Chapter 281: If Father Found Out, He

Hearing Chen Qiluo Xuan say that, Li Ling finally felt a sudden clarity.

She wasn't truly foolish; Li Yang, even as a fugitive of the imperial court, was still her elder brother whom she had grown up with. She had guessed he needed her help with something, but never imagined he would turn against her.

After thinking calmly for a while, Li Ling realized it indeed seemed true—if she refused, Li Yang's men would never let her leave.

If this got out, their plan to resurrect Long Di would become pure fantasy.

Thinking of this, Li Ling glanced slyly around, confirmed no one was nearby, then whispered to Chen Qiluo Xuan: "What should we do?"

Actually, the moment Chen Qiluo Xuan had stepped in front of her just now, she had developed a slight fondness for him.

But in her heart, the mysterious figure who had helped her countless times was the one she truly admired.

Every time she saw that masked stranger, she felt his aura was otherworldly, marked by a lonely pride.

Chen Qiluo Xuan, by contrast, seemed utterly ordinary—Li Ling had never once connected the two.

"Delay returning to the capital with every excuse you can. Act like you're willing to help him—it's hard for him to act against you then. Would he dare kidnap you in the capital? But don't seem too eager to leave, or he'll sense you're just pretending."

For such a minor matter, Chen Qiluo Xuan handled it effortlessly—it didn't even require switching to his other mysterious identity.

That night, Li Yang had indeed sent watchers to monitor their lodging; if either of them tried to slip away secretly, the hidden sentries would strike immediately.

But nothing happened, leading Li Yang to believe his younger sister was still sensible.

Though Chen Qiluo Xuan and Li Ling shared a room and were married, they had never rested together.

At night, Li Ling slept on the bed, while Chen Qiluo Xuan sat leaning against a chair to rest.

Sometimes Li Ling wondered if she had no charm at all, to leave Chen Qiluo Xuan completely unmoved.

There was no help for it—Chen Qiluo Xuan thought only of ascension; ascension was his obsession. Romantic entanglements only slowed his cultivation.

Though his cultivation base matched that of other destiny-blessed youths, he simply dared not cultivate too quickly. Steady, solid progress was his way.

The next day, after waking, Li Ling told Li Yang she wanted to visit the coastal region, see the sea folk, and dive for treasures.

She wasn't familiar with the area and wanted her elder brother to guide her.

Li Yang slapped his chest and assured her it was no problem, claiming no one knew the place better than he did—he had fought the sea folk over a dozen times and acquired many treasures.

Li Ling asked curiously: "Brother, isn't it said there are many imperial troops along the coast? How can you move around freely with your status?"

Li Yang smiled mysteriously: "You don't understand. With the rail system completed, the number of cultivators along the coast has surged—I've heard it's over 1.6 million. Everyone believes the sea folk possess endless treasures. With so many cultivators, the troops simply can't monitor them all."

Li Yang went on describing how glorious his battles against the sea folk were, how skillfully he moved underwater, how much superior his Water-Repelling Spell was compared to ordinary cultivators.

Too bad Prince Jing'an hadn't come—if he had, Li Yang would've shown off even more.

Here, Chen Qiluo Xuan suspected Li Yang was exaggerating—but oddly, at this moment, Li Yang wasn't lying at all. The cultivation method Li Chen had modified truly suited imperial clan members.

Before Li Ling even reached the shore, she saw a constant stream of cultivators, with temporary sect outposts under construction everywhere.

The cultivators here wore wildly different attire, representing countless sects—even some who had traveled from afar, their aura distinctly different from local cultivators.

Some gathered in small groups, discussing yesterday's battles; others clustered in dozens, preparing to hunt sea folk.

Li Yang pointed to a large temporary outpost in the distance and boasted: "See those? Only major sects can afford such outposts—they bring anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand people."

According to Li Yang, things were different now: these sects had to register with local government offices and obtain permission before building.

This proved that Emperor Li Chen had achieved a breakthrough in managing sects.

Sects that once towered above imperial authority now had to obey the rules.

Li Ling had heard rumors of this—after all, she was imperial clan, with her own information channels.

But seeing it with her own eyes, she felt dazed.

Li Yang pulled out several sheets he'd obtained in Chao Yin City and continued: "These are the cultivation methods, elixirs, and weapon blueprints issued by Emperor Li Chen—extremely popular in the cultivation world. They've not only greatly boosted cultivators' combat power, but also accelerated their exploration of the sea."

I've heard top cultivators say that without Emperor Li Chen's contributions, the entire cultivation world's progress in exploring the sea folk would be at least ten years behind."

Chen Qiluo Xuan was skeptical—he had once been a cultivator capable of ascension in his past life. How could Li Chen, so young, possibly be so comprehensive?

He thought so, yet as he took the sheets Li Yang handed him and glanced through them, he found them unimpressive.

These were nothing special—he could improve them easily.

Just swap out a few materials, and their effectiveness would rise significantly.

Then Chen Qiluo Xuan suddenly remembered something and asked: "How did you get these sheets?"

Li Yang replied casually: "Free at Chao Yin City. Every cultivator who comes to the coast gets one."

Now Chen Qiluo Xuan began to respect Li Chen—because if distributed to the public, these sheets were flawless. He could improve them with better materials, yes, but ordinary people couldn't afford them.

He realized he'd been narrow-minded. This Emperor Li Chen truly had talent.

Seeing his sister clearly interested, Li Yang launched into stories of Li Chen's exploits here: his dominance at the Sword Forum, forcing Li Yu into exile, or casually slaying a Saint-tier sea beast in the ocean.

He spoke as if he'd been standing right beside Li Chen, his tone filled with awe and admiration.

Li Ling listened intently, then suddenly frowned and asked: "Brother, if Emperor Li Chen is so outstanding, why are you rebelling?"

Li Yang laughed carelessly, as if discussing the weather: "Everyone has their own path. I need something to do, right? Besides, I've already gone halfway—I can't turn back now. You don't want your brother to spend his life as a wanted fugitive, do you?"

Li Ling was left speechless.

She looked at Li Yang's indifferent expression and couldn't help thinking: You rebel just to find something to do? If Father knew, he'd cut you down with one sword!

(End of Chapter)