Free Web NovelChapter 215: Chapter 213: The New Official’s 3 Fires
"Don’t worry," Su Qing said with a smile. "If the sky comes crashing down, the Fang Family of the Profound Bright Islands will be there to hold it up. Right now, we’re just a couple of Loose Cultivators. And your young master here is a capable Loose Cultivator. They generally won’t target us."
But Su Qing didn’t say everything on his mind.
’The Inference Creatures had already calculated that he would remain safe on this island.’
’That meant that regardless of who owned the island, he would still be perfectly safe.’
’Nothing major was going to happen to him.’
「Several days later.」
There was a knock on the door to Su Qing’s courtyard.
Luo Xingya hurried to open it.
"Who is it? Who’s looking for my Young Master?" Luo Xingya called out before she even opened the door.
She just didn’t realize that the Forbidden Array around the courtyard would prevent any sound from getting out.
"I’m looking for Master Le." The visitor was none other than the shopkeeper from the Fang Family’s store, Su Qing’s contact.
"Oh, my Young Master is inside. Please wait a moment."
’At this time of day, her Young Master would surely be sunbathing, so she wouldn’t be disturbing him. Otherwise, she would have simply said that her Young Master couldn’t see visitors at the moment.’
"Xingya, what’s the matter?" Su Qing had already come to the door, no announcement from Luo Xingya necessary.
He looked at Shopkeeper Fang, clasping his hands in a polite gesture. "Shopkeeper Fang," he said with a smile, "what brings you here today?"
"The Fang Family is leaving. This is Zhengxuan Sect territory now. I was wondering if Master Le would be willing to come with us?"
"..."
"No, thank you," Su Qing said. "I’m just a Tier One Loose Cultivator. The Profound Bright Islands suit me just fine."
He shook his head, making his intentions clear.
"Sigh..."
"My apologies for the intrusion, Master Le. Perhaps we’ll meet again if fate allows."
"Yes. A safe journey to you, Fellow Daoist Fang." Su Qing saw him off respectfully.
’The Zhengxuan Sect really is something,’ Su Qing thought with a small smile. ’Forcing out the biggest family on Profound Bright Island just like that.’
Even if they were only a family with a single Golden Core Realm cultivator, it just went to show that the Fang Family was no match for the Zhengxuan Sect.
But Su Qing was different.
To him, the island had simply changed owners. Many other Cultivators were staying, and Su Qing was one of them.
Shopkeeper Fang left, and with him, the entire Fang Family.
Su Qing sighed and settled back into his chair under the sun.
’Just a little more, and my Dimensionalization will be at one hundred percent. Then, I can finally start experimenting with Dimensionalized objects.’
「A few days later.」
An invitation card snapped Su Qing out of his reverie.
"Young Master! The Zhengxuan Sect has invited you to a banquet!" Luo Xingya chirped, happily holding out the invitation to Su Qing.
Su Qing couldn’t help but smile.
’This girl is so young and naive.’
’This is obviously a trap. When does a new boss ever take over without making a show of power?’
Su Qing examined the invitation carefully.
It was for the following week, at the former Fang Family estate.
A large swath of the area had been converted into a stronghold for the Zhengxuan Sect.
Only a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator was stationed there.
Not even a Golden Core Realm cultivator.
The Zhengxuan Sect had overextended its reach, after all, and breaking through to the Golden Core Realm wasn’t so easy.
’The name of the Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge... why does it seem so familiar?’
Su Qing looked at the name written on it: Shangguan Muling.
Su Qing chuckled softly.
’A semi-acquaintance.’
’And still in the Foundation Establishment Realm.’
’Pathetic, really.’
He felt this way because he had given three people, including her, an Elixir that boosted their Cultivation Talent tenfold.
For her to still not have broken through to the Golden Core Realm felt rather pathetic to him.
If Xu Ningying and Shangguan Muling were here, they would surely have a few choice words for him.
’What kind of monster are you, and what are we? Besides, we don’t have single-element Spirit Roots! Even with a tenfold increase in Cultivation Talent, reaching the Foundation Establishment High Tier is already incredibly fast!’
...
’Well then, let’s see what the host of this "banquet" is like.’
’Let’s see if she’s a hawk or a dove.’
After all, there was plenty of profit to be squeezed from this island.
...
「One week later.」
Su Qing left his courtyard to attend Shangguan Muling’s little "banquet."
"Master Le, please, this way." After the estate became a Zhengxuan Sect stronghold, it had been completely overhauled. It now seemed to incorporate elements of Spiritual Technology.
’Interesting.’
It was all powered by Spiritual Qi.
Su Qing couldn’t complain; Spiritual Qi was a clean energy source, after all.
It just tended to get used up.
"Mm." Su Qing acknowledged as he was led inside.
This time, however, he was seated near the back.
There were thirteen seats in total.
Shangguan Muling was already seated at the head of the table.
Her gaze was tinged with an icy coldness.
Quite a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators were already present.
"You must be Master Le?"
"Please, have a seat," Shangguan Muling said with a smile when she saw Su Qing arrive.
Shangguan Muling had read through the files on all the island’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
This Master Le was the only one with no factional ties, relying solely on setting up Arrays to earn Spirit Stones.
’A Cultivator like that is a good Cultivator—one who doesn’t compete for resources.’
"Yes. A pleasure to meet you, Lord Shangguan," Su Qing said, clasping his hands in a formal greeting.
’This girl in front of me has an air of authority without even trying to be intimidating. Impressive.’
Su Qing kept to the sidelines.
Throughout the banquet, Su Qing barely said a few words. Shangguan Muling spent most of her time talking to the more powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
The conversation seemed to revolve around various business interests.
’Just as I thought, a trap.’
Moreover, Su Qing could sense a Golden Core Cultivator observing from the shadows.
In the end, Su Qing and two other Foundation Establishment-level Loose Cultivators were the first to leave the stronghold.
’Interesting, very interesting.’
Su Qing wanted nothing to do with this sort of affair, so he had returned early.
"You’re back, Young Master. I’ve made you some soup to clear your head."
"That was thoughtful of you," Su Qing nodded.
His mouth was filled with the taste of alcohol.
He really didn’t like the feeling.
Luo Xingya brought it out, and Su Qing picked up the bowl, slowly drinking the soup.
’Much better.’
"Xingya, you should go back to your Cultivation," Su Qing instructed.
He, however, did not go to sleep.
’Something big is definitely going to happen tonight.’
Sure enough, in the dead of night, Su Qing felt the fluctuation of a Golden Core Cultivator’s power.
’Just as I expected,’ Su Qing thought.
’Those Foundation Establishment Cultivators are probably done for. If they aren’t dead, all of their businesses have likely been confiscated and turned into assets for the Zhengxuan Sect.’
’In the end, it all comes down to your own strength. Without it, what’s the point? Didn’t a Golden Core Cultivator just appear to assert dominance?’
The Zhengxuan Sect is already so powerful.
And these minor Foundation Establishment Cultivators still tried to obstruct them. Did they think they had lived too long, or had they just gotten too used to their comfortable lives?
They were unwilling to adapt and insisted on fighting to the bitter end.
And so, tragedy struck.
It was all a matter of strength.
Take his own situation, for example.
With his Immortal Realm exposed, who wouldn’t covet it?
Su Qing was certain that even reincarnated Immortals would be tempted.
Fortunately, Su Qing had scrambled his own fate.
No one could get a clear reading on his destiny now.
The Secret Technique Tang Dan had given him was sufficient for now; it didn’t need to be synthesized or upgraded.
Once his fate was scrambled, it stayed scrambled. What others perceived was just chaos.
That’s why the Secret Technique was named ’Hidden Dragon No Luck.’
「Three months passed.」
After placing his routine curse on Ji Qianqiu, Su Qing once again calculated that staying on Profound Bright Island was safe, and so he continued to live there in peace.
The only change was that many Outer Disciples from the Zhengxuan Sect now sought him out to set up Arrays.
They had their own Array Plates, but Tier Two ones were not easy to come by.
After asking around, Su Qing learned that within the Zhengxuan Sect, any Spiritual Artifacts, Elixirs, or Array Plates of Tier Two or higher required Contribution Points for purchase.
...
