Chapter 2212 - The Graceful Moon, the Blue Rose

The sect leader had commanded that Xiao Jian was to be rewarded generously.

But he hadn’t promoted him.

This news caused a disturbance throughout the sect. The younger disciples were righteously indignant on Xiao Jian’s behalf.

Many of the gods of the same rank as Xiao Jian were disappointed. Xiao Jian had achieved such an enormous act of merit, yet he was still suppressed and denied a promotion. Who wouldn’t have been confused?

Some of the older-generation cultivators were surprised too.

The sect leader has always handled such matters meticulously, so why is he treating Xiao Jian so flippantly?

Doesn’t he realize that this decision will provoke the entire sect’s ire and that countless people are righteously indignant on Xiao Jian’s behalf?

Of course, there were also quite a few people gleeful at Xiao Jian’s misfortune.

“Xiao Jian is a newcomer, yet he’s caused so many disturbances over the past month. He’s drawing too much attention. Of course the sect leader had to take him down a peg!”

“That’s right! It’s fine to reward him, but there’s no way we can promote him. After all, he only just joined the sect. If he rises through the ranks too quickly, how can he possibly win his sectmates over?”

...In any event, Xiao Jian’s reward caused such a commotion that soon, everyone in Qingwu Divine Court knew about it.

Later that very day, Third Elder Ku Zhen publicly announced that he staunchly refused to promote Xiao Jian, and that this decision had nothing to do with the sect leader.

His reasoning was simple: Xiao Jian was only in the Creation Realm, and he’d only recently joined the sect. According to the sect’s rules, he wasn’t a suitable candidate for vice palace master.

However, Ku Zhen said that he’d leave the post of vice palace master empty until Xiao Jian was ready for it. When Xiao Jian’s cultivation rose and he’d grown more familiar with the sect’s affairs, Ku Zhen would naturally promote him to vice palace master.

This announcement quelled many of the sect’s discontented voices, but not all. There were still people who felt that Xiao Jian had been mistreated.

“If I were Deacon Xiao, and I’d been treated like this after such a meritorious achievement, I’d definitely feel discouraged!” someone said indignantly.

“It’s far too disappointing. How embittered and aggrieved must Xiao Jian be feeling now?”

Some people felt sorry for Xiao Jian and were upset on his behalf.

“I thought the sect leader was handling this unfairly, but it turns out that all of this was Third Elder Ku Zhen’s idea!”

Many of them now focused their anger on Ku Zhen instead.

But... no matter how aggrieved, displeased, and sympathetic they felt, none of them dared act up.

Not even Tie Wenjing. He’d already had an audience with the sect leader. Liang Lingxu’s answer had disappointed and discouraged him, too.

It was to the point that he was too ashamed to face Xiao Jian.

Su Yi just took all of this in with a smile. He didn’t care in the slightest. A change in position, that’s all. How much would it really add to his benefits and authority?

So long as Third Elder Ku Zhen presided over Wandering Night Palace, he’d be suppressed even if he ascended to vice palace master.

But none of that mattered anymore. What mattered was that this incident had provoked many of his sectmates’ ire. They were starting to object to the sect leader and third elder’s behavior!

And he was the one they’d wronged.

That was enough.

Since everyone thinks I’ve been mistreated, I’ve got to act the part. I’ll go into seclusion and focus on my cultivation for a while,

thought Su Yi.

Later that day, he went to the Celestial Treasure Palace to receive his reward from the sect master.

Over one hundred types of divine medicine, three hundred pieces of Undying Divine Gold, and all manner of divine materials.

As well as ten bottles of divine recovery medicine!

This really was an extremely generous reward. The sect master hadn’t been the least bit stingy.

“Agh. Excessive rigidity makes you brittle, and shining too brightly will only invite trouble. Seems to me that the sect leader wants to suppress your bluster, but I’m sure he’ll put you in an important role later.”

As Su Yi left the Celestial Treasure Palace, Palace Master Ji Chuan personally came looking for Su Yi and tried to comfort him.

Shortly afterward, Ji Chuan changed the subject. “The grand elder heard about this, and he’s indignant on your behalf! If you ever need any help, you’re welcome to come looking for me.”

Su Yi was briefly stunned, but he quickly realized what Ji Chuan was trying to do. In the end, he just nodded. “Thank you.”

The grand elder and the sect leader’s camps got along like fire and water. They’d competed, both openly and covertly, for a long time.

The grand elder must have arranged for Ji Chuan to pass on a message. His intentions were readily apparent; the grand elder wanted to recruit him to his camp!

But Su Yi wasn’t particularly interested in that; he wasn’t willing to be anyone’s pawn. He naturally wouldn't join a side.

When he returned from the Celestial Treasure Palace, Su Yi went straight into seclusion and accepted no visitors.

His sectmates took this as a sign that he felt aggrieved and displeased at how he’d been treated, but that seemed perfectly understandable.

They’d actually have found it stranger if Su Yi

hadn’t

expressed his displeasure in some way.

...

Clear Sky Divine Palace.

“Your actions have already displeased much of the sect. Was it worth it?” Sect Leader Liang Lingxu asked with a frown.

“It was worth it!” Ku Zhen said staunchly, “Hui Qing is dead. She was Ancestor Hongzhen’s attendant, and she served him for years. When Ancestor Hongzhen returns and finds out about this, he’s sure to be furious.”

Liang Lingxu’s frown deepened. “Surely you don’t think that Xiao Jian was involved in Hui Qing’s death? He’s just a Lesser God. How could he possibly have killed a One-Tribulation Master God?”

Ku Zhen fell briefly silent. “Earlier, I interrogated Qian Hu, Chu Bi, Hou Yu, and Zhou Jia one by one. All of their answers lined up, and there was nothing to find fault with, but that’s precisely what makes this so strange!”

“What do you mean?” Liang Lingxu asked thoughtfully.

“Qian Hu and the others all fell unconscious inside that Daoist temple in the spacetime node. Xiao Jian was the only one who didn’t, and he was the one who saved them,” said Ku Zhen. “Of course, Xiao Jian most likely managed this by earning the approval of the temple’s master and convincing him to spare their lives, but we only have Xiao Jian’s word for it. No one knows what really happened.

“That’s the first thing I find suspicious,” said Ku Zhen. “Secondly, I’m certain that Xiao Jian killed Huang Changting on purpose. He knew how terrifyingly powerful that copper lamp was, but he still used it to kill Huang Changting without mercy!

“Admittedly, Huang Changting’s behavior was over the line, and he really did deserve to be punished, but Xiao Jian is just a deacon, and he killed his superior without the slightest politeness. It’s obvious how blackhearted he is!”

Ku Zhen paused, then added, “Thirdly, I met with High Elder Rong Yue earlier and learned what happened in the Barren Mountains of Divine Calamity. Xiao Jian is just a Lesser God, yet he dared enter a battlefield where Master Gods fought. That’s far too out of the ordinary! No Lesser God would dare do such a thing!

“These three peculiarities prove that something is suspicious about Xiao Jian’s background, and moreover, that he’s dangerous!”

Liang Lingxu’s eyes flashed, and he sank into thought.

Some time passed before he finally asked, “What did High Elder Rong Yue say when you told him this?”

Ku Zhen looked exasperated. “Xiao Jian saved High Elder Rong Yue’s life. How could he possibly listen to me? He just cursed me out for being overly suspicious.”

Liang Lingxu pondered out loud, “But if Xiao Jian is so suspicious, why did he save High Elder Rong Yue?”

“Simple! To cover up his suspicious behavior! He wanted High Elder Rong Yue to serve as his witness!” Ku Zhen’s gaze was cold. “I can say for sure that the boy is ruthless, and that he’s hidden himself extremely deeply. Now that he’s infiltrated Qingwu Divine Court, I’m sure he’s planning something big!”

Liang Lingxu rubbed his forehead and sighed. “All of that is just conjecture on your part. There’s no proof at all. How am I supposed to trust your conclusions?”

Ku Zhen said staunchly, “Rest assured, sect leader. I’ll be sure to expose his true nature and find incontrovertible proof!”

“My only request is that you don’t do anything else to make the sect angry on Xiao Jian’s behalf,” said Liang Lingxu. “Even several elders have come to criticize me over this. I’m under enormous pressure.”

Ku Zhen fell briefly silent, then nodded.

Liang Lingxu suddenly said, “In a few days, a distinguished guest will be taking up temporary residence in Qingwu Divine Court. I plan to arrange for her to stay on Spirit Bamboo Peak.”

Ku Zhen was stunned. “Who is it?”

“The manager of the Spring and Autumn City branch of the Qilin Trading Company, as well as the daughter of the leader of the Qilin Race, Qi Wei.”

Ku Zhen was flabbergasted. “Why would the daughter of the leader of the Qilin Race decide to take up temporary residence here out of nowhere?”

“I have no idea,” said Liang Lingxu. “An older-generation expert of the Qilin Race made the arrangements through our sect’s second high elder.”

The second high elder!

Ku Zhen’s expression shifted. There were numerous old monsters in seclusion in the sect’s forbidden grounds, all of them Master Gods.

Including Second High Elder Bai Liyin, an Eight-Tribulation Master Goddess!

A long, long time ago, Bai Liyin had held the position of sect master. To this day, her influence within the sect was absolutely terrifying.

“Do you think I could have refused?” Liang Lingxu sighed. “But given the second high elder’s involvement, I’m sure that the daughter of the leader of the Qilin Race isn’t here with malicious intentions. Let’s just treat this Qi Wei as we would any other illustrious guest.

“Oh, right!” Something suddenly occurred to Liang Lingxu. “The second high elder commanded that we are not to divulge Qi Wei’s identity. She’ll enter our territory under the name ‘Wan Yue.’”

Ku Zhen nodded.

“There’s something else, too,” said Liang Lingxu. He frowned. “In seven days, the Severed Heavens Demon Court will be sending a group of its disciples here to spar.”

Ku Zhen seemed confused. “Such discussions of the Dao are trivial matters. Why do you seem so concerned, Sect Master?”

The disciples of peak factions visited each other and sparred with regularity. Ordinarily speaking, it was enough to send a single elder to oversee things. It was no cause for concern.

“This time is different,” said Liang Lingxu. “Because the Blue Rose Demon Master is leading the expedition!”

Ku Zhen froze, then gasped. “They’re sending a Nine-Tribulation Master God who’s been in seclusion for countless years... just to oversee a bunch of disciples’ sparring matches?”

The Blue Rose Demon Master!

She was the Dao Partner of the Severed Heavens Demon Master, the founder of the Severed Heavens Demon Court!

Someone as ancient and powerful as her wouldn’t go out unless there was a deeper meaning behind it. There was no way she’d leave just to escort a bunch of juniors to spar at another sect.

“That’s exactly what confuses me,” said Liang Lingxu, his eyes flashing. “We absolutely cannot take this matter lightly!”