https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-331-The-Trial-of-Wutong-Mountain/12554504/
Chapter 330: Without Background
Chapter 330: Without Background
In the grand palace of the Great Qian Empire, within the compound of the Ji Duke, a noble woman sat in the dimly lit inner chambers, quietly perusing a letter in her hand. She reread the hastily scribbled words again and again.
As the Duchess of Ji, she could easily afford to use a jade slip to send messages. Yet, she longed for a personal letter from her son, a memento of his own hand.
At such a young age, he had been sent away to the monotonous and dull immortal sect. What a torment it must be.
Even she, in her time, had been unable to resist the allure of the mortal world, stubbornly choosing to stay in the Great Qian Empire.
The Duchess of Ji carefully folded the letter.
There had been an opportunity for Jin Jiang to enjoy the splendor of the empire, to grow up like a normal young master, marry and have children, and stay by her side.
But that woman had ruined it all.
Just as Jin Jiang was showing signs of a positive change in attitude, he had been toyed with by Jiang Qiuluan, losing his appetite and becoming even more reclusive than before.
To prevent his eccentricities from causing further embarrassment to the ducal household, she had no choice but to send him away.
Unfortunately, her influence was limited, and despite her many years in the Great Qian Empire, she had little to show for it. Her voice held less and less weight in the Xuan Guang Cave.
Otherwise, she would have demanded satisfaction and settled the score.
The Duchess of Ji adjusted her breathing and looked at the two guards before her. "Speak."
"Your Highness, we have searched diligently but still have no news of the Duke..." The guard replied in a low voice.
Unfazed by this report, the duchess maintained a calm expression. She was long accustomed to the uselessness of her husband; even if he died out there, it would make no difference to her.
"As per your instructions, we have located another young lady, and there is also..."
The guard did not continue, for there were countless young ladies in the ducal household, but only one heir, Jin Jiang. It was not that the duke had any physical issues; he simply had no interest in women.
"Where is she?" The duchess lifted her gaze slightly.
"In Qingzhou, at the Town Demon Office."
The guard bowed and continued, "That young man is now a Town Demon Officer, and the young lady, Chen Jinyu, assists with various tasks at the office."
"Hmph, Qingzhou again."
A cold smile played on the duchess's face. "Joining the Town Demon Office, is he hoping to curry favor with the Martial Temple and do something for that lowly woman who birthed him? Bring that girl back. Don't let her disgrace us and tarnish the dignity of the ducal household. As for the other, be discreet. Don't let those black-skinned dogs get too close."
"Yes, Your Highness." The two guards straightened their postures.
After all, he was just a badge-less officer, with no background to speak of. Otherwise, how could he allow his sister to wash clothes and cook for others? Dealing with such a situation would be simplicity itself.
Just as the two guards were about to leave, a bald man burst into the courtyard in a rash manner.
However, instead of anger, the duchess rose slowly and asked, "What brings you here?"
Even this man from the Xuan Guang Cave was thinking of doing something for the immortal sect.
The bald man was one of her carefully selected disciples, placed in the Martial Temple. The last time she had received news about Shen Yi's promotion to Surveillance Officer had come from him.
"Send them out."
The bald man glanced around before stepping into the room.
Seeing his demeanor, the duchess's heartbeat quickened. Could it be that after waiting for so long, there was finally some progress? She desperately needed to improve her standing in the Xuan Guang Cave, if only for the sake of her son's future.
The bald man lowered his voice and said, "The Xu family."
These two words alone caused the duchess to pause for a long while. When she finally guessed which Xu family it might be, her heart began to pound rapidly.
"What exactly is going on?" She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing.
"The Martial Temple has invited someone from the Xu family. He's not young, and he has a Yin Spirit accompanying him, indicating a high status. From their conversation, it seems they want the Xu family's help with something."
The bald man paused for a moment, then added, "Regardless, the people from the Martial Temple must know his identity. They can't escape blame for keeping this from us."
Hearing this, the duchess's expression became calm.
She closed her eyes, deep in thought. "Something's not right. Simply inviting someone from the Xu family to set up an array isn't worth the Martial Temple incurring the wrath of the Xuan Guang Cave.
And those reclusive rats wouldn't dare show their faces after suffering such a huge loss unless they had sufficient benefits and confidence."
The Princess of Ji waved her hand, but the bald man still stood rooted in his spot. She raised an eyebrow, "Rest assured, if there's a need to notify my sect, I'll have you deliver the message."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
The man finally broke into a smile.
As a Dao Infant cultivator who had joined the Martial Temple, which primarily cultivated Yin Spirits, he knew his future prospects were limited. It might be wiser to seek a better path sooner rather than later.
...
In the Great Qian Empire, within Qingzhou City, Ah Qing gazed around excitedly, accompanied by a group of people.
Although she had escaped before, it was rare for her to walk so openly in the mortal world, and everything she saw was incredibly novel to her.
"The Great Qian Empire truly is the holy land for Yin Spirit cultivators. Even in the middle of the city, there's a temple!"
She looked at the bustling temple with its constant stream of worshippers and, after a few steps, peered inside.
"Only he can establish a temple."
Lin Baiwei explained with a suppressed smile.
Compared to her previous lively demeanor, the white-robed girl now exuded a sense of tranquility, each movement filled with calmness and maturity.
It seemed like she was intentionally trying to emulate Jiang Shijie's image.
"He?"
Ah Qing linked arms with Lin Baiwei, and after these days of getting to know each other, her fondness for the girl had increased tenfold.
Inside the main hall, a Primordial Spirit sat upright, with a ritual dagger resting on his knees and a luxurious black and gold robe draping to the floor.
His expression was serene, and his eyes held a detached air as if looking down upon the mortal world.
"He looks vaguely familiar."
Ah Qing opened her mouth slightly and blinked.
Just then, she heard a startled cry and turned to see that the previously calm-faced Lin Baiwei now had a distressed look on her face as she rubbed the back of her head.
Behind her stood a handsome young man who had just retracted his finger, "Who told you to mess around with these weird things?"
"It wasn't me..."
Lin Baiwei lowered her hand weakly, but a smile of delight tugged at the corners of her mouth, "You're back."
Upon hearing this, Ah Qing was surprised.
In her experience, people addressed Shen Yi as Senior Shen, Shen Sir, Brother Shen, or Big Brother Shen.
This was the first time she had heard someone address him so directly, and what was even more surprising was that Shen Yi didn't seem to mind at all.
Thinking of this, Ah Qing narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"I came back to check on things."
Shen Yi glanced at the white-robed girl, "Don't keep copying her cold and gloomy expression."
"I'm not copying her!"
Lin Baiwei pursed her lips and smiled. Only Shen Yi would dare to speak to Jiang Shijie like that.
Shen Yi then turned to Ah Qing, "Do you want to return to the Imperial City or stay here?"
"Uh." Ah Qing quickly regained her composure, as if she had figured something out, "Won't Big Brother Shen take me with you?"
Shen Yi shook his head, "I still have some matters to attend to."
This trip wasn't for the cave abode; it was to slay more demons and devils and harvest their lifespan.
Moreover, if it weren't for the monks from Wutong Mountain holding off the Ghost-tailed Devil Emperor, he wouldn't have been able to protect Ah Qing.
"Alright..."
Ah Qing lowered her head dejectedly, but she stole a glance at Lin Baiwei, "I want to stay here!"
"That's fine."
Shen Yi readily agreed without any hesitation.
Xuanyuan WanYun was also in Qingzhou, and with a Supreme Unity Mixed Yuan Grandmaster protecting her, nothing should go wrong.
Coincidentally, Jiang Qiuluan had been mentioned earlier.
Lin Baiwei raised her head, a hint of worry in her eyes, "Shijie Jiang left without contacting us, and we don't know how she's doing."
Hearing this, Shen Yi nodded, "Next time you see her, ask her to send me a message."
His tone implied that he didn't think the woman would run into any trouble.
The middle-grade spirit root in his storage bag was proof of that. Not only was she doing well, but she also had the spare capacity to think of others.
She was a true genius.
Her cultivation might be a bit lacking, but her mental fortitude was strong enough that she didn't need anyone's help. She was like a thousand-forged divine sword, resilient and unyielding.
"Alright, I'm leaving."
Shen Yi bid them farewell with a sideways glance and then soared into the sky on a cloud of demonic energy.
He had his own matters to attend to.
(End of Chapter)
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