CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44: PEACOCK SWORD SECT_1

On the fifth day that Wang Linchi moved back into Qinghe Academy, the residence manager found his demeanor somewhat strange. He had never seen a student move in and out so frequently; Wang Linchi’s comings and goings over the years had certainly left an impression.

However, the manager didn’t say anything. Wang Linchi had paid the dormitory fees, and whether he chose to live there or not was entirely up to him, particularly considering he had rented a standalone villa.

Student housing at Qinghe Academy was a far cry from university dorms in Wang Linchi’s previous life. Here, the residence managers were mainly responsible for hygiene and public administration and took no part in the students’ affairs.

"The Prefect Magistrate is confined to his home, and the Colonel is in custody."

"A group of people, whose motives were unclear, has taken control of Qinghe City."

Wang Linchi gleaned these two pieces of information from television news and conversations among academy students.

This made him realize that an opportunity might be approaching.

When exactly it would arrive, however, was still unclear.

Let’s wait and see; there’s no rush. Wang Linchi shook off his annoyance and continued studying the Soul Secret Technique, believing he could create his own before his Golden Core reached the fifth turn.

His mind was filled with numerous ideas, which he was gradually refining into practical insights.

Just as he was getting into a rhythm, a noisy clamor outside interrupted him.

"What’s going on?" Wang Linchi frowned and got up to look, spotting several people dressed in similar bluish-crimson robes taking control of the academy.

Naturally, this action was met with vehement resistance from the academy’s upper echelons.

Are they sect members? Wang Linchi quickly deduced.

There were no Sects around Qinghe City, and only one in all of Yingzhou: the Peacock Sword Sect. It was located adjacent to the Prefecture and generally refrained from intervening in provincial matters, instead primarily aiding the Yingzhou Prefecture in maintaining stability throughout the region.

Sects and Great Families were both under Court jurisdiction. To make an analogy, Sects were like joint-stock companies, while Great Families were family-run businesses.

The group of people taking control of the academy were likely disciples of the Peacock Sword Sect.

The criteria for recruiting disciples in Sects were much stricter than for students in academies established by the Court.

Wang Linchi had heard that the Peacock Sword Sect only recruited disciples with sword-type Soul Resemblances. This included those whose Soul Resemblance was a long-sword, or disciples with the Swordsman Profession or the Innate Sword Body Talent.

The Peacock Sword Sect controlled a large Secret Realm—the Peacock Holding Sword—which could produce sword-attribute Soul Kind. This was how it had managed to establish itself as a sect.

To become a sect, one needed a Secret Realm capable of producing Soul Kind. Consequently, their sect was named the Peacock Sword Sect.

Did the Peacock Sword Sect take over Qinghe City because Fang Cheng is a disciple of the sect? Wang Linchi couldn’t help but consider this.

The underlying cause of all this was most likely the Rainbow Light Series Soul Kind left by his parents.

What exactly is it that would make the Peacock Sword Sect go to such lengths? Did they really spend such a fortune to acquire this set of Soul Kind?

The overall power of the Peacock Sword Sect was comparable to that of the Yingzhou Prefecture, but the Sect dared not offend the Prefecture; at most, they considered themselves on equal footing.

Theoretically, the Governor was their superior, capable of easily managing and evaluating them, and even stripping them of their sect credentials.

One could dispute or even resist this authority, but the Governor was merely a provincial-level entity. Above him was the regional level, and beyond that, the Dajing Court.

Challenging the Dajing Court in such a manner was simply courting death.

The Peacock Sword Sect’s influence was largely confined to Yingzhou. Outside of Yingzhou, sects from other provinces could easily crush them.

Therefore, Wang Linchi was certain that the Peacock Sword Sect must have paid a hefty price to take over Yingzhou. Otherwise, the Governor would not have relented so easily.

So, where on earth did my parents get that set of Soul Kind? This is too unbelievable. Wang Linchi lamented inwardly. Fortunately, someone else was taking the fall for him; otherwise, he would have been in serious trouble.

Fang Cheng probably knew something about it, but Fang Cheng was deader than dead, and Wang Linchi had no idea where to find the truth.

Moreover, this was not the kind of truth he could uncover himself.

The Peacock Sword Sect had gone to great lengths to establish itself in Qinghe City; they would absolutely not tolerate interference from others.

If Wang Linchi went investigating, such actions would not go unnoticed. Then, if they investigated him and discovered—Well, well, the items are yours, aren’t they?—Wang Linchi would be in deep trouble.

Risking himself for a truth that was extremely dangerous and offered uncertain benefits would be an incredibly foolish thing to do.

He might as well stay in the academy and try to devise a plan for an Epic Level Soul Kind.

Just as Wang Linchi was about to return to refining his Soul Secret Technique, he noticed one of the Peacock Sword Sect disciples locking eyes with him.

The disciple offered a slight smile and then continued with the takeover of the academy.

As a disciple of a renowned sect, he maintained the expected decorum and politeness—unless he encountered someone like Yan Ming King. After all, they weren’t some mob of lawless cultivators.

They were here to temporarily assume control, not to invade and colonize, so they couldn’t afford to be overtly hostile.

Otherwise, if they were to harm any students, it could be used against them, putting the Peacock Sword Sect in a difficult position.

The Governor would jump at the chance to extract more from the Peacock Sword Sect.

About three hours later, a knock came at the door.

"Come in." Wang Linchi didn’t need to guess; it had to be the Peacock Sword Sect disciple who had made eye contact with him earlier.

"Did I interrupt your cultivation?" the man asked gently, showing no signs of hostility.

"Not at all. Is there something I can help you with?" Wang Linchi rose to greet him and led him to the living room.

"My name is Xun Cong. You might not know me, but you should know Junior Brother Fang," the man introduced himself.

"Fang Cheng? We did meet once," Wang Linchi replied without feigning ignorance. He suspected the man possessed a Soul Kind or Soul Resemblance like Sword Heart Bright, granting him unnervingly sharp intuition; lying would be pointless.

As for how the man knew him, it would naturally be a simple matter given the Peacock Sword Sect’s influence.

"That’s him. So, what exactly did he say to you that day? Would you mind telling me?" Xun Cong asked directly, without beating around the bush.

"Actually, it wasn’t much, just..." Wang Linchi then briefly summarized what had happened.

After listening, a peculiar expression flickered across Xun Cong’s face, but he quickly suppressed it. He understood then. No wonder Fang Cheng’s message before his death stated that the matter had nothing to do with Wang Linchi.

He had initially thought Fang Cheng didn’t want the sect to disturb Wang Linchi, his friend’s son. But it turned out Fang Cheng’s intention was actually to prevent the sect from making a mistake—Wang Linchi knew nothing about the Soul Kind in the first place, as it had already been swapped.

If the sect hadn’t heeded Fang Cheng’s last words and had investigated Wang Linchi, they would not only have found nothing but also wasted their time.

"Thank you," Xun Cong said. He then added, "Don’t worry, we’ll only stay in the academy for a month at most. We won’t disturb you for long."

This last statement was intended to reassure the academy students, using Wang Linchi as a messenger.

Unfortunately for Xun Cong, he was unaware that Wang Linchi was not one for socializing.