Chapter 85: Wait, How Did I End Up Trafficking People? (6k)

Qingmu City!

The recovered steward, Feng Cheng, nervously reported to Peak Master Mo Xingjian all that had transpired during this period.

Fortunately, both Blood Tai Sui have been eliminated, the malevolent spirits vanished, the spirit fields are slowly recovering, and everything is now returning to order.

“When did my second son appear in Qingmu City?” Mo Xingjian asked, sipping tea.

Zhou Qing and the others standing nearby also looked over with interest.

Feng Cheng thought for a moment and said, “Report to Peak Master, it was one month before the spirit fields showed signs of trouble. Sister Luo came to me with her identity token, received basic supplies, then hurried off. Oh, she also left a letter, saying that if her younger brother came, I was to give it to him—if not, then forget it.”

Feng Cheng suddenly remembered something and quickly pulled a letter from his storage pouch.

On it were written four large characters: “For Old Mo’s Eyes Only.”

Upon hearing there was a letter, Mo Xingjian’s eyes lit up—but when he saw the writing on the envelope, he sighed softly, then shot a disgruntled glance at Yan Xiaohu.

Yan Xiaohu was about to crane his neck to look, but when he met Mo Xingjian’s gaze, he turned away and awkwardly scratched his nose.

When he first joined the sect, Second Sister constantly called him “Old Mo” to his face, and Master just laughed it off.

After much thought, he made a bold decision and called him “Old Mo” the exact same way.

He was promptly locked in the dark room. Second Sister threw a tantrum right there—he was released after only half a day.

Since then, he dared only whisper “Old Mo” behind his back—at least, never to his face.

Now Mo Xingjian slowly opened the envelope, and Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu immediately leaned in to read together.

“Old Mo, how have you been lately? Are Sanhu and Xiao Qing behaving well? By now, it’s been over three years since they left Xiao Ling Peak. I thought I’d finished everything and planned to return in a couple days—but then I heard rumors about the Soul-Breath Immortal Herb.”

“I’ve followed up and found some leads, so I won’t be returning yet. When I bring back the Soul-Breath Immortal Herb, it should fully heal your soul injury. Don’t worry—I’m fine. Also, don’t you dare bully Sanhu or Xiao Qing, or I’ll make you pay when I get back!”

At this point, Mo Xingjian’s eyes turned red, and he quickly rubbed them.

“What a terrible place—there’s sand even inside the hall! Feng Cheng, Qingmu City is the sect’s primary spirit grain source—you must protect the environment and prevent damage to the spirit fields!”

Mo Xingjian suddenly said to steward Feng Cheng.

Feng Cheng immediately bowed and accepted the order.

Zhou Qing remained silent.

He recalled how, at Second Uncle’s stall, he’d opened a blind box and pulled out a Black Soul Jade—then Third Brother had turned around and sold him to Master, claiming Master’s soul was injured.

He’d assumed it was a minor wound, but now it seemed severe—perhaps for many years—and as a disciple, he’d known nothing.

At this moment, guilt filled his heart.

“Girls really are more thoughtful,” Mo Xingjian murmured softly, then carefully folded the letter.

Suddenly, Yan Xiaohu crept close to Mo Xingjian’s ear and whispered, “Master, I’m thoughtful too—last time, the Black Soul Jade...”

“I bought that with my own money!” Mo Xingjian grunted, standing up loudly.

Yan Xiaohu immediately protested: “That’s two different things! At least I haven’t sold you to anyone—I still care about you...”

As Yan Xiaohu spoke, he saw Mo Xingjian raise a hand to stroke his own neck—he instantly fell silent and ducked behind Zhou Qing at once.

“Rest up. We return to the sect tomorrow.”

With that, Mo Xingjian turned and left.

Yan Xiaohu finally exhaled in relief, but Zhou Qing asked, “Third Brother, is Master’s spiritual sense alright?”

“Fine, fine—just an old injury. With the Soul-Breath Immortal Herb, it’ll be completely cured!” Yan Xiaohu said.

Zhou Qing asked, “Then what exactly is this Soul-Breath Immortal Herb...?”

There were still things he didn’t understand; his knowledge was inevitably incomplete.

Yan Xiaohu suddenly dropped his joking tone and grew serious: “It’s extremely rare. Let me put it this way: once, at an auction, a single Soul-Breath Immortal Herb sold for five supreme-grade spirit stones.”

Zhou Qing’s face filled with shock.

Such a priceless item—could Second Sister safely bring it back alone?

As if sensing Zhou Qing’s worry, Yan Xiaohu patted his shoulder and comforted him: “Worrying won’t help—we don’t even know where Second Sister is. Besides, she’s always cautious—calling her ‘Old Coward’ wouldn’t be wrong. If her success rate isn’t ten percent, she won’t risk it.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qing found himself agreeing and felt considerably reassured.

Soon, Zhou Qing remembered something else and hurriedly asked, “By the way, what about that female ghost?”

“What female ghost? Oh, you mean Li Shitao? She left. She’d saved half the people, saw Master appear, and bolted immediately. Honestly, we should thank her—but forget it, consider it even.”

Yan Xiaohu shook his head.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing said no more, only silently wished his Second Sister would return safely.

The next day, after confirming the spirit fields had fully recovered, everyone set off under Mo Xingjian’s leadership to return to the sect.

And with Master’s Eight Trigrams Disc, they no longer needed to strain themselves flying on swords—they could simply ride along.

Zhou Qing watched as Master Mo Xingjian sat alone up front, holding the letter, reading it over and over, occasionally smiling warmly—and his heart warmed too.

In truth, all four of them were the closest people to Master. Though they bickered and teased each other daily, if real danger arose, Master would unhesitatingly risk his life to protect any one of them.

Zhou Qing turned his head and looked at Third Brother, who was whispering with seven True Disciples, seemingly discussing something.

“Zhou Senior Brother!”

At that moment, Lu Yaoyao’s voice rang out. She walked over with her hands behind her back, beaming with a bright smile.

“What is it?” Zhou Qing asked.

Lu Yaoyao sat down beside him, hesitated briefly, then said, “When we were in the Ghost City and in danger, I saw you pull out a rust-covered broken sword. Could I... take a look?”

Hearing this, Zhou Qing’s heart leapt—he quickly said, “Oh, you mean that? No need to look—it’s just a broken sword, picked up randomly.”

“I know, I just want to touch it, please!” Lu Yaoyao pleaded earnestly.

Zhou Qing looked at her pitiful expression, puzzled why she insisted on seeing this rusty blade.

Logically, with her knowledge, she shouldn’t recognize the sword—or perhaps no one in Taiqingmen could.

Probably just idle curiosity—after all, in such a small place, boredom drives people to strange things.

Fine. Since I’ll be pulling this sword out often anyway, let her look—it’ll be a chance to observe everyone’s reactions, especially Master’s.

Zhou Qing then retrieved Broken Rust.

“Be careful!” Zhou Qing warned. For safety, he’d wrapped cloth around the broken edge yesterday.

But when Lu Yaoyao saw the broken sword, a sudden wave of sorrow welled up inside her.

She gently ran her fingers along the blade.

“It’s a fine sword,” Lu Yaoyao finally sighed.

Zhou Qing laughed: “You’re flattering me too much.”

“Hey, Fourth Brother, where’d you dig up this rusty hunk of junk? So pathetic!”

At that moment, Yan Xiaohu leaned over, teasing.

He reached out to grab the broken sword, but Zhou Qing swiftly tucked it away.

“A weapon’s worth lies in the hand that wields it. This may look like a broken sword, but in my grip, it might unleash unexpected power. When strength reaches its peak, a speck of dust can fill the sea; a blade of grass can sever sun and stars!”

Hearing Zhou Qing’s words, Yan Xiaohu dismissed them—but Mo Xingjian, seated ahead and controlling the Eight Trigrams Disc, turned around in surprise to look at Zhou Qing.

【Heart Insight +9】

Instantly, his previous note 【Slightly Clever Disciple】 changed to 【Disciple with Good Comprehension】.

“I didn’t expect you to have such insight—impressive!” Mo Xingjian suddenly praised Zhou Qing.

He glanced at the rusted broken sword and added, “Zhou Qing is right. Weapons are merely external tools. Their quality isn’t determined by form or material, but by the meaning and value the wielder gives them.”

“A seemingly ordinary or broken sword, in the hands of a fearless warrior, can shine as brilliantly as the sun; a magnificent divine weapon, in the grip of a coward, is merely an empty ornament.”

“True power comes from inner conviction, courage, and perseverance. In this, Fourth Brother’s comprehension surpasses yours!”

Hearing Mo Xingjian’s praise, Zhou Qing felt embarrassed.

Actually, Master, you’re overthinking—this is a divine weapon!

I don’t have such lofty insight.

Lu Yaoyao looked at Zhou Qing again, her eyes filled with joy.

Yan Xiaohu, however, rolled his eyes and turned back to whisper with the others.

Mo Xingjian shook his head helplessly, then looked again at Zhou Qing, deeply satisfied.

This trip, this child had brought him many pleasant surprises.

“Master, what about these five corpses...?”

Zhou Qing quickly changed the subject, glancing at the black-clad corpses discarded nearby.

Mo Xingjian shook his head slightly and said gravely, “I’ve never seen them before. They’re likely secretly cultivated by Cangyan Dao Palace, a group specifically trained to handle illicit affairs. Even if you brought them before Sikong Yan, you couldn’t confront them directly.”

He softened his tone slightly: “Don’t worry. Even if we can’t fully break the surface yet, we now know who ambushed us at Qingniu Ridge. But we must investigate the other side thoroughly—otherwise, Taiqingmen will be left isolated and helpless.”

Zhou Qing listened, his face troubled, and nodded in understanding.

These matters were beyond his concern—his elders would decide.

Time passed slowly. This time, they returned to the sect in just five days.

As Master said, Cangyan Dao Palace would likely no longer send assassins after Zhou Qing.

After losing so many people, no one would waste effort on a mere pawn—especially when no one could be sure whether the pawn had hidden traps waiting for them.

Unexpectedly, as they arrived at the mountain gate, they saw Li Daoxuan and He Han from Shen Yue Peak, faces grim, standing like gate guardians.

Lu Yaoyao immediately stuck out her tongue, then slipped Zhou Qing a jade slip.

“Inside is all my eldest brother’s insights on Foundation Establishment—I’ve read every word.”

Before Zhou Qing could refuse, Lu Yaoyao leapt off the Eight Trigrams Disc, bit her lower lip, twisted her sleeves nervously, and lowered her head as she approached them.

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s: “Senior Brother... I... I’m sorry.”

She stole glances at them, her eyes filled with anxiety and guilt.

Seeing such a pitiful little sister, the two had forgotten every scolding phrase they’d prepared.

Because the anger he originally felt had largely dissipated by now.

Then, with a helpless sigh, Li Daoxuan reached out and gently tapped Lu Yaoyao on the head: “You, what am I supposed to say about you?”

At the tone of her senior brother, Lu Yaoyao’s face instantly lit up with a brilliant smile, and she leapt up excitedly, wrapping her arms around both senior brothers.

“Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, I knew you’d always treat me best!” The two were momentarily dumbfounded, shaking their heads helplessly, yet their eyes brimmed with doting affection.

“Greetings, Master Uncle!”

The two turned their gazes to Mo Xingjian on the Bagua Disc and bowed respectfully.

When they realized their junior sister was missing, they immediately reported it to their Master; based on their guess, this girl had likely followed Zhou Qing to Qingmu City.

They had intended to chase after her at once, but their Master ordered them to remain at the sect and forbade them from leaving, assuring them the junior sister wouldn’t come to harm.

Earlier, they had been puzzled, but now, seeing Mo Xingjian, they understood at once.

Mo Xingjian gave a slight nod and asked: “Is the Sect Master present?”

“Replying, Master Uncle, our Master is in Chengtian Hall today!”

After Mo Xingjian nodded, he set down Zhou Qing and the others, then carried the five corpses straight toward Shenyue Peak.

“Boss!”

At that moment, a figure sprinted out from within the Shanmen—none other than Niu Guangmo.

“Beat him!”

Before Niu Guangmo could get close, Yan Xiaohu and the others lunged forward, punching and kicking him until he howled in pain.

“I’m the victim too—my face was stung into that state!”

“Guys, ease up! I haven’t been able to eat or sleep these past days—I’ve been worrying about you!”

“Boss, it’s not my fault! I already hinted at you when we left that day!”

……

Watching this scene, Zhou Qing smiled and shook his head.

【Heart Mirror Points +7】

【Skill Fragment +1】

At that moment, a system alert suddenly echoed in his ears.

Zhou Qing paused briefly, then burst into ecstatic joy.

After so long, a new skill fragment had finally appeared in the 【Heart Mirror Vision】 domain—unbelievable.

Which of his innate skills—【Daily Mirror】【Reduced Presence】【Heart Mirror Vision】—wasn’t an earth-shattering ability?

He was truly curious: what kind of skill would this fourth fragment synthesize into?

Immediately, Zhou Qing looked over and saw Li Daoxuan glaring at him with obvious annoyance.

And above his head, the original tag 【Colorful Scoundrel with a Thick-Skinned Senior Brother】 had now changed to 【Kidnapper Scoundrel】.

Wait, how did I become a kidnapper?

Your junior sister followed me on her own—considering you just helped me unlock this skill fragment, I’ll let it slide.

“Let’s go!” Zhou Qing greeted Lu Yaoyao, then went to break up the fight.

After all, Niu Guangmo’s face had turned black and blue again.

“Yushan Hall must treat us!” Yan Xiaohu said.

Niu Guangmo sniffed: “Fine, I’ll treat you—who’s afraid? Let’s go now. Whoever doesn’t come is a grandson—but you’ve got to bring out that bottle of your secret liquor.”

“I’ll bring it—let’s go!” Then the group headed straight for Yushan Hall.

In the evening, Zhou Qing finally returned to his small cottage, filled with a deep sense of security.

Indeed, gold or silver nests are no match for one’s own doghouse.

Throughout this journey, the old hen had eaten only the spirit rice brought back from Qingmu City; now that no one was watching, he could finally feed her powdered spirit stones and chunks of Blood Tai Sui meat.

Then, he took out the blood-colored spirit egg, felt once more the pure blood qi within, and immediately sat cross-legged to begin absorbing it.

The moment he absorbed it, Zhou Qing was startled.

“Such exquisite blood qi—it greatly aids spiritual power growth, and even accelerates the strengthening of my bones and meridians. If I can get six or seven more of these, I can fully reach Foundation Establishment’s peak.”

Zhou Qing rejoiced, feeling his blood grow hot and vibrant, and he hastened his absorption…

Meanwhile, Jinyang Peak!

In the dim room, the peak’s master, Gao Xuan, sat quietly before a table, carefully wiping a spirit tablet with a soft cloth.

Strangely, the tablet bore no characters, yet he wiped it with extreme care and tenderness, each motion brimming with boundless gentleness.

In the candlelight, one could glimpse faint glimmers of tears at his eyes, his gaze filled with sorrow and longing.

“Have you truly decided?” A voice suddenly emerged from the darkness.

Gao Xuan gently placed the tablet on the table, stared at it for a long while, and remained silent.

After a sigh, the shadow in the darkness slipped away silently.

…………

The next day, Yan Xiaohu called Zhou Qing to the Mission Hall, submitted their mission, and collected their credits.

“Alright, I’ve got to go to the Sect Master to reimburse expenses from this trip—I’m off!”

After saying this, Yan Xiaohu walked up toward the higher reaches of Shenyue Peak.

Zhou Qing, meanwhile, decided to stop by the Scripture Hall to find a concealment technique.

Because that morning, the old hen had laid another blood egg.

Remember, she’d only been fed Blood Tai Sui meat the night before—clearly, her egg-laying efficiency was closely tied to what she ate.

At this rate, he’d likely reach Foundation Establishment’s peak within just a few days.

Advancing too quickly could be easily explained away, but attracting unwanted attention and trouble was never wise.

As his second senior sister had always warned him: silence, silence, and more silence—this was the foundation of survival.

Yet on this point, his senior brother Gui Ao stood in complete opposition.

He advocated unrestrained flamboyance—do everything possible to become famous.

Only then would he gain more cultivation resources and draw the notice of other prodigies.

Fight when you must, kill when you must, crush all before you, and proclaim the name of Gui Ao!

After all, a cultivator’s rise is forged in battle.

Just like when Yan Xiaohu once faced danger—the opponent, upon hearing he was Gui Ao’s junior brother, had smiled warmly and said, “Give my regards to your senior brother. I’m XXX. Let’s duel again sometime, somewhere.”

Well, each approach had its merits—but now that Zhou Qing possessed the number-one Heavenly Dao Qi, and would one day attain Twin Golden Cores and the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, he ultimately decided to follow his second senior sister’s style.

After all, he’d already tried his senior brother’s method—the Cangyan Dao Palace had sent assassins nonstop, never playing by the rules. If you’ve got guts, face me in a fair, same-level duel.

Soon, Zhou Qing spent two hundred sect credits to temporarily borrow a concealment technique called 【Turtle Breathing Scripture】.

In the following days, the old hen reliably laid one blood egg per day, and Zhou Qing immediately absorbed and refined each one while still warm.

On the seventh day, Zhou Qing took the final blood egg from the coop, his face alight with excitement—his spiritual power had reached its peak.

“Hen, you’re absolutely beautiful!” Zhou Qing kissed the old hen, ensuring her body was healthy and free of toxins.

He’d originally planned to feed her some powdered spirit stones, but after brief hesitation, he abandoned the idea.

Though the Blood Tai Sui meat was gone now, he couldn’t squeeze her like a miser—look at her, her rear end’s swollen from all this.

She needs a good rest for a while.

Then, Zhou Qing gave her some spirit rice and water, and resumed his seclusion.

That night, as a powerful aura suddenly erupted from the courtyard and then rapidly retracted, Zhou Qing slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes blazed with excitement.

At this moment, his spiritual core had more than doubled in size, with endless spiritual energy surging forth and coursing through his limbs and organs.

His blood qi had reached unprecedented vigor.

“Foundation Establishment’s peak!” Zhou Qing murmured, overjoyed, then swiftly stabilized his realm at Foundation Establishment’s late stage using the 【Turtle Breathing Scripture】.

After one night, in high spirits, Zhou Qing held the red token and returned to the Scripture Hall, seeking clues about the 【Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace】.

Yet after searching thoroughly, he found not a single record.

“Does even Taiqingmen’s vast knowledge not know of this secret realm?” Zhou Qing was stunned.

When he had first identified it, the description had clearly stated the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace held countless opportunities—after all, only nine keys existed.

“What are you looking for?” At that moment, a white-haired Elder guarding the Scripture Hall, sweeping dust with a feather duster from the upper floor, called down.

Zhou Qing quickly bowed: “I’ve found it already—thank you, Elder!”

Then he hurriedly left the Scripture Hall.

“Senior Brother Zhou!”

As Zhou Qing stepped outside, a delighted voice rang out from the side.

(End of Chapter)