Chapter 126: Why Join a Faction? I Have a Hook!

"Don't try to hide it from me! I've heard some news: this Xiao Zhangqing is a Second-rank Talisman Master who once saved his son's life, so the son is deeply grateful and holds him in the highest esteem."

"He does have some ability; it seems Nanshan Fang was able to repel the Demon Sect Evil Cultivator's attack, and he earned a great share of the credit."

"But, hehe... to be frank, even though he previously held back the Demon Sect Evil Cultivator's assault, he'll eventually die at their hands and won't live much longer!"

"The entire Southwest Region will inevitably fall completely."

Wan Yuexing sneered.

As a Foundation Establishment Realist and a senior of the Giant Wood Sect, although he is stationed in the remote Western Regions, precisely because of that he understands certain situations more clearly.

He even knows more and more accurate information than the Foundation Establishment sects in the Central Regions of Da Yu's Cultivation World, let alone the Nascent Soul forces.

Xingyue Palace and the Seven Star Sword Sect, although they have been negotiating with the Demon Sect for several years, likely remain unclear about some of the Demon Sect's true circumstances.

Their Giant Wood Sect knows even more and is therefore safer.

Not only the Southwest Region of Da Yu's Cultivation World, but even if the Central Regions later collapse, the Giant Wood Sect, located in the Western Regions and protected by the Divine Tree, will be the safest place! Ruan Qingzhu was slightly startled by this.

The Southwest Region of Da Yu's Cultivation World will completely fall?

Even if Luoxia Sect and Baihua Valley personally intervene, they still can't hold it? Before she left Nanshan Fang, the two major Foundation Establishment sects had already consolidated the major cultivation markets.

However, even if the situation worsens in the future and the two major Foundation Establishment sects retreat, it won't affect her at all.

After all, she is now a "defector" of Baihua Valley.

"Aren't you worried? How come this Xiao Zhangqing, just like you, left Nanshan Fang and the Southwest Region?"

Wan Yuexing observed the change in Ruan Qingzhu's complexion, saw that her expression remained unchanged upon hearing it, and immediately inferred something.

"Where has Xiao Zhangqing gone now? He couldn't have followed you to Giant Wood Immortal City, could he?"

A murderous glint suddenly flashed in Wan Yuexing's eyes.

If that guy who lured his lover and deceived his son into liking him ends up in Giant Wood Immortal City, that would be perfect!

He will surely extend his hospitality and properly "entertain" the person!

Ruan Qingzhu stared at him coldly and said, "You need not waste any effort! Dao Companion Xiao hasn't come to Giant Wood City!"

Wan Yuexing watched Ruan Qingzhu for another half‑second, feeling the fluctuation of her spiritual awareness, then thought, "He hasn't come to Giant Wood Immortal City? Then where did he go? Other immortal cities or markets in the Western Regions? It doesn't seem like that..."

"Did he go to the Central Regions?"

"Oh. It seems he went to the Central Regions; which place in the Central Regions? I suppose it's Character: Liyang Immortal City."

Ruan Qingzhu felt a bit terrified upon hearing that.

She said nothing, even forced herself not to think about it in her heart, yet Wan Yuexing could still deduce the outcome.

Is this the terrifying aspect of a Foundation Establishment Realist?

Although this method doesn't match Xiao Zhangqing's tactic before the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, where he trapped one of the seven cloud‑mist fiends, a bald vulture, in an illusion and forced it to reveal all secrets.

Yet Wan Yuexing's approach also frightens her.

"It really seems he went to Character: Liyang Immortal City."

Wan Yuexing chuckled and said, "Since you and your son both refuse to obey me, it's perfect that Giant Wood Sect and Character: Liyang Immortal City have cooperated in recent years; I'll find a chance to 'invite' this Xiao Zhangqing from Character: Liyang Immortal City to Giant Wood Immortal City! I'm really curious what ability this person has to snatch away Wan Yuexing's woman..."

As he spoke, Wan Yuexing lifted Ruan Qingzhu's chin with his finger, "Rest assured, you needn't worry about your beloved's safety; I won't kill him outright. I also want your son to see that the person he idolizes is actually weak and unworthy of such reverence. Only I, his father, should be the target he pursues!"

"Moreover, if I bring him to Giant Wood City, I might even save his life. A tiny Foundation Establishment Realm going to Character: Liyang Immortal City now is hardly a wise choice." Wan Yuexing said with a hint, "Today's Character: Liyang Immortal City is riddled with danger and could very well become the eye of a storm..."

Having said that.

Wan Yuexing did nothing else to Ruan Qingzhu; before turning away, he removed the restraint on her.

However, he still assigned personnel to guard Ruan Qingzhu, preventing her from slipping away from Giant Wood Immortal City.

Ruan Qingzhu watched Wan Yuexing's departing back, the man who, twenty‑something years ago, had made the naive young her love her to death; she had long been utterly disappointed, so his current ugly visage no longer provokes much anger in her.

What she now worries about is Xiao Zhangqing...

Xiao Zhangqing's strength is well known; Wan Yuexing's plan to send people to trouble Xiao Zhangqing and bring him back to Giant Wood Immortal City is doomed to fail.

The more people he sends, the more will die! Unless Wan Yuexing goes to Character: Liyang Immortal City himself.

Otherwise, even sending late‑stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, perfect ones, or even false‑core cultivators cannot threaten Xiao Zhangqing.

Yet Wan Yuexing's claim that today's Character: Liyang Immortal City is fraught with danger and could become the storm's center makes her uneasy.

Character: Liyang Immortal City is the foremost city of Scattered Cultivators in Da Yu's Cultivation World, and its Character: Liyang Realist is a late‑stage Foundation Establishment great cultivator.

Even with him stationed there, danger remains; such a crisis must be extraordinary, indicating that the Character: Liyang Realist cannot easily resolve it.

For Xiao Zhangqing, this might be the real danger...

What a pity.

Giant Wood Immortal City is far from Character: Liyang Immortal City, making it hard for her to send a message there.

Moreover, she is now semi‑under house arrest by Wan Yuexing.

……

……

Character: Liyang Immortal City.

Jinxiu Fang, the cave residence where Xiao Zhangqing lives.

Unwittingly, a month has already passed since arriving in Character: Liyang Immortal City.

"Lord, I've gathered news: Shopkeeper Hong and Jiang Jiyue are indeed at the Jiang family!"

"Shopkeeper Hong holds a very high position in the Jiang family; aside from that family's Third-rank Talisman Master, he is the highest in talisman technique, already a Second-rank top-grade Talisman Master!"

After returning to the cave, Lin Zixi eagerly reported the information she had gathered to Xiao Zhangqing.

Although Xiao Zhangqing currently still has some troubles, making it inconvenient to meet old acquaintances.

Moreover, he doesn't wish to join the Jiang family for now; if he meets them rashly, the Jiang family might play the emotional card and have Shopkeeper Hong persuade him to join, which Xiao Zhangqing would find hard to refuse. Nonetheless, he still wants to know exactly how Shopkeeper Hong and Jiang Jiyue are doing now.

"Second-rank top-grade Talisman Master?"

Xiao Zhangqing couldn't help but gape.

Originally, when he was at Nanshan Fang, he knew Shopkeeper Hong was hiding something and guessed that his Symbol Technique might have already broken through to the second tier, earlier than Lu Qiu, but he never wanted to expose it.

Yet he hadn't expected that he had still underestimated Shopkeeper Hong's Symbol Technique attainment.

Second‑tier Upper Grade! How many years have passed? Less than ten years, right?

Obviously it couldn't be that fast for the Symbol Technique to rise from Second‑tier Lower Grade to Second‑tier Upper Grade.

The only possibility is that back at Nanshan Fang, Shopkeeper Hong's Symbol Technique was already at least Second‑tier Middle Grade.

"It seems Shopkeeper Hong is indeed scheming to escape Luoxia Sect, waiting for a chance. I just don't know what grudge he holds against Luoxia Sect's current sect leader Lu Daoming, weren't they senior brothers?" Xiao Zhangqing guessed silently.

The result was unexpected.

Lin Zixi quickly relayed another surprising piece of news, "Lord, can you guess Jiang Jiyue's current status? She is actually the Jiang family's eldest daughter, the daughter of a Third‑tier Symbol Master!"

Hmm? Xiao Zhangqing's eyes widened a bit.

The Jiang family's eldest daughter, daughter of a Third‑tier Symbol Master? This news surprised him even more than Shopkeeper Hong being a Second‑tier Upper Grade Symbol Master.

"Moreover, it is said that Jiang Jiyue's parents were originally top‑tier, exceptionally talented disciples of the previous generation of Luoxia Sect, both expected to achieve the Golden Core, a pair of celestial lovers envied by many. At that time their fame far surpassed that of the current Luoxia Sect leader Lu Zhenren. In the end, whatever happened, Jiang Jiyue's mother died and vanished, and her father failed to form a Golden Core, barely surviving. Ten years ago he reappeared, establishing himself in Character: Liyang Immortal City as a Third‑tier Symbol Master, and gradually developed the Jiang family into one of the ten major families of Character: Liyang Immortal City."

Lin Zixi slowly recounted the information she had heard.

Xiao Zhangqing, upon hearing, finally understood the grudges between the Jiang family and Luoxia Sect.

Jiang Jiyue's parents were originally successors of Luoxia Sect, genius cultivators, yet it was the obscure Lu Daoming who ultimately formed the Golden Core.

It goes without saying that this was inevitably corrupt.

And Shopkeeper Hong, evidently having a better relationship with Jiang Jiyue's parents, unhesitatingly took Jiang Jiyue to Character: Liyang Immortal City when her father reappeared, parting ways with Luoxia Sect.

"Have you heard any news about Mu Chunfeng?" Xiao Zhangqing asked.

Mu Chunfeng, five years ago, shortly after the Nanshan Fang war ended, led the few remaining clan members to relocate to Character: Liyang Immortal City.

Given Mu Chunfeng's relationship with Jiang Jiyue, they were inseparable friends in Nanshan Fang; when she arrived at Character: Liyang Immortal City, she should have joined the Jiang family.

Lin Zixi shook her head and said, "Actually, no. I haven't heard of a Jiang family guest minister named Mu Chunfeng…"

It seems either Mu Chunfeng never joined the Jiang family, or he failed at Foundation Establishment.

Of course, there is a worse possibility: that Mu Chunfeng never managed to reach Character: Liyang Immortal City…

"Lord, do you intend to join the Jiang family?" Lin Zixi whispered.

These days Xiao Zhangqing had her gather various information about the Jiang family; among the ten major families, only the Jiang family received such focus, and in her view the lord was indeed intending to join the Jiang family.

"Not at all." Xiao Zhangqing shook his head decisively.

Having learned the Jiang family's situation, he became even less inclined to join them.

First, aside from the Jiang family being like the City Lord's Residence, the conditions offered are generous but require him to serve the Jiang family for at least thirty years, with assigned missions to fulfill. Moreover, the feud between the Jiang family and Luoxia Sect is a never‑ending grudge; even if Luoxia Sect spares the Jiang family, Xiao Zhangqing worries the Jiang family will not cease, and one day will seek revenge on Luoxia Sect's sect leader Lu Zhenren! Xiao Zhangqing has not forgotten Shopkeeper Hong's kindness and will repay it when the chance arises.

But there is no need to plunge himself into the vortex of the Jiang family‑Luoxia Sect feud.

Whether it's the Jiang family or Luoxia Sect, they have no gratitude toward him, nor an endless hatred.

"Then… join the City Lord's Residence?" Lin Zixi asked.

The sisters of the Lin family were aware of the City Lord's Residence and the ten major families' invitations; Xiao Zhangqing did not hide it and even let them gather information.

So Lin Zixi knew the conditions offered by the City Lord's Residence and the Jiang family were the most generous.

"You've heard, right? Recently the City Lord's Residence has been widely recruiting guest ministers; many Foundation Establishment cultivators who previously lacked the qualification to join have recently received invitations…" Xiao Zhangqing's eyes flickered, asking pointedly, "Why do you think the City Lord's Residence is expanding recruitment of guest ministers and offering such generous terms?"

Lin Zixi was not foolish; on the contrary, she was very clever.

Before becoming Xiao Zhangqing's concubine, she had once harbored lofty ambitions; although she sometimes took dubious or risky paths, she was still sharp.

"Lord, you mean the City Lord's Residence might have trouble… no, even danger, which is why they need to broadly recruit guest ministers for missions?" Lin Zixi slightly furrowed her eyebrows, thinking.

Xiao Zhangqing nodded and said, "In short, there's no such thing as a free pie falling from the sky."

Lin Zixi was puzzled: "But there is Character: Liyang Zhenren stationed there; in the entire Da Yu Cultivation World, aside from the two major Nascent Soul forces, who could threaten Character: Liyang Immortal City?"

"That's unclear. Perhaps I'm being overly anxious; the City Lord's Residence might simply want more guest ministers. But if my speculation is correct, given the City Lord's Residence's strength, needing many guest ministers indicates the trouble is considerable; even a Golden Core Real Person couldn't resolve it, extremely dangerous!" Xiao Zhangqing said calmly, "Therefore, to be safe, the best approach is to observe from the sidelines and not take risks."

"But… if we don't join the ten major families nor the City Lord's Residence, even though you, my lord, have Spirit Stones, many resources would still be unattainable." Lin Zixi said cautiously.

Given her love for 'adventure', if she were to decide, she would certainly join one of the sides.

But she certainly wouldn't dare to propose suggestions, let alone decide for the lord; she only offers a small reminder.

Character: Liyang Immortal City is vast and abundant; various Magic Treasures, Pills, spirit medicines, spirit beasts, arrays, puppets can be bought, even Foundation Establishment pills that are almost invisible elsewhere appear at some auctions in Character: Liyang Immortal City.

As long as one has enough Spirit Stones, they can be purchased.

However, for a mid‑Foundation Establishment Xiao Zhangqing, these treasures offer little help.

Not to mention, when he eventually seeks to form a Golden Core, the required resources will demand joining a force like the City Lord's Residence.

In Lin Zixi's view, the lord possesses a great destiny; though his talent is modest, she believes he harbors lofty ambitions and won't waste his life stagnating in the Foundation Establishment realm, but should ascend to the pinnacle of the Dao to see higher vistas.

At that moment, elder sister Lin Ziyu returned, excitedly saying, "Lord, I've found a place that sells second‑hand high‑grade treasures!"

Xiao Zhangqing's eyes lit up.

Why need to join other factions, struggling and scrambling for resources? I have a hook!

"Go, take me there right now!"

(End of Chapter)