Chapter 2203 - The Human-Faced Bluebird

When he heard the crowd’s laughter, the old man’s face flushed red. “I had nothing but the best of intentions, yet you refuse to appreciate them. You really don’t know what’s good for you!”

Su Yi disregarded him. Instead, he looked at the challengers remaining at the foot of the mountain. “Don’t waste any more time. Either admit defeat, or come over and fight me.”

The atmosphere was instantly stifled. All eyes were upon the challengers.

“Admit defeat. You’re no match for Deacon Xiao.”

Suddenly, an old man with a full head of long gray hair walked over. This was Huang Changting, the vice palace master of Wandering Night Palace and a peak Limit Realm Mid-Rank God!

He was also one of Third Elder Ku Zhen’s most capable subordinates.

When the challengers heard that, all of them slumped in dejection and admitted defeat, one after another.

The crowd couldn’t help but sigh. All of them had thought that Xiao Jian was in for big trouble, and that he was sure to get booted from Spirit Bamboo Peak. Who could have imagined that his challengers would wind up with

their

reputations in shambles instead?

“Since you’ve admitted defeat, head straight to the Celestial Treasure Palace and have all of your accumulated merit points transferred to Deacon Xiao!” Ninth Elder Tie Wenjing said cheerily.

It would have been obvious to anyone that he was in a good mood.

“I wouldn’t have thought he could actually resolve this situation...” Mo Yong looked dazed. He’d assumed that Xiao Jian would wind up just like him, a loser kicked out of his territory, alone and unwelcome throughout the sect.

But things didn’t turn out that way at all.

He could see it already. With this victory, Xiao Jian had done more than just show off his strength. He’d established himself as a dark horse that the whole sect was sure to pay attention to!

No one would take him for a newbie they could push around as they pleased anymore!

“Everyone.” Su Yi, who still stood beneath the dome of heaven, suddenly addressed the crowd.

Everyone looked over, only to see Su Yi sigh and clasp his fist in greeting. “As I said earlier, I joined Qingwu Divine Court because I wished to wholeheartedly pursue the Dao. I would never have thought I’d run into trouble like this.”

The crowd was stunned, and their expressions shifted.

Vice Palace Master Huang Changting snorted coldly. “Are you saying you’re dissatisfied with the sect?”

“No.” Su Yi shook his head. “Ultimately, a newcomer like me is unqualified to cultivate on Spirit Bamboo Peak. To avoid further trouble, I, Xiao Jian, shall move out of my own accord. For now, I’ll cultivate alongside the ninth elder.”

Uproar followed this announcement. Who could have imagined that Su Yi would give up Spirit Bamboo Mountain of his own accord immediately after his victory?

Many of the onlookers couldn’t help but be sympathetic.

How dazzling of an existence was Xiao Jian? But he’d been thrust into the middle of all these storms purely because he was a newcomer. How unfair was that?

Today, he’d shown them all his strength, defeating multiple challengers in a row. How magnificent was his bearing? How shocking was his strength?

But in the end... he still had no choice but to give up Spirit Bamboo Peak.

Why? Because he knew that if he didn’t, even more trouble was sure to come looking for him.

When the sect disciples realized this, they couldn’t help but feel indignant.

How could the sect do this? Isn’t this just too much?

Meanwhile, the old-timers looked at Su Yi with surprise and bewilderment.

He just retreated to advance. Impressive! Xiao Jian really isn’t at all simple!

When word of what happened here spreads, who in the sect won’t sympathize with his predicament? Who won’t be indignant on his behalf?

Everyone who came here to provoke and challenge him will become villains. Others will curse and criticize them!

This will influence the prestige of the sect leader’s camp. After all, everyone knows that the sect leader and his followers were inextricably involved in this mess.

Many of the old-timers were inwardly solemn.

That kid is no ordinary person. He isn’t just heaven-defyingly powerful and talented; his wisdom and shrewdness are far beyond other people, too.

Tie Wenjing and Mo Yong realized what Su Yi was trying to do, too. They couldn’t help but sigh.

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

“Excellent. Wonderful! I wouldn’t have thought you’d come up with something like this. Really not bad!” Vice Palace Master Huang Changting’s gaze was cold. He realized what Su Yi was up to, too, and he was beside himself with fury.

Su Yi just shook his head, disregarded him, then landed beside Tie Wenjing.

“Elder Tie, I’ll just have to cultivate at your place for the time being,” said Su Yi.

Tie Wenjing laughed. “Nothing wrong with that! Come on, let’s go to Celestial Treasure Palace and claim your merit points force. Then I’ll bring you back to my cultivation grounds.”

With that, he led Su Yi away.

“Wait,” Huang Changting suddenly interjected. “The palace master ordered that the members of Wandering Night Palace are to leave the sect on a mission in two weeks’ time. Xiao Jian is among those chosen to take part. Deacon Xiao, please keep that in mind and plan accordingly.”

Tie Wenjing’s eyelids twitched. “What mission? Why don’t I know about it?”

Huang Changting said expressionlessly, “It was the sect leader who set this mission, and he left the specifics up to the third elder. It will be we of Wandering Night Palace who carry it out. For now, the details are confidential. If you want to learn more, Ninth Elder, you’re welcome to ask the sect leader.”

With that, he turned and left.

Tie Wenjing frowned. He had a strong premonition that, while this mission most likely wasn’t targeting Xiao Jian, the third elder had ulterior motives for insisting that Xiao Jian participated!

It’s really just one thing after another,

Tie Wenjing sighed to himself.

This was what happened when you refused to serve as the sect leader’s pawn.

The moment you became a useless pawn, you were sure to be rejected, suppressed, overlooked, and isolated!

The worst part was that Xiao Jian was a deacon of Wandering Night Academy. He had to follow orders, or the consequence would be dire.

“You needn’t worry, Ninth Elder.” Su Yi immediately realized what Tie Wenjing was thinking. He smiled. “A mission, that’s all. I naturally have to carry out my responsibilities as a deacon of Wandering Night Palace.”

After a moment’s silence, Tie Wenjing said, “Alright, so long as you’re aware of what’s happening here.”

Then, he led Su Yi to the Celestial Treasure Palace.

......

As the crowd dispersed, the newly empty Spirit Bamboo Mountain regained its usual tranquility. The place had been completely abandoned.

That is, until the third elder’s short, gaunt frame appeared out of nowhere.

Ku Zhen stood in front of the three-story bamboo tower Su Yi had stayed in, then asked, “Did you discover anything unusual about Xiao Jian over the past two weeks?”

“I truly don’t understand why a young yao god of the Torch Dragon lineage is worthy of my personal attention,” said a raspy, feminine voice.

A wind blew past, rustling the bamboo, and a wisp of blue smoke silently rose from the heart of the bamboo forest and transformed into a bluebird.

Except that this bluebird had the face of an old woman. Her skin was covered in wrinkles, her eyes were sunken, and her irises were dull gold. She was an extraordinarily strange sight.

“You didn’t discover anything fishy?” Ku Zhen frowned.

“I didn’t,” said the old woman. “There was nothing unusual about his blood, qi, or even his energy fluctuations during cultivation. He didn’t make a single unusual movement during his time on Spirit Bamboo Peak.”

Ku Zhen’s frown deepened. “My intuition cannot be mistaken. Either Xiao Jian hid his secrets deeply enough to elude your notice, or he sensed your presence and was on guard this entire time!”

“Ridiculous!” The Human-Faced Bluebird sneered. “I’m a One-Tribulation Master Goddess. How could a young Creation Realm cultivator possibly have discovered me?”

“But... what if he could?” Ku Zhen said softly. “No matter what, I’m going to find out what he’s hiding!”

With that, he turned to leave.

The Human-Faced Bluebird shook her head, then vanished in a puff of smoke.

......

Clear Sky Divine Palace.

“He used the challengers to show off his strength, then renounced his claim to Spirit Bamboo Peak after claiming victory. Xiao Jian... really isn’t one to overlook,” sighed LIang Lingxu.

But his gaze was utterly dark and icy.

“I wouldn’t have guessed that he was the type to ‘play the pig to eat the tiger.’ He’s far stronger than his performance in the Spring and Autumn Dao Assembly suggested!” Ku Zhen said with a frown.

“It’s a pity. He’s too clever for his own good and unwilling to let me put him to use,” Liang Lingxu said casually. “But I trust that once he’s suffered enough, he’ll submit obediently.”

“Sect Leader, I said it already, but there’s something suspicious about his origins!” warned Ku Zhen. “Whatever you do, don’t attach too much importance to him. It’s too early to say whether we can use him at all.”

Liang Lingxu thought nothing of it. “Xiao Jian is of little importance, and I can’t be bothered to waste my time on a young man like him. Just... handle it as you see fit. No need to keep reporting on him.”

He was the lofty leader of Qingwu Divine Court. He had countless matters to take care of, both great and small. He really wasn’t interested in daily reports about some junior who’d only just joined the sect.

“Understood!” Ku Zhen nodded his assent and left.

......

Five-Color Peak.

The Celestial Treasure Palace was built halfway up the mountain. This was where members of Qingwu Divine Court received their merit points and exchanged them for treasure.

“Not bad, not bad! That’s nine greater merits, twenty-three mid-level merits, and fifty-seven lesser merits!” After taking inventory of Su Yi’s rewards, Ninth Elder Tie Wenjing couldn’t help but be surprised.

That was an absolutely shocking number!

“That so?” Su Yi looked at the medallion. This was a contribution marker, and it recorded his merit points.

There were four types of merit points in Qingwu Divine Court. The lowest were lesser merits, followed by mid-level merits and greater merits.

The highest were known as “supreme merits!” Only those who made enormous contributions to the sect or accomplished unparalleled feats received them.

Su Yi had just won all of his challengers’ accumulated merit points. He could use them to trade for various benefits.

These included divine medicines, divine materials, legacies, and cultivation resources, as well as personal instruction from the sect’s higher-ups.

Alternatively, he could exchange them for an opportunity to ascend the ranks, or to make specific requests of the sect. Anything the sect could offer was on the table.

“With that much merit, you could even be promoted directly to vice palace master!” laughed Tie Wenjing.

“Vice palace master? A newbie like him? Hah! You’re dreaming!” Suddenly, an old man with a prominent mustache laughed from inside Celestial Treasure Palace.