Free Web NovelChapter 19: Chapter 18: Heading to Qig Mountain Academy
Wen Qingye and Zhang Xiaoyun returned to the small courtyard. Zhang Xiaoyun spoke with a worried tone, "Husband, about that assessment..."
"It’s nothing. It’s just one assessment. I don’t care," Wen Qingye said with a faint smile.
Zhang Xiaoyun frowned at Wen Qingye. "But if you fail the assessment, you won’t be able to go to the Purple Sun Prefecture. I saw you... Husband, with your talent, you could have definitely made it into the Purple Sun Prefecture."
Zhang Xiaoyun’s face suddenly went pale as if she had just remembered something. "Ah! And you killed Zhang Chuan! My father will never let you get away with this. What are we going to do?"
Wen Qingye held Zhang Xiaoyun tightly. "What if your father told you to kill me? What would you do?"
Zhang Xiaoyun lifted her head to look at Wen Qingye and said softly, "Then you have to take me with you and run away, okay, Husband? We can leave this place and find somewhere deserted to live out our lives."
"Would this count as eloping?" Wen Qingye chuckled.
"Husband, I’m serious," Zhang Xiaoyun said urgently. "We need to go back and pack our things right now. Zhang Chuan was a genius of our Zhang Family. Now that you’ve killed him, my father won’t let you off easily. Let’s run away together, to the ends of the earth."
Wen Qingye gazed at Zhang Xiaoyun, his heart deeply moved. He truly wanted to protect her, to shield her from even the smallest injustice.
Just as Zhang Xiaoyun finished speaking and was about to head to their room to pack, Wen Qingye grabbed her hand.
Wen Qingye smiled and shook his head, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Don’t worry, he won’t. He should know better than to sacrifice the important for the trivial."
Wen Qingye gently pinched Zhang Xiaoyun’s nose with a smile. "Alright, let’s go back inside. I need to put some medicine on you first. Look, your face is all scraped up."
Although Zhang Xiaoyun was apprehensive, seeing Wen Qingye’s nonchalant expression, her anxiety gradually began to subside.
PFFT!
After he finished applying medicine to Zhang Xiaoyun, Wen Qingye could no longer suppress it and spat out a mouthful of black blood.
"Husband, what’s wrong?" Zhang Xiaoyun cried out as soon as she saw.
"It’s nothing," Wen Qingye said with a smile. "The Three Swords of Inquiry is a technique beyond my current ability. I forced myself to use it, so I’m just suffering from the backlash. I’ll be much better after a night’s sleep."
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoyun quickly had Wen Qingye lie down and said urgently, "Husband, please get some rest. I won’t disturb you."
"Xiaoyun," Wen Qingye suddenly called out.
Zhang Xiaoyun stopped in her tracks and looked back at Wen Qingye. "What is it, Husband? Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Wen Qingye smiled faintly. "The injury on your face has damaged your very essence. Once it’s healed, I will teach you to cultivate."
"Okay, Husband. You rest," Zhang Xiaoyun said, nodding emphatically. She only left after seeing that Wen Qingye was sound asleep.
After Zhang Xiaoyun left, Wen Qingye sat up, his face pale. His injuries were far more severe than he had let on. ’Better after a night’s sleep? How could that be possible?’
But Wen Qingye didn’t want to make Zhang Xiaoyun worry.
The backlash this time wasn’t overly severe, but even with his Longevity Technique, Wen Qingye would still need some time to recuperate.
The Three Swords of Inquiry was a set of three swordsmanship techniques that Wen Qingye had mastered in his previous life. The move he used today was one of them: Wind and Snow World.
.....
That afternoon, Wen Qingye was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea when a figure appeared at the gate.
"Father!"
Zhang Xiaoyun cried out in surprise upon seeing the visitor. She then hurried to Wen Qingye’s side and clung tightly to his arm.
Seeing Zhang Xiaoyun’s reaction, Zhang Hua couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle. "A grown daughter’s heart is no longer her father’s, is it?"
Zhang Xiaoyun didn’t expect Zhang Hua to say something like that, and her face flushed an even deeper shade of red.
Wen Qingye remained seated, calmly sipping his tea. He spoke coolly, "Since you’re here, Father-in-law, please have a seat. I dislike having to look up to speak to people."
Zhang Hua’s eyes widened at Wen Qingye’s words. It took him a moment to recover. "Wen Qingye, you’re not at all like the rumors say, are you?"
"I’ve always believed that rumors die with the wise," Wen Qingye said, taking a sip of tea and looking at Zhang Hua. "Isn’t that right?"
Zhang Hua chuckled and sat down opposite Wen Qingye. He poured himself a cup of tea before turning to Zhang Xiaoyun. "Xiaoyun, you sit down as well."
"No, no, I won’t sit. I’ll just stand by my husband’s side," Zhang Xiaoyun said, waving her hands in refusal. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, threatening to leap into her throat. She was terrified.
Zhang Hua nodded and sighed. "Very well. Xiaoyun, there’s something I have to tell you. To be honest, I’ve felt guilty toward you for many years. My heart has always been troubled, especially since your mother passed away not long ago."
At these words, Zhang Xiaoyun’s eyes turned red as a rabbit’s, and her voice choked with emotion.
"I know I haven’t shown much concern for you and your mother over the years, but I hope you can understand. I am the Patriarch of the Zhang Family, after all, and Zhang Hui’s mother is from one of the Eight Great Families of the Celestial Martial Country. I may seem to live a life of boundless prestige, but in reality, I face many hardships and have no other choice."
Zhang Xiaoyun nodded and said through sobs, "Father, I know. You don’t need to say anymore. I understand."
Wen Qingye, sitting nearby, didn’t expose the lie, simply sipping his tea. ’Zhang Hua’s petty schemes might fool Zhang Xiaoyun, but how could they ever fool me?’
Zhang Hua said excitedly, "Good, good! My dear daughter, Father will definitely make it up to you in the future."
Wen Qingye waved his hand impatiently. "Alright, Father-in-law. If you have something to say, just say it. There’s no need to beat around the bush."
Zhang Hua was a wily old fox and showed no anger. Instead, he looked at Wen Qingye and said, "Qingye, I just wanted to ask... a few days ago, Pill Master Zuo Yu sent me several Rain Dew Pills. Was it you who asked him to deliver them?"
"That’s right," Wen Qingye said with a nod, not bothering to deny it.
Hearing Wen Qingye’s words, colossal waves of shock crashed through Zhang Hua’s mind. ’Zuo Yu actually takes orders from Wen Qingye? Doesn’t that mean roping in Wen Qingye is the same as roping in a Pill Master?’ At this thought, a fervent heat flared in Zhang Hua’s heart.
Zhang Hua knew he shouldn’t reveal his true intentions so quickly. Instead, he said with a smile, "Qingye, congratulations. Although you didn’t pass today’s assessment, you’ve been specially recruited by Qig Mountain Academy."
"Really?" Zhang Xiaoyun exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
"Of course," Zhang Hua said with a nod. "With Qingye’s talent, getting into Qig Mountain Academy is a simple matter, isn’t it?"
Zhang Xiaoyun was incredibly excited. She had assumed that since Wen Qingye failed the assessment, none of the three great academies would accept him. She never imagined he would be specially recruited by Qig Mountain Academy.
Zhang Xiaoyun bit her lip and watched Zhang Hua cautiously. When she saw that he didn’t seem to be holding a grudge over the matter with Zhang Chuan, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Zhang Hua chatted with Zhang Xiaoyun for a few more moments before taking his leave.
After Zhang Hua left, Zhang Xiaoyun asked in confusion, "Why didn’t Father mention anything about Zhang Chuan?"
Wen Qingye chuckled. "Why would he want to tear down that thin veneer? I’ve already killed the man. Keeping me here is his most sensible choice right now."
Zhang Xiaoyun’s eyes widened in realization. "So that’s why Father was so warm to me today. It was all because of you, Husband." freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Wen Qingye nodded. He knew perfectly well that Zhang Hua was treating Zhang Xiaoyun this way for two reasons: one was the talent he himself had displayed, and the other was Zuo Yu.
Wen Qingye began to think about Qig Mountain Academy. It was one of the three great academies in the Celestial Martial Country. Although ranked alongside the Purple Sun Prefecture and Celestial Academy, it was the weakest of the three and was located on the fringes of the country.
Unlike the Purple Sun Prefecture, which was built right in the Imperial City, Qig Mountain Academy was situated in the Hundred Break Mountains. The environment there was harsh, and Demon Beasts frequently appeared. Many students from Qig Mountain Academy had met their gruesome end in the jaws of these beasts.
Most importantly, during the annual allocation of resources from the Celestial Martial Country, the lion’s share was claimed by the Purple Sun Prefecture, followed by Celestial Academy. Only a small portion was left for Qig Mountain Academy, and it was usually just the scraps.
As a result, the Purple Sun Prefecture was filled with geniuses, and its power was profound. Graduates from the Purple Sun Prefecture were seen as symbols of strength throughout the Celestial Martial Country, so countless people flocked to it, willing to risk everything for a chance to get in.
Although Qig Mountain Academy was at the bottom of the ladder, it was not without its share of geniuses. Yann Chuxue was a prime example. At only twenty-one, she was already a top disciple in the Inner Courtyard, possessing profound strength and ranking among the very best in the entire Celestial Martial Country.
It made no difference to Wen Qingye which academy he attended, but he felt a deep-seated aversion to the Purple Sun Prefecture. The first reason was Wen Tongyu, and the second was, of course, Situ Haoming.
.....
「A few days later, at the gates of Phoenix City.」
Zhang Xiaoyun’s eyes were fixed on Wen Qingye, her heart aching with the sorrow of parting.
"I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry," Wen Qingye said with a smile.
There was still a massive gap between his current cultivation and Wen Tongyu’s. Thus, he had to go to Qig Mountain Academy and rely on a large amount of cultivation resources to increase his strength.
Besides, he had already asked Zuo Yu to watch over her in secret. With Zuo Yu’s assurance, Wen Qingye was relatively at ease.
Zhang Xiaoyun bit her lip gently and nodded. "Mm, I know. You don’t need to worry about me, either. I’ll take good care of myself. I won’t give you anything to worry about."
Then, Zhang Xiaoyun straightened Wen Qingye’s clothes and said with a smile, "Go on. Any later and you’ll be late."
Wen Qingye took a deep breath and cast one last glance at Phoenix City. He knew that someone in this city would be waiting for him. Waiting for his return.
Zhang Xiaoyun watched Wen Qingye’s figure recede into the distance for a long, long time, unwilling to leave. Only when the sun had slowly set did she finally turn with great reluctance and return to her courtyard.
