Chapter 131 Stingy, She's Extremely Stingy: The grand competition held by the Qingfeng Sect is still ongoing, but after what happened...
The grand competition held by the Qingfeng Sect is still ongoing, but after that incident, the participating cultivators, in their spare time from cultivation, never forget to discuss the matter of the young palace master of the Flying Immortal Palace fleeing after committing murder.
They also wondered if the Flying Immortal Palace Master, who doted on her daughter, would fight with the Su family.
As it turned out, the Palace Master of Feixian Palace didn't come at all. While she was still on the way, she heard the news that Xi Congshuang had escaped, so she changed her route to go find her.
During this time, she did not forget to promise the Qingfeng Sect leader that she would send someone to repair the Siguo Cliff formation. However, several days passed and she returned empty-handed to Feixian Palace to deal with the matter.
After much thought, Xi Tingzhu was still furious.
A perfectly healthy person went out, and with so many people watching over them, it was a sure thing, yet they still managed to escape.
Are all the members of the Qingfeng Sect useless?
The jade slip on the table finally reacted, and a phantom appeared above the table. She was dressed in a dark blue robe and wore a silver crown. Even though only half of her body was visible, one could still feel her sharp and awe-inspiring aura.
Those who possess such an aura are undoubtedly sword cultivators. Years of tempering have made them one with their sword, exuding an imposing presence without anger.
The moment the other person appeared, Xi Tingzhu said, "I can't find anyone. Could you keep an eye out for them? The Qingfeng Sect leader seems to be suspicious of me."
"What does that have to do with me?" the man replied.
If a third person were present, they would recognize that this person was the head of the Su family. Everyone was curious and speculating about how she would quarrel with the Palace Master of Feixian Palace, but she was surprisingly calm and composed when she spoke with Palace Master Xi.
Xi Tingzhu turned around: "What, you're really going to hold him accountable for whether he lives or dies?"
Patriarch Su: "If I really cared, things wouldn't be like this now."
Everyone thought that the Su family would break with the Flying Immortal Palace, but despite the arguments, no one from the Su family or the Flying Immortal Palace actually took action, and the confrontation remained at the verbal stage.
However, there is another reason.
Feixian Palace has always been wealthy and powerful. After the incident, they sent over pills and magical artifacts as if they were free, silencing most of the dissenting voices.
Xi Tingzhu ignored her and continued her aggressive questioning: "Do you really like him? Haven't you already gotten tired of him?"
What is all this nonsense?
The head of the Su family felt regret: "I shouldn't have caught you leaving seclusion. It only brought me trouble. I guess I didn't get to the top rightfully."
Xi Tingzhu was most unhappy when others said this, and immediately sneered repeatedly, retorting: "Don't be so smug after getting the benefit. If it weren't for me, how would you have become famous?"
"If people knew that you didn't kill the monster alone, would they say such things about you? Without me, you would have been ousted from your position as head of the family long ago and would never have a chance to rise under Su Yingsheng's name."
The head of the Su family's expression changed slightly, and he closed his eyes and ignored him, clearly feeling that his thoughts had been exposed.
Xi Tingzhu felt much better: "If I hadn't helped you set up the formation and slay the monster, how could you have been praised as 'not inferior to Su Ying back then'? Stop being so high and mighty. In the end, you are no different from me."
Patriarch Su: "If it weren't for cleaning house, I wouldn't have taken action against the Su family. Don't confuse me with you."
Xi Tingzhu: "If I hadn't taken away Su Wenxin, who brought shame to your Su family, and taken the blame for you, who do you think would be the one being rumored to have mistreated the former number one orphan in the world?"
"..."
The head of the Su family remained silent.
Her attitude was clear: she wasn't going to help and didn't want to get involved in this mess any further.
This conversation did not yield the result Xi Tingzhu wanted.
In Su Mu's view, the two sides were now even, and she didn't want to have too much to do with Feixian Palace. After discovering the secret, she only asked the other party to help her make a name for herself.
Xi Tingzhu fulfilled her promise and even sent someone to kill Elder Qu without prior notice, causing a huge uproar before Su Mu found out.
Su Mu should have been angry, but she didn't have much grounds to be.
Besides, killing him is no big deal. He was just a servant of the emperor, holding the title of elder but doing some idle work and making money. Su Mu let him be. Now that he's dead, he doesn't feel much remorse.
Su Mu crushed the jade slip, severing the only means of communication between the two parties.
The figure in front of her vanished in an instant. No matter how angry Xi Tingzhu was, there was nothing she could do. Feeling that she couldn't rely on anyone, she decided to go and look for him herself.
She could have ignored an ordinary cripple, who wouldn't have lasted long on his own outside. But the fact that she could escape the Cliff of Contemplation even with her shattered spiritual abode made Xi Tingzhu realize that she would eventually become a threat to her.
How many people in the world have almost gone mad with their cultivation and still lived for so many years? How many people have their spiritual palace shattered and still managed to unleash strength far exceeding that of the Nascent Soul stage?
If this child is not eliminated, he will surely become a great threat.
Just as Xi Tingzhu was about to leave, the Supreme Elder blocked her way.
The Supreme Elder: "The matters in the palace haven't been settled yet, where are you going again?"
I don't know what's wrong with this old woman lately. Instead of keeping her in seclusion, she comes out and meddles every day.
Xi Tingzhu: "After several days without any news, I'm worried about Shuang'er and plan to go out and look for her myself."
"Tingzhu, now that things have come to this, are you still going to continue pretending?" the Supreme Elder suddenly asked.
"..."
As the sun sets and the sky is ablaze with rosy clouds, the little fairy palace carried by the crane still flies in the sky, repeatedly going up to beg for food. The crane is unaware that the person has left and the palace is empty, and returns empty-handed each time.
The commotion in the distance startled the cranes. Invisible spiritual energy spread out like ripples, seemingly light yet heavy, with a pressure as heavy as a boulder on each of the less powerful disciples of the Immortal Palace.
Such a commotion naturally alerted the other elders in the Immortal Palace, who all gathered in this direction.
From afar, one could see the spirit beasts that had been kept in the palace for a long time running around in all directions, as if they had been frightened by something.
Xi Tingzhu, who had taken the blow, had blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She clutched her chest with one hand, while the Supreme Elder stood opposite her.
The other elders happened to hear Xi Tingzhu say, "Inappropriate, inappropriate, it's that 'inappropriate' phrase again."
Xi Tingzhu was very unhappy. "From childhood, I have been much better than her. I am clearly the one who sets up the array the fastest, and I am also the one who cultivates the fastest. Why do you all like her and always say bad things about me?"
The Supreme Elder said, "The master of the Immortal Palace should prioritize temperament over cultivation level. If only those with the highest cultivation level were to hold the position, then the Immortal Palace should belong to me. But I have never been the master of the Flying Immortal Palace."
Xi Tingzhu retorted without hesitation: "That's because you lack backbone, what does it have to do with me?"
The Supreme Elder had long known her temper, so he wasn't too angry. He just never expected that she had thought of him this way all these years.
Although she never left the house, she already knew everything about the matter and was very clear about the younger man's temperament.
The Supreme Elder asked, "I ask you, is the death of Elder Qu of the Su Clan related to you?"
Xi Tingzhu was fearless: "What, so many people have come to interrogate me?"
An elder asked, "When exactly did you return to Feixian Palace? Where did Huaizhen go?"
Xi Tingzhu: "I won't say anything. At worst, you can expose the fact that I'm a fake palace master. I don't care. It's not me who's being targeted by the demonic cultivators in the abyss. Let's see how many people you can protect then."
These words indeed struck a chord with the elders, who had had a premonition ever since Xi Tingzhu emerged from seclusion.
In the subsequent tests, it turned out to be fake; the person was fake, but the cultivation level was real.
Who would have thought that after suffering a backlash and her cultivation level dropped, Xi Huaizhen's cultivation level would be exactly the same as Xi Tingzhu's, and she wouldn't even have any hidden injuries.
It's also because they were too careless; they didn't even notice when the palace master was replaced.
For so many years, no one knew where she was hiding. She would suddenly disappear and then suddenly reappear, and her cultivation level had also increased considerably.
Seeing the elders' varying expressions, Xi Tingzhu felt an unprecedented sense of joy: "Isn't Xi Huaizhen concerned about the world and wants to protect everyone? I'll do the opposite of what she wants."
"Cut me off quickly, expose the truth to the world, and it would be best if we all died together."
The Supreme Elder said, "Why are you still the same as before, so stubborn and unenlightened? All these years have passed, and you've only increased your cultivation level but not your brain?"
With her attitude, you won't get any clues about Xi Huaizhen at all.
With a single palm strike, he sent the man crashing into the main palace hall. Xi Tingzhu tried to catch him with her own palm, but her cultivation was no match for his. She was struck by the backlash of spiritual energy and fell into the hall, supporting herself with her hands as she coughed up blood.
Looking up again, she saw the Supreme Elder wave his sleeve and seal the entire hall, ordering her to reflect on her mistakes behind closed doors.
With the Supreme Elder personally intervening, it would be harder for Xi Tingzhu to escape than to ascend to heaven, let alone do anything else.
*
Half a month later, a small boat drifted southwards, passing through fields of lotus flowers, and slowly approached the shore.
Today is market day, and the area around the dock is bustling with activity, no less so than the ten-mile lotus pond.
The boats near the dock were loaded with goods, baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables picked that morning, while an empty awning boat was a rare sight.
Not only was the bow empty, but there was also no boatman in sight; it simply sat steadily in front of the dock.
There were just too many boats nearby, and everyone was busy with their own things, loading, unloading, and selling goods. Otherwise, I would have been wondering for a long time how they managed to do it.
First, a little girl in a red dress emerged from the awning boat, her gaze fixed on the bustling market where people were thronging about and talking loudly.
And they were all ordinary people without any cultivation.
She jumped ashore, then turned back and reached into the boat.
"Hold on tight, I'm here to catch you."
Following the words of the girl in the red dress, another tall and beautiful woman stepped out of the boat. With blank eyes, she placed her hand on the girl's hand and was pulled ashore by her.
Today, the place was crowded with people, and the presence of two unfamiliar strangers went unnoticed; the two simply blended into the crowd.
Su Wenxin: "Where are we going?"
Xi Congshuang pondered for a moment: "Go to the brokerage."
After sitting on a boat for quite some time, they finally set foot on solid ground. Even cultivators who were used to flying in the sky felt a sense of floating on air.
"This is a tea town, but we don't produce tea. We produce lotus roots, and every year many merchants come here to buy lotus roots... However, we won't have fresh lotus roots to eat so soon. It's still when the lotus flowers are in bloom," the broker said as he led the customers who came to see the house.
He carried a large bunch of keys, which jingled as he walked around the yard.
As he was speaking, he suddenly felt his voice go silent. He turned around and saw that the guest who had come to see the house had just left when an old lady called out to him.
The old lady said, "Do you want some lotus seeds? If you cook lotus seeds with mung beans and white fungus, and add some rock sugar, it's very refreshing and helps to cool you down in the summer. We all love to drink it like this."
Xi Congshuang: "The food was indeed delicious."
The old lady was very happy to hear that something from her hometown had been praised: "Then come and sit at my house. I just finished making a soup of mung beans, white fungus and lotus seeds."
Before the broker could even get a few words out, the old lady next door launched into a tirade, almost dragging him away, leaving the usually eloquent broker no chance to interject.
Renya finally caught a break in the old woman's conversation and hurriedly nodded: "Yes, yes, the people in our tea town are very warm and hospitable, and the public security is good. You can rest assured that you're staying here, young lady."
Su Wenxin noticed that the old woman had a hesitant expression, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't, and seemed a little anxious.
She turned around and looked into the courtyard, where she saw the main room with an eight-immortal table set up, the afternoon sun making it bright and spacious.
This house is quite nice, and it's also quite shady.
Xi Congshuang nodded gently: "Then let's choose this place to stay, but this house is a bit old, how about making the rent a little cheaper?"
The broker said, "How do you know this house is old? My house is very new, okay? Show it to the young lady next to you. Everything has been furnished for you, and it's all new."
Xi Congshuang: "You just repaired it a while ago, right? The smell of the paint on the wood hasn't completely dissipated yet, and there's still a musty smell."
The man with the tooth fell silent instantly: "..."
Actually, he didn't smell anything at all, but it was a fact that it had only been repaired recently. If he argued back after being pointed out, he could forget about doing business.
Besides, this house is indeed...
Toothman: "So what do you want?"
Xi Congshuang: "The price will be reduced by another 50% each month."
The broker said, "Fifty percent? I might as well give it to you for free... Never mind, since you like it here, I'll do you a favor and make it this price."
Seeing that Xi Congshuang really intended to leave with her people, the broker gritted his teeth and agreed.
To be honest, his heart was bleeding; he was heartbroken about the money he had spent.
Shouldn't someone who seems detached from worldly affairs be someone who spends lavishly and doesn't value money?
Why would they haggle over the price?
Despite his inner complaints, the broker worked swiftly and efficiently. The two parties signed the contract, the broker left the key, took the contract, and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he shook his head and sighed, "You really know how to bargain."
Even though you can't see anything, your nose is still so sensitive.
"I don't have much money on me, I'm forced to by circumstances," Xi Congshuang said without batting an eye.
Su Wenxin lowered her head to hide her smile. Why did she feel like laughing so much when the person who bought the boat with the luminous pearl said these words without changing his expression?
"..." As Renya left, he shook his head and sighed, "He looks quite wealthy, but I didn't expect him to be penniless."
We really misjudged it, but renting out this house is a good thing, it's better than leaving it abandoned.
Just as the two people left, the old woman who had just called out to them reappeared outside the door.
With the broker gone, she finally had a chance to tell the truth: "Oh dear, young lady, this house is no place to live. Someone died here. That person hanged himself in the main room, and I heard that his spirit is still haunting him, always looking for someone to take his place. It has scared away several masters."
As the old woman spoke, she noticed the vacant look in Xi Congshuang's eyes and thought to herself, "What a pity."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "You're all so young, and your sister is still little. Don't do anything foolish just to save money."
"The evil spirits have dispersed." They couldn't even last a breath against Xi Congshuang before their souls were completely scattered.
The old woman thought she had misheard: "What?"
Xi Congshuang said in a serious tone: "I am actually a ghost-catching master. I knew there was a ghost here as soon as I walked into this house. I came here to exorcise evil ghosts. Now the evil ghosts have been eliminated, and the house is very clean inside and out. Auntie, you don't need to worry about my sister and me."
The old woman was stunned: "Removed? So quickly? Didn't you write some talismans and stick them all over the house?"
Then, what if a shaman performs a ritual, rings a bell, chants scriptures, and breathes fire at the incense burner?
The old woman's expression was so obvious that it would be hard for Su Wenxin not to understand. She couldn't help but laugh and helped cover up the lie: "She's very capable and doesn't need to do those things."
It wasn't exactly a lie; from the moment Xi Congshuang entered the room, the lingering evil aura quickly dissipated due to the pressure from the high-level cultivator.
Xi Congshuang played along, saying in a serious tone, "To tell you the truth, my eyes are like this because they revealed a secret of heaven... Anyway, thank you for your concern, madam."
The old woman stared in disbelief: "..."
I was utterly shocked.
Wow, my new neighbor next door is amazing!
*
You need to have some skills to make a living in this world.
This statement applies to many situations.
If you hide your strength too much, a blind man with a little girl who is also very rich will only cause countless troubles. It's better to be successful from the start.
Sure enough, the effect was immediate.
Thanks to the old lady's word-of-mouth, the news that a ghost-exorcising master lived in the haunted house spread like wildfire throughout the tea town, reaching most of the town in half a day.
The brokerage firm sent the money they had paid the previous day back the very next day, expressing their deep shame and immediately waiving six months' rent so they could stay comfortably.
Xi Congshuang readily agreed, without explaining that she wouldn't stay for long, but was only temporarily staying to avoid the limelight.
The brokerage firm, on the other hand, had a very simple idea.
Why would someone so powerful offend another person over a little money?
Besides, even paying six months' rent might not be enough to hire a master who can exorcise evil spirits, so it's not a huge loss.
Meanwhile, the Flying Immortal Palace is searching everywhere for young women who match the descriptions, and will reward them with elixirs or spiritual treasures for providing useful clues.
The specific description is as follows: He is blindfolded with a white silk cloth, tall and slender, rather frail, with white hair and white clothes. He is also generous and is accompanied by a girl who is about ten years old.
The owner of the brokerage firm was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He had many businesses, and the tea town was just one of them. Seeing the generous rewards offered by the Flying Immortal Palace, the brokerage firm owner, who was eager to break through to the Core Formation stage, spread the news to his subordinates.
Tell them to keep an eye out for such people and report any news immediately.
The news slowly spread to the tea town. Although there were not many cultivators in the vicinity, the brokerage firm was a well-informed place. All buying, selling, and leasing had to go through them, so they had a lot of intelligence.
The brokerage owner also made a lot of money through intelligence gathering.
We earn money from both mortals and cultivators.
Upon receiving the notification, the manager of the tea town brokerage immediately replied, "There is no doubt about the candidate."
The brokerage manager said, "That guy is incredibly stingy!"
The fact that she is so generous makes people instinctively rule out Xi Congshuang, who has a visual impairment.
She's incredibly stingy!
It's impossible to squeeze any extra money out of her!
The brokerage manager was still heartbroken about losing six months' rent; a lot of money had just flown away. That was a courtyard with its own well; it would never have cost that much to rent normally.
The message was missed, and Feixian Palace's extensive search yielded no results.
The Feixian Palace was right. Xi Congshuang had never left the Feixian Palace since she was eighteen, and she always had the best of everything.
Even if she is very worldly-wise, it is difficult for her to change her old habits. She will inevitably be generous and unconsciously use unusual things without finding them strange.
Not to mention that Su Wenxin, who is by her side, is still young, she may not be able to persuade Xi Congshuang.
The truly wise live in seclusion in the city. Who would have thought that Xi Congshuang would dare to live openly in an ordinary town with her people, and live such an unconventional life?
In short, Feixian Palace never expected to miss any news about her, time and time again.
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