owlsbooks Chapter 117 Investigation
Chapter 117 Investigation
Chapter 117 Investigation
Qi Tongwei's gaze darted around as Li Qingyi stared at him, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
He took a shaky step back, his eyes darting around, and in a moment of quick thinking, he said, "Young master, it's true, it's like this. The set of 'Mysterious Water Yin Sha Formation' diagrams you brought is in perfect condition."
The various techniques described therein complement and corroborate a fragment of an ancient formation that my Lingbao Pavilion is currently studying.
The Pavilion Master and several elders were delighted to see him, saying it would greatly benefit the Pavilion's research on array formations.
He swallowed hard, quickening his pace: "Therefore, the Pavilion Master was overjoyed and specially rewarded me with ten spirit stones to commend me for bringing such a useful treasure to the Pavilion."
Therefore, in a moment of carelessness, I blurted out such a reckless remark as "Young Master is the God of Wealth," with absolutely no other intention.
Li Qingyi understood perfectly well that the old man had cheated her out of ten spirit stones and was now racking his brains to cover up his lie after being caught red-handed.
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself: "Tsk tsk, as expected of an elder who has been through many years of hard work in Lingbao Pavilion, his on-the-spot reaction and lying skills are truly masterful."
"You stole my spirit stones, and you can still talk about it so grandly."
He didn't respond, but stood calmly at the door with a half-smile on his face, quietly watching Qi Tongwei's performance.
Li Qingyi was simply looking at him with a kind expression, without releasing any pressure.
But Qi Tongwei felt an invisible chill rise from the soles of his feet, along his spine, all the way to the top of his head.
Time passed slowly.
The cold sweat on Qi Tongwei's forehead finally gathered into beads and slid down his cheeks.
"Sigh—" He sighed resignedly, with no more hope in his eyes.
He reluctantly took out ten spirit stones from his storage bag.
"Young master, it's all here."
With a single wave of his hand, Li Qingyi pocketed them all.
He remained silent, merely raising an eyebrow, his gaze returning to Qi Tongwei's face. "That's all?"
Qi Tongwei was almost in tears, and hurriedly pointed to the sky and drew lines on the ground.
"Young master! I swear to God, I will keep these ten!"
Li Qingyi nodded, the ambiguous smile on her face disappearing.
With a flick of his wrist, two lustrous spirit stones appeared in his palm, which he casually tossed to Qi Tongwei, who was standing there dumbfounded.
"Keep this safe. Consider it a reward for your trouble today."
At that moment, Qi Tongwei's eyes filled with tears.
"Young Master Li is indeed an honest and kind man!"
Li Qingyi simply smiled and said nothing more, then walked unhurriedly toward Huanzhulou.
Having noticed Qi Tongwei's unusual demeanor, Li Qingyi didn't go far after leaving the room. Instead, she used her divine sense to probe into the private room, wanting to see what tricks he was up to.
Upon seeing Qi Tongwei, he was overjoyed and muttered to himself.
He immediately concealed his aura and turned back at an extremely fast speed, catching his opponent off guard.
This Elder Qi is even bolder than I imagined. But—he's quite a remarkable person.
Li Qingyi couldn't help but make a comment.
The reason for giving Qi Tongwei two spirit stones was that Qi Tongwei did indeed allow Li Qingyi to obtain seventy spirit stones, far exceeding expectations.
Secondly, by offering a small favor and then giving a sweet treat after a warning, Qi Tongwei will be more diligent in handling his affairs in the future, and at least he will not dare to play tricks so blatantly again.
If Li Qingyi knew how the other party helped him create seventy spirit stones, he probably wouldn't be able to resist hanging Qi Tongwei up and whipping him.
Halfway there, Li Qingyi's thoughts drifted back to the matter of the heretical cultivators that Qi Tongwei had mentioned.
He thought to himself:
Should we—really go and take a look at Yuqing Mountain?
Mingwen is a strange fellow; he might actually have some kind of evil way to save his life or even come back to life.
The timing and location of Green Garden's death were too coincidental. If he is truly not dead, or if he left behind some contingency plan, he will always be a hidden danger and must be eliminated!
Now that I've reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, traveling from Xuan Ce City to Yu Qing Mountain at full speed using the wind, it takes me at most a little over the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
If it is found that nothing is wrong, that would be best; but if that Mingwen is truly a lingering ghost, it would be good to grind him to dust and eliminate any future trouble!
Thinking of this, Li Qingyi's heart stirred.
Moreover, someone like Mingwen, a veteran in the late stage of Qi Refining, probably has accumulated a considerable amount of wealth in private.
If it really is him, killing him and taking his years of accumulated wealth would make us a windfall.
With the spirit stone simulation, going to the Zhao family is even more certain, and perhaps the information gained from the simulation can be used to snowball one's influence within the Zhao family.
No matter how Li Qingyi thought about it, she felt that this trip was worthwhile.
Besides, he didn't like the feeling of being targeted by thieves.
"It's settled then," he muttered to himself, turning his gaze toward Yu Qingshan.
With a flash, Li Qingyi stopped walking and transformed into a streak of light, rushing towards Yuqing Mountain.
Before long, Yuqing Mountain came into view.
Li Qingyi did not rush in directly, but stopped several miles away from the foot of the mountain and landed silently in a grove of trees.
He quickly activated the concealment technique, reducing the fluctuations of his magical power to almost nothing.
Only then did he use his movement skills to cautiously explore and investigate the area around the foot of the mountain.
He came to the place where Green Garden had been killed.
Since it was two days ago, the remaining spiritual energy in the air was very peaceful, no different from that of an ordinary mountain forest.
With a thought, Li Qingyi activated her divine sense and concealed herself as she circled around Yuqing Mountain, but found nothing.
"Could it be that I'm overthinking it?"
Li Qingyi thought to herself:
The Luo family has recently increased its vigilance, and after that little evil cultivator killed someone, he probably won't dare to lay a hand on anyone from the Luo family again.
But he was not entirely at ease.
With a thought, his figure flickered and he activated his divine sense to quickly traverse the mountains and forests for a second investigation.
About half an hour later, Li Qingyi stopped by a mountain spring and shook her head slightly.
Got nothing.
Apart from the faint life force of the forest itself and the scattered scents of wild beasts, there were no other cultivators or unusual beings in the entire Yuqing Mountain.
It seems I was indeed overthinking things. Mingwen should be dead beyond any doubt. The incident at Green Garden was most likely just a coincidence.
Since we're already here—
Before leaving, Li Qingyi planned to take a look at Luo Huanhuan.
With a slight thought, he concealed himself and sneaked in.
The Luo family residence was draped in white mourning clothes, with white banners fluttering in the wind.
The servants were all dressed in mourning clothes, walking hurriedly with sorrowful faces.
Without alerting anyone, Li Qingyi scanned the area with her divine sense and spotted Luo Huanhuan kneeling on a prayer mat outside a simple mourning hall.
She was dressed in rough linen mourning clothes, and her figure was much thinner than when we last met.
Li Qingyi watched quietly for a moment, his thoughts a jumble of emotions. At this moment, he did not intend to see Luo Huanhuan.
He turned around and found Luo Wang handling clan affairs in a side hall.
Luo Wang frowned in thought, when suddenly he sensed someone beside him. Startled, he looked up and saw Li Qingyi. He quickly stood up and whispered, "Master? What brings you here?"
"Just passing by, thought I'd take a look."
Li Qingyi's voice was calm: "Has anything unusual happened inside or outside the manor these past two days?"
Luo Wang thought carefully and shook his head: "Reporting to the master, since that day, the manor has strengthened its security and sent people to patrol around Yuqing Mountain regularly, but no abnormalities have been found."
only----"
"Just what?"
Luo Wang's mind raced with thoughts.
He already knew what had happened between the two, and now that Li Qingyi had come to visit in person, he sensed something else.
Perhaps—this is an opportunity?
Luo Wang pondered to himself.
The Luo family is currently in dire straits; if they could establish a more solid connection with this unfathomable master of the building—
He had an idea and slowly began to speak: "But—that child Huanhuan has been depressed and listless ever since the day the host left without saying goodbye. She has lost her appetite."
Overwhelmed with grief after her father's passing, she became extremely thin.
I often see her gazing absentmindedly in the direction of the courtyard gate; I fear she is deeply missing the Master.
That day was a devastating blow to her.
He spoke half-jokingly, carefully observing Li Qingyi's reaction.
Li Qingyi frowned slightly; he was not a heartless or ungrateful person.
Although it was just a fleeting affair, she was still his first woman.
She had instructed Luo Wang to take care of her before, with this in mind.
He nodded without saying anything, but his figure had already disappeared from the side hall.
Luo Wang gazed in the direction Li Qingyi had left, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy old eyes. He muttered to himself, "Looks like she's someone who values loyalty and isn't easily swayed by force—"
He looked up towards the direction of the mourning hall and murmured, "In that case, the future of the Luo family may truly rest on Huanhuan. Their prosperity or decline depends on this one move."
His scheme was, in fact, a test.
If Li Qingyi is heartless and indifferent to Luo Huanhuan's haggard appearance, then Luo Wang will accept it and consider that day as a transaction.
But if Li Qingyi still has feelings and loyalty, then that would be a great thing.
The Luo family is currently in dire need of a strong external ally.
For Luo Wang, this was a gamble with almost no cost; if he won, his family could gain a respite and even a chance to rise again.
Even if we lose, it will only mean maintaining the status quo.
Li Qingyi appeared silently outside the mourning hall, her figure as swift as the wind.
The hall was filled with the fragrance of incense. Luo Huanhuan still had her back to the door, her slender shoulders appearing particularly thin under her loose linen clothes.
He stood still for a moment, then stepped inside.
Luo Huanhuan was so engrossed in her grief over losing her father and being abandoned by Li Qingyi that she didn't notice anything amiss.
Until the footsteps stopped behind her, a voice that haunted her dreams rang out: "That day, something unexpected happened in the city. There were so many things to do, and I left in a hurry without having a chance to say goodbye."
Her delicate body trembled suddenly, and she froze instantly, completely lost in thought.
She turned her head in disbelief to look at the figure behind her.
Her eyes reddened, and a tear slid down her cheek.
Without saying a word, she suddenly stood up from the prayer mat, but because her legs were numb from kneeling for too long, she staggered and threw herself into Li Qingyi's arms without a care, unable to hold back her sobs.
Li Qingyi didn't say anything, but gently pulled her into his arms. "I'm entangled in a lot of trouble, and I have many enemies. The road ahead is uncertain."
"Yes. I know. I'll wait for you."
After exchanging pleasantries, her eyes gradually brightened.
Without thinking much, Li Qingyi took out a bottle of pills from her storage ring and handed it to her.
This is one of the spoils seized from Tian Sha, and it is of little use to cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining.
"This is a pill for strengthening the body and nourishing the vital energy. For a mortal like you who has not yet entered the Qi Refining stage, the medicinal effect should be mild and significant enough."
"Take the medicine on time and get your body back in good shape first." He paused, then added, "If there's an opportunity in a while, I'll find you a better Qi cultivation method."
"Mmm." She nodded, feeling an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
She never asked for elixirs or martial arts skills; she only hoped that Li Qingyi could spend more time with her.
"OP, Huanhuan doesn't know your name yet."
After a moment's thought, Li Qingyi gave a pseudonym, "Fang Yuan."
She nodded, very sensibly getting out of his arms, and looked at the man in front of her with reluctance.
Li Qingyi didn't exchange many pleasantries. After giving a few instructions, she transformed into a streak of light and returned to Huanzhu Tower.