https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-648-Nonsense-A-bit-stuck-just-maintaining-the-streak-for-now-still-writing-/12947127/
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Chapter 649: The Return of the Qingluan Celestial General
Chapter 649: The Return of the Qingluan Celestial General
At the Immortal Court's Imperial Stables.
The place was unusually quiet today, with few immortals passing by the cloud-shrouded grand entrance, and some even seemed to deliberately avoid it.
Occasionally, a few immortals who had business at the stables would arrive, their faces expressionless from start to finish, looking like they were just going through the motions. They would lead their immortal vehicles and leave without any delay.
The Stablemaster and his deputy stood outside the hall, secretly glancing at the majestic golden body seated behind the desk inside. When they averted their gazes, they both sighed softly in unison.
They exchanged a look, each seeing the unconcealed fear in the other's eyes.
"We're done for."
The quietness here meant liveliness elsewhere.
The busiest place in the Immortal Court today was undoubtedly the hall where the Qingluan Celestial General was being welcomed back.
Even without an official announcement, the stablehands had heard the news of the general's promotion to the rank of Grand General, skipping two ranks and bypassing the Fourth Rank to hold the Fourth Rank Leopard Seal, securing a bright future on the path of immortality.
But their master, Shen Yi, refused to listen to any advice. Not only did he not prepare any gifts, but he also didn't go to apologize to Zi Ling while she was still in the mortal realm. Even today, he ignored this grand occasion and remained quietly seated in the hall, sorting through various trivial matters.
The Fourth Rank Celestial General, even without inviting you, deserved a few words of congratulations. Why would you be embarrassed to go and offer your greetings?
The immortals surrounding the Qingluan General's palace weren't all invited either, yet they still pushed their way in with gifts, thick-skinned as they were.
Moreover, you had offended him.
The Stablemaster and his deputy sighed, having never seen such a situation before. Now they realized that this virtuous immortal was not only rigid but also haughtily intimidating.
They wondered if their master would still be able to sit as steadily as he did now when Zi Ling returned.
"..."
Qing Hua quietly put down her brush and closed the book in her hand, arranging it in order.
She had, of course, heard the sighs of her subordinates outside the hall.
Zi Ling had an impressive network in the celestial realm, and the news of her being forcibly confined to the stables had spread far and wide.
Today, the Qingluan General returned to the Immortal Court.
In the eyes of these immortals, Qing Hua's role as the Stablemaster was coming to an end.
But Qing Hua's eyes showed no trace of panic.
She slightly raised her eyes, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips. As long as her master was there, it seemed there was nothing to worry about.
Even though Zi Ling's death couldn't completely solve the problem and might even bring greater trouble, Qing Hua only needed to follow orders and do her job well.
Just like when she had seen the situation in Da Qian.
The dragon, trapped in the shallows, soared into the skies of Shenzhou once more, almost in the same manner.
...
Immortal cranes filled the sky, peonies like an ocean.
A golden jade corridor stretched across the sky, leading directly to the Immortal Hall.
Escorted by numerous immortals.
A man clad in blue and white armor strode forward, his originally handsome and imposing face now exuding a cold aura due to his indifferent expression.
He remained unmoved by the flattering words, his eyes calm without a ripple.
The immortals showed no signs of surprise.
It was common knowledge that the Qingluan General was reclusive, and in the vast Immortal Court, he had no close friends, not even among his fellow disciples and brothers from the same sect.
There wasn't even a servant or palace maid in his palace.
He seemed to be born solely to serve the Immortal Court, devoid of any personal emotions.
To put it bluntly, these congratulating immortals couldn't even fathom the general's preferences.
Precisely for this reason, he had earned the reputation of being 'fair'.
Upon entering the Immortal Hall, they were greeted by the delicacies and fine wines prepared by the palace maids sent by the immortals.
The celestial officials raised their wine cups high, not holding back their words of celebration.
"..."
The Qingluan Celestial General sat in the main seat, but he seemed to emanate the aura of being in a remote corner.
He drank alone, as if the commotion before him had nothing to do with him, and the immortals were celebrating someone else.
"General Qing Luan."
Just then, a broad-shouldered man approached with a steady stride and drained the cup of immortal brew.
It was the owner of the Lion Tiger Beast, the Hong Jing Immortal General.
"My good-for-nothing nephew and Zi Ling are very close friends. When she descended to the mortal realm, I specifically had my subordinates' mounts escort her. She couldn't stop praising you, General. Allow me to offer you another cup."
Hong Jing Immortal General raised his cup again, but the man before him, for the first time, looked at him directly, "Hasn't the Bodhisattva's Dharma lecture ended some time ago? Why hasn't she returned yet?"
"This..." Hong Jing Immortal General hesitated for a moment, a smile appearing on his face. Indeed, whether human or immortal, there were always things that mattered.
"Are you worried about a conflict between the mortal court and the Bodhisattva that might implicate Zi Ling?"
He put down his wine cup, "You're overthinking it. She rarely visits the mortal realm, and she's endured some hardships recently. I asked her to go to Hongze to check on my nephew and also to let her relax in her homeland. She'll be back in at most ten days."
"Hardships?" General Qing Luan slightly raised his head.
"Zi Ling was ordered to go to the mortal realm to attend the ceremony on your behalf. She left in a hurry and forgot to bring a permit. The newly appointed Stablemaster detained her and locked her up in the stable for quite some time." Hong Jing Immortal General smiled helplessly.
However, to his surprise, General Qing Luan's expression didn't change. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head and said softly, "Following the rules isn't a hardship."
Upon hearing this, Hong Jing Immortal General clicked his tongue in his mind. The rumors were indeed true; he was just a sharp tool of the Immortal Court.
It was indeed difficult to get along with such a person.
Thinking of this, he smiled and, after finishing the cup of wine, turned and returned to his seat.
The banquet finally ended amidst the clinking of cups and plates.
The immortal officials rose one after another and took their leave.
General Qing Luan had no intention of seeing them off. He stood up and returned to the depths of the palace, carrying a hint of alcohol on his breath. He removed his armor, leaving only a thin white robe, and sat in the dimly lit study.
As the night deepened, the slight intoxication on his face gradually faded, and he carefully perused the pile of documents on the table.
Time passed, and he reached out habitually, but there was no cup of hot tea to receive.
General Qing Luan was taken aback for a moment. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, then withdrew his hand and continued to focus on official matters.
Until the morning light broke through.
He stretched his arms and reached for the cloak on the rack, but it was still empty.
General Qing Luan glanced sideways at the empty rack.
Suddenly, he felt a bit uncomfortable.
After a long contemplation, he slowly closed his eyes.
Nineteen days passed in a flash.
This newly promoted immortal general hadn't taken a single step out of his study.
Until the sky turned white again.
Finally, he put down the documents, stood up, and walked out of the palace.
As an immortal general, Qing Luan didn't even have a messenger, but he walked into another palace and asked the surprised Hong Jing Immortal General, "Why hasn't she returned yet?"
"I... I don't know."
Hong Jing's eyelids twitched. He had said it would be at most ten days, and the other party had chosen the nineteenth day. But with the separation between the immortal and mortal realms, how could he know what had delayed the two mounts?
"Find out what happened on the day of the Bodhisattva's Dharma lecture."
Qing Luan nodded slightly and turned to leave the palace.
"Since you've asked, I'll certainly investigate carefully. But where are you going now?" Hong Jing Immortal General quickly stood up to see him off, accompanying him out of the palace.
General Qing Luan gazed into the distance and said concisely, "The Royal Stables."
When handling matters, he rarely looked for clues; instead, he preferred to go straight to the heart of the matter and ask for the reason.
If someone had encountered trouble, especially when that person held an immortal decree and descended to the mortal realm, ordinary people wouldn't dare to harm them. But if she still encountered trouble, there must be a reason.
Conflict between the mortal court and the Bodhisattva was one reason.
Mutual grudges were another.
(End of Chapter)
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