Chapter 30 So that's what this treasure is all about.
Four swords, sharp and pointed, were drawn, surrounding Ling Shu.
Ling Shu hugged the cat-shaped cotton bag that Hai Gu had sewn for her tightly and said aggrievedly, "I... I'm not very good at using magic. The stick flew away by itself. I was afraid it would hurt you, so I broke it."
Then he waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "I meant no harm."
The female cultivator with phoenix eyes said, "I'm afraid you were planning to ambush us. The wooden stick broke because it couldn't withstand the demonic power."
"I didn't!" Ling Shu said. "My master said I could just listen to the lectures casually, and it wouldn't matter if I didn't pass the final exam. Why would I fight you for the sound jade?"
The person who had been threatened with a sword by the phoenix-eyed female cultivator also came to intimidate: "Who knows if you're just making up an excuse?"
The female cultivator on the left suggested, "Unless you seal your acupoints for an hour."
"How do you seal it?" Ling Shu quickly replied, which made the four female cultivators feel incredulous. They looked at each other, and the female cultivator with phoenix eyes sheathed her sword, walked up to her, and personally sealed her acupoints.
They all sheathed their swords.
They all turned to look, and the Qilin was still fast asleep. The four of them started fighting again.
...
Ling Shu couldn't help but say, "I say, senior sisters, why don't you cooperate first, and then compete against each other after you get the Sound Jade?"
The female cultivator with phoenix eyes nodded in agreement, and the other two also thought it made sense. Only one female cultivator, who had previously been injured in the abdomen, said no: "When the Qilin awakens, it is extremely fierce. We may not be able to defeat it. Even if we do, we, who are seriously injured, will not be able to obtain the Sound Jade. Wouldn't the injured be just stepping stones for others?"
Unable to reach an agreement, the stalemate continues.
Ling Shu ignored them and climbed up a tree to watch the commotion.
They started fighting again, and new people kept coming in. These people all had the same goal: to hurt each other for a perfect score.
Ling Shu yawned at the sight, so she simply put her bag behind her head and leaned back.
The Qilin's eyelids twitched slightly, and her body began to stir. Then she opened her tiger eyes. Upon seeing the people surrounding her, she roared, her voice booming like a bell, and a gust of wind swept through the crowd. Ling Shu's drowsiness was also driven away by her roar.
The Qilin rose from the ground, standing about two zhang tall. Its scales shimmered in the sunlight. When it stood firmly on all fours and was fully awake, the flame patterns on its legs transformed into real flames, making its four legs appear to be burning in fire.
She bared her teeth and grabbed people, throwing them into the air, or using her horns to butt those who faced her with swords, or kicking them. The flames on her legs would set the cultivators' clothes on fire. Seven or eight people rolled on the ground trying to extinguish the flames on their bodies, while two or three others ran through the grass, their burning bodies spreading to the grass and trees, which then caught fire as well.
"Terrible, terrible." Ling Shu saw that the situation was bad; the fire was getting bigger and bigger and would eventually burn this place. He jumped down from the tree.
"Stop." A soft, delicate voice came from behind and above. The voice was exceptionally clear in her ears; it was calling her.
Ling Shu took off running, but the earth trembled, and when she turned around, she saw a Qilin chasing after her.
No way, this is outrageous! She didn't even lift a finger! Can't she just stand by and watch?! Is there no justice in this world?!
Who are you?
"I'm just an ordinary fox spirit."
"How do you know my name?"
How would I know your name?
“But you called my name,” the Qilin leaped over her head and stood in front of Ling Shu, blocking her path. “The fairy said that whoever can guess my name will receive a jade pendant.”
"?"
"So your name is Scary?"
"It is I."
"..."
The Qilin said solemnly, then spat out a piece of yellow, uncarved jade from its mouth. Although it came out of its mouth, it was not covered with any saliva. It was indeed a divine beast. The jade slowly landed in Ling Shu's palm.
As I always say, why not take something that's free? Put it in your bag.
Ling Shu said, "Thank you, I'll go now."
The Qilin didn't move. Instead, it extinguished the flames on its legs and nudged Ling Shu's hand with its head. Why was it acting like a kitten? Ling Shu hesitated and asked, "You... want to touch it?"
The Qilin wagged its tail and nodded, then lay down on the ground and patted Ling Shu's head.
Ling Shu touched it; the hair was a bit prickly, but since she had been given a sound jade, it was okay to pat her head.
The Qilin was enjoying itself comfortably, while flames soared into the sky and screams filled the air not far away. Suddenly, the Qilin said, "Actually, you already have a sound jade on you."
Ling Shu glanced down at the jade lotus-patterned pendant on her waist, picked it up, and said, "Is this what you mean?"
The Qilin drawled comfortably, "Yes, that's—this—one—!"
So that's what this precious thing is like.
Ling Shu looked at the chaotic scene and stopped, saying, "What a mess."
"You won't die." Qilin was unhappy that she suddenly withdrew her hand and was about to move closer, but Ling Shu refused to touch her anymore.
"I'm going out." Ling Shu waved her hand and walked to the nearest teleportation array. As she approached, the array lit up. Just as she was about to step in, someone pulled her back.
"Don't go." Li Chang suddenly appeared before him. Ling Shu smiled and said, "Have you been following me?" Li Chang still had her haughty look on her face: "I didn't, don't talk nonsense." Ling Shu raised an eyebrow and said, "Miss is just going that way, I know."
Then Ling Shu jumped straight into that formation.
A red light flashed, and a cage rose from the ground—the familiar Meridian Killing Formation.
Li Chang somehow rushed in too, yelling at her, "Are you crazy? Your acupoints are sealed and your magic is blocked, what are you doing jumping in here?! Do you want to die?!"
Ling Shu said, "You knew it was the Midnight Killing Formation, so why did you come in? To die with me?"
Li Chang put her hands on her hips and said, "I'm the young lady! If something happens to me, they will definitely be held accountable. If it were anyone else, I would have jumped in too!"
Ling Shu grasped the key phrase: "Them?"
Li Chang realized she had let something slip and quickly added, "I was referring to the teacher in charge of this monthly exam!"
"oh."
A fire has broken out at Qilin, and a distress message has been sent out.
A moment later, Ling Shu's body began to sway from side to side, and she suddenly collapsed to the ground. Li Chang screamed in fright, calling her name repeatedly, but Ling Shu remained unresponsive, like a dead fish. Li Chang frantically sent messages outwards. A short while later, Li Chang also fainted.
The rest room was filled with injured examinees. Every trial of the Immortal Sect was a true battle of wits and skills.
The person carrying Ling Shu into the house was masked, and she was taken into a secluded room.
After a long while, footsteps approached, and the person held a golden magical power in their hand, full of killing intent, and swung it down at Ling Shu.
At the critical moment, Ling Shu suddenly opened her eyes, turned her body to the side, and the wooden board beneath her was shattered.
The newcomer was masked, with flame patterns embroidered on her collar and skirt—the robes of the Shangqing Sect. She was at the late Nascent Soul stage, smelled of medicine, and carried no sword.
Having been discovered, she acted without restraint, her fingers forming a claw as she aimed straight for Ling Shu's heart.
After a few rounds, Ling Shu moved nimbly, causing her to jump around in the rest room, making Ling Shu laugh heartily.
"Come and get your grandma, come on, come on, hahahaha."
The man became even more enraged, suddenly stopped, touched his index and middle fingers together, and uttered the words: "Clear clouds open, desolate calamity formation opens."
Ling Shu stood on the table and said, "The Desolate Calamity Formation? Impressive, impressive! Afraid of being discovered using forbidden techniques, they dared not use the Meridian Killing Formation. Now they're using a killing formation to trap and kill cultivators. Impressive, impressive!" As she spoke, she clapped and cheered. Red circular stripes appeared on the ground, surrounding Ling Shu.
The man spoke with a feigned gentleness: "Die, no one will find you here."
Ling Shu sat on the table with her legs crossed, twirling her toes: "It's hard to say."
Upon hearing Ling Shu's words, she realized that she was trapped in a scheme. From the moment Ling Shu opened her eyes, she had been caught in someone's trap.
Ling Shu frankly said, "You're not the one who's really trying to kill me. Don't you feel it's a pity to risk your own life for someone else?"
"Your Majesty has been fighting with that King Dog for many years, and they are like oil and water. King Dog will not die, and you, this threat, will not live either. You, a half-demon bastard, can forget about taking the young lady's original position!"
Creak—the door opened.
Zhao Chi, along with the tutors of the various supervisors, blocked the entrance.
She tried to jump out of the window, but the window was suddenly frozen shut.
"Who wants my disciple dead?"
Zhuang Jinfu's solemn voice came from behind. The teachers made way for her, and behind Zhuang Jinfu was a gentle-looking woman in green.
Zhuang Jinfu raised his hand, and the Desolate Calamity Formation was immediately broken. The woman in green was the elder in charge of this monthly exam. She walked straight forward and tore off her veil, revealing a gaunt face and a skeletal figure.
Zhao Chi's body trembled, his lips turned pale, and he whispered, "Master..."
Zhuang Jinfu walked straight up to the man and slapped him across the face, angrily saying, "Shanji, you have completely ruined the reputation of the Shangqing Sect!"
Ignoring Shan Ji's feelings, Zhuang Jinfu rebuked her in front of everyone, saying, "You instigated Sun Wangzhou Qiqianyu to bully your fellow disciples, set up a trap in the Demon Transformation Valley to make the beasts inhale the lotus powder that could drive them mad, and tried to murder Ling Shu, causing countless deaths and injuries among the cultivators who entered the Demon Transformation Valley. You also forced your disciples to refine high-grade cultivation pills for free, which you then sold at high prices outside in violation of the law. After your disciples exposed you, you then exterminated them. Your pill lineage has also lost thirty-one disciples without cause. Which of these crimes is not one that you have committed?"
Shanji gritted his teeth, his face fierce: "What evidence do you have?"
"You say I instigated those three people, who are disciples of Elder An Hong. You say I deliberately set a trap to murder Ling Shu, but I have no grudge against Ling Shu, so why would I kill her? You say I violated the law by selling pills at high prices, but do you have any records? As an elder, how could I not feel pained by the unexplained disappearance of Thirty-One?"
The woman in green was Elder An Hong, who was now completely black-clad.
Sun Wangzhou and Qi Qianyu are dead, leaving no way to corroborate the story. Even the plot to murder Ling Shu is difficult to prove physically, the account book is even harder to find, and the person who disappeared without a trace has vanished without a trace.
“I have the ledger.” Zhao Chi, who was hiding to the side, chuckled gloomily upon hearing this. He then took out an ledger from his pocket and respectfully handed it to Zhuang Jinfu.
Zhuang Jinfu held the book in his hands and flipped through it, feeling relieved. He was glad that he had saved Zhao Chi in vain.
Elder An Hong said, "According to the Shangqing Sect's rules, the Shangqing Sect prohibits the private sale of pills, medicinal herbs, and spirit beasts. Those who violate the law will be punished according to the amount obtained. Those who obtain more than two million spirit stones will be punished with the seventeenth level of lightning strike."
Ling Shu, Xin Dao, is not enough.
Selling pills at exorbitant prices in violation of the law is only punishable by the Seventeenth Lightning Punishment. She will soon recover after being struck, and if she retaliates then, it will be endless. Such a light punishment is not as good as the kick she received when that dead pig stepped on her. She will not be able to get justice for the thirty-one missing people or Zhao Chi's misfortune.
Ling Shu suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "I have the confession of Sun Wangzhou Qiqianyu before his death."
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