Chapter 268
Clashing Fates
Chapter 268 Clashing Fates
"She's spotted us?"
Bai Yutian lowered his eyes in fright, his mind racing with panic.
Yun Cai's gaze was so sharp, as if she could see right through him, making him instinctively fear her.
"How could that be? What level of cultivation does she have? She couldn't possibly see through my presence at a glance. Don't overthink it. Doing so will only make her suspicious." The voice of the Black Hand rang out again, his tone filled with disappointment.
Why is this kid such a coward?
It's a shame that it previously had high hopes for him, expecting him to become the strongest disciple of Qingxiao Sect.
After hearing this, Bai Yutian felt it made sense. He looked up again and saw that Yun Cai was no longer staring at him, but was looking at the audience, waiting for her opponent to come up.
Seeing this, Bai Yutian breathed a sigh of relief. He was secretly annoyed that his temper was indeed not good enough, and he was frightened by this.
Little did he know, he was not mistaken.
While scanning the audience below, waiting for his opponent, Yun Cai was also pondering Bai Yutian.
"That ghost's power seems even stronger than the evil spirit in Cangzhou Prefecture back then, second only to that Great Demon Luo. Should we tell the sect leader?"
Yun Cai felt conflicted.
Her All-Seeing Eyes can see through the hidden power within others, which is why many disciples' opportunities cannot escape her eyes.
Many disciples possessed souls or magical artifacts containing powerful energy. At first, she would tell the sect leader about them one by one, but later even she felt that she was making a mountain out of a molehill.
A person's worth is not determined by what they possess.
However, that black hand was too strange, unlike any of the disciples she had encountered before.
No, we can't pretend we didn't see it this time!
Yun Cai made her decision, and her gaze sharpened, causing a disciple who had just stepped onto the stage to freeze, wondering if he had offended her somehow.
……
"A ghostly hand even stronger than the evil spirits of Ghost King Ridge?"
Inside the cave, Li Qingqiu was surprised to hear Yun Cai's words.
With so many disciples in the Qingxiao Sect, he was bound to make mistakes. He trusted Yun Cai's Myriad Laws Spiritual Eye, but he was also puzzled.
Where did such a powerful monster come from?
If they also came from Ghost King Ridge, why didn't they start killing?
"What's that disciple's name?" Li Qingqiu asked.
“His name is Bai Yutian,” Yun Cai replied.
"You asked him directly?"
"How could that be? I asked the disciple who spoke with him."
Yun Cai's eyes widened, feeling that she had been underestimated. How could she have been so reckless?
Li Qingqiu nodded and said, "I understand. I will investigate this matter. You did a good job."
Yun Cai rose, bowed, and took her leave.
Although she liked Li Qingqiu very much, she now preferred to spend her time cultivating rather than being alone with him.
After Yun Cai left, Li Qingqiu brought up Bai Yutian's portrait.
Bai Yutian's loyalty has been steadily increasing, now reaching 91. If that ghost hand harbors ill intentions, it will surely bewitch Bai Yutian, and his loyalty will only decrease.
If this is merely Bai Yutian's personal stroke of luck, then all the better.
However, this ghostly hand is too powerful. If disciples are injured or killed without a thorough investigation, it would be a dereliction of duty on his part as the sect leader.
Li Qingqiu decided to inspect the sect the next day and pretended to run into Bai Yutian by chance.
After thinking it over, he got up and returned to the stone bed to continue meditating and practicing his skills.
The moon sets and the sun rises.
The next morning, Li Qingqiu left his cave alone. He went to Lingxiao Courtyard and stayed there for half an hour before slowly descending the mountain.
The winter scenery of Qingxiao Mountain is so beautiful. After passing Xuanxin Hall, you can see disciples cultivating everywhere.
Currently, more than 300 cave dwellings have been distributed, but cave dwellings are always a scarce resource, so the vast majority of disciples still choose to cultivate in the mountains and forests.
Looking at the disciples practicing, Li Qingqiu couldn't help but smile.
These are all symbols of Qingxiaomen's vibrant spirit.
Soon, some disciples spotted Li Qingqiu. They bowed from a distance and did not rush over to disturb him.
Disciples who can cultivate in the upper part of Qingxiao Mountain are generally qualified and hold important positions.
Once you've entered the sect, it's not easy to move directly into Qingxiao Mountain.
Bai Yutian lives on another mountain.
"Sect Leader Li, what a coincidence!"
A joyful laugh came from ahead. Li Qingqiu looked up and saw a plump, wealthy old man walking briskly towards him.
It was Liu Fanzhou.
Liu Fanzhou was the first merchant to invest in the Qingxiao Sect during the early stages of cultivation. His daughter, Liu Yan, also became a disciple of Li Dongyue and is now one of the representative disciples of the Lingcai Hall, with her cultivation reaching the seventh level of the Yangyuan Realm.
"Brother Liu, what a coincidence! Who are you looking for so early in the morning?" Li Qingqiu asked with a smile.
Even after all these years, his friendship with Liu Fanzhou remains good. Liu Fanzhou is warm-hearted and timid. No matter how big Qingxiao Sect becomes, Liu Fanzhou always maintains this enthusiasm and never gets intimidated.
"Go up the mountain to find Master Zhang and discuss the matter of the Cangzhou branch city with him. I want the Liu family to settle in that branch city," Liu Fanzhou said with a smile. He was completely open with Li Qingqiu because he knew Li Qingqiu well. He was willing to fight for benefits, as long as it was in the open, Li Qingqiu would not care.
If someone is plotting behind your back, Li Qingqiu will not show any mercy.
"How old are you? Do you still have to do this kind of thing yourself? Isn't your Liu family a large and prosperous family?" Li Qingqiu joked.
Liu Fanzhou was very fertile, having fathered dozens of children in less than twenty years. This became a laughing stock among the sect's higher-ups, and Liu Yan often complained about him.
Including his previous offspring and blood relatives, the Liu family is already a formidable clan within the sect, with dozens of members currently cultivating immortality there. Liu Fanzhou has also joined the Qingxiao Sect as a disciple, but due to his poor aptitude and lack of patience, he is currently only at the first level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm.
He had absolutely no connection to immortality.
“They’re no good, otherwise I wouldn’t have come in person. By the way, Sect Master, my caravan has expanded to the Western Desert. If the sect needs to expand westward, just ask the Liu family.” Liu Fanzhou said smugly.
He is now known as the richest businessman in the world, and some even say that he is richer than a country. Naturally, he is very proud of himself.
"Let's talk about it later."
Li Qingqiu shook his head and chuckled. There were still many places in the Nine Provinces that had not been fully explored, and he did not want to expand for the time being.
Expansion would mean creating new grudges, which is unnecessary for Qingxiao Sect at present.
Especially since heading west would lead to the Azure Dragon Domain, Li Qingqiu was still wary of the Azure Dragon Domain, which was full of cultivation sects.
"Sect Master, when will you arrange a marriage for my daughter? I can't control her now, but she will definitely listen to you."
Speaking of this, Liu Fanzhou sounded somewhat melancholy.
He was nearly seventy years old and felt that he didn't have many years left to live. Liu Yan was his most beloved daughter, and he naturally hoped to witness her getting married and having children.
Li Qingqiu shook his head and said, "Brother Liu, I'm not trying to criticize you, but your views are out of touch with the development of Qingxiao Sect. Liu Yan is someone who pursues immortality. Worldly affections are not that important to her. She just lets things take their course. As for your Liu family's continuation of the family line, she is not needed."
Liu Fanzhou said helplessly, "That's true, but as parents, we still hope she can find someone to rely on."
"Marriage is a backer? Her backer is the Qingxiao Sect." Li Qingqiu snorted softly.
Liu Fanzhou was pleased to hear this, and the two began to reminisce about the past.
Whenever Liu Fanzhou thinks about the past, he is amazed by the rapid development of Qingxiao Sect. Even though he personally experienced and participated in it, he still finds it incredible, which makes him sincerely admire Li Qingqiu.
Only an immortal could do such a thing, right?
The two chatted for a while before Li Qingqiu took his leave. He had important business to attend to and couldn't keep rambling on with Liu Fanzhou.
Watching Li Qingqiu's departing figure, Liu Fanzhou felt a pang of regret.
It would be wonderful if his daughter could be with Li Qingqiu.
The two were close in age, which he thought made them a good match.
However, considering that Liu Yan was Li Dongyue's apprentice, he could only think about it.
Seniority is not something that can be overridden.
……
As Li Qingqiu descended the mountain, he encountered many old acquaintances. Some were drawn by Liu Jing's sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, while others were there to see next year's magical duel.
It took nearly two hours for Li Qingqiu to leave Qingxiao Mountain.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, there were even more disciples coming and going, and many pilgrims' carriages were parked on the grass.
Sudden.
Li Qingqiu saw the two pushing and shoving each other; it was Zhang Ping and Bai Ning'er, and they both seemed very agitated.
Aren't these two very close?
Why did they argue?
Li Qingqiu felt that as the sect leader, he couldn't pretend not to see the conflict between his disciples.
So he went over.
"I've already said, I'm not going anywhere."
"You, do you really think you can make a name for yourself in the martial arts tournament? Come down the mountain with me. If all goes well, you might make it in time."
"I don't believe in your idea of good fortune."
"You've come down the mountain with me so many times, when have you ever failed?"
"Although you didn't fail, it wasn't easy either. You should look for someone else first."
After Zhang Ping finished speaking, he was about to leave when he saw Li Qingqiu approaching. He quickly raised his hand in greeting.
Upon seeing this, Bai Ning'er turned her head and saw that it was Li Qingqiu. She quickly bowed to him.
"What are you arguing about? How can you let your junior brothers and sisters see this in public?"
Li Qingqiu stopped in front of the two of them and asked.
Bai Ning'er immediately began to complain. In his opinion, he was trying to share good things with Zhang Ping, so why didn't Zhang Ping appreciate it?
After hearing the reason, Li Qingqiu was both amused and exasperated.
Just for this?
The "lucky one" encountering the "seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune" is considered a clash of fates.
Li Qingqiu spoke up, "Even if you mean well, you can't force others. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Ning'er's face fell, and she said, "It's not that I can't find anyone else."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping became even more furious.
"Tell me, what happened? I can send someone to help you," Li Qingqiu said earnestly, looking at Bai Ning'er.
He still believed in Bai Ning'er's "lucky one" status, thinking she might bring huge benefits to the sect.
Bai Ning'er was immediately overjoyed and quickly said, "I went through my past finds and discovered a message left by an ancient sect in a jade bottle. This ancient sect is located in Yuzhou. I want to go and take a look; perhaps I can find something there."
"What ancient sect is it? What's its name?"
"Taijue Sect".
Thank you to "Only Seeking Peach Blossom Spring" for the 3000 Qidian coins!
(End of this chapter)