Qiuyue looked as if she had been abandoned by a heartless lover. Her words were full of misery, tears glimmered in her eyes, and she gazed at Ye Jing with a pitiful look.
Ye Jing couldn't bear that look. It was as if he had committed some unforgivable, heinous crime.
"Qiuyue, don't talk nonsense. We've depended on each other since we were children. How could I abandon you?"
Ye Jing slowly wiped away the tears at the corners of Qiuyue's eyes with his finger and explained helplessly, "The Sword Sect is a great sect. You possess a peerless constitution like the Innate Dao Body. You absolutely cannot let it go to waste."
"Your young master is only at the Qi Refining Realm. If you stay by my side, you'll only be held back."
Qiuyue didn't believe a word of his explanation. "Young master, you're lying. You're not at the Qi Refining Realm at all."
"You were the one who rescued me today from those two Ancient Clan prodigies. That Sword Talisman from the Three Sword Sect Masters? You made it yourself."
Seeing that Qiuyue had seen through him, Ye Jing could only tell the truth. "Qiuyue, your origins are extraordinary. The Grand Void Li Clan Ancient Clan is incredibly powerful."
"I acted today and wiped them out down to the roots precisely so your whereabouts wouldn't be exposed."
"But the entire Great Li Imperial Family knows about you. There's no guarantee that the Li Clan Ancient Clan doesn't know as well."
"Those people from the Li Clan Ancient Clan will follow the trail and find me sooner or later. If you're still in the Imperial Capital, I'll be in mortal danger."
Qiuyue wasn't foolish, either. After everything that had happened today, she realized that her origins were not ordinary.
Her eyes filled with worry. "Young master, if that's true, then all the more reason I can't leave you."
"If those Ancient Clan people can't find me, they'll come after you instead. How could I abandon you?"
Jian Xuzi couldn't stand watching Qiuyue cry and sniffle any longer. He chided Ye Jing, "You little rascal. I thought a pie might really fall from the sky! Who would've guessed you had such a devious plan?"
"You only wanted to borrow the Sword Sect's strength to save this young girl's life."
Hearing the teasing in Jian Xuzi's words, and sensing no hint of blame, Ye Jing assured him, "Rest easy, Senior Jian Xuzi. I've already dealt with those two Ancient Clan prodigies."
"With my methods, no matter how powerful those Ancient Clan people are, they won't be able to uncover a single clue."
"The only thing I'm worried about is that the Great Li Imperial Family knows Qiuyue is my maid. Those Ancient Clan people will surely come looking for me."
"But please rest assured, Senior Jian Xuzi. I won't breathe a word of it. I'll never let what happened with Qiuyue implicate the Sword Sect."
A hint of approval flashed in Jian Xuzi's eyes. "You've got some nerve, I'll give you that."
"But don't worry. So what if they find out Qiuyue is in my Sword Sect? What could a nest of rats like that Ancient Clan possibly amount to?"
From Jian Xuzi's tone, it seemed he looked down on the Li Clan Ancient Clan.
Could the Li Clan Ancient Clan really be less powerful than he'd imagined? Confusion filled Ye Jing's eyes, and he hurriedly asked, "Senior Jian Xuzi, the Li Clan Ancient Clan is so powerful. Why do you look down on them?"
Jian Xuzi smiled faintly, a trace of pride in his eyes. "You little rascal, it seems you don't understand these so-called Ancient Clans at all!"
"Ancient Clans possess Mystic Realms of their own. Their lineages stretch back ages, their foundations are unfathomably deep, and their strength is naturally formidable."
"But what they gain from their Mystic Realms, they also lose because of them. Within a Mystic Realm, even ten Sword Sects might not match the Grand Void Li Clan. But outside one, they may not be able to do anything to my Sword Sect."
Seeing the deep confusion still in Ye Jing's eyes, Jian Xuzi continued to explain. "Do you know what it takes to reach the Peak of Humanity? You have to comprehend the laws of the Great Dao!"
"That's common knowledge even a three-year-old knows."
"The Taixu Profound Realm is a world unto itself. It's easier to comprehend the laws of the Great Dao there, but the Taixu Profound Realm is ultimately different from the vast world we live in."
"Once those people leave the Taixu Profound Realm, they'll be suppressed by the laws of the world. The more powerful they are, the more severe the suppression."
"What's more, the Judgment Divine Envoy exists. The God of Heaven and Earth from the Ancient Clans are forbidden from appearing on the Eastern Continent."
So that was how it worked. Ye Jing didn't fully understand what Jian Xuzi meant, but he knew that powerful Ancient Clans like these must be bound by rules he didn't know about.
In other words, the Ancient Clans' strength might be too great to unleash freely in this world.
At that thought, Ye Jing felt the burden on his shoulders lighten considerably. But Jian Xuzi's next words tightened the tension in him once more.
"Don't get too happy yet. The Sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm is about to arrive. If the Cataclysm develops far enough, those Ancient Clan Mystic Realms will reappear in the world."
"By then, the laws of the world will invade the Ancient Clan Mystic Realms. Once those laws assimilate the laws of the Great Dao within the Mystic Realms, the people inside will be completely free of the world's suppression."
"Only then will the Ancient Clans' full strength truly be revealed."
At least this counted as good news. It wasn't as wonderful as he'd hoped, but there was still some time before the Heaven and Earth Cataclysm developed to that point.
That time would give him a sufficient buffer. He had to seize this window and work hard to improve his strength in the Hanlin Academy.
"Thank you, Senior Jian Xuzi, for clearing things up for me."
Ye Jing bowed respectfully to Jian Xuzi, then urged him, "Senior Jian Xuzi, there's no time to lose. The longer we wait, the more likely something will go wrong. Please take Qiuyue back to the Sword Sect as soon as possible."
"This..."
Jian Xuzi hesitated and didn't immediately agree.
"Senior Jian Xuzi, why are you hesitating?"
Jian Xuzi's eyes were full of apology as he explained to Ye Jing, "My young friend, I have important business and can't leave the Imperial Capital. I truly can't take this girl back to the Sword Sect anytime soon."
"Why don't you take this Token and bring her to the Sword Sect? When my senior brother, the Sect Master, sees it, he'll surely let her stay."
The Sword Sect was more than ten thousand li from the Imperial Capital. Even as a Great Grandmaster, flying through the air day and night, he would need a full half-month to get there. The round trip would take a month.
His situation was sensitive right now. If he vanished from the Imperial Capital for a whole month, he would inevitably arouse the Great Li Imperial Family's suspicions.
What's more, the Hanlin Academy had many precious Ancient Texts. By studying them and activating his heaven-defying Dao Enlightenment, he could quickly improve his strength. A month would be enough to raise his abilities by a large margin.
Jian Xuzi's suggestion wasn't what Ye Jing had originally planned.
"I wonder what important business you have, Senior Jian Xuzi. Could you tell me? Perhaps I can take care of it for you."
Before you continue