Jiang Lingsu's Request

Morning light glimmered faintly; the rising sun had just emerged.

Jiang Lingsu wore a long green dress, her gauzy sash fluttering like the Green Snake Maiden.

A trace of sleepiness still lingered in her lively eyes. She brushed the lovely hair from before her temples and took a deep breath. "It seems I lost a piece of Hibiscus Origin Jade yesterday.

Sigh, what a pity Shinguang Sect doesn't sell it.

I can only make do with what I have."

Hibiscus Origin Jade was originally a kind of spirit jade. When lit, it released a mysterious fragrance that brightened the eyes and cleared the mind.

Yesterday, while cleaning the room, the puppet had dumped an unfinished piece into the garbage heap.

Ordinarily, she would not have minded.

But this was Shinguang Sect, where she could not buy a replacement.

She decided to go to the garbage heap and retrieve it.

When she arrived at the garbage heap, she covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, preparing to summon the puppet and recover that piece of Hibiscus Origin Jade.

But... the garbage heap.

"Who rummaged through it?"

She stared at the garbage heap, stunned.

The heap generally contained her daily refuse, as well as leftover scraps of spirit materials.

For instance, Hibiscus Origin Jade.

She had never expected someone to rummage through the garbage heap outside her house.

Thinking of something, she produced a talisman in her hand.

This talisman was called a Sensing Talisman. It was one of the many talismans Jiang Lingsu possessed, refined by a cultivator of the Divine Infant Realm.

She usually placed it by her bed as a warning device.

Now that the garbage heap had been rummaged through, she immediately took out the Sensing Talisman to see whether it held any clues.

Sure enough, a faint line lay at the center of the Sensing Talisman.

"During the Hour of the Ox last night? A living being stayed outside my house for the time it takes an incense stick to burn?"

Through the information left on the Sensing Talisman, Jiang Lingsu learned that a living being had apparently lingered outside her house for quite some time last night.

However, it had borne no ill intent, so the Sensing Talisman had not sounded an alarm. Otherwise, how was anyone supposed to sleep?

Jiang Lingsu frowned at the garbage heap. "Seven Colors Peak only has Master, Eldest Senior Brother, and me.

Ordinary animals would not trigger a response from the Sensing Talisman.

It would at least have to be something with spiritual nature."

"Could it be..."

Suddenly, Jiang Lingsu looked toward the Thatched Cottage next door.

She recalled how Eldest Senior Brother had looked while eating spirit food last time, and an indescribable feeling rose in her heart.

Sigh...

After some thought, she returned to her room.

Half an hour later, Jiang Lingsu arrived outside Qi Yuan's courtyard.

"Eldest Senior Brother, are you awake?" Jiang Lingsu called softly.

"Is something the matter, Junior Sister?" Qi Yuan had changed into a white robe, looking rather handsome and unrestrained. Today was the Foundation Establishment Tournament, so he had risen earlier than usual.

Looking at Qi Yuan's appearance, Jiang Lingsu felt refreshed and at ease.

Sure enough, seeing beautiful things always put one in a good mood.

"Eldest Senior Brother, may I trouble you with something?" Jiang Lingsu asked.

"Oh, what is it?" Qi Yuan was very enthusiastic. The Technique Jade Slip and spirit food from Junior Sister last time had both left him deeply grateful.

"Eldest Senior Brother, do you know whether our sect has any unusual people? Or rather, mysterious people?"

Jiang Lingsu had initially set her sights on the Seven Colors Peak Lord, Ruan Yixi, as the person capable of resisting the disaster.

But Jiang Lingsu felt she could identify a few more people.

"Unusual people?" Qi Yuan pondered, then his eyes lit up. "I know someone very unusual."

"Who?" Jiang Lingsu's heart gave a small leap.

"Me!" Qi Yuan pointed at himself.

Jiang Lingsu froze at his words.

Senior Brother truly was rather unusual. After all... cultivators of the Obsession Lineage all had something wrong with their heads.

Jiang Lingsu felt somewhat deflated, thinking it was far too unreliable to ask Eldest Senior Brother about this—but then she recalled what had happened that morning.

She took out a Storage Bag. "Eldest Senior Brother, there are a thousand Spirit Stones in here. Consider it your payment. Help me keep an eye out for more unusual people, and there will be further payment later."

Qi Yuan looked at the Storage Bag and blinked. "What does Junior Sister mean by this?"

Jiang Lingsu had not expected her Senior Brother to ask such a question.

But on second thought, the Obsession Lineage was merely a little obsessed, not stupid.

She gave the reason she had prepared earlier. "Before I came to the Shinguang Sect, I met a master diviner. He told me that there was a special individual within the sect, someone destined to aid me. So, I want to find out who that person is."

Upon hearing Jiang Lingsu's words, Qi Yuan suddenly blurted out—

"I'd sooner believe I'm Qin Shi Huang than believe you."

Jiang Lingsu: "???"

Qi Yuan continued, "I'll take this job."

Qi Yuan accepted the Storage Bag.

His eyes could see information others could not.

Finding a special person was something he should be particularly suited for.

"Does that person have any other characteristics?" Qi Yuan asked again.

Jiang Lingsu lowered her head. "They should be extremely powerful, or perhaps exceptionally talented. Oh, and it might not even be a person! Please, Senior Brother!"

After saying that, Jiang Lingsu left Qi Yuan's courtyard.

Qi Yuan held the Storage Bag and looked at the thousand Spirit Stones inside.

He had to admit, this was the first time he had ever seen such a huge sum of money.

Yet his heart did not stir much.

Instead, he murmured, "Why did Junior Sister give me Spirit Stones?"

Junior Sister asking him for help seemed genuine.

But these Spirit Stones looked more like a gift to him.

"Could it be that Junior Sister saw through the bravado in my heart and wants to tear away my disguise? Keep me?"

The thought suddenly occurred to Qi Yuan.

In the end, though, he did not dwell on it. Instead, he turned his gaze to the Kitchen Knife tied up in the courtyard.

"Junior Sister saw through my stubbornness. Did you see it too, Knife?"

The Kitchen Knife lay on the ground without moving.

"What do you think I should name you?"

The Kitchen Knife remained motionless.

"Knife?"

"Kitchen Knife?"

"Caicaizi?"

"Knifey?"

"Demon Blade?"

"Heavenly Blade?"

The Kitchen Knife finally reacted somewhat, seeming to tremble all over.

Qi Yuan grabbed the Kitchen Knife, confusion flashing through his eyes. "Is this what it means to have intelligence? How come you're not even as smart as my Little Love?"

If you told Little Love to fart, at least she would know to call the Little Degree beside her to do the farting.

This Kitchen Knife looked like it had intelligence, but there was practically no difference between having intelligence and not having any.

Though, on second thought, that was normal enough.

But as Qi Yuan gripped the blade, he felt his combat strength rise by another level.

"Could Summer Eight Slashes kill a few Origin Core cultivators?"

Unfortunately, this was Seven Colors Peak, not a good place to practice with a blade.

And he still had to represent the Shinguang Sect at the Foundation Establishment Tournament, so he had no time to practice.

Within the Shinguang Sect.

The Foundation Establishment Tournament finally began.

This Foundation Establishment Tournament had a first-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, the Yellow Flower Fruit, so none of the representatives sent by the various sects of the Great Shang Kingdom were weak.

"Flying Flower Elder of the Demonic Desire Sect has arrived!"

"Dividing Light Sword Master of Suspended Mountain has arrived!"

"Changshan Prince has arrived!"

"Black Mountain Sect's Chicken Worshipping Ancestor has arrived!"

Following the young attendant's announcement, clouds in a riot of colors gathered outside Shinguang Sect's mountain gate.

One Spirit Boat after another came to a halt in the sky, descending before Shinguang Sect's gates.

Qi Yuan wore a robe of white, the wind making its hem snap and flutter. Looking at the arrivals from the various sects, a refined smile rested in his eyes. "Welcome, everyone, to Shinguang Sect for the Foundation Establishment Tournament!"

At this moment, he was actually quite reliable.