Fusang Sword Heart Diagram

Chapter 58 Counting the Trophies

Ning Fusang immediately understood and asked, "Elder Lu Cong cannot return to his position in the sect?"

In front of Yang Ruo, Ning Fusang always addressed Lu Cong by his given name, but with Gu Pingsheng, she used a respectful title. After all, he hadn't been convicted yet, and he was, after all, an elder.

Gu Pingsheng swept his hand across the table, revealing a pile of files: "These are all evidence of Lu Cong's years of accepting bribes and abusing his power for personal gain. You can take a look."

Despite the irregularities, Ning Fusang didn't hesitate and calmly picked up the top file to examine it.

Lu Cong is a native of Beiyu Lingzhou. He joined the Nanxing Sword Sect in the 40,955th year of the third calendar of Zhongling and is now an eighth-level cultivator.

The current era of Ning Fusang is the Fifth Era. The Zhongling World has existed for a total of 241,260 years. For the convenience of recording, a cycle of 100,000 years is used.

She continued reading and found that all of Lu Cong's crimes were acts of abuse of power for personal gain after he was promoted to outer sect elder. For example, changing the selection of outer sect disciples to go to the secret realm, accepting spirit stones from disciples, and leaking the content of the year-end assessment. These were all things that could be turned a blind eye to and were not serious.

The saying "too much clarity leaves no room for fish" is understood by everyone except for people like Yang Ruo. The Southern Star Sword Sect wouldn't severely punish Lu Cong for these crimes.

So the key point is still the question Ning Fusang asked at the very beginning.

Lu Cong cannot return to his sect to take up a post.

Ning Fusang closed the file and neatly put it away: "Master Gu, if it weren't for this incident, where would Elder Lu Cong have taken up his post after he returned?"

"The Sword Debate Pavilion." Gu Pingsheng had always known that Ning Fusang was intelligent, so he wasn't surprised or taken aback that she had thought of this so quickly.

The Sword Debate Pavilion of the Southern Star Sword Sect is open to the public. For example, all matters related to the Sword Debate Tournament in Yuling Prefecture are prepared by the Sword Debate Pavilion.

Information such as the number of people from the sect going out, the list of disciples who want to challenge the sword, their realm, flying swords, etc., all have to be handled by the Sword Debate Pavilion.

The deal between the Autumn Frost Sword Sect and Lu Cong is far more complex than just a few merfolk. They've already begun preparations for the Sword Challenge four years from now.

After reviewing the past files, Ning Fusang formed an assessment of Lu Cong. If the Autumn Frost Sword Sect only wanted some intelligence, he might not refuse to provide it. Moreover, Lu Cong had this weakness that they held over him.

The sect wanted to deal with him not because of these crimes, but because Lu Cong was not up to any great responsibility.

The Southern Star Sword Sect and the Autumn Frost Sword Sect are both sword-wielding sects and are each other's biggest rivals. Lu Cong shouldn't have gotten involved with the people of the Autumn Frost Sword Sect.

"How can Master Gu be so sure that Yang Ruo will definitely discover Lu Cong's act of selling mermaids?" This is the point that Ning Fusang has not figured out.

It was purely coincidental that Yang Ruo discovered this.

Gu Pingsheng smiled and looked at her. Ning Fusang suddenly realized that she was also a pawn in this game.

When it comes to scheming against people, how could she possibly outmaneuver these ancient foxes?

The girl's hand, which was resting flat on her knees, trembled slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Master Gu, I have another question."

Ning Fusang's attitude was respectful, as if he were earnest in his pursuit of knowledge.

"Just ask."

Gu Pingsheng said slowly.

"Master Gu, do you know who the elder who guarded Qingbo Cave Lake was sixty years ago?" Ning Fusang openly observed Gu Pingsheng's reaction.

His hand holding the teacup paused slightly, and his voice deepened as he reminded, "The matter of Qingbo Cave Lake will not be investigated for the next three Jiazi. This matter ends with Lu Cong. You don't need to investigate it or worry about it."

Ning Fusang smiled and replied, "This student understands." "However—"

She changed the subject and said, "Yang Ruo knows that elder's surname is Lü."

That was enough; there was no need to elaborate further. Gu Pingsheng knew his apprentice's personality very well. He nodded to indicate that he understood.

"Tomorrow's kendo lesson will be in Flying Forest Valley. Don't forget the time."

Ning Fusang understood the implication in Gu Pingsheng's words that he wanted to see the guest out, and stood up, saying, "I will remember that."

To be honest, even if Gu Pingsheng didn't intend to see him off, Ning Fusang would have already taken her leave.

On the way down the mountain, he ran into Yang Ruo sitting on the stone steps and asked, "Junior Sister Ning, are you leaving so soon?"

"Since this is your first time visiting Songhan Peak, let me show you around. The scenery at Songhan Peak is absolutely stunning."

The young girl smiled sweetly, her voice clear and bright: "Master Gu has already served tea and asked us to leave, so I can't be so tactless, can I?"

Ning Fusang brushed her clothes aside and walked down the mountain path.

Who would want to stroll around Songhan Peak with Yang Ruo? What's so interesting about a few pine trees? She'd rather go back and check the storage bags she'd collected; that would be much more enjoyable.

*
Wuyuan.

The flowers planted by Ruan San Niang have already covered the small courtyard, with red, yellow, orange and white flowers of different colors swaying in the wind.

Ning Fusang pushed open the courtyard gate. The courtyard was very clean, and even the water tank was full.

Indeed, Ruan San Niang was a very diligent person.

She's off today, so she's probably out shopping at the market and not at home.

After hanging a sign outside the door indicating that everything was alright, Ning Fusang went inside and opened the several storage bags she had obtained on this trip.

The disciples of the Autumn Frost Sword Sect each had four storage bags. Ning Fusang obtained five from the group of rogue cultivators who were robbing the road, and gave one to Yang Ruo, so she obtained a total of eight storage bags.

These were all low-level storage bags, not very spacious, containing a total of 432 spirit stones. Ning Fusang didn't expect those who came out to rob travelers to be very wealthy, so she was quite satisfied with this number.

Aside from the spirit stones, there were miscellaneous items: four second-tier Swift Light Talismans, a golden spirit net, a bottle of healing pills, a bottle of antidote pills, several bolts of snow-white silk, and an ancient bronze bell.

What interested Ning Fusang the most was a gold artifact shaped like a bamboo joint. After studying it for a while, she discovered its purpose: it could be used to view distant scenes.

Ning Fusang looked down at the object in her hand, then smiled and said, "I'll call you the Thousand-Mile Mirror."

Although she can't truly see what's a thousand miles away, magical artifacts can be upgraded. She can find some materials in the future to improve the quality of the telescope, and it might not be impossible to see a thousand miles with it.

Ning Fusang used her spiritual power as a blade to carve the two characters "Fusang" on the telescope.

After putting away the telescope, she looked at the two jade slips containing cultivation techniques in her storage bag.

These two cultivation methods are the "Small Heavenly Circuit Qi Transformation Method" and the "Three Blades of Qi Waves". The former is a cultivation method that transforms Qi into spirit. After Ning Fusang finished reading the contents of the jade slip, he discovered its shortcomings.

The "Small Heavenly Qi Transformation Method" is a cultivation method that transforms spiritual energy into spiritual power, and it is essentially the same as the "Spirit Refining Technique" of the Southern Star Sword Sect.

Cultivating according to the above method can refine spiritual energy even faster than the "Spirit Refining Technique," but its drawback is also obvious: the refined spiritual energy will not be pure enough.

(End of this chapter)