Presenting the Sword

"Not a disciple of the National Teacher? Then perhaps they've been speaking ill of me. I've cooperated with Li Qinglin to eliminate demons three times already. Just last night, we even killed a Corpse Worm Demon. Why do you think someone who eliminates demons shouldn't associate with Li Qinglin? What kind of prejudice is that?"

"Was the Corpse Worm Demon eliminated by you?" Minghe replied calmly, "It escaped. It was eliminated by this humble Daoist."

Qin Yi: "..."

"Last night, this humble Daoist wanted to visit Prince Qinglin to confirm some matters and coincidentally witnessed your trip to the farm," Minghe said lightly. "Li Qinglin clearly has the ability to eliminate demons, yet he pretended to be powerless and allowed the demon to leave. His focus was merely on solving the mystery of the farm. For that ultimate outcome, whether the demon escaped or died was not important to him. He is a schemer, not a demon slayer."

Qin Yi felt a pang of shame. Thinking about it, she was indeed right. Li Qinglin was certainly not someone who subdued demons, eliminated devils, and acted righteously. Li Qingjun was closer to that. But this couldn't be used to blacken Li Qinglin's name; everyone had a different path.

He sighed, "Immortal... Oh, Daoist Minghe, what exactly are you trying to convey by telling me this?"

"This humble Daoist wants to say that a person like Li Qinglin, if cooperating with demons is beneficial, he will cooperate with demons."

"That's utter nonsense," Qin Yi said displeasedly. "The one truly cooperating with demons is..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence. This was, after all, the entrance to the Longevity Temple, and he couldn't speak carelessly.

But the look in his eyes as he glanced towards the temple already showed his attitude. Minghe shook her head slightly, "This humble Daoist personally witnessed the National Teacher eliminating demons, acting ruthlessly and without mercy. Conversely, on the night the Crown Prince was assassinated, there was a demonic aura like lightning, appearing in the Prince Residence, and the demonic aura there is still thick. This humble Daoist went to secretly observe Prince Qinglin precisely to confirm this matter."

Qin Yi was stunned for a moment, replaying it several times in his mind, then suddenly his eyes widened.

Minghe continued, "I see that you can wield a staff to eliminate demons and break the Eight Gates Golden Lock, clearly indicating you are a cultivator. And you address Li Qinglin by his name, not as his subordinate, which leaves room for discussion. If you still have some intention of eliminating demons and defending the Dao, I wonder if you could do this humble Daoist a small favor?"

Qin Yi narrowed his eyes, "You want me to investigate the demon in Li Qinglin's residence?"

"Precisely," Minghe sighed. "This humble Daoist's journey is specifically for subduing demons and eliminating devils. I once made a vow that the techniques I learned would only be used against demons and devils, not against mortals. Li Qinglin's residence is heavily guarded, and it would be inconvenient for this humble Daoist to forcefully enter and eliminate the demon."

Qin Yi looked at her for a long while, then said seriously, "I'm sorry, I don't have the intention of eliminating demons and defending the Dao. If you want me to ****, I might consider it."

The two phrases sounded completely different. The Daoist nun couldn't understand what he was saying at all and looked at him strangely with her large eyes.

It was only then that he saw a hint of a beauty's naive charm; the previous feeling was too distant. Qin Yi suddenly felt a little amused. This Daoist nun was probably very simple in some aspects and not as unattainable as he thought.

He finally translated his meaning, "I am not a cultivator at all and cannot sense demonic energy. I'm afraid I am powerless to help."

After saying that, he turned to leave, not even entering the Longevity Temple, as if this Daoist nun was more troublesome than the temple itself.

Minghe sighed from behind him, "You don't trust this humble Daoist."

Qin Yi didn't answer, just walked back silently. Isn't that obvious? he thought. Li Qinglin left a good impression on me. Even if we're not friends yet, we already have some connection. Should I not trust him and instead trust a Daoist nun I've never met before?

Because you're pretty?

You haven't even asked for my name yet!

Even if Li Qinglin's residence is harboring a demon, it's not a big deal. As she said, Li Qinglin is a schemer, not a demon slayer. For a future king, cooperating with demons on certain matters is not something difficult to understand, and Qin Yi doesn't feel the need to meddle in such affairs.

He came to cooperate with Li Qinglin against the National Teacher, not to manage Li Qinglin's private matters.

As for the "night the Crown Prince was assassinated"...

This Daoist nun came out of the National Teacher's temple. Who knows how much she is related to the National Teacher? Maybe it's all a lie, and she's using me?

It's better to stay away.

Just as he was thinking this, Minghe suddenly appeared in front of him at some point, blocking his path. Qin Yi said indifferently, "Does Daoist have any other instructions?"

Minghe didn't mind Qin Yi's increasingly distant tone. Instead, she handed him a wooden sword and said softly, "It was this humble Daoist who was abrupt. Upon reflection, you indeed do not cultivate, and forcing you to face demons would be inconvenient... If you insist on entering the residence, keep this sword. It can prevent you from being harmed by demons."

Qin Yi looked down at the wooden sword, then at Minghe.

Minghe's eyes were still as clear as water.

Like the water of the Milky Way.

Qin Yi wanted to refuse, but his mind shifted, and he took the wooden sword, bowed politely, and finally left with large strides without saying a word.

"What's going on?" Once they were in a secluded area, Qin Yi immediately asked Liu Su in a low voice, "Did that Daoist nun follow us?"

Liu Su was silent, and after a long while, it said, "She didn't follow, but it's better to speak softly. I don't know if her divine sense can eavesdrop."

Qin Yi lowered his voice even further, "What's wrong with you today? You're usually chattering away, but now that I need you to make some judgments about this Daoist nun, you haven't said a word from beginning to end?"

Liu Su said faintly, "This is a very powerful cultivator... Although with her current cultivation, she can't detect my presence, if I communicate with you soul-to-soul in front of her, the soul force fluctuations at such close proximity might be detected by her. It's better to be cautious."

"Very... powerful cultivator?" Qin Yi was stunned for a moment.

He was used to hearing Liu Su look down on everyone, and Qin Yi also believed that its former owner must have been incredibly powerful. This was the first time he had heard it evaluate someone as "very powerful" in terms of cultivation.

Liu Su suddenly asked, "Why were you so nervous when she asked about your weapon? Were you afraid I would be discovered?"

Qin Yi said irritably, "Of course. This Daoist nun is unfathomable. What if she wanted to kill you?"

Liu Su was silent. After a long while, it chuckled softly, with an unclear meaning.

It didn't continue the topic and slowly began to talk about Minghe, "This Daoist nun's bone age is no more than twenty, yet she has already entered the Heart of the Harp realm. No, she's about to reach completion in the Heart of the Harp realm."

"What is Heart of the Harp?"

Liu Su, uncharacteristically, didn't mock him, "...Forget it. With your mind full of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, just understand it as Foundation Establishment."

"She's only at Foundation Establishment and hasn't even reached completion? That's not very impressive..."

"She's not over twenty! Do you know what that means!" Liu Su, whose attitude had softened considerably, couldn't hold back anymore and almost cursed. "There are plenty of people who cultivate until they die and can't even reach Foundation Establishment, and she's almost at completion! The kind of demon tiger you couldn't defeat, she could blow it to death with a single breath. If Li Qinglin, who seems very powerful in martial arts, can withstand one of her moves, that would be an extraordinary performance!"

Qin Yi suddenly said, "In other words, this is a true immortal cultivator?"

"Yes, without a doubt. And what she has learned is extremely profound, definitely not comparable to that bullshit Spirit Gathering Array. I think she is most likely from a top-tier Mysterious Gate orthodox sect! Do you know what that peach wood sword she gave you is?"

"The kind Yun Zhongzi gave to King Zhou?"

Liu Su hadn't heard that story and said directly, "This peach wood sword has been enchanted by her. As long as there is a demon within range, it will automatically thirst for demonic blood. It won't harm humans, but it is incredibly powerful against demons. I can't determine the range of this demon-seeking ability right now, but this method of attaching techniques to objects without dissipating is the foundation of refining magical artifacts."

Qin Yi stood there in a daze for a long while, then hesitated, "Could it be that she really gave it to me for self-defense?"

Liu Su didn't answer.

Qin Yi had accepted the sword with a thought at the time, of course, to let Liu Su determine its origin and use. The result was that the judgment was indeed that it was used for eliminating demons, which was strange. He frowned and carefully sorted through the various situations, still feeling completely confused. What was this mysterious, powerful person from a Mysterious Gate orthodox sect doing in this small Southern Border country?

A true cultivator from a Mysterious Gate orthodox sect meant that she should indeed not be a disciple of the National Teacher. No matter how he thought about it, Dong Huazi didn't have that kind of standing. Otherwise, Li Qinglin would just wash up and go to sleep; what would be the point of fighting?

But even though she was just passing through, she seemed very hostile towards Li Qinglin. If she really decided to do something, Li Qinglin would probably be in trouble.

"Forget it, let's go back to the residence first. If I don't know now, I'll know eventually."