Chapter 82: Plotting for the Divine Weapon

As soon as Qi Fei and Zhuo Jin’er set foot in the sect’s grand hall, Mo Zhanpeng, who had been waiting anxiously, hurried over to them.

“Qi Fei, Sima Yan has long borne a grudge against you. I fear he wants to challenge you while you’ve yet to recover, hoping to take advantage of your injuries. What should we do?”

Qi Fei nodded quickly. “Master, I am already aware of this. But Sima Yan’s scheme is not so easily accomplished.”

“Qi Fei, how is your injury?” Elder Sun, who had witnessed Qi Fei’s miraculous abilities before, could not help but ask, seeing the vigor in his eyes.

Qi Fei lifted his arm and laughed heartily. “Elder Sun, your eyes are keen. My injuries have long since healed. Since Sima Yan seeks his own doom, he can hardly blame me for being ruthless.”

Seeing Qi Fei’s grievous wounds from his battle with Cheng Feng healed so quickly, Mo Zhanpeng and Elder Sun exchanged wry smiles. Qi Fei was as resilient as a wild beast, recovering from near-fatal wounds in mere days.

“Sima Yan was already an innate martial expert years ago. Though you are recovered, you must not underestimate the master of the Seven Absolutes Sect.” Mo Zhanpeng cautioned, fearing Qi Fei might be overconfident.

Qi Fei’s smile faded, and he replied solemnly, “Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will remember it well. Sima Yan is formidable, but defeating him should not be difficult for me.”

Zhuo Jin’er shot Qi Fei a sidelong glance and muttered, “Qi Fei, don’t just boast. Facing the sect leader of the Seven Absolutes, do you still plan to fight him barehanded?”

Reminded by Zhuo Jin’er, Qi Fei suddenly recalled that the longsword Zhuo Jin’er had taken from the Seven Absolutes had been destroyed, and there were no divine weapons in their sect. Facing Sima Yan without a worthy blade would indeed be troublesome.

Mo Zhanpeng and Elder Sun realized the same concern. Mo Zhanpeng asked, perplexed, “Qi Fei, did you use the Seven Absolutes’ Yin Fiend Blade Technique when you fought Cheng Feng that day?”

“Yes. It was thanks to Miss Zhuo that I obtained this martial art from the Seven Absolutes. But that blade was destroyed in battle. I fear ordinary weapons cannot withstand the true qi of an innate master.” Qi Fei frowned, feeling irked.

Mo Zhanpeng glanced at Zhuo Jin’er, sighing. “Sima Yan has reached the innate realm, and the Seven Absolutes have a martial grandmaster overseeing them. The upcoming battle at Moonwatch Peak will be perilous. Perhaps you should take this young lady and leave Cangyun Mountain for a time. Sima Yan may then spare our Danxia Sect further trouble.”

“That cannot be, Master. Allow me to think further on this.” Qi Fei was touched by his concern, but his master did not know the full story. Sima Yan sought to kill both him and Zhuo Jin’er to silence them—he would not let them go so easily.

As Qi Fei pondered his next move, Zhuo Jin’er’s eyes lit up. “Qi Fei, do you remember the divine sword that Chu Yanran wielded that day?”

Qi Fei vividly recalled Chu Yanran’s display: with grandmaster-level power, she had slain the abbot of Xuanzhen Temple unscathed, her shattered sword re-forging itself to cleave through the abbot’s magical form—an unforgettable sight.

“What do you mean?” Qi Fei looked at Zhuo Jin’er, a trace of suspicion in his eyes.

Zhuo Jin’er thought for a moment before replying, “The Chu clan has ruled Yongzhou’s nine counties for years. The Marquis of Might’s residence surely holds many divine weapons. Chu Qingyun is eager to win you over—why not ask to borrow one of their treasures?”

Qi Fei was surprised. Zhuo Jin’er had warned him not to be taken in by Chu Qingyun’s pretenses before; why suggest borrowing a weapon from him now?

Zhuo Jin’er seemed to read his thoughts and flashed him a sly smile. Instantly, Qi Fei understood her intent.

If he could borrow a divine weapon from Chu Qingyun, it would be used against Sima Yan and Chu Yanran. Should Chu Yanran meet her end, chaos would erupt in the Chu clan, leaving Chu Qingyun too distracted to recruit him.

Qi Fei, sensing Zhuo Jin’er’s confidence, said, “Very well. Today I shall descend the mountain and visit the Marquis’s residence. Whether Chu Qingyun will lend me a suitable weapon remains to be seen.”

Mo Zhanpeng, aware of the gravity of the situation, quickly added, “It’s rumored that the Marquis has just returned from the border and is furious that Chu Qingyun allied with the Seven Absolutes against Xuanzhen Temple. You became famous by defeating Cheng Feng. You must be vigilant at the Marquis’s residence.”

“I understand.”

Qi Fei and Zhuo Jin’er left the grand hall and returned to their quarters. Fearing Zhuo Jin’er might cause trouble within the sect, Qi Fei had arranged for her to stay in the neighboring room.

Entering his quarters, Qi Fei’s face became grave. “There is surely deeper meaning behind Sima Yan’s three-day challenge. What is your view?”

Zhuo Jin’er smiled. “Since you see through Sima Yan’s malice, why not speak plainly to your master in the hall?”

“Sima Yan hopes to force me, still wounded, to seek Chu Qingyun’s protection by issuing a three-day challenge. Likely, Sima Yan and his followers are already lying in wait at the foot of the mountain. But now that I’m healed and have mastered Pure Yang Qi, neither he nor the Seven Absolutes concern me.”

“So, you mean to meet Sima Yan and his men head-on?”

Qi Fei nodded. “Exactly. Since Sima Yan expects me to seek out Chu Qingyun, I’ll use this as an opportunity to uproot the Seven Absolutes once and for all.”

Steadying himself, he asked, “Zhuo Jin’er, do you have any clever plan to help me borrow a divine weapon from the Marquis’s residence?”

“Oh? Now that you need something, you address me by name?” Zhuo Jin’er teased, a mischievous light in her eyes.

Qi Fei looked a little embarrassed, then said coldly, “Enough with the jokes. You thought of borrowing a weapon from the Marquis’s residence—surely you have a plan. Consider it another debt I owe you. Out with it.”

Zhuo Jin’er shot him a disgruntled look. “Fine, I yield. You’re no fool yourself—since Chu Qingyun is eager to win you over, surely you know how to play along.”

Qi Fei knew her temperament well and shook his head. “If it were any ordinary weapon, Chu Qingyun would not be stingy. But just now in the hall, when you mentioned the sword Chu Yanran wielded, you seemed moved. Does the Marquis’s residence house a weapon as powerful as that sword?”

“Qi Fei, can you also read minds?” Zhuo Jin’er smiled. “To orchestrate Chu Yanran’s demise, I researched the Chu clan thoroughly. The divine sword in Chu Yanran’s hand is called Starshatter—a masterpiece of the late dynasty’s renowned smith Ouyang Ming, one of the Four Divine Weapons forged from thousand-year iron.”

“You mean the weapon you want me to borrow is another of the Four Divine Weapons, as powerful as Starshatter?” Qi Fei was astonished. The Starshatter sword was legendary; even if Chu Qingyun wanted his allegiance, would he so easily lend such a treasure?

“Precisely. What you must obtain is the Cold Soul Blade once wielded by Marquis of Might, Chu Huaiyuan.” Zhuo Jin’er’s expression turned resolute. “Your innate qi perfectly complements the Seven Absolutes’ Yin Fiend Blade Technique. With the Cold Soul Blade, your power would be unrivaled.”

The name alone tempted Qi Fei. But acquiring such a weapon would be no easy task. He asked, “The Cold Soul Blade belongs to Chu Huaiyuan. Borrowing it from Chu Qingyun may be difficult. What is your plan?”

Zhuo Jin’er replied evenly, “Chu Huaiyuan’s Golden Martial Soul has long been perfected; the Cold Soul Blade is useless to him. Chu Qingyun, however, has a bitter rival—his younger brother Chu Qingchen. The two have fought over the marquisate for years. All you need do is promise to help Chu Qingyun eliminate this rival, and he’ll have every reason to lend you the blade.”

Qi Fei was overjoyed. If the Cold Soul Blade’s power matched that of Starshatter, with it, he might even stand against the martial grandmaster Chu Yanran.

“You’re not coming down the mountain with me?” The two of them had been inseparable these last days, so Qi Fei was surprised by her lack of intention to go.

Zhuo Jin’er shook her head slowly. “No. If you cannot handle Sima Yan and the Seven Absolutes, then I’ve misjudged you. Besides, though the Chu clan’s Void Realm master who defeated the Yin-Yang Lord is gone, the Marquis’s residence is still full of experts. Last time I infiltrated the residence at night, I barely escaped. Sima Yan is desperate; he must have guessed that you and I merely use each other, hence the three-day challenge to force your hand. If I get involved, it may only complicate matters and drag you into trouble.”

Qi Fei sighed inwardly. Zhuo Jin’er, after all, was a practitioner of the demonic Yin-Yang arts—her caution was understandable.

“What if Chu Yanran is waiting in ambush with Sima Yan? Aren’t you afraid I’ll die at the hands of a martial grandmaster?”

“Chu Yanran is not someone Sima Yan can command. If I don’t act, Sima Yan won’t bring a martial grandmaster to deal with you. Besides, Sima Yan doesn’t know your injuries have healed. He thinks the Seven Absolutes’ experts are enough to kill you. Why would he trouble Chu Yanran?”

After a moment’s thought, Qi Fei said, “There’s no time to lose. I’ll go down the mountain at once to see if Sima Yan and his men are lying in wait, as we suspect. Zhuo Jin’er, while I’m away, don’t cause any trouble here on Qingyang Peak.”

Zhuo Jin’er shot him a glare and admonished, “Sima Yan is likely no match for you, but don’t show mercy if other Seven Absolutes experts appear. When innate masters fight, the mountain’s spiritual energy will certainly be disturbed—Chu Yanran will notice. After you kill Sima Yan, hurry to the city of Huaiyang. If Chu Yanran pursues, don’t fight her head-on. Just flee to the Marquis’s residence and you’ll be safe.”

Qi Fei was startled, realizing that Zhuo Jin’er wanted him to exploit the discord between Chu Yanran and the Marquis’s household to maneuver freely. Their alliance was one of mutual use; clearly, Zhuo Jin’er was unwilling to confront the Seven Absolutes or reveal herself to Chu Yanran.

Bidding Zhuo Jin’er farewell, Qi Fei strode out of his quarters, gathered his innate qi, and sped down Qingyang Peak.

(P.S. A struggling newcomer can’t catch a break!)