Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

He paused, a complex and inscrutable look flashing in his eyes.

"This matter involves some secrets from the previous generation. Those who know the details are now either the masters of the various veins or are in secluded cultivation on the Hidden Peak, and they keep it under tight wraps. I only happened to hear a few words about it from my master. It’s said that the current Nine Heavens Vein Master, Li Yu-jun, had an extremely unusual relationship with Li Qingyu, who later betrayed the Sect. The two of them were known as the ’Shuang Li’—the Two Lis. Within the Sect, they were inseparable. Their bond... went far beyond that of fellow disciples. There were even rumors that they were Dao partners who had pledged their lives to each other."

Chen Qing’s heart stirred upon hearing this.

’So that was the relationship between Li Yu-jun and Li Qingyu?!’

He had only known that Li Qingyu’s defection had caused a massive upheaval, but he had no idea there was such an emotional entanglement involved.

Qu River continued in a low voice, "Later, for some unknown reason, Li Qingyu suddenly betrayed the Sect and joined the Great Snow Mountain. During that turmoil, he... he personally killed the previous Nine Heavens Vein Master—the very master who had taught Li Yu-jun."

Chen Qing’s eyes narrowed to a slit as he pondered this internally.

’The grudge from having her master killed, coupled with a possible emotional betrayal... under this double blow, one can only imagine the depth of hatred Li Yu-jun must hold for Li Qingyu, and by extension, for the True Martial Lineage he came from.’

"So."

Qu River concluded, "After Vein Master Li Yu-jun took control of the Nine Heavens Lineage, she transferred this resentment onto our True Martial Lineage. She believes that if not for our lineage’s improper teachings, or even our indulgence and protection, Li Qingyu might not have gone down that path, and her master would not have died so tragically."

Chen Qing nodded slowly, many of his doubts clearing up in an instant.

So that was it. A past woven from blood and tears lay between the two lineages.

This was no longer a simple factional dispute; it was mired in personal feelings.

"This affair concerns the privacy and old grudges of the previous generation’s top figures. The specific details I know are extremely limited."

Qu River shook his head, a hint of emotion and curiosity on his face. "Master probably knows more details, but he’s always been tight-lipped about it and never discusses it much with us. All I know is that the reason for Li Qingyu’s betrayal remains a mystery. It caused a massive sensation at the time, and its repercussions were far-reaching. It directly led to the decline of our True Martial Lineage and completely changed the balance of power among the Four Veins."

Chen Qing fell silent.

He had vaguely heard from Elder Pei Tingchun that Li Qingyu’s defection was not a simple matter and had wide-ranging implications. Now, hearing Qu River’s account, he felt the situation was as deep as the sea, with turbulent undercurrents.

"The Nine Heavens Lineage... I understand now."

Chen Qing nodded slightly. "Thank you for your trouble today, Senior Brother."

"It’s no trouble at all."

Qu River waved his hand. "I wasn’t able to help you with this matter, so I’m the one who should feel apologetic."

The two chatted for a while longer about recent events in the Sect and their cultivation insights, after which Chen Qing stood up, cupped his fist, and took his leave.

After Chen Qing left, Qu River returned to the backyard. His wife, Ms. Liu, came forward and asked, "Husband, why did Junior Brother Chen come to see you just now? From the look on your face, it seems like something is troubling you."

Qu River sat down across from his wife and briefly explained how Chen Qing’s Contribution Points were being docked. He finished with a cold snort, "That old scoundrel Wu Hanhai used the excuse of an ’overflow’ of duty-related Contribution Points, but it’s obvious he’s just trying to suppress Chen Qing’s momentum. He’s young and has great potential. With the support of our True Martial Lineage, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to achieve True Inheritance within ten years. The Nine Heavens Lineage just can’t stand to see us do well, so they’re tripping us up ahead of time."

Hearing this, Ms. Liu’s elegant brows furrowed slightly. She mused, "I’ve been hearing some rumors while moving about the peak recently. It seems some of the older members are also dissatisfied with the amount of resources being skewed in his favor."

"It’s normal for them to be dissatisfied."

Qu River picked up his teacup. "Those guys like Zhao Ganjun and Hu Jiuyuan, they fancy themselves senior members. They’ve been stuck at Astral Force Perfection for years and think that if only the resources were given to them, they’d break through to the True Essence Realm. A bunch of fools! Even if they got lucky and broke through, they’d most likely end up as the most ordinary True Essence Realm cultivators. Their potential would be exhausted, with little hope for further achievement. But Chen Qing is so young, his foundation is solid, and his temperament is steady. Once he achieves True Inheritance and then breaks through to the True Essence Realm, he will be the true pillar of our True Martial Lineage in the future, capable of supporting the lineage for decades, even a century!"

He set down his teacup, a cold glint in his eyes. "Some people can only see the petty gains right in front of them. They’re shortsighted. We don’t need to pay them any mind. But for the Nine Heavens Lineage to pull this stunt on me, I can’t just stand by and watch."

Compared to his master Han Guxi’s steady forbearance, Qu River was never one to take a loss lying down.

His brow furrowed as he schemed how to cause some trouble for the Nine Heavens Lineage in return, all while staying within the rules. At the very least, he couldn’t let them think the True Martial Lineage was such an easy target.

Meanwhile, after leaving Qu River’s small courtyard, Chen Qing’s brow was also slightly furrowed.

’Nine Heavens Lineage... Wu Hanhai...’

He silently committed the name and the lineage behind it to memory.

Three hundred Contribution Points might not seem like much, but over the long term, it would amount to 3,600 points a year—enough to exchange for a significant amount of Cultivation Resources.

Besides, if they could arbitrarily cut three hundred this time, what about next time?

What if they continued to use their authority to cause trouble for him in the future with Sect missions, resource exchanges, or even Cultivation Technique applications?

’I’ll keep a tally of all the Contribution Points for now.’

Chen Qing thought to himself, planning to make them pay it all back one day.

His direction didn’t change as he headed straight for Danxia Peak.

Since Master Li had confirmed that Zhang Yi’s new version of the elixir was both highly effective and harmless to him, he was going to make full use of it.

With the fifty-percent discount he had negotiated with Zhang Yi and his own formidable physique, this potent elixir was exactly what he needed to rapidly increase his strength.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!