He did not ask any questions. He did not want to know who else might have seen him in such a state the previous night. He only wanted to pretend those events had never happened.
A-Ye likewise did not mention the previous night, only asking, “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else? Are you thirsty? You had a fever last night.”
Yan Jue remained silent for a moment and then nodded. He was indeed thirsty. His throat felt as if a fire were burning inside it, a sensation he only noticed once it was mentioned.
Shortly after Qi Yelan left the room, Lu Wu strolled in with an air of unearned confidence. “Awake? Get up quickly. There is excitement to be seen.”
“What kind of excitement?” Upon hearing his own raspy, dry voice, Yan Jue winced.
Lu Wu frowned. “What happened to your throat? Your complexion is terrible too.” He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, a meaningful expression crossing his face. “Tsk tsk, being young and full of vigor is truly enviable.”
Qi Yelan returned with a pot of tea and purposefully bumped into Lu Wu as he passed. “If you have nothing to do, get out.”
“Wow,” Lu Wu exclaimed. “Did you take a dose of gunpowder this morning, kid?”
“Tell me the news,” Yan Jue interrupted.
“It is not exactly serious business,” Lu Wu said with a smirk, hiding his mouth behind his fan. “That Qin boy got into trouble this morning. Of all the people to provoke, he had to pick Ye Liufang.”
“Is that so?” Yan Jue was not particularly shocked. The boy was clumsy and dim-witted; it was his bad luck to run into that little firecracker. “What did he do? Is it serious?”
“Not serious,” Lu Wu replied. “Just children bickering. They will probably shake hands and make up in a bit. The real excitement is elsewhere. Come out and see for yourself!”
Yan Jue looked down at his clothes. “Go out first. I will join you once I have changed.”
Outside a side hall of the Moshan Sect, Yan Jue spotted Qin Wei among a crowd of people. Facing him were several disciples wearing the traditional robes of the Moshan Sect. Sensing the tension in the air, Yan Jue asked Lu Wu, “What is the situation?”
“Did this silly boy Qin Wei not just provoke the eldest young lady, Ye Liufang? Immediately after, several disciples stepped up to teach him a lesson. Guess how high his cultivation is?”
Yan Jue shook his head, worry creasing his brow. He did not view the boy as an expert; someone coming out of the imperial palace was likely just a decorative pillow.
Lu Wu saw his expression and knew what he was thinking. “Do not worry. I think the boy is capable.”
“You can see that?” Yan Jue asked.
“My Spirit Eyes cannot see cultivation levels, but this is my intuition,” Lu Wu replied.
As they spoke, a Moshan disciple thrust his sword toward Qin Wei. Just as the blade was about to graze Qin Wei’s neck, the boy’s sword left its scabbard. He blocked the attack instantly and followed up with a strike so swift the crowd could barely track it. With a seemingly casual flick, he disarmed the disciple. Qin Wei sheathed his sword and cupped his hands, his face still wearing that innocent expression. “I thank you for the match.”
Yan Jue breathed a sigh of relief. However, Qin Wei’s cheeky attitude reminded him of Wei Changxing: easily disarming an opponent while feigning politeness.
“Little Uncle Qin is young, but I did not expect him to be so agile,” one observer remarked. On the other side, several female disciples watched with admiration, their eyes practically glowing. Having grown up in the palace, Qin Wei was more refined than most people in the martial world. His noble aura and polite demeanor attracted many admiring glances.
This naturally incited jealousy among the male disciples, who insisted on further matches. Realizing they were not on the same level as him individually, they decided to gang up. “Does this Little Uncle dare to fight five at once?”
Yan Jue’s brow furrowed. When did the Moshan disciples become so petty? A five-on-one fight? How could they say something so shameless out loud?
To his surprise, Qin Wei agreed without hesitation. “As you wish,” he said, looking unbothered.
The five disciples exchanged glances and began to form a formation. “Then forgive our offense!”
They surrounded Qin Wei and launched a simultaneous attack. Qin Wei remained calm. With a shift of his intent, his body vanished from his original position. Before anyone could react, he struck them down from behind one by one.
The onlookers, including Yan Jue, were stunned. Who would have thought this white cabbage possessed such skill? He had defeated five inner disciples who practiced on the mountain year-round. However, the quality of these inner disciples was clearly lacking. Their character was poor, and their cultivation was unimpressive. Yan Jue shook his head. Had the Moshan Sect fallen apart after the ascension of Immortal Qingyan?
Qin Wei was disciplined in his strikes, only hitting them hard enough to knock them down. Soon, he was the only one left standing.
On a high platform nearby, a woman in purple with a face like snow looked down at the scene. Once the outcome was decided, she leaped down gracefully. “Since your skills are so good, why do you still come to my Moshan Sect to practice?”
Qin Wei turned at the sound of her voice. When he saw the woman, his eyes regained that clear light. Ye Liufang was a disciple of Master Yanxiu, so he technically had to call her Little Aunt. “Little Aunt, I apologize for the offense just now.”
Ye Liufang waved it away. “I am no longer bothered by it. I am the last disciple under my Master’s care. You are not the only one who was confused. You still have not answered my question.”
Qin Wei had never seen such a beautiful and spirited woman. In the palace, no woman dared to speak to him like that. He scratched his head in embarrassment. “The Moshan Sect is a place I have longed for since I was young. Additionally, I came to visit my Master.”
“Elder Changxing?” she asked.
Qin Wei nodded repeatedly. “Yes. Why have I not seen him? Could you introduce me?”
Ye Liufang looked troubled. “We have not seen Elder Changxing for a long time either. However, I can ask my Master later. He must know.”
This made Yan Jue suspicious. If Wei Changxing was neither in the palace nor at the sect, where could he be? Could he be dead?
As Yan Jue was thinking, his eyes fell on Qin Wei. He suddenly saw one of the fallen disciples slowly rising behind the boy. Within seconds, he guessed the man’s intent. While everyone else was off guard, Yan Jue rushed forward. As the blade was about to pierce Qin Wei’s back, Yan Jue reached his side and instinctively cast the Golden Bell Shield.
A powerful golden light erupted, separating the two. The attacking sword and the disciple were both sent flying backward.
The spell was unexpectedly successful. Yan Jue realized that his magic only seemed to work perfectly when he was trying to protect someone. After years of saving lives, protection had become his instinct, carved into his subconscious.
[Congratulations Host, Longevity Coins +100]
“How much?” Yan Jue nearly jumped. Had he hit a boss-level reward? This was his highest single-performance record ever. The sudden joy swept away his gloomy mood.
His happiness did not last long, however, as most of the cultivators present cast astonished looks at him. Yan Jue realized too late what he had done.
This was bad.
The Golden Bell Shield was not a spell an ordinary cultivator could use. The incantation was extremely difficult to learn, and only those above the Golden Core stage could even hope to grasp it. There were very few people in the entire cultivation world who could use it so effortlessly. Historically, only a few sect leaders and the ascended Immortal Qingyan had ever demonstrated it in public.
How could a nineteen-year-old youth master such a spell? Yan Jue quickly withdrew the magic. Beside him, Qin Wei was the first to speak, his voice full of surprise. “Brother Wen, I did not know you were so powerful!”
Few people shared Qin Wei’s enthusiasm. This was no longer a matter of being powerful; it was truly bizarre. They would sooner believe the youth before them had been possessed.
Qi Yelan had intended to rush forward, but when he saw the Golden Bell Shield, he froze in his tracks.