Chapter 112

Wilful and headstrong

A ripple passed through the aura field. The next moment, Ruan Ci leaped out from beneath the bamboo tips, her back against the sunlight, her white robes fluttering. Her posture was as graceful as a startled swan, indescribably ethereal and transcendent. She landed on a giant bamboo leaf, her toes tapping lightly against the surface without causing even the slightest tremor. With a casual flick of her sleeve, she pulled out a human-skin bag and shook it downward; two corpses immediately tumbled out. Tiger Servant cheered, "Young Lady has excellent skills! These seven Foundation Establishment disciples were not even a match for Young Lady for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea."

Ruan Ci smiled slightly and said modestly, "Uncle Tiger, you overpraise me. With my spiritual sense, if they had fled at full speed for more than a cup of tea, my tracking would not have been so detailed. I had no choice but to end the battle quickly."

The eight disciples following the young scholar had all been killed by Ruan Ci single-handedly. This was far simpler than killing enemies in the Hengze Heaven. One reason was that her twenty years of hard work had not been in vain; her cultivation base was now a level higher and not comparable to that day. Another reason was that these cultivators' cultivation bases were hardly worth mentioning, mostly at the second or third level of Foundation Establishment. They couldn't even compare to the enemies from twenty years ago, so it stood to reason they were not qualified to train in secret realms like the Hengze Heaven.

In Ruan Ci's view, killing any number of such enemies was not worth mentioning, so she did not feel complacent. She tossed the corpses of the group beside the scholar and said to him, "More than half of these eight people lost their lives because of you. Hmph, Li Pingyan's junior brother was a spear you painstakingly found, but no matter how stupid he was, you still had to put on a bit of an act to deceive him. Aside from him, the others you brought were all your close juniors, right? I suspect that besides your disciples and grand-disciples, there might even be a few of your blood relatives among them."

Because of one flying bear, Ruan Ci had killed eight people in the blink of an eye. Such a response was indeed unexpected. The young scholar's expression as he looked at her was completely different; it seemed that if his restrictions were lifted at this moment, he would risk offending the rule against the strong bullying the weak just to kill Ruan Ci on the spot. However, Ruan Ci did not care at all. She looked at him and said, "Fellow Daoist, I killed these people, yet the Nascent Soul True Person behind you didn't dare to make a sound. You can see how much he fears my Master. For cultivators like us, the first consideration in life is our own Dao path. What benefits did the person behind you promise you that you still refuse to tell the truth?"

She studied the changes in the scholar's expression and smiled again, "It might not be a benefit, right? He must have used something to control you. Let me think, what could make you not dare to speak even now? If it were just death, that wouldn't make sense. If you don't speak, you will die now. If you tell me, you might still have a chance to escape—what on earth do you value more than your Dao path? This is not logical."

Tianlu had been busy treating the black-and-white flying bear. At this moment, the flying bear's aura had gradually stabilized. He handed the flying bear to the merman, whispered a few instructions, turned back, and said, "Miss Ci, this person might have been placed under a restriction and is unable to reveal the truth to outsiders. It's not that he doesn't want to speak, but that he truly cannot."

Ruan Ci couldn't help but find this novel and smiled, "This restriction is a bit sinister. How come I haven't heard of it within the sect?"

Tianlu said, "This is a method used by miscellaneous cultivators, called 'Restriction Cultivation'. It is sent from one person to another. For example, if Miss Ci were to place a restriction on me now, forbidding me from speaking ill of a True Person for a hundred years."

His face flushed slightly, as if he were very embarrassed by this analogy, and he continued, "Then, within those hundred years, if I truly did not violate the restriction, Miss Ci would share some of her fortune with me in the dark, which would benefit me greatly. But if I broke the restriction, I would perish in extreme pain in an instant, and my own fortune, and even my inner landscape world, would all feed back into Miss Ci's cultivation base."

He walked to Ruan Ci's side, bowed his head to stare at the scholar, and said slowly, "This method of restriction is an unequal transaction, so there must be a large gap in cultivation between the two parties to make the exchange balanced. Only when the practitioner's bit of fortune is worth the other party's entire net worth can it be effective. Actually, even if he doesn't speak, there are not many cultivators in the Jin Bo Sect who could place such a restriction on him. Checking them one by one, we would eventually be able to find out who it is."

Following his words, fear gradually appeared in the scholar's eyes, as if he were trying to break free from something. His face gradually flushed red, and his aura also surged violently. Ruan Ci became patient at this moment. Seeing him struggle repeatedly, he finally gasped for breath and stopped in failure. She nodded and sighed, "It seems you still failed to drag that person down with you."

She stopped talking to the scholar, turned her head, and ordered, "Uncle Tiger, kill him."

Tiger Servant responded with a promise, his sharp claws raised. The aura field was immediately occupied by a murderous intent. The white-robed scholar's aura was suppressed to its most withered and low point. A claw shadow swept through the air, and amidst the screams, spiritual energy erupted violently. Countless scenes drifted into the air, and a three-colored Jin Dan leaped into mid-air, appearing like a demonic setting sun. In an instant, it stole the brilliance of the great sun, making it seem as if another world had emerged around them—beside a small lake, mountains stretched endlessly, waterfalls cascaded down, and the scene was filled with the indescribable grace of the immortals. There were many figures in the mountains, which were the life scenes of the scholar. However, these images were much more detailed and vivid than when Meng Mingyue of the Foundation Establishment stage perished.

Ruan Ci looked around, only glancing at the experiences of his childhood, and focused on the scenes closer to the present. She indeed discovered a scene that was quite suspicious: the scholar was kneeling before someone, appearing to be listening to instructions, but the face of the person above was blurred, and one could only vaguely see that they were wearing palace attire. She pointed to it and asked Tianlu, "You tell me, could this be the great True Person behind the scenes?"

Tianlu said, "That might not be the case. This person did not dare to observe his teacher with his spiritual sense, so he only left a blurred image. This happens. Even for people like us, if we were to perish here, there would be no face of a True Person in our broken world. However, I will still record it for Miss Ci. Perhaps one day we will see a familiar cave dwelling and know who is making things difficult for our Purple Void Heaven."

He had never been out in the world and had too little experience; these words were so naive they made one laugh. Ruan Ci thought to herself, "If we have to find the mastermind by stumbling around like this, we might as well have let the matter rest from the beginning."

The inner landscape world of a Jin Dan cultivator cannot exist in the world for long, but it will enrich the spiritual energy of this place for several years. At this time, many living creatures had been attracted to gather nearby. However, Ruan Ci had lost the mood to kill demons for treasure. She packed up the corpses of the group and returned to the magic boat. She was no longer in a hurry to go to the Jin Bo Sect, but discussed with Wang Panpan and Tiger Servant, "How should these corpses be disposed of? Mainly the storage bags they left behind. I don't want these things, but if I return them to their relatives, it would seem like I am intentionally provoking them, which is not my original intention."

Wang Panpan seemed accustomed to this kind of behavior of killing nine people at the drop of a hat. Ruan Ci's words amused her. She licked her paws and laughed, "You've already killed them, so why fear being misunderstood? Just send the storage bags back. Shangqing disciples naturally won't covet these petty gains. They died because they were blind and followed the wrong teacher—naturally, there will be more people who want to kill you later, but are you afraid of people killing you? In the future, when the Sword Envoy is reincarnated, I don't know how many sects will come to kill you, so a few more stinking fish and rotten shrimp won't make a difference."

Tiger Servant also laughed, "Miss is also kind-hearted. Returning the storage bags is fine; it's a way to beat the grass to scare the snake. If any of these disciples' relatives dare to hold a grudge because of this, that will be the best target for our Purple Void lineage to establish prestige in the Jin Bo Sect."

These two monsters spoke as if they were ready to start a massacre at any moment. Ruan Ci's temper was naturally not very good either, but she had killed nine people, and her anger had gradually subsided. Seeing that these two were lawless, she did not want to discuss it further, changed the subject, and asked, "I originally wanted to stay in the Jin Bo Sect, but there are many Nascent Soul True Persons in the Jin Bo Sect. Without a Nascent Soul True Person to protect us, are we slightly inferior in terms of aura? I'm afraid that in the chaos of the aura field, someone might fish in troubled waters. Should we change to staying in the Jin Bo market and invite Senior Brother Li to come down the mountain to meet?"

She had originally wanted to accept Li Pingyan's invitation to stay in the Jin Bo Sect, also intending to get to know Li Pingyan's master, but after this sudden change, Ruan Ci no longer had the interest and had a very low opinion of Li Pingyan's master. She pondered, "If Senior Brother Li can't stand that I killed his junior brother and uncle and wants to break off relations with me, then it would be better to ease the situation in the Jin Bo market so everyone can be more decent. If it were in the Jin Bo Sect, there would be too many meddlers, and it would be bad if they instigated us to fight. I still quite like Senior Brother Li and don't want to kill him just like that."

Wang Panpan said, "Although there are many meddlers, it is still difficult for them to harm you. The Jin Bo Sect is right next to the Shangqing Sect. There is only one Cave Heaven in the sect, and their cultivation is just so-so. They definitely cannot defeat your master. If it's a competition among peers, that's fine, but if someone wants to bully you by being strong, your master's spiritual energy will manifest, and he could destroy the entire Jin Bo Sect in the blink of an eye."

It said this very casually, as if such things were common in the Central Continent. Tiger Servant also agreed deeply. Ruan Ci smiled bitterly, "I'm not worried about that—think about it, today's events cannot be hidden from Master, and naturally cannot be hidden from the Nascent Soul spiritual sense in that area of the Jin Bo Sect. Now everyone knows that I cannot bear to see cute monsters suffer. If I were a Jin Bo disciple, it would be too simple to stir up trouble. Find some servants I don't like, intentionally torture some cute spirit beasts or spirit birds in front of Shangqing disciples. If the Shangqing disciples see it and are unhappy, they will kill people, and won't that cause a scene at any time? If a scene is caused and Senior Brother Li wants to stop me, then swords have no eyes, and I might accidentally kill him."

Wang Panpan was stunned for a moment. In the past, before Ruan Ci opened her meridians, it appeared knowledgeable and wise. Now that Ruan Ci had reached Foundation Establishment, her mental power was improving rapidly, and Wang Panpan sometimes appeared a bit crude. She wagged her tail, thought for a moment, and said, "Actually, that still depends on the attitude of the Great Elder of the Jin Bo Sect. Most Cave Heaven cultivators can trace cause and effect. If someone wants to provoke you like this, he can find the mastermind behind the scenes in the blink of an eye, so a scene won't be caused... Sigh, but if she dares to come forward, you just killed so many people, she won't pretend not to see it."

Tiger Servant said in a deep voice, "The Jin Bo Sect has been established for less than three thousand years. Most of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect are attached to the two lineages of True Person Xu of the Pure Yang Performing Right Heaven and True Person Tianli of the Jade Longevity Spirit Mountain. As for the Great Elder, she doesn't seem close to anyone on the surface, but privately she is naturally taken care of by these two True Persons. Now that our Purple Void Heaven also wants to plant pieces in the Jin Bo Sect, she wants to refuse but doesn't dare, so she can mostly just pretend to be confused and act as if she knows nothing."

Ruan Ci had heard of the Pure Yang Performing Right Heaven like thunder, but this was the first time she had heard of the Jade Longevity Spirit Mountain Heaven. Wang Panpan looked at her and said, "True Person Li has no foundation in the sect and is slightly closer to True Person Xu. The most promising disciple under her is Shao Dingxing, who is the Senior Brother of this generation."

Ruan Ci came here originally to find Li Pingyan and ask him to pass a message to Little Su and others to do some things for her, thinking it was a small matter. Unexpectedly, she now had to sit down and talk about the Purple Void Heaven or even the Sect Master's lineage planting pieces in the Jin Bo Sect. She could no longer tell whether True Person Wang calling Tianlu and others to follow was using her to plant the first piece, triggering so many changes, or whether he had vaguely glimpsed the turmoil of the Jin Bo Sect from the "Taishang Response Chapter" and arranged attendants for her, giving her the confidence to confront the young scholar today. She pressed her temples and said with a headache, "These are all things Master should worry about—at the very least, there is Senior Brother. I am just a Foundation Establishment disciple, I know nothing, and I don't even know all the True Persons in the sect. What does it have to do with me? Let's not talk about these. Let's rest here for one night. If there is no backup plan in the Jin Bo Sect, we will go to the market, call Li Pingyan out to see me. He can come if he wants, if he doesn't, then from now on, consider that I don't have this friend."

As she said this, she stood up in a huff, went to look at the black-and-white flying bear, and saw that its injuries had improved. It was sleeping soundly in a large brocade basket Tianlu had brought, occasionally smacking its lips, and her mood suddenly lightened. She lay beside the basket, reached out to tease the little bear for a while, and seeing that the little bear seemed to be about to be teased awake, she hurriedly combed her spiritual power to induce it to sleep deeply.

After watching for a while, Tianlu walked into the room quietly and brought her a cup of fragrant tea. It was the Wutong Clear Dew bestowed by True Person Wang. Ruan Ci raised the cup and sniffed it, only to feel a very rich and fragrant spiritual energy seeping into her nose, as if it had form. For a moment, it nourished her lungs and organs, making all her worries disappear. She couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction, put down the teacup, and smiled at Tianlu, thinking, "This silly deer, having been by the True Person's side for so many years, the only service skill he has learned is to constantly make tea for people."

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but chuckle. Tianlu didn't notice this, but lowered his head to tidy up the needles and threads and other magic tools by the brocade basket, and said with a smile, "Miss Ci, why worry? You came out just to see Young Master Li. As for other things, the True Person didn't give any instructions, so why do you need to think about them? The True Person has already instructed me and Tiger Servant just now. Tomorrow we will still go to the mountain gate as usual, and Miss Ci can just meet with Young Master Li. Let's see who dares to come and disturb you."

Ruan Ci couldn't help but stand up and said in surprise, "Master came just now?"

Tianlu smiled, "Yes, he talked to us for a while, but he has already left by now."

Ruan Ci had many questions in her heart, and she didn't know whether the development of this matter would have a huge impact on Li Pingyan. She didn't regret killing those people in a fit of anger, but after all, this was the first time she had a conflict with a powerful sect under the wings of the Shangqing Sect, and she was a bit unsure of the measure. Learning that True Person Wang had been here but didn't say a word to her, and even left her in the dark, she was even more unhappy for a moment. She bit her lip and said, "Then I won't go to the mountain gate—you go and tell Master, tell him to come..."

She was just about to ask Tianlu to pass the message, saying that if True Person Wang didn't come to see her, she would never do things according to True Person Wang's instructions. But then she felt that this was very inappropriate, not only making it difficult for Tianlu but also losing the etiquette of a disciple. She stopped, waved her hand, and went straight to the quiet room where she lived. According to the ritual taught by the True Person, she burned incense, lit candles, knelt down, kowtowed three times, put her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed silently, "Disciple has many things that are unclear, please ask Master to descend in an incarnation to guide me, otherwise, I will return to Zijing Mountain to seek an audience with Master, and I won't go to the Jin Bo Sect at all."

It was just that the words were a bit nicer, but in fact, it was no different from what she wanted Tianlu to convey. Ruan Ci repeated the last sentence dozens of times. In her senses, there was no change in the room at all. She half-opened her eyes, looked left and right, and her little mouth couldn't help but pout. She got up, pushed the door out, and was about to find Tiger Servant to ask him to return to Zijing Mountain, but she saw a figure standing on the bow of the boat. The night wind was rustling, the bamboo leaves were swaying, blowing his robes, making him look like an immortal, clear and crane-like. She stopped her steps, surprised and suspicious, pushed the door out, and slowly paced to the deck. For some reason, she felt guilty again and said in a low voice, "M-Master?"

True Person Wang looked over, seemingly neither angry nor happy, but Ruan Ci was so scared that she took a step back. Looking at herself just now, she felt that she was truly wilful and arrogant to the extreme. If she were True Person Wang, she would definitely punish such a disciple severely, otherwise, it would be unjustifiable.

She usually found Tianlu's hesitant and cautious appearance ridiculous and cute, but today she unexpectedly learned from Tianlu, wandered for a while, and then rubbed her toes on the ground, walking to the True Person's back inch by inch, and said in a small voice, "Master, I, I..."

She didn't know what she was afraid of, her heart was just beating violently. However, Ruan Ci had never been one to worry about gains and losses for too long. After a while, she let go, thinking, "At worst, I'll be punished a little by Master. Anyway, I won't die, and even if I die, it's no big deal."

She pulled True Person Wang's sleeve and shook it, and said with a smile, "Master, did you come to see me? —As soon as I went out, I caused trouble for you."

However, although she had the worst preparation, she still made her cutest appearance, wanting to move the True Person slightly.

True Person Wang looked at her and said lightly, "I naturally have to come. Anyway, if you want to see me, you will always be able to see me. It doesn't cost me anything to come over in an incarnation. If I don't come, and Miss Ci wants to return to the mountain, who can stop her? It's just a waste of my spirit beast's magic power and also consumes the restrictions of this magic boat. Since I am so stingy, I naturally have to come."

The words made Ruan Ci's heart jump, and she knew that the True Person was aware of all the gossip behind her back. She hurriedly pushed the True Person to sit by the side of the boat, knelt beside the True Person herself, diligently hammered the Master's legs, and wanted to ask Tianlu to make tea. But before she could speak, True Person Wang said, "Alright, do you want to spread it everywhere? Are you afraid that others won't know how wilful you are?"

Ruan Ci hurriedly bit her tongue again, knowing in her heart that she was very overstepping. If Tiger Servant, the merman, and others knew, it would inevitably reach the ears of Senior Brother Lu and Senior Brother Su. The two senior brothers had followed True Person Wang for a long time and also had disciples and grand-disciples under them. If people's hearts were uneven, it would be easy to cause disappointment. She hurriedly accelerated the speed of hammering her legs and lowered her eyebrows to say some soft words like 'Disciple is really ignorant', but she didn't mention 'Please Master punish me' at all. Seeing True Person Wang's eyebrows and eyes gradually relax, she then looked at him and asked, "Master, before I went out, did you sense today's events? Or was it because you sent someone to protect me that led to today's events? This is the question I most want to understand right now."

True Person Wang lowered his long eyes, as if he were admiring the posture of the giant bamboo leaves swaying in the dark night. Only when the hammering in Ruan Ci's hands slowed down did he raise his eyes to glance at Ruan Ci. Hearing Ruan Ci's question, he also smiled slightly, not selling it, and answered, "You still see yourself too small and the general trend of the world too big."

"Today's events were not caused by me. From the moment you and Young Master Li became friends, the cause of today was laid. It's just that you didn't understand the connection at that time."

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Updated, sorry for the long wait, I want to see if the exposure is pbc

Yesterday's question, actually my personal answer is that some things have no right or wrong, only whether they suit your taste. Ruan Ci made her choice in her living environment, there is no right or wrong, but there is like or dislike, and you don't need a reason to like or dislike

Today's question: Miss Ci laughs that Tianlu only knows how to make tea, does she only know how to __?

Lunch is shredded pork with water bamboo! I asked my dad to stir-fry it spicy! Looking forward to it!

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Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!