Chapter 258: An Immortal Hidden in the Prefect’s House

“You, take this to your prefect and tell him a High Immortal wishes to see him!” Qin Haoxuan said, handing the jade pendant to the same gatekeeper from before. Seeing that he wasn’t moving, he urged, “What are you standing there for? Go quickly!”

“High Immortal, please wait a moment. This lowly one will be right back!” The yamen runner’s legs went soft. If Qin Haoxuan hadn’t dispatched him to report, he would have collapsed to his knees right then and there. But now, he hurriedly took the pendant and went inside.

The move he had just displayed, anyone who wasn’t a fool could see his extraordinary nature. They were just yamen runners who worked for a living; how could they dare to provoke such a person who was likely a High Immortal? They quickly sheathed their weapons and knelt on the ground, kowtowing. But as they did, they were secretly surprised. This High Immortal is so benevolent. We all drew our weapons on him, yet he didn’t kill us. Regardless of whether he was an immortal or not, to have the ability to sever a steel saber with a wave of his hand was not something they could deal with.

…

In the back hall of the prefectural yamen, the normally high and mighty Prefectural Lord was respectfully kneeling on the ground. Seated before him was a man in a long black robe. He looked to be in his fifties, with a long scar on his face that, from a distance, looked like a large centipede, making his entire face appear quite savage.

The two of them were in the middle of a discussion when the yamen runner, holding Qin Haoxuan’s jade pendant, knocked on the door. “My lord, this lowly one has an urgent matter to report.”

Before the prefect could speak, the scar-faced man sitting above him frowned. “Someone has come. This seat will withdraw to the inner hall. You may rise.” With that, he stood up and walked into the inner chamber.

After he had gone, the prefect also stood up. He said in a solemn tone, “Enter.”

The runner cautiously pushed the door open, saw the seated prefect, and hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground, his tone panicked. “My lord, there are three young people outside. They claim to be immortals. He says he has killed a county official and has come to see you. This is his token of identity.”

After he had finished speaking, the prefect’s face changed. Especially after taking the jade pendant from his hand, his square face completely twisted. He said, “You may leave. You must not neglect the High Immortals. I will be there shortly.”

An official at the county level in the Soaring Dragon Nation would know very little of certain secrets, but an official at the prefectural level was qualified to know some things. At the very least, they knew of the nation’s guardian sect, the Taichu Sect, which was full of immortals, and that the token that represented their identity was the very one he was holding in his hand.

After dismissing the runner, the prefect did not immediately go to greet Qin Haoxuan. Instead, he looked at the scar-faced man who had just walked out of the inner hall and said urgently, “High Immortal, what should we do?”

The scar-faced man’s expression was indifferent. He glanced at the prefect, and the prefect felt a chill run through him. “Do not panic. Go out first and receive him with hospitality. We still don’t know why he has come. Find out first, and then we will talk.” The man reached out and took the jade pendant from the prefect’s hand. It contained a trace of Qin Haoxuan’s aura. After probing it, he laughed and said to the inner hall, “Not even the Tenth-Leaf of the Spirit Sprout Realm.”

Another person walked out from the inner hall. This person was a bit younger than him, but he still looked to be a middle-aged man in his forties. He said, “Do you have a plan?”

The scar-faced man chuckled lightly and said to the prefect, “Go and probe him first. It would be best to find out what he’s here for. If that doesn’t work, I don’t mind getting rid of him. He is a disciple of the Taichu Sect; he must have many good things on him.” The second half of his sentence was directed at the man who had come out of the inner hall.

That man said, “Forget it. Don’t get any ideas about him. If it doesn’t affect our important business, then just let him go. Pretend we didn’t see him.”

“Let him go so easily?” The scar-faced man laughed. “Are you kidding? He is a disciple of the Taichu Sect, and only just below the Tenth-Leaf. A fat sheep delivered to our door, and we don’t slaughter him? We are not like those people from the Taichu Sect. As rogue cultivators, the difficulty of obtaining resources is much greater. And even if he disappears, the Taichu Sect won’t attach so much importance to it as to immediately search for him. A disciple from a famous sect like that, the things on him are much better than what we have.”

The middle-aged man heard this and felt it was reasonable. He said to the prefect, “That’s true. Since my senior brother has spoken, you should keep him here.”

The prefect was stunned. Although he didn’t know what “Tenth-Leaf” meant, he understood that this High Immortal from the Taichu Sect was clearly no match for the two before him. They didn’t seem to take him seriously at all and even wanted to kill him. But even if they didn’t, how could he not? The prefect was on the verge of tears. He was just a mortal official; how could he have the ability to make a High Immortal stay just because he was told to?

“What if I can’t keep him?” he asked, mustering his courage.

The scar-faced man thought for a moment and then took a low second-grade spirit stone from his robes and handed it to him. “Try to keep him with your words first. If you really can’t, then give him this. Just say you’ve discovered a spirit stone mine or something.”

Who that could climb to the position of a prefect was a fool? He quickly understood and nodded, then hurried out to receive his guests.

Seeing Qin Haoxuan from a distance, the prefect did not dare to put on his official airs. He plastered a smile on his face and enthusiastically went up to greet him. When he was less than ten steps away, he was the first to kneel. “This lowly official pays his respects to the High Immortal. Please, come inside and sit.”

The three of them followed him into the reception hall. After the prefect had paid his respects again, he cautiously inquired about their purpose for coming.

“The reason I’ve come is simple. I killed the county magistrate of a county under your jurisdiction. To prevent you from implicating those pitiful runners, I came especially to explain it to you.”

Qin Haoxuan spoke very naturally. Although his words seemed to be an apology, in reality, there was no apology in them at all. It was clearly a statement: I’ve killed your man, and now I’m here to tell you not to make trouble for others.

In truth, he was being quite easy to talk to. Those high and mighty cultivators would kill a mortal as easily as crushing an ant. If he were to go and specially explain himself every time he killed someone, then he wouldn’t have to cultivate anymore.

The prefect quickly said, “That corrupt official bent the law for personal gain; he did not die an unjust death! Even if you had not killed him, High Immortal, if I had found him out, he would not have escaped death. In a way, you have helped this lowly official solve a problem. Please stay for a few days, so that I can properly express my gratitude.”

Qin Haoxuan shook his head very decisively. “I came only to tell you this. Now that I have, I will leave.” With that, he had already stood up. Xing and Lan Yan also stood up, preparing to depart. In front of ordinary people, a prefect was high and mighty. But the three of them had no desire to speak another word with him. This was the difference between an immortal and a mortal.

Seeing that they were about to leave, the prefect quickly stood up. “High Immortal, please stay. This lowly official admires you greatly. Please stay in my residence for a few days, so that I can show my respect.”

One moment it was gratitude, the next it was respect. Qin Haoxuan didn’t even have the heart to reply. He was, after all, a cultivator. If he were to stay just because a mortal prefect told him to, then what was the point of cultivating?

Seeing that the three of them were ignoring him, the prefect knew that his flattery was just hot air. He quickly took out the low second-grade spirit stone that the two cultivators had given him and said repeatedly, “High Immortal, High Immortal, please, for the sake of this, do not be in such a hurry to leave.”

Qin Haoxuan felt a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy. He turned his head and saw that the mortal prefect was holding a low second-grade spirit stone. His eyes widened, and he stopped walking. If there was anything in this world that could make him change his mind, that held some attraction for him, spirit stones were definitely one of them.

“What do you want?” He was, after all, a High Immortal, and an immortal who possessed one hundred and ninety thousand low third-grade spirit stones. Although this single low second-grade stone had made him stop, it was not enough to make him pounce on it without regard for his image.

The prefect quickly said, “High Immortal, this lowly official has many of these things on hand. I would like to trade them for a few life-extending prescriptions to treat my mother. If you are willing to help, I am willing to offer all of them to you.”

Qin Haoxuan pondered for a moment. “Do you know what you are holding?”

“I know. It is a spirit stone,” the prefect replied respectfully. “In the Soaring Dragon Nation, a prefect has the authority to know some secrets that are unknown to the common people. So, I know of the Taichu Sect, and I also recognize spirit stones. And it just so happens that there is a spirit stone vein within my jurisdiction. Although most of it must be handed over, I can still secretly withhold a portion.”

He faintly felt that something was not right. A prefect had discovered a spirit stone mine and had not reported it to his emperor. Instead, he had come to tell him and even wanted to bribe him. Either this prefect was extremely bold, or there was something else behind this. Since that’s the case, then I’ll stay and see. Let’s see what tricks this prefect can play.

“Fine. Then I will stay and see to your family member. But you must give me the spirit stones,” he said, feeling not a shred of guilt in making the deal.

The prefect quickly replied, “Naturally, naturally! They are of no use to me if I keep them. Please wait a moment, you three. I will go and arrange a banquet to entertain you.”

“No need!” Qin Haoxuan refused directly. “Just bring your mother out. I will leave after I have seen her.”

“That will not do, that will not do. Please sit for a moment, you three. This lowly official will immediately go and arrange a banquet.” With that, without waiting for them to refuse, he hurriedly left.

After he had gone, Xing said, “That’s not right. Something is not right.”

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