Volume 4 Chapter 55

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Volume 4 Chapter 55: The Secret Spy

Still at the summit of "Ronghua Mountain," within the dignified and ancient "Qingxu Hall," Xuan Ling and Huanlingzi sat on either side of the main seat, with the Qingxu elders positioned below. Yet Liu Ziqing stood in the middle of the hall, unfazed by the myriad of gazes on him, be it doubtful or sharp.

"What? You say Xu Fan has no suspicions?" After a moment of silence, it was again Huanlingzi who spoke first.

Liu Ziqing nodded slightly, opened the folding fan in his hand, and gently fanned himself before saying leisurely, "Indeed, after my investigation, Xu Fan did not show any flaws, and I have looked into his background as well; there shouldn’t be any issues."

These Qingxu elders clearly had great trust in Liu Ziqing. After hearing what he said, none of them asked further questions. However, some of the Qingxu elders who sided with Qinglingzi couldn’t help but show expressions of regret.

Liu Ziqing evidently noticed the change in expressions on those elders’ faces, and his own expression of mockery was not concealed in the least.

As Liu Ziqing confirmed, the entire "Qingxu Hall" fell into silence again. After a long pause, Huanlingzi suddenly let out a cold laugh and said to Xuan Ling, "Since Xu Fan has no doubts, should we still follow your agreement with him and let him preach at ‘Qingxu Gate’? Hmph, letting a middle-stage Fake Golden Core Stage cultivator preach to all the ‘Qingxu Gate’ cultivators will certainly boost Xu Fan’s reputation, but our ‘Qingxu Gate’ might lose its face entirely."

Hearing Huanlingzi’s sarcasm, Xuan Ling’s expression didn’t change as he softly asked, "Huanlingzi, what is our ancestral teaching regarding ‘Qingxu Preach’?"

Huanlingzi was stunned for a moment, then said, "Do not be biased by personal opinions, do not abandon because of status, invite only by talent."

Xuan Ling asked coldly, "Then, Huanlingzi, can I take your words just now as disrespecting our ancestral teaching?"

Huanlingzi’s face showed anger, and he shouted, "What do you mean by disrespecting our ancestral teaching? Yes, the teaching says ‘do not abandon because of status,’ but it also says ‘invite only by talent.’ What talent can a middle-stage Fake Golden Core Stage cultivator have?"

Xuan Ling frowned, "Huanlingzi, you have never met Xu Fan, so you have no say. I once used the ‘Spirit-Sensing Technique’ to examine Xu Fan and found he has four strands of Spirit Qi in him, each extremely unique. They are either incredibly strong and bright, exceedingly dark and gentle, or mysteriously obscure. What’s more remarkable is that, despite these four opposing strands of Spirit Qi, there is no conflict within him. With such abilities, he must have a unique perspective on cultivation, so my invitation to Xu Fan to preach at Qingxu was not just out of suspicion. I hope you understand this."

Hearing Xuan Ling’s words, Huanlingzi snorted but couldn’t find a rebuttal. He turned to Liu Ziqing and asked, "Brother Liu Ziqing, what do you think of this matter?"

Seeing the anger on Huanlingzi’s face, Liu Ziqing sighed inwardly, realizing that Huanlingzi was no match for Xuan Ling. If it weren’t for his secret support over the years, Xuan Ling would have already suppressed Huanlingzi. He couldn’t help but wonder if supporting Huanlingzi was the right choice.

But since Huanlingzi asked, Liu Ziqing had to answer. After a moment of silent reflection, he replied, "I agree with Brother Xuan Ling’s view. Although I don’t know the ‘Spirit-Sensing Technique,’ during my conversations with Xu Fan, I felt he might have his own understanding of the Heavenly Way of cultivation."

When Huanlingzi heard that Liu Ziqing did not agree with her, anger showed on her face. She couldn’t help but let out a cold snort, yet she couldn’t say much more.

Meanwhile, Xuan Ling calmly asked, "What about the opinions of the other elders?"

Seeing both Xuan Ling and Liu Ziqing in agreement, aside from the rare stubbornness of Huanlingzi, the majority of the elders also expressed their approval.

Seeing that he had completely gained the upper hand in this disagreement with Huanlingzi, Xuan Ling displayed a trace of satisfaction on his face. He then asked the gathered elders, "So, when do you all think the lecture should be scheduled?"

…

Meanwhile, elsewhere, ever since Liu Ziqing left, Xu Qingfan had been waiting anxiously, worried whether their recent conversation had revealed any flaws. He occasionally took out the "Earth Mirror" to survey his surroundings, checking if anyone from Qingxu Gate was coming to capture him.

After half an hour passed without any disturbances, Xu Qingfan let out a sigh of relief, realizing that he had not exposed any weaknesses during his talk with Liu Ziqing. At least for now, Qingxu Gate would not be coming after him.

Once his mind was calm, Xu Qingfan began to plan his strategies for the upcoming days. If the elders of Qingxu Gate were no longer suspicious of him, then they would likely soon arrange for Xu Qingfan to deliver a lecture.

To be honest, Xu Qingfan felt somewhat nervous about giving the lecture. After all, it would be his first time speaking to a large group of cultivators in his life, and many senior Qingxu elders with much higher cultivation levels would be watching. If he made any mistakes, it could potentially become a laughingstock for ages.

But for Xu Qingfan, something else was more important: once he finished his sermon, he might not be able to stay long at "Ronghua Mountain." After all, officially, he was here to give a sermon, no matter the real reason.

If he just left like that, wouldn’t his trip to "Ronghua Mountain" be in vain? He would have gained nothing except for all the effort he put in.

As Xu Qingfan frowned and thought of a solution, he suddenly noticed two people approaching. Compared to Liu Ziqing from last time, these two were undoubtedly less skilled. They were Dai Guan and Zhang Pei, who had greeted Xu Qingfan earlier.

Before long, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in, the door is open."

Xu Qingfan said. His voice was calm, yet it clearly reached outside the room.

"Then we, juniors, are coming in." Hearing Xu Qingfan’s voice, Zhang Pei and Dai Guan respectfully answered and then pushed the door open. They saw Xu Qingfan sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes slightly closed, seemingly meditating, and quietly approached, standing with hands folded.

"Taoist friends, is there something you need?" Noticing the two in front of him, Xu Qingfan slowly opened his eyes and asked with a smile.

Perhaps because they had previously schemed against Xu Qingfan at Liu Ziqing’s behest, Zhang Pei and Dai Guan seemed somewhat nervous standing before him. Hearing his question, they quickly replied, "Senior Xu, it’s like this: Martial Uncle Xuan Ling asked us to see if you need anything. Also, your preaching time at Qingxu has been set for two days from now, in the morning, in front of the ‘Qingxu Hall’ at the top of ‘Ronghua Mountain.’ Please make some preparations, Senior Xu."

Xu Qingfan smiled and nodded, saying, "Understood. I don’t need anything here. You may leave."

Watching the figures of Zhang Pei and Dai Guan gradually recede into the distance, Xu Qingfan murmured, "So, there’s only a little more than two days left?"

Saying that, Xu Qingfan took out the "Earth Mirror" again, activated it, and carefully examined it. He discovered that the three light spots at the center of the "Earth Mirror" still existed, representing the Qingxu elders who were watching him. It seemed that after Xu Qingfan’s earlier conversation with Liu Ziqing, the people of the Qingxu Gate, although less suspicious of Xu Qingfan, were still not completely at ease. Therefore, the three Qingxu elders who were monitoring him had not been withdrawn. Of course, this also had to do with the fact that the Qingxu Gate people were unaware of the mystical instrument, the "Earth Mirror," in Xu Qingfan’s possession.

With a slight sigh, Xu Qingfan turned to look at Little Black standing by the bed’s edge and softly said, "Little Black, it seems I’m trapped. Everything that follows will depend on you."

Little Black, with eyes like small black beans, stared into Xu Qingfan’s eyes, the cold and indifferent gaze appeared to carry a hint of perplexity.

…

By the time Liu Ziqing had left earlier, it was already dusk. Later, when Xu Qingfan received Zhang Pei and Dai Guan, the stars and moon appeared. And by the time Xu Qingfan had prepared everything, it was already midnight.

Taking out the "Earth Mirror" once more to confirm the actions of the three observers, Xu Qingfan’s face softened with a gentle smile. He then opened the room door and leisurely walked out towards the courtyard. Strangely, Little Black, who usually remained by Xu Qingfan’s side, did not perch on his shoulder as usual.

Outside the courtyard, slightly southeast, three hundred steps away.

This is one of the locations where Elder Qingxu, who is observing Xu Qingfan, resides.

However, Xu Qingfan is going there to cause trouble for this elder.

Two hundred ninety-three, two hundred ninety-four, two hundred ninety-five, two hundred ninety-six.

Xu Qingfan walked towards the location he remembered and silently counted his steps to determine his distance from Elder Qingxu. Then he stopped at the ninety-sixth step.

Right now, three steps in front of Xu Qingfan was a lush patch of grass, but there was no sign of anyone, let alone Elder Qingxu.

"The Qingxu techniques are truly remarkable. The elder must be right before me, yet I can’t detect a trace. If I hadn’t confirmed his location with the ‘Earth Mirror,’ I wouldn’t notice anything at all."

Thinking this in his heart, but showing no expression, he only betrayed a hint of surprise before he bowed deeply to the empty ground in front of him and said respectfully, "Junior Southern Wasteland rogue cultivator Xu Fan greets the elder. I was meditating unknowingly this evening and didn’t expect to encounter the senior here. Are you cultivating? I fear I have disturbed you."

As Xu Qingfan’s voice fell, the surrounding area remained silent, but Xu Qingfan wasn’t in a hurry. He continued to bow, as if waiting for something.

After Xu Qingfan waited for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, finally, four steps in front of him, the figure of an elderly man with white hair and eyebrows gradually appeared, with a slight look of embarrassment on his face.

"I am the elder Mo Ziliang. I was recently immersed in practicing the Taoist arts and could not respond, leaving you waiting. I apologize for any rudeness and ask for your understanding, Taoist friend."

…

Although Mo Ziliang was apologizing to Xu Qingfan verbally, he felt somewhat aggrieved in his heart.

Previously, he was ordered to monitor this suspicious "Taoist Friend Xu" in front of him. Even though he complained about the interruption to his cultivation time, since both Xuan Ling and Huanlingzi had jointly given the order, he had no choice but to comply. So, he used the "Art of Disappearance" on himself, hiding here to watch Xu Qingfan. It was only going to waste two or three days of his time anyway.

But an anomaly occurred on the very first night. The suspicious "Taoist Friend Xu" unexpectedly came out of his room in the middle of the night instead of staying inside meditating. Was this suspicious person really planning something harmful against the "Qingxu Gate"? Although Xu Qingfan’s leisurely walking looked like a simple stroll, who knew if it was not a reconnaissance? Once he ensured no one was around, he might go off to do something secretive. Thus, Mo Ziliang’s mood became more serious.

So Mo Ziliang watched Xu Qingfan’s steps closely, step by step, ready to signal Xuan Ling and Huanlingzi at the first sign of anything unusual. Maybe then he could receive some elixirs or spirit stones as a reward, making his night watch worthwhile.

Just as this old man was contemplating what rewards to ask from Xuan Ling and Huanlingzi, he suddenly realized something was amiss.

Wait! Why is Xu Fan walking directly toward me? Mo Ziliang wondered silently.

Ten steps, nine steps, eight steps…

As Xu Qingfan silently counted his steps in his heart, the old man, Mr. Mo, was also secretly doing the same.

"Go around, don’t bump into me. Go around, go around, don’t bump into me."

As Xu Qingfan got closer, Mo Ziliang became more and more nervous. The "Art of Disappearance" he had used before was truly magical. Even cultivators with one or two levels higher than Mo Ziliang could not easily see through it. But it had a fatal flaw: once invisible, he couldn’t move, or the effect would disappear. So, seeing Xu Qingfan approaching step by step, Mo Ziliang could only silently pray.

Perhaps the heavens heard Mo Ziliang’s prayer, for Xu Fan actually stopped four steps in front of him. Just as Mo Ziliang was quietly relieved, he suddenly saw Xu Qingfan bow respectfully and greet him.

Carefully using Divine Sense to scan the surroundings, ensuring no one else was hiding, after a moment’s hesitation, Mo Ziliang revealed himself with a bitter expression. Although Mo Ziliang joined the "Qingxu Gate" at eight and spent his life focusing solely on cultivation, knowing nothing about how to explain himself to Xu Qingfan, fortunately, Xu Qingfan was considerate and provided an excuse right away. So, Mo Ziliang took a deep breath and, once revealed, quickly said to Xu Qingfan, "I am Mo Ziliang, just as the taoist friend mentioned. I was practicing Dao methods at a crucial moment, making it inconvenient to respond, and made you wait, for which I apologize."

…

Xu Qingfan looked at the old man in front of him, noting the hint of embarrassment he couldn’t hide, and was truly surprised. He hadn’t expected Mo Ziliang to be so naive, not only showing his emotions on his face but also going along with Xu Qingfan’s earlier fabricated excuse.

"This Mo Ziliang is evidently an obsessed cultivator who’s clueless about worldly matters. Although such cultivators are found in every sect, why would the ‘Qingxu Gate’ send someone like him to monitor me? Could Liu Ziqing be the only shrewd person in the entire Qingxu Gate?"

Xu Qingfan thought to himself.

Xu Qingfan was unaware that the "Art of Disappearance" was extremely difficult to master. Even within the "Qingxu Gate," besides Xuan Ling and Huanlingzi, only seven people could perform it. However, among these seven, three were in seclusion cultivating, and one was traveling. To secretly monitor Xu Qingfan, they had to push someone like Mo Ziliang, who was obsessed with cultivation, into action.

Most importantly, the people of "Qingxu Gate" never expected Xu Qingfan to possess a mystical item like the "Earth Mirror," which could detect changes in surrounding Spirit Qi and see through illusions. Although the "Art of Disappearance" was peculiar, it still caused changes in the Spirit Qi around and belonged to the category of illusions, so it was ultimately discovered by Xu Qingfan.

Even though he felt strange, after hearing Mo Ziliang’s words, Xu Qingfan smiled and said, "I see. I wonder if I disturbed the elder’s cultivation earlier. If that’s truly the case, I am grievously sorry."

Mo Ziliang was a kind person. Seeing the hint of embarrassment on Xu Qingfan’s face, he quickly waved his hand and said, "It’s no bother, it’s no bother."

As he spoke, Mo Ziliang’s face gradually revealed a look of hesitation. Hesitantly, he asked, "Um… Taoist Friend Xu, I have always been very confident in my practice of the ‘Art of Disappearance.’ May I ask how Taoist Friend Xu saw through my concealment?"

Xu Qingfan smiled slightly and said, "This is due to a secret technique passed down by my ancestral master."

Mo Ziliang’s face showed even more curiosity, and he asked again, "Taoist Friend Xu, could you tell me the name of this secret technique and what its effects are?"

Seeing the focus in Mo Ziliang’s eyes while asking, Xu Qingfan let out a small sigh of relief. At first, he thought Mo Ziliang was pretending to be weak while being strong. But now, seeing that Mo Ziliang disregarded the usual reservations of the cultivation world to directly inquire about the effects of his technique, he realized that Mo Ziliang was genuinely obsessed with cultivation. So, he let go of his concerns and began to fabricate stories to Mo Ziliang.

Once Mo Ziliang’s attention was completely captivated by Xu Qingfan’s made-up techniques, Xu Qingfan quietly ordered Little Black, who was waiting inside, "Little Black, quickly! Now is the time!"

At Xu Qingfan’s command, Little Black, who had been standing still in the house, suddenly transformed from stillness to motion, becoming a black streak of lightning as it flew out toward the direction Mo Ziliang was watching, rapidly heading towards the back mountain of Ronghua. Unfortunately, Mo Ziliang was so engrossed in listening to Xu Qingfan explain the wonders of this so-called "secret art" that he didn’t notice Little Black’s actions at all.

After seeing the black streak of Little Black disappear from view, Xu Qingfan felt a slight relief in his heart, then used the excuse "No more time to explain" to excuse the eager Mo Ziliang before turning and quickly walking towards his secluded courtyard.

Indeed, no more could be said because Mo Ziliang had begun to inquire about how to practice this secret art.

Once Xu Qingfan returned home, he immediately sat cross-legged on his bed. Using the unique technique between cultivator and spirit beast known as the "Heart Eye Technique," he started observing the scenes of Ronghua’s back mountain through Little Black’s eyes.