Chapter 2222 - Coincidence, a Surprise

After a moment’s silence, Sect Leader Liang Lingxu said, “I have just one request.”

“Go right ahead, Sect Master.”

“If whatever issues there are with Xiao Jian threaten the sect, handle him as you see fit. If not, don’t kill him.”

“Got it!” agreed Ku Zhen.

Liang Lingxu said thoughtfully, “Right, go invite High Elder Yuan Shan to accompany you in secret.”

Ku Zhen’s pupils constricted.

High Elder Yuan Shan!

He was one of the sect’s high elders, and he’d overcome two Dao-Refining Tribulations, making him a true Two-Tribulation Undying Realm Master God!

Ku Zhen frowned. “Sect Leader, do you think a Greater God like me is insufficient to handle a Lesser God like Xiao Jian?”

“Better safe than sorry,” said Liang Lingxu.

“Very well!” Ku Zhen nodded.

Spirit Bamboo Peak.

“Xiao Jian, hurry up and come out! Something really big has happened this time!” Qi Wei stood at the foot of the mountain and called out frantically.

But no one answered.

This left Qi Wei gnashing her teeth in fury.

Over the past month, she’d visited Spirit Bamboo Peak on numerous occasions, only for Su Yi to turn her away each time. She hadn’t even seen his face once in all that time.

Qi Wei couldn’t help but wonder,

Am I really that unwelcome?

In the end, she shouted in a huff, “This time, the ancient Xi Family and Divine Daughter Xi Ning are involved! If you really don’t care, I’ll just leave.”

She turned and was about to leave when a calm voice rang out.

“What do the ancient Xi Family’s affairs have to do with me?”

Qi Wei laughed coldly. “If you don’t care, you naturally have no need to learn what happened. I’m leaving!”

She turned and left.

The way she saw it, Xiao Jian wouldn’t be able to resist calling her back. After all, according to the reports she’d received, Su Yi and Xi Ning had once faced life and death side by side, and they had an extraordinary bond!

But Qi Wei was quickly disappointed, and to her astonishment, Xiao Jian didn’t chase her! On the contrary, there were no movements whatsoever.

It seemed he really didn’t care in the slightest what happened to Xi Ning.

Qi Wei suddenly whipped around, faced Spirit Bamboo Peak, and said, “The Three Purities Daoist Court has announced that they’ve formed an alliance with other top factions, and that they’re going to march upon the ancient Xi Family together!

“On the surface, they’re after the Xi Family, but in truth, they’re trying to force Su Yi to reveal himself!

“Moreover, the Three Purities Daoist Court has already announced that if Su Yi doesn’t show himself, they’ll wipe the Xi Family out completely!

“If you really don’t care, fine! Just stay in Qingwu Divine Court!”

With that, she turned. This time, she really did leave.

Meanwhile, in Su Yi’s immortal cave atop Spirit Bamboo Peak.

Su Yi’s brow furrowed, and the depths of his gaze surged with horrifyingly cold light.

Xi Ning was among the people he cared most about in the God Domain, and she unquestionably had an absolutely irreplaceable position in his heart.

For one thing, they’d faced adversity side by side in the Immortal Realm, and they’d long since developed a deep bond.

For another, in the Immortal Realm’s Epoch Battlefield, Xi Ning had sacrificed herself to save him!

On top of all that, an extraordinary, unknown karmic tie existed between them.

During their time together, he and Xi Ning felt at ease together, with great tacit understanding, as if their hearts were connected. It was a wondrous feeling.

They were like old friends who’d known each other for years.

She was the first person he’d met in this incarnation that he cared about so deeply.

Furthermore, both the spearwoman, Lin Jinghong, and the River Lord had warned him that Xi Ning’s background was extraordinary, and they told Su Yi not to let her down no matter what.

Yet now, Qi Wei was telling him that the Three Purities Daoist Court had pointed their swords at the Xi Family to force him out of hiding. How could Su Yi possibly tolerate that?

Su Yi took a deep breath, gently caressed the armrests of his chair, and sat there in silence, deep in thought.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have means of resolving this crisis. In fact, he had several.

For example, he still had the Carefree Medallion that the mysterious expert, “Divine Severing,” had given him.

Or he could find the spearwoman, Lin Jinghong, and ask her for help.

Or he could cease to hide his identity, publicly reveal himself, and rally the forces his past lives had left in the God Domain.

He could even use himself as bait to cause an enormous disturbance in the Southern Flame Divine Continent, drawing his enemies away from the Xi Family.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

But... after thinking it over, Su Yi rejected every last one of these ideas. All of them had major disadvantages.

After a while, Su Yi’s eyes flashed, and he made up his mind.

It seems I’ll just have to try something risky.

Later that very day, Deacon Qian Hu of Wandering Night Palace came to deliver a message from Third Elder Ku Zhen.

“Vice Palace Master Xiao, the third elder has ordered you to get ready immediately. You’ll be accompanying him to the Spirit Firmament Divine Continent!”

Su Yi was stunned. He’d only just been trying to come up with a way to get to the Spirit Firmament Divine Continent, because that’s where the Xi Family was located.

Su Yi emerged from Spirit Bamboo Mountain and asked Qian Hu, “What are we going there to do?”

“They say it has something to do with the Three Purities Daoist Court’s operation targeting the Xi Family,” Qian Hu said respectfully.

It hadn’t been long since he’d dared to look down on Xiao Jian, but now, he was as timid as a mouse in front of a cat, and he spoke with bone-deep reverence.

“The ancient Xi Family, huh...?” Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. He wasn’t sure whether this was a coincidence or whether Ku Zhen had guessed something and planned it this way on purpose.

“Vice Palace Master Xiao, the sect leader, has approved this mission, and you must begin without delay. If you’re ready, please proceed to the sect gates and await further orders,” said Qian Hu.

Su Yi nodded. He’d been ready before he left Spirit Bamboo Peak, so he headed straight for the entrance.

When he passed through the Hall of Welcoming, a familiar figure approached. It was none other than Mo Yong, the former vice palace master of Wandering Sun Palace.

“Xiao Jian, you have to be careful!” Mo Yong said under his breath. “It’s been a long, long time since the third elder left the sect to carry out a mission personally. It’s highly unusual for him to bring you out of the sect like this.”

He raised his hand to pat Su Yi on the shoulder, then paused, smiled bitterly, and left. He was now just a lowly deacon of the Hall of Welcoming, while Xiao Jian... was already the vice palace master of Wandering Night Palace!

Su Yi nodded. “Thank you.

There’d been no need for Mo Yong’s warning; he’d guessed as much himself. He was certain that Ku Zhen had ordered him to go on this mission to the Spirit Firmament Divine Continent with malicious intentions.

But this is actually a good opportunity for me. When the chance arrives, I can snuff the old codger out,

thought Su Yi.

He’d long since decided to kill Ku Zhen; he just hadn’t found the right opportunity yet.

But now that Ku Zhen had jumped forth of his own accord, Su Yi naturally didn’t mind sending him on his way!

When Su Yi reached the sect gates, he found the short, gaunt Third Elder Ku Zhen waiting for him.

When he saw Su Yi, Ku Zhen asked expressionlessly, “Did Qian Hu tell you about this mission?”

Su Yi nodded.

“It’ll take seven days at the bare minimum to reach the Spirit Firmament Divine Continent. I just hope we can make it there in time,” said Ku Zhen. As he spoke, he swung his sleeve, and a treasure ship whooshed into the air.

“It’ll be just the two of us?” asked Su Yi.

“The Three Purities Daoist Court is leading the operation against the Xi Family, and the Spirit Firmament Divine Continent is their territory,” said Ku Zhen calmly. “Even if we wanted to participate, we’d be of little use.”

He paused, then continued, “We’re just going to gather information, so the two of us will be enough.”

“Oh,” said Su Yi. He asked no further questions.

“Let’s go.” Ku Zhen boarded the treasure ship, and Su Yi followed.

But then, a hearty voice rang out. “Third Elder, Vice Palace Master Xiao, wait up!”

A tall, powerfully built man with youthful features emerged from the sect gates.

This was none other than Grand Elder Wei Zhong!

Ku Zhen’s gaze focused. “What can I do for you, Grand Elder?”

“I just so happened to be planning a trip to the Spirit Firmament Divine Continent myself. Since we’re all going the same way, let’s travel together,” Wei Zhong said with a smile.

Before Ku Zhen could respond, he leaped on board without the slightest politeness.

Ku Zhen was briefly stunned. His expression darkened. “You ‘just so happened’ to be headed the same way? Grand Elder, if you don’t explain yourself, forgive me, but Vice Palace Master Xiao and I cannot travel with you.”

Wei Zhong smiled. “Relax. I’m indeed going there on official business!”

He opened his hand, and the broken sword Unfettered Wanderer floated into the air.

“The Three Purities Daoist Court is targeting the Xi Family to force Su Yi to reveal himself. The sword Vice Palace Master Xiao lent me is sure to come in handy!”

Wei Zhong smiled, “As I’m sure you know, Su Yi is the reincarnation of Yi Daoxuan, and Unfettered Wanderer was Yi Daoxuan’s personal weapon. With this treasure, we might well manage to be the first to track Su Yi down!”

Ku Zhen’s expression shifted erratically. He hadn’t anticipated that the grand elder would give him such a convincing reason.

Furthermore, he had no grounds to argue, much less refuse!

Meanwhile, Su Yi’s gaze was a bit strange. He dared say with certainty that the grand elder’s sudden decision to join in was hard for the third elder; Ku Zhen’s expression was as unsightly as if he’d just swallowed a dead fly.

After all, everyone in the sect knew that the grand elder and the sect leader’s camps got along like fire and water.

Furthermore, Ku Zhen had invited “Xiao Jian” on this mission with malicious intentions. The grand elder’s presence would make things much harder for Ku Zhen. The third elder wouldn’t dare act recklessly!

When Su Yi realized this, he found it quite funny, but he also felt a bit frustrated; the grand elder’s presence would also make it more difficult for him to take care of the third elder.

Third Elder Ku Zhen hesitated for a while before finally giving in. “We’ll travel together, then!”

He forced the words through the gaps between his teeth.

The Grand Elder, however, smiled delightedly.

At the same time, he transmitted a message to Su Yi. “Rest assured, Vice Palace Master Xiao. I won’t give that insidious bastard Ku Zhen any chance to target you!”

“....” It was immediately obvious to Su Yi that the grand elder was trying to rope him in, but... his good intentions had really screwed Su Yi over!

Of course, Su Yi couldn’t say that to him, so he just kept silent.

But just as the group was about to set off, someone else arrived.

“Wait up, you three!”

It was Qi Wei. Her starry eyes were bright, and she had a charming smile. “I just so happen to be leaving the Southern Flame Divine Continent, too. How about we travel together?”

Ku Zhen’s eyes widened. “???”

The grand elder rubbed his forehead and shot Su Yi a meaningful look. He obviously thought that Qi Wei was here on his account.

Su Yi just looked down at his feet and said nothing.

“You’re not saying anything, so I’ll just take that as a ‘yes,’” said Qi Wei. She hopped on board, then turned to the third elder. “Let’s set course for Spring and Autumn City!”