CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 34 THE STORM IS APPROACHING

Li Xin might treat Li Pingsheng however he liked, Qing Yu didn’t concern himself with that. Li Pingsheng had outlived his usefulness and had become a vegetable; whether he lived or died was irrelevant to Qing Yu now.

The pressing matter was the intelligence gained from Li Pingsheng.

Xuan Guang, aka Mr. Mo, belonged to the Xuan generation of the True Martial Dao Sect, and in the past, he had been on good terms with Qing Yu’s master, Xuanfa.

Xuanfa competed for the Sect Leader position with the current Zhenwu Sect Leader, Xuan Chen. The two were initially evenly matched, but at the crucial moment, Xuan Guang, as Xuanfa’s primary supporter, revealed his identity and declared that Xuanfa was backed by the Shadow Pavilion—an organization that controlled Shadow Market.

A sect as reputable as the True Martial Dao Sect could not be seen colluding with the dark organization of the Shadow Pavilion, let alone be manipulated by it. It was untenable. Then followed all the clichéd plot twists of a guilty conscience and defection to the light. Knowledgeable of his error, Xuan Guang remained safe and sound, while Xuanfa lost the election, with subsequent punishment to be determined after the new Sect Leader took office.

Xuan Guang made sure this incident was known far and wide in order to dethrone Xuanfa. Otherwise, it would have been handled quietly within the True Martial Dao Sect, making all his efforts for nothing.

Qing Yu was aware of what happened afterward—Xuanfa seized power by force. However, from Li Pingsheng, Qing Yu learned something he didn’t know: amidst the chaotic situation at the time, the symbol of the Zhenwu Sect Leader’s authority, the Zhenwu Sword, was taken by Xuanfa and then went missing. After his defeat, Xuanfa took his own life, and his disciples perished in the internal strife. Suddenly, Qing Yu—who Xuanfa unexpectedly took as a disciple before the chaos—entered the spotlight.

Qing Yu was exiled to Beicang Mountain, an insignificant border mountain with a rather grand name, which was christened by Xuanfa. The proposition to exile Qing Yu was said to have been put forth by Xuanfa’s former supporters.

As for the truth about whether Xuanfa colluded with the Shadow Pavilion, it was certain that Xuan Guang was among the upper echelon of the organization. However, after the True Martial upheaval, the Shadow Pavilion’s master did not blame this defector, merely commenting that he used the name of the Shadow Pavilion to send him to the frontier to clear the land.

This left Xuan Guang in an awkward position within the Zhenwu Sect. His reputation had already been questionable, and now he was viewed as a traitor by everyone. With Xuanfa dead and matters concluded, the Zhenwu Sect wasn’t going to arrest Xuan Guang over mere speculation. However, whispers and gossip were inevitable, and Xuan Guang’s situation was certainly grim, especially since even the rationale for his betrayal now seemed questionable.

Returning to the main issue, rumors were now wildly spreading throughout worldly society about Xuanfa’s heir reappearing with the Zhenwu Sword. The Zhenwu Sword—that was key. The embarrassing loss of the Sect Leader symbol had been suppressed and unknown to outsiders. Now, that it was suddenly common knowledge pointed fingers at someone orchestrating events from behind the scenes.

It was foreseeable that very soon, numerous people would visit this remote city. Among them, members of the True Martial Dao Sect would certainly be present. They wouldn’t be at the Postnatal Realm level; some at the Innate Realm would come, but not the highest. Considering what was at stake, individuals from the Divine Origin Realm and even the True Pill Realm could be involved.

"This is not good..." Qing Yu murmured softly.

"I wish I could just run away now."

That was impossible, and Qing Yu understood. Aside from Mr. Mo, his uncle, sending people to watch him, wherever he went, as long as he didn’t clear his name, he would never lack for pursuers.

"It must have been Xuan Guang, that despicable wretch, who spread the news." Qing Yu was almost certain that the rumors about him having the Zhenwu Sword originated from Xuan Guang.

Over the years, the Zhenwu Sect had nearly ruled out any suspicion of Qing Yu’s involvement with the Zhenwu Sword. This was evident by the fact that only two individuals at the Postnatal Realm were monitoring Qing Yu. However, things were different now. With even a hint of possibility, the Zhenwu Sect wouldn’t let it go. The members of the Zhenwu Sect were probably going to arrive soon.

"Why would this vacillating scoundrel spread such news?" Qing Yu pondered deeply.

There was always a reason for actions, and no one would do something detrimental without a beneficial purpose. Although, from the True Martial upheaval, it seemed that Xuan Guang might be the oddity that harms others without benefiting himself.

"There must be a reason... Could it be related to Lord Zhen Shan..." Qing Yu’s expression turned to horror.

He couldn’t help but be horrified; he learned from Li Pingsheng that the court sent people from Six Gates to Yang City in response to a secret report that Lord Zhen Shan might be conspiring with the enemy.

"There’s no mistake, Xuan Guang once said he collaborated with Lord Zhen Shan. But this collaboration... it must be more than just Shadow Market activities—it’s treason."

Lord Zhen Shan’s potential treason was a grave matter, and the Daqian Court could not come to a direct verdict, thus they sent Six Gates to investigate.

Qing Yu was almost certain that Lord Zhen Shan was about to commit treason, and even if Xuan Guang wasn’t directly involved, he was at least complicit as a conspirator, or else there was no reason for the rumors to spread.

Qing Yu clenched his teeth: "So, I’m just a decoy to distract attention..."

Lord Zhen Shan wasn’t plotting a rebellion but rather outright treason, intent on allowing the Miao people from the Southern Border to invade. Qing Province, belonging to Daqian, was unmistakably doomed, and Yang City, with its highest realm at the Innate level, was hanging by a thread as well.

"Utterly perilous..."

One could predict that Yang City would soon become a tumultuous whirlpool, and should Qing Yu get entangled, it would almost certainly seal his fate.

The armies of Lord Zhen Shan, Xuan Guang, Six Gates, and possibly people from the Southern Border Sect coming into play, were enough to drive Qing Yu to despair.

And what if Qing Yu was wrong about Lord Zhen Shan’s rebellion?

In matters of life and death, no issue is small. With such life-or-death stakes, what did it matter if he guessed wrong? The most important thing now was finding a way to escape as soon as possible.

Qing Yu swallowed hard: "This is no Newbie Village; it’s more like a Hell Level instance..."

He had thought that in Yang City, with its highest level being merely at the Innate First Layer, he could cause some disruption. Capturing Li Pingsheng had not been easy, but with Qing Yu’s calculations, it had been managed with more surprise than peril.

After consecutive smooth sailing, Qing Yu had begun to get carried away. Barely a day later, he was brought back to reality by the bombshell dropped by Li Pingsheng.

With this in mind, Qing Yu felt a surge of relief: "Fortunately, I was decisive in taking down the Li Family and even obtained the ’Lianhua Treasure Book,’ pushing Li Pingsheng to divulge the information. Fortune has not forsaken me."

Capturing Li Pingsheng yielded unimaginable benefits. Although taking control of the Li Family was a significant move that wouldn’t go unnoticed by other families for long, attackers from the Postnatal Ninth Layer might follow suit.

However, compared to the upcoming chaos, where even Innate-level individuals were mere cannon fodder, those of the Ninth Layer were trivial.

"I can’t flee yet, not until I’ve cleared my name of suspicion; else, even if I escape the maelstrom of Yang City, there would be no place for Qing Yu in the world."

Qing Yu longed to flee Yang City overnight, to distance himself from this troubled land. However, until even a shred of suspicion remained, the Zhenwu Sect would not let him go, nor would other worldly society members overlook the heir of Xuanfa. Moreover, Qing Yu hadn’t forgotten the two Zhenwu Sect disciples he had personally slain at the tea stall outside Yang City.

"I must survive..."