An hour later.
Bailudong Academy, Imperial Library Pavilion.
Having listened to Lianshan Xin's debriefing, Heavenly Sword suddenly chuckled. "How did you manage to convince Tanhua Qi to wallow in the mire with you?"
Lianshan Xin glanced at Qi Shiyun standing beside Heavenly Sword, shooting her an inquisitive look that asked: *Why did you tell Heavenly Sword everything?*
Qi Shiyun wore an innocent expression. "I said nothing, but Lord Heavenly Sword's eyes are keen as torches, perceiving every subtle detail."
"I am one of the Nine Heavens, after all. What haven't I seen?" Heavenly Sword chuckled, shaking his head. "I can see through those little tricks of yours at a glance."
*Is that so?*
*Then I bet you definitely don't know about the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus.*
*Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here in one piece right now.*
Naturally, when a superior wanted to show off, a subordinate had to provide full emotional validation.
So Lianshan Xin offered his praise. "Nothing escapes your discerning eyes, my lord."
"Shiyun has always remained unsullied by the mud, which previously caused her to be somewhat ostracized within the Nine Heavens. This mission to Jiangzhou with me was also arranged because someone at headquarters deliberately wanted her moved away. I hadn't expected you would actually be able to convince her. You truly have quite the silver tongue."
Heavenly Sword's praise did not go to Lianshan Xin's head. He explained, "I merely told Tanhua Qi that cultivation consumes vast amounts of wealth. Most importantly, if you wish to make headway and open up the situation in Jiangzhou, my lord, you will absolutely need coin to grease the wheels. Money can move even the gods. Tanhua Qi could not allow her personal reputation to ruin the Nine Heavens' overall arrangements across Jiangzhou."
Heavenly Sword's gaze grew increasingly appreciative.
The genius of Lianshan Xin's explanation was his heavy emphasis on Heavenly Sword's need to establish a foothold in Jiangzhou, which required funds to pave the way—and all of it was done in service of completing the Nine Heavens' grand strategy, strictly as official business.
It was by no means for personal gain.
If anyone dared accuse Heavenly Sword of bending the law for graft, Lianshan Xin would be the first to object.
Heavenly Sword naturally appreciated such a subordinate.
Whether he coveted wealth or not, having funds readily available in hand to get things done versus writing reports to request appropriations from headquarters were two entirely different levels of efficiency. They were also very likely to produce two completely different outcomes.
Heavenly Sword naturally wanted to win.
Thus, Lianshan Xin's actions suited his desires perfectly.
"From the look of it, you truly are suited to assist by Shiyun's side."
Heavenly Sword had already considered Lianshan Xin a talent. If Lianshan Xin were willing to learn the sword and possessed an aptitude for it, he would have been willing to take him into the Heavenly Sword branch.
Yet judging by how things stood now, leaving Lianshan Xin beside Qi Shiyun would furnish him with a far more effective Qi Shiyun.
Compared to Qi Shiyun, Lianshan Xin in his current state was nowhere near as vital.
Even so, Heavenly Sword still offered Lianshan Xin an opportunity to switch allegiances. "Lianshan Xin, would you be willing to study the sword under me?"
Lianshan Xin certainly would have wanted to.
Before yesterday, that is.
Now, he could only throw his lot in with Qi Shiyun wholeheartedly.
"My lord, this student previously practiced the Falling Wild Geese Sword."
"Oh?" Heavenly Sword's interest was piqued. "Did you reach initial mastery in one hour or two?"
Lianshan Xin: "..."
Even though he had brought it up to decline Heavenly Sword's recruitment, Heavenly Sword's counter-question dealt him a critical blow.
"This student practiced for half a month and never grasped the basics."
A trace of bewilderment surfaced in Heavenly Sword's eyes. "Could there really be someone in this world who cannot learn the Falling Wild Geese Sword in half a month? Back in my day, I achieved minor proficiency in half an hour."
Lianshan Xin was left speechless.
Qi Shiyun could no longer bear to watch. She cleared her throat softly and explained, "My lord, I believe Lianshan Xin shares an affinity with my branch."
Heavenly Sword wore a look of regret. "Then he can only share an affinity with yours. Even if I had the heart to instruct him, I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to begin. How could anyone fail to learn the Falling Wild Geese Sword after half a month? Can such a creature even be called human?"
Having been stripped of his humanity, Lianshan Xin had no desire to speak to Heavenly Sword any further. "This student shall take his leave."
"Wait. Du Jiu reported that Thousand Faces might be hidden within the Nine Heavens. That was your idea, wasn't it?"
Heavenly Sword called him back.
Lianshan Xin nodded in affirmation.
"How did that occur to you?"
Lianshan Xin said, "My mother is a devout Buddhist, and there are many Buddhist sutras at home. This student once read the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. In Fascicle Seven, the Tathāgata Nature Chapter, there is a passage that reads:
*The Buddha said: The Dharma is the true law; no power can destroy it.*
*The Demon King Pāpīyas said: When your Dharma-Ending Age arrives, I shall command my disciples and followers to infiltrate your temples, don your kasayas, and corrupt your Dharma. They will distort your scriptures and violate your precepts, achieving what my military might cannot accomplish today.*
"Both you, my lord, and Tanhua Qi have mentioned that the Nine Heavens holds immense power, far beyond what the Demon Cult can rival. This student reasoned that since the Demon Cult cannot confront the Nine Heavens head-on, their best recourse is likely to infiltrate our ranks and wait for an opportunity to sabotage us from within. An ant nest can cause a dike of a thousand li to collapse."
Heavenly Sword and Qi Shiyun fell into silence together.
Lianshan Xin felt a twinge of unease. "Did this student speak out of turn?"
"No, what you said is entirely correct."
Heavenly Sword's tone carried seven parts bleakness and three parts appreciation.
"Thousand Faces lurked within Bailudong Academy, one of the world's Four Great Academies, for who knows how many years without detection. During that time, he funneled countless talents into the imperial court and the Nine Heavens. Now that Thousand Faces has been exposed, many of those people already occupy high positions. To pull on a single hair would shake the entire body."
Lianshan Xin's heart stirred.
"Those individuals cannot be left uninvestigated, yet we cannot openly investigate them all at once; otherwise, public sentiment would waver, destabilizing the political landscape. I did not expect a young outsider like you to possess such vision."
"If my lord does not disdain me, this student is willing to share your burdens," Lianshan Xin volunteered.
This was precisely his chance to distinguish himself.
Moreover, his innate ability would prove miraculously effective in this area.
Heavenly Sword turned to look at Qi Shiyun. "Shiyun, what do you think?"
Qi Shiyun nodded. "Lianshan Xin has a clean background and shares an irreconcilable feud with the Demon Cult. He is indeed a very suitable candidate for an investigator. However, he is still young, his strength is meager, and we have yet to see the full extent of his capabilities. In my view, we should first have him secretly investigate the hidden Demon Cult fiends within the academy. If he can render further service, it will not be too late to entrust him with heavier responsibilities."
"We shall proceed as you say. Lianshan Xin, from now on, you report directly to Shiyun; take all matters directly to her. If an issue is severe enough, I grant you permission to bypass the ranks and see me directly."
"Thank you for your patronage, my lord! Thank you for your patronage, Tanhua Qi!"
Lianshan Xin bowed hurriedly.
Heavenly Sword nodded, then pushed a box sitting before him across the table toward Lianshan Xin.
"This is the Qi Condensation Pill you sought so earnestly before. Since you earned the primary merit this time, I reward all achievements without fail. This Qi Condensation Pill is yours. Consume it, study diligently under Shiyun, and raise your strength as quickly as possible. Jiangzhou is vast, with more than just a single academy. I hope your sights will reach further. A broad world lies before you, full of great promise."
Suppressing the excitement churning inside him, Lianshan Xin bowed once more to Heavenly Sword. "This student thanks my lord for bestowing the pill!"
With the Qi Condensation Pill in hand, the bottleneck in martial arts that had shackled him for eighteen years was effectively gone.
Regardless of what his prospects for cultivating immortality under Qi Shiyun might be, holding this Qi Condensation Pill meant he was assuredly a third-rank martial artist of the Qi Condensation realm.
Chapter 22