Yuan Tianzhi’s attention fell upon Qie Sanqian, his gaze fixing on the sword leaning against the wall, his expression changing slightly as he promptly withdrew all the divine aura he had released.
“How could this person be sitting together with Zhang Ruochen?”
Yuan Tianzhi turned with a puzzled mind, looking towards the veiled woman not far away who cradled the three-eyed exotic beast, his eyes widening instantly as if he had witnessed the most inconceivable matter in the world.
Immediately after, he bowed his burly divine form, cupped his fists in salute, and was about to speak.
The woman said, “You may go for now; from this moment, Zhang Ruochen’s affairs shall be handled by me.”
Yuan Tianzhi seemed inclined to say something, but after a moment’s thought, he chose to remain silent.
With an affirmative response, he turned and descended the stairs.
Returning to the bustling street thronged with traffic, Yuan Tianzhi still could not calm the shock in his heart, while sinking into profound bewilderment.
How could a mere small tea pavilion gather so many earth-shattering figures?
Zhuo Yunnong walked over and asked, “Divine General, is Zhang Ruochen inside?”
Yuan Tianzhi replied in a tone of sigh, “He is inside.”
“Then why not bring him out? The higher-ups have decreed that if he dares to refuse, he shall be seized as a criminal.”
“He cannot be seized! Ask no more; this matter is no longer something we can involve ourselves in.”
Yuan Tianzhi’s tone was low and dejected, tinged with helplessness, as he strode ahead first.
Zhuo Yunnong’s heart filled with doubts as he gazed towards the tea pavilion.
Yuan Tianzhi had come bearing the Adjudication Division’s decree of adjudication; let alone Zhang Ruochen, even true gods like the Blood Queen or the King of the Underworld could be “invited” to Destiny Divine Mountain. How then could he fail to “invite” a mere Zhang Ruochen?
Could it be that the Blood Slaughter War God was inside?
In the eyes of the assembled Adjudication Division great saints, this tea pavilion suddenly took on an air of mystery and eeriness.
Zhuo Yunnong’s mind was clouded with suspicions, yet Zhang Ruochen had already understood everything.
With Zhang Ruochen’s current status and position, how could a mere Yuan Tianzhi dare to come to the Blood Slaughter Family’s domain to seize him?
Yuan Tianzhi must have acted under orders from some great figure in the Adjudication Division, with such backing; who else could have frightened him into retreat?
There was only one answer.
He had encountered an even greater figure within the Adjudication Division.
Only the Adjudication Division could intimidate the Adjudication Division.
Zhang Ruochen looked towards the mysterious veiled woman, his heart filled with utmost embarrassment; he had never imagined they would meet in such a manner.
The earlier discourse, though delivered by Qie Sanqian as a sermon, had been studied earnestly by Zhang Ruochen as well.
All of it had been witnessed by her.
Qie Sanqian smiled while secretly transmitting a message to Zhang Ruochen, saying, “She has indeed come for you; what is the situation?”
“Perhaps, she has come for a betrothal meeting.” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Qie Sanqian’s smile stiffened on his face as he picked up the sword adorned with glittering jewels, rose to his feet, brushed back the long hair from his forehead, patted Zhang Ruochen’s shoulder, and laughed heartily: “Brother Ruochen, we have taken to each other at first sight, regretting the years lost before this meeting, but the earlier words were merely this Qie’s arrogant jests; do not take them to heart. I shall take my leave first; until we meet again!”
“Swoosh!”
Sword and scabbard in hand, he drew a潇洒 arc in the room with effortless grace.
Space was torn asunder.
Zhang Ruochen called out loudly to detain him, but Qie Sanqian stepped into the spatial rift and vanished in an instant, as if utterly deaf to his voice.
He merely waved his sleeve lightly, yet did not take Zhang Ruochen with him.
Leaving Zhang Ruochen alone to face the awkward atmosphere in the tea pavilion and the mysterious woman’s gaze of mocking chill.
To disregard the dao locks, great saint inscriptions, and divine patterns of an entire holy city, coming and going freely, with even space unable to impede him, clearly marked Qie Sanqian as a remarkable true god.
Moreover, he had appeared just before and after the Xuanji Sword Saint; how could Zhang Ruochen fail to guess his identity?
But it was truly excessive.
One moment, he had been discoursing with him on affections and righteousness.
The next, he had become utterly heartless and unrighteous.
Zhang Ruochen smiled wryly, turned with unhurried poise, and cupped his hands in salute to the mysterious woman: “Greetings, Your Highness Feiwei.”
The woman before him was none other than Qing Feiwei, the true god of the Adjudication Division whom the Blood Slaughter War God had once mentioned to Zhang Ruochen.
Seventy thousand years ago, Qing Feiwei had been the divine maiden of the Temple of Destiny, the cultivator of highest talent in that era; now her cultivation had reached unfathomable depths. Otherwise, Qie Sanqian would not have departed in such haste.
Qing Feiwei’s spiritual power was unknown in its potency, but evidently she had overheard the transmission between Zhang Ruochen and Qie Sanqian, as she let out a light hum: “In the Jade Huang Realm, this god indeed owes the Blood Slaughter War God an immense debt of gratitude. The War God did mention to this god the matter of a marital alliance with you, but it has already been politely declined by this god. Thus, there is no such thing as a betrothal meeting!”
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen felt a sense of relief instead.
But suddenly thinking of something, Zhang Ruochen furrowed his brows and said, “This is trouble now!”
“What do you mean?”
Qing Feiwei remained as still as a calm lake, her heart undisturbed by ripples.
Zhang Ruochen walked to the seat opposite her and sat down, saying, “Qie Sanqian is clearly someone who cannot keep a secret; just now I told him that you came to Tianlin Ancient City for a betrothal meeting with me. He must have taken it as truth, and it is highly likely he will spread the matter.”
“For me, there is no loss.”
“But for Your Highness Feiwei, you are a divine being who stunned an era; to take the initiative to come to the Blood Slaughter Family for a betrothal meeting with a saint-realm cultivator. One can imagine the tremendous uproar it will cause once the news spreads. The words of the masses can be fearsome indeed!”
Qie Sanqian had evidently known Qing Feiwei’s identity from the start, yet deliberately lectured Zhang Ruochen on ways to tame wives, purely to trap him and lead him into a ditch.
After digging the pit, he had merely waved his sleeve and left!
How could Zhang Ruochen not scheme to get even?
Qing Feiwei had evidently taken Zhang Ruochen’s words to heart, her gaze lingering slightly, but in an instant, it returned to the stillness of an ancient well.
Zhang Ruochen could not help but inwardly admire her composure.
Qing Feiwei said, “This god came to Tianlin Ancient City for two reasons: first, to see for myself what sort of figure is the grandson who has cultivated a first-grade holy intent and whom the Blood Slaughter War God praises without reserve.”
“Your Highness Feiwei must be disappointed!” Zhang Ruochen sighed.
Qing Feiwei continued, “Second, to ask you a few questions.”
“Ask away without reservation.”
Zhang Ruochen’s heart fully relaxed, as if the one seated opposite was not a peerless divine being capable of exerting no pressure upon him at all. But Qing Feiwei’s first question made his heart jolt with shock.
“Qi Tian is your father; do you know when you will save him? How you will save him? Whether you will save him at all?”
Without doubt, if Zhang Ruochen directly answered “no” to saving him, he could pass this hurdle with ease.
But how could he utter those two words?
Zhang Ruochen lowered his head with a smile, lifted the teapot, and poured a full cup, yet did not drink.
His gaze gradually turned resolute as he said, “Save, of course I must save him. Qie Sanqian said one thing very rightly: in this world, the establishment of all relationships arises from the character qing.”
“The affection between father and son is something that cannot be severed.”
“Once my cultivation reaches the divine venerable realm, it will be the time to ascend Destiny Divine Mountain and escort my imperial father away.”
“If Your Highness Feiwei feels I threaten the Adjudication Division, you may seize me now or erase me directly.”
Qing Feiwei stared into Zhang Ruochen’s eyes, seeing his expression sincere and his tone resolute; evidently, before uttering those words, he had already considered the possible consequences.
Qing Feiwei said, “The Blood Slaughter War God said you are one who values affection and righteousness above all; originally I did not believe it, but now, I believe it somewhat.”
“The second question: what are your thoughts on the war between the Heavenly Court and the Infernal Court?”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Opportunities abound without end, yet one must gauge the timing and momentum carefully, never forgetting life and death.”
“Gauge the timing and momentum carefully, never forgetting life and death.”
Qing Feiwei murmured these ten characters, cradling the three-eyed exotic beast as she rose to her feet, without glancing at Zhang Ruochen again, and walked towards the tea pavilion’s exterior on her own.
“It is rare for you to see through it so clearly.”
Her voice drifted up from below.
But Zhang Ruochen knew that by the time the sound reached him, Qing Feiwei was already hundreds of thousands of li away.
Zhang Ruochen let out a long exhalation, knowing that it was these final ten characters of his that had led Qing Feiwei to temporarily set aside the Adjudication Division’s interests and stand on his side.
The two characters “life and death” in those ten referred to living spirits and death spirits.
In the end, the Undying Blood Race were living spirits, not death spirits. Moreover, they required the blood of living spirits to achieve their current power, standing as one of the ten races of the Infernal Court.
If the myriad realms of the Heavenly Court were extinguished, the Undying Blood Race would not be far from extermination!
Any leader among the Undying Blood Race must remember “gauge the timing and momentum carefully, never forgetting life and death”.
The Undying Blood Race needed a fulcrum capable of balancing living spirits and death spirits; evidently, Zhang Ruochen’s unique status and the talent he had displayed offered the chance to grow into that fulcrum.
Returning to the Blood Slaughter Family, Zhang Ruochen met Xue Qi and asked, “Has Kong Le returned?”
“No! But, Great Saint, rest assured; there will be no safety issues in the Blood Heaven Division.”
Xue Qi produced a spatial ring, his expression one of evident reluctance; inside was all his accumulated wealth and assets.
He gritted his teeth and handed the spatial ring to Zhang Ruochen, saying, “These are the divine stones owed from that year; I am returning half first. For the other half, might the Great Saint grant a bit more time?”
In the year of the Heaven-Hunting War, Zhang Ruochen had helped Xue Qi break his shackles and sold him no small number of God-Wandering Pills, leaving Xue Qi with a considerable debt.
Xue Qi dared not default on a debt to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen took the spatial ring and probed it briefly, noticing that Xue Qi’s eyes had never left it, so he handed it back and said, “I, Zhang Ruochen, do not lack these few divine stones; take them to purchase cultivation resources and strive to break through to the Supreme Realm soon.”
Xue Qi clutched the spatial ring, his heart profoundly shaken, and said, “That year, it was I who owed the Great Saint a debt of gratitude; these divine stones, the Great Saint must accept.”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, “If I wanted divine stones, I could auction off any supreme saint artifact of mine and fetch a sky-high price; would I care for these few of yours?”
Xue Qi naturally understood Zhang Ruochen’s intent in acting thus and promptly bowed deeply: “Henceforth, in all matters of the Blood Slaughter Family, Xue Qi shall look to Saint Ruochen as his guide.”
“First, help me with one matter.” Zhang Ruochen said.
“What matter?”
“Go to the Qi Heaven Division and find two Undying Blood Race members whom my mother brought back from the Kunlun Realm that year. Their names are Qi Sheng and Yinghuo.”
