Chapter 22 - 17 Heading to the Immortal Alliance

Wang Qi awoke from the darkness feeling an all-over warmth, as if he were soaking in hot water, and his bones nearly dissolving. "Where am I again..." His head was fuzzy, and then, there was a bit of... nausea? Wang Qi was suddenly alert. Nausea? As a cultivator, he should be strong and healthy; such a negative symptom meant either a cultivation mishap or poisoning, both of which could cost him dearly! Wang Qi opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Xiang Qi's face, up close. "Whoa!" Wang Qi was startled and involuntarily shrank back. It was then that he realized he was lying on a bed. "Such a big reaction?" Seeing that Wang Qi had woken up, Xiang Qi retreated and sat down on a chair next to the bed. Wang Qi patted his head and asked, "Where am I? How did I end up here?" Xiang Qi's expression darkened, "We found you... next to Senior Brother Li's body. You had collapsed there." Only then did Wang Qi remember. He had fainted from exhaustion after copying the manuscript of the Daoist of Uncertainty. He quickly felt around on his person. If it were discovered that he copied the manuscript privately, that would be a major problem. Luckily, Wang Qi soon found the copied pages tucked at his waist. Thankfully, he remembered to wrap the manuscript in a piece of cloth before he fainted—the cloth was originally used by Li Ziye to bundle some miscellaneous items in his storage bag. "Are you looking for this?" A slightly husky feminine voice joined the conversation. Wang Qi looked up to see a middle-aged female cultivator holding Li Ziye's leftover storage bag and the jade ring inhabited by Zhen Chan. Only then did Wang Qi realize his ring was missing. Xiang Qi quickly got up to greet her, "Junior Master Yan," and introduced her to Wang Qi, "This is Yan Heyi, Junior Master Yan from Jiyin Valley, the Security Guardian steward in charge of this incident." Wang Qi, having already made up his mind to conceal the fact that he had the manuscript, nodded, "Yes, elder." Yan Heyi nodded back and, instead of returning the ring to Wang Qi, she nodded to Xiang Qi, "Step outside for a moment, I need to ask this child some questions." Understanding the rules of the Security Guardians, Xiang Qi nodded and walked toward the door. Yan Heyi took Xiang Qi's recently vacated seat and fixed her slender, phoenix-like eyes on Wang Qi, "I have learned of the full story from young Xiang Qi and the old gentleman in the ring. However, due to my position, I must ask you some questions." It's like a police interrogation, keeping me, Xiang Qi, and the old man separate to prevent collusion. Wang Qi nodded, "You may ask freely, elder. But before that, may I ask a question?" Yan Heyi nodded, "Ask." Wang Qi asked cautiously, "The hamlet I was born in, how is it?" Yan Heyi's indifferent face showed a trace of sympathy, "I advise it's better if you don't know." Even though he already knew the answer, Wang Qi couldn't help but clench his fist, "Then what about the bodies?" "The other Security Guardians have already seen to their burial." Wang Qi let out a long sigh. So be it, he thought, adding this to his account. Seeing that Wang Qi still cared about others in such a situation, Yan Heyi's impression of him improved, and her tone softened a bit with reassurance, "Such things are beyond your ability to change. The dead are gone, the living must persevere, try not to dwell on it excessively." Wang Qi bowed his head, nodding submissively. Although his demeanor was genuine, it also served to mask any unnaturalness in his expression and tone. Yan Heyi continued, "Alright, now I have some questions I hope you can answer truthfully." "Mm-hmm." "First, please tell me about the fight between Wanfa Sect disciple Li Ziye and the disciple of Emperor's Extreme Split Sky Dao after you were abducted." Wang Qi honestly recounted the events, only omitting his use of Hilbert Space to solve the Forbidden Technique. The mathematical sophistication of the technique far exceeded what Ancient Method Practitioners could grasp, and attributing it to Zhen Chan wouldn't help either. Yan Heyi frowned, "There are two issues here, first, why did that Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator kidnap you?" Wang Qi answered, "The old man in the ring told me that the Ancient Method I've practiced since childhood comes from the Luofu Xuanqing Palace, which is mortal enemies with the Emperor's Extreme Split Sky Dao. Maybe that person thought I carried some secret from the Luofu Xuanqing Palace." Yan Heyi then asked, "Another question. I've heard from Xiang Qi that you are skilled in mathematics and have broken through Heavenly Communication after unraveling the theory of the Modern Method. Truly a remarkable talent." "You flatter me, elder." Yan Heyi shook her head, "No need to be modest. Achieving Heavenly Communication in half a day through a bit of Ancient Method mathematics is quite astonishing. But with that, you seem entirely a Modern Cultivator when it comes to Mana Power Intent. How could that person recognize that you bear the Luofu Xuanqing Palace legacy?" There it was, the question! Trying his best to appear as an Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator who knew nothing, he shook his head, "I really don't know that." Yan Heyi nodded, feeling that Wang Qi's performance had left no loopholes and was entirely consistent with the knowledge of an Ancient Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Stage. After a few more questions, she returned the ring to Wang Qi and prepared to leave. As soon as the ring was back in his possession, the voice of Zhen Chan came back into Wang Qi's mind—the Daoist of Uncertainty must have used some secret technique to temporarily block the transmission of spiritual sense from Zhen Chan. The old man chuckled in his mind, "Hehe, it looks like you've passed this test." Wang Qi didn't have the energy to speak with him, instead collapsing onto the bed, pale as death. Luckily, he'd discussed countermeasures with the old man beforehand. Zhen Chan, sly with age, although not understanding the Modern Immortal Path, was familiar with worldly wisdom. With his help, covering up some things wasn't hard. And after passing this test, the Immortal Alliance wouldn't pay too much attention to him. Suddenly, Yan Heyi, who had already reached the door, turned back and asked, "Why are you so pale?" Wang Qi took a deep breath and told the truth, "I don't know why, but I feel terribly nauseous. It must be either an error in cultivation practice or some injury." Yan Heyi's face showed a hint of amusement, "It's normal for anyone on their first ride on a flying boat; just endure it, and it'll be fine." "Flying boat?" Zhen Chan said, "Kid, haven't you realized yet that you're on a flying artifact?" "It's unexpected that the motion sickness from cars, ships, and planes in my last life hasn't been cured in this life..." Wang Qi, pale as death, leaned over the railing of the flying boat and thought mournfully, if he was also going to be sick flying on swords, that would truly ruin his life. The flying boat they were on was currently heading toward the Immortal Alliance Main Temple located in Xinyue. Yan Heyi was a Security Guardian steward for the nearby region, both Li Ziye and Xiang Qi were her subordinates. With an Ancient Practitioner surfacing and Li Ziye dying in action, both emotionally and rationally, it was necessary for her to make a trip to the Immortal Alliance Main Temple. Xiang Qi had become a Security Guardian as part of her sect's training requirement. Now that her training period was over, she should also report back to the Immortal Alliance. According to Immortal Alliance regulations, Loose Cultivators who unexpectedly obtain Ancient Method inheritances must be integrated into the Modern Immortal Path, so she brought Wang Qi along too. The flying boat Wang Qi was on was an Immortal Alliance standard-issue vessel, specifically for the use of Great Grandmasters who were Security Guardians, designated for transporting Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Security Guardians over long distances. The boat was about forty meters long and ten meters wide. It had no sails and in place of them at the rear were two huge, metallic-looking wings, not found on ordinary ships. In Wang Qi's eyes, this flying boat was pretty much equivalent to a small yacht—especially the interior. The room where Wang Qi was staying was entirely unnecessary for a transport ship. Considering this style, the Immortal Alliance seemed to treat luxury cars as if they were public buses. Wang Qi's injuries were not severe for a Cultivator, and he would be able to walk after some treatment. As his motion sickness was severe, Wang Qi didn't stay much in the cabin; he preferred staying outside in the fresh air to ease his mind. Zhen Chan sighed, "You're as miserable as a dying dog just by riding on a flying boat; you will definitely be at a disadvantage when you use flying swords to combat others." Wang Qi rested his face on the railing, sighing deeply to conceal his tears, "How much farther is it?" Xiang Qi's voice suddenly interjected, "About five days." Wang Qi looked up to see Xiang Qi standing at the railing, staring blankly into the distance. Her red clothes flapped in the wind high in the sky, almost convincing one that she was a Fairy descending to the world. Wang Qi gave an awkward chuckle, "Xiang... Senior Sister, there." Xiang Qi nodded her head, then sighed. Wang Qi, being not much of a talker in either of his lifetimes, couldn't find a topic of conversation, so he pretended to lean over the railing to enjoy the view. Suddenly, Xiang Qi asked, "Did Senior Brother Li have any last words?" Wang Qi carefully chose his words, repeating what Li Ziye had said at his last moments. He didn't forget to add, "He said... if someone ever solves Xi's Twenty-Three Calculations or Bright Pearl's Question, to remember to burn a copy for him." Xiang Qi pursed her lips, "What, he was still thinking about those problems until death? No wonder Wanfa Sect disciples are always said to be 'desirous of a Daoist couple' due to their low emotional intelligence." Wang Qi thought for a moment, then asked, "Did you know him for a long time?" Xiang Qi's voice was soft, "Three years, old friends by now. Three years ago, I left the valley because of a training task from my sect, to become a Security Guardian with the Immortal Alliance, and then I was assigned to this area. He, on the other hand, came to work in order to gather the heavenly materials needed to refine his Lifebound Magical Treasure." "Our jurisdiction was relatively peaceful; our main task was to suppress the Demon Clans in the forests and manage Loose Cultivators who passed by. Although patrolling daily was troublesome, it was fairly easy. In this area, all Security Guardians were disciples of the Immortal Alliance Sects, and we got along very well." "It's just that, Senior Brother Li was just too nice of a person. He would take whatever anyone said at face value, and even when we pranked him about the girl he liked, he wasn't angry. Occasionally, we would all have a good laugh imagining the future... things like solving Xi's Twenty-Three Calculations, or challenging the chief disciple of the Mysterious Palace again, and so on." Saying this, Xiang Qi sighed, "It's because he was such a nice guy... If only he hadn't been too nice, listened to me and gone straight back to the Immortal Alliance Branch, he might not have died..." Wang Qi interrupted, "Even I could see that the enemy came prepared. Even if you had taken me back to the Immortal Alliance Branch, we would have likely been intercepted by them. Had we fallen into their trap, we might have met an even more tragic fate." Xiang Qi sighed softly, "But he might not have died. Just for that 'might', I owe him a lot." Wang Qi tentatively asked, "Senior Sister? I feel like you are trending towards becoming a resentful widow." Xiang Qi laughed out loud. Wiping the corner of her eyes, she said, "It's not that serious. Naturally, I'm somewhat sad at the loss of a friend." Wang Qi rested his head back on the railing and asked, "Do Cultivators care about burials?" Xiang Qi shook her head, "Security Guardians who die on duty have their own burial place, or they may be buried in Wanfa Sect's graveyard. According to regulations, we need to go to Xinyue Main Temple, but I'm afraid we will miss it—and also, you seem to have forgotten, the Immortal Alliance's unified entrance Trial is approaching, and you need to prepare for it." —————————————————————————— Seeking recommendations! Seeking favorites! Start Chinese Network welcomes book friends to read, the latest, fastest, and most popular serial works are all in Qi Dian Original! Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.