Righteous Heart, Sincere Intent

"Ahem, Junior Brother Jiang, wait up, wait up."

Qi Changsheng hurried over to Jiang Li's side, complaining, "You didn't even wait for me. Senior Brother here is going to be confined for three days all because I helped you."

"Understood, Senior Brother. I'll visit you when I have time," Jiang Li replied with a completely merciless expression.

If it weren't for this stand-up comedian, he might have been able to bait a few more suckers and wouldn't have only earned four hundred merit points.

He couldn't possibly still be thinking about earning merit points tomorrow on the Wind Cloud Platform, could he?

[It's not entirely impossible.]

A line of text flashed before his eyes.

As for Qi Changsheng being punished with confinement, it was a minor issue.

Given this Senior Brother Qi's past behavior, who knows how many times he'd faced the walls of Reflection Valley. Last winter, he tried to sneak onto Everspring Island in Ding Lake to peep on female disciples bathing, but got caught halfway. He faced the wall for three months and didn't seem particularly bothered.

"You heartless little brat, treating your Senior Brother like this, pfft—"

Qi Changsheng put on a mournful face, looking like he wanted to make a wronged expression, but before he could perform, he burst out laughing himself.

It seemed he truly didn't care about Reflection Valley at all.

Jiang Li asked as they walked, "Senior Brother Qi, you were recommended by Elder Yun to attend that Sword Discourse Assembly this time. Did you gain anything?"

Outer Sect Elders couldn't formally take disciples. The only reason Qi Changsheng could connect with Elder Yun, even developing a relationship akin to a protégé, was because they walked the same path.

They were both Artifact Refiners.

Elder Yun, being alone, treated Qi Changsheng like a true nephew, not only imparting all his skills without reservation but also specifically recommending him to attend the quadrennial grand event of the Artifact Refining Dao.

Qi Changsheng managing to integrate both the Daoist and Sword Forger Dao Fruits at such a young age, and being on the verge of advancing to the Rank 7 Artifact Refiner Dao Fruit, was largely thanks to Elder Yun's support.

"Sigh, don't mention it."

Speaking of the Sword Discourse Assembly, Qi Changsheng sounded helpless. "It took nearly half a month of arduous travel just to reach the Sword Discourse Sea where it was held. I thought I could broaden my horizons, but unexpectedly, this assembly almost turned into a full-blown brawl."

"Junior Brother, you don't know. At this assembly, someone raised objections to the traditional methods of artifact refining, arguing that the completion date of an artifact should be natural, not necessarily fixed on dates like the 49th, 89th, or 99th day. This enraged many seniors. Then they gathered their respective supporters and started arguing."

Qi Changsheng recounted the details of the Sword Discourse Assembly.

To summarize, it was roughly a conflict of ideologies.

Traditional artifact refiners believed the completion time should align with auspicious numbers, such as multiples of 4x9=36, 8x9=72, 9x9=81, etc. For instance, calcining for thirty-six days, hammering for forty-nine days, then smelting for ninety-nine eighty-one days before the great artifact is complete.

The dissenting artifact refiners, however, argued that refining should be done with full heart and effort, utilizing all skills, rather than deliberately slowing down or speeding up the process to control the completion date just to match auspicious numbers. Such actions were akin to forcing a baby to be born prematurely or with difficulty—harmful to the artifact and detrimental to the Dao.

The two sides discussed their differences, but ultimately, neither could convince the other. They were about to square off for a fight, believing only the strong deserved to shape the future of the Artifact Dao.

It was only due to the intervention of some powerful attendees that the fight didn't break out. Otherwise, Qi Changsheng might have become Qi Short-lived, directly affected by the aftermath and dying right there.

"In the end, the two sides agreed to face off again in half a year. At that time, both sides will forge a sword according to their own principles, competing through their artifacts."

Qi Changsheng continued, "Meaning, this deadly Sword Discourse Assembly will be held again in half a year. Junior Brother, just wait and see, there might be another fight then."

"What does that have to do with me?" Jiang Li asked, puzzled.

"Because in half a year, the Sword Discourse Assembly will be held right here at our Dinghu Sect," Qi Changsheng spread his hands and shrugged. "Junior Brother, don't forget, our sect is also a major sword-forging school. The first sword recorded in history was born in the hands of our sect's ancestor. At this Sword Discourse Assembly, the loudest and most quarrelsome one was our sect's Phecda Elder."

"Watch the excitement then, maybe you can even gain something. Like me, I managed to snag a few storage bags this time."

Qi Changsheng took out a gold-threaded brocade bag from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Li. "Here, one for you."

Even the lowest grade storage bag cost three thousand merit points, equivalent to about six Zhou Mingyuns...

Seeing it, Jiang Li wasn't pleased but startled. "What do you want?"

He looked at Qi Changsheng with suspicion.

Offering favors without reason—either a thief or up to no good.

"It's nothing much, haha," Qi Changsheng rubbed his hands together like a fly. "It's just about your previous masterpiece, Junior Brother, the sequel to Young Hero A'Bin..."

Elder Yun, who would stuff Flower Plucking Hand into the Dao Arts Pavilion—no need to elaborate on his tastes. As Elder Yun's favored disciple, Qi Changsheng had naturally been influenced, developing a keen interest in that subject.

And Jiang Li, during his most destitute times, had anonymously written books with Qi Changsheng's help to earn his first pot of gold.

Couldn't be helped; who asked him to be without support? Although he was from a noble family, he had no backing.

"I've already washed my hands of that business," Jiang Li said with great difficulty.

But the storage bag was really tempting.

Qi Changsheng was a rich dog; Jiang Li was not. Jiang Li still needed merit points to exchange for other Rank 9 talismans to update his offensive capabilities. In his plans, exchanging for a storage bag was slated for after reaching Rank 8.

Damn it, testing a cadre with such things! How could Jiang Li resist?

At this moment, Jiang Li seriously doubted his Dao Fruit ability. Wasn't [Seeking Return to Truth] supposed to mean a righteous heart, sincere intent, unaffected by external temptations? Why did Jiang Li feel his resistance weakening?

Or was this his true nature?

'No, I cannot be tempted by external objects, unless...'

[Unless they add more money.]

Jiang Li said with a straight face, "Add one condition: help me investigate where Inner Sect Disciple Luo Yi went after leaving Wuqu Terrace."

With such a major event occurring, Luo Yi would definitely seek out Jiang Zhuyun. Perhaps he had already met with Jiang Zhuyun by now.

This Senior Brother of his always had unconventional methods and connections throughout the sect, unlike Jiang Li, who limited his relationships to a few people in order to grind techniques. Entrusting this matter to him might reveal some clues about Jiang Zhuyun.

This matter concerned his own safety. Jiang Li felt it wasn't entirely unacceptable to re-enter the jianghu (world of writers) for this.

Just this once, the last time.

"Deal," Qi Changsheng stuffed the storage bag into Jiang Li's hand and asked, "When will the goods be ready?"

"In three days," Jiang Li said. "When Senior Brother gets out of confinement, come find me at the Dao Arts Pavilion. I'll be staying at the Dao Arts Pavilion these few days, showing more filial piety to Elder Wan."

These few days...

Qi Changsheng gave Jiang Li a peculiar look.

He hadn't expected Junior Brother Jiang to be so afraid of death.