This welcoming feast was quite dull. The Li siblings, mourning the death of their older brother, clearly had no mood for drinking or revelry, which felt inappropriate. They simply set up a table in the manor and introduced Li Qinglin's trusted aides to Qin Yi.
There were four or five of these aides, both scholarly and martial, and they treated Qin Yi with a formal attitude. After all, people in such positions rarely show their true feelings. Even if some might look down on this strange sorcerer, they wouldn’t show it.
All Qin Yi could see were polite smiles, with a hint of scrutiny and distance behind them. Even Li Qingjun, who used to feel like a close comrade, was keeping her distance from Qin Yi. She maintained a more dignified demeanor than anyone else at the table, and Qin Yi even noticed her lightly covering her cup with her small hand, taking only delicate sips.
The woman in the pavilion, holding her wine gourd and drinking with her head tilted back, seemed like a fleeting image.
“It feels really oppressive,” Qin Yi said as he returned to his guest courtyard, sitting by the window and leaning against the sill while looking at the flowers in the yard. “I’d rather be out in the world with the Li siblings, fighting monsters, than seeing them here in the capital.”
Li Qingjun had already taken her leave; she had her own place and wouldn’t stay at her brother’s. Li Qinglin had gathered his aides to discuss matters, likely related to the crown prince’s position, and didn’t involve Qin Yi in that. Qin Yi didn’t mind and returned to his guest courtyard.
Liu Su’s voice teased him, “Regretting coming out with them? Wasn’t it so carefree on Xianji Mountain?”
“Where I stay doesn’t matter much,” Qin Yi replied, pulling out his wine gourd. After taking a sip, he found it nearly empty and tossed it aside in boredom.
“Just keep pretending,” Liu Su said. “Why didn’t you bring your peach wood sword to this welcoming feast?”
“What would I bring it for?” Qin Yi countered. “Even if there are monsters around Li Qinglin, it doesn’t mean I have evidence of him killing his brother. It would only make me look like I’m ready to attack someone at the feast. How would I survive after that?”
Liu Su casually asked, “If he really did kill his brother, would you still work with him?”
Qin Yi stared blankly at the yard for a long time before saying, “I don’t know.”
“Even if he did kill his brother, it doesn’t concern you. You only want to deal with the national master,” Liu Su encouraged. “It’s better if Li Qinglin has ambitions for the throne; that way, it’s easier to handle the national master.”
Qin Yi remained lost in thought, not sure what he was pondering. After a long while, he said, “For now, I still trust him. When the crown prince was attacked, he was still out in the mountains looking for me. If he doubts his partner just because a random female Taoist said a few words, then he’s the one with a problem.”
Liu Su smiled slightly, understanding his meaning.
Qin Yi used the phrase “for now.” Liu Su knew that although Qin Yi said he trusted him, there was still a hint of confusion in his heart. At least he would pay a bit more attention to the matter in their daily interactions.
Qin Yi suddenly asked, “By the way, can you control this sword? I don’t want something I can’t control around me.”
Liu Su chuckled, “Come train with me in cultivation.”
Qin Yi scoffed, “I doubt you can do that.”
Then a wolf-tooth club jumped up from the ground: “Who says I can’t!”
...
Meanwhile, Li Qinglin was in a secret chamber discussing how to respond to the changing situation with his aides. After arranging everything, the night had grown deep.
Once the aides took their leave, Li Qinglin sighed, sitting alone in the chamber, staring at the glow of a night pearl, not moving for a long time.
In a corner where the light couldn’t reach, a girl’s voice suddenly spoke up, “There’s a very strong divine sense hovering nearby these past few days. I’m afraid to even go outside.”
The girl’s voice sounded a bit childish and cold, and if Qin Yi had heard her, he would have jumped up in shock. There was no doubt; this was the monster Ming He was hunting!
Li Qinglin chuckled softly, “No wonder I wondered why you hadn’t left. Didn’t you say you’d help me with this and then leave?”
“Are you still in the mood to laugh?” the girl replied coldly. “Do you know what this means? I’ve been exposed, and an unknown cultivator is watching me.”
Li Qinglin still smiled, “You said that if things went wrong, you’d take your own life to avoid causing me any trouble. I hope your so-called soul blood oath is more reliable than a human’s.”
There was a long silence from the shadow before she sighed softly, “The blood oath is very powerful; you don’t need to worry… Did you bring a sorcerer back?”
Li Qinglin countered, “Do you hope he can help you through this?”
“Even ants strive to survive, let alone me? I… I certainly don’t want to die.”
Li Qinglin thought for a moment and sighed, “Since they’re not coming into the manor, you should stay here for now. Tomorrow, I’ll talk to Qin Yi and make plans…”
“You…” The girl sounded surprised. “You’re still willing to help me? This could get you into trouble and might make Qin Yi suspicious of you.”
Everyone knew the best solution was to fulfill the oath and end it all. Not to mention the cultivator outside, no one would know there had ever been a monster here, and the last clue to the crown prince case would be completely erased.
The girl seemed genuinely shocked that Li Qinglin would choose to help her, which was far beyond her understanding of him.
Li Qinglin didn’t need her to think about it. He continued, “Actually, it’s not too hard to understand that I keep a monster by my side. Qin Yi doesn’t seem like the type to kill monsters on sight. Who would connect the crown prince case with you? Helping a monster I keep at home is still something we can discuss, right?”
“True. But things have gotten complicated…”
“Enough,” Li Qinglin waved his hand. “You think I’m helping you, but don’t I also want to take this opportunity to see the cultivator you mentioned? Qin Yi doesn’t have much cultivation; if his sorcery isn’t enough, maybe this unknown cultivator will be my last choice. He might not even be from Donghuazi.”
The girl fell silent again.
An unknown cultivator means he has no ties to local forces, making him someone Li Qinglin could potentially ally with. The only price he might pay would be her life.
“A person like you… aren’t you afraid that such risky schemes will eventually lead to a misstep?”
“Plans depend on people,” Li Qinglin replied calmly. “At least for now, everything is going smoothly.”
The girl coldly remarked, “Whether it’s enemies or allies, it’s all the same. You used the excuse of accompanying Princess Zhaoyang to seek immortality, brought back a sorcerer, and created proof unrelated to the crown prince case. Everything is going according to your plan, and the only one being used is the excited Princess Zhaoyang who went to seek immortality with her brother. Don’t you feel guilty about that?”
Li Qinglin pondered for a moment and said to himself, “Qingjun is like a carefree monkey on the path to immortality, with the purest truth. She will eventually grow up; I just don’t know what the opportunity will be.”
“A monkey?”
“Yes, a monkey, and I’m the monkey fighting against the Buddha, striving to win. If I had no means and remained as naive as Qingjun, I would ultimately meet the same fate under the Five Finger Mountain.” Li Qinglin’s expression turned calm again. “Right now, I’m walking on thin ice. How can I have the energy to care for everyone’s feelings?”
Thank you to Xiaoming for the alliance. By the way, everyone, don’t forget to vote…
(End of Chapter)