Chapter 19: Back to the Valley

Sigh~

Qing Chen sighed after he no longer sensed their presence. He knew the matter was far from over, judging by the way that female officer looked at him as he slipped away.

He knew these types of heroines—yes, heroines. Girls who had been pampered their whole lives and were only now stepping out into the world after reaching adulthood or meeting the minimum cultivation criteria of their family. They didn’t see or hear the whole side of the story. They acted as though they knew everything. The female officer hadn’t even asked whether he was a victim; she outright labeled him as the culprit.

Qing Chen could only massage his head.

Soon, the herbs valley came into sight. Qing Chen reached his loft, opened the door, and threw himself onto the bed. Sleeping always helped him sort out his thoughts.

Just as he found a comfortable position and was slowly sinking into the abyss of dreams, a knock on the door disturbed him. Although he was on the highest floor, being a Nascent Soul cultivator had its pros and cons.

His senses had already been elevated beyond the bounds of mortals. Even a tiny noise could disturb him. This was why many great cultivators chose to enter seclusion in deep mountains or under the sea and oceans. As far as Qing Chen knew, only those in the realm beyond Nascent Soul could control their senses, deciding which ones to keep open and which to close.

Qing Chen spread his divine sense and saw that it was Mu Qingfeng.

Ughhhh!!

Qing Chen shouted internally but still managed to keep a smile on his face as he went down to open the door.

"I didn’t disturb you, did I?" Mu Qingfeng asked.

"No, no... I just got here."

"Well, your smile looks a little forced."

"... Why are you here, Valley Master?"

"I just wanted to tell you to stay put in the herbs valley for some time. The sect is receiving many unknown visitors from across the kingdom."

"..."

"What?! Did you already encounter them?"

Mu Qingfeng noticed Qing Chen looking away when he mentioned the unknown forces entering the Azure Sky Sect.

"Sort of. They wanted to kill me, but I shouted, and luckily, the Law Enforcement Officers arrived. The attackers ran away," Qing Chen said, twisting the story.

"Well, your luck is still strong."

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Valley Master?" Qing Chen asked with a confused look.

Cough!

"...Nothing. Just think of it as an old man being muddle-headed," Mu Qingfeng coughed and feigned nonchalance.

"Okay, Valley Master. Do you want to say anything else?"

"No."

Thud!

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Qing Chen closed the door, walked back to his room, and found Little Fur sleeping on his bed. He chose not to disturb it, instead sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor beside the bed. He began cultivating now that his physique had evolved. He could easily absorb nature’s energy. Qing Chen was still far from reaching the true peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Why waste Harmony Points when you can cultivate and increase strength?

Slowly, the energy around the herbs valley started creating ripples like a stone dropped in water. Qing Chen’s cultivation had the same effect. First, the energy inside his room, then the energy around his loft, and finally, the energy from beyond his loft flowed into his dantian.

Qing Chen had formed a small vortex but did not unleash the full potential of his physique. Otherwise, the energy from the inner sect wouldn’t be spared, alarming the great cultivators. Qing Chen closed his eyes, as keeping them open while staring at the wooden walls of his room bored him.

With the increase in cultivation, the energy requirements had also increased a hundredfold. Additionally, his physique had evolved to the fifth rank, making his body thirstier for energy. In return, he was five times more powerful than others in the same realm.

...

Ahhh!

Chang Xinyue was in her residence, throwing away anything within reach. Everything she saw had the face of Qing Chen. She wanted to blow up her residence.

"Those cowards! Because of them, the culprit was set free. I was so close to solving my first big case. But..."

Chang Xinyue could not stomach the fact that a criminal had been allowed to walk away—not even run away—under her watch.

"First, I need to discipline my teammates," Chang Xinyue said, clapping her fists together.

There was an enchanting smile on her face, but her eyes glowed dangerously like a beast ready to strike.

...

Time flew by, and soon a new day arrived. Qing Chen woke up to a small, fluffy creature walking on his legs. He opened his eyes slightly, releasing an intimidating aura, but when his eyes fully opened, the aura vanished like a fluke.

Strangely, the little creature on Qing Chen’s lap didn’t seem much affected.

Yawn~

Qing Chen stretched his limbs. This had become a habit. It felt good after sitting cross-legged all night. He casually picked up Little Fur and threw it onto the bed like a projectile.

Uwahh!

Little Fur lifted its head from the pillow and made a sound of protest.

"You want to sleep on the floor today?"

Mweh! Little Fur gave him a cute expression and, like a docile creature, went back to sleep on Qing Chen’s bed.

When Qing Chen stepped outside, he saw the Head Elder drinking tea with the Valley Master.

"Come here, Qing Chen. The Head Elder has been waiting for you," Mu Qingfeng said when Qing Chen was close enough to hear.

"Valley Master, Head Elder," Qing Chen greeted both of them.

"No need to act stiff. Come, sit beside me. I have some questions," said the Head Elder.

"...Huh? Me? Questions?" Qing Chen’s mind was still hazy from cultivating all night. It took him a moment to process what the Head Elder said.

"Haha! Do you see anyone else here besides you?" Bai Zian laughed out loud while Mu Qingfeng hesitated, thinking that elders should control their emotions better in front of juniors. Then he remembered that Bai Zian and Qing Chen were almost the same age.

Cough! "Sorry. I wanted to ask if you were attacked on your way back to the herbs valley."

"..." Mu Qingfeng already knew but continued sipping tea to hide his smile. He liked that his disciple was honest with him.

"Valley Master..." Qing Chen looked at Mu Qingfeng for permission. After receiving it, he continued, "Yes. Some outer sect disciples surrounded me at the west wall’s dead end. They didn’t say much, but judging by their looks and the dangerous weapons in their hands, my instincts screamed that I had to call for help."

"So, you’re saying the Law Enforcement Officers arrived just in time? After you shouted and they heard the swooshing sound of a sword breaking through the air, the attackers fled?"

Qing Chen nodded.

"But..." Bai Zian glanced at Mu Qingfeng, then at Qing Chen. He decided to stop speaking. He knew the officers suspected Qing Chen of being the murderer. Not all of them, but some—and those few only agreed because of one female officer. They were Chang Xinyue’s teammates. They were the first to reach the dead end and speak with Qing Chen.

Bai Zian was certain his junior brother wasn’t strong enough to kill someone in the Foundation Building Realm, nor did he have a bloodthirsty nature. The Law Enforcement Officers had already checked Qing Chen’s background, which was clean. However, Chang Xinyue still wanted to pursue the matter. Head Elder Bai Zian had no choice but to report the case directly to the Liang Clan, as the eldest Miss Liang had brought Qing Chen to the Azure Sky Sect.

Bai Zian had thought Miss Liang wouldn’t care and would dismiss the matter outright. Unexpectedly, her stoic expression cracked when he mentioned that Qing Chen was under investigation. Though it lasted only a nanosecond, Bai Zian caught it.

"You don’t need to worry about Chang Xinyue. I will handle her," she said.