Cooperation

Chapter 14 Cooperation

Chen Ye frowned, his heart already leaning toward a refusal.

Mo Ci had warned him long ago that anyone capable of flying on a sword must be at least a cultivator in the Tongxuan Realm.

Su Chunyi was at least in the Tongxuan Realm, three whole stages higher than Chen Ye, a mere Qiling Realm cultivator. She was also a disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect, the greatest sect in the world; if she couldn't handle the trouble, wouldn't he be courting death by rashly getting involved?

However, Chen Ye still couldn't help but ask, "Miss Su, is that madman impersonating the Qinghe Sword Sect truly so troublesome?"

Su Chunyi shook her head gently, a trace of melancholy in her expression as she whispered, "To be honest, I have been here for some time, yet I still cannot find a trace of the impostor. The children who were forcibly conscripted are currently being kept at the Qinglian Taoist Temple outside the city. Fortunately, there are many women there to look after them, so their lives are not in immediate danger."

"I have been investigating in secret for many days, only to find that this matter is becoming increasingly convoluted. The magistrate of Cui County's act of forcibly conscripting young boys and girls does not seem to be incited by a devilish cultivator, but rather seems to be under the instruction of someone in the imperial court."

Chen Ye was shocked and blurted out, "The mortal imperial court? What do they need these children for?"

Su Chunyi also shook her head helplessly. "That is exactly what puzzles me; I have no way to proceed. Before I left, my sect elders repeatedly warned me that this journey would be fraught with danger, that I would encounter a nemesis, and that I must not act rashly or alert the enemy. Therefore, I am in urgent need of your assistance, sir. In my view, only you can uncover the truth and drag the real culprit into the light."

There was half a thought Su Chunyi kept to herself.

This trip down the mountain was her first trial. The elders of the Qinghe Sword Sect had specifically cast a divination for her using authentic immortal techniques. The hexagram indicated not only that she would encounter a powerful enemy, but also that she would meet a noble person who could help her turn danger into safety.

At this moment, Su Chunyi felt she had found that noble person.

The young Taoist before her might only be in the Qiling Realm, but his insight and way of speaking filled Su Chunyi with admiration.

Cui County was too prosperous, with various factions deeply intertwined. Su Chunyi had investigated for days, yet it remained like looking at flowers through a mist—impossible to distinguish the real from the fake.

The Qinghe Sword Sect had strict rules forbidding the slaughter of the innocent or the bullying of the weak. Su Chunyi naturally could not simply execute the magistrate of Cui County and then seize his soul to search for the truth; she had to find ironclad evidence before she could act.

While following the rules had its benefits, it took much more time and effort when dealing with matters where good and evil were hard to distinguish. Over the years, very few could truly uphold the righteous path.

Su Chunyi had found no progress after several days of investigation; meeting Chen Ye was truly a blessing from her ancestors.

With his ability to see through the human heart, finding the mastermind behind the scenes should be easy. Once the culprit appeared, Su Chunyi would be able to draw her sword and strike them down.

Chen Ye really wanted to decline Su Chunyi's invitation.

After all, he now had the materials for the Qi Condensation Pill, and finding a place with good geomancy to fire up his furnace was his top priority. To him, nothing was more important than improving his cultivation.

But Chen Ye had to weigh his options.

This might be an excellent opportunity to build a connection with a righteous sect.

Not to mention his identity as a devilish cultivator, even if he were just a clean, rogue cultivator, how many chances would he have in this life to build a relationship with a disciple from a prestigious sect?

The Qiling Realm was merely crossing the threshold of immortality; condensing the sea of qi in his dantian was just taking another half-step forward.

And after that?

The path of cultivation was long, and every step required a massive amount of heavenly treasures to pile up.

Su Chunyi had been able to produce the materials for the Qi Condensation Pill just to get answers to a few questions. If it were him, Chen Ye, he didn't know how many days it would take to gather them, and he might not even find such high-quality ones.

If he refused Su Chunyi now, it would be equivalent to shutting the door on the towering tree that was the Qinghe Sword Sect.

This was the Qinghe Sword Sect, the greatest in the world! Its value had been verified by two Devil Lords with their own lives.

If he could establish a relationship with such a prestigious sect, not to mention having Su Chunyi give him cultivation resources for free, even getting a discount on future purchases would be a guaranteed profit.

Besides, who knew? Maybe the Qinghe Sword Sect had a way to save his master.

After much deliberation, Chen Ye finally decided to take the risk, simply because the potential reward was likely beyond imagination.

"I am willing to help, but I have one small request."

Upon hearing this, Su Chunyi's face lit up with a smile, as if spring flowers had bloomed in an instant. The bright and beautiful sight left Chen Ye momentarily dazed.

"I do not know what this request is, but please speak freely, sir. I will certainly do my best to facilitate it."

It took Chen Ye quite a while to recover from that innocent smile, and he said with a hint of embarrassment, "I would like to refine the Qi Condensation Pill first. Once I have successfully formed my dantian sea of qi, I will begin investigating the matter of the child conscription. I wonder if Miss Su could wait a few days?"

As the saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Regardless of future benefits, Chen Ye still prioritized his own cultivation.

Su Chunyi pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Cultivation is the foundation. I have a quiet room that is perfect for your use, sir. In these few days, please cultivate with peace of mind; I also need to go and gather more information. When you emerge, we shall investigate this matter together."

Chen Ye hurriedly bowed in thanks, thinking to himself that this Miss Su was truly too easy to talk to.

He couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious: were all people on the righteous path this easy to negotiate with? If so, why had his own master, Mo Ci, been hunted for hundreds of years? Just how many heaven-defying, evil things had he done?

Sigh, he had accidentally insulted his master and ancestors again. That wasn't good; it made it easier for people to discover he was a little devil.

Su Chunyi turned to Chen Ye and said softly, "Sir, please follow me. The quiet room where I usually meditate and cultivate is outside the city."

"Outside the city?" Chen Ye was slightly startled. After a moment of thought, he replied, "If it is too far, I might as well find a place in the city to cultivate. My residence is a bit dilapidated and messy, but it is quiet."

That residence was originally Wang Sanqi's house, but since the thug usually lived with his brother and sister-in-law, the shack had long since become a dump, though it could be lived in with a little tidying up.

Su Chunyi shook her head slightly and explained patiently, "Although refining the Qi Condensation Pill is not a difficult task, one must find a place free from disturbance. I can carry you out of the city with my sword light; we will arrive in an instant. You need not worry about this being too flashy; I can use an illusion to conceal us, and others will not be able to perceive it at all."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye suddenly realized, thinking to himself: No wonder he hadn't noticed Miss Su's movements before; the Qinghe Sword Sect was also skilled in illusions.

A cultivator in the Qiling Realm was extremely sensitive to changes in spiritual energy. If Su Chunyi's illusion could deceive a cultivator's perception, it seemed her cultivation might be even higher than Mo Ci's.

Chen Ye couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion. He truly envied these disciples of prestigious sects; they didn't have to run around and toil for every little bit of cultivation resource like he did.

After a sigh, Chen Ye looked up at Su Chunyi, his expression showing a hint of craftiness as he said, "Miss Su, if you are going to take me out of the city with your sword light, I have one request: I hope you will drop the illusion."

Su Chunyi looked puzzled and gently advised, "Doing so might frighten others."

Chen Ye curled his lips into a meaningful smile and said, "Exactly. That is the effect I want."