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Chapter 106 What does it mean to be the only one who matters?

"Lord Xu, Lord Xu..." The Grand Historian Hongli rushed into the Governor's Chamber of the Moon Gazing Tower in a panic. Xu Yuanqing usually handled official business here. Upon seeing the Governor, he immediately knelt down and said, "Your subordinate is guilty!"

“What are you doing…” Xu Yuanqing frowned. “Let’s get to the point first, then we can discuss whether you are guilty or not.”

"Today I heard news that there was a martial arts competition in the southern suburbs of Chang'an, which attracted many people to watch. I remembered that the Sovereign Sect was located in the south, so I sent my men to investigate. As a result, I found out... something terrible has happened! Although the person guarding the arena was wearing a mask, my men confirmed with repeated confirmation that she was your daughter, Xu Xuanling!"

"What?" Xu Yuanqing jumped to his feet. "Xuanling is competing?"

"Yes...and according to the rules, it's a one-against-ten battle of attrition!"

Xu Yuanqing couldn't hold back any longer, "Come on, let's go take a look!"

Although sparring among cultivators occurs from time to time, and sects occasionally arrange competitions, it is ultimately a high-risk affair. Even with the Immortal Alliance's ability to organize sect competitions, accidents cannot be completely avoided. Severe injuries that ruin a cultivator's future or even death on the spot occur several times a year.

He had full confidence in his daughter's abilities.

While talent is one thing, real combat in the ring is completely different from sparring with family members—sometimes, once you get carried away in a sparring match, it's hard to tell the difference between it and a life-or-death struggle.
The two went out, mounted their horses, and galloped towards the south gate of the city.

"What do you mean by saying you're guilty?" Xu Yuanqing asked as he hurried along. He knew that Xu Xuanling had decided to join the Sovereign Sect, and he hadn't paid much attention to his daughter's early mornings and late nights these past few days. It was normal for her to be busy when she first joined the sect, and watching her every day would only hinder her Dao heart... But what did this have to do with the Grand Historian?
Hongli couldn't help but show a hint of shame. "Miss Xu once approached me and asked me to send a batch of testing equipment to the Sovereign Sect. I should have guessed at the time that she wanted to join the sect."

What kind of tool?

"The Six Harmonies Instrument and the Balance Platform," he added, "were both bought by Miss Xu herself... She only asked me to deliver them to the Sovereign Sect, and told me not to reveal this information."

Joining the sect was the result of a discussion between the father and daughter, and it was normal for others not to know. However, Xu Yuanqing discovered that the matter was not as simple as he had thought.

Why send in equipment to test gas sensing capabilities?

Is it because the Sovereign Sect was newly established and had nothing within it?

But Chen Xuan doesn't need any external aids to perceive other people's spiritual energy! He only needs to glance at her to know that his daughter's foundation is definitely not bad, right? If she had joined another sect, Xuanling would definitely have been chosen, let alone a newly established sect in its early stages.

What on earth is that guy up to?

"And then? Giving gifts isn't a crime," Xu Yuanqing pressed.

"I heard that Miss Xu failed the entrance exam twice in a row, and the third time it turned into a challenge. She has to defeat ten people to join the Sovereign Sect... Since I guessed this possibility, I should have kept a closer eye on her. I am guilty!" Hongli said repeatedly.

The governor understood that the imperial astronomer was worried that if Xu Xuanling were injured, the investigation would eventually come back to him, so it was better for him to take the initiative and explain things clearly first.

What the other party didn't know was that Xu Yuanqing had tacitly approved of their joining the sect.

But failing twice in a row? This was a bit beyond Xu Yuanqing's comprehension. Had Chen Xuan gone blind?

Once outside the city, there were indeed many cultivators heading south on the road back.

And they were still discussing the challenge with great enthusiasm, their voices so loud that passersby could hear them.

"...The newcomers of the last two years are truly remarkable."

"...I was hoping to see them make a fool of themselves, but even they're making excuses for such promising talents. What are we then?"

"...But that girl must have suffered terribly. I wonder if she will be able to cultivate again in the future."

"...Judging from her injuries, it's probably not going to be good..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuanqing was startled and immediately stepped forward to stop the two people who were talking.

At first, the two were somewhat impatient, but upon seeing the newcomer's waist badge and carefully examining the owner's face, the cultivators' expressions immediately changed. They quickly dismounted and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Governor!"

He led the two aside to avoid blocking the road, asking, "What's the situation with the girl you were talking about?"

The two exchanged a glance and quickly recounted the events of the fifth match. "The girl named Lingdang and Mo Shuyun, a disciple of Tianyan Tower, both fainted on the field. Then the sect leader of the Weiwo Duzun Sect suspended the competition and took both of them back to the sect. There were quite a few other injured people on the scene, who were all kept behind for treatment. However, we saw... Lingdang was seriously injured; the blood flowing out covered her mask, hence our earlier reaction. Uh... Your Excellency?"

Before they could finish speaking, they saw Xu Yuanqing flick the reins, urging the horse to gallop south.

This is simply unreasonable!
A surge of anger rose within Xu Yuanqing. He knew Mo Shuyun; among the new generation, Mo Shuyun possessed considerable strength, excelling in the Five Elements Wind Technique and having created the Dragon Roar Technique, which was virtually invincible against cultivators of equal skill. However, the Dragon Roar Technique was extremely difficult to control, and those injured by it invariably suffered deafness and internal bleeding, with extremely difficult recovery. How could Chen Xuan allow Xu Xuanling to fight against a prodigy disciple alone?

He dared to scan the Immortal Alliance officials right in front of me, which shows that he is quite confident in his Qi Sensing Technique. How could such a person not see the difference in strength between Xuanling and Mo Shuyun!

Or did he see through Xuanling's abilities and deliberately use her to promote his sect, thus allowing this competition, which he knew could seriously injure the participants, to continue?

If anything were to happen to his daughter, he would never let Chen Xuan off the hook!

Xu Yuanqing rushed to the manor in a hurry and saw that the audience had not completely dispersed. Many people were sitting in front of the benches, leisurely eating... Could they be the injured people affected by the competition?
Without thinking twice, he rode straight through the gate, shouting, "Chen Xuan, come out here!"

"father?"

Suddenly someone beside me exclaimed in surprise.

Xu Yuanqing turned his head. Who else could that person be but his daughter?
Xu Xuanling had just come out of a house next door, with a piece of melon still in her mouth.

"Are you alright?" He quickly jumped off his horse, squatted down in front of her, and checked her condition—she looked fine and didn't seem to have been seriously injured at all. As for her spiritual energy level... Xu Yuanqing was incredulous to find that his daughter seemed to have improved a few points!
Didn't she just finish a match? How could she have risen instead of fallen?

Moreover, the rate of progress is truly incredible. It usually takes a year of painstaking cultivation for a cultivator with decent talent to achieve such a significant improvement.

"Well... I wouldn't say I'm completely fine," Xu Xuanling said, a little guilty. "I admit I got carried away, but didn't you say you wouldn't interfere with my joining the sect? Anyway... I'm perfectly fine now, and Sect Master Chen has already agreed to let me join the sect, so you don't need to worry!"

This answer is clearly an evasion of something.

Where is Chen Xuan?

“It’s inside.” She pointed behind her.

"Your Excellency..." The Imperial Astrologer arrived breathlessly. Seeing Xu Xuanling unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness, Miss Xu is alright! What nonsense were those people spouting!"

"You stay here and don't let her run around," Xu Yuanqing instructed Hongli, before walking into the main building.

As he walked down the corridor, he was surprised to see Mo Shuyun walking towards him. As they brushed past each other, the other man recognized him and quickly bowed, saying, "Governor."

Given that Mo Shuyun was a prodigy disciple of Tianyan Tower, and that contacting him, who had a background in the Ascension Platform, would only cause trouble, Xu Yuanqing didn't ask any more questions, nodded, and let him leave.

Upon entering the hall, Chen Xuan was sitting at a round table, giving instructions to the members of the delegation. Seeing Xu Yuanqing, he seemed unsurprised, waving for everyone to leave before asking with a smile, "May I ask what brings the Governor-General here?"

"Do you know that Lingdang is my daughter?" Xu Yuanqing asked bluntly.

"I didn't know half an hour ago, but Mo Shuyun recognized her just now. Now that the Governor is here, I can confirm that she is your daughter."

Chen Xuan did not lie to the other party.

He had already guessed that Lingdang must be someone connected to the Immortal Alliance; otherwise, how could an Immortal Alliance official have delivered testing equipment to her door the moment she was short of it? As for whose relative she was, he couldn't be bothered to investigate, since Chen Xuan had never intended to accept local cultivators as disciples in the first place.

Now that he knows Lingdang is the governor's daughter, he is somewhat surprised, but not astonished.

Chen Xuan's answer made Xu Yuanqing feel a little better. If the other party knew that Xu Xuanling was his youngest daughter, and still pushed her into the risky ring of gauntlets, then it would be a bit like taking advantage of someone's kindness.

But that's not the point.

"On my way here, I heard that Xuanling was seriously injured in the competition. Is that true?"

Now that things have been laid bare, there's no need for him to continue using the pseudonym his daughter made up on the spot.

"It's half true and half false," Chen Xuan shrugged. "It's true that she was injured, but it's far from being serious. At the time, she had mild bleeding in her liver, intestines, and stomach, a perforated eardrum, a concussion, dizziness, high blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat, but all of these are injuries that can be treated."

Xu Yuanqing was shocked by the list of dishes that was presented in a descriptive manner.

Although he hadn't heard of most of the terms, it didn't stop him from giving off a very professional vibe!

Furthermore, the governor could understand some of the illnesses. For example, internal bleeding in the lungs and viscera often required one or two months of recuperation. Even the best physician and the best medicine could not make someone full of energy in half an hour.

If what the other party said is true, wouldn't that mean that the Sovereign Sect not only has a completely different understanding of cultivation methods, but also surpasses the various sects of the Immortal Alliance in terms of healing methods?!
(End of this chapter)