"Brother Jing, what did you show them?"
After entering the city, Su Moyan asked with some curiosity.
Jing Zhe didn't want to reveal that he knew Qiu Qianqian, so he casually said, "The garden master left me a token before. Perhaps Wuxian Pavilion is one of the four major sects, and those soldiers are very familiar with Wuxian Pavilion's tokens, so when they saw me light it up, they let me pass."
Su Moyan had no doubts. Looking at the bustling city of Jinxi under the night sky, with pedestrians, vendors, and carriages thronging the streets, and the constant shouts of vendors, he couldn't help but sigh. It was no less bustling than Jingzhou City.
"Jinxi is so prosperous! I used to think that Jiangling could only compare with Jingzhou, but now I realize how ignorant I was!"
Jing Zhe smiled and said, "Jinxi is prosperous, but it can't compare to the capital, Jingzhou. It's just that because of the martial arts tournament, so many people have gathered in the city for a while. So it's understandable that the merchants and people of Jinxi take advantage of this time to set up stalls and sell things to earn more money."
Su Moyan nodded, and then, led by Jing Zhe, found an inn to stay in. Jing Zhe, under the pretense of going out for a stroll, slipped out of the inn.
Having arrived in Jinxi, he planned to go to Tongtianque to find Qiu Qianqian.
It wasn't because Qiu Qianqian told him before she left that he should go find her first when he arrived in Jinxi, but because of his token and the Emperor's Sword!
He was representing the imperial court at the martial arts tournament, and it would be difficult to get things done without a gold medal and the Emperor's Sword, especially since he was about to meet the Fairy Maiden. If she asked about the token he was given, then he would be in big trouble.
...
Tongtianque was a household name in Jinxi, so Jing Zhe easily found out its location with a simple inquiry. However, the place was quite far away, so taking advantage of the absence of others, Jing Zhe used his Shadow Following the Wind technique to fly directly forward from the sky...
Jinxi is known as the "Medicine Capital" because it is rich in medicinal herbs, and the place where the herbs are most abundant is called Changsheng Mountain.
Tongtianque was built against the mountain, located halfway up Changsheng Mountain.
Fortunately, Jing Zhe had already reached the third level of lightness skill, and flew up effortlessly; otherwise, it would have taken him half a day to get up.
Several people were standing outside the Tongtianque Gate.
Two of them were about the same age, around forty or fifty, and were wearing the same black long robes with a few words embroidered on their chests. Because it was too dark and Jing Zhe was hiding behind the bushes, he couldn't see them clearly, but the wind carried their conversation over.
“Nie Li, I heard that the people from Qingyun Sect and Kunlun Mirror have arrived, and the people from Wuxian Pavilion will arrive tomorrow at noon. Prince Jin plans to hold a banquet tomorrow to invite me to discuss this with him.”
The one who spoke was the middle-aged man with slightly graying hair. The other middle-aged man listened and asked, "Senior brother, don't the other three major sects claim to never have any contact with the imperial court? In recent years, the imperial court has sent many officials to the martial arts tournaments, but they have all been turned away. Would they go to the Prince of Jin's residence?"
Upon hearing these two sentences, Jing Zhe already knew who the two people were.
During the last time Qiu Qianqian practiced with him, she told him about Tongtianque. There were two middle-aged men in front of the gate. The gray-haired man should be Qingyang, the leader of Tongtianque, and the other one is Qiu Qianqian's master, Song Nieli.
Upon hearing this, the Qingyang Sect Leader chuckled and said, "Hehe, back when Tongtianque wanted to become one of the four major sects, didn't they try to stop it? In the end, didn't they agree? This time, they came even though they knew the rules of the martial arts tournament were set by Prince Jin. So, they're just talking the talk."
After saying that, the Qingyang Sect Leader instructed, "Nie Li, I won't be back tonight. When you bring Qianqian food later, try to gauge her attitude. Don't be too harsh, after all, the martial arts tournament is in a few days. If Qianqian still doesn't change her mind, then let her be. Let her stay one more night and come out tomorrow. Don't let anything go wrong."
Song Nieli nodded: "Senior brother, go ahead without worry. Qianqian is someone we've watched grow up; she's not someone who doesn't care about the big picture."
After hearing this, the Qingyang Sect Leader led a few people down the mountain.
As soon as he left, Song Nieli was about to turn around when the tall, thin young man who had been standing next to the Qingyang Sect Leader spoke up: "Uncle-Master, it's getting late. You should go back and rest. I'll go deliver some food to my junior sister and say a few words to her while I'm at it!"
Song Nieli glanced at the young man and nodded, saying, "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Your Highness!"
The young man laughed and said, "You're too kind, Uncle-Master. This is simply our duty as juniors!"
...
Perhaps because it was lunchtime, Tongtian Palace was deserted except for the occasional disciples on patrol.
Jing Zhe seized an opportunity, using his lightness skill to its fullest extent, and silently floated in, following the young man carrying the food box until they arrived at a small house on the back mountain of Tongtianque.
To be precise, this house has already separated from the main camp of Tongtianque and stands here all alone, surrounded by cliffs. Could it be that Qiu Qianqian is isolated here?
After a few knocks, the door opened.
Qiu Qianqian, dressed in a black fitted long dress similar to that of the Qingyang Sect Leader, appeared outside the door.
"Junior sister, I've come to bring you your food."
"Thank you, senior."
Qiu Qianqian took the food box and turned to go back, but the young man immediately blocked the door when he saw this.
Qiu Qianqian looked up at him: "Senior brother, is there anything else?"
The young man said with a serious expression, "Junior sister, I've come here today to give you a few words of advice, taking the opportunity of bringing you your meal!"
"..."
Qiu Qianqian tilted her head back and didn't speak, but the determination and arrogance in her eyes were undiminished.
"Junior sister, you were sent on a mission this time, and you failed to complete it, which is a major taboo in our sect. Not only was Prince Jin angry, but even the sect leader was furious. Locking you up in the back mountain for solitary confinement is too lenient. If we hadn't pleaded for you, the sect leader would have punished you even more!"
"..."
Qiu Qianqian remained silent, her face indifferent.
Seeing this, the young man became anxious and went straight to the point: "Junior sister, your excuse won't fool anyone! The other party is just someone who doesn't know martial arts. Even if the poison from the Half-Moon Powder is about to take effect, it won't stop you from killing him!"
"Not only did you not kill him, but you also lost one of the Dark Knights under the Prince of Jin. Do you know what people outside are saying?"
"How so?"
Qiu Qianqian finally spoke, and the young man was delighted. He immediately replied, "They say that Jing Zhe is just a good-for-nothing pretty boy. You fell for his looks, so you not only saved him but also helped him kill the Dark Envoy, is that right?"
"hehe…"
Qiu Qianqian gave a cold laugh and did not answer.
However, I completely agree with what he said: That guy is really fair-skinned!
————
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