Stealing Immortal

Chapter 147: Chapter 146: Ambush

In the dead of night, a fierce wind raged.

Chen Qingyang looked up to see dark clouds pressing in from all directions. A storm was about to hit.

With his cultivation breakthrough, his speed was naturally immense. He reached the city gates in an instant. Knowing Liu Tao was waiting in the teahouse, he strolled over.

This place wasn’t a formal nation, so there were few taxes. Its officials were appointed solely by the Nine True Temple. As a result, the common folk were quite prosperous, free to eat and drink as they pleased.

As Chen Qingyang passed, the streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful banners as if for a festival, and the lively atmosphere extended all the way to the teahouse entrance.

Inside, the waiter was full of energy, bustling back and forth to greet customers. Chen Qingyang found Liu Tao and sat down opposite her.

"Senior Sister!"

An abundance of fruits and nuts, along with several plates of pastries, sat on the table before Liu Tao. It was good to indulge mortal desires once in a while, lest one become less and less "human" over time.

"Where have you been?"

Thanks to his Conscious Fish, Chen Qingyang knew she hadn’t been here long.

"I was waiting here for a long time and didn’t see you, Senior Sister, so I went for a walk. But I’m here now, aren’t I?"

Liu Tao glared at him. "Cut it out. I already asked the waiter. He said he hasn’t seen you at all tonight."

This made things a little awkward. ’How could I have overlooked that?’ "Senior Sister, I didn’t bring any silver with me, so I was just standing at the entrance. Of course the waiter didn’t see me."

Seeing his smooth reply, Liu Tao, though suspicious, couldn’t find anything to refute him. "Forget it!"

With that, she downed her cup of tea in one gulp.

Chen Qingyang asked, "You were delayed for so long, Senior Sister. Did Xuanwei Master give you more instructions?"

He was just asking casually, making small talk, but Liu Tao’s expression turned serious. "He said a lot, and it might have something to do with you."

Chen Qingyang was puzzled. He was just an Outer Disciple. How could anything possibly involve him?

But as he thought about it, a face suddenly surfaced in his mind: Li Qianxue.

He had once confirmed with Liu Pei that Li Qianxue had been ambushed by the Yu Xiao Demon Sect, which was why she was now unconscious. It seemed the ambush had taken place here.

"Are you talking about Li Qianxue?"

Hearing this, Liu Tao sighed dramatically. "Quick, tell me, have you been thinking about her this whole time? How else would you guess it was her the moment I brought it up?"

Chen Qingyang replied, "Ever since I joined the Tai Xu Sect, whether it was doing Miscellaneous Tasks in the Inner Sect or on the slopes of Four Golden Peaks, it was always connected to Li Qianxue. Even when I was ostracized by others, it was because of a favor she did for me. Looking at the entire Tai Xu Sect, my karmic connection with her is the deepest. That’s why I immediately thought of her when you brought it up, Senior Sister."

Liu Tao said, "I suppose you have a point. The place where Li Qianxue was ambushed is on the bank of the Great River, four hundred li from here. Xuanwei Master suspects the Demon Sect’s recent increase in activity is related to this."

Raising the teacup to his lips, Chen Qingyang thought for a moment. "Why were Li Qianxue and her group here at that time?"

’The Tai Xu Sect knew she had the potential to reach the Golden Core realm and surpass the Yu Xiao Demon Sect, yet they insisted on sending her out. There must have been a compelling reason, and perhaps that reason is connected to the current activities of the Demon Sect disciples. I had the same question when I spoke with Liu Pei, but he never told me the specifics.’

Liu Tao said, "It’s like some kind of secret. Xuanwei Master was being cryptic, but I still figured it out. It seems to involve the inheritance of an Immortal Mansion. And if it’s an inheritance, then Li Qianxue had to come in person. That must be why she was here."

"Sigh!" After hearing this, Chen Qingyang let out a long breath.

’I don’t know if it’s fate or serendipity, but I’ve stumbled into this kind of situation again. If meeting Liu Pei and becoming a disciple under Master Jing Yuan were due to human factors, then running into the very place where Li Qianxue had her accident... can that only be explained by the word serendipity?’

"What else did the Master say?"

Liu Tao replied, "The rest is all my speculation; the Master didn’t say it outright. The inheritance was probably obtained by Li Qianxue, and her cultivation should be advancing to the next level very soon."

"After she was ambushed by the Demon Sect, something from the inheritance must have been left behind. These people are coming on strong; they’ve likely sensed something."

"Xuanwei Master instructed us to stick to our designated routes from now on and not get involved in anything else. We’re even supposed to stay as far away as possible."

Chen Qingyang fell into thought again. "This Master is quite decent. Even though he couldn’t speak plainly, he still told you most of what’s going on and specifically warned you to stay away."

Liu Tao added, "The Master is decent, yes, but now I want to know what you’re thinking."

Of course, Chen Qingyang could only reply, "What could I be thinking? I already told you back on Four Golden Peaks, Senior Sister. The difference between her and me now is like that between the clouds and the mud. Her business is the Sect’s business. What right do I have to think about it?"

’In truth, Chen Qingyang also wanted to know what exactly had been left behind. Since Xuanwei Master couldn’t say it plainly, he would have to find an opportunity to capture a Demon Sect disciple or two and interrogate them.’

’When Li Qianxue was at the Essence Condensation realm, she cultivated the Danxia Nurturing Truth Sword Manual. The inheritance she sought must also be related to the Sword Dao, which made it very hard for Chen Qingyang not to be curious.’

’Besides, he also wanted to clarify one thing: was there a traitor within the Tai Xu Sect back then? If there was, his future plans to awaken Li Qianxue would have to be carried out with even greater caution.’

’After all, only someone at the level of a Foundation Establishment Master would be qualified to be that kind of traitor. He couldn’t afford to be schemed against before he even figured anything out.’

Hearing him say that, Liu Tao relaxed a little. "It’s good that you really think that way. You have a lot of talent for cultivation. As long as you proceed steadily and don’t put yourself in danger, you’ll definitely be able to reach Foundation Establishment in the future."

"Mm, what you say makes sense, Senior Sister."

...

For the next few days, whenever Liu Tao went on patrol, Chen Qingyang would follow close behind, sending his Conscious Fish out far and wide to search for an opportunity.

However, after that, there was no more movement from the other side. When Liu Tao went on patrol again today, Chen Qingyang didn’t go with her, merely offering some words of advice.

"Senior Sister, as long as you stick to the route, nothing should go wrong. If you run into danger, just escape. Whatever you do, don’t act on a momentary impulse..."

"Oh my..." Liu Tao said with a grin. "Why do your words sound so familiar? Isn’t that what I used to tell you? Alright, I get it!"

After leaving the Nine True Temple, Liu Tao rode a gust of wind and vanished over the horizon. Chen Qingyang, meanwhile, began to wander around the Daoist temple.

He looked at the statues of deities and the common folk burning incense and worshiping, then circled around to the back. Following a winding mountain path, he saw countless suspended halls along the way until, finally, in a secluded little courtyard, he found the temple’s master, Lu Qingyu.

’No matter what, he must have heard some rumors about what happened two or three years ago.’

At that moment, the Temple Master was standing under an osmanthus tree with a disciple by his side, seemingly giving instructions.

Seeing a guest at the entrance, he walked over to greet Chen Qingyang. "Well, if it isn’t Junior Brother Chen!"

Chen Qingyang bowed with his hands clasped. "Senior Brother Lu, you have an excellent memory. I only told you my name once, and you remembered it."

Lu Qingyu said, "You flatter me! I also know that you come from Cyan Bamboo Peak, Junior Brother. You have a boundless future ahead of you!"

Among the many peaks of the Tai Xu Sect, Cyan Bamboo Peak was reasonably well-known.

"You praise me too highly, Senior Brother Lu. I was just passing by with nothing to do today, so I won’t disturb you from your duties. I’ll take my leave now!"

He made a motion as if to leave, but Lu Qingyu was quite enthusiastic, dismissing the disciple beside him. "Since you’re here, why not stay for a while?"

Chen Qingyang flicked his sleeves. "In that case, it would be disrespectful to refuse."

And so, under the osmanthus tree, with a long table between them and clear tea brewing upon it, the two began to talk.

After they had grown more familiar, Chen Qingyang took out an elixir and handed it to him. "This is made from the Spirit Yang Breaking Yuan Formula. It can help a cultivator break through to the Realm of Essence Condensation, and the resulting foundation is Tier Four. Please, take it, Senior Brother Lu."

That was nearly two thousand Spirit Stones down the drain. The thought made Chen Qingyang wince in pain.

Lu Qingyu, of course, knew a treasure when he saw one. Seeing Chen Qingyang act so generously right off the bat, he immediately pegged him as a highly regarded disciple of the Tai Xu Sect and became even more enthusiastic. "Oh, this... Thank you, thank you so much..."

Only then did Chen Qingyang get to the real matter. "I heard that something happened here two or three years ago. A Foundation Establishment Master from our Sect named Li Qianxue was ambushed here. Is that right?"

As soon as he said this, Lu Qingyu looked troubled. It seemed the Sect had given specific orders to keep this matter confidential. Without the elixir, he probably wouldn’t have even bothered looking troubled.

"Sigh!" Shrewd as he was, Chen Qingyang knew he had to dispel the man’s reservations to get the full story. "There’s something you don’t know, Senior Brother. Li Qianxue and I are from the same hometown. Our parents were sworn friends since childhood, and we later joined the Immortal Sect to cultivate together. It’s just that her talent was a step ahead of mine, so I fell behind."

"...Sigh, to this day, she remains unconscious, and I just want to know the cause and effect of it all. I beg you, Senior Brother, please tell me something... And please rest assured, I will absolutely never speak of this to anyone else!"

These words did indeed make Lu Qingyu lower his guard. "Since that’s the case, then I will tell you, Junior Brother."

"That’s right. Two or three years ago, Master Li did indeed stay at my temple for half a month. Five other Masters came with her, but their destination wasn’t here. They intended to go to the bottom of the Cyan Nether River to find an Immortal Mansion left behind by an Ancient Sword Immortal, the Cyan Nether Daoist Monarch."

"You must understand, Junior Brother, this region is called the Cyan Nether State. It is inextricably linked to that river, that Immortal Mansion, and that Daoist Monarch. You can imagine how powerful this inheritance must be."

Those addressed as True Monarchs were at the Golden Core realm.

’This one is called a Daoist Monarch. Could it be that his cultivation is even higher than the Golden Core realm?’

’This was enough to show how much the Sect valued Li Qianxue. To think that the girl who was his childhood sweetheart would become so formidable... it felt a little strange.’

"So what exactly happened back then?"

Lu Qingyu glanced at the elixir in his hand and swallowed. "Junior Brother, the Sect gave a specific order that no one was to speak of this. Me telling you today is already an exception. You must understand the stakes."

Chen Qingyang clasped his hands and bowed again. "Rest assured, I will never speak of it to another soul. This is, at most, just to resolve the doubts in the heart of a fellow townsman."

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