12dz Chapter 159 Red Center
Chapter 159 Red Center
Chapter 159 Red Center
Li Qingyi: Who the hell is this?
"Did my master send you?"
Li Qingyi reacted instantly.
He couldn't think of anyone other than the people of Tingyu Pavilion who could call him "Young Master".
The woman smiled sweetly, raindrops sliding down the edge of the umbrella, forming a misty haze around her: "Young Master is indeed intelligent. Your subordinate, Hongzhong, has come on your orders to assist you in investigating the truth behind the upheaval in the Zhao family of Zichuan."
"Why should I believe you?" Li Qingyi asked coldly.
The right hand behind his back had quietly grasped the crystallized resentment.
The woman who called herself Hongzhong seemed to have expected this, and with a flick of her wrist, she tossed over an antique-looking black iron token.
The token felt cold to the touch, with no extra decorations, only a deep, bone-chilling sword mark, within which remained a faint yet incredibly pure and familiar sword aura.
The sword intent in "True Explanation of Kendo".
Li Qingyi traced the sword mark with her fingertips, becoming seventy percent convinced, but her expression remained unmoved: "Just based on this?"
Hong Zhong sighed softly, the sigh almost inaudible in the sound of the rain: "It seems I can only ask the young master to forgive my rudeness."
Before she could finish speaking, Li Qingyi had already made her move.
The black light, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, shot out from his palm.
However, Hong Zhong's figure merely shifted slightly to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack of the vengeful spirit.
In the next instant, she appeared beside Li Qingyi like a ghost.
The spiritual pressure of the Foundation Establishment stage cultivator crashed down like a mountain. Li Qingyi felt a sudden heaviness around her, and her movements instantly slowed. Then, her wrist tightened as her vital point was seized, and the crystal of resentment was easily taken away.
As expected, Li Qingyi was captured.
The series of defeats made Li Qingyi realize...
Crystallized resentment is not very effective against a Foundation Establishment expert who is on guard.
"This thing is sinister; it's best for Young Master to use it sparingly." General Hong Zhong placed the crystal of resentment back into Li Qingyi's hand, his tone still respectful: "In urgent situations, expediency is necessary; I hope Young Master will not take offense."
Having said that, she picked up Li Qingyi, transformed into a streak of crimson light, broke through the rain curtain, and sped away.
Li Qingyi, who was being carried, felt more at ease.
If the other party truly harbored malicious intent, what happened just now would not have been a capture, but a killing.
As the light faded, a bustling city came into view.
"Qingling City?" Li Qingyi's gaze sharpened slightly as she looked at the seal script characters on the city gate. "You're in charge of Qingling City's headquarters?"
"That's not the case." Hong Zhong shook his head. "This is just the closest outpost to the scene of the incident."
Li Qingyi: "————"
-
Li Qingyi's lips twitched slightly: "So, who's in charge here?"
Hong Zhong glanced at him: "Young Master, why do you ask such a question?"
"I killed Lu Zhenxuan." Li Qingyi's tone was calm, yet icy. "The leader of Tingyu Pavilion in Qingling City has remained silent. Tell me, what does he mean by this?"
Upon hearing this, Hong Zhong's expression turned slightly solemn.
She was naturally aware of the irreconcilable feud between Lu Zhenxuan and Li Qingyi, and also knew that there were long-standing missions related to Lu Zhenxuan in Qingling City.
As a confidante of the Pavilion Master, she was not unaware of some of the ulterior motives of the local leaders.
She stopped, looked directly at Li Qingyi, raised her hand to swear an oath, and said clearly, "Your subordinate, Hong Zhong, swears to the heavens that from this day forward, I will follow only the Young Master's lead and have no other intentions. If I break this oath, may my foundation be destroyed and my soul scattered!"
Li Qingyi's heart skipped a beat. "Why?"
A glint flashed in Hong Zhong's eyes: "I was fortunate enough to see the Pavilion Master's true face once. His demeanor was so magnificent—words cannot even begin to describe it."
The person chosen by the Pavilion Master will be the future leader of Listening Rain Pavilion. Your subordinates trust the Pavilion Master, and naturally, they also trust the Young Pavilion Master.
Li Qingyi understood.
Well, this is a fanatical follower of my cheap master.
However, having such a Foundation Establishment cultivator as one of their own makes the current predicament a little more manageable.
"Hongzhong, how is your cultivation level now?" he asked.
"Mid-stage Foundation Establishment," Hongzhong replied.
Li Qingyi nodded.
The two walked on the streets of Qingling City.
In the city center, a tall building stands.
Li Qingyi looked up and knew that it was Zhenyang Tower.
It has an extraordinary presence.
"Hongzhong," he suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of murderous intent, "come with me to kill the Lord of Zhenyang."
Hong Zhong frowned slightly and did not agree directly. Instead, he analyzed, "Young Master, the City Lord of Qingling City is also a Foundation Establishment cultivator and has a long-standing connection with Zhenyang Tower."
With only one subordinate facing two opponents of similar strength whose abilities were unknown, the outcome was uncertain.
If other potential variables are added, it will be difficult to win.
But if the young master insists on taking action, I will fight with all my might, to the death.
Having said all that, Li Qingyi calmed down.
With powerful enemies surrounding us, Jiang Yanxu missing, and the reasons for the Zhao family's destruction unknown, this is certainly not the time to create further trouble.
Moreover, there's also the leader of Tingyu Pavilion in Qingling City, whose attitude is unclear.
If things turn out to be a three-on-one fight, that would be very troublesome.
"Alright, let's go to the base first."
The Tingyu Pavilion stronghold in Qingling City is hidden deep underground, with a secret entrance, but inside it is a hidden world, with a space that is more spacious than expected.
As Li Qingyi followed Hong Zhong into the core area, many eyes, both overt and covert, turned towards her.
Those gazes carried scrutiny, curiosity, doubt, and even a hint of barely perceptible indifference.
Li Qingyi's expression remained unchanged, her eyes fixed straight ahead, but she was on high alert.
Here, he is nominally the young master, but his prestige—clearly—needs to be earned.
Hongzhong led him through winding passages to an extremely spacious underground cave.
This place has been transformed into a miniature palace, with carved beams and painted rafters, and brightly lit.
At the head of the palace, a man in fine clothes reclines on a wide chair covered with soft animal hides.
He held an exquisite jade pipe, puffing out smoke with a languid expression, and merely lifted his eyelids at the two people who entered.
"Hongzhong, what brings you here? And with a—young lad?"
The north wind's voice was somewhat hoarse, and its gaze swept over Li Qingyi without lingering.
"North Wind, the Pavilion Master has given orders. He commands us to fully assist the Young Pavilion Master in thoroughly investigating the matter of the Zhao family of Zichuan. What are your plans?"
""
Upon hearing the words "Pavilion Master," Bei Feng paused almost imperceptibly while smoking, but quickly resumed his lazy demeanor.
He exhaled a smoke ring and finally looked directly at Li Qingyi: "Oh? Young Master — then please enjoy a few days of sightseeing in Qingling City. As for the investigation, leave it to Hongzhong and me."
Li Qingyi was very unhappy with Bei Feng's attitude.
With Hong Zhong backing her up, Li Qingyi retorted, "Bei Feng, how long do you plan to keep this mission related to Lu Zhenxuan hidden? Just because you don't have the ability yourself, does that mean you can't stand seeing others complete it?"
The north wind suddenly tightened its grip on the pipe.
The languid look in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, icy glint that pierced straight at Li Qingyi.
Li Qingyi did not back down and looked up to meet him.
The silent sword energy surrounding him seemed to sense his intentions and flowed spontaneously, actually reducing the invisible pressure to some extent.
Their eyes met, and a chilling atmosphere rose between them.
Inside the room, the faint sound of swords clanging could be heard.
"Tsk—" After a few breaths of staring at each other, Bei Feng suddenly chuckled, breaking the deadlock: "Interesting. No wonder you were able to kill that old ghost Lu Zhenxuan. You've learned a few shreds of the Pavilion Master's signature skills."
He leaned back in his chair, waved his hand dismissively, and said, "Fine, you can have the task. Go and enjoy your meager contribution."
That condescending tone made Li Qingyi sneer inwardly.
Instead of getting angry, he curled the corners of his mouth and said, "That's fine. It's better than some people who have been guarding a gold mine for years but can't even dig out a single copper coin and can only stare helplessly."
"That's enough!"
With a low shout, Hong Zhong released a slight amount of spiritual pressure from his mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, forcibly suppressing the invisible sparks between the two.
Her face was frosty as she swept her gaze over the two of them: "With the Pavilion Master's grand plan at hand and the matter of Zichuan shrouded in mystery, this is not the time for you to quarrel and bicker!"
Li Qingyi glanced at Hong Zhong and decided not to make the situation any more awkward.
He nodded slightly to Hongzhong: "Hongzhong, discuss the specifics with him. Inform me of the results afterwards."
Having said that, he stopped looking at the north wind, turned around and strode away from the luxurious palace, heading straight for the outer mission hall.
Now, he has more practical goals:
Find all the tasks related to Lu Zhenxuan, exchange them for contribution points, exchange them for treasures, and then exchange the treasures for spirit stones.
Use the spirit stone to simulate it once, and see clearly what actually happened behind the scenes.
The hall was still dimly lit, with many shadowy figures.
Ignoring the various stares, Li Qingyi picked up the assassin's token and began searching for missions related to Lu Zhenxuan.