The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect thought that Jing Jiu was a golden rooster even though his name had the character "Phoenix" in it.
Of course, he wouldn't say this out loud.
Then he thought that the Dark Phoenix would lose one thousand years of Cultivation if he was willing to give up one of his feathers. That was why he reminded the Immortal to remember his promise.
The horse-drawn carriage left the crack on the ground and headed toward the east of the barren land. The sound of the bone flute rang out again, but it was no longer desolate; it sounded a lot happier this time.
The Dark Phoenix squatted on the roof of the carriage. His tail, which was a few feet long, was behind him, looking like a long braid of the carriage, flying in the wind.
Its slightly shrill voice echoed in the wind.
"Immortal, you have to say something about this matter."
"Little Fourth is locked up in the hermit peaks. If Yuan Qijing becomes the sect master, what should we do then?"
"That Yuan Qijing is different from the Immortal Sect Master. He really wants you dead."
"What's wrong with being appointed by another generation? Isn't it forbidden in the sect rules? "
…
…
Yuan Qijing of course wanted Taiping Zhenren to die. The reason was simple. There were more than three hundred sect rules in Aoyama, and most of them had been broken by his Master, except for the obscene ones.
Hence, when Jing Jiu went to the Platanus Sect with the First Child Sword and wandered around Chaotian, Yuan Qijing followed him like a bodyguard, not caring about his dignity as a figure in the Heavenly Arrival State.
Yet, Taiping Zhenren knew him well. Taiping Zhenren didn't show up even though he knew the importance of the First Child Sword. Jing Jiu had no choice but to return to Aoyama.
Though Aoyama was far away, he had the Three-Foot Sword, which was much more convenient than Liu Ci.
As Jing Jiu entered Zhaoge City and arrived in that alley, he suddenly halted his steps.
Ada crawled out from his sleeve and climbed onto Jing Jiu's shoulder along his arm.
The Jing House was in front of him. Ada didn't act rashly because he wanted to save some face for Jing Jiu.
He glanced at Jing Jiu's side profile, wondering what was wrong with him. It was impossible for Jing Jiu to feel shy when he was close to his hometown.
Jing Jiu looked at the door in Silence. His line of sight had passed through the door and landed in the living room.
The family was having dinner. Some wrinkles appeared at the corners of Jing Shang's eyes, and his father was getting old; it was unclear how many more years he could live. Jing Shang's wife and Cen Shi were sharing the vegetables, and Jing Li was talking to them in a low voice. It seemed that they were having a good time.
Jing Jiu pushed the door open and walked into the parlor, giving everyone a fright.
Jing Shang stood up to welcome him. He thought that Jing Jiu would go directly to the study like before, but he didn't expect that Jing Jiu had no intention of leaving.
Jing Li moved a chair hastily and placed it in the head seat. Jing Jiu sat down without hesitation. Cen Shi handed him a cup of tea with a delighted expression.
She was no longer the most favored seventh daughter of the prime minister, but the daughter-in-law of the Jing family.
She was very grateful to Jing Jiu for this matter. Naturally, she wanted him to see how virtuous she was.
Jing Jiu took a sip and found that the tea was still cold, just like three years ago. He said, "Serve me a bowl of soup."
Jing Li came back to his senses and glanced at his wife helplessly. He found that she had no idea what she had done wrong.
Having drunk a bowl of soup, Jing Jiu got up and went to the study room.
The reason he did so was because he thought that he wouldn't leave Aoyama for many years to come, so this was his farewell.
He didn't summon Duke Lu this time. Instead, he went to the State Duke Manor next door through the underground tunnel.
No one was in Duke Lu's bedroom, and the retired soldier who was responsible for listening to sounds in the courtyard couldn't hear Jing Jiu's footsteps either.
This was the first time that Jing Jiu came to the Manor House of Duke Lu. He looked around, and his gaze fell on the precious porcelain ware on the flower rack.
He didn't know which kiln this porcelain ware was made from, but he recalled what Duke Lu had said that it must be very precious since it could be displayed here.
Jing Jiu picked up the porcelain ware and threw it to the ground, breaking it into pieces.
Perhaps the more precious the porcelain ware was, the more pleasing the sound of breaking would be, and the farther it could be heard.
Soon, Duke Lu came to the bedroom.
Jing Jiu glanced at Jing Jiu and was certain that Jing Jiu would live for a few more years, feeling that it was not bad.
Duke Lu knelt down hastily to greet Jing Jiu, and asked Jing Jiu why he came to Zhaoge City this time.
Jing Jiu said, "I'm going to the Royal Palace tonight."
Jing Jiu still had the same reason. He thought that it would be difficult for him to leave Aoyama in the future, so he had to make some arrangements.
…
…
The Emperor had favored Royal Concubine Hu for many years, but he didn't make her the Empress. This had caused many conjectures in the imperial court. In fact, the Emperor thought it was not worthwhile to get involved in a lawsuit with the civil chancellors over this matter, and the Emperor was willing to slack off when the conditions permitted.
There were no more concubines in the Royal Palace, so it was not attractive for Royal Concubine Hu to be the Empress without subordinates. Speaking of attraction … she had paid a lot of attention to her appearance in the last few years. She dressed conservatively, but she didn't realize that the tightness of her clothes would make her look more attractive. It was a natural attraction, so how could it be concealed?
"Teacher, long time no see." She bowed to Gu Qing.
Gu Qing turned his body slightly and said, "No need to be so courteous, Your Highness."
He had been living in the most remote room, which was the furthest away from Royal Concubine Hu's bedchamber. He had never stepped into Royal Concubine Hu's bedchamber except for teaching and passing on sword work, whether it was to avoid arousing suspicion or for other matters. Crown Prince Jing Yao went to his bedchamber frequently, spending most of his time there.
The two of them hadn't seen each other for many days. They fell silent after a brief conversation.
Jing Yao didn't notice anything unusual. He felt a bit nervous thinking that he was about to see his Grandmaster.
His Grandmaster was very famous both in the Cultivation circle and in the mortal world.
It was even rumored that he was the illegitimate son of the Immortal Jingyang.
How could Jing Yao not be nervous?
As Duke Lu led Jing Jiu into the grand hall, Royal Concubine Hu and Jing Yao knelt down and bowed to them hastily.
Jing Jiu didn't pay attention to her. He glanced at Jing Yao and found that this child's Cultivation progress was average, but he was diligent in it. Jing Jiu uttered "hmm" to express his satisfaction.
Standing by the side, Gu Qing felt gratified.
Jing Jiu took out the First Child Sword and handed it to Jing Yao, saying, "Use it well."
Gu Qing recognized the origin of this sword, feeling startled, thinking that this sword could be ranked among the top three in the world, and Jing Jiu just gave it to this child.
Jing Yao had no idea about this, so he took the sword with both hands obediently.
"Get ready to go back to the mountain," Jing Jiu said to Gu Qing.
Gu Qing was startled again, thinking that Jing Yao had been the Crown Prince for only two years, and had no foundation in the imperial court, to say nothing of the fact that he hadn't fully developed yet. How could Jing Jiu leave at such an important moment?
What he didn't know was that nothing was as important as that matter in Jing Jiu's eyes.
Aoyama had too many things to deal with, so Jing Jiu couldn't do it without him.
…
…
The starlight shone on the glazed tiles of the palace, looking like a layer of syrup on the outside of a fruit.
There was no light in the grand hall, and it was pitch dark. But it had no effect on Jing Jiu and the Emperor.
They sat facing each other with a distance of one hundred feet between them.
It was the middle of summer, so the slightly cool floor was quite comfortable.
"Don't worry," said the Emperor. "I can still live for a few more years."
Jing Jiu uttered "hmm", but then he found it too cold, saying, "As I said, you shouldn't pin your hopes on the unorthodox method of total transformation."
The Emperor laughed, saying, "If I can't get out of here, what's the point of living for a few more years?"
"One more year means more hope," said Jing Jiu.
The Emperor took out the Jade Egg of Rosefinch from his sleeve and stroked it gently, saying, "Not everybody is like you. People like us, who are not talented enough, can only ascend with the help of external objects. "
"But it can't hatch," said Jing Jiu.
If the Jade Egg couldn't hatch, the Rosefinch couldn't reappear in the world, and the so-called total transformation would still be an illusion.
The Emperor didn't discuss this further, saying, "I'm afraid Little Yao can't afford the sword."
"It's his problem if he can't afford it," said Jing Jiu.
"You gave the sword to me back then, and now you got it back and gave it to him. You've given me two generous gifts. As the younger generation, we have to give you something in return."
Having said that, the Emperor tossed the Jade Egg of Rosefinch to Jing Jiu.
Jing Jiu caught the Jade Egg of Rosefinch, and put it away after a moment of silence.
The Emperor had raised the Jade Egg of Rosefinch for so many years that he had developed a deep affection for it, so he had to think of who would protect it in the future.
This was probably what the Emperor meant by entrusting the Jade Egg to him.
Of course, it would be the safest to keep it in Aoyama, provided that nothing happened to the Aoyama Sect.
Jing Jiu thought of another issue.
Even though Royal Concubine Hu was protected by the Aoyama Sect, how could an affectionate vixen bear the pain of parting?
Jing Jiu had roughly understood what the Emperor meant, feeling a bit dissatisfied.
There were two reasons for his dissatisfaction. First of all, why did the Aoyama Sect have to bear the responsibility for this matter?
Second of all, the Emperor had spent so much effort on the affectionate vixen, so he didn't want to cultivate the Dao and achieve total ascension.
Seeing the expression in Jing Jiu's eyes, the Emperor knew that Jing Jiu had guessed his intention. He felt a bit embarrassed, and changed the topic hastily.
"Has the position of the sect master been decided?"
"Yes."
The Emperor thought that it was fine as long as Jing Jiu had chosen the person, so he didn't need to worry about it. "Something happened in the Fiend Prison last year; would you like to go and have a look?" he asked.
Jing Jiu uttered "hmm".
…
…
The officials of Taichang Temple were asked to stay in their respective rooms, and not to peep outside.
Jing Shang brewed a pot of tea and took a sip without tasting it. He vaguely guessed that it had something to do with his brother in name.
Led by Duke Lu, Jing Jiu entered Taichang Temple. He passed through the bamboo forest and saw the cluster of purple flowers, recalling many past events.
Those events had happened a few years ago, but they seemed to be right in front of his eyes, like the transparent face of the King Of The Underworld in the colorful clothing.
The current Fiend Prison was the corpse of the Old Dragon. It didn't have any magic power, but it was sturdy. It didn't take long for Jing Jiu to reach the deep part of the prison.
The poisonous green pond was still there, but the water level had dropped a great deal. It wouldn't take long for the pond to dry up.
Jing Jiu noticed that the cliff behind the pond had collapsed a great deal, and the cracks went deep into the ground.
This was one of the sturdiest parts of the Old Dragon's body, so it was impossible for it to collapse naturally after a few years. Someone must have done something to it.
Jing Jiu disappeared from the original spot and entered the deep part of the crack.
It was like an earthquake had taken place there, with broken rocks everywhere.
The Sword of the Universe flew at an unimaginably fast speed after it was wielded. It piled the broken rocks together with the most gentle force, and then rearranged them.
This was a very difficult task, requiring a very good eyesight and calculating ability.
Yet, it was a simple task for Jing Jiu, who had often piled up sand to kill time.
The broken rocks had gradually recovered to their original appearance. The rocks and colors were all very clear, but there was a gap in the middle.
Someone had taken away a bit of the bone marrow of the Old Dragon.
What else could the bone marrow be used for apart from boiling the white soup?
Jing Jiu couldn't figure it out.
…
…
It was unclear if Jing Jiu stayed in Zhaoge City because he wanted to figure this out or for some other reason.
He asked Gu Qing to go back to the Green Mountain that night because he was in a hurry.
He went to the Zhao Garden. Lying on the small boat on the lake, he looked up at the clouds and rain in the sky. It was autumn in the blink of an eye.
More and more people knew that he was in Zhaoge City, which attracted a lot of attention.
The matter of the Platanus Sect had been settled. Many people had guessed that the mysterious deaths of those elders and De Yuanquan had something to do with Jing Jiu.
He Zhan didn't manage to take all the blame in the end.
The fact that he could kill so many highly achieved swordsmen in the Great Formation of the Platanus Sect under the nose of the Grandmaster indicated that Jing Jiu was more powerful than before, and he had a vague feeling that he was a swordsman of the previous generation.
It had been more than twenty years since he participated in the Plum Meeting for the first time. The speed at which he had improved his Cultivation state was incredible.
It was rumored that he had the blood of the Immortal Jingyang in his body, which was accepted by more and more people.
The matter of the Platanus Sect had proved that the Aoyama Sect was still powerful. The question had been put in front of everybody again.
Who would become the next sect master of the Aoyama Sect?
In a sense, the position of the sect master of the Aoyama Sect held the highest power in the Cultivation world and even in the whole of Chaotian; it was the subject of much discussion.
In public, no Cultivation practitioner or official dared say who they supported. All they dared to do was to discuss the possibility and express their cautious opinion.
At the moment, three people were considered to be the most likely candidates: the master of Xilai Peak, Fang Jingtian, the master of Shiyue Peak, Guangyuan Zhenren, and the master of Yunxing Peak, Fu Wang.
Of course, if Yuan Qijing didn't care about the feelings of the Tianguang Peak and insisted on becoming the sect master, nobody would be able to stop him, the Master Sword Justice.
Along with the autumn wind, Xi Yiyun arrived at the Zhao Garden.
Standing by the lake, he bowed to the master and said, "My Master wants to know a name."
In fact, he didn't understand why Jing Jiu was merely the youngest elder of the second generation of the Aoyama Sect even though he was the personal disciple of the Immortal Jingyang, or even the descendant of the Immortal Jingyang. How could he influence the position of the sect master of the Aoyama Sect? Why did the House Master attach so much importance to his opinion?
Jing Jiu thought that Bu Qiuxiao sent a disciple to ask for an answer, which was no different from asking for a favor. "It's not Fu Wang," he said.
Having said that, he lay on the bow of the boat and continued looking at the clouds flying around in the sky after being chased by the autumn wind, as if he found it interesting.
Xi Yiyun felt it was a bit boring. Everybody knew that the peak master of Yunxing, Fu Wang, was the least likely candidate. "I came all the way here from the Thousand-Mile Wind Corridor, and this is the answer I get?"
(End of this chapter)
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