Chapter 52

"What a coincidence."

Jiang Ye stood on the stone steps, looking at the two familiar figures below, a complex emotion flashing through his aged eyes.

There was relief, emotion, and a trace of indescribable... guilt.

Liu Qingshi seemed to sense something and looked upward, his body trembling slightly, a flash of hidden strangeness in his eyes.

He saw an old man with graying hair and a tall, thin build standing on the steps above, wearing a Tianqing Sect robe.

Vaguely, it gave him a sense of incongruous familiarity.

"Old Jiang... no, that's not right..."

He subconsciously flashed the image of that hunched figure who always sat by the door in his mind, then shook his head slightly, casting away this unrealistic thought.

The person in front of him was a deacon of the Tianqing Sect, his aura steady and his demeanor extraordinary, completely different from the decrepit Jiang Ye.

Neither his appearance, build, nor demeanor had any resemblance.

"Am I hallucinating because I miss Old Jiang too much..."

He shook his head with a wry smile, stopped thinking about it, and continued to step upward.

Liu Yiyi, behind him, followed her father's gaze, and when she saw the old man on the steps, the young girl's delicate body also trembled slightly.

She didn't think of Jiang Ye, but she thought of the old man who had "fought fiercely" with her and Su Yan that night.

Because the tall, thin build of the old man in front of her was truly similar to that one.

However, their appearances were still different; the old man in front had a more peaceful face, unlike the other one, who had a fierce look and was clearly not someone to be trifled with, full of power and aggression.

"What am I thinking..."

A faint moisture flashed in the girl's cold eyes, and a shallow blush appeared on her fair, pretty face.

As soon as she thought of that old man, those unsightly images would surge like a tide, making her heart beat faster and her whole body burn.

The father and daughter, each with their own thoughts, passed by Jiang Ye and continued up the mountain.

Jiang Ye walked down a few steps, then paused, turned around, and activated the true intent of "Startled Deer Leaves No Trace," his whole person like a shadow blending into the mountain breeze, following behind the two unhurriedly.

He watched Liu Qingshi bring Liu Yiyi to the mountain gate.

Liu Qingshi didn't know what he said to the guard disciple, but the disciple's expression became serious, and he ran hurriedly into the mountain gate.

Before long, he brought out a middle-aged man wearing an elder's robe with a scholarly appearance.

The middle-aged man's body faintly exuded an aura like water vapor, gentle and long-lasting; he was clearly an Embracing the Pill Realm powerhouse.

Seeing the person arrive, Liu Qingshi's face immediately showed an enthusiastic smile, and he walked up to greet him quickly.

The two were clearly old friends, and as soon as they met, they chatted enthusiastically, occasionally patting each other on the shoulder, looking like old friends reunited.

Soon, the elder welcomed Liu Qingshi and Liu Yiyi into the mountain gate.

Their backs gradually disappeared behind the towering gatehouse.

In the distance, Jiang Ye stood quietly in the shadow of an ancient pine, watching the disappearing figures, a strange look flashing through his aged eyes.

"I didn't expect the friend the Master mentioned to be an Embracing the Pill Realm elder."

Jiang Ye nodded slightly, a hint of relief appearing in his eyes.

With this connection, Liu Yiyi's entry into the Tianqing Sect should be a sure thing.

He didn't follow them in, but found an inconspicuous corner outside the mountain gate and waited quietly.

About an hour later.

Liu Qingshi's figure finally appeared at the mountain gate.

He walked out alone, and on that usually steady face, there was now an irrepressible, happy smile, and even his walking pace was much lighter than when he arrived.

Jiang Ye watched from afar, and his heart was clear—Liu Yiyi had definitely succeeded in joining the Tianqing Sect.

Liu Qingshi was in a great mood, walking lightly down the steps, clearly wanting to get home as soon as possible to share this good news with his wife, Huang Xiyu.

He didn't notice at all that a shadow-like figure was following behind him, unhurriedly, at a distance of more than ten feet.

Jiang Ye followed behind, looking at that straight back, which was becoming lighter due to joy, a faint smile appearing on his aged face.

The sky grew dark.

Liu Qingshi's figure turned into an alley.

Jiang Ye looked from afar and was slightly stunned; that was not the direction of the Su family residence.

He remembered that the Liu Qingshi family had been staying at the Su residence, but the residence Liu Qingshi walked into now was a slightly smaller one near the Su residence.

The gate was simple, but it was kept clean and tidy, and there hadn't been time to hang a plaque on the lintel yet.

"Oh? Did they move?"

A strange look flashed in Jiang Ye's eyes.

It seemed Liu Qingshi had bought a house himself and moved out of the Su family.

With his personality, he indeed wouldn't want to be a guest for long.

He walked slowly to the vicinity of the residence, listened for a moment, confirmed that Liu Qingshi's aura had entered the inner room, and then lightly tapped his feet, his whole person like a nimble swallow, flipping over the courtyard wall silently.

The moment his feet touched the ground, not even a speck of dust was stirred up.

The true intent of "Startled Deer Leaves No Trace" had long since been integrated into his instincts.

"You didn't say that Xie Tang was a friend from your youth, so why did you give him fifty thousand taels of silver?"

Huang Xiyu's voice came from inside the room, carrying a hint of heartache and confusion.

"Xiyu, you don't understand." Liu Qingshi's voice was steady but revealed a hint of fatigue: "My relationship with Xie Tang is good, but some money must be given."

"He is now an elder of the Tianqing Sect; with his current status, fifty thousand taels is actually not much. Him accepting this money is giving me face."

"Sigh..." Huang Xiyu sighed, her voice full of complex emotions, "Although we have some savings, this house cost a lot, and you bought so many elixirs for Yiyi... Qingshi, can we still hold on..."

"Yiyi has entered the Tianqing Sect; it's different from the martial arts academy, the competition pressure will be much greater!"

Liu Qingshi's voice carried a hint of firmness, as well as the responsibility of a father:

"We cannot hold her back. We will support her as much as we can."

"I know that's the logic..." Huang Xiyu's voice lowered, carrying a hint of heartache and helplessness.

"Wife, don't worry." Liu Qingshi's voice softened, carrying a sense of reassurance, "I have already discussed it with Su Chen. He has opened a new trade route and needs people to guard it along the way; he agreed to let me do it."

"Guard a trade route?!" Huang Xiyu's voice instantly added a hint of worry: "Qingshi, won't that be dangerous? This prefecture city is not like Anxi County; Transformation of Force experts are everywhere, and there are even Embracing the Pill Realm powerhouses..."

"Xiyu, don't worry." Liu Qingshi interrupted her steadily, "I received a letter from that kid Zhao Gang yesterday. He has finally broken through to the Transformation of Force."

"Zhao Gang?" Huang Xiyu's voice revealed surprise, "That big fool finally broke through? This is truly..."

"Not just him." Liu Qingshi's voice also carried a hint of a smile, "He said in the letter that he wants to bring Shi Lei to the prefecture city to join me. With the two of them here, I can consider myself to have helpers."

"I trust that child Zhao Gang; he is steady and hardworking, with plenty of strength." Huang Xiyu's voice was clearly much more relaxed, "I've also met that kid Shi Lei a few times; he is an honest person, with a straight gaze and is reliable. With them helping you, it will indeed be much easier."

Liu Qingshi's steady laughter came from the room, carrying a hint of relief.

Outside the window, Jiang Ye stood quietly in the shadows, taking in this conversation.

"Zhao Gang has broken through to the Transformation of Force..." A strange look flashed in his aged eyes.

That eldest disciple of the martial arts academy, honest and thick-headed, steady in his actions, had finally taken this step.

And that kid Shi Lei.

That young man who had once been awakened by his words "flowing water does not compete for the lead" was also coming to the prefecture city.

He nodded slightly, a hint of relief appearing in his eyes.

With these two helping, the burden on Liu Qingshi's shoulders could indeed be much lighter.

A moment later.

Inside the room, the conversation gradually lowered and fell into silence.

Liu Qingshi pushed the door open and walked out, walking steadily through the courtyard and pushing open another room door.

Jiang Ye followed silently behind, like a shadow blending into the night, standing outside the half-open window.

He just glanced inside casually.

The next instant, his pupils contracted sharply.

The room was not large, the furnishings were simple, but it was kept spotless.

On the wall facing the door, there was actually a spirit tablet.

An ebony spirit tablet, a plain white base, with a simple incense burner and fruit offerings in front.

The incense smoke in the burner curled, clearly someone came to pay respects often.

And what shocked him the most were the words carved on the spirit tablet—

"Spirit Tablet of Benefactor Jiang, courtesy name Ye."

The handwriting was upright and powerful, every stroke carved very deeply; clearly, it had been carved by hand, with great care.

Jiang Ye stood frozen outside the window, like a stone statue.

His spirit tablet.

Liu Qingshi had actually... set up a spirit tablet for him.