Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King-Chapter 404 - 289: Displaying Spear Technique, Sinister Aura, Shocking Talent, Astonishing Liu Qing
This place is located in the southeast of the island, with mist enveloping it and green bamboo serene and quiet. A stream flows quietly, surrounded by lush grass. Venturing deeper, one finds a pavilion.
A stone tablet by the roadside bears the inscription "Tranquil Abode". From within, leisurely music floats.
Yan Hao strides with lightweight skill to the outside of the Tranquil Abode. Seeing the door open, he walks inside, passing through an elegant pear garden to reach an inner courtyard. In the stone pavilion, Shi Yufei leisurely sips tea while enjoying the music, appearing at ease.
Following the music, one spots a pond meticulously arranged, quite graceful, with a rockery, lotus flowers, and golden carp in the middle... Beside the pond is a tasteful scenic hall with an incense burner alight inside. Behind the burner stands a folding screen embroidered with exquisite patterns.
The leisurely music emanates from this place.
Yan Hao lightens his footsteps and approaches the stone pavilion. Just then, the music concludes, and Shi Yufei strides quickly towards the screen, saying, "Honorable Chu..."
Chu Liu Qing calmly replies, "No need for formalities, just call me Liu Qing." Shi Yufei intended to use the honorific "Candle Sect", but hearing Chu Liu Qing’s words, he felt disappointed. Her words seemed intimate but were actually distant, indicating her disdain for him.
He laughed and said, "Miss Liu Qing, good morning!"
Chu Liu Qing walked out gracefully. She wore a perforated bamboo hat with white gauze hanging around its edge, covering her entire figure. As she stepped, the gauze floated gently, occasionally revealing the hem of her skirt and embroidered shoes... provoking endless imagination.
Shi Yufei, having weathered ups and downs, clawed his way up from the bottom, possessed an uncommon disposition. Seeing Chu Liu Qing appear, he immediately stepped aside, willing to avoid her sharpness and serve as a foil.
Yan Hao heard this and finally understood: "I just arrived and heard the honorable Chu playing music, thinking that the two had already met. Honorable Chu invited Chief Shi to enjoy the music, but... it turned out Chief Shi dared not interrupt the honorable Chu’s interest, hence waited quietly for the music to conclude before greeting."
Yan Hao said, "Miss Liu Qing!"
Chu Liu Qing nodded slightly. Gracefully stepping towards the stone pavilion, Shi Yufei and Yan Hao followed behind. Chu Liu Qing sat down gracefully and said, "Chief Shi kindly lends the residence for Liu Qing’s stay for nearly a month, I am deeply grateful."
Shi Yufei and Yan Hao both sat in the stone pavilion. Shi Yufei said with a smile, "The Candle Sect is fragmented, its members scattered everywhere, alienated. The Water Altar barely serves as a place of refuge, benefiting from natural terrain, providing shelter for the sect members, and thus is quite excellent."
Chu Liu Qing said, "Chief Shi, this is not good. Matters concerning the Candle Sect should not be easily mentioned. If others hear, might they mistakenly think the Candle Sect is like this."
Shi Yufei’s eyes gleamed as he said, "Miss Liu Qing... recently the situation changed greatly. Does the Candle Sect wish to rekindle its glory, revive its power, and vie for dominance in the chaotic world?"
Chu Liu Qing said, "Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! Do you know the reason for the Candle Sect’s downfall back then?"
Shi Yufei said, "Back then, the Candle Sect was the enemy of the world; they besieged our sect, leading to its downfall." Chu Liu Qing said, "That was an external reason. If the Candle Sect members had united as one and resisted together, how could it have fallen so easily?"
Chu Liu Qing said, "The real difficulty... is the Sect Hierarch’s position has been vacant for too long. Headless dragons, unclear rules. Many vagabonds joined the Candle Sect, creating a mix of people and diverging hearts."
"A whale falls, everything grows... The Candle Sect’s demise scattered sparks everywhere. Some washed themselves clean to establish their own sects, flourishing rapidly. Others reminisced about the Candle Sect’s glory, biding their time and plotting."
"But the latter gradually decreased while the former’s ambitions surged. How to restore the sect in such circumstances?"
Shi Yufei also felt the difficulty. Chu Liu Qing remarked with emotion, "The Candle Sect’s downfall..."
"There are many causes, but the main reason is..."
"There wasn’t a truly exceptional talent to shake the heavens, pacify the seas, and inherit the Sect Hierarch’s position. The vacancy led to increased conflicts within the sect, mutual dissension. If such a person appeared, controlling the Candle Sect, their talent would compel the members, their martial arts would astonish for generations. Faced with countless difficulties, they would naturally dissolve!"
When speaking passionately, her fine eyes rippled. A formless silhouette emerged in her mind, hazy and uncertain, perhaps herself, perhaps anyone, perhaps nonexistent, she thought: "If only such a person existed, I even..." She calmed her thoughts.
Shi Yufei sighed and shook his head, "Indeed, such a character is hard to find across the vast history. Even if one appeared, they might not be among the Candle Sect members."
While they were speaking. Chu Liu Qing’s eyebrows twitched lightly, gazing at the path in the bamboo forest. Li Xian arrived late, having tracked to the Tranquil Abode outside. Seeing the "Tranquil Abode" stone tablet, he stopped and waited, considering entering might be overreaching. He withdrew and left along the path for several miles, waiting in the distance.
Chu Liu Qing raised an eyebrow and said, "It’s that young man."
Shi Yufei wondered, "Why has he come?" Yan Hao bowed and said, "Chief Shi, Miss Liu Qing, recently this young man and I set a wager. Today is the appointed day, and he seeks me in the pavilion."
"I feared delay, so I ignored him. Unexpectedly, he persisted, even tracking here."
Chu Liu Qing said, "Then go chase him away."
Shi Yufei said, "Wait. Since this young man dared to come, perhaps he has some grasp?"
Chu Liu Qing shook her head lightly and laughed, "I think it’s futile." Shi Yufei said, "Miss Liu Qing is residing here, presumably without much entertainment. Why not call him in, since it’s a wager, let him perform. If he embarrasses himself, I’ll then drive him out?"
Chu Liu Qing’s brows slightly furrowed, nodded faintly and said, "That works."
Yan Hao drew his Qi and shouted, "Young man outside, come in."
The surrounding bamboo leaves rustled, sounding like waves traveling far, reaching several miles. Evidently, Yan Hao’s Inner Qi is abundant, yet Chu Liu Qing secretly shook her head. Though the sound reveals strong Inner Qi, it also exposes flaws in martial arts, Qi disperses easily. She knows Yan Hao masters five elements, doesn’t demand much, yet looks down a bit.
