Chapter 279: Chapter 149: Inner City
When Qian Ruhai spoke of the eighteen-year-old prodigy, Qin Fang’s heart jolted. He almost instantly recalled the old story his Senior Brother, Zhou Xing, had once mentioned.
...His senior sister, at eighteen, had obtained a Martial Arts Record.
His Senior Brother had said last year that "three years ago," his senior sister had gotten the Martial Arts Record.
And Qian Ruhai’s "four years ago"...
The timelines matched perfectly.
Then he remembered what his master had said: "Your senior sister bought us a house in the Inner City"...
When he first heard it, he’d had no concept of a Prefecture City and just thought it was an ordinary arrangement.
But now that he was here in the Prefecture City himself, despite it being only a single day, he had already witnessed the magnificence, prosperity, and strict laws of Lanyang City—
Even a twenty-year-old Huajin expert like him, holding a Temporary Passage Token, was confined to the Post House, unable to even get near the threshold of the Inner City.
’And yet, my senior sister could actually purchase property in the Inner City? It’s truly beyond imagination!’
Not until Qian Ruhai spoke her name did all his doubts instantly connect, only to bring an even stronger shock.
...One of the twelve seats, a True Inheritor Candidate from four years ago, Wu Xueci!
’If that’s her status... settling her family in the Inner City would probably be as easy as turning over her hand.’
Qin Fang’s jaw went tight. He couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries and quickly interrupted Qian Ruhai. "That Wu Xueci... what is her current status within the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect? And where is she now?"
Qian Ruhai was taken aback by the sudden, urgent question. Then, seeing the look on Qin Fang’s face, a knowing and mischievous smile spread across his chubby features. "What, has Brother Qin also developed an admiration for Miss Xueci? But then again, an eighteen-year-old at Huajin is certainly astounding, but you, Brother Qin, have achieved such a cultivation at the young age of twenty. You’re also a dragon among men... Come to think of it, you two might actually be a good match."
Qin Fang: "..."
’That’s my senior sister!’
Before he could explain, Qian Ruhai waved his hand with a smile, his tone turning serious, even carrying a hint of a warning. "However, Brother Qin, if you truly harbor such thoughts, you must be extremely careful. Miss Xueci possesses the ’Profound Yin Jade Bone,’ which is anything but ordinary..."
"It’s said to be one of the one-in-a-million Innate Dao Bodies."
Qian Ruhai’s expression was grave. "Legend has it that it forms in the womb when the Ultimate Yin Moonlight interacts with a wisp of Innate Pure Spiritual Mechanism, imprinting itself deep within the infant’s bone marrow."
"Those who possess this bone are born with all their meridians open. They are especially adept at attuning to Yin Softness, Ice Cold, and Water Attribute Cultivation Techniques and Daoist Formulas. Their cultivation speed far surpasses that of ordinary people, their foundation is incredibly stable, Heart Demons can hardly invade them, and for her, every Breaking Realm Pass is like walking on a smooth road."
Undisguised amazement filled his eyes. "What’s even rarer is that the ’Profound Yin Jade Bone’ is often accompanied by the ’Ice Skin Jade Bone’ phenomenon. Not only does it preserve one’s youthful appearance, but ordinary yin-aligned evils, cold poisons, and Illusion Skills can hardly get near her. Our Lanyang City is located on the bank of a great marsh, filled with dense water vapor and many damp, yin-heavy areas where strange things often breed... To have such a constitution here is a heaven-sent advantage, like a fish in water."
"Because of this... the moment her constitution was tested back then, it alarmed a Supreme Elder from the Celestial Spirit Sect’s Celestial Martial Hall, one who was in year-round seclusion and known for his cold, aloof temperament. He made an exception and took her in early as a Registered Disciple. Her status could be said to be far beyond that of an ordinary Inner Sect disciple!"
"I heard that once she emerges from her training in the Heavenly Gang Secret Mansion upon reaching Perfection, she will be formally accepted as that Elder’s True Inheritance Disciple... On the strength of this constitution alone, she had already secured one of the twelve seats that year. Now, four years have passed. With her Talent and the Sect’s full backing, it’s difficult for outsiders to even guess what level her cultivation has reached."
He paused, looking at Qin Fang with a playful and cautionary tone. "And because of all this, Within the Sect, and even in all of Lanyang City, there are quite a number of young prodigies who admire Miss Xueci and wish to become her cultivation partner. Among them, the three most famous—and the three you absolutely can’t afford to offend—are..."
Qian Ruhai held up three chubby fingers and counted them off one by one:
"First is Luo Yuntian, the Direct Disciple of the Celestial Spirit Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall Master. His cultivation is unfathomably deep; it’s said he has already touched the edge of the ’Martial Domain Realm.’ He oversees criminal law, is iron-fisted and cold-hearted, and wields immense authority Within the Sect. Moreover, his pursuit of Miss Xueci is an open secret known to everyone in the Sect."
"Second is Nangong Yu, the second son of the Prefect’s Family. Not only is his family background illustrious, but his own Talent is also extremely high. He is the successor that the Prefect is personally grooming. He represents the link between the Government Office and the Celestial Spirit Sect, with a deeply entrenched and complicated network of power. As for his intentions... the Prefect would be happy to see them succeed."
"The third is somewhat special. He’s Yue Shan, who comes from a family of generals in the Northern County’s border army and was later noticed by a Celestial Martial Hall Elder and taken in as a True Inheritance Disciple. This man exudes an extremely heavy killing intent, and his methods are unyielding. He has spent years fighting Demons and bandits in the Northern Lands, and his practical combat ability is said to be unmatched among his peers. His personality is also the most domineering and direct."
After speaking, Qian Ruhai sighed softly and patted Qin Fang’s shoulder. Half-joking and half-serious, he said, "Brother Qin, these three, whether in terms of cultivation, background, or the authority they hold, are no ordinary figures. Miss Xueci herself is like the bright, shining moon... I’m afraid your ambition has a long and difficult road ahead."
Qin Fang’s brow furrowed slightly as he listened to these three names and their backgrounds.
’...The environment my senior sister is in is far more complicated than I had imagined.’
His mind raced. His senior sister, Wu Xueci, was a True Inheritor Candidate four years ago; her status now was likely even higher.
’...The five letters from last year received no reply. That’s not normal at all.’
"Then, does Brother Qian know... where this Miss Xueci is right now?"
Hearing Qin Fang’s question, Qian Ruhai stared blankly for a moment, then shook his head. "Brother Qin, you must be joking. A person like her, in Lanyang City, is as high and unreachable as the sun in the sky. How could I possibly know her whereabouts? You truly overestimate me..."
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