New Beginnings

Chen Yan's heart was also touched by Sun Lu's words.

His Master, Lin Qifeng, actually disliked Zheng Fuyue very much.

This was because he felt the Steward of the Spirit Herb Workshop was short-sighted, and even Chen Yan had started to agree with Lin Qifeng's view recently.

But today was different.

Just by considering Lin Qifeng's current predicament, where all his efforts were like throwing a meat bun at a dog with no hope of return, Zheng Fuyue and his disciple still chose to stand by Lin Qifeng.

Chen Yan felt that Zheng Fuyue was no ordinary person.

Anyone else would have distanced themselves from Lin Qifeng long ago.

After all, Xue Xiu was only an acting Elder of the Outer Court, and it was uncertain when another Elder might be appointed.

If the new Elder had some connection with Song Wencheng, then those close to Lin Qifeng might face repercussions.

And Zheng Fuyue seemed to have a deeper level of investment.

"The immortal gambling den in Taiyun City..."

After Sun Lu left, Chen Yan muttered to himself.

He decided not to inform Chu Xiyao or Fu Qian about this matter for now, but to make a trip to Taiyun City himself later.

"Junior Brother Chen, long time no see."

Looking up, Chen Yan saw the young man in the yellow robe he had met before in the Pill Hall of Kongyuan Mountain, standing in the courtyard.

He was still wearing that conspicuous yellow robe today.

"Senior Brother Zhao, long time no see."

Chen Yan greeted him.

"Are you ready?"

Zhao Bin asked.

"I can leave anytime."

Chen Yan replied.

"Good."

Zhao Bin nodded, then took out a short flute from his sleeve and blew gently. Soon, crane calls echoed from the sky.

A giant white crane appeared in the sky, its feathers reflecting the color of flames in the afterglow of the sunset, a truly beautiful sight.

The white crane circled in mid-air, then slowly descended into the courtyard.

Cultivators below the Qi Sea Realm were unable to fly through the air.

When Chu Xiyao took him to Qingchan Peak before, she had used teleportation magic.

Zhao Bin, however, needed the help of a mount.

Zhao Bin's current cultivation was still stuck at the Martial Spring Realm, and he was not very old, only twenty-six years old.

Compared to his cultivation talent, his alchemy talent was much more outstanding.

The reason he still looked like a youth was because he had the habit of taking Youth Preserving Pills.

Youth Preserving Pills were by no means cheap. In the rare treasures pavilion outside the Sect, one Youth Preserving Pill could sell for ten high-grade spirit stones.

Of course, not all cultivators aged.

As long as your cultivation speed was fast enough, your age could not catch up with you.

For example, the current Sect Master of the Empty Mountain Sect, Yun Yichen, was said to still look like a young man in his twenties when he was two hundred years old.

A more recent example would be Lu Li.

When he was a tutor in the Outer Court, he was already nearly forty, yet he still looked like a youth.

However, some cultivators, in pursuit of an immortal demeanor, deliberately made themselves appear older.

"Hold on tight."

Zhao Bin said.

The white crane's spread wings stirred the flowing clouds, and Chen Yan's robes fluttered in the strong wind.

The outline of the Outer Court beneath them gradually shrank. This was a feeling he only experienced before when he stood in the pavilion on the mountain peak near the Outer Court.

However, Chen Yan then saw the pavilion on the mountain peak, which soon became the same size as the previous Outer Court settlement, and finally shrunk into a small black dot.

In the sunset, he suddenly noticed that Zhao Bin's yellow robe had dark gold patterns in the twilight.

That was also a cloud crane pattern, a symbol of Kongyuan Mountain.

"Junior Brother, why put yourself through this?"

On the way to Kongyuan Mountain riding the crane, Zhao Bin suddenly said to Chen Yan.

"What?"

Chen Yan asked.

"Cheating in the Outer Court Grand Competition."

Zhao Bin replied.

Chen Yan was slightly stunned, then he pondered for a moment and continued along Zhao Bin's line of reasoning:

"Master didn't want to lose face, and I'm also someone who cares about my reputation, so I had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure."

"This situation is even more embarrassing now, isn't it?"

Zhao Bin sighed and said:

"And it's not just you, Junior Disciple Chen, but also Uncle-Master Lin and my Master. It's made me lose so much face in front of fellow disciples who come to the Pill Hall recently..."

"Senior Disciple Brother is right to admonish me."

Chen Yan said.

Immediately, Zhao Bin quickly reacted and hurriedly said:

"I apologize, Junior Disciple Chen. I was a bit out of line just now. Please forgive me. Also, Senior Disciple Brother has a request: please do not tell my Master what I just said."

"Please rest assured, Senior Disciple Brother Zhao."

Chen Yan replied.

Uncle-Master Yue Chi had not told Senior Disciple Brother Zhao Bin the truth of the matter.

After all, the fewer people who knew about this matter, the better.

And for some reason, Chen Yan also felt that Zhao Bin should not know the truth of this matter.

Because Zhao Bin's attitude towards the "Calamity Cause" seemed very intriguing.

Compared to himself, Uncle-Master Yue Chi, Zhao Bin's Master, should know these things better.

Soon, the mountain gate of Kongyuan Mountain appeared before Chen Yan.

Kongyuan Mountain in the twilight was even more magnificent than it was in the morning.

The rolling sea of clouds was dyed crimson by the setting sun, making the four golden characters "Kongyuan Zizai" (Empty Origin, Free Existence) on the mountain gate appear even more solemn and profound.

Until the last ray of sunset sank into the sea of clouds, Kongyuan Mountain finally transformed into a quenched sword, as if cleaving heaven and earth in two.

White cranes flew into the mountain gate, and the bamboo leaves growing on the mountain walls looked like dark brown blades in the twilight.

The disciples guarding the mountain gate, upon seeing Huang Gua sitting on the white crane, quickly bowed and saluted:

"This disciple greets the Pill Hall Senior Disciple Brother!"

The Pill Hall Senior Disciple Brother?

That title sounded quite imposing.

"Uncle-Master Lin is currently contemplating his mistakes on the back cliff. I'm afraid you won't be able to see him for a while, Junior Disciple Brother."

Zhao Bin, sitting in front of Chen Yan, said:

"It's getting late today. I'll arrange a place for you to stay first."

"Thank you, Senior Disciple Brother Zhao."

Chen Yan replied simply.

Kongyuan Mountain truly lived up to its reputation as part of the Inner Sect. The disciples' residences were on a completely different level compared to the Outer Court.

Each Inner Sect disciple resided in an independent courtyard, unlike the Outer Court where four disciples shared the same courtyard.

The size of the courtyards was also more than double that of the Outer Court courtyards.

As for Chen Yan's residence, it was even better than what ordinary Inner Sect disciples lived in.

Even though he had just committed a scandal of cheating, his Master, Lin Qifeng, was still a personal disciple of the Sect Master, and his "good friend" Uncle-Master was the Elder of the Pill Hall.

Arranging a better place to stay was naturally a piece of cake.

"From now on, this will be your residence, Junior Disciple Chen."

Zhao Bin said, then his expression turned serious as he tossed a jade token to Chen Yan:

"This is a communication jade talisman. If you encounter anything you can't resolve, crush it, and I'll be there in an instant."

"What kind of trouble might I encounter?"

Chen Yan asked.

"People from the Law Enforcement Hall might come looking for trouble."

Zhao Bin said.

Song Wencheng was the Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall of Kongyuan Mountain, and Chen Yan had killed his personal disciple.

Although Song Wencheng was the dignified Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall of Kongyuan Mountain, he wouldn't normally stoop to such low tactics to trouble a junior like himself.

But who could really say for sure about such matters?

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Disciple Brother."

Chen Yan said.

It didn't matter, as he wouldn't be staying in Kongyuan Mountain for too long anyway.

Because soon, he would have to make a trip to Taiyun City first.