Chapter 656 - 265: Moon Embracing
Inside the Quiet Chamber.
Chen Qing sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed. The aura around him was dense and steady.
He was immersed in circulating the Primordial Five Elements True Astral. With every Circulation, his True Astral grew more refined.
Just then, Qing Dai’s soft voice came from outside the Quiet Chamber. "Brother Chen, Brother Qu is here to see you. He is waiting in the reception hall."
Chen Qing’s thoughts stirred, and he slowly concluded his practice.
’Brother Qu is out of seclusion?’
He wondered to himself. Then, he rose to his feet, straightened his robes, and strode out of the Quiet Chamber.
Inside the reception hall, Qu He was seated, sipping tea.
When he saw Chen Qing emerge, he set down his teacup and a smile appeared on his face.
"Brother Qu!"
Chen Qing clasped his hands in greeting. "Congratulations on coming out of seclusion, Brother. Your Cultivation must have advanced to a new level."
"Haha, it was a minor improvement, nothing worth mentioning."
Qu He waved his hand, motioning for Chen Qing to sit. His gaze swept over him as he praised, "You, on the other hand, Junior Brother Chen, have an even denser aura. It seems you haven’t been slacking off."
After a few pleasantries, Qu He’s expression turned slightly more serious. "I’ve heard a thing or two about the distribution of the Nourishing God and Nourishing Soul Pills on Danxia Peak a while ago. You don’t need to take it to heart."
"You defeated Lu Chenming and seized a True Inheritance seat. The Nine Heavens Lineage is powerful, so it’s only normal for them to use this opportunity to strike back at you a little. Even I wasn’t immune to such trials back in the day."
Everyone knew that the Sect provided these precious resources precisely to motivate the disciples and encourage competition.
As long as no sect rules were broken, this level of competition for resources was commonplace.
Unless one could stand at the very top, such incidents were unavoidable.
Chen Qing’s expression was calm as he nodded. "I understand."
He did understand, and the matter hadn’t disturbed his state of mind. He simply filed it away in his memory.
’Today, they used their power to suppress me and take my resources. In the future, I will reclaim what is mine with my own strength. Nothing more needs to be said.’
Seeing his steady mindset, a flicker of satisfaction crossed Qu He’s eyes. He then said, "My visit today wasn’t mainly for this, but for another important matter."
As he spoke, he took out an invitation and handed it over.
Chen Qing accepted it. The paper felt extraordinary in his hand. He opened it to find elegant, flowing calligraphy inviting him to a banquet on Nine Heavens Peak. The signature was none other than—Nan Zhuoran.
"Brother Nan is back?" Chen Qing looked up at Qu He.
"He is."
Qu He nodded. "This invitation is for you and me. The True Inheritor Chief is hosting a banquet, both as a welcome-back feast for himself and as a gathering for fellow disciples. As a newly promoted True Disciple, it’s proper for you to go, both in terms of etiquette and logic. It’s also a good chance to meet the other True Disciple brothers and sisters."
Chen Qing said thoughtfully, "This Brother Nan..."
Qu He seemed to know his concerns and continued, "You can relax a little when it comes to this Eldest Brother. With his current strength and status, the lion’s share of the Sect’s resources naturally goes to him. He’s already sitting pretty, so he generally doesn’t get directly involved in suppressing our True Martial Lineage. Most of the time, he just collects his due share of resources and leaves the miscellaneous affairs to Zhong Yu, Yanchi, and the others."
Chen Qing nodded slightly.
’The True Inheritor Chief, with strength that surpasses all others of his generation.’
’As long as he holds that title, resources will naturally flock to him without him needing to fight for them.’
’Moreover, he’s very likely to inherit the position of Sect Leader in the future, so he needs to maintain a certain image. It makes sense for his underlings to handle the "dirty work" of suppression.’
"Of course,"
Qu He’s tone shifted, becoming profound. "All of this is predicated on no one touching his fundamental status and interests. Once someone shows the potential to threaten his position or touches his interests, the situation becomes completely different. His ruthlessness is even greater than his master, Li Yu-jun’s..."
His voice had dropped to a near whisper by the end.
It seemed he was reminding not only Chen Qing, but also himself.
Ultimately, that superficial fairness and detachment was just a posture maintained when one’s interests were not yet challenged.
You can’t judge a person solely by their usual words and actions; you must also understand where they draw the line.
Chen Qing deeply agreed and nodded solemnly. "I understand."
"Good that you understand."
Seeing that he understood immediately, Qu He relaxed. "Then tomorrow at 7:00 AM, we’ll head to Nine Heavens Peak for the banquet together."
"Alright," Chen Qing agreed.
The two chatted a bit more about recent sect affairs and cultivation insights before Qu He rose to leave.
𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
After seeing Qu He off, Chen Qing stood alone in the courtyard, invitation in hand.
The night deepened, dotted with starlight.
The True Inheritor Chief was inviting all the True Disciples. For him, the newest and lowest-ranked among them, it would be inappropriate not to attend.
Chen Qing thought to himself, ’This is a perfect opportunity to gauge the capabilities of the other True Disciples.’
The next day, Qu He and Chen Qing arrived at Nine Heavens Peak, walking side by side.
Amidst swirling clouds and rosy mists, they saw a continuous stretch of palaces, their flying eaves and interlocking brackets peeking through the verdant mountain scenery.
When the disciples along the path saw the two of them, their expressions all grew stern, especially when their gazes fell upon Chen Qing. They bowed respectfully, not daring to show the slightest neglect.
Led by several disciples from Nine Heavens Peak, the two arrived at a massive pavilion built on the edge of a cliff.
The pavilion was named "Moon Embracing." Its eaves were like wings, and its beams and pillars were intricately carved and painted.
By now, the pavilion was already brightly lit. A soft halo of light shone through the latticed windows, mingling with the light of the newly risen moon and stars.
Stepping inside the pavilion, they found the floor paved with smooth White Jade, and the space was partitioned by light muslin curtains.
Several figures had already arrived.
By the window sat Ruan Lingxiu, still dressed in a dark cyan gown.
Beside her sat a woman in a plain white dress. Although her features couldn’t be called stunningly beautiful, she was comely. She was the other True Disciple from the Jade Celestial Lineage, the fifth-ranked Huo Qiushui.
"Brother Qu, Junior Brother Chen."
Ruan Lingxiu greeted them proactively upon seeing them.