty increased by 5 points that night, reaching 80.