“How superficial.”

Xu Zhenyan who sat on the ground without caring about the current atmosphere, trying to seize every moment possible for rest, looked at Lin Xi’s side profile, inwardly saying this with a sneer of disdain.

Crushing light armored soldiers with just light cavalry and then charging forward alone, taking down a general like Qin Qinghuang, completing something that would only be seen in exaggerated anecdotes, yet the current Lin Xi didn’t show the slightest bit of pride. In his eyes, this really was extremely superficial.

However, what he didn’t understand was that Lin Xi didn’t feel that this was arrogant. At this moment, he only developed a bit more hatred towards Wenren Cangyue, because he knew that someone like Wenren Cangyue who could already stir about everyone in Yunqin, oftentimes had more choices than others. If it was him who originally only wished to become one of the nine senators, would he be willing to sacrifice the lives of so many loyal troops?

When he turned around, he didn’t have time to talk in more detail with Qiu Hanshan and the others, he saw An Keyi nod towards him. He knew that An Keyi had things to say and he had some things he wanted to ask her, so he directly walked in her direction.

After walking a bit further out on the tall slope, An Keyi stopped. She looked at Lin Xi who followed her, directly saying with her bookish voice, “The one you just killed was Qin Qinghuang.”

“He was extremely strong.” Lin Xi looked at her, seriously asking, “Is he famous?”

“At the very least ranked within the top ten generals in Jadefall Border Army.” An Keyi nodded. “He is also quite well-known in Yunqin.”

Lin Xi couldn’t help but say, “No wonder they were all shouting so loudly.”

After An Keyi moved the few strands of hair that were scattered in front of her behind her ears in a routine manner, she continued with a bookish voice, “The army he commands is the Iron Core Army, an army primarily made up of light armored and soul weapon heavy armored troops. Moreover, his two deputy generals Chen Yuan and Jing Cijiu are formidable generals who could hold up their own. The power of the Iron Core Army is far above ours. By remaining here and keeping them here, it will be extremely beneficial towards our friendly forces who are rushing towards Mountain Sun Path.”

“Teacher’s intention is that if we faced them head-on… we might not be able to win. If we continue forward and end up being cut off by them, we will likely lose? Meanwhile, if we stay here, they will most likely remain in a deadlocked state with us because we still have so many Mountain Piercing Crossbow Carts. If they charge straight at us, we will instead have some opportunities.”

“Correct.”

“Then is there a chance of instigating them into a rebellion?”

“There is no chance. Regardless of whether it is Qin Qinghuang, Chen Yuan or Jing Cijiu, they were all personally selected by Wenren Cangyue, absolutely loyal deathsworn soldiers. Among all those that have a chance of rebellion and whose command over the army can be replaced, there will be people who will be sent over…”

When he heard An Keyi’s words, Lin Xi suddenly thought of something. His eyes couldn’t help but brighten. With an even lower voice, he said, “Teacher, since we cannot instigate a rebellion… you should have the ability to kill them all.”

An Keyi nodded and then shook her head, her brows furrowing slightly. “I can only take action once… unless you absolutely insist on me using it, I will continue to preserve this method.”

The meaning of these words was extremely hard to understand, but Lin Xi immediately understood… her ‘Blue Apricot’ that could wipe out that long queue in Sparrow Lord City should be just as precious as ‘Quicksand’, only having a single dose.

“Then I will ask teacher to save it for a more useful moment.” Lin Xi thought of the scene that day only he remembered, the instantaneous deaths of so many people, thinking that it really was just too terrifying. He also became a bit scared, immediately nodding his head.

“Is there a lot of conflict between you and Xu Zhenyan?” An Keyi nodded and then calmly asked this.

Lin Xi nodded in an honest manner. “There is quite a bit… both he and his Xu Family have already tried to kill me more than once or twice.”

An Keyi also nodded. “The academy doesn’t interfere much with the conflicts between students outside.”

“Teacher, are you instead scared that I would be too merciful out of misgivings towards the academy?” Lin Xi understood An Keyi’s intentions. He laughed and said, “Of course I won’t… actually, I originally could have given him a chance, because it wasn’t he himself who tried to kill me after all, for better or for worse, he is also a schoolmate. However, after I saw that his hostility towards me instead became stronger, if I discover that he wishes to act against me in the future… as long as I have a chance of dealing with him or his Xu Family, I definitely wouldn’t show the slightest bit of pity.”

“This is how I will treat him, the same towards others.” Lin Xi looked at An Keyi, adding this.

“Alright.”

An Keyi turned around, starting to walk back. “You need meditation cultivation, replenish a bit of soul force.”

…

Night covered Jadefall City.

Ai Qilan walked under the darkness.

This girl who looked even skinnier than Bian Linghan instead had tougher willpower and perseverance than most of the academy’s students, as well as an intrinsic quality that was even more brilliant.

That was why she chose to become an academy Watchman.

Right now, she was walking outside Jadefall City, in a mountain range facing Mountain Sun Path, her figure exceptionally intimate with the darkness of the night.

Loneliness would forever be what was hardest to endure.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

However, she continued to silently endure the loneliness of walking alone through the dark night. It was because she understood extremely clearly that ever since she made this choice in the academy, she had to face and endure these things.

Previously, she was always under orders to secretly protect Lin Xi, Bian Linghan and the others. Even in Dragon Snake Border Army, she always moved alone, secretly following Lin Xi, all the way until she encountered the red-clothed zither master and Tong Wei.

After witnessing some of the things Lin Xi did, she felt even less regret over her choice.

She felt like she at least helped Lin Xi with some of these things, thus feeling that her actions were meaningful, feeling even more radiant.

However, this time, when Lin Xi and the others entered Jadefall City East, she instead received different orders from Tong Wei, stating that she wasn’t to follow Lin Xi, instead to hurry to this forest facing Jadefall City’s Mountain Sun Path.

She didn’t know what the academy’s plans were, but she still came here as scheduled, arriving here alone.

She continued towards a forest marked out on the map in somewhat of a loss, all the way until a noise suddenly entered her ears.

“You finally came.”

According to normal reasoning, while walking alone in the wilderness like this and then suddenly hearing a voice, but not seeing anyone, it would definitely make one’s blood run cold. However, for some reason, when Ai Qilan heard this voice, she didn’t feel much panic. She only vigilantly stopped and then looked in the direction the voice came from.

She saw a figure seated under a tree, their entire body covered in thick black robes, appearance impossible to make out, as if everything inside of the black robes was also darkness.

“You are?” When Ai Qilan looked at the thick black robes covering this individual, her ice-cold palm suddenly became a bit warmer.

“These two items are for you…”

No appearance could be seen under the black robes, but it seemed like the one in the eternal darkness inside smiled. Two items floated up to Ai Qilan.

Ai Qilan subconsciously received them.

Her first thought was that they were heavy. What she saw then was an extremely long giant snake-shaped silver rope. This item were actually extremely long snake-shaped silver chains, created from countless long, even finer silver snakes covered in runes. Then, she saw the other item, which was a thin pamphlet.

Before she looked through the pamphlet’s contents, just this silver giant snake-like soul weapon’s profound runes already made her feel that these two things were definitely precious.

Because she rarely spoke with others recently, and because she didn’t recognize the one in front of her, yet the other person still gave her these two things that were definitely extraordinary, she couldn’t help but stutter.

“Why… why… are you giving them to me?”

“Because I am about to die.” The one under the black robes who couldn’t be seen chuckled, “Because I am extremely satisfied with you.”

Ai Qilan began to feel even more indescribable alarm, a bit puzzled as she asked, “You… what happened to you?”

“I was seriously injured by Grand Court’s Great Consecrator Ni Henian… I already cannot hold on much longer, which is why I informed you to rush over… Even though you’ve obtained some of my inheritance, I truly don’t wish for you to walk my path, you can make your own choices… if… if you have the chance to give that Ni Henian a good beating, I will be even happier.” The one within the cloak that seemed to only hold darkness smiled warmly, but his voice instead became weaker and weaker.[1]

Ai Qilan suddenly understood something, her breathing stopping. “You… you are a Dark Priest?”

A light chuckle seemed to have sounded from beneath the black robes. This sound was like that of a ghost, but it was a light laughter full of pride and no regrets.

Then, everything underneath the black robes became deathly still, no longer any life aura within.

Ai Qilan’s hands began to tremble lightly.

She didn’t recognize this person, she never even saw his face, only spoke a few words with him, but right now, for some reason, hot tears flooded her eyes.

Drops of hot tears continuously slid down her cheeks, landing on the silver long whip that was giant yet soft, it could be easily wrapped around her body.

1. This individual is Dark Priest Mu Xin Li B7C20, the chain user who helped Lin Xi escape after he killed the eunuch