After tricking some more information about the Wanhuagu from Huan Rui, Hua Jian slipped out of the Little Chapel like a thief.
But she hadn’t taken more than a couple steps when she saw a silver-haired girl standing by the roadside, those golden eyes landing right on her.
Huh?
Hua Jian froze for a moment, and then a wave of guilt surged up inside her.
“You’re following me?” Guilt made her bold enough to strike first.
That’s right, Linglong was the one in the wrong here! Following people like this is just terrible, not something the Saintess should ever do!
But Linglong didn’t take the bait. She’d long since grown immune to these little tricks of Hua Jian’s.
She simply stated the facts, which Hua Jian found hard to handle.
“I was just worried about your safety and came to check. I didn’t spy on your meeting with anyone.” Linglong spoke honestly.
She’d only followed Hua Jian to the chapel doors and hadn’t eavesdropped or peeked at the mysterious meeting.
Of course, she had her own ways to figure out who Hua Jian had met.
Leaning close to Hua Jian, she gently took a sniff. As expected, Hua Jian’s body carried that scent.
That distinctive Wanhuagu scent.
“You smell like another woman.”
“Dog nose…”
“Hmm?”
“I mean, Lady Linglong, your insight is truly sharp!”
Hua Jian quickly lowered her head in surrender. Now that Linglong had something on her, she’d better behave.
But something even more troublesome happened—after this, Linglong didn’t say another word. She simply turned and started walking toward the Hudaosi.
Was Linglong angry? Hua Jian didn’t think so.
The little dragon girl rarely showed her feelings, but from all the tiny details on her face, Hua Jian could still make out her current mood.
From her understanding of Linglong, the girl wasn’t angry at all—if anything, she seemed a bit… satisfied?
Now that was odd. What on earth was Linglong satisfied about?
“Don’t you want to know what I talked about with the Wanhuagu people?” She caught up and asked.
Linglong shook her head calmly. “If you want me to know, you’ll tell me. If you don’t, what good would it do me to listen to a bunch of lies?”
Oh no, am I being manipulated here?
Hua Jian felt her head ache. The little dragon girl wasn’t like this before! How did her way with words suddenly level up?
At this rate, her conscience wouldn’t survive.
…Really, Hua Jian actually did have a conscience, though right now she was more afraid of Linglong tattling on her.
“It’s not a big deal anyway, just that Wanhuagu wants to meddle in the Chai Clan’s patriarch election. They want Chai Xianyun to become the patriarch.”
“Oh? Why her?” Linglong finally reacted.
How did Wanhuagu and Chai Xianyun get mixed up together?
Did they already have ties?
“Huan Rui’s here—she was originally on her way to the Main Sect in the Beijing, but when she passed through, their Elder called her over…” Hua Jian quickly explained the reason Wanhuagu was here.
After hearing the explanation, Linglong was momentarily speechless.
Was it fate or coincidence? Because of them, the Chai Clan’s Elder Cadre Realm was thrown into chaos, giving Wanhuagu the chance to act.
Both parties ended up in Tianbei City, and Huan Rui just happened to witness Hua Jian entering the Chai residence.
After a bit of maneuvering, Huan Rui learned about the relationship between Chai Xianyun and Hua Jian, and just at that moment, the Chai Clan’s strongest competitor for patriarch—Second Lord Chai—had to withdraw from the race thanks to Hua Jian, causing Fanghuagu’s original plan to fall apart.
Their former collaborator was now their biggest obstacle, so Fanghuagu had to pick someone new. This made Chai Xianyun’s strengths stand out.
If nothing else, her background was solid!
“So, what do you think? Will you accept their request?”
“I don’t really know, but I feel like making Chai Xianyun the patriarch is a pretty good idea.”
Thinking of all the temptations Huan Rui had offered, Hua Jian was indeed a little swayed.
But glancing at Linglong beside her, she hurried to add, “But I’ll listen to what you say. If you’re against it, I’ll refuse!”
“If I hadn’t known about this, you wouldn’t have said that last part, would you?”
What Linglong said was the truth, but Hua Jian wouldn’t admit to that. How could she be so scheming?
“Of course not! I’d tell you everything, start to finish! We’re the best of sisters, after all!”
Hua Jian puffed out her not-so-impressive chest, not embarrassed in the slightest.
She’d really honed the art of lying on cue.
Linglong gazed at Hua Jian for a moment, suddenly understanding what it meant for nature to be hard to change.
With this kind of personality, no wonder Fanghuagu liked her. Anyone would take Hua Jian for one of their own, wouldn’t they?
Who could be more like Fanghuagu than Hua Jian? She’s got the right surname, and her shamelessness even surpasses Fanghuagu’s!
When will she finally mold Hua Jian into the disciple she wants? Linglong sighed inwardly.
She had a growing sense that Hua Jian was drifting further and further from her ideal image of a junior.
“Decide for yourself. Even without Chai Xianyun, Wanhuagu has the ability to infiltrate the Chai Clan anyway.”
Linglong sighed, choosing to let Hua Jian act freely.
The Chai Clan was simply too small. The true backbone—the old patriarch—was dead, and now the internal struggle for the position had torn the clan apart.
Unless the Hudaosi forcibly intervened, Wanhuagu would surely find opportunities to leave its mark within.
And Hudaosi doesn’t handle such trivial matters. There were many clans infiltrated by Wanhuagu already; they couldn’t possibly deal with them all.
As long as Wanhuagu didn’t do anything heinous, the Hudaosi wouldn’t interfere in a mere power struggle.
Of course, if lives were lost, Hudaosi would step in.
They merely turned a blind eye, not full indulgence.
The current Chai Clan was like this. Wanhuagu was only trying some small moves, and even the people they sent weren’t major figures.
Just Huan Rui and her senior sister—the same Ling King Hua Jian had met in Huiyue City. In Wanhuagu, a team like this was but a drop in the ocean.
Wanhuagu didn’t care much about the affair; if it worked out, great, if not, so be it.
That was Linglong’s guess, and it matched Hua Jian’s own.
“But, let’s report it to the Venerable, just in case there’s something fishy going on?”
Linglong’s words were like a dutiful student facing trouble—her first thought was to tell the teacher or parents.
It sounded childish, but from any angle, it was the sensible thing to do.
The elders always knew more than they did; if the elders had no objections, they could proceed with peace of mind.
When they returned to Hudaosi, Linglong found Venerable Fenghua and reported everything, though she told a small lie—saying Hua Jian had invited her along to the chapel.
Hua Jian was so moved she gave Linglong a grateful look. The little dragon girl really was a solid friend.
After hearing it all, Venerable Fenghua didn’t hesitate to leave the decision to Linglong.
Which was basically: “You’re coming to me for this? You’re supposed to be out training. Make your own decisions, got it?”
As for Lingcaifeng Master, she’d been busy with her own research these days, rarely showing her face.
“Lingcai will be returning to the Wanling Sect in a couple of days. Have you decided where you’ll go next?” Fenghua Venerable dropped some surprising news.
The Lingcaifeng Master was leaving for Wanling Sect so soon? Hua Jian had thought she’d stay longer.
“Are you reluctant to see her go?” Fenghua Venerable noticed the shock on Hua Jian’s face, and a twinge of jealousy welled up in her heart.
That damned Lingcai—what charm did she have to make Hua Jian care so much?
Wasn’t she just a flower-obsessed shut-in? Not even that pretty. It made no sense.
“Not really, just surprised. She’s only been here a few days, right?” Hua Jian quickly shook her head.
“You do know she’s a Fēngzhǔ, right? A Peak Master of Wanling Sect, carrying a lot of responsibility. Even staying a few days was already pushing it.”
Fenghua Venerable rolled her eyes, reminding Hua Jian to choose the best master.
The Lingcaifeng Master was a busy woman, with several Direct Disciples. She didn’t have much time to spare.
But Fenghua Venerable was different—no other affairs, no other disciples, and she could accompany Hua Jian every day. Wasn’t she the more suitable master?
“I suppose that’s true.” Hua Jian scratched her head, realizing she had been too presumptuous.
The Lingcaifeng Master was a powerful Ling Venerable. For her to make time and fly here, staying in Tianbei City for Hua Jian, was a big deal already.
How could she hope for more?
As for Fenghua Venerable’s subtle hints, Hua Jian heard them, but tried not to.
She knew she was being greedy—wanting to keep Fenghua Venerable’s kindness while also learning flower arts from the motherly Lingcaifeng Master.
It really was a tough choice.
While Hua Jian brooded, Linglong took out her planned itinerary.
She wanted to head south along the Northern Mountains, hunting Spirit Beasts as they traveled toward their final destination—Ascension City, host of the Ascension Gathering.
Ascension City sat just north of Central Continent’s core, right beside the old site of Honghu Academy. A city with a long history.
It wasn’t the absolute heart of Central Continent, but it was thriving—mainly thanks to the yearly Ascension Gathering, the only chance for ordinary cultivators to enter the Saint Sect.
Most Waimen and Neimen Disciples of the Saint Sect entered through this gathering. For many who considered themselves geniuses, this was their big break.
“Oh? Taking the Northern Mountains? That’s a bold choice.” Fenghua Venerable normally wouldn’t comment, so as not to interfere with the trial.
But hearing Linglong’s plan, she couldn’t help but look at her with admiration.
As expected of my junior’s disciple—such courage.
“Other routes might be safer, but I don’t think my master would want to see me always avoiding challenges,” Linglong explained.
She was here to temper herself, not sightsee.
In the perilous Northern Mountains, everything could be an enemy—Spirit Beasts, cultivators, even the very earth beneath your feet.
Reaching Ascension City through such danger would be a real test.
Ending her training with this challenge was the best way.
“There’s still plenty of time before the next Ascension Gathering. We’ll have enough time to cross the Northern Mountains and still make further plans in Ascension City.”
Linglong calmly stated the benefits.
Taking the Spirit Beast Mountain Range route would take two to three months, by Linglong’s estimate, while flying straight there would take about ten days.
But they had plenty of time—the Ascension Gathering was still half a year away.
Upon arrival, Linglong could even make a few trips to the Jade Pool for Saintess Training.
“So, when do we leave?” Hua Jian had no objections. She’d just do as the boss said.
With the Life-Saving Jade Token given by Fenghua Venerable, she had nothing to fear.
She just needed to raise both hands in support.
“After the Lingcaifeng Master leaves. We still need to stock up on supplies in Tianbei City, so there’s no rush.”