Chapter 19

"Master, the lookout has reported that Lin Zhiyun has already left Qingfeng Mountain." Qi Da bowed his head and respectfully reported.

"Very good, there's no time to waste. You must immediately attack Qingfeng Mountain and capture Piaohua Palace. Try to take the people inside alive." Dantai Jin's mood improved slightly, "Also, send someone to inform Zhao Tianhao and have him delay Lin Zhiyun as much as possible."

"Yes!"

"Also, be sure to search for the cultivation manuals in Piaohua Palace. Lin Zhiyun broke through to the Tianlun realm at such a young age, I suspect she might have a Gold-grade cultivation method." Dantai Jin added.

"Understood." Qi Da accepted the order and left.

Dantai Jin picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and smiled strangely.

His closest subordinates, like Qi Da, knew that whenever Dantai Jin showed this expression, someone was about to suffer...

***

"Zhong Wen!"

On the way to Fufeng City, Zhong Wen saw a green-clad girl coming towards him, with a beautiful and spirited appearance.

It was Zheng Yueting, the young lady of Jindao Sect.

"Miss Zheng, are you heading to Qingfeng Mountain?" Zhong Wen asked, knowing the answer already.

"Yes, why are you coming down the mountain at this time? Are you going to Fufeng City?" Zheng Yueting was actually there for Zhong Wen's *Journey to the West*.

"I was just about to inform you not to go up the mountain these few days, as it might be dangerous."

"What, is someone planning to attack Piaohua Palace?" Zheng Yueting, being a martial artist, was not afraid of danger but rather eager to join in, "I'll come and help you."

No matter how Zhong Wen tried to persuade her, he finally managed to convince Zheng Yueting to give up the idea of going up the mountain and follow him back to Fufeng City.

At the city gate, they encountered several Jile Gang members bullying a peasant girl. Zheng Yueting, seeing the injustice, stepped forward and beat them up, making them flee in disarray.

"One day, I will destroy these beasts of Jile Gang." Zheng Yueting clenched her fists and said fiercely after sending the peasant girl away.

"Is there a feud between your Jindao Sect and Jile Gang?"

"Although there's no obvious enmity, Fufeng City is so small, and our two major forces have different ideologies, so there are frequent conflicts, small ones every three days and big ones every five days."

"I heard that the two leaders of Jile Gang were assassinated, one dead and one injured. Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity to eliminate them?" Zhong Wen smiled.

"Leader Duan Changhong of Jile Gang is not seriously injured. He is a Dizhun expert, though he can't defeat my father, he's not easy to kill." Zheng Yueting shook her head, somewhat depressed, "If a full-scale battle breaks out and we fail to kill him, a Dizhun expert without a gang to tie him down, if he decides to seek revenge, it would be hard to deal with."

"What if Duan Changhong dies?"

"If that were the case, our Jindao Sect would definitely be the first to act and completely eradicate Jile Gang."

That day will come soon.

Zhong Wen thought to himself.

After completing his purchases, Zhong Wen went to the cave before returning to the mountain. He used the醍醐灌顶 (Tihuguan Ding) technique to teach Leng Wushuang the "Deadly Sword" technique and instructed her to hide well for the next two days and not let anyone discover her.

"Will you be in danger?" Leng Wushuang asked, worried when she heard that someone was planning to attack Piaohua Palace.

"No, there's a great deity on the mountain who will ensure that those people won't return." Zhong Wen waved his hand and left.

***

"Palace Master Lin, this is putting me in a difficult position. As the city lord, my duty is to serve the people. Since the citizens have accused Qingfeng Pavilion of selling fake medicine, although I don't believe that your subordinates would do such a heinous act, I can't just release them without the truth being revealed." City Lord Zhao Tianhao maintained a friendly attitude, "Please be patient for a few days, I will ensure a fair trial and won't wrong any innocent person."

"City Lord Zhao, the medicines of Qingfeng Pavilion are all carefully cultivated by the farmers around Qingfeng Mountain. I guarantee that there is no fake medicine being sold." Lin Zhiyun frowned, "I fear someone is trying to create trouble to suppress Qingfeng Pavilion. Please investigate thoroughly."

"Palace Master Lin, everything must be based on evidence. The person did indeed die after taking the medicine from Qingfeng Pavilion. Just your word alone is not enough to convince the public." Zhao Tianhao remained unyielding.

"City Lord Zhao, I am willing to pay one thousand spirit crystals to bail them out." Lin Zhiyun, seeing that Zhao Tianhao was not going to act fairly, got straight to the point, "It's just a bail. If it is later found that Qingfeng Pavilion is at fault, I will personally bring them back to the city lord's office for punishment. Please be lenient."

"This..." Zhao Tianhao hesitated.

One thousand spirit crystals was a significant amount, even for the city lord's office.

Seeing Lin Zhiyun take out a spirit crystal bill, Zhao Tianhao's eyes lit up, and greed filled his heart: "Palace Master Lin, it's already late. Why don't you rest at the city lord's office for the night, and we can discuss the bail tomorrow?"

"Thank you for your kindness, City Lord, but I want to take them back today. Please grant my request." Lin Zhiyun knew Zhao Tianhao was stalling and refused to agree.

"Palace Master Lin, as the city lord, I cannot abandon my principles for a small profit." Zhao Tianhao put on a righteous expression, but his greedy eyes betrayed his thoughts.

"Sir, what if we offer another five hundred spirit crystals to compensate the families of the deceased?" Lin Zhiyun bit her lip, "A total of one thousand five hundred spirit crystals, that's my limit. I can't afford more."

Zhong Wen told her not to be stingy, but Lin Zhiyun still wanted to save some spirit crystals for Zhong Wen. The "compensation for the families" was just a polite way of saying it; she knew the spirit crystals would end up in the city lord's office.

Zhao Tianhao was about to stall further but saw Lin Zhiyun making a move to leave and quickly stopped her: "Palace Master Lin, you are willing to pay out of your own pocket to compensate the families. Such a noble act, if I were to stop you, I would be seen as unreasonable. I will grant your request. Take them back and keep them under watch. Be ready to respond to any summons. Rest assured, I will personally deliver the spirit crystal bill to the families."

"City Lord, you are wise and just. I admire you." Lin Zhiyun bowed, feeling deep contempt for Zhao Tianhao.

Shortly after the spirit crystal bill was handed over, Qiao Erniang and the others were respectfully escorted out.

"Palace Master Lin." Qiao Erniang sighed with relief upon seeing Lin Zhiyun, "I thought I would never see you again."

"I'm sorry for your ordeal, Erniang." Lin Zhiyun saw the haggard faces of Qiao Erniang and the others, knowing their situation in the city lord's office must have been difficult, and felt a surge of anger, "I will seek justice for you. Let's return to Qingfeng Mountain now. I have a unicorn carriage ready."

"So soon?" Qiao Erniang was surprised, "I wanted to check on the situation at Qingfeng Pavilion."

"Let's not worry about Qingfeng Pavilion for now." Lin Zhiyun urged, "Our enemy is the Dantai family. Their people are already on their way to Qingfeng Mountain. I need to return immediately, and you can't stay in Cangyun City, or you will be in danger."

"It's the Dantai family!" Qiao Erniang was shocked, "Alright, let's go."

"Let's go." Lin Zhiyun glanced back at the city lord's office, "One day, we will return."

...

Not long after Lin Zhiyun and the others left, Dantai Jin's subordinate, Qi Wu, appeared at the city lord's office.

"City Lord, Lin Zhiyun is on her way to Cangyun City. Young Master Dantai asked me to inform you to delay her as much as possible, to keep her in Cangyun City until tomorrow."

"This... Qi hero, you are too late. Lin Zhiyun just left with the people from Qingfeng Pavilion." Zhao Tianhao feigned surprise, "What should we do now?"

"What? Impossible!" Qi Wu was shocked, "When we received the message, she had just left the mountain. How could she arrive so quickly, and there was no report of her entering the city."

"Perhaps she deliberately hid her identity when entering the city. What a cunning Palace Master of Piaohua Palace!" Zhao Tianhao put on an angry face.

"City Lord, you made a deal with our young master. How can you let the people from Qingfeng Pavilion go so easily?" Qi Wu's voice grew louder.

"Qi hero, Young Master Dantai only asked me to capture them and pretend to guard them poorly, giving them a chance to send a messenger to lure Palace Master Lin to Cangyun City." Zhao Tianhao remained polite, "Palace Master Lin came to the city lord's office, and I fulfilled my mission. How did I violate the agreement?"

"You..." Qi Wu, not skilled in words, was at a loss for a rebuttal, "Please order the city gates to be closed immediately and keep Lin Zhiyun and her group inside."

"This... To be honest, Palace Master Lin was generous and donated a large amount of spirit crystals to the city lord's office to secure the bail for the people from Qingfeng Pavilion. I just received the spirit crystals and then locked them in the city, which would offend her deeply." Zhao Tianhao sighed, "She is a sect leader and a Tianlun expert. I hope Young Master Dantai can understand my difficulties."

Lin Zhiyun's business had already been ruined by the Dantai family, and even the two hundred spirit crystals owed to Jin Yuanwai were paid off with help. Where did she get the money to donate to the city lord's office?

And what sect leader? Just a group of women entertaining themselves.

Clearly, you deliberately let them go to spite Young Master Dantai.

Qi Wu, seeing Zhao Tianhao's conflicted expression, was furious but couldn't confront him openly. He bowed and left in anger.

A subordinate of the Dantai family dares to look down on me, the city lord!

Zhao Tianhao narrowed his eyes as he watched Qi Wu leave.

Piaohua Palace might be a useful tool to strike back at the Dantai family.

And Palace Master Lin, such a rare beauty in the world. I wonder if I can find a way to marry her. A Tianlun expert as a wife, tsk tsk, who would dare to offend me, the city lord, in the future...

***

"You don't seem worried at all?" Shangguan Mingyue, seeing Zhong Wen joking with the little girl, couldn't help but ask.

"Isn't Shangguan Sister here?" Zhong Wen replied without turning around.

"What if even Auntie can't handle it?" Shangguan Mingyue's eyes twinkled.

"Shangguan Sister is a Tianlun expert even more powerful than Palace Master Lin. If the Dantai family could send someone of this level, they wouldn't need to use a diversion to lure Palace Master Lin to Cangyun City, right?" Zhong Wen smiled.

"You are really not a nice person." Shangguan Mingyue, unable to upset him, felt a bit bored.

"Shangguan Miss, you didn't seem to think so during dinner." Zhong Wen retorted.

Shangguan Mingyue: "You..."

Facing this boy who was two years younger than her, she felt a sense of helplessness.

Hmph, I won't argue with you because you cook well!

After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but ask, "Why do you call my aunt 'sister'? Doesn't that make me a generation younger?"

Zhong Wen: "I can't call her an elder. She looks so young and beautiful. It would be against my conscience."

Shangguan Mingyue: "..."

Can you be any more shameless?

Shangguan Junyi chuckled, "Moon, I didn't expect there to be someone you can't out-talk. From now on, let's just be friends, without worrying about the generation gap."

Zhong Wen, hearing this, immediately took advantage of the situation: "That's great. Shangguan Sister, I feel very close to you, like meeting a real sister. How about you just call me Zhong Wen from now on?"

"Sure, I'll take you as my little brother." Shangguan Junyi smiled.

Shangguan Mingyue: "..."

Why do I feel like I've lost favor?

As they were joking, Shangguan Junyi suddenly became serious: "They're here!"

Zhong Wen listened carefully but heard nothing.

"How many are there?" Shangguan Ming