Chapter 97

Feng Jun pondered and chuckled softly, "Perhaps I owe Mr. Yue some money."

At this, Song Qing Shi experienced a sudden realization and felt much more at ease.

Tian Wu Men was a venerable sword-cultivating sect led by Master Yu Wen Yan, whose cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul stage. Known for his dignified appearance and upright character, he had a reputation for wisdom.

During the dark era, traditional sects joined forces to quash the atrocities of the Immortal Summit. After a thousand-year struggle, the great powers were defeated and obliterated, leaving their disciples either to surrender or flee, and the sects were left in ruins. Smaller sects like Tian Wu Men, who had kept a low profile, took the opportunity to affiliate with or submit to the Immortal Summit, gradually growing stronger.

While the Immortal Summit had many rules, they were not hard to follow. Violations such as murder, sect annihilation, slave trafficking, or gender oppression, once reported, would be promptly addressed by their Godly Monarchs.

Gradually, monks who were prone to wicked deeds died off, replaced by those who adhered to the rules. As unscrupulous shortcuts became less feasible, talent, effort, and luck became increasingly important.

Now, an emissary from the Divine Ruler has descended upon the Tianwu Sect, bearing the Phoenix Token. This usually signifies great misfortune, indicating that someone within the sect has committed a grave offense. The emissary will take the soul back for eternal punishment.

Yuwen Yan felt a sense of unease. Both of his family's Transcendent Ancestors were in deep cultivation, and the elders had not ventured out. Could an unruly disciple have broken the rules? While the sect could absolve itself by handing over the offender, any public knowledge of this would tarnish Tianwu Sect's millennia-old reputation.

Fortunately, the messenger from the Divine Ruler also brought good news, stating that the emissary was in disguise and did not wish to make a spectacle of their presence. Cooperation would suffice.

Yuwen Yan steadied himself. He looked at the youthful-looking Song Qing, then at the bewitching Feng Jun beside him. Although both were only in the Foundation Phase, his unease grew. The Divine Ruler had myriad incarnations, even appearing as mortals. Foundation Phase cultivators could never obtain the Phoenix Token, and combined with the message from the divine bird, this meant one of them must be an incognito avatar of the Divine Ruler.

Seeing Yuwen Yan's increasingly grim expression, Song Qing felt pity but could not forgive his debts unilaterally. "Don't worry, I am here to find someone," he reassured.

Upon hearing the expected answer, Yuwen Yan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Tell me, and I will bring him to you," he said resolutely.

He had already discussed the matter with the elders; no matter who the culprit was, Tianwu Sect would hand them over for severe punishment, effectively cutting off any bad influence to maintain their reputation.

Song Qing found Yuwen Yan agreeable and said frankly, "I'm looking for Yuwen Yu."

"What?" Yuwen Yan couldn't believe his ears. He confirmed the name again, and upon receiving an affirmative answer, he was thunderstruck. Collapsing into his grand chair, he gasped for air, speechless. Yuwen Yu was not only his only son but also a rare Lightning Elemental Root, a swordsmanship prodigy with exceptional meridians and unwavering Dao heart.

The entire Tianwu Sect had placed great hopes on him, hoping he would become the third Transcendent Ancestor, or perhaps even ascend further. His future prospects seemed limitless, but now...

Seeing his condition, Song Qing thought he might be having a heart attack and frantically searched his pouch for a Heart-Protecting Pill.

Yuwen Yan regained his composure, tears streaming down his face. "My son may be untalented, but he has always been upright and honest. How could he commit such a heinous act?"

Trying to understand the underlying message, Song Qing queried, "Are you saying... your son has done something wrong and is being punished, so he couldn't reply to Jin Cheng's letter?"

The two looked at each other, both sensing something amiss after a long silence.

Feng Jun couldn't bear to watch anymore and knocked on the table. "Yuwen Yu has done nothing wrong; a friend simply wishes to meet him. I hope you can accommodate this request."

In recent years, the Phoenix Token has rarely appeared in the cultivation world, leading to this grand misunderstanding.

Yuwen Yan couldn't fathom why they would go to such lengths to meet his son but dared not inquire further. Blushing, he stood up from his grand chair, apologizing to everyone, when he suddenly remembered the name just mentioned... something like Jin Cheng? He glanced behind the two, spotting someone who looked sneaky, as if wishing to bury his head in the ground.

Who else could this shady character be?

Fuming, Yuwen Yan snarled, "Song Jin Cheng? You dare to show your face here?"

With nowhere left to hide, Song Jin Cheng stepped forward, bowing his head deferentially. "Hello, Uncle."

"Who's your uncle?" Yuwen Yan wanted to smack the insolent brat and keep him away from his son, but considering he came in with the divine messenger, he swallowed his anger and adopted a congenial tone. "Yuwen Yu was recently in the Yuanming Secret Realm for training. He made a mistake and got injured by a monster but stumbled upon some serendipity. He found the legendary sword of Mo Yuan Swordmaster and even discovered an artifact with a peculiar array. He's been shut in his room for over two months, studying it without fully understanding what it is..."

Song Jin Cheng immediately grasped the situation and snapped, "What mistake did Ah Yu make? He's already injured, and you still grounded him?"

Yuwen Yan took a deep breath, looking at the sprightly brat with an ever-changing expression. "You sent a letter a while ago, saying you faced a life-and-death crisis and asked him to join you for buns at Rong Gui Square. He snuck away during his training expedition to visit you at Yao Wang Valley but was attacked by a monster along the way. Fortunately, misfortune turned into a blessing..."

"Jin Cheng was seriously ill?" Song Qing exclaimed in disbelief. He had traveled with Song Jin Cheng and saw no signs of illness. Had his medical skills regressed?

Feng Jun, sensing what probably happened, frowned, "Speak the truth."

Scared out of his wits, Song Jin Cheng spilled the beans. "My dad said if I fail the exam again, he'll beat me to death with a stick. I couldn't get my head around the books, and I knew I'd fail and get beaten. Rong Gui Square is near Jinshan City, close to the Tianwu Sect. I was planning to run away and seek refuge with him until my dad cooled down... Oh, I did mention in the postscript of the letter for him to stay put after leaving the Yuanming Secret Realm and wait for my secret signal."

Yuwen Yan's expression darkened further, "I burned half of that letter."

Every time Song Jin Cheng sent a letter, it was either to entice Yuwen Yu into mischief or to instigate him against his elders. Yuwen Yan was furious but unable to prevent their covert communication. Each time he intercepted a letter, he burned it.

That day, seeing Yuwen Yu forsaking sword practice to sneakily read a letter, he knew it was from Song Jin Cheng. Unable to suppress his anger, he snatched it and burned it. As a result, Yuwen Yu, being a literal-minded individual, thought Song Jin Cheng was actually in trouble. He secretly left the training team to pay him a last visit, encountered a monster, and barely escaped with his life.

The future of the Tianwu Sect was nearly ruined.

When Yuwen Yan discovered the reason behind his son's departure, he was furious. He grounded him, instructing him to heal and reflect while studying Mo Yuan Swordmaster's artifact. He was not allowed to leave until he deciphered it.

It took Yuwen Yu quite some time to settle down.

Yuwen Yan eyed Song Jin Cheng, his hand twitching over the hilt of his sword, barely suppressing the urge to strike down this root of trouble.

Song Jin Cheng ducked behind Song Qing, then, feeling that wasn't safe enough, he hid behind Hao Long. He coiled himself into a ball and tried to reason his way out of danger. "Uncle, let's say both of us made mistakes. Can we call it even? Qing, say something for me."

Song Qing felt torn. He couldn't stand the lack of discipline in Yao Wang Valley, especially when someone tried to lead astray his diligent friend. However, the friendship between the two was genuine. After a long pause, he suggested a compromise, "Master Yuwen, why not let Jin Cheng meet Yuwen Yu and clear up the misunderstanding? Then, I'll take him back to Yao Wang Valley for proper discipline and study. We'll make an excellent doctor out of him."

Diligence can compensate for a lack of talent.

Then, he and Master Yue would supervise Song Jin Cheng daily, giving him tests. No way they couldn't turn him into a studious individual!

Once both become diligent scholars, they could resume their friendship.

Feng Jun nodded, "Good suggestion."

Song Jin Cheng paled but gritted his teeth in acceptance.

Yuwen Yan acknowledged his share of the blame and his resentment subsided. He then led the trio to meet Yuwen Yu.

Yuwen Yu was a handsome youth, worn thin and pale from days of nursing injuries and worrying about his friend. He sat on a soft couch, draped in a black fox fur, idly fiddling with a mysterious artifact. It was a dark-gold ring, crafted from a metal resembling both gold and iron, engraved with intricate patterns and nearly lost ancient scripts. It was just large enough to slip a hand through, yet it didn't look like jewelry. When shaken, it emitted a crisp sound.

He was certain this artifact belonged to Moyuan, the Sword Master, and its enchantments were exceedingly sophisticated. Despite extensive research and attempts at blood-bonding, he couldn't even determine what type of weapon it was.

Song Qingshi recognized the chime's sound as he walked in. Upon glancing at Yuwen Yu, he was taken aback, tightly gripping Feng Jun. Rubbing his eyes, he whispered, "Do you see anything off about him?"

Feng Jun studied him carefully for a moment before hesitantly replying, "He looks a bit under the weather?"

After hearing Feng Jun's words, Song Qingshi felt even worse.

He saw a rising golden aura around Yuwen Yu, blazing like a neon sign, so bright it nearly blinded him. Nobody else seemed to notice. It was as if a "system teacher," fearful that the dunce might mistake the protagonist, had stamped the word "Main Character" above Yuwen Yu's head, forcibly imprinting it into his consciousness. It was so overpowering that he couldn't ignore it.

Song Qingshi reflected on his mission with a sense of constraint.

He was certain his task was to eradicate the most nefarious villain within the world of cultivators, a certain someone from the Peak of Immortality…

Yuwen Yu had no connections to the Peak of Immortality and was not a villain—perhaps he was the mission target for someone else?

Song Qingshi pondered this seriously for a long while.

Suddenly, he remembered that his 'system teacher' had exploded, and no one was collecting homework anymore. Why should he fret over the mission? As for other people's tasks, he could leave them to worry about it. He had many enigmas surrounding the Demons of Filth to study. Feng Jun was an incredibly smart and studious individual; what could be more delightful than learning together? Working in tandem, they were sure to crack the intriguing riddle of the Demons of Filth.

As for the target related to the Peak of Immortality, he would think about that when the opportunity arises after solving the enigma.

After considerable contemplation, Song Qingshi made his decision. He cast his mission aside and reclaimed his sense of happiness.

Feng Jun carefully observed the changes in his expression, pondering them thoughtfully.