Chapter 174: Gathering Of The Hidden People
Qin Garden, located in Southern City, was only two or three li away from Immortal Forest, separated by three streets and one river, barely able to enjoy the thick Magic Energy scattered from the Dao Domain.
After meeting the maid beside Qin Li, Li Weiyi came to this place.
The one who opened the door was none other than Yin Twenty-Four, wearing a long gauze bamboo hat.
After entering the garden.
Li Weiyi looked back, and the gate was covered again by a layer of formation light gauze invisible to the naked eye.
The light gauze enveloped the entire Qin Garden, and only by circulating Magic Power in his eyes could he see the formation script floating in the void.
His gaze then turned to Yin Twenty-Four, who had taken off the bamboo hat, and he exclaimed in surprise: “Wow, it’s only been a few months, and you’ve become so beautiful. Metamorphosing into a Pure Immortal Body is different; you look like you’ve walked out of a painting, almost unrecognizable!”
Yin Twenty-Four was dressed in Magic Tool Night-walking Clothes, tall and slender. After metamorphosing into a Pure Immortal Body, her flawless skin, bright eyes, and glossy hair were enough to completely refresh a person.
Moreover, she was a year older than Yao Yin, and her figure was in the stage of rapid blooming.
Though still icy cold, she no longer had the skinny, scrawny look of a little girl; her chest and hips rose and fell, her figure much more graceful and enchanting, truly standing tall and graceful.
She let out a light hum, still fond of rolling her eyes, and led the way ahead, unable to suppress a comment from the corner of her mouth: “You robbed so many Dyeing Cloud Exotic Medicines, how come you didn’t metamorphose into a Pure Immortal Body?”
“I’m a Hidden Person; metamorphosing into a Pure Immortal Body is too high-profile, too eye-catching. I’m not like some people who, for the sake of beauty, completely forget that Hidden People need to stay as ordinary as possible and hide their edge as much as possible.” Li Weiyi followed behind her.
Yin Twenty-Four’s delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she stopped, saying: “I’m not for beauty; I’m for power. A Pure Immortal Body has combat power far beyond mortals in the same realm, and may even cross realms to fight superior enemies.”
“Is that so?”
Li Weiyi smiled: “I’m now at the Second Realm of the Five Seas Realm. We’re in the same realm; how about this mortal spars with you, the Pure Immortal Body?”
“You’re at the Second Realm of the Five Seas Realm?”
Yin Twenty-Four knew Li Weiyi’s cultivation speed was extremely fast and that his talent was astonishing, but she still found it hard to believe.
“Swish!”
In the garden, wind force suddenly arose.
Yin Twenty-Four threw the long gauze bamboo hat from her hand.
Her hands formed a palm seal, unleashing the Heavenly Wind Palm Technique. In an instant, wind came from all directions, her feet seemed to glide, and one palm struck toward Li Weiyi’s chest. Her jade-white little hand was as fast and swift as white lightning.
Li Weiyi reached out to catch the flying long gauze bamboo hat. Facing Yin Twenty-Four’s sudden assault with wind and thunder palm seals, his composed figure shifted sideways unhurriedly.
The speed was too fast, as if another figure had split from his body.
Before Yin Twenty-Four could see what happened, her wrist was already gripped by Li Weiyi.
The Magic Energy channeled to her palm was cut off.
A sour pain conducted from her wrist, making her entire arm lose strength.
After restraining her, Li Weiyi twisted her wrist, and Yin Twenty-Four’s shoulder ached. Like a spinning top, she lost control of her body and turned half a circle, her back of the head and shoulder slamming into his chest.
“Your Pure Immortal Body’s combat power isn’t that great. In the same realm, it seems you can’t beat a mortal. Did you metamorphose wrong? Did you become weaker after metamorphosis?”
Li Weiyi teased with a laugh, twisting her wrist and locking it behind her waist.
“Don’t get cocky! In the same realm, even Hundred Veins All Silver can’t beat you; it’s normal for me not to. If you have the guts, go spar with Yang Qingxi, Chen Wenwu, and those top young experts… ah…”
“Is this your attitude when talking to a Hidden Person? Convinced yet?”
Li Weiyi twisted her wrist and pulled downward.
Yin Twenty-Four rose onto her tiptoes, chest thrusting high, head tilting back in pain, her whole body trembling lightly, but she refused to beg for mercy or yield.
Yin Twenty-Three, Yin Twenty-Five, and Yao Yin arrived, just in time to see this scene.
The three had different expressions.
Some puzzled, some astonished, some understanding.
“Why are you bullying my sister?”
Unlike the other two who were watching the show, Yao Yin hurried over.
Li Weiyi placed the long gauze bamboo hat over Yin Twenty-Four’s head, released her wrist, and looked at the approaching Yao Yin: “We were just sparring; she lost in one move and got captured by me.”
Yao Yin went to Yin Twenty-Four’s side, confirmed she was really fine, then glared at Li Weiyi with united in common hatred, as if looking at a local tyrant bullying with power.
Li Weiyi walked straight to Yin Twenty-Five, asked if there was silver coin to repay the debt, took a money bag, and lightly patted his shoulder with a full smile.
“Thank heavens, you’ve finally shown up!”
Yin Thirteen arrived, his face somewhat pale, clearly injured, and continued: “I heard you were pursued and killed by Yuwen Chao and Huo Qiankun at the dock outside Juze City, escaped into Bing Zu Marsh, and then there was no news. Everyone thought… you’d met with misfortune…”
“Ah!”
Yao Yin exclaimed in shock.
She didn’t know about this.
To be precise, none of the young Hidden People present knew.
Yin Thirteen continued: “Yin Ten is very angry. She said you went against your word; you clearly agreed to leave immediately but insisted on getting involved in the battle of top experts, unable to discern priorities. She said she should have knocked you out at Heaven Pavilion and directly tied you to the prefectural city.”
Li Weiyi said: “Ignore her; I’m the Hidden Person. See, I’ve returned completely unharmed?”
Yin Thirteen sighed: “She’s also thinking of you all. Your cultivation is too low now, strength too weak; you need to grow under protection. The higher-ups’ meaning is that you young Hidden People under twenty years old only need to do closed-door cultivation in Qiu Prefecture, no need to participate in any actions.”
Li Weiyi immediately thought of what Jiang Ning said when leaving; everyone meant well for him, but between the lines, it all said—you’re too weak!
Indeed, his cultivation was still very low. Li Weiyi was self-aware and knew the huge gap with young experts.
But he just wouldn’t accept it.
“Your injuries haven’t healed yet?” Li Weiyi asked.
Yin Thirteen smiled bitterly: “Escaping with my life is already good. Fortunately, I encountered Yin Nine and Yin Ten, barely preserving my life. What about you? Missing for over half a month, were you hiding somewhere secretly healing injuries?”
“You guessed right!” Li Weiyi said.
Yin Thirteen was moved: “Impressive, escaping from Huo Qiankun and Yuwen Chao. What about Zhuang Yue? Didn’t you take her with you?”
“She’s not a child; a Pure Immortal Body expert at the Fourth Stage of Five Seas Realm. After her skin grew back, she left! You’ve already entered the Imperial Court representing the Hidden Sect, so no need for me to get too entangled with court people. If she wants to go, let her go!” Li Weiyi said listlessly.
The Hidden People of Jiu Li Hidden Sect weren’t all staying together; that would make it easy to be wiped out in one go.
Yin Thirteen told Li Weiyi that Qin Garden was an industry left by an ancient Hidden Person, with powerful defense formation, no traceable connection to Jiu Li, and for the next few months, the young Hidden People only needed to hide here and cultivate.
“My injuries have stabilized; I should leave in the next couple of days. Qin Garden is yours from now on!”
Li Weiyi asked: “Still going back to the Imperial Court?”
Yin Thirteen nodded: “I’ve been in the Attendant Hall for years, cultivated my own group; can’t just abandon it. Besides, Jiu Li Hidden Sect in the Imperial Court must have eyes there no matter what. Rest assured, I risked my life for Jiang Ning; the court side will definitely have a place for me.”
“Right, tonight all Five Seas Realm Hidden People will gather at Qin Garden. Yin Nine says there’s an important matter to discuss.”
…
In this Jia Zi cycle, Jiu Li Hidden Sect selected only twenty-five Hidden People total, plus this year’s Li Weiyi and Yao Yin, making twenty-seven.
But still alive, including Li and Yao, only twenty-one.
Among them, those who reached Dao Seed Realm: six. Not in Qiu Prefecture: three.
That night.
Twelve young Hidden People gathered at Qin Garden.
But after Yin Nine and Yin Ten arrived, they jointly announced that Hidden People below the Fifth Realm of the Five Seas Realm were not allowed in, no qualification to participate. Only Li Weiyi was the exception, allowed to enter and listen.
“It’s just excluding us few anyway; better to discuss secretly elsewhere.” Yin Twenty-Four complained in a low voice.
In the back courtyard of Qin Garden, a Magic Tool Bone Lamp was hung.
The light it cast covered all sounds and sights.
Yin Nine and Yin Ten sat left and right on the two chairs directly facing the gate inside the room. Yin Eleven’s snake tail wrapped around the beam pillar, body almost invisible.
Yin Thirteen sat near the door.
Yin Fifteen and Yin Sixteen stood in the courtyard outside, one holding a spear, one with a sword on the back, both in the shadows—one observing outside, one watching the courtyard, extremely vigilant.
Li Weiyi stood by the window outside the room, sizing up the never-before-seen Yin Fifteen and Yin Sixteen. The two hid their auras extremely well, like two ordinary people without cultivation.
But precisely so, Li Weiyi judged their cultivation far surpassed Yin Thirteen.
To perfectly hide their auras under his perception was a manifestation of their realm.
“The higher-ups deployed a mission for our Jiu Li Hidden Sect to investigate the Ash Spirits hidden among young Martial Cultivators, helping Zuo Qiu Gatehouse clear out as many uncertainties from the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival as possible. This must be done in secret, not openly, as Zuo Qiu Gatehouse fears backlash.”
“Those Ash Spirits acted in the Nether Realm of the Dead.”
“Two months ago, turmoil erupted in Li Zhou. Young Martial Cultivators seeking opportunities in the Immortal Realm Space of Zangxian Town across the land could only pass through Mang Mountain Range and withdraw via the Nether Realm of the Dead. During this withdrawal, many were ambushed, allowing Ash Spirits to wear human skin or directly parasitize bodies, hiding in major powers.”
“At the time, all young Martial Cultivators in Zangxian Town were fully registered and screened once. The remaining suspicious ones number nearly a thousand, needing us to secretly investigate and clear out.”
Yin Nine took out the list and continued: “Everyone has some forces in hand; mobilize them all. We must root out all hidden Ash Spirits before the year-end.”
Li Weiyi asked: “Why before the year-end? There’s still half a month between New Year and Lantern Festival.”
Yin Ten said: “Because once New Year arrives, this battle among the younger generation will officially begin. On Lantern Festival night, everyone just goes to claim the final results.”
The Hidden People present were all puzzled.
Yin Eleven said: “What do you mean? Decide the Hidden Dragon before Lantern Festival? Then how to determine who is the Hidden Dragon, who gets the Longevity Pill, Dragon Seed, Dragon Bone, and those treasures?”
“There has to be some standard, right?”
“For example, set up an arena, fight for real with true blades. Who is the True Dragon, who is fake, clear at a glance.”
