Chapter 21: The First of the Qin Path
A month later.
Deep within Taiqing Island, in a certain prison.
A branding iron was pressed against the chests of two prisoners, who let out piercing screams.
Not far away, behind a clean desk, Zhao Yuanjiao coldly observed the scene of torture before him.
"Senior Brother, we have thoroughly checked the information registered by these new disciples and finally found a flaw, which led us to expose these two spies from the Dark Sect," reported a junior disciple.
"Have you obtained any information?" Zhao Yuanjiao asked in a deep voice.
"They hold low positions within the Dark Sect and don't know much. They only know that after joining our Taiqing Immortal Sect, some servant disciples would contact them, but they are unaware of their specific identities. However, they mentioned that there are already high-ranking members of the Dark Sect within our Taiqing Immortal Sect."
"Indeed, it seems that the Dark Sect's infiltration into our Taiqing Immortal Sect has reached this extent," Zhao Yuanjiao said, his expression darkening.
"Senior Brother, this matter is serious. Should we report it to the master of the faction?" the junior disciple asked anxiously.
"I have already reported it. I will take full responsibility for this investigation. I will make sure they pay for their blood debts!" Zhao Yuanjiao said coldly. "This matter should not be publicized. Investigate quietly, and pry the mouths of these two Dark Sect spies open. I do not believe that is all the information they have."
"Yes!" the junior disciple responded.
"By the way, has there been any movement from the scripture palace?" Zhao Yuanjiao looked at the junior disciple.
"Are you concerned about Junior Brother Nanfeng?"
"Junior Brother? Hmph, it's too early to call him that; we still don't know his background. What has he been doing this past month?" Zhao Yuanjiao asked solemnly.
"You know about the duel with Junior Sister Xiaoyu, right?"
"Mm, Xiaoyu isn't familiar with the marching fist. Under the restraint of her cultivation level and fixed techniques, she naturally can't compete with someone who practices it daily. Losing to him isn't significant. Does he think he can scare people just by reading a few Daoist scriptures? I've memorized more scriptures than he has even heard of, and Xiaoyu is too honest; she even gave him three hundred taels of gold?" Zhao Yuanjiao said coldly.
"However, Elder Ku seems to be very attentive to that kid. He personally taught him the 'Overbearing Fist' for five days before entering closed-door cultivation. Moreover, Elder Ku usually enjoys punishing people by making them memorize scriptures, but this time, he didn't punish that kid at all," the Taiqing Immortal Sect disciple said with a bitter smile.
"Five days of continuous teaching?" Zhao Yuanjiao frowned slightly.
"Indeed. For the following twenty days, his life has been very regular: practicing the Overbearing Fist in the morning and reading in the scripture palace from afternoon to evening."
"Reading in the scripture palace? Has he been to the second floor?" Zhao Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes.
"No, he doesn't have the qualification to go to the second floor, and it seems he is completely engrossed in Daoist scriptures."
"Engrossed?" Zhao Yuanjiao looked at the junior disciple in shock.
Those scriptures are notoriously difficult to understand. I've memorized many and still don't grasp them thoroughly; they read like a foreign language, even hypnotic. Can that kid really get lost in them?
"Yes, he's so absorbed that he forgets to eat and sleep," the junior disciple said.
Zhao Yuanjiao: "…"
"That kid has read no less than three hundred Daoist scriptures this month, most of them related to fist techniques," the junior disciple added.
Zhao Yuanjiao raised an eyebrow: "What did you say? In a month, he's read three hundred books? That's an average of ten a day? Are you kidding me?"
"It's true!"
"Even if he's skimming, there's no way he could read ten books a day. He's definitely pretending. That kid is intentionally trying to deceive us," Zhao Yuanjiao snorted coldly.
"But… the people monitoring him really said so."
"Bullshit! If I asked you to watch, how many books could you genuinely read in a day?" Zhao Yuanjiao snapped. "He must have guessed that someone would be monitoring him, so he's deliberately putting on an act to trick us. Unfortunately, despite his good imitation, he's overdoing it. Ten books a day? Does he think we're blind?"
"Senior Brother, what should we do now…"
"Continue to watch him. Observe who he interacts with; he will definitely have a contact person. He will try to evade our surveillance and conspire with that person. If that happens, capture and interrogate him immediately."
"Capture him? But he's Elder Ku's disciple; we…"
"Capture him!" Zhao Yuanjiao insisted, glaring resolutely.
"Yes!"
Morning, scripture palace.
A ray of sunlight shone down as Xiao Nanfeng sat cross-legged, absorbing the energy of the morning sun. After a stick of incense burned out, he exhaled a mouthful of impure air and slowly opened his eyes.
Around him, the sound of scriptures being recited continued without pause, and Xiao Nanfeng enjoyed the serene environment.
At that moment, a servant disciple approached with a food box.
"Brother Nanfeng, you're in luck! The kitchen received a batch of golden demon eels yesterday. I've cooked a slightly smaller one as per your request; you can eat it now. This golden demon eel costs one hundred taels of gold," the servant disciple said respectfully.
"Thank you, my brother," Xiao Nanfeng replied politely.
"I'm just a servant disciple. Just call me Tang Xiaoyi; I follow Junior Sister Xiaoyu's orders!"
Xiao Nanfeng took out one hundred taels of gold and handed it to Tang Xiaoyi. Over the past month, he had spent a total of thirteen hundred taels of gold purchasing sunlight-attribute ingredients, and this was the last one hundred taels.
He sat down at the nearby dining table and eagerly began to devour the golden demon eel.
"I knew this batch of golden demon eels wouldn't be without you! Are you trying to make them jealous?" Xiaoyu's laughter suddenly rang out.
"Senior Sister? What brings you here?" Xiao Nanfeng looked up in surprise.
He saw Xiaoyu, dressed in a form-fitting black outfit that accentuated her figure, with a slender waist and an amiable expression as she walked over.
"I came to see how you're wasting your money!" Xiaoyu said with a smile, pointing at the disciples below the Thought-Reflecting Cliff, who were being punished to memorize scriptures. "Those brothers down there, already suffering enough from the punishment of memorization, now have to endure the aroma of your delicious meat? Have you considered their feelings?"
"Gulll!"
Indeed, several disciples reciting scriptures had their stomachs growling.
"The senior brothers can buy some too; eating isn't prohibited during scripture recitation," Xiao Nanfeng said with a grin.
Xiaoyu rolled her eyes: "The resources of the sect are allocated at one thousand taels of gold per year for you to spend over a year. You've exhausted that in just one month! What will you do for the remaining days? Do you think everyone is like you?"
Not far away, the reciting disciples exchanged envious glances, as if to say, "With your eating habits, you can expect to starve for the next eleven months."
"I can't help it; if I don't eat, my cultivation increases too slowly," Xiao Nanfeng said with a bitter smile.
"I actually hope you spend more so I can make some money! This demon eel was obtained at the risk of my life. We went out with the brothers to hunt a sea demon lair and caught a lot of golden demon eels," Xiaoyu boasted.
"Wait? So, the hundred taels of gold I spent on this dish ends up in your pocket?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed in surprise.
"Not exactly; those of us who went hunting earn credits based on our contributions, so I only made a thousand taels of gold," Xiaoyu said, although she was modest, her pride was apparent.
"Going out to hunt mythical creatures and making money?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.
"Are you envious? Do you want your sister to take you out to earn some money?" Xiaoyu tempted Xiao Nanfeng.
"No, with my current cultivation, I'd just be sending myself to my death. It's better to stay in the sect and practice properly," Xiao Nanfeng shook his head decisively.
"Tch! You've spent all thirteen hundred taels of gold this month; what cultivation can you still practice? Without sunlight spiritual items, who knows when your Sun Rising Technique will advance," Xiaoyu scoffed.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that. Even without sunlight spiritual items, I have countless scriptures in the scripture palace; reading brings me joy!" Xiao Nanfeng shook his head and continued to refuse.
Xiaoyu: "…"
This was also what Xiaoyu found hardest to accept. She initially thought that day Xiao Nanfeng was just flattering Elder Ku, but unexpectedly, he really managed to sit still and read Daoist scriptures every day this past month.
Reading brings you joy? Are you crazy? Can someone say such a shameless thing?
"Did Senior Sister come to see me for something
or was it just to criticize my spending?"
"Can't I come to see you without a reason? I specially chose the best cook to bring you food, and you treat me this way?" Xiaoyu glared at Xiao Nanfeng.
Xiao Nanfeng chuckled: "Senior Sister, you've gone too far. If you have something to ask, just say it. I won't refuse if I can help."
"I was waiting for you to say that." Xiaoyu's eyes lit up, smiling sweetly.
Xiao Nanfeng: "…"
"Don't worry, I won't make it difficult for you. I just want to apprentice under Elder Ku and need you to help put in a good word," Xiaoyu said eagerly.
"That day, I heard you mention wanting to learn the qin. Is Elder Ku's qin skill really that impressive?" Xiao Nanfeng couldn't help but ask.
"Don't you know?" Xiaoyu looked surprised.
"I know Elder Ku is formidable, but I'm curious just how formidable. Can you tell me?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, intrigued.
Xiaoyu regarded him with a strange expression: "You really are a fool with unexpected fortune; you've stumbled upon a great opportunity."
Xiao Nanfeng: "…"
"Let me put it this way: Elder Ku, with his mastery of music, is absolutely the best in the sect when it comes to qin skills. Even the sect leader can't compare! Oh, and there was someone in the past who could match Elder Ku, but that person hasn't been heard from in decades," Xiaoyu reminisced.
"Oh? Who was it?" Xiao Nanfeng inquired with interest.
"I think their name was… Xiao Hongye? An elder from the Huang Faction," Xiaoyu recalled.
"Xiao Hongye?" Xiao Nanfeng raised an eyebrow.
Xiao Hongye? Isn't that my father?