Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 208 Finding the Feeling of Being a Master
Chen Ye never understood how a demon like Wujiu Demon Lord could be completely sealed away.

Even if he could be reborn from a drop of blood, he should have been cut into pieces and given to the five major sects to be sealed away, which would make sense.

As a result, the Incense Burning Sect monopolized it and even created a treasure like the Soul Cleansing Flower.

Do the other sects have no objections?
Zhang Qi is known for his thoroughness in eliminating evil, so how could he possibly tolerate the possibility of the Demon Lord Wujiu's resurgence?

In addition, as the Lord mentioned before, Wujiu Demon Lord was not the first Demon Lord to be killed. On the contrary, he seemed to be the first one to betray the Demon Sect, launching a sneak attack that severely injured Chilian Demon Lord, while his own skull was blown off.

After being severely injured, the Crimson Serpent Demon Lord faced an attack from the righteous path and was killed without a trace, while the Wujiu Demon Lord's physical body has been preserved to this day.

There's something wrong with this no matter how you look at it.

In addition, Zhang Qi mentioned earlier that the exorcism back then was not thorough and it seems that many unavoidable methods were used.

There must have been many secrets behind that great war between good and evil a thousand years ago.

But Chen Ye knew that there was no way to investigate this matter any further.

Zhang Qi must know more than I do; he's someone who experienced it firsthand.

Since Master Zhang has tacitly accepted this situation, why should I say anything more?
Even if Lu Xingzhou really wanted to possess the body of the Demon Lord Wujiu, Zhang Qi would accept it. What could Chen Ye do? That was the last Dao Integration Realm cultivator of the righteous path. Zhang Qi might even approve of Lu Xingzhou doing so.

After all, Lu Xingzhou was a righteous cultivator who fought alongside him back then. What couldn't the two of them talk about behind closed doors?
"Alas, this mortal world can no longer keep Master Zhang."

Chen Ye sighed and put the matter aside. He himself didn't care, and he had done his best; the rest was up to fate.

However, if Master Zhang really passes away before July 14th, then the Yellow Springs Sect should also be prepared.

I wonder how chaotic the world will be then.

I just hope that Lu Xingzhou can replace Zhang Qi in suppressing those demons.

With these distracting thoughts gone, Chen Ye felt a little more at ease. Since it was a rare opportunity to see Su Chun again, Chen Ye spent a day with her in Qinghe.

Chen Ye then realized that the sword cultivators were not truly without desires. Su Chun's habit of drinking only water was simply her personal habit, not a restriction imposed by the Qinghe Sword Sect's rules.

The Qinghe Sword Sect is not so strict as to restrict even food, drink, and daily necessities. In fact, it can be said that there are no explicit rules. Zhang Qi requires his disciples to have good character, not to suppress their desires.

As for cultivation, Zhang Qi never required the disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect to do a certain amount of homework every day.

The disciples who are formally accepted into the sect are all people who treat sword practice as a hobby. They don't need to be urged at all; they will practice on their own. Instead, they need to be constantly reminded not to overwork themselves.

One must have impeccable character and be dedicated to sword practice, which resulted in the Qinghe Sword Sect having only thirty members in total.

This was only after we accepted two new disciples that we reached thirty.

The Qinghe Sword Sect hasn't received a suitable disciple for many years.

One of them is blue stone.

Chen Ye and Su Chun spent the whole day together before he remembered that he had come to find Lan Shi. His main goal was to ask Lan Shi about the mortal court so that he could retrieve the cinnabar mine.

As a result, she was first startled by Zhang Qi's failure to ascend, and then she was so busy having fun with Su Chun that she almost completely forgot about it.

Now that Su Chun had brought it up, Chen Ye had no choice but to get back to work.

The bustling town on the banks of the Qinghe River.

Chen Ye returned to the teahouse where he had asked for directions last time, but this time he was accompanied by two girls, Su Chunyi and Lan Shi, which made the shopkeeper stare in disbelief.

The shopkeeper naturally recognized the attire of the Qinghe Sword Sect disciples.

But he only arrived in Qinghe yesterday and had to ask around to find out how to get to Jiangxin Island. In less than a day, he had already brought two disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect out for a trip.
The shopkeeper couldn't help but scrutinize Chen Ye closely. Although half of his face was still covered, upon closer inspection, his eyes were indeed as bright as stars, and just by looking at his features, one could tell that he was exceptionally handsome.

"Tsk tsk, even immortals judge by appearance."

The shopkeeper was filled with emotion and served Chen Ye and his two companions a pot of tea that was perhaps a little sour.

Chen Ye personally poured tea and then poured a cup of warm water for Su Chunyi before saying to Lan Shi, "Miss Lan, the reason I came to Qinghe Sword Sect this time is actually for you. I would like to ask you for a favor, but I'm afraid this request is a bit presumptuous, so I dare not say it directly."

Lan Shi gave Chen Ye a bright smile, just like when they first met.

“My benefactor saved my life, and no amount of repayment is too much. Please speak freely. However, I am no longer called Lan Shi. You can call me Lan Yu.”

Compared to a year ago, the girl's appearance hasn't changed much, and her cultivation level is only at the initial stage of Qi Sea Realm, but she has already learned to fly on a sword.

Whether it's fast or slow depends on one's cultivation level, and whether one can learn it depends on one's aptitude. Someone with Chen Ye's aptitude might not be able to learn it even after decades.

She has an exceptional talent for swordsmanship, which is why Su Chunyi wanted to bring her back to the Qinghe Sword Sect.

The little girl blinked and looked at Chen Ye with a relaxed expression.

Upon hearing the name, Chen Ye understood what she meant.

This young girl wanted to live on in place of her older sister, Princess Hongyu. But since she said it herself, it seems she has finally let go of Princess Hongyu's death.

"Then I'll be frank. I've heard that there's a cinnabar mine beneath the capital, but if we dig it out directly, it might cause conflict with mortals. So I'd like to ask Miss Lan Yu to act as a go-between and let me discuss this with the emperor of the mortals. I can provide them with some health-enhancing pills in exchange for the right to mine this cinnabar."

Hearing what Chen Ye said, Lan Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "I've been at the Qinghe Sword Sect for over a year, and I haven't returned to the capital. However, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint my benefactor. Back when I was by the Princess's side, I didn't get to know any of the high-ranking officials in the court, so even if I bring up the Princess Hongyu's connection now, I'm afraid it won't be of much use."

“If my benefactor wishes to discuss this with the imperial court, it would be more appropriate to directly approach the officials of Qinghe Town. If we use the name of the Qinghe Sword Sect, the imperial court will generally not refuse. However…” Lan Yu turned to look at Su Chunyi, as if seeking her opinion.

Su Chun smiled and said, "It's alright, sir. You're one of us, and the sect leader has already approved of you."

As Lan Yu listened, her eyes darted back and forth between Chen Ye and Su Chunyi.

They're one of our own? Even the sect leader approves?

Sigh, that's developing way too fast.

Lan Yu thought that cultivators would discuss marriage over several decades, how could it be so fast, even faster than the three letters and six rites for ordinary people.

Lan Yu said to Chen Ye, "Since that's the case, then I will go with my benefactor. Although the princess's relationship is not useful, many of the court's rules are quite troublesome. It will save a lot of time if I do it for you."

"Then thank you very much, Miss Lanyu."

Lan Yu smiled and said, "It's just a small matter, not even a fraction of the life-saving grace I could repay."

The three chatted idly in the teahouse for a while, reminiscing about the past and discussing the present. Chen Ye also felt a bit sentimental, thinking that if Princess Hongyu hadn't been so determined to die, she might have been able to experience the beauty of Qinghe.

People always need a second chance.

After chatting, Lan Yu went to the government office in Qinghe Town on her own. Chen Ye didn't know whether the local official was called a prefect or a county magistrate. For a cultivator like him, the imperial title was no longer of any significance.

About two hours later, Lan Yu returned to the teahouse on the back of his sword and delivered a letter and a jade talisman to Chen Ye.

Lan Yu explained, “This is a letter written in the handwriting of the magistrate of Qinghe County, and this is a jade token to show your identity to the imperial court. I had the magistrate write a memorial to report it, but it would probably take half a month for a messenger to reach the capital. So I had him write a letter and retrieve the tokens. With these two items, my benefactor can go to the capital and meet the emperor.”

"So Easy?"

"It's not that simple." Lan Yu revealed a slightly smug expression and continued, "This is all thanks to the Qinghe Sword Sect. Mortals have been seeking immortality for so many years, hoping that an immortal would be willing to meet the emperor. So as soon as I spoke, the magistrate agreed to everything. It's also because the imperial court knows about the Qinghe Sword Sect that it went so smoothly. If other cultivators did this, the emperor might just think they were liars."

Chen Ye happily said, "Then I really benefited from the Qinghe Sword Sect."

Lan Yu laughed again, "Haha, Master said you're one of us."

"Master?"

Chen Ye looked at Su Chunyi with a puzzled expression. The latter gave an apologetic look and said, "I forgot to tell you, sir, that I have already taken Lan Yu as my disciple. I should have informed you in advance, but since we haven't seen each other for so long, I was only thinking about taking you around to travel, so I forgot about it."

These words warmed Chen Ye's heart.

Chen Ye quickly replied, "Miss Su, what are you saying? I had just forgotten about the cinnabar mine."

Looking at the two people, one was her savior and the other was her respected master, Lan Yu felt a little sour but also happy for some reason.

In the end, I was still happy.

Lan Yu's eyes darted around, and she suggested, "Then why don't you go to the capital with your benefactor, Master? Since you're already traveling, it's good to see more of the city."

Unexpectedly, Su Chunyi shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's difficult to go with you, sir. I have just broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, and the sect leader is preparing to personally guide my cultivation. As you all know, the sect leader's days are numbered, and it would be inappropriate for me to go for several days."

With Zhang Qi personally providing guidance, that was the best cultivation method for Su Chunyi.

Although Chen Ye was somewhat disappointed, he quickly said, "Of course, cultivation is more important. There are hundreds or thousands of years to go in the future, so what's the difference between this moment and the next one?"

Su Chun smiled and said, "Thank you for your understanding, sir. However, I will allow Lan Yu to accompany you to the capital."

Chen Ye asked doubtfully, "Are you worried that I won't be able to find a way in?"

It's just a mere capital city for mortals; Chen Ye could walk in anywhere without needing Lan Yu to guide him.

Su Chunyi said, "Of course I'm not worried about you, sir. It's just that Lan Yu has been restless lately while practicing swordsmanship, probably because old matters haven't been resolved. The birthday of that Princess Hongyu is approaching, so let Lan Yu accompany you to the capital to offer sacrifices. It will also be a good opportunity to settle the old grudges, so that her sword heart won't be clouded and forced cultivation will only do more harm than good."

It turned out to be the case.

Chen Ye looked at Lan Yu and saw that the girl who had been smiling just moments before now had a stiff expression.

Lan Yu hugged Su Chunyi's arm affectionately and said, "Master, I told you I've already let go of those things."

Su Chunyi said, "You can fool me, you can fool yourself, but can you fool the sword in your hand? Originally, I didn't want you to go out and train on your own because your cultivation level was too low, but with you here, I feel at ease."

"Instead of wasting your time in the sect, you should cut off your old ties as soon as possible. Do you really think everyone in the Qinghe Sword Sect can live forever? It will be too late to regret it when your lifespan is over."

Su Chun gave Lan Yu a long and earnest explanation before she reluctantly let go of his hand. Then she came to Chen Ye and said respectfully, "Then I'll have to trouble you, my benefactor."

Chen Ye suddenly felt like he had gained another apprentice. Perfect timing, he was about to take on apprentices himself, so he took this opportunity to practice how to be a master in advance.

Chen Ye agreed: "Don't worry, I guarantee she will be unharmed."

Su Chunyi said, "Sir, there's no need to be so protective. A fine sword is forged through tempering. Lan Yu's trip is to polish away the rust on the sword. How can he attain enlightenment without suffering some hardship?"

This was the first time Chen Ye had seen Su Chunyi so serious. She was clearly a simple and innocent girl. Did all girls become like this after becoming masters?

Chen Ye stroked his chin, thinking, "Being a master isn't easy."

(End of this chapter)