Chapter 314 - 208: In a Fog, Don’t Take Risks

Chapter 314: Chapter 208: In a Fog, Don’t Take Risks

He slapped the stack of files before him, seeming a little disgruntled himself.

It seemed the Sect Leader didn’t want to work, either.

Xie Yuan gave a dry laugh and explained in a low voice,

"I thought that since the Sect Leader cares about his disciples, I should seek your approval first."

"My approval? Don’t tell me you’re not planning on coming back?"

Li Xingtuo said, glancing at him sideways.

"N-no! Of course I’m coming back."

Xie Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. He had, in fact, just been thinking that.

"Then that settles it. It’s not like you’re leaving the Sect for good. I’ve been watching you from Sword Peak for two days now. There’s a pile of things to do, and you still need to ask me for a leave of absence? What, you think the Sect revolves around you?"

Li Xingtuo said with a half-smile,

"Why don’t you just take this chair and approve these files? I’d also like to take a couple of days off for the Lantern Festival!"

Xie Yuan wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow. How could he dare respond to that?

He said with a dry laugh,

"You jest, Sect Leader. I have no such ability."

"Oh, I think you’re very capable."

Li Xingtuo said lightly, then waved his hand.

"Shouldn’t you be going? Do you really want me to keep you here and never let you leave the mountain again?"

A jolt went through Xie Yuan, and he quickly cupped his hands in a salute.

"Sect Leader, this disciple takes his leave!"

He backed carefully out of the study. Seeing that Li Xingtuo had truly buried his head in the files and was paying him no mind, he immediately turned and hurried away.

"Oh, right."

A voice suddenly came from behind Xie Yuan, nearly making him jump out of his skin.

He turned back to see Li Xingtuo speaking with pointed meaning, without even lifting his head.

"These next few days, be careful of the other elders... Don’t let them take you down."

’Huh?’

’What does he mean?’

Xie Yuan’s face showed his confusion. Seeing that Li Xingtuo wasn’t going to say anything more, he could only bow silently once again and turn to leave.

Li Xingtuo lifted his head from the files and watched Xie Yuan’s departing back, a flash of amusement in his eyes.

Xie Yuan made his way back to his small cabin on Ruyun Peak. Aside from the occasional curious glance, he encountered nothing else out of the ordinary on the way.

No axe-wielding guards, no men in black, no Law Enforcement Team from the Sect to haul him away...

The journey was uneventful, as if he were just the most ordinary of disciples.

’But that’s what’s so abnormal, isn’t it?’

Xie Yuan frowned, boiling more water to brew himself some tea. He began to ponder as he poured, not even noticing when the cup overflowed.

’What does the Sect Leader mean? Did he see through me or not?’

’If I assume he saw through me, then why didn’t he expose it? He’s been acting so ambiguously, as if he hasn’t noticed any problem at all.’

’But to say he didn’t see through me... hmm, I don’t believe it.’

Xie Yuan shook his head.

Li Xingtuo had clearly spotted several of his flaws, but he had managed to cover them up in the blink of an eye.

’Is that what he really thinks? Or is he trying to teach me something?’

Xie Yuan was utterly bewildered. He felt that if he absolutely had to argue that Li Xingtuo was still in the dark, it would be a completely plausible argument.

’But is that possible?’

Xie Yuan fell into deep thought.

’And what did he mean at the end, telling me to be careful of the elders?’

’Are they going to take me down?’

’Could it be... that I’ve been exposed, and all the elders are devoted to protecting the Sect?’

’And he, as the Sect Leader, is planning to protect me, the mole?’

’Why would the Sect Leader turn traitor?’

’Besides, if the elders really were to make a move...’

’Be careful of the elders? Me?’

’He’s really overestimating me.’

’I may have concealed my identity, but my real strength is only at the First Transformation. Do I really stand a chance against Grandmaster elders?’

’Or maybe the elders are going to test me, and the Sect Leader was coaching me on what to say so I don’t slip up and give them an excuse?’

’But why? An internal power struggle?’

Xie Yuan was utterly baffled, completely dazed by Li Xingtuo’s behavior.

"I can’t outplay him, I just can’t. As expected of the Sect Leader. The older the ginger, the spicier it is."

Xie Yuan sighed. All he could say was that there was a reason Li Xingtuo’s hair was white.

When it came to mind games, he was no match for these old foxes.

However, he had just let him come back like that, and even said he could take leave whenever he wanted.

’Could it be... that I’m actually in the clear?’

Xie Yuan pondered for a moment, then took out Situ Qin’s letter and stroked it gently. He then sat down decisively at his desk, took out a sheet of paper, and picked up his brush to write a reply.

A short while later, the letter was finished. He summoned a servant disciple and had them send it out for him as quickly as possible.

Afterward, he let out a breath, calmed his mind in his room, and began to cultivate.

’For now, all I can do is wait and see. Since nothing has happened yet, I’ll just act as if nothing is wrong.’

Cloud Mountain wasn’t far from Yunzhou Prefecture. With Xie Yuan’s special instructions, the letter arrived in half a day, and by noon the next day, he had received a reply.

’She’s inviting me to the Lantern Festival?’

Seeing that his letter had indeed been sent and that he’d received a reply, Xie Yuan pondered for a while.

He hadn’t said much in his letter, so Situ Qin had replied cheerfully, inviting him to spend the Lantern Festival together.

’I’ll try asking for leave, then. Maybe Li Xingtuo wouldn’t refuse me himself, but instructed someone else to. That’s a common tactic for people in power.’

Xie Yuan found a managing instructor in the Inner Sect and stated his purpose.

"Leave for the Lantern Festival? Zhang Mountain, you haven’t attended a single class since you joined the Inner Courtyard, and now you want to take a leave of absence?"

The instructor frowned and said coolly,

"Don’t think you’re entitled to special privileges just because you have astounding talent. You should be more diligent in your cultivation.

"I’ll approve it this time, but there won’t be a next time. You’ll have to make up the classes when you return. I will be testing you on your coursework."

Xie Yuan had just been thinking ’Just as I expected!’ and was even feeling smugly pleased with himself for guessing the Sect Leader’s intentions correctly.

But when he heard the last sentence, he froze.

"Huh? You’re really letting me go?"

"What do you mean? Do you want to go or not?"

The instructor said, his brow furrowed.

"...Thank you, Instructor Lv."

Xie Yuan cupped his hands with a strange expression on his face, then went back to pack his things.

’They must be planning to stop me at the mountain gate...’

"Inner Sect, Zhang Mountain, to return two days after the Lantern Festival. Alright, you may go."