Rebirth of the Supreme Immortal Emperor-Chapter 1177 - 1174: Chief Disciple!

Upon hearing Wuo Gang suddenly ask about Li Chen, Ji Lingling was initially stunned, then immediately shook her head.

"No, he is my lifesaver, Mr. Li Chen!"

After Ji Lingling’s explanation, Wuo Gang respectfully cupped his hands towards Li Chen and asked, "So it is Taoist Li Chen, may I ask where Fellow Taoist Li hails from?"

Li Chen casually replied, "No sect, just a loose cultivator!"

Upon hearing that Li Chen was a loose cultivator, Wuo Gang, who was just enthusiastic and respectful, immediately became indifferent.

Not only him, but the other disciples were also the same. Their brows were full of arrogance belonging to sect disciples.

A loose cultivator means no sect inheritance and no sect background to rely on. Such a figure is often subject to arbitrary bullying.

If sect disciples are considered nobles, then loose cultivators are commoners.

Nobles naturally think they are superior to commoners.

Li Chen, however, didn’t mind.

If someone really provoked him, regardless of whether they were sect disciples, he would just slap them to death.

At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing a black Taoist robe came running over in a hurry.

Upon seeing him, Ji Lingling anxiously shouted, "Second Uncle!"

This middle-aged man was none other than Ji Lingling’s second uncle, Ji Hongguang.

Ji Hongguang was quite surprised to see Ji Lingling and asked in bewilderment.

"Ling’er, why are you here?"

Upon hearing her second uncle’s inquiry, the bloody scene of her family’s annihilation flashed before Ji Lingling’s eyes, causing her voice to choke up.

She sobbed for a long time before she could narrate the incident in a broken manner.

Upon hearing Ji Lingling’s words, Ji Hongguang’s vision went black.

The other disciples of the Spiritual Spring Sect, seeing Ji Lingling’s tear-streaked, pitiful appearance, were also filled with righteous indignation. They all clenched their fists and cursed the City Lord of Tianyang City and Black Cloud Sect’s Inner Sect Elder Du Huoyang and others.

Seeing the situation, Wuo Gang quickly approached and said, "Steward Ji, this matter is of great importance, and Ling’er has traveled a long way to get here. She must have suffered a lot along the way. Let her go up the mountain to rest first, and then we can discuss it in detail later!"

Ji Hongguang nodded, then led Ji Lingling and the disciples up the mountain first.

To observe basic hospitality, Li Chen was also invited up.

However, the temporary residence arranged for Li Chen was the most inferior courtyard.

Evidently, they looked down on his identity as a loose cultivator.

Li Chen, however, did not care.

At this time, all his attention was focused on the fountainhead of the Spiritual Spring. Whether the residence was humble or grand was a trivial matter.

Ji Hongguang took Ji Lingling to his residence and asked her for details about the situation.

Ji Lingling, holding back her sorrow, recounted the incident in detail once more.

However, when she mentioned that it was her rejection of Pu Yanqing’s proposal that led to her family’s massacre, Ji Hongguang’s expression changed instantly, and he chided her with a pained expression:

"Ah, Ling’er, how could you be so willful? For your small happiness, you implicated the entire family into this disaster."

"You’re young and willful, that’s excusable. But my father, he’s old and foolish, letting you mess around. Pu Yanqing is not only the Young Master of the City Lord Manor but also the Closed-door Disciple of Black Cloud Sect’s Inner Sect Elder Du Huoyang. How could our small Ji Family provoke such a figure?"

Upon hearing her second uncle’s words, Ji Lingling hurriedly defended herself and her grandfather, saying, "Second Uncle, you don’t know. Du Huoyang wanted Pu Yanqing to marry me as a cover; he really wanted to refine me into a furnace to enhance his cultivation. Grandpa saw through this, which is why he outright refused Pu Yanqing..."

However, before she could finish speaking, Ji Hongguang’s face immediately darkened, and he shouted:

"Ling’er, even now you don’t acknowledge your mistake, are you still trying to make excuses for yourself?"

Ji Lingling felt her mind go blank, with all grievances suddenly welling up in her heart, causing an emotional outburst. Tearfully, she loudly questioned:

"Second Uncle, you keep saying I’m in the wrong. I dare to ask, what exactly did I do wrong?"

Seeing his usually docile niece daring to talk back, Ji Hongguang was instantly furious.

"Ling’er, at this moment, don’t you know what you did wrong? Fine, let me ask you, isn’t the reason our Ji Family faced this tragedy because of you?"

"I..."

Faced with her second uncle’s questioning, Ji Lingling didn’t know how to respond for a moment.

Indeed, the calamity that befell the Ji Family was due to her.

And this fact she found herself unable to refute.

But, was it really her fault?

She didn’t want to marry Pu Yanqing, the playboy scoundrel, nor did she want to sacrifice her own happiness or become an inhuman furnace. Was that wrong?

All the grievances these days flooded her heart instantly.

Ji Lingling wanted to let out a heart-wrenching scream and question the heavens, why was this happening?

But the choked sobs rendered her speechless, reducing her cries to mere tears that trickled down her cheeks, shattering upon the ground.

What shattered were not merely her tears, but her heart.

A heart called kinship, shattered completely at this point!

"Steward Ji, what happened?"

At this moment, a young man dressed in a splendid jade robe gracefully walked in.

Seeing the newcomer, Ji Hongguang quickly went forward to salute him.

"Greetings, Chief Hong!"

The young man whom Ji Hongguang addressed as Chief Hong was named Hong Pu, the chief disciple of their sect and also the direct disciple of the Sect Leader.

If nothing unexpected happens, the next helmsman of their sect would be Hong Pu. His exceptional status was self-evident.

Therefore, Ji Hongguang was exceedingly respectful towards Hong Pu, daring not to slack.

Hong Pu nodded slightly in return.

"Steward Ji, we are all family, no need for formalities. You are older, you may call me Junior Brother Hong!"

Though he said this, the arrogance between his brows was apparent.

Ji Hongguang, being an expert at reading people, naturally knew that Hong Pu was just being polite for form’s sake. He quickly smiled, complimenting Hong Pu as Heaven’s Chosen Son and the future helmsman of the sect, insisting he would not dare to climb higher on those connections.

Hong Pu was very satisfied with Ji Hongguang’s tact, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then turned his gaze towards Ji Lingling, who remained silent.

When he first laid eyes on Ji Lingling, his heart immediately throbbed; she was as astonishing as a Heavenly Person.

Being the chief disciple of the Spiritual Spring Sect, and the future helmsman of the sect, Hong Pu’s status was extraordinary, and he naturally had seen countless women. From slim to voluptuous, he had seen them all, yet none had ever given him such a stunning impression as Ji Lingling did.

Especially Ji Lingling’s tear-streaked, pitiful appearance, which evoked such tenderness. Any man would feel the urge to protect her.

"Steward Ji, this must be Ling’er, why is she crying?"

Ji Hongguang quickly stepped forward and briefly explained the situation to Hong Pu.

Hong Pu’s expression remained unchanged upon hearing about the Tianyang City Lord’s Mansion.

However, upon learning that Pu Yanqing was a disciple of Black Cloud Sect’s Inner Sect Elder Du Huoyang, his expression slightly shifted.

The small Tianyang City naturally wouldn’t be taken seriously by Hong Pu, Heaven’s Chosen Son.

However, since it involved Black Cloud Sect, the situation was different.

Black Cloud Sect, like their Spiritual Spring Sect, was a Golden Level sect.

But considering the foundation and overall strength, Black Cloud Sect might even surpass them.

Their Spiritual Spring Sect certainly wouldn’t confront Black Cloud Sect, a sect slightly stronger than theirs, over the family of an Outer Sect Steward.

Of course, he didn’t let any of this show. He cast a sidelong glance at Ji Lingling, entertaining vile thoughts about her...