Chapter 122: Meeting the Sect Leader

As Chen Qi stepped out of the small courtyard, Sun Jingyun slowly propped up a chair amidst a heap of scattered clutter. The anger on his face vanished completely, replaced by a depth as profound as the night sky. He stood silently, staring toward the door crack for a long while, finally forcing a self-mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.

As Sun Ruohai’s own grandfather, he was well aware that if he continued to raise him this way, Sun Ruohai would become a fragile seedling nurtured in a greenhouse, liable to perish under the slightest storm. Especially with the increasingly unstable situation within the Yunhai Sect, he felt all the more strongly that this path was untenable.

Yet, sometimes what one knows in their heart and what one shows on the surface are two very different things.

After the unexpected death of his own son—Sun Ruohai’s father—his tight control over Sun Ruohai proved this truth. Peers who knew the situation remained silent, and no juniors dared to contradict him until Chen Qi’s actions today finally brought an end to this sorrowful tale.

“Boy, I hope you always keep your keen spirit,” the elder sighed after a long gaze, his voice slow and heavy, laden with countless sighs and a palpable loneliness.

At the highest peak of Yunhai Sect, within the Purple Cloud Pavilion, the current sect leader, Yun Yuxi, stood beneath the throne addressing the gathered elders about Yun Tianxin’s situation. From a private conversation with her daughter half an hour prior, she had gleaned many details and had already pieced together vivid pictures in her mind.

Though maternal instinct told her that Yun Tianxin was still withholding something, having just survived a great calamity, she had no intention of pressing further.

“What do you all make of this matter?” Yun Yuxi’s authoritative voice echoed through the lavishly decorated main hall.

The elders fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances before the foremost elder on the left spoke up:

“This is a move that completely extinguishes any hope for the Yunhai Sect. Now that things have come to this, we must carefully consider how to handle the aftermath.”

An elder seated opposite sneered contemptuously and retorted:

“Yun San, if you dare not speak, I will. Which elder here has turned traitor? I’ve long suspected something was amiss!”

With that, the elder’s energy erupted fiercely and dominantly, enveloping all the nearby elders in a storm of pressure, as if ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

If Chen Qi were present, he would recognize this first aggressor as Elder Chi, just as imposing as he remembered.

The entire hall was engulfed by this overwhelming aura, causing the weaker elders to involuntarily step back, unwilling to confront such force.

Seeing this, the leftmost elder sighed and stepped forward half a pace, releasing an equally vast energy that clashed with Elder Chi’s in a tense stalemate.

He scowled in displeasure and said, “This only breeds panic among the people. We won’t find the traitor this way. Instead, we should consider how to face the upcoming chief examiner from the Dongyi Academy in a month. They have no idea what’s happened to the Yun girl.”

An elder at the lower seat showed a worried expression and sighed:

“Indeed. Those warriors who have swallowed the Spirit Spiral are called ‘demonic warriors’ by some factions, who are eager to eliminate them. If the chief examiner is such a person, then…”

He trailed off, but the entire hall was already shrouded in gloom and oppression.

After a long silence, Elder Chi broke it once more:

“What’s there to fear? At worst, the chief examiner is only an early Profound Realm cultivator. Could they possibly take down that girl within our Yunhai Sect?”

The foremost elder on the left sighed helplessly:

“An early Profound Realm cultivator can’t pull off much here, but what if the Yuyang royal family is involved? I heard they have already sent a royal attendant who has traveled extensively.”

At this, the elders exchanged uneasy glances, making Yun Yuxi’s silhouette atop the throne appear especially frail.

“Very well. I will go check on Uncle Shoujing,” she said.

“Sigh,” came a chorus of heavy sighs in response, the clouds of worry thick enough to dim even the glow of the purple jade.

...

At that moment, Chen Qi arrived alone at a remote courtyard. He knocked on the door, and receiving no answer, he pushed it open without hesitation.

After all, Elder Chi had taken a disliking to him many times before; one more wouldn’t matter.

Inside, Chen Qi wandered about and confirmed that Elder Chi had indeed left, not deliberately avoiding him.

Chen Qi’s gaze then fell upon a comfortable-looking recliner. The unidentified wooden chair emitted a faint vitality, drawing nearby living beings closer.

“Anyway, one more time making Elder Chi dislike me won’t hurt,” he thought, nervously glancing around before boldly lying down and crossing his legs naturally.

“Ah, so comfortable.”

Unaware of how long he had been rocking in the chair, a sudden “bang” startled him as the door was violently pushed open.

Chen Qi jumped, quickly fixing his eyes on the newcomer.

Elder Chi entered, his face dark with displeasure, locking eyes with Chen Qi in a silent stare-down.

“Heh, boy, the sect leader wants to see you. This time, I’m not going to help you,” Elder Chi sneered, as if this bit of cruelty would ease his own mood.

Chen Qi’s body shuddered, pity flickering in his wide eyes as he crept closer like a puppy, trying to ingratiate himself.

“How much does the sect leader know? Master, please teach me!” he pleaded.

Elder Chi cast a sidelong glance, half smiling, half sneering:

“Begging when you need help, calling me Master; when no one’s around, you barge in and mess with things as you please.”

With that, he flicked his sleeve, pushing the ever-closer Chen Qi away and flopped onto the recliner, squinting in comfort.

Chen Qi took no offense. Thick-skinned, he approached again and began tapping Elder Chi’s leg—not with mere knocks, but with each punch infused with a trace of his own vitality. This was not to cause harm, but to stimulate the muscles beneath the blows. Clearly, Chen Qi had put thought into winning Elder Chi’s favor.

When Elder Chi still showed no reaction, Chen Qi moved behind the chair, massaging Elder Chi’s shoulders while muttering persistently in his ear:

“Master, just help me this once more. Senior sister has suffered so much already. Can you bear to let her be brokenhearted again?”

Unable to endure the buzzing any longer, Elder Chi scoffed:

“Hah! When it comes to shamelessness, you’re the champion!”

Chen Qi chuckled foolishly and kept at it.

After a while, Elder Chi feigned reluctance and said hesitantly:

“When the sect leader questions you, just tell the truth. She likes brave juniors.”

Then he stood up, giving Chen Qi no chance to continue pestering.

“Brave?” Chen Qi’s doubts deepened. He sensed something odd but, with Elder Chi gone, no one was there to answer his questions.

Just then, a middle-aged attendant, dusty and sweating as if searching for Chen Qi for a long time, entered.

Upon seeing Chen Qi, the attendant’s eyes brightened:

“Finally found you, outer disciple Chen Qi. The sect leader requests your presence.”

Chen Qi’s heart sank. He respectfully bowed and then cautiously inquired:

“Will I be meeting the sect leader alone, or will the elders be present? It’s my first time, and I’m a bit nervous.”

The attendant, pleased by Chen Qi’s respect, smiled warmly:

“Don’t worry, it’s just a private meeting with the sect leader. She’s very gentle, and since you’ve accomplished great deeds, she won’t make things difficult for you.”

“Follow me,” he said, giving Chen Qi no time to digest this and promptly leading him deeper into the sect.

Chen Qi followed, pondering over the meaning of “gentle.”

He bitterly chuckled to himself:

“No matter how gentle, anyone would be in danger when their own precious cabbage is being devoured by pigs!”

Along the way, Chen Qi’s expression shifted like the weather, too preoccupied to enjoy the scenery. Soon, he arrived before a magnificent palace pavilion.

As he approached, a stern, emotionless female voice sounded in his ear:

“Outer disciple Chen Qi, please enter.”

The nearby attendant bowed and withdrew, leaving Chen Qi alone before the grand hall.

Not daring to linger, Chen Qi steeled himself and pushed open the door.

The tone and address of that female voice had stirred an ominous premonition within him.