Chapter 36: Reporting Upwards

Zhao Chun did not set off immediately, instead staying at the Tu family residence for two more days to nurse her injuries.

The upheaval within the Tu family had, after all, spread throughout Songshan. At a time when they were currently weak and impoverished, Tu Xin had no choice but to leverage Zhao Chun's status as a guest official to deter any opportunistic troublemakers.

While her cultivation level of only fourth-stage Qi Refinement offered limited deterrence, it was her identity as a disciple under an Elder of Lingzhen that truly caused hesitation. The prestige of that great sect was deeply ingrained in people's hearts, and its memory had not yet faded from the minds of these local families.

Tu Mian's punch should have killed her on the spot; fortunately, she had the Eight-Treasure Mirror, which had limited the damage to her arms. For cultivators, there was no such thing as a hundred-day recovery for broken bones; with the aid of medicinal pills, she would be fully recovered after two days of rest.

Regrettably, the Eight-Treasure Mirror was an irreversible object. After blocking Tu Mian's full-strength strike, the mirror's surface had cracked like skin. According to the Immortal Refinement Hall, it could still block three strikes from a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, but looking at its current wretched state, Zhao Chun did not know if it was still of any use.

She felt a slight pang of heartache, lamenting how easily six hundred萃 stones had vanished, yet she felt fortunate that she had made preparations before departing. Using money to avert disaster was a reasonable choice in this situation.

On the day of her departure, Tu Congwen had taken over as the head of the family. Following this incident, he had matured significantly, acting with poise and restraint, no longer appearing like a mere youth.

"With the prestige of a guest official pressing down, those families will not dare to act recklessly. You may return to the sect with peace of mind," he said, leading a group of clansmen to the mountain entrance and cupping his hands in salute.

Zhao Chun nodded. "If there is anything to convey, I will inform you via a transmission talisman." She waved her hand to signal that they need not see her off further, took out a Smoke Boat Talisman, and ascended upon the boat.

It was half a month later by the time she reached the Profound Valley.

Zhao Chun sorted through her acquisitions. After first submitting her small examination task to the disciples' quarters, she took the Gu insects and the token to visit her "cheap" master.

The Suhong Hall, where the Elder resided, was located at the head of the Guantian River. It occupied a vast area with layers of grand halls. The passing attendants and maids were all dressed in fine silks and satins, possessing an extraordinary aura, as if they lived in a realm of immortals.

Since officially becoming his disciple, Zhao Chun had not yet met Li Shu; this was her first time requesting an audience.

Outside the hall doors stood a jade-faced celestial maiden, adorned with pink makeup. Seeing Zhao Chun, she smiled and asked, "Which family's disciple are you? Whom do you seek to see?"

Her steps were light, and a fragrant breeze wafted from her sleeves as she moved. Zhao Chun did not dare to underestimate her, for the maiden's cultivation was profound, reaching a realm that Zhao Chun could not yet gauge.

Zhao Chun was surprised that such a cultivator was relegated to merely guarding the gate. She took out her identity plaque, presented it, and said respectfully, "This disciple is under the tutelage of Elder Li Shu, the nineteenth in the lineage. I have come specifically to report an urgent matter!"

"So, you are Elder Li's newly recruited disciple. My apologies for the oversight." Though she spoke of oversight, her face only wore a faint smile, devoid of any real apology. "I am the deacon of Suhong Hall, surnamed Zhu. Elder Li emerged from seclusion three days ago, so you have caught him at a good time. Follow me."

The deacons stationed at the Elder's hall were quite different from Cao Wenguan; most possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation, and being close to the Elders, their status was extraordinary.

Zhao Chun nodded in agreement and followed behind her. After passing through three or four long corridors and two large gates, they arrived at Li Shu's residence.

Surrounded by green bamboo and traversed by a clear stream, it was a place of profound tranquility.

When she arrived, Li Shu was already within the bamboo grove, sitting upon a prayer mat. Zhao Chun stepped forward, bowed, and lowered her head. "Disciple Zhao Chun pays respects to Master."

She had not undergone a formal apprenticeship ceremony, nor had Li Shu introduced her to others. She could only be called a "registered disciple," which was vastly different from the "prodigy disciples" like Zheng Chenqing, who were formally presented by their masters.

This world placed great importance on the master-disciple relationship; respecting one's teacher was the moral baseline for cultivators. The principle of "a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime" applied here as well.

However, that applied only to prodigy disciples. Registered disciples only shared the grace of instruction and did not need to treat the master as a parent. Thus, Zhao Chun did not feel too uncomfortable; since her cheap master did not hold her in high regard, she had no desire to become overly entangled.

"Mhm." Li Shu did not open his mouth, merely letting out a perfunctory response through his nose.

Zhao Chun was not offended and said calmly, "This disciple has an important matter to report to Master."

He kept his eyes closed, showing no movement. After a long silence, he finally spoke, "What is it?"

"A few days ago, this disciple traveled to the Songshan territory to complete the mid-stage Qi Refinement examination. Unexpectedly, I became involved in the succession struggle of the Tu family, a subordinate clan of our sect," Zhao Chun reported methodically. "It was originally an internal family conflict and should not have disturbed Master's quiet cultivation. However, I discovered that the person who incited the internal strife has connections to the Renyang Sect. Feeling the gravity of the matter, I have come to report it to Master so that the Sect Leader may be informed."

Li Shu had been calm at first, but when he heard of the family conflict, a hint of annoyance appeared on his face, as if he were irritated that Zhao Chun was bothering him with such trivialities. However, once the name "Renyang Sect" reached his ears, he snapped his eyes open instantly, his expression turning solemn. "Is this true?"

Zhao Chun presented the Black Cicada and the Centipede Gu, and also produced the life plaque from Tu Mian, saying, "Every word spoken by this disciple is true. Master, please look..."

Just looking at those Gu insects caused Li Shu's heart to sink. He picked up the life plaque to examine it and said angrily, "What treacherous methods! For hundreds of years, they still refuse to let it go!"

He looked toward Zhao Chun and asked, "Was this cultist killed by you?"

"This disciple was no match for him; he was killed by the Heaven-Connecting Lightning Array."

Li Shu nodded, knowing she was being honest, and his anger subsided slightly. He said, "At least you are honest. The methods of the Renyang Sect are difficult for ordinary cultivators to resist. You were fortunate to be protected by the sect's ancient array and survive."

"Though the thief was not killed by you, it is still your merit. Once this is reported to the Sect Leader, it can be recorded as a great achievement."

He put the items away, his face remaining as grim as still water.