A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 553 Case Closure Documents
While Lü Yinlin was secretly lamenting, Chu Qiushan had already entered the deep valley.

Chu Qiushan walked slowly to a spot not far from the entrance of the cave. Lü Yinlin had already noticed him, put away the secret letter, and sat there solemnly.

Chu Qiushan stopped at the cave entrance, gave a slight bow, and was about to call out when a faint voice came from deep within the cave. "Qiushan, come in."

Chu Qiushan's eyes flickered, and he entered the cave.

As soon as he entered the depths of the cave, Lü Yinlin looked at him and asked abruptly, "Has the alliance been agreed upon?"

Chu Qiushan said, "Yes, Ancestor! It was settled four days ago."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yinlin calmly sipped some water.

Chu Qiushan understood immediately and explained some of the key terms of the alliance to Lü Yinlin.

Lü Yinlin listened and nodded.

After Chu Qiushan finished speaking, Lü Yinlin couldn't help but praise, "These alliance clauses are handled very well! They strike a good balance between long-term and short-term interests!"

Chu Qiushan said, "These proposals were all put forward by Elder Zhu He."

"Is that so?" Lu Yinlin raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Zhu He may not have much talent in cultivation, but he's quite adept at understanding these worldly entanglements!"

Chu Qiushan said, "Fortunately, with his assistance, the alliance negotiations were able to be concluded so quickly."

Chu Qiushan was telling the truth. In this negotiation of the two alliance agreements, Zhu He was indeed the one who took the lead on the Taiyi Sect's side!

Lu Yinlin gave Chu Qiushan a meaningful look and asked, "Qiushan, is your fifty-year term as sect leader coming to an end soon?"

Chu Qiushan said, "Yes, Ancestor. There's only a little over a month left."

Lu Yinlin nodded and said, "You've had a hard time. You, who are devoted to spiritual cultivation, have been entangled in these worldly affairs for fifty years!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Qiushan immediately looked distressed. "Back then, I also encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation, finding it difficult to break through. That's why I thought of using worldly affairs to temper my mind and hopefully find another way. But I'm ashamed to say! Fifty years have passed, and I haven't made an inch! On the other hand, Junior Brother Gu has broken through to the late stage of the Cave Clarity Realm!"

Lu Yinlin said, "Fifty years of worldly affairs will not have been wasted! After that, when you go into seclusion to cultivate, your state of mind will be different, and it is possible that you will even make a breakthrough!"

Chu Qiushan's eyes flickered upon hearing this. He couldn't be sure whether Lü Yinlin's words were meant to comfort him or genuinely affirm his actions.

Lü Yinlin did not delve into this topic, but instead changed the subject, saying, "Qiushan! Who do you think will be the next sect leader?"

"This..." Chu Qiushan's heart stirred slightly, for this was precisely the matter he had wanted to discuss with his ancestor.

In fact, he had intended to discuss this matter from the very beginning when he called Zhu He out. Lü Yinlin naturally understood this as well.

Given the current momentum, it's almost a certainty that Zhu He will become the next sect leader. However, Chu Qiushan must consult the patriarch's opinion.

The position of sect leader is for fifty years. In addition to overseeing all sect affairs, the most important task is to regularly report important matters to the sect's patriarch. If the patriarch dislikes someone, no matter how popular they are, they cannot be elected.

Chu Qiushan hesitated for a moment, considered his words, and then said, "In terms of qualifications and abilities, Zhu He is a very suitable candidate. Moreover, Zhu He is usually quite well-connected and gets along well with most of the elders in the Elder Council. If he were to be nominated directly within the Elder Council, his chances of being elected would be very high."

Lu Yinlin nodded and said, "Then let him do it. I think that guy is quite enthusiastic about doing these things."

Chu Qiushan replied, "Yes." With the ancestor's words, Chu Qiushan felt reassured.

To be honest, although the alliance between the two sects has been agreed upon, there are still many thorny issues to be addressed in the concrete implementation of this alliance to jointly resist the Divine Will Sect.

Moreover, the rise of the Divine Will Sect has put considerable pressure on the Taiyi Sect, and the next sect leader must be a capable person!

Therefore, Chu Qiushan pointed out Zhu He's name, setting aside past grievances to recommend a worthy candidate for the sect. It seems that the patriarch's thoughts are the same as his.

After the alliance and the selection of the sect leader were discussed, Chu Qiushan was about to take his leave when Lü Yinlin suddenly said, "Qiushan, there is one more important matter to tell you."

Chu Qiushan's eyes flickered, and he said, "Yes, please give your orders, Ancestor!"

Lu Yinlin said, "Fifteen days from now, I plan to open the Divine and Demonic Ruins!"

Chu Qiushan's expression froze upon hearing this. He naturally knew that the Divine Demon Ruins, according to ancestral rules, were to be opened once every thirty years, and there was still a year to go. However, a thought quickly made him realize Lü Yinlin's intention. Opening the Divine Demon Ruins a year early, contrary to ancestral rules, was naturally related to Lü Qingzhu's recent injury.

Chu Qiushan replied, "Yes, Ancestor!"

Seeing that Chu Qiushan had no objections, Lü Yinlin was very satisfied with his reaction and nodded, saying, "Fifteen days is a bit tight! Qiushan! I'll give you five days to inform the sect elders and senior members to finalize the list of candidates for entering the Divine Demon Ruins this time! Over the next ten days, give them a thorough training! We'll set off after fifteen days!"

Chu Qiushan asked, "Ancestor, is there any further advice regarding the selection of this person?"

Lu Yinlin said, "I didn't give any instructions. You, Zhu He, Yang Sixuan, and Lin Youjian, take the lead, gather opinions from all sides, and decide what to do."

Lu Yinlin did not mention Duan Rong's name because he knew that Duan Rong would be on the list of candidates regardless of whether he mentioned him or not.

Chu Qiushan said, "Then I will take my leave. I will give the list of candidates to Mr. Chu as soon as it is ready."

Lü Yinlin nodded and said, "Okay, go ahead and get busy."

"Yes, Ancestor!" Chu Qiushan clasped his hands in a salute and left the cave.

That afternoon, in the courtyard of Shang Xiangyu's mountain, Xiao Yu was sitting in the pavilion by the lake, staring blankly at the water.

She learned about Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu's incident in the Dragon Fish Hall six days ago.

Duan Rong had not returned for six days, and besides sitting here waiting, she really didn't know what else to do.

As Xiao Yu sat there, tears welled up in her eyes without her noticing.

Lü Qingzhu actually destroyed her own meridians right there in the Dragon Fish Hall! Such fierce determination truly impressed Xiao Yu!

For the past six days, Xiao Yu has been worried about both Lü Qingzhu's life and Duan Rong's safety, and can be said to be extremely anxious and unable to sit or lie down in peace.

She couldn't help but turn her head and glance at the courtyard gate.

She instructed Ximen Kankan to come over every day and tell her the latest news.

She was aware of the agreement reached and the withdrawal of the Tianyan Sect in the past few days.

However, at this time in the past, Ximen Kankan would have already arrived. Perhaps he is held up by something today.

As Xiao Yu was thinking this, she suddenly saw a figure land not far from the pavilion, like a large bird.

Her heart tightened, and she stared intently. Seeing only a profile, she suddenly stood up and cried out joyfully, "My husband!"

Duan Rong turned his head and smiled faintly at Xiao Yu in the pavilion.

But his smile couldn't hide his bitterness.

Upon seeing Duan Rong's expression, Xiao Yu felt a pang of heartache!
Duan Rong stayed up for six days straight, his eyes were bloodshot, he looked emaciated and exhausted!
Xiao Yu walked over, tears welling in her eyes, reached out and touched Duan Rong's face, staring blankly at him, and said emotionally, "Husband, why do you torment yourself like this?"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "After six days of hard work, I am a little tired."

As Duan Rong spoke, he reached out and wiped away Xiao Yu's tears, saying, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

Xiao Yu sighed before asking, "How is Qingzhu's injury?"

Duan Rong's eyes darkened, and he said, "The Ancestor has temporarily controlled her injuries, but to completely heal her, two divine medicines are needed." "Divine medicines?!" Xiao Yu was stunned upon hearing this.

Duan Rong then told Xiao Yu about his plan to enter the ruins of gods and demons fifteen days later.

Although he didn't want Xiao Yu to worry about him, he couldn't keep it a secret any longer, since he was leaving in fifteen days.

Xiao Yu naturally felt that one problem after another was arising, and her heart was in turmoil.

Duan Rong said, "Xiao Yu, I'm tired and want to rest for a while."

Xiao Yu said, "Husband, would you like something to eat? I'll have Xiao Qi make something. Why don't you eat before you go to sleep?"

Duan Rong said, "No, I don't have much of an appetite."

After Duan Rong advanced to the Qi Cyclone Realm, he began to abstain from grains and only drank water on weekdays. Later, because he was craving the delicious taste of the soup cooked by Zhu Xiaoqi, he would often drink a bowl of it.

But at this moment, Lü Qingzhu was still lying in the black jade coffin. The journey to the ruins of gods and demons was like being in a fog, with unpredictable fortune and misfortune. At this time, he really had no mood to indulge his appetite.

Then, Xiao Yu helped Duan Rong lie down on the bed in the inner room.

Duan Rong fell into a deep sleep the moment he touched the bed.

Xiao Yu covered him with a blanket, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at Duan Rong for a while.

Since marrying Duan Rong and becoming a wife, the past few years have been filled with many ups and downs. But since her father's death, Duan Rong has been her only family and her only support. She often feels a sense of anxiety and uncertainty about losing him.

Xiao Yu let out a long sigh, then got up, lowered the bed curtains, and walked out of the inner room.

She instructed Zhu Xiaoqi to prepare the ingredients so that she could make a delicious soup for her husband when he woke up.

Zhu Xiaoqi then carried a bamboo basket and went into the dense forest to pick mushrooms and wood ear fungus.

The entire courtyard fell silent. Xiao Yu sat back down in the pavilion, watching the golden scales swimming on the lake. She thought of Lü Qingzhu's injuries and Duan Rong's talk about the trip to the ruins of gods and demons, and couldn't help but worry again.

About half an hour later, a knocking sound suddenly came from the courtyard gate.

Ximen Kankan called out from outside the courtyard gate, "Zhu Xiaoqi, Shen Mizhi, open the gate for me!"

Fearing that Ximen Kankan's knocking would disturb Duan Rong's sleep in the room, Xiao Yu immediately used the Cloud Serpent Step, her hairpins and gold hair ornaments jingling as she moved swiftly through the courtyard, opening the gate and saying to Ximen Kankan, "Keep your voice down, don't disturb anyone!"

Ximen Kankan blinked, craned his neck to look into the courtyard, and asked in bewilderment, "Who are you disturbing?! It's so quiet here, it's like a ghost's den..."

Xiao Yu whispered, "Duan Rong is back."

Upon hearing this, Ximen Kankan's eyes lit up immediately. "Where is he? I happen to need to talk to him."

Xiao Yu said, "We'll talk about it later! His eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night, and he finally managed to fall asleep."

Ximen Kankan asked, "Did he mention Lü Qingzhu? Is Lü Qingzhu dead or alive?"

Seeing Ximen Kankan's gossipy expression, Xiao Yu rolled her eyes at him, but she still told him about what Duan Rong had told her about Lü Qingzhu.

Ximen Kankan said, "If that's the case, it seems he won't die."

Xiao Yu glared at him and spat, "Judging from your tone, what? You actually want her dead?"

Ximen Kankan said anxiously, "No way! Don't talk nonsense, I'm clearly worried about her..."

Xiao Yu said, "Alright. If you have nothing else to do, you can go back now."

Ximen Kankan thought for a moment, then asked for paper and pen, wrote a few lines, handed them to Xiao Yu, and said, "Duan Rong has woken up. Show this to him. This is something he told me to pay attention to before. Now there is news."

Xiao Yu took the paper, folded it neatly, and said, "Understood."

Ximen Kankan then left the courtyard.

Duan Rong only slept for two hours before waking up on his own.

He struggled to get up, glanced at the window, and saw that it was already dusk outside, while the room was dimly lit.

Although he had only slept for two hours, his spirits had recovered quite well, and the bloodshot in his eyes had disappeared.

Just as Duan Rong made some rustling noises, Xiao Yu came in. "Husband, you've only slept for two hours! Sleep a little longer."

Duan Rong yawned and said, "I'm not going to sleep." He glanced at the window and said, "Well, it's almost dark."

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "What's wrong with it being dark? Isn't it just a time for sleeping?"

Duan Rong suddenly said, "I want to take a bath."

Xiao Yu blushed, feeling shy, and said, "The hot water has already been boiled. Let me help my husband wash."

Duan Rong nodded.

Xiao Yu then went to the bathing room with Duan Rong.

Nearly an hour later, the two came out. Xiao Yu's face was flushed, and Duan Rong was also in high spirits.

Zhu Xiaoqi had already cooked the soup, and as soon as Duan Rong sat down, Zhu Xiaoqi brought it over.

As Duan Rong sipped his soup, Xiao Yu handed him the note left by Ximen Kankan, saying, "Ximen Kankan came by and left this message for you."

"Kankan?!" Duan Rong slurped up a mouthful of soup and took the paper.

Ximen Kankan had also practiced calligraphy. Although his handwriting was messy, his brushstrokes were quite vigorous.

Duan Rong glanced at the paper, then folded it, placed it on the table, and continued drinking his soup.

Xiao Yu asked, "Should we keep this paper?"

Duan Rong said, "I will not keep them."

Xiao Yu then pinched the paper and burned it on the lamp on the table next to her.

On that piece of paper, Ximen Kankan told him that the case documents regarding Xiao Qiwu's disappearance and the loss of the God-Slaying Whip, which Yang Sixuan had investigated, had been sent to the Inner History Department three days ago.

However, given his authority, Simon Kankan could not access such confidential documents; he only saw the table of contents.

This case has dragged on for more than a month now.

Actually, the Chief Justice of the Imperial Clan and Yang Si-hsuan had already abandoned the investigation a month ago. However, the case closure document has not yet been issued.

Later, two alliance negotiations and two marriage alliances were involved, which delayed things.

A few days ago, the alliance was finalized, and the people from the Tianyan Sect left. The very next day, Yang Sixuan sent the case closure document to the Inner History Department.

Duan Rong had been keeping this case on his mind, as the various aspects of Xiao Qiwu's case were closely related to him, and he still hadn't managed to find the person behind Xiao Qiwu's attempt to kill him. This was truly a Damocles' sword hanging over his head!
(End of this chapter)