Chapter 41

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Chapter 41: I Want to Protect Her

"Buzz—"

The entrance to the ancient cave dwelling gradually closed as time passed, slowly sinking into the ground under the watchful eyes of many cultivators. Some members of the city lord’s mansion held compasses, attempting to determine when it would next appear, but their efforts yielded nothing.

A quarter of an hour later, Ming He stood amidst the crowd, watching the cave dwelling sink into darkness. The once prominent site now lay barren, resembling a desolate wasteland.

The cave dwelling had vanished.

Its next appearance would coincide with her refinement of the Star Lock.

She wondered when that moment would come and what changes the world might undergo by then.

"Master Uncle, that’s her!" A young cultivator clad in white pointed at Ming He, his voice filled with indignation as he addressed the middle-aged cultivator beside him. "Senior Brother Sun was killed by a woman in red. Before we lost consciousness, she was still battling that woman; they must be in league! Master Uncle, you must avenge Senior Brother Sun!"

The young cultivator’s gaze betrayed a mix of jealousy and scheming as he stared at Ming He. He had glimpsed something on the altar but could no longer recall what it was.

Shaking his head, he found himself unable to remember what he had been plotting to seize. A fleeting doubt crossed his mind, but he dismissed it without further thought—it must have been a treasure.

Before they lost consciousness, only Ming He and the woman in red had remained standing on the altar. The woman in red’s origins were unknown, but her connection to the Hehuan Sect made her someone he dared not provoke. That left Ming He, a mere disciple of the Liu Yun Sect.

Even if she was a direct disciple, what did it matter? With enough pressure, the Liu Yun Sect would have no choice but to hand her over.

By directing the blame toward her, he could easily obtain the information he sought.

The young cultivator in white wore a smug smile, pleased with his own cunning, utterly oblivious to the fact that he owed his survival to Ming He.

Though he had embarked on the path of cultivation, shedding his mortal form, his heart remained more tainted than that of any commoner.

Though his voice was not loud, all present were cultivators, their senses far sharper than those of ordinary people, and they heard him clearly.

Ming He heard him as well.

She let out a soft chuckle, her expression indifferent as she glanced at the cultivator without a word, deferring the matter to Qin Chu Yi.

As the chief disciple of the Liu Yun Sect and the leader of their group, it was only natural for her to handle this situation.

If she chose not to intervene… Ming He narrowed her eyes slightly. She would take matters into her own hands. If she couldn’t win, she’d seek assistance, and if that failed, she could always slip away. She had already mapped out her escape route, so there was no need for fear or anger.

Because it simply wasn’t worth it.

"Chief Qin, please hand over your disciple named Ming He. The loose cultivators alliance has some questions for her," the middle-aged cultivator said, weighing his words carefully as he looked at Qin Chu Yi.

He knew his own disciples well. His disciple and Sun Yue had always been at odds, so why would he stand up for him now? With Sun Yue gone, he would only be relieved to have one less rival.

In that case, there must be some benefit to be gained.

Interest—who joined the loose cultivators alliance for anything other than profit? He, too, was intrigued by the potential rewards.

After all, this was the ancient cave dwelling!

"This person, our Qing Shan Sect also claims!" The leader of the Qing Shan Sect, young master Peng Hao, stepped forward, standing before Qin Chu Yi, his cold gaze fixed on Ming He in the crowd.

"What does this have to do with your Qing Shan Sect?" the middle-aged cultivator from the loose cultivators alliance retorted. "You must have ulterior motives!"

"Ulterior motives? It is you who harbor ulterior motives!" Peng Hao adjusted his robes, appearing every bit the dignified young master. "My disciple just informed me that all the treasures he obtained in the secret realm have gone missing."

"And so?" the middle-aged cultivator sneered. "Are you suggesting that your disciple’s treasures were taken by that little disciple from the Liu Yun Sect?"

"Senior, your insight is truly remarkable," Peng Hao replied with a mocking laugh, turning to address the crowd. "According to my disciple, before he lost consciousness, he saw only Ming He and the woman in red from the Hehuan Sect still standing on the altar. When he awoke, they were already gone."

He paused, deliberately glossing over the woman in red. "As the foremost sect in this region, the Hehuan Sect lacks for nothing. Therefore, it must have been the Liu Yun Sect disciple who took it."

"She wouldn’t just take from one person; it seems the others have wasted their trip to the ancient cave dwelling," Peng Hao remarked with a bright smile, observing a large group of cultivators checking their storage rings and glaring at Ming He.

"It’s understandable that someone inexperienced might lose their sense of a cultivator’s duty in such a bewildering situation. As a young master, I prefer to act with tolerance and won’t pursue the matter further—just return the treasures that my junior brother and the others lost."

"If you can’t produce them, we’ll accept other treasures as compensation!" His smile widened, revealing his true intent.

Hearing this, the cultivators who had been demanding Ming He surrender the treasures fell silent. Some pondered, others looked at Ming He with greedy eyes, while a few seemed thoughtful, considering that perhaps the truth wasn’t as they believed.

Ming He’s eyes narrowed; she had expected this. The ancient cave dwelling was filled with opportunities, but it wasn’t appearing randomly—it was controlled by Mu Xuan Ye, who naturally wouldn’t allow outsiders to take whatever they wanted; the treasures within were ethereal.

Just like the cultivator chased by Kui at the valley palaces. When he cast away his alchemy furnace, it vanished in a blur, perfectly validating her conjecture.

It seemed the owner of the cave dwelling, like her, loved wealth and fiercely protected it.

As she thought this, she casually watched Qin Chu Yi, waiting for her response.

The cultivator who had thrown away the alchemy furnace turned pale upon hearing Peng Hao’s words. He recalled that after summoning the alchemy furnace, it had vanished, and upon reflection, it became clear that the disappearance of treasures from everyone’s storage rings had nothing to do with Ming He; it was a peculiar phenomenon of the cave dwelling.

What ancient cave dwelling? It was toying with them! They faced danger, and yet the treasures flew away!

His anger flared as he stepped forward.

"Senior Brother, where are you going?" someone beside him grabbed his arm.

"The disappearance of treasures has nothing to do with the Liu Yun Sect’s inherited disciple; it must be the cave dwelling’s oddity. I need to inform them," the cultivator replied to his younger brother.

"Senior Brother, don’t be naive," his younger brother sighed helplessly. "Whether the disappearance is related to that disciple or not, it will be seen as connected. Do you understand?"

They were only looking for an excuse to trouble Ming He.

Even if this excuse didn’t work, there would be hundreds more.

This was a struggle among sect disciples, and they were merely disciples from a declining small clan; they couldn’t afford to offend anyone.

Staying silent was the best course of action.

The cultivator froze for a moment. After several changes in expression, he stepped back, hiding among his fellow disciples, remaining silent.

He chose to stand by and watch.

"Yes, hand over Ming He!" Some smaller sects looked at Ming He with greed in their eyes and echoed the demand. Although they didn’t know what treasures were involved, any treasure would do.

"Nonsense! Do you still have any shame?" A clear voice burst out from the crowd, resonating in the air.

Peng Hao cast a disdainful glance and recognized the newcomer as Liu Xiaole, the young master of the Glass Pavilion.

"On what basis do you claim that the treasures that disappeared belong to Ming He? Do you have any evidence?" The girl in red exclaimed with anger and contempt. "If Ming He wasn’t in the cave dwelling, you all would have been dead by now."

Although she had also fainted, she had seen Ming He tightly holding her sword before losing consciousness; her survival must be connected to her.

Liu Xiaole looked at Ming He with gratitude and respect, making her even more disdainful toward those aggressive, bullying cultivators. "If you intend to harm Ming He today, you must first ask me, Liu Xiaole."

"Ask you? Ask you what? To learn about your Spirit Guiding Seventh Level cultivation?" Peng Hao’s laughter dripped with derision. "Young Master Xiaole, you should go play in your Glass Pavilion."

He truly didn’t think much of the young master at the Spirit Guiding Seventh Level.

"You—" Liu Xiaole, furious, reached for her sword but was knocked out and taken away by an elder from the Glass Pavilion, who didn’t plan to get involved in this messy situation.

"Peng Sect Master, you’re quite imposing. The humiliation of today will be repaid once my Young Master’s cultivation breaks through," the elder stated. Not getting involved was one thing, but retaliation was another.

The elder glanced back at Liu Xiaole, then turned to leave. The Glass Pavilion would not intervene but wouldn’t offer assistance either.

"Now no one is here to protect you," Peng Hao said to Ming He with a mocking gaze, his eyes subtly watching Yun Zhao Feng. "Liu Yun Sect, if you don’t want to offend my Qing Shan Sect, hand over Ming He."

The young man in white wore a smile, his expression brimming with provocation. Indeed, he was provoking; even if he couldn’t match Yun Zhao Feng in a one-on-one fight, what did it matter?

Behind Yun Zhao Feng stood the Liu Yun Sect, but behind him was the Qing Shan Sect. The Liu Yun Sect paled in comparison to the Qing Shan Sect, and the elders backing him were more powerful than those of the Liu Yun Sect.

"Enough." Qin Chu Yi, having endured the taunts long enough, finally lost her patience. She raised her hand, cutting off Yun Zhao Feng mid-sentence, and unsheathed her sword. A flash of sword energy sliced through the air, and she calmly sheathed her blade. "I won’t hand over Ming He. If you’re dissatisfied, settle it in a fight."

She had many questions for Ming He, and her emotions were in turmoil—she had no desire to waste more time here.

"You—" Peng Hao was startled, his vision blurring momentarily before he felt something warm trickling down his face. Touching it, he realized it was blood.

The chief disciple of the Liu Yun Sect had been struck by a single sword strike, leaving him injured. He hadn’t even had time to react, let alone retaliate.

As he touched the blood on his hand, he finally looked squarely at Qin Chu Yi, and what he saw left him even more shaken. His cultivation was at the eighth level of the Mysterious Minor realm, the same as Yun Zhao Feng.

Yet he couldn’t perceive Qin Chu Yi’s movements at all; he hadn’t even had a moment to react.

This meant she could kill him in an instant. She was stronger, her cultivation surpassing the Dust Dispersal stage.

A twenty-year-old at the Dust Dispersal stage wasn’t someone who should emerge from the ninth prefecture of the Eastern Region.

Qin Chu Yi didn’t belong to the Liu Yun Sect; her origins were extraordinary.

The young man in white quickly grasped the uniqueness of her identity, his tone shifting to one of deference. “Qin Chu Yi, do you intend to protect Ming He?”

“Yes,” Qin Chu Yi replied firmly, “I will protect her, regardless of right or wrong.”

Her demeanor was resolute and cold, her tone calm yet commanding, carrying an air of authority.

She was determined to protect Ming He, whether she had stolen treasures or was in the right or wrong—this was her stance.

"You think you can protect her? Are you that confident?" Peng Hao’s smile returned.

So what if her background was extraordinary? The Qing Shan Sect had its own backing; they could take their chances.

Though he didn’t know what treasure they were after, anything from the ancient cave dwelling was bound to be extraordinary, and he was intrigued.

Even if it was just an ordinary weapon, it would still be worth it. It was merely a matter of not letting Liu Yun Sect’s little inherited disciple off easy—hardly worth mentioning.

"I can protect her, I’m certain," Qin Chu Yi said, her gaze sweeping over Peng Hao and the other aggressive small sects and clans demanding the Liu Yun Sect hand over Ming He. With a swift motion, she produced a disciple token, her voice icy as she declared, “With this identity, can I protect her?”

“True disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect, Chu Yi Qing!” Peng Hao stared at the token suspended in the air, spiritual energy swirling around it, and murmured, recognizing her identity.

The white floating cloud, the golden spiritual wood, and the circular pattern—this was the insignia of a true disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect. The token Qin Chu Yi had produced bore the name “Chu Yi Qing,” revealing her true identity as a true disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect.

Was “Qin Chu Yi” merely an alias?

But why would a true disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect come to the Liu Yun Sect?

The Floating Cloud Sect was the leading major sect in the Eastern Region, while the Liu Yun Sect, in the ninth prefecture of the Eastern Region, was insignificant by comparison, even if they had a vassal relationship.

Peng Hao couldn’t fathom the thoughts of geniuses, but he now understood that Ming He was beyond his reach.

No matter how strong the backing of the Qing Shan Sect was, it could never rival the Floating Cloud Sect.

"We’re leaving!" Peng Hao, though reluctant, dared not provoke further. Suppressing his anger, he gritted his teeth and led the Qing Shan Sect members away.

After his departure, the other small sects and clans hastily gathered their belongings and followed suit, seeing the Qing Shan Sect retreat.

They had never heard of the Floating Cloud Sect, but if it could make the young master of the Qing Shan Sect wary, they certainly couldn’t afford to offend it.

They couldn’t afford to offend the Liu Yun Sect either.

"Chief Qin, hand over Ming He," a middle-aged cultivator from the loose cultivators alliance said, emboldened by the withdrawal of the Qing Shan Sect and the other clans, and began to pressure Qin Chu Yi.

As for the Floating Cloud Sect—

The middle-aged cultivator, hailing from the loose cultivators alliance and a rogue cultivator himself, had never ventured beyond the ninth prefecture of the Eastern Region. Naturally, he was oblivious to the colossal stature of the Floating Cloud Sect in their eyes.

His thoughts were solely fixated on the immediate gains before him.

Qin Chu Yi cast a light glance at him, her voice icy as she stowed away the token. "I’ve made it clear, I will protect Ming He. If you wish to harm her, you’ll have to go through me first."

Ming He stood a short distance behind, observing quietly. Qin Chu Yi, draped in white as pure as snow, exuded an air of pride and detachment. Her expression remained composed and steady, as if she were merely commenting on the weather, even as she faced a cultivator at the eighth level of the Dust Dispersal stage.

The eighth level of Dust Dispersal should have surpassed her own cultivation.

Yet, she stood firm in her resolve to protect Ming He, her tone resolute and commanding.

Ming He found herself at a loss for words, standing silently amidst the crowd, her gaze lowered to conceal the emotions swirling within her.

"You protect? With your level of cultivation?" The middle-aged cultivator sneered, his disdain evident. "Very well, since Chief Qin is so obstinate, let me witness your prowess!"

With that, the middle-aged cultivator launched a ferocious palm strike aimed at Qin Chu Yi, intending to end her life in an instant. He cared little for the Floating Cloud Sect or Qin Chu Yi’s background.

He was gambling, betting that the treasure from the ancient cave dwelling would be extraordinary. If it could aid him, then the position of alliance leader might not be out of his reach.

If he couldn’t compete with others, why would he have taken on this task willingly? But now, it seemed like an opportunity—a chance to ascend to the position of leader.

The middle-aged cultivator envisioned the resources, fame, and power that would come with being the alliance leader, and his attack on Qin Chu Yi became as swift as lightning.

"Be careful, Chief Qin!" Yun Zhao Feng tensed at the sight of the incoming attack, ready to intervene, but knowing he couldn’t match Qin Chu Yi’s strength, he hesitated, anxious.

The other disciples of the Liu Yun Sect shared his concern, their worry mirroring Ming He’s.

Qin Chu Yi stood unperturbed, ignoring the surrounding panic and the force of the palm strike. Just before the strike reached her, she raised her gaze slightly and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. In the next moment, as she drew her sword, her figure spun like the wind, closing the distance without retreating, and she met the fierce palm strike with her own sword technique.

The Unsheathing Style.

What else?

Ming He raised her gaze, utterly focused, her eyes locked on Qin Chu Yi. The stunning strike was the Unsheathing Style, taught to her by Qin Chu Yi, executed with a power that was different and stronger than the one she used.

As for the subsequent sword techniques, they likely belonged to Qin’s swordsmanship or were derived from the Floating Cloud Sect.

Ming He recalled the conversation between Qin Chu Yi and Peng Hao, and her eyes flickered. The true disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect, Chu Yi Qing—if she guessed correctly, that should be Qin Chu Yi’s… alias?

Did Dragon Hero’s mother also enjoy adopting an alias like him to attract admirers? She wondered how many admirers Qin Chu Yi had.

Ming He watched Qin Chu Yi’s form, white like a gust of wind, and found it amusing as she pondered the rumors while focusing on her sword techniques, hoping to glean something from the secrets of this great sect.

“Clang—”

A moment later, Qin Chu Yi deftly avoided the middle-aged cultivator’s palm strike and placed the sword tip against his neck, drawing a thin line of blood. "Now, can I protect her?"

Her voice was cold, laced with a hint of mockery as she regarded the bloodline, revealing not a trace of her true cultivation at the fifth level of Dust Dispersal. Despite being three minor realms lower, her strength was several times greater. Her swordsmanship radiated elegance, untarnished in the desolate land.

"I can protect her." The middle-aged cultivator’s face turned pale, his voice trembling. "Chief Qin’s strength is unmatched, so whoever you choose to protect will remain safe."

"That’s good." Qin Chu Yi sheathed her sword with satisfaction, her voice cool and clear, like the sound of beads breaking. It resonated in everyone’s heart. "Remember, Ming He is under my protection; no one else can touch her."

"We’re leaving. Let’s return to the sect." Noting the silence around her, Qin Chu Yi felt content and turned to face Ming He, whose eyes were filled with complex emotions. She nodded toward Yun Zhao Feng, issuing a command.

“Sister Qin, I met a woman in the cave dwelling.” Ming He hesitated, feeling that the news about Mu Xuan Ye, the Left Envoy of the demon race, should be shared with Qin Chu Yi. It was serious; even though Nineteen would likely take appropriate measures, she still couldn’t keep it to herself.

"Who?" Qin Chu Yi casually asked as she walked.

"Mu Xuan Ye, the Left Envoy of the demon race," Ming He replied concisely.

Qin Chu Yi paused, "I understand. I will report this to our sect and the regional masters.”

She glanced at Ming He, her voice trembling slightly, “That… that thing…”

That thing.

The Star Lock.

Ming He felt the weight of her emotions and nodded in response to her intense gaze. "Let’s discuss it when we get back to the sect."

"Alright," Qin Chu Yi murmured, her steps toward the Liu Yun Sect now tinged with a barely noticeable urgency.

Ming He followed her closely, her emotions in turmoil.