Chapter 869 - 304: The Jing Family’s Terms (2 Updates)
Xi Qianxue’s words stirred something in Mu Qingge’s heart.
She helped the former up from her embrace and asked, "Tell me, what happened?"
Xi Qianxue raised her face, her eyes hinting at tears. "The master now is no longer the same as before."
Hmm?
Xi Qianxue’s words left Mu Qingge greatly surprised.
She looked at her and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Under Mu Qingge’s consoling, Xi Qianxue slowly calmed her emotions. She said, "The master used to be like my parents, kind and gentle. But recently, in the past six months, I’ve constantly felt that the master’s gaze on me has an unusual glow, one I can’t describe, and it scares me."
Xi Qianxue’s words made Mu Qingge recall today’s scene in the Divine Hall with the three of them present.
The Divine Venerable’s gaze towards Xi Qianxue indeed seemed off. That kind of greed and possessiveness...
Mu Qingge narrowed her eyes slightly and asked softly, "Did he ever do anything to you?"
Xi Qianxue looked at Mu Qingge in confusion, "What do you mean by anything?"
Mu Qingge tugged at her lips awkwardly and said, "I mean, did he ever offend you? Use an excuse to touch you?"
These clear words made Xi Qianxue blush and shake her head. "No, nothing like that happened. However, lately, he always wants to train alone with me, finding various excuses, and I’ve refused them multiple times."
After speaking, she still couldn’t believe it, saying, "But... he’s my master! Why would he... why would he..." She couldn’t speak the words, but she believed Mu Qingge understood.
Mu Qingge slowly shook her head, saying to Xi Qianxue: "Some people are not just what you see on the surface. Didn’t you just ask me what your master wants from me?"
Xi Qianxue nodded.
Mu Qingge sneered, "He sought me out merely to coerce and lure me into handing over my Alchemy Furnace."
"What!" Xi Qianxue stood up in disbelief, murmuring, "How can it be?"
Mu Qingge raised an eyebrow, "Why not? This Alchemy Furnace has quite a background. It’s said that the Divine Hall has been searching for it. But now it belongs to me, and I cannot discard it for survival. Since the end of the Alchemy Conference, the Divine Hall has made no fewer than three attempts to assassinate me. The second attempt even set an ambush in Ruishui River; fortunately, Wei Molili, Ji Yaohua, Ying Ze, and Yao Xinghai were with me, fighting side by side, and we eventually killed all those assassins."
"But... how do you know it’s the Divine Hall?" Xi Qianxue was highly shocked. It was hard for her to accept that the faith she has worshipped since childhood was such a dirty existence.
Mu Qingge looked at her, waving her hand before her face. A phantom face appeared briefly in front of Xi Qianxue.
Only for a moment, it vanished again.
"Do you recognize him?" Mu Qingge asked.
Just now, she used a small spell from the Divine Strategy Middle Volume to conjure the appearance of the Divine Envoy who represented the Divine Hall at the Alchemy Conference and was the first to attempt killing her.
Since he could represent the Divine Hall, his status would not be low, so Xi Qianxue wouldn’t fail to recognize him.
Indeed, although the image lasted only a moment, Xi Qianxue saw clearly. Her beautiful eyes suddenly narrowed, mumbling repeatedly, "Impossible... impossible... Divine Envoy Xiao..."
Divine Envoy Xiao?
Mu Qingge found it amusing; it was only now she learned the surname of the person who chased her into Nine Springs Cave.
"He was the leader of the first group to hunt me. The second group also hunted Wei Molili." After speaking, Mu Qingge raised her eyebrows at Xi Qianxue.
Xi Qianxue was very intelligent; she believed her words reached this point, and combined with today’s actions of the Divine Venerable inviting her to the Divine Hall, this perceptive girl should be able to discern the truth.
Xi Qianxue collapsed into the chair, lost and bewildered.
Mu Qingge watched her, adding, "Actually, your mission to assassinate me back then also proves the Divine Hall is far less glorious than its appearance."
Crack!
In Xi Qianxue’s heart, something seemed to shatter along with Mu Qingge’s words.
In a trance, she asked herself, ’Yes! How did I forget?’
"These are nothing but conflicts of interest, differing stances naturally making right and wrong hard to distinguish, so you needn’t be overly troubled. But you should be careful not to let your master take advantage of you." Mu Qingge pulled out a small porcelain bottle, placing it in front of Xi Qianxue.
Xi Qianxue’s dazed, wandering gaze slowly settled on the bottle.
"This is a colorless, odorless poison I’ve concocted. Keep it with you, and if you encounter an emergency, shatter it. The poison it releases can paralyze anyone, ignoring realms," Mu Qingge explained.
Xi Qianxue stared bewilderedly at her, seemingly shocked by the poison’s effect.
Mu Qingge laughed, "You needn’t be too surprised; it’s not as potent as you imagine. It’s a psychological toxin, somewhat similar to the ability of the little monster we encountered in the Ancient Battlefield, affecting Spiritual Sense rather than the physical body. Moreover, it can only paralyze for one hour. So once you use it, you’ll have just one hour to protect yourself and find a way to escape."
Xi Qianxue extended her hand, taking the bottle from Mu Qingge’s grasp.
Mu Qingge said, "This is for your self-defense; I hope you never have to use it."
"Thank you," Xi Qianxue said, looking at her.
Mu Qingge shook her head, "There’s no need for this between us." She stood up, walked to the bedside, looked at the night view of Sky City, and said to Xi Qianxue, "Before entering the Divine Tomb, you’d better find an excuse to return to the Xi Family in the coming days."
Xi Qianxue nodded, "Mm, I’ll say tomorrow that I need to make a trip back to the Xi Family."
Mu Qingge turned around, her clear eyes gazing at her, "If there’s anything, feel free to find me."
Xi Qianxue got up, pursed her lips, and said, "You should be careful too. Once he decides on something, it’s hard to change. I’m afraid he might be unfavorable to you."
Mu Qingge nodded, "Don’t worry, I have it under control."
Xi Qianxue slowly walked towards her, bit her lip, and asked, "I heard that you already have a fiancé."
Mu Qingge was taken aback, then smiled lightly and nodded in admission.
Her forthrightness made Xi Qianxue feel a bit bitter, yet relieved. She asked, "Is he good to you?" But before Mu Qingge could answer, she chuckled and said, "This question is a bit silly. If he weren’t good, why would you consent to him?"
There was a hint of melancholy in Xi Qianxue’s expression. This left Mu Qingge momentarily speechless.
After a short while, Xi Qianxue managed to restrain her melancholic expression and smiled, "As long as you’re well, I’m at ease. Once inside the Divine Tomb, meet me at the second tomb gate; I’ll join you as soon as I can."
"Alright," Mu Qingge agreed with a nod.
Xi Qianxue didn’t linger and quietly left Mu Qingge’s room. Before leaving, she carefully placed the poison Mu Qingge gave her for self-defense into her Sumeru Ring.
After seeing Xi Qianxue off, Mu Qingge didn’t sleep that night.
She was worried about the safety of her family in Linchuan, hoping Gu Ya and Gu Ye would arrive soon.
The two of them didn’t need to use a teleportation array. They could directly tear through space to reach Luoxing City, gather reinforcements, and then return to Linchuan.
Of course, this wasn’t something everyone could do.
It was because the two of them possessed the Space Spiritual Root. Moreover, their spiritual roots were different from the usual ones; they weren’t for storage but for traversal. That’s why they were often kept close by Si Mo.
If there was anything that needed their execution, their speed was unmatched!
Until dawn, Mu Qingge finally received a message from Gu Ya, informing her that they had reached Linchuan. Only then did Mu Qingge’s anxious heart gradually settle down.
Yet, just as she was thinking of catching some more sleep and getting some rest, people from the Jing Family arrived.
This time, in addition to Jing Fengyu, there was also an Elder from the Jing Family.
"This must be City Lord Mu! I’ve long admired your name!" The Elder of the Jing Family, although of senior ranking and age, was quite amiable.
At first glance upon meeting Mu Qingge, he didn’t treat her as a junior or act superior; instead, he interacted as an equal.
Mu Qingge generally found elders who didn’t flaunt their age very agreeable.
Thus, she also wore a smile and invited the two to take a seat.
As soon as Jing Fengyu sat down, he asked, "Why haven’t I seen Jing Hai?"
Though his urgency was apparent, Mu Qingge didn’t mind; instead, the Elder from the Jing Family secretly glared at him, making Jing Fengyu sheepishly fall silent.
"He will be here shortly," Mu Qingge replied with a smile.
In no time, Jing Hai came running in, sweating profusely. Ever since he followed Mu Qingge, he had developed the habit of exercising every morning.
As soon as he entered, he walked up to Mu Qingge, picked up the tea, and respectfully handed it to her with both hands.
Mu Qingge took it and pointed to the spot beside her, "Stand here."
"Yes!" Jing Hai delightedly stood where Mu Qingge had indicated, unwilling to move an inch. His proud stance brought a faint smile to Mu Qingge’s lips.
The Elder of the Jing Family, upon seeing this scene, slightly furrowed his brow, his eyes revealing some solemnity.
However, he said nothing, instead looking towards Jing Hai.
When he got a clear look at Jing Hai, his reaction mirrored Jing Fengyu’s, yet more intense and excited, though he managed to keep his composure.
Gathering his inner shock, the Elder of the Jing Family seriously said to Mu Qingge, "City Lord Mu, I shall speak frankly. This child is a bloodline of the Jing Family lost outside, and now that our family has found him, he should rightfully return to the clan. We understand that he has followed you for years and matured under your guidance, and our family is very grateful. Therefore, we’re willing to present Sky City with twenty well-trained Spirit Beasts and ten thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones as tokens of our appreciation."
Mu Qingge raised an eyebrow and Jing Hai frowned, showing displeasure.
"Is this the price your Jing Family is offering to buy Jing Hai back from me? To you, is Jing Hai akin to a clearly priced Spirit Beast?" Mu Qingge narrowed her eyes and began to smile playfully.
"I won’t leave the instructor!" Jing Hai also asserted loudly.