Chapter 0: 86. Reasoning
Qin Gou naturally did not retract the spirit fruit he had already given. After all, he had intended to reward Tang Simin, and Earth-grade Longevity Fruit was not a particularly precious item for him at the moment.
The main purpose was to inform his old system companion, “Learn it, little brother. Your Brother Qin still has some tricks up his sleeve. Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’ve gained some intelligence in the past two years. If this guy didn’t lack a physical body, Qin Gou would have had many more tricks to play with it.”
In fact, Qin Gou had never treated the system as an outsider from beginning to end. They had always been each other’s best troublemaking friends.
He also knew that the system must have felt the same way. Although they bickered a lot, and his old pal dreamed of seeing him make a fool of himself, at critical moments, it would definitely stand firmly by his side.
One day later.
Sheng Hui Valley was bathed in a bloody light, and stone tablets with a dense aura of demonic energy rose from the ground. The Egu Secret Realm officially appeared.
Due to the terrifying might of the Black Robed Qin Gou that had easily enveloped the entire Sheng Hui Valley, many unknown smaller and medium-sized powers were already terrified and had fled in disarray. At this moment, almost only the disciples of the Prestigious Orthodox Sects remained who still intended to enter the Egu Secret Realm to explore for treasures.
“Master Qin, are you really going to enter the secret realm with the disciples yourself?” Tang Simin asked curiously.
“Of course. With the cultivation of this body, I already meet the requirements to enter the Egu Secret Realm. Moreover, with me here, I can take care of the disciples of various sects in the secret realm as much as possible and ensure the safety of these promising talents,” Qin Gou said with a solemn expression, nodding slightly.
According to the system’s prompt, the ‘Renowned Saint’ mission had completed more than half of its progress because he had single-handedly repelled the ferocious ‘Demon Master Qin Gou’. He would surely be listed on the Saint Immortal Ranking in due course. This means that the other completion condition, ‘gaining the sincere approval of a disciple from a prestigious sect,’ was still lacking.
Since this was the case, Qin Gou felt it was indeed necessary for him to enter the secret realm with the disciples of the Three Sects and show his noble demeanor, winning people over with virtue.
“How can we trouble Master Qin like this?” Tang Simin clasped her hands together, speaking respectfully.
“Do you really think I’m working for free? Once we’re in the secret realm, I won’t be handing over any treasures I obtain through my own abilities to your Three Sects,” Qin Gou joked with a smile.
“That’s natural.” Tang Simin nodded and smiled. After all, Qin Gou was alone, and the cultivation of this body was not outstanding. Could he really compete single-handedly with the numerous disciples of the Three Sects?
A moment later, as the disciples of the Three Sects were ready to formally enter the Egu Secret Realm, Qin Gou amplified his voice with spiritual power and said, “Wait a moment! Lingyun, distribute the elixirs I’ve prepared to everyone, so we’re prepared for anything.”
“Alright.”
Qiu Lingyun responded and immediately began taking out bottles of Qi Accumulation Elixir from her Nas Ring and offering them to the disciples of the Three Sects. This elixir was ordinary and cheap, but there was definitely more than enough.
During this time, Qiu Lingyun’s humble and sweet voice could be heard interspersed throughout…
“Junior Brother, take this.”
“This humble one greets Junior Sister, I’ve heard so much about you.”
“This humble one wishes all Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters great fortune!”
“It’s you, Junior Brother. This humble one has always admired you!”
Although these elixirs were not rare items, being treated so thoughtfully by Qiu Lingyun, the beautiful, attractive, and powerful Supervisor of Fusheng Nunnery, made all the disciples of the Three Sects feel delighted.
“This Qi Accumulation Elixir is very common and only has a slight effect of replenishing spiritual power. The main reason is that there are many people here, and we cannot show favoritism. If it were a higher-level elixir, even I, Qin, would not be able to afford it even if it meant financial ruin. I only hope it can be of some help to everyone on this journey into the secret realm,” Qin Gou said with a gentle smile, like a wise elder who had put in great effort.
Upon hearing this, the disciples naturally responded with emotion: “Thank you, Xuan Master!”
“Why are you still calling me Xuan Master? It’s Master Qin. Haven’t I already revealed my true self to all of you?”
“Yes, Master Qin!”
…
Not long after, Qin Gou and the others officially entered the Egu Secret Realm with the disciples of the Three Sects.
Only Tang Simin, Shen Zhen, who were in the Dharma Aspect Realm, and a cultivator from Linjiang Immortal Nunnery in the Dao Comprehension Realm remained in Sheng Hui Valley to guard against external enemies. The news of Zheng Xiangbai’s demise had already been relayed back to Linjiang Immortal Nunnery as quickly as possible, and a Dharma Aspect Realm cultivator to replace Zheng Xiangbai was likely already on the way.
Suddenly, a colossal spirit boat emblazoned with an eerie spider totem appeared above Sheng Hui Valley.
Ye Qishuang, with her black dress swaying gracefully and her every expression picturesque, leisurely strolled into the entrance of the Egu Secret Realm with several Saintesses from the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace, smiling and waving at Tang Simin and the others.
“Palace Lord Ye.”
Tang Simin and the others responded neither servilely nor obsequiously.
Ye Qishuang nodded slightly, then shifted her gaze to the entrance of the Egu Secret Realm.
Seeing this, Tang Simin and Shen Zhen exchanged glances, their expressions slightly changing.
Shen Zhen cupped his fists and said, “I am Shen Zhen from the Dark Holy Land. I’ve long heard that Palace Lord Ye is exceptionally beautiful and unparalleled in this mortal world. Seeing you today truly lives up to your reputation. May I ask… are you also here for the opportunities within the Egu Secret Realm today?”
“That’s right,” Ye Qishuang replied calmly.
“Then why don’t you see Palace Lord Ye leading your disciples here? The fairies behind Palace Lord Ye, who seem to be in the Dao Comprehension Realm, also don’t seem to intend to enter the secret realm…” Shen Zhen probed with a furrowed brow.
“Who says you must enter the secret realm to obtain its opportunities? People who entered the secret realm before cannot possibly stay inside forever, can they?” Ye Qishuang’s alluring spiritual eyes glinted with a mischievous smile.
“This… could it be that Palace Lord Ye intends to snatch the opportunities of our Three Sects?”
“Not at all,” Ye Qishuang shook her head lightly. “This Palace is only here to take back what originally belonged to my Mystic Maiden Palace. Do you, esteemed guests, still remember whose territory Sheng Hui Valley is?”
“It is said that heavenly treasures belong to those who are virtuous…”
“Enough, I know what you mean. But please use your brains and think carefully. When you led your disciples into Sheng Hui Valley this time, did you encounter any ferocious beasts? Did you lose even half a disciple because of it? Why is that? And why did our Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace arrive so late?”
Saying this, Ye Qishuang touched her Nas Ring and immediately tossed out the corpse of a demon wolf the size of a small mountain. “Mutated spiritual beasts that are infected with the Egu Curse and fight to the death, and there’s more than one! I’ve saved so many lives by doing this. It’s not too much to ask for a little reward, is it?”
Ye Qishuang was not lying. The demonic beasts that had originally lingered in Sheng Hui Valley had all been eliminated by her Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace. However, the main purpose of this action was that there were many villages and small towns around Sheng Hui Valley, and the people there were all citizens whom she cherished.
As long as the common people did not venture into Sheng Hui Valley without permission, there would be no harm. However, if a large number of cultivators died due to those demonic beasts, their resentment might accidentally give birth to ghost cultivators who would then extend their claws to the surrounding towns, wreaking havoc. This was something Ye Qishuang absolutely did not want to see.
“Then, may I ask what ‘little reward’ Palace Lord Ye is referring to, specifically?”
“Fifty percent. Our Mystic Maiden Palace only needs half of all the opportunities in the Egu Secret Realm, which is enough,” Ye Qishuang said with a sweet smile.
“This…” Tang Simin and Shen Zhen both showed looks of difficulty and dissatisfaction.
“Rest assured, we are all from prestigious Orthodox Sects, so we should reason and be fair. Therefore, this proposal also needs to be agreed upon by all of you.” At this time, Ye Qishuang slightly raised her hands and said with a beautiful smile, “For the opportunities in this secret realm, the Mystic Maiden Palace will take fifty percent. Who supports this? Who opposes it? Those who support stand straight, and those who oppose… kneel before me.”
Tang Simin and the others were startled, unable to react for a moment.
Ye Qishuang elegantly sat on the Grand Tutor’s chair that her subordinate Saintesses had prepared, and immediately winked playfully at Tang Simin and the others with her bright, beautiful eyes. “So, does that mean everyone agrees?”
