I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 208 It’s foggy and confusing, don’t take any risks!
Ruyun Peak, inner courtyard.

Xie Yuan returned to his cliffside courtyard, closed the door, calmed himself down, and then made himself a pot of tea to calm his nerves.

“Is it over…?”

Xie Yuan sat by the window, frowning and thinking.

Lin Cheng and his team went down the mountain on the first day, even Huang Yifeng.

Then I stayed there for nine days...

Xie Yuan sighed. Anyone could tell something was wrong.

Not to mention that the eyesight of the sword masters has always been extremely sharp.

but……

Xie Yuan hesitated slightly.

Why did Li Xingtuo just send me off after asking a few random questions?
If he had been exposed, wouldn't an undercover agent who had sneaked in from outside and entered the Yunshan Sword Sect's most important forbidden area, Jianfeng, be captured on the spot and interrogated to see if he had discovered any secrets of the Sword Sect?

He was also considerate enough to let me have a good rest... just like he would treat his own disciple.

This is totally not the right attitude to treat intruders.

Could it be that, in fact...

Didn't they think much about it?

Do you think I'm a genius?
Xie Yuan found it a little unbelievable, but it seemed to make sense?
The Heaven Hidden Art is an ancient miracle that can conceal the secrets of heaven and seize the luck of the people. It is unheard of in the martial arts of the world. With the Heaven Hidden Art at the minor level, Xie Yuan has great confidence that he can deceive ordinary masters.

However, he was not sure whether he could hide it from Li Xingtuo, a top master who was close to being a grandmaster.

Now it seems that maybe it can be successful?
Xie Yuan was in a state of confusion, for a moment confused by the attitudes of Li Xingtuo and other masters, not knowing what was going on.

If you want to kill me or cut me up, just give me a clear answer...

Forget it, just run away.

As soon as Xie Yuan had this thought, he stood up instantly, wanting to pack up all his valuables and then jump down the cliff in front of him.

However, he just stood up, then slowly sat back down and shook his head.

"If I can escape like this, then I really think Li Xingtuo is a fool. At my speed, he can let me run down the mountain first and then wait for me at the mountain gate..."

Since I'm not sure what the Sword Sect's top leaders are thinking, I can't run away.

Let’s eat first.

After nine days without food or water, even a warrior's transformation could not sustain it. Xie Yuan felt that although his spirit was strangely full, his hungry stomach was about to rebel.

He could not help but rush to the canteen at the top of Ruyun Peak and eat a bowl of noodles and a bucket of rice, ten eggs and a large bowl of vegetable stew with a speed that would shock the cook.

Although it was my first time here, I had to admit that the food at the inner gate was much better than that at the outer gate. The simple vegetable stew with meat was also much more delicious than that at the outer gate.

It could also be because I was too hungry...

Xie Yuan was concentrating on eating, but he could vaguely hear someone around him saying:

"That's Zhang Shan, right?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Is it so edible?"

"You can also eat if you stay at Jianfeng for nine days..."

Faintly feeling that there were many whispers around and people looking at him with strange eyes, Xie Yuan just said nothing and left after finishing his meal, leaving the eyes of others following his back. And after he left the cafeteria, there was a loud discussion behind him.

Quite a few people had wanted to come up and chat with Xie Yuan just now, but after all, they were not familiar with him, and he was too focused on the food, so they left him alone for a while.

But listening to the noise behind, Xie Yuan sighed silently, he really became famous.

Becoming the focus of the entire sect is really bad news.

Back in the courtyard, Xie Yuan leaned back in his chair, thinking carefully about his situation.

He and Mu Chaoyun had gone up the mountain together to avoid being hunted down by Lu Laosan.

Then the two discovered that Jianfeng actually had the Black Book hidden in his possession, and they were immediately tempted;
In addition, the spiritual energy here is rich and suitable for practicing, and the sword sect's skills are also superb, which is just right for him as a casual cultivator without any inheritance. So after Mu Chaoyun left, he stayed and continued to practice.

It has to be said that the purpose of entering Yunshan under a false identity was not very pure... It is not an exaggeration to say that it was for the purpose of stealing skills, which is a taboo in any sect.

Or maybe I was too eager for the Black Book and Jianfeng, and when I got the chance, I couldn't help but want to go in and take a look, and the result was like this.

Just talking about comprehending the Black Book, it shouldn't have caused Xie Yuan to be completely immersed in it and oblivious to the outside world. That has always been the case only when there is a breakthrough. This time when he entered, he was still nearly 400 points short of the Black Book, and he never expected that he would enter that state.

Now that I think about it, I made up 400 points of progress in less than ten days. The speed is unprecedentedly fast, much faster than holding the Bagua Lotus in the palm of my hand. It may also be related to this strange state.

Xie Yuan closed his eyes slightly and recalled.

From the very beginning, he entered the world of the Heavenly Book, which was similar to the one he encountered every time he broke through the Black Heavenly Book. The Eight Diagrams Lotus was a lotus that contained all kinds of secret techniques. This was a mountain of swords with whistling sword intent. The Heavenly Book World contained everything related to this page of the Black Heavenly Book, and almost any technique he could obtain.

But all the previous ones were at the moment of breakthrough, why did he enter at the very beginning this time?

Xie Yuan frowned and thought hard, suddenly remembering that this time seemed to be different from the last time he broke through in the sword cave.

The last time I felt it was a pure sword mountain, with sword wind whistling around it and all the symbols of swordsmanship inside;

Although I saw the sword mountain this time, and saw the sword wind that materialized from it, and there were also sword winds entwined around it, but it seemed that there was something more -

Those sharp swords flying in the sky, mixed in the sword wind, and the various phantoms on the stone platform were different from the figures demonstrating swordsmanship. These had never happened before.

Each of these sharp swords and phantoms represents a sword technique, sword move or sword intent. They are not entirely the concrete representation of sword techniques, but rather more like... the wisdom of our predecessors.

Xie Yuan opened his eyes, as if thinking about something.

This world of heavenly books was too abstract, but Xie Yuan did sense something different.

These famous swords and phantoms do not seem to be something originally included in the Black Book.

If there is any difference between this time and the last time...it is that he is on the peak of the sword.

These things should be the peculiarities of the Sword Peak itself. They are the result of all the predecessors comprehending the sword, carving the sword, and keeping the sword on the Sword Peak, and then integrating them into this page of the Black Book, creating the strange phenomenon.

The whirlwind of sword intent that never stops on the sword peak all year round, apart from the strong sword intent emanating from the Black Sky Book, is it not also the legacy of the predecessors of the Yunshan Sword Sect?
So after entering the Sword Peak, I felt a different atmosphere and a different sword intent, and then I entered the world of sword intent.

So it can be said that he first felt the remaining sword intent on the sword peak, and then relied on its fusion with the world of the Black Heavenly Book to directly enter the world of the Heavenly Book that only appeared after the breakthrough. As a result, the effect of his perception was surprisingly good, and the progress of the Black Heavenly Book also skyrocketed, and he completely broke through in ten days.

The sword intent of his predecessors was like a key and a springboard, leading him into the real Black Book.

Xie Yuan suddenly realized and finally figured out why he had lost his perception of the outside world and entered that strange world of sword intent.

It turns out that this time I really relied on my own understanding?
I think it is not easy to feel and gain something from the remaining sword intent, otherwise the Yunshan Sword Sect would be so powerful that everyone is as brave as a dragon.

Xie Yuan nodded repeatedly, and finally figured out the source of the mystery around Jianfeng, except that he had not seen the true appearance of the Black Book.

No wonder compared to the chance of enlightenment of the Eight Diagrams Lotus mentioned by Mu Chaoyun, the Yunshan Sword Sect almost always has a story of enlightenment every once in a while, and the chance seems to be even higher;
Moreover, after most of the disciples of the Sword Sect entered, they might not have comprehended a magical sword technique, but after a long time, they all had more or less understanding of the way of the sword, it was just a matter of how much. And they were not like Bagua Lian, who often comprehended some crooked methods and went astray in practice. They were truly like the "Black" Heavenly Book. At most, they were just showing off their strength and ended up being hurt by the sword intent.

The reason for all this was originally the legacy of the sword intentions of the predecessors. Perhaps the sword intentions of the predecessors were still protecting the younger generation of disciples invisibly.

Xie Yuan understood the unusual situation and felt relieved. He became more interested in Jianfeng. This place was worthy of the name of the holy land of swordsmanship. He was afraid that there would be no such place in Cangjian Pavilion. No, there would definitely be no such place in Cangjian Pavilion.

But even if he figured it out, it didn't seem to change his situation. If he had known earlier, he might have been more cautious and not completely intoxicated. However, now the whole sect knew that he, an "external training" disciple, had stayed in there for nine days, and it was too late to say anything.

Xie Yuan sighed and shook his head.

Actually, I was not careful enough.

If he was in a demonic sect, such as the Kitchen God, he would definitely be extremely cautious and would not dare to reveal any flaws.

But since he entered the Yunshan Sword Sect, in addition to being careful in everything at the beginning, Xie Yuan would occasionally show off himself in order to gain better resources and the opportunity to comprehend the Black Heavenly Book.

This certainly increases the probability of exposing oneself. Although the chances are not big at first, as time goes by, accidents will always happen - like this time.

Xie Yuan had considered this issue before, but after weighing the pros and cons, he still did this and did not nip all perceived exposure risks in the bud.

It is because the longer I stay in Yunshan Sword Sect, the more I adapt to it, and I understand what others mean by "a clean and upright, upright sect."

Although there is competition, jealousy, and personal selfishness here, Xie Yuan has not seen anything that could be described as intrigue and despicable after working here for more than half a year.

From the top to the bottom, everyone in the sect is devoted to cultivation. All resource distribution and affairs are handled fairly and justly, and according to the rules. When educating disciples, teachers always put the first emphasis on character, and then on skills. They often instill in their disciples the concepts of punishing evil and promoting good, and helping the weak and punishing the strong, and warn them that if they walk in the mountains, they must have the responsibility of a disciple of a great sect.

Although Yunzhou is a large border state with tough folks and a mixed crowd, and there is also a lot of banditry in the north; but the area within a thousand miles around Yunshan has always been peaceful and prosperous. Whenever a bad person or a cruel official shows up, disciples of the Sword Sect will rush over with shining eyes, and it will be a contribution to the sect.

Yunshan County became a model of clean government, not because the Prince of Yunshan County loved governing, but because the Sword Sect disciples would not resort to violence against officials, but they were the kind of annoying people who loved to beat the drum to report the incident. And because of his status as a Sword Sect disciple, no official dared to do anything to him.

In addition, Xie Yuan had personal experience that during the normal practice in the Sword Sect, the teachers and disciples were open-minded and willing to communicate and share; when they went out for trials, they would stick together and never abandon each other when they encountered crises, and the elders and even the Sect Master would come to their aid.

"A good sect."

Xie Yuan’s idea is that simple.

So Xie Yuan gradually relaxed his "vigilance" and started to fight for what he should fight for.

This is the subconscious thought that even if it is really exposed, at least there will be no worries about life and death, and the sense of crisis will be insufficient.

According to the Sword Sect's practice, as long as he didn't do anything evil, he would be imprisoned at most.

If he could reveal the secrets of Jianfeng and provide some inspiration to Jianzong, he might be able to redeem himself with merit and only be placed under house arrest.

Then it would be good to practice martial arts slowly in Yunshan Mountain, which is similar to what it is now...

Xie Yuan shook his head, but when things really came to this point, he couldn't explain how it developed.

Now that things have come to this, let’s take it one step at a time.

Maybe the sect leader has poor eyesight?

"Bang bang bang-"

There was a sudden knock on the door, startling Xie Yuan who was deep in thought.

coming?

He took a deep breath and solemnly opened the door like a prisoner awaiting sentencing.

A errand disciple stood outside and respectfully handed him a letter:

"Brother Zhang, your letter."

Verdict? Is it so formal? As expected of the Yunshan Sword Sect that abides by the rules...

Xie Yuan thanked the errand disciple, took the letter with a heavy heart, and opened it.

"Thank you, Escort Captain—"

Xie Yuan was stunned by the first three words, and then he felt much more relaxed as he looked at the graceful and playful handwriting.

He sat down beside the bed and read the letter quietly. When he saw the familiar simple drawing of the guqin at the end, he smiled again and breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't need to read to the end, just by looking at the very familiar handwriting, he knew it was sent by Situ Qin.

"So she already knew about my adventures in the ruins in the Western Desert. This letter was sent several days ago, right?"

Xie Yuan pondered.

When Situ Qin sent this letter, she didn't complain about why Xie Yuan didn't take her out to play. She also knew that this time Xie Yuan just happened to meet Zhang Shan in the guise of Yunshan disciple.

However, she was eager to hear the details of what happened in the ruins. Besides, they were both practicing hard and had not seen each other for a while, so she invited him to spend the New Year together - Situ Qin knew that he had nowhere to go.

Disciples of the Yunshan Sword Sect can go home after giving their teachers a leave during the New Year. The Yunshan Sword Sect is very filial and does not say that you cannot go down the mountain to visit your family before you finish your training. However, many disciples live far away, and some are not even from Yunzhou, so they stay in the mountain.

It is common for disciples who go to famous mountains and rivers to learn from masters to be unable to return home for five to ten years if they have not reached the level of a master. During this period, if they miss their relatives, they can often only express their longing to the moon.

However, after Xie Yuan returned to the mountain, he entered Jianfeng for nine days and had already missed the New Year. If he wanted to keep Situ Qin's appointment, he would probably have to wait until the Lantern Festival.

The premise is that he can still get down the mountain.

Xie Yuan thought about it, put the letter away, and did not rush to reply.

If the letter can be delivered, then the person can also go out; if not, then there is no point in writing the letter.

Let’s wait until the results come out.

Worrying was useless, so Xie Yuan stopped thinking about it. He fetched some water and washed himself comfortably to wash away the dust of nine days' travel. Then he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, someone came and knocked on the door of Xie Yuan's courtyard again.

This time when Xie Yuan opened the door and found that it was a disciple from the main peak, he immediately had an idea.

The time for sentencing has come.

"Junior Brother Zhang, have you rested well? If you have, please follow me to the main peak. The Sect Master has something to ask you."

The disciple clasped his fists and said.

So polite?

Why does it feel like the last meal of a execution?...but it's a bit unlike before.

Xie Yuan felt a little strange, but of course he couldn't just refuse to go.

Now it's a respectable invitation. If he really thinks he can avoid going, then we will probably help him to save face.

It's a pain whether you stick your head out or not, so you might as well just go and see the result.

"Please lead the way, Senior Brother."

Xie Yuan returned the greeting.

The two walked all the way to the main hall of the peak, and then entered the sect leader's study in the side hall, where they met Li Xingtuo, a white-haired young man.

The disciple who led the way bowed and left. For a moment, Li Xingtuo and Xie Yuan were the only two people in the surprisingly spacious study room.

"coming."

Li Xingtuo raised his head from a pile of files and looked at Xie Yuan.

The leader of the sect is not only a person with high cultivation level, but also has to review the cultivation, food, and expenses of the thousands of people in the Yunshan Sword Sect, as well as the Sword Sect's business operations in other places. To support a large sect, there are countless matters involved.

"I've met the sect leader."

Xie Yuan bowed first, then said calmly:
"I wonder what the Sect Master wants me to do by calling you here?"

"Did you have a good rest? Among the matters reported today, the public kitchen of Ruyun Peak applied for an increase in budget, saying that there are new disciples who eat too much and the previous quota is not enough. Could it be you?"

Li Xingtuo smiled.

Xie Yuan's mouth twitched. Didn't expect their efficiency to be so high? Yesterday's incident was reported today.

Or was Li Xingtuo just using euphemism to tell me that he knew everything...

Xie Yuan was already feeling guilty, and he couldn't help but think about this and that, but he still said:
"Master, I have recovered."

"That's good. In that case, after nine days of meditation on the sword peak, what have you gained?"

Li Xingtuo asked slowly.

it has started.

Xie Yuan was alert, and he had already prepared something in his mind. He bowed and replied:
"Master, I have mastered the Yunshan Sword Style."

"Cloud Mountain Sword Style?"

Li Xingtuo was slightly stunned, as if he had never expected him to answer this.

He nodded:
"What have you learned? Show us what you have learned."

Xie Yuan drew his sword as he was told, and in this study room that was as large as a martial arts arena, he demonstrated the Yunshan sword style from beginning to end, using only the moves.

Li Xingtuo's eyes flickered as he watched, and after Xie Yuan finished his drill, he nodded and said:
"It has actually reached the state of perfection, not bad. Although I haven't comprehended the profound swordsmanship, this is still a great achievement. Even many inner disciples cannot reach such a level. The perfection of the basic sword style will be of great benefit to future practice. It is worth it to have such an understanding at the peak of the sword.

"but……"

When Xie Yuan heard that Li Xingtuo did not question at first but then made a sudden change of attitude, his heart tightened slightly.

"The Yunshan Sword Style is half practiced and half trained. If you have made some progress, you should be at the beginning of the fourth practice. You have already achieved perfection, so why are you still at the third practice?"

Li Xingtuo had a somewhat puzzled expression on his face.

Xie Yuan's eyes suddenly focused.

forget!

He had perfected the Yunshan sword style long ago, and had been concealing his sword skills and cultivation level ever since, completely forgetting that this was still a training method.

This time I just wanted to report the gains first and see what else would come out later, but as soon as I got there, a big tail was revealed!

How can this be done?

Are you going to be stubborn again?
Or should I just confess?

Thinking of that classic old saying, Xie Yuan made up his mind and was about to speak when he saw Li Xingtuo said:

"Well, you just realized that your sword skills have only been raised to a higher level, and you haven't practiced that far yet. I think with your understanding of the Yunshan Sword Style, your subsequent practice will be twice as effective with half the effort, and you will be able to catch up in no time."

"Forehead……"

How else can it be explained this way?

There seems to be nothing wrong.

Xie Yuan was stunned for a moment, swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth, and coughed lightly:
"The Sect Master is right. I feel like I'm close to a breakthrough recently."

"good."

Li Xingtuo praised and raised his eyes slightly:
"But speaking of it, you've only practiced for three times, yet you've stayed on the eleventh stone platform for nine days. Logically speaking, with your blood and energy level, you shouldn't be able to hold on for that long."

Xie Yuan's expression suddenly became solemn again. He bowed his head and explained:

"Master, I obtained the Blood Dragon Pill with my brothers and sisters in the ruins before. After taking it, my condition improved greatly. That must be why I have persisted for so long."

"Jiutian, did you eat the Blood Dragon Pill as if it were candy?"

Li Xingtuo said with a half-smile.

Xie Yuan gritted his teeth and said:

"I was so eager to practice that I couldn't help but eat a little more."

"Oh, I see. It's understandable that you got treasures from the ruins for the first time."

Li Xingtuo nodded, and couldn't help but smiled slowly:
"But the first to ninth levels of the stone platform are the realm of external training. From the tenth level onwards, it is the level of transformation of qi and blood. No matter how many blood dragon pills you take, if the essence of your blood and qi has not broken through, how can you stay for nine days?"

what?
From the tenth level onwards is the Qi and Blood Transformation Stage?

Xie Yuan was stunned for a moment, he thought it was the nineteenth level. He couldn't help but say:
"Master, didn't you approve us to the nineteenth level?"

"Didn't you just pass the tenth level? What a surprise."

Li Xingtuo clapped his hands and smiled.

Xie Yuan was speechless.

His eyes rolled quickly as he thought about how to make an excuse.

But it seems that it doesn't make sense no matter what.

Lin Zhen was at the fourth level of training and had excellent talent. He also took the Blood Dragon Pill and was able to persist at the eleventh level for one day.

I have only practiced three times externally, even if it was originally a stone platform for external training, I can forcefully explain it with talent and perseverance, but it turned out to be a stone platform for the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm! A three-training, how can the smaller the realm, the greater the realm, the wind of the nine heavens?
I blame myself for being too thick-skinned and unable to feel it at all...

Xie Yuan closed his eyes and was about to confess and get a lighter sentence, but then he heard Li Xingtuo say:

"Did you get some rare treasure in the ruins? Otherwise it doesn't make sense."

Ok?
Xie Yuan opened his eyes and looked at Li Xingtuo's inquiring eyes, and an idea flashed in his mind.

Yes, didn’t I enter the ruins?
Why not just leave everything to the mysterious ancient ruins!

"...Yes, yes, yes, I remember now. I took a sky-blue pill by chance when I was on the second floor of the ruins. It seems to have greatly enhanced my physical fitness!"

"Then why didn't you tell me before?"

"…I fainted after taking it. Afterwards, a series of twists and turns occurred, and the ruins disappeared like an illusion. I even thought I was dreaming and forgot about it."

"Oh, so that's why you were able to stay on the eleventh level for nine days. It turned out that you took some unknown precious medicine."

Li Xingtuo nodded, looking as if to say, "I see."

He shook his head and said:

"You can say whatever you want, but you can't eat whatever you want. You must remember this when you explore the ruins in the future."

"……OK."

Xie Yuan always felt that Li Xingtuo seemed to have something else in his words, but looking at his expression, he seemed to be serious.

Dead but not completely dead, exposed but not completely exposed, Xie Yuan himself didn't know what was going on, he just felt that his body and mind were tortured.

It was impossible for him to confess voluntarily, so he could only continue to play dumb.

Li Xingtuo looked Xie Yuan up and down again and said with a smile:
"Whether it's the ruins or the sword peak, this is also your good fortune. Especially the fact that you can comprehend it for such a long time at the sword peak shows that you have a good talent for swordsmanship. Make good use of your talent and practice hard after entering the inner sect. Don't waste it."

After that, he waved his hand:

"Go down."

Xie Yuan almost thought he had heard it wrong, and said in disbelief:
"Master, um, am I going down?"

"What else do you have to do?"

Li Xingtuo raised his eyelids and asked.

"No, no."

Xie Yuan bowed and subconsciously wanted to lift his legs to leave this place that made him feel so stressed. His back was almost wet.

But after thinking about it, he still felt uneasy, so he asked again tentatively:
"Master, I want to take two days off for the Lantern Festival and go down the mountain to celebrate the festival. Is that possible?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xingtuo immediately put down the file in his hand and looked at Xie Yuan steadily with a pair of calm eyes that could not reveal his thoughts.

Xie Yuan's scalp tightened, and he was about to say that he didn't say it, when he saw Li Xingtuo raised his eyebrows and said:

"You can just tell the inner sect teacher about this kind of thing. Why do you need to tell me? If I have to approve the disciples' leave, where would all the files go?"

He patted the file in front of him, seeming a little dissatisfied.

It seems that the master doesn't want to work either...

Xie Yuan laughed dryly and explained in a low voice:
"I think the Sect Master cares about his disciples, so I would like to ask for his approval first."

"I approve? Could it be that you are not planning to come back?"

Li Xingtuo said with a squint.

"No, no! I will come back naturally."

Xie Yuan's heart trembled. He had indeed thought of this just now.

"That's fine, you're not leaving the sect. Jianfeng, I've been watching you for two days. There are so many things to do, but you still ask me for leave. Why does the sect have to revolve around you?"

Li Xingtuo smiled and said:

"Why don't you just sit on this chair and review the files? I also want to take two days off to celebrate the Lantern Festival!"

Xie Yuan wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead. How could he dare to respond to such a question?

He laughed dryly:

"Master, you are joking. I don't have that ability."

"From what I see, you are very capable."

Li Xingtuo said calmly and waved his hand:

"Why don't you hurry up? Do you really want me to hold you here and never let you go down the mountain again?"

Xie Yuan was startled and immediately bowed:

"Sect Master, disciple resigns!"

He backed out of the study room carefully, and seeing that Li Xingtuo was buried in files and didn't care about him, he immediately turned around and left quickly.

"correct."

A voice suddenly came from behind Xie Yuan, almost scaring him to jump.

He turned back and saw Li Xingtuo, who didn't even raise his head, saying pointedly:

"In the next few days, be careful of the other elders... don't let them take you down."

what?
What do you mean?
Xie Yuan looked puzzled. Seeing that Li Xingtuo no longer paid attention to him, he could only bow silently again and turn away.

Li Xingtuo raised his head from the file, looked at Xie Yuan's back, a smile flashed in his eyes.

Xie Yuan returned all the way to his own little house at Ruyun Peak. Apart from the occasional curious glances, he did not encounter anything unusual on the way.

There were no swordsmen, no men in black, no sect law enforcement team to take him away...

There was no trouble along the way, as if he was just a normal disciple.

But this isn't normal, right?

Xie Yuan frowned and boiled more water to make tea for himself. He began to think while pouring the water and didn't even notice that the tea was overflowing.

"What does the Sect Master mean? Did he notice it or not?

"If he could say he had figured it out, why didn't he say it out loud? He kept acting ambiguous, as if he hadn't figured out the problem at all.
"If you say I didn't see it, well, I don't believe it."

Xie Yuan shook his head.

Li Xingtuo clearly saw several of his flaws, but he filled them up in the blink of an eye.

Do you really think so? Or are you teaching me?

Xie Yuan was totally confused. He felt that it seemed completely reasonable to say that Li Xingtuo was still kept in the dark.

But is this possible?
Xie Yuan fell into deep thought.

Also, what did he mean when he told me to be careful of the elders at the end?
Are they going to take me down?
Could it be that... I have been exposed, but the elders are all focused on protecting the sect.

And as the sect leader, he is prepared to protect me as an undercover agent?

Why did the leader rebel?
Moreover, if the elders really wanted to take action...

Be careful of the elders? Me?
I think too highly of myself.

I did hide my strength, but my real strength is just at the first level of transformation. Can I really fight against the Grandmaster Elder?
Or maybe the elder is trying to test me, and the sect leader is teaching me how to speak so as not to give me any excuse?
But what is this for? Intra-clan factionalism?

Xie Yuan felt completely bewildered and completely confused by Li Xingtuo's performance.

"I can't beat you, you are worthy of being the sect leader, the old ones are still the best."

Xie Yuan sighed and could only say that there was a reason why his hair turned white.

In terms of cunning, I am no match for these old foxes.

but……

They let me go back like that and told me I could take leave at any time.

Could it be that I am really okay?

Xie Yuan pondered for a moment, took out Situ Qin's letter and stroked it gently, then simply sat down at the desk, took out the letter paper, and picked up the pen to write a reply.

After a while, the letter was finished. He called a errand disciple and asked him to help him mail the letter as quickly as possible.

Then he exhaled, calmed his mind in the room, and began to practice.

All we can do now is wait and see what happens. Since nothing has happened yet, let’s just pretend that nothing has happened.

Yunshan is not far from Yunzhou Prefecture. With Xie Yuan's special instructions, the letter arrived in half a day, and he received a reply at noon the next day.

"Ask yourself to enjoy the Lantern Festival together?"

When Xie Yuan saw that the letter had indeed been sent and that he had received a reply, he pondered for a moment.

He didn't say much in the letter, so Situ Qin happily wrote back and asked him to spend the Lantern Festival together.

Then let's ask for leave and try. Maybe Li Xingtuo didn't say it himself, but he has instructed others to disagree. This is also a common method used by those in power.

Xie Yuan found a teacher in charge of the inner sect and told him the purpose of his visit.

"Take a leave for Lantern Festival? Zhang Shan, you came to the inner courtyard and didn't attend classes for a day, and now you want to take a leave?"

The teacher frowned and said calmly:

“Don’t think you have special privileges just because you are gifted. You should practice harder.

"I'll allow you this time, but there won't be a next time. You have to make up for the lessons when you come back, and I'll test your work."

Xie Yuan had originally thought that the right thing was going on, and he was inexplicably proud that he had guessed what was going on correctly.

When he heard the last sentence, he was stunned:

"Ah? Are you really going to let me go?"

"What do you mean? Do you want to go or not?"

The commander frowned.

"Thank you, Instructor Lu."

Xie Yuan bowed with a strange look on his face, then went back to pack his things.

They must have stopped me at the mountain gate...

"Inner Gate, Zhang Shan, you will be back two days after the Lantern Festival. Okay, you can go now."

At the mountain gate, the guarding disciple completed the registration and spoke politely.

“…Shouldn’t it be?”

Xie Yuan walked out of the mountain gate with a puzzled look on his face, muttering to himself, leaving the guarding disciples looking at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what he was talking about.

When they reached Yunshan Town, and then left Yunshan Town, they looked back and could no longer see the gate of Yunshan. Xie Yuan had a strange look on his face:
“It shouldn’t be… maybe, it’s in front.”

……

"Shouldn't it?"

Looking at the city gate of Yunzhou Prefecture, Xie Yuan had a blank expression on his face, and he didn't know how many times he had said these four words.

Along the way he kept thinking that someone would ask him to stop, but he didn't see anyone coming to find him.

In his paranoia, whenever he saw someone looking at him, he even had an inexplicable expectation in his heart;

However, in the end, the other party just passed him by, which made his thoughts fall through again and he even felt disappointed.

"It shouldn't be..."

Xie Yuan sat there, frowning and talking to himself.

"Thank you, Chief Escort, what are you talking about? Is there something wrong?"

In Situ Qin's mansion, the girl, who seemed both angry and happy, asked with a strange look on her face.

Xie Yuan hadn't seen Situ Qin for a long time. Today he saw her wearing a lotus-colored long skirt, a snow-white fox fur shawl on the outside, and a pink belt inside. She looked fresh and playful, with a slender waist that was very charming.

After not seeing her for a few months, Situ Qin seemed to have lost some weight, and her chin looked a little sharper. With her snow-white skin and beautiful features, she made people's hearts tremble at the sight of her, and they wanted to protect her.

However, Situ Qin's aura also became stronger, and her pair of almond-shaped eyes became extremely smart. She stared at Xie Yuan with curiosity, but it was unknown what she was thinking.

Xie Yuan came back to his senses and saw Situ Qin almost in front of him. His eyes moved slightly and he looked away and said:
"Well, it's nothing."

"Oh~ You are hiding a secret from me!"

Situ Qin said in a dissatisfied voice with a drawn-out tone.

Xie Yuan smiled helplessly:
"What secrets can I hide from Miss Qin? I just can't figure it out."

"Tell me about it and see if I can help you solve this puzzle."

Situ Qin said with interest.

Xie Yuan thought for a moment and said:

"Then we have to start from the Western Desert."

"Isn't that better? That's what I wanted to hear! Someone, make tea for Xie Biaotou! Make three pots first, and add more if it's not enough."

Situ Qin smiled with her eyes curved.

Xie Yuan laughed and shook his head, then took a sip of the tea that Situ Qin had personally poured and served to him.

Feeling good.

"Can I talk now?"

Seeing that Xie Yuan looked like he was enjoying himself, Situ Qin rolled her eyes at him and pushed his hand to urge him on.

"Okay, let's start from accepting the mission, going down the mountain, and walking to Fengshaji outside Xiguan..."

Xie Yuan thought about it and slowly began to tell the story.

Since he was telling it to Situ Qin, it was naturally from Xie Yuan's perspective rather than Zhang Shan's, so Situ Qin heard the whole picture from him.

There were no strong men in Fengshaji. When Situ Qin heard that Xie Yuan was willing to throw himself into a sand-eating dog costume to protect his fellow disciples and get caught, he clapped his hands and laughed:

“Hehehe~ Thank you, Escort Captain, you are really creative, but it’s still a bit risky!”

Although it was funny, Situ Qin still expressed her concern in a tactful way.

"I have evaluated it. Look, why don't I just eat and drink here?"

Xie Yuan smiled slightly and continued telling the story.

The subsequent developments became increasingly thrilling. When Situ Qin heard that Xie Yuan had entered the bandit camp and discovered the ruins of the city, and had even played a trick on Lu Tianyong in front of him and blew up the entrance to the ruins, she covered her mouth with her little hands and looked particularly worried.

"Are you really going to fight with Lu Tianyong who is at the third level of Qi and Blood Transformation? How reckless!"

Situ Qin was both surprised and somewhat resentful.

"This is reckless, there are more reckless ones to come."

Xie Yuan laughed, as if he was showing off his youthfulness in front of the girl he liked, which made Situ Qin roll her eyes at him.

What followed was an earthquake and a chase, with masters arriving one after another. Xie Yuan and his party had no choice but to jump into the ruins, hoping for their lives, and "luckily" did not get stuck in the wall - the only thing was the Black Book, which Xie Yuan had not mentioned to Situ Qin, nor was it convenient to mention it.

Hearing about the strange scenes and mysterious structures in the ruins, as well as the various mechanisms that were all discovered by Xie Yuan's keen eyes, Situ Qin's eyes sparkled and he stared at Xie Yuan straight, causing Xie Yuan to raise his head and chest and his voice became much louder.

Then, talented warriors from the Western Regions and Dali entered one after another, and a melee began. Xie Yuan relied on the Heavenly Hidden Art to fly around like a dragon, revitalizing the entire situation of the Dali strongmen. In the end, he even fought one against two, injured one and killed one, and seized the treasure.

Xie Yuan took out his sword and changed it at will in front of Situ Qin, as excited as if he was sharing a fun toy with a friend. Situ Qin's eyes were like water, but she was not looking at the mysterious weapon.

"How's it going? Isn't it awesome?"

Xie Yuan said this with some pride.

"It's really amazing. Even if I were to go, I wouldn't be able to do it to your level."

Situ Qin whispered, with shock still lingering on her pretty face.

He really used his own strength to disintegrate two Qi and Blood Level 3 Transformation Realms in the Western Region, and even collected interest from his enemy, Lu Lao San...

Situ Qin thought that her talent was not inferior to others. After all, as the daughter of the King of Pingxi and the Holy Maiden of the Demon Cult, she had the blood of two top warriors flowing in her body—one was immortal and would almost certainly become a grandmaster, and the other already was.

She was almost a potential Grandmaster, and even if she practiced with her eyes closed, she would be a Grandmaster. But at her current level, it was almost impossible for her to achieve the same results as Xie Yuan.

Even she couldn't help but feel a little admiration for Xie Yuan.

There has never been anyone of the same age who could impress Situ Qin in martial arts.

There has never been anything that could make her worry more than anything else, or even make her feel dissatisfied when she heard about some interesting relics.

Situ Qin's face tightened:
"Thank you, Escort Captain. You may be trying to show off, but don't take risks like this again in the future."

"It's not really an adventure. Everything is under my control..."

"Control, control, where is the control? Didn't you say that you were beaten so hard that you vomited blood and flew backwards? People outside also said that you beat others so hard that they vomited blood, and I knew they were bragging! Don't think that you can underestimate others just because you are calm and have powerful secret techniques. No matter how smart you are or how good your kung fu is, if you meet masters like Aunt Hong and Tai Bo, how many lives do you think you can escape?"

Situ Qin interrupted Xie Yuan with a burst of chatter, and her tone was unprecedentedly harsh.

Seeing Xie Yuan opening his mouth and looking somewhat at a loss, she couldn't bear it anymore and stamped her feet heavily:

“Forget it this time!

"Anyway, I won't allow you to take risks again!"

(End of this chapter)