The two of them sat down cross-legged. Lin Hui used the tea powder Wang Yueheng had left behind, pouring it into the teapot with water and putting it on to boil.
The March weather carried a late spring chill. A few small insects had begun to stir, flying around the pavilion until a gentle breeze, stirred by Lin Hui’s Inner Strength, blew them away.
"But a single word from you, Observatory Master, could salvage so much... Lady Liu Xiao has now broken through to beco a Priest, truly entering the upper-middle echelons of the Rain Palace. For soone of my status, she could decide my entire future with a single word. If she truly ans to target ..." Yan Wanqiu sighed as she settled into her seat.
"Is it that serious? A Priest’s authority can influence the Chen Family?" Lin Hui asked, surprised.
He had grown rather fond of entertaining guests here, chatting while brewing tea.
"The three great families of the Inner City are deeply interconnected. Above a Rain Palace Priest, there are only three ranks: High Priests, Elders, and the Palace and Vice Palace Masters. In the Inner City, they are true powerhouses who can govern a district of a million people. Even if my aptitude is top-tier, it would take at least ten years to reach that level. And that’s too long—so long that there are too many uncertainties. No one knows what could happen in the anti."
Yan Wanqiu continued, "So, in theory, although my aptitude is top-tier, on the sa level as your sister, I don’t have her excellent background. Our resources have been different since childhood. Secondly, potential is just a possibility, but your sister has already converted her potential into actual strength. The gap between us is bigger than you think."
"I see..." Lin Hui now understood, gaining more insight into the Inner City. He pondered for a mont. "Don’t worry. You can rest easy about my sister. I’ll talk her out of it."
"Thank you. I owe you one," Yan Wanqiu said seriously. "In a few days, Yan Zhao and I will be getting married. If the Observatory Master has ti, I would be honored if you would attend the ceremony. This is the invitation."
She presented a bright red invitation with both hands.
"Alright, I’ll be sure to drop by," Lin Hui said with a smile.
’This is my first ti dealing with this genius from my hotown. Her attitude is better than I’d imagined. Aside from being a bit poor and visiting without a gift, the fact that she’s still marrying her childhood friend after becoming successful shows she’s a good person at heart. It might be worth building a connection with her.’
After chatting a bit more about the Chen Family and the Rain Palace, Yan Wanqiu didn’t stay long and soon got up to leave.
Lin Hui once again entered a state of dull, arduous cultivation.
Two days later, he attended Yan Wanqiu’s wedding alone and offered his congratulations. This public blessing earned him a round of sarcastic remarks from Liu Xiao when he ran into her after returning ho.
But Lin Hui was getting more thick-skinned; he smoothed things over with a few kind words, and Liu Xiao’s attitude returned to normal.
He visited his little sister, who could still only crawl, then returned to headquarters to continue his cultivation. Everything was calm and peaceful.
「Soon, another uneventful week had passed.」
After a long period of arduous cultivation, he finally reached the Third Grade of Body Tempering with the Gale Swordsmanship.
His Inner Strength had also reached its final qualitative transformation: Sixth Layer Perfection. This was the rumored limit for Outer Martial practitioners.
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「Outside Xinyu Town, inside a dilapidated temple.」
A white-haired old farr, carrying a hoe on his shoulder, slowly walked through the broken gate. He ca before the Divine Statue, set down his hoe, and pressed his palms together in prayer.
"You’re late, Number 5," a slightly hoarse female voice said from behind the Divine Statue.
"Where is the Dharma Protector? I’ve brought the latest intelligence," the old farr said in a low voice.
"She’ll be here soon. The branch was wiped out this ti. The Incense Master and thirty-five followers were killed. This case has already alard the entire regional Incense Hall. The Hall Master personally ordered Protector Zhou to co investigate and kill the culprit. This is even more serious than the previous struggle over the imitation Wheel of Longevity. The Qinghe Sect never managed to wipe out an Incense Master and all his people at once," the woman’s voice said gravely.
"That’s why I’ve thoroughly investigated everything I could," the old farr said with a nod.
"Then you may speak," a clear, crisp female voice suddenly ca from the entrance of the ruined temple.
The voice was like a silver bell, carrying a faint, alluring quality that instantly made one feel a vague sense of goodwill toward its owner.
"Greetings, Dharma Protector!" The woman in the gray cloth skirt quickly erged from behind the Divine Statue and, along with the old farr, bowed her head in respect to the person entering the main gate.
The person at the entrance wore sky-blue Formal Clothing, covered by a heavy white cloak, with a shining, palm-wide, single-edged silver blade hanging from their waist.
Their face was cold and stern, their features possessing an androgynous quality that made it difficult to distinguish their gender.
"The shipnt on this route was sold out by a traitor. I just finished killing them and completing my mission. I need to rest and resupply. During that ti, organize the details of this case for ," the newcor said in a low voice.
"Yes! But, Dharma Protector, the trouble this ti is that the killer has deep connections to The Three Greats of the Inner City. Acting rashly against them could stir up trouble," the old farr cautioned.
"It doesn’t matter. The Incense Master and his subordinates here are all dead anyway, so who cares? I’ll kill the target and leave. What happens to Tuyue in the Inner City has nothing to do with ," the newcor said, patting the hilt of her blade. "Now, tell . Who is the target?"
"It’s the Observatory Master of Qingfeng Temple, Lin Hui. Judging from the traces left on the burned corpses, the fatal wounds were all caused by a sword instantly striking vital points. In this area, the only one with that kind of power is the Observatory Master of Qingfeng Temple, the Invisible Sword, Lin Hui," the old farr answered. "The most troubleso part is that his Body Technique is extrely fast. Even a Circulation Martial Artist who fought him couldn’t keep up with his movents. Therefore, killing him will be extrely difficult."
"A speed specialist, then? One who’s at the level of a Circulation Martial Artist, more or less. A bit troubleso... Does this person have anyone important to them? Close relatives, good friends, a wife, children, descendants?" the Dharma Protector mused.
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