Chapter 368 - 217: Peerless Prodigy Xie Yuan, the Path to Grandmaster Opens

Chapter 368: Chapter 217: Peerless Prodigy Xie Yuan, the Path to Grandmaster Opens

Xie Yuan took out two porcelain vials and examined them. It was his first time experiencing the effects of this Divine Medicine in battle, and he couldn’t help but marvel.

’I bet even the secret elixirs from Prajna Temple can’t compare to this. It’s a relic from ancient times, after all... Every pill used is one less in the world. I’d better be sparing with them.’

He gave a few pills to Situ Qin, leaving him with not many left. He treasured the remaining ones greatly.

This time, it was all thanks to the life-saving Protective Treasure Situ Qin had given him. Otherwise, they would have been overwhelmed by the assassins long ago.

So when Situ Qin offered to give him another similar treasure after they returned, he didn’t refuse.

’It’s easy to go from thrifty to lavish, but hard to go the other way around...’

Xie Yuan collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. He was out the moment his head hit the pillow.

When he awoke, the sun was already high in the sky.

’I only slept for a moment... No, wait, is it already the next day?’

Xie Yuan was surprised. ’Did I really sleep for an entire day?’

’Well, considering how much energy I expended, I suppose it’s normal.’

His strength restored, he got up, washed his face, and went out. A serving girl led him not to the usual waterside pavilion, but, to his surprise, to the study, where he found Situ Qin.

Seeing Situ Qin listening to her subordinates’ reports like a general, Xie Yuan stood quietly to the side, careful not to interrupt.

When Situ Qin saw him, she quickly finished her business and smiled.

"So, you’re finally awake?"

Xie Yuan saw how diligently Situ Qin was working and felt a little embarrassed, realizing she had probably been busy handling matters since yesterday.

"I’m fine. I blame it on the beds here being softer than the ones on Cloud Mountain."

"So now it’s my fault?"

Situ Qin said with an amused laugh.

"Don’t worry, I forgive you."

Xie Yuan’s teasing was relentless, and Situ Qin feigned a slap.

The two moved back to the waterside pavilion. After they had breakfast together, Situ Qin played a song for him. As he listened, Xie Yuan felt the fatigue from the past several days wash away completely, leaving him feeling as refreshed as when he had just descended the mountain.

He let out a long breath and cupped his hands in farewell.

"Miss Qin, it’s about time for me to return to Cloud Mountain."

"I figured as much."

Situ Qin had already expected this, so she didn’t try to make him stay. She let the melody be her farewell gift.

"When will you come down for a visit again?"

"Probably not until you reach the Qi Blood Third Transformation Realm, I’d wager,"

Xie Yuan said, half-joking.

The mention of this irked Situ Qin. She pouted and said:

"I’m not waiting that long!"

’Even with her talent, she couldn’t say that breaking through to the Third Transformation Realm would be quick. It would take at least a year, wouldn’t it?’

For others, of course, breaking through to the Third Transformation Realm in one or two years—or even three to five—would be cause for immense celebration.

Xie Yuan bid Situ Qin farewell and headed back toward the mountain.

The actions of the Qian and Yao families had been exposed this time, including their hiring of the Autumn Wind Building to assassinate Situ Qin. She and the forces loyal to Prince Pingxi had to retaliate, and they would have the backing of the imperial family.

The moment she returned, Situ Qin had already taken swift and decisive action against the two families’ forces in Yun and Yan Prefectures. He imagined that no matter how many plans they had in place or how much power they held beneath the surface, they were in for a world of hurt.

’Although I don’t know why they’re transporting people on such a massive scale—surely a prestigious, thousand-year-old family wouldn’t be trafficking people all the way to the brothels of Jiangnan? Still, whatever their reason, Situ Qin is going to use this opportunity to purge the area of these two families she’s long considered an eyesore.’

’She had originally planned to turn a blind eye and not bother with them, but they had only grown more brazen. Naturally, Situ Qin couldn’t let it slide; doing so would only embolden them further. The King of Pingxi might be gone, but his house was not.’

Xie Yuan knew Situ Qin had a lot on her plate, so he headed back to the mountain on his own, not wanting to disturb her any further.

Passing through the gates of Cloud Mountain, Xie Yuan felt as if he had stepped into another world.

The familiar light mist and refreshing Spiritual Qi seemed to isolate him from the entanglements and darkness of the great clans, leaving them beyond the clouds. Xie Yuan’s mind quickly grew tranquil.

The mountain was serene, free from the disturbances of the mortal world, inspiring a pure desire for cultivation and enlightenment.

After a moment’s thought, Xie Yuan decided to head to the main peak first to report to Li Xingtuo.

「In a study so large it could be called extravagant.」

"You’re saying you tracked down the source of the human trafficking in Wu River County to the Yao family of Jinling and the Qian family of Yongyang? And you even caught their people red-handed and confronted them?"

Li Xingtuo looked up from his documents, one eyebrow raised.

His silver hair was tied in a topknot, and his youthful face looked quite scholarly.

But his eyes, which seemed to see right through a person’s soul, suddenly sharpened, fixing directly on Xie Yuan.

Xie Yuan once again felt as though Li Xingtuo’s gaze was peeling back his layers, leaving him with no secrets. But he had long since given up trying to hide anything from Li Xingtuo, so he adopted a nonchalant tone.

"That’s right. The missing persons case in Wu River is solved. I’ve already dealt with the public-facing culprit. I just don’t know what those two old families are ultimately plotting."

"...How many days were you in Wu River, exactly?"

Xie Yuan looked up, recalling for a moment. "About two days," he said.

"Two days..."

Li Xingtuo repeated the words, then fell silent for a moment before speaking again in surprise.

"Kid, don’t tell me you have a knack for detective work? I think the Spring Rain Building could use someone with your talents."

The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect had sent disciples to Wu River on this mission several times to uncover the truth. Each attempt ended in failure. Each time, they would send a more outstanding disciple, but their efforts were always in vain. While the Sect’s reputation kept the disciples from harm, they were always stonewalled by an unseen resistance.

’And now this kid takes a few days’ leave to travel with a companion, spends a mere two days there, and comes back to tell me he’s solved it? And even figured out which families are behind the whole thing?’

Xie Yuan replied with a look of utmost sincerity.

"My loyalty is to the Sect and the Sect alone. I have no interest in serving the imperial court."

Li Xingtuo chose to ignore the first half of that sentence. He could tell Xie Yuan harbored some resentment toward the Great Li court, which was likely tied to his past.

He pondered this for a moment, then sighed softly.

"In the grand scheme of dynastic cycles, the court of the Great Li is actually one of the better ones. If you were to read the histories, you’d find them to be chronicles of absurdity. It all boils down to one savage principle: man devouring man."