Chapter 517: Delivering a Letter

The Flower Demon Sect has some conflict with Lin Chao.

However, this conflict is very minor, so Lin Chao has not paid it any mind.

Moreover, he also possesses some ability to protect himself.

"The seven-day external leave is just enough time to go and deliver the letter to the person my master instructed."

Before arriving at Tailin Academy, his master had instructed Lin Chao to deliver a letter to an old friend.

That person also lives within Tai Ling Prefecture, though at a rather far distance.

Some time ago, Lin Chao did not have the time to deliver it.

This time, he will take advantage of the external leave to deliver the letter to that old friend.

His master once hinted that his old friend might perhaps give him some benefits.

Lin Chao has some guesses in his heart.

However, those things are not important.

Lin Chao only wants to develop in peace right now.

Having rented a carriage, Lin Chao traveled slowly along the main road.

Today in Tai Ling Prefecture, there are exceptionally many people on the road; many academy students like Lin Chao are taking advantage of the external leave to stroll around the prefecture.

Soon, the carriage entered the city walls of Tai Ling Prefecture, and the number of people increased.

On both sides of the main street, there were many more peddlers and stalls.

There were those selling steamed cakes, rouge, and jade pendants; it was bustling with noise and excitement.

Lin Chao lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, only to see a group of soldiers walking on the road holding long halberds.

"It seems the demon people of the Flower Demon Sect have put great pressure on the Prefecture Governor's Mansion."

Although to the Holy Palace, these evil cults are of no consequence.

But to a local Prefect, an evil cult is still quite dangerous.

"According to what Wang Longyang said, a sacrificial leader of the Flower Demon Sect should be a Spirit Severing expert, holding a Dao Soldier, enough to sweep through Second Grade martial artists, but compared to a First-Grade martial artist, they are still inferior."

Spirit Severing is an existence that crushes Second Grade martial artists but is inferior to a First-Grade martial artist.

The current Lin Chao is only one step away from being a Second Grade martial artist.

He can defeat ordinary Second Grade martial artists based on his own experience. But against a First-Grade martial artist, or rather a Spirit Severing expert, Lin Chao feels that to win would require paying a significant price.

Time reached the afternoon, during which Lin Chao got out of the carriage to buy some dry rations.

At this moment, the carriage driver's voice came: "Young Master, ahead is Hua Yi Xiang, where high officials and noblemen live. Without a pass, a carriage like ours cannot enter."

Lin Chao did not have a pass either and needed to get out of the carriage to walk.

"Many thanks, brother." Lin Chao paid the money and got off the carriage.

Compared to other places in Tai Ling Prefecture, the buildings in the rich district are taller and more ornate.

Moreover, the streets are also tidier; unlike other places where you might walk a whole way and see the excrement of chickens, ducks, dogs, and pigs.

There are no homeless people lying on the road, nor disabled beggars.

Those people cannot get in.

If it weren't for Lin Chao's unusual attire and the fact that he was riding in a carriage, he might have been stopped before even entering the rich district.

The place Lin Chao is going to is the Qian Mansion.

The Qian Mansion is located in a secluded spot in the rich district, where there are not many people.

Lin Chao walked onto the main road, feeling the sunlight falling upon him.

He felt languid.

Soon, he arrived at the Qian Mansion.

The gate of the Qian Mansion was tightly shut.

Suddenly, Lin Chao seemed to sense something.

He felt as if some gazes were falling upon him.

He had some doubts in his heart, so he pretended that nothing had happened.

Since he had arrived at the Qian Mansion, there was naturally no reason to leave.

He knocked on the gate and waited peacefully.

Not long after, the gate was opened wide, and a young servant in green clothes poked his head out, his eyes filled with a wary expression: "Who are you, and what are you doing?"

"I am a student of Tailin Academy, named Xia Yang. My master Jiang Boye and the esteemed Elder Qian Xiantai of your mansion are close friends.

My master asked me to deliver a letter to him."

The young servant in green replied: "Wait here, I will go and report it."

Lin Chao waited peacefully outside the gate.

He felt a bit curious in his heart.

Because, just standing there for this short while, he felt that at least three or four gazes had fallen upon him from outside.

Were these gazes directed at him, or at the Qian Mansion?

Not long after, the young servant in green came out again, his face wearing a kindly expression: "Young Master Xia Yang, please come with me.

My master, the Second Elder, is advanced in age and unable to come out to greet you; please forgive him."

Lin Chao followed the young servant in green as they walked into the courtyard.

The Qian Mansion was quiet, and there did not seem to be many people.

Not long after, Lin Chao arrived at a side chamber.

On the way, the young servant in green had said that the Second Elder, Qian Xiantai, was advanced in age and in poor health, and had been lying in bed.

And the old man's children had been by his side serving him.

"Are you Jiang Boye's disciple?" At this moment, a crisp voice came over.

Lin Chao looked over and saw a young woman, who appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, with long, slender legs as shapely as a pair of chopsticks.

"Yes," Lin Chao nodded.

"My grandfather just woke up. After you go in, don't stay too long, fifteen minutes at most." The young girl's tone was not very polite, yet Lin Chao still caught a hint of exhaustion and unease in her voice.

"Alright." Lin Chao sighed; it seemed the old man Qian Xiantai's physical condition was truly not very good.

Lin Chao entered the room and immediately saw an old man with white hair lying on the bed; the old man's eyes were cloudy and dull, his skin covered in wrinkles, like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Old Master Qian," Lin Chao called out softly.

"You've come..."

A glimmer of color appeared in Qian Xiantai's dim eyes, and his whole person became agitated.

"Your master... how is he doing now?"

"Master is carefree and at ease at the Qingxu Sect, living very well.

This is a letter Master asked me to give to you." Lin Chao handed the letter to Qian Xiantai.

Qian Xiantai took the letter with trembling hands and looked it over.

Lin Chao waited to the side.

He had not opened the letter, and he did not know what was written inside.

Qian Xiantai looked at Lin Chao, his voice hoarse: "Are you willing to join the Gongshu School?"

"Yes," Lin Chao nodded.

Since he had used Jiang Boye to come to Tailin Academy, he would accept this favor.

"Good child, a good child." A flash of joy crossed Qian Xiantai's eyes.

"What is your current cultivation level in Literary Arts?" Qian Xiantai asked.

Lin Chao was slightly stunned and hesitated; he did not know how to answer.

His Literary Arts cultivation had already reached the late stage of Nascent Soul.

One step further, and it would be Spirit Severing.

This was somewhat exaggerated.

At this moment, Qian Xiantai continued: "Your master sent you here, likely wanting me to choose a suitable Dao Soldier Embryo for you... cough, cough, let me examine your bones to see what kind of Dao Soldier Embryo suits you."

"Thank you, Old Master."

Lin Chao reached out his hand.

He was somewhat curious about the Dao Soldier Embryo.

Qian Xiantai grabbed Lin Chao's hand and felt it carefully; suddenly, a sharp, excited gleam flashed in Qian Xiantai's eyes.

"Your Literary Arts cultivation... is at the late stage of Nascent Soul?"

Lin Chao was slightly stunned and alert.

Because, unless he actively revealed it, others would not know his Literary Arts cultivation level.

A late-stage Nascent Soul at sixteen or seventeen was somewhat shocking to the world.

After all, Lin Chao had secretly investigated, and the current Dean of Tailin Academy had entered Nascent Soul at twenty-three, only reached late-stage Nascent Soul at thirty, and only reached Spirit Severing at forty.

Even so, the Dean of Tailin Academy was a genius in the field of Literary Arts.

Yet Lin Chao was only sixteen or seventeen and was already at the late stage of Nascent Soul.

Moreover, if Lin Chao were willing to spend attribute points, he could step into Spirit Severing right now.

However, stepping into Spirit Severing had no great use for him at the moment, so he kept the attribute points to use on martial arts.

"I broke through by luck." Seeing he had been discovered, Lin Chao admitted it openly.

"Good... good... good!" Qian Xiantai said "good" three times in a row, his voice becoming somewhat hurried, "The Gongshu School... truly has hope."

It was evident that he was very excited.

(End of chapter)