Time to Make a Run for It

Whatever happened at the mine afterward had nothing to do with Chu Xingchen for the time being; he had already fled far away.

Traveling day and night,

Chu Xingchen had now brought his disciples back to the Ruined Temple.

Hearing the commotion, Ning Qianqian hurried out of the Ruined Temple and saw the four of them, her gaze settling especially on the man Li Xingtian carried on his back.

Although Ning Kun wore ragged clothes and had grown much thinner, Ning Qianqian recognized the father she had longed for at first glance.

Ning Qianqian hurriedly fell to her knees and kowtowed to Chu Xingchen, unable to keep herself from weeping:

"Thank you, great immortal... thank you, great immortal..."

Li Xingtian lowered the man on his back before Ning Qianqian with the utmost care.

Ning Kun was unconscious, though only because Chu Xingchen had deliberately knocked him out. While making his escape, he hardly had time to explain anything.

Chu Xingchen raised his hand and cast a spell to wake Ning Kun.

With a soft cough, Ning Kun slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his daughter's face, like pear blossoms glistening with tears.

Seeing Ning Kun awake, Chu Xingchen immediately spoke:

"I don't have time to listen to you two get all emotional."

His words instantly stopped everything Ning Qianqian and Ning Kun had wanted to say, and both turned their eyes toward him.

"I don't expect you to repay me. Consider this a good deed on my part. If the Clearwind Sect ever catches you, just don't give me away."

As he spoke, Chu Xingchen took a water flask, food, and some loose silver from his Spatial Ring:

"You have second-level Qi Refining cultivation, too. Head east from here, and you'll find people. This food and water will get you there. Use the silver to make a living for yourselves, though the farther you run, the safer you'll be."

"Consider this me seeing your rescue through to the end. There's no need to say anything else. Take these things and leave now. Whatever you two have to say, say it on the road."

Ning Qianqian naturally understood what Chu Xingchen meant. Once the dust settled, the Clearwind Sect's retaliation would likely follow.

Chu Xingchen certainly couldn't protect her and her father for the rest of their lives, but Ning Qianqian was already profoundly grateful that he had rescued her father.

She kowtowed to Chu Xingchen three times, then helped up her father, who still hadn't grasped the situation:

"Rest assured, benefactor. Even if I die, I, Ning Qianqian, will never breathe a word."

Chu Xingchen turned his back without answering, effectively telling them to leave.

"Father... let's go," Ning Qianqian said quietly. "Whatever it is, we can talk on the road."

Ning Kun hesitated, wanting to speak. Then he abruptly kowtowed to Chu Xingchen as well before rising and leaving with Ning Qianqian.

As Ning Qianqian and Ning Kun disappeared into the distance,

Chu Xingchen abruptly turned toward his eldest and second disciples:

"Come on! We're moving, now! This place isn't safe anymore!"

Strictly speaking, their master's order came as no surprise to Li Yingling.

Honestly, from the moment she saw her master bring Ning Qianqian back, she had known that once everything was finished, he would move the entire sect away.

She had to admit, a small sect had its advantages. Three people shouldering their bags made an entire sect.

They could go anywhere, even to the ends of the earth.

She merely cast a lingering glance at the wooden cottage she had only just finished building and the formation-foundation pit she had just dug.

One built for nothing, the other dug for nothing.

With a faint sigh, Li Yingling headed into the wooden cottage and began packing her belongings.

Li Xingtian remained where he stood.

He had nothing to collect. He hadn't brought much when he arrived.

Chu Xingchen shot him an exasperated glare:

"If you've got nothing to pack, go pack for your master! Don't leave behind any pots, bowls, ladles, or basins! I spent good money on those."

"Yes..."

At that, Li Xingtian obediently entered the Ruined Temple and began gathering its pots, bowls, ladles, and basins.

Chu Xingchen, meanwhile, quickly began leaving misleading traces around the place.

He had originally stayed here only because he had offended a minister of the Black Tortoise Kingdom and wanted to lie low.

Now, he no longer needed to fear that minister. The man certainly couldn't summon a Nascent Soul powerhouse anyway.

And against anyone below Nascent Soul, with the divine ability Li Yingling had painstakingly cultivated and his flawless golden core, it would hardly be an exaggeration for Chu Xingchen to say he was invincible.

The Clearwind Sect still posed a threat, however. His only fear was that its Nascent Soul patriarch would come slaughtering his way here.

Although Chu Xingchen was confident he could escape pursuit by the Clearwind Sect's Nascent Soul cultivator, he couldn't guarantee his disciples' safety completely.

It was wiser to mend the roof before the rain came, rather than knowingly face potential danger and hope for luck.

In any case, when Chu Xingchen had decided to pull this job, he had already planned to run afterward.

He had never felt particularly comfortable living in this ruined temple, either.

Mainly, its location really was poor, and the spiritual energy was rather depleted. Chu Xingchen had never intended to make this their actual sect grounds.

It was merely a temporary stop. People rarely came here; having Li Xingtian deliver himself to their doorstep was already like a pie falling from the heavens into their mouths.

Surely they couldn't keep waiting by the stump for another blind rabbit to crash into it?

So, when he brought Ning Qianqian back to the Ruined Temple, he had already made up his mind.

He had made up their sect's details anyway, claiming it was a sect from Central Province. Even if Ning Qianqian really was captured and confessed everything, the Clearwind Sect might not keep investigating in the face of a Central Province sect's intimidating reputation.

Why wouldn't he trade the address of a ruined temple for a hefty haul of spirit stones?

Li Yingling hadn't brought much either, and she walked over carrying a small bundle.

"Master, where are we going this time?"

After briefly falsifying their tracks, Chu Xingchen looked at Li Yingling. "Where do you want to go?"

"How about somewhere with beautiful mountains and clear waters?" Li Yingling suggested.

"Good suggestion. I'll keep it in mind." Chu Xingchen nodded perfunctorily.

Hearing her master's dismissive tone, Li Yingling knew he had rejected her suggestion.

Li Xingtian emerged just then, carrying a large pack:

"Master, I packed all the expensive things. Bringing the cheap things left over would be a bit inconvenient."

Since Chu Xingchen's Spatial Ring was already stuffed with those blood-qi spirit stones, his disciples would have to carry these belongings on the journey.

So leaving a few things behind was fine.

Chu Xingchen swept his gaze over his two disciples.

Both were looking at him expectantly.

In the end, he couldn't suppress a smile. Chu Xingchen had fled many times before; after all, tricking promising cultivation seedlings into becoming his disciples required him to court death a little.

Before, he had always run alone.

Now, the whole sect would run with him. Chu Xingchen called out:

"My fine disciples! Come on! We're making a run for it!"

Li Xingtian couldn't hide his smile either. "Yes, Master!"

Li Yingling's face brimmed with anticipation. "Time to make a run for it~"

Yuzhou City.

"Young master, this is a fine house, right beside the Chuan-Yu River. The Lantern Festival is only a few days away. The lanterns will float down from upstream along the Chuan-Yu River and pass right by here. You'll be able to watch those beautiful lanterns drift downstream from your own doorstep."

A middle-aged property broker introduced the broad river not far beside them.

Bending slightly at the waist, he opened the door to a courtyard house.

The broker looked at the three prospective tenants.

One was an exceptionally handsome man, though his clothing looked somewhat shabby. Still, he had made all the decisions along the way, and the other two had been thoroughly obedient. Presumably, he held the highest standing.

Another was an exceedingly beautiful young woman dressed in an exquisite silk flowing-immortal dress, carrying a small yellow bundle and looking curiously around her.

She looked very much like a noble young lady who had never ventured beyond the walls of her family estate.

The last was less handsome than the first two and had remained taciturn throughout the journey. The moment the broker saw him, he sensed a fierce, menacing air.

He also carried a large pack, with pots, bowls, ladles, and basins faintly visible inside.

After a little thought, the broker concluded that this was some family's eldest young master taking his younger sister out to frolic in the mortal world.

For safety, they had brought a highly skilled guard.

Thus, the broker had been exceedingly fawning all along the way. This truly was a good location, with pleasant scenery and a bustling street nearby.

Patrolling constables often came through here as well, so public order was quite good. Aside from the price, it had practically no drawbacks.

If he served these esteemed customers well, his commission from this deal would equal a whole month's hard-earned pay.