Chapter 185: 47: The Mystery of Time

The two hundred and seventy-fifth generation Chief Disciple, Song He, was captured by the elders of the Disciplinary Hall due to the leakage of his collusion with the Demon Cult!

This heavy news spread quickly among the Inner Sect Disciples, but was soon contained, as if the higher-ups of Kunlun had intervened.

However, at the Ziwei Master’s scripture lecture, the ironclad fact was that Song He had not attended.

The Sect Leader’s Direct Disciples at the scene looked at each other, but none dared to ask about it.

The Ziwei Master didn’t bother to explain, merely having the disciples behind move up one place each.

Thus, everyone began to feel a sense of foreboding.

After the scripture lecture, Qiu Changtian privately sought out Xu Changqing, the Foundation Establishment Rank’s eldest senior brother, to inquire about Song He’s situation.

“He brought about his own destruction through his misdeeds,” Xu Changqing clearly knew something, but he spoke lightly.

“Senior Brother Xu,” Qiu Changtian pretended not to believe what he heard, continuing to probe, “What exactly happened? Is there a possibility that Brother Song has been wronged…”

“Wronged?” Xu Changqing revealed a somewhat strange expression, then shook his head, “Not likely. This time the evidence is irrefutable, he has no way to deny it.”

“There’s actually a witness?” Qiu Changtian was shocked, “I heard he was accused of colluding with the Nether Ghost Path, can we even trust what the Demon Cult has to say?”

“The collusion with the Demon Cult is true, but the witness is actually a Loose Cultivator,” said Xu Changqing.

A Loose Cultivator?

Doubts grew in Qiu Changtian’s mind, and after bidding farewell to Xu Changqing, he flew on his sword to the Disciplinary Hall.

Song He plotting against him was something he could not possibly have been completely unaware of.

It’s just that at the time, Qiu Changtian was only at the Marrow Cleansing Rank, with the trial at the Demon Locking Tower imminent. He thought to elevate himself to the Refining Mansion Rank first, then find an opportunity to investigate properly.

But before he had the chance to investigate, Song He was suddenly killed by an outsider. What was the meaning of this?

Arriving at the Disciplinary Hall, Qiu Changtian requested to view the relevant files.

“Junior Brother Qiu, this isn’t quite proper,” the officer of the Disciplinary Hall refused, saying, “Regarding this case, the Sect Leader has already ordered strict handling, how can I reveal the details to you so casually?”

“The Sect Leader is my master,” Qiu Changtian couldn’t help but smile wryly, “If I didn’t want to trouble his Excellency, I would’ve already asked him myself.”

Thinking it over, the officer realized this was true: Now that Song He had been imprisoned, and once Xu Changqing entered the Golden Core Realm, this Qiu Changtian would be taking over the position of the Chief Disciple of the Foundation Establishment Realm. There was no point in creating discord over this matter.

Furthermore, as the victim in this case, Qiu Changtian was more than justified in seeking information. Even if details were disclosed to him and the elders asked later, the officer could always claim it was out of respect for the Sect Leader…

After all, the Kunlun Taiqing Sect didn’t have a policy of “governing the faction by the law,” so as long as he could convince the elders of the Disciplinary Hall, and the Sect Leader didn’t pursue the matter, wouldn’t it be settled?

“Alright then, but Junior Brother Qiu must not share this information, lest you make things difficult for us,” the officer finally relented with a “troubled” face.

Qiu Changtian naturally understood what the officer meant, and quickly assured him that he wouldn’t, then inquired about the officer’s specific name to show familiarity.

Following the officer into the Disciplinary Hall, Qiu Changtian discovered for the first time that the place was built inside the mountain, and that the surrounding walls, ceiling, and floor were all engraved with dense arrays that seemed familiar in style.

“This Disciplinary Hall and the dungeons below were once used to imprison war prisoners during ancient Kunlun times,” seeing Qiu Changtian seemed interested, the officer introduced, “But their construction predates ancient Kunlun by much more, we suspect it’s of the same era as the Shushan Demon Locking Tower, look at these runic scripts that resemble Immortal Seal Script…”

Qiu Changtian nodded slightly, looking around, but continued moving without stopping, and quickly arrived at the place where the scrolls were stored.

The officer took out the scroll from the cabinet, handed it to Qiu Changtian, and reminded him,

“You can only view it here, leave no trace, nor are you allowed to take it away.”

Qiu Changtian thanked him and then began to read the scroll.

Hm?!!

In the section concerning the witness, four big characters were written:

Loose Cultivator Guo Jin.

……

Leaving the Disciplinary Hall with a heavy heart, Qiu Changtian couldn’t help but sigh as he flew back to the Golden Ridge Cave Abode on his sword:

“Ah Jing, do you think the future has already been woven together?”

“Of course not,” the Kunlun Mirror, knowing what he was thinking, gently consoled him, “If everything were predestined, then the world would have to embrace a doomed fate, so why bother sending you here through time?”

“What if my travel through time isn’t outside the tapestry of fate, but part of it?” Qiu Changtian sighed deeply and expressed his melancholy thoughts. “Do you think there’s a possibility that all the destinies in this world are scripted in some book, and that we are actually the protagonists in a novel…”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Shameless,” the Kunlun Mirror said speechlessly, “Protagonists in novels are either scholarly talents or princes and generals. Do you think you’re as refined and gentle as a scholarly talent, or as shrewd and capable as a prince or general? Your character isn’t like a protagonist at all, okay?”

“Ah Jing,” Qiu Changtian earnestly said, “I don’t know what era of romance script you’re referring to, but those novels with a protagonist whose character is either wimpy or overbearing have long been eliminated by the market. Nowadays, popular novel protagonists are extremely perfect, handsome and dashing, elegant and romantic, wise and brave, with extraordinary courage and insight – these are all standard character settings, and relying on a single label simply won’t cut it.”

“What are ‘wimpy’ and ‘overbearing’ anyway…” the Kunlun Mirror said helplessly, “Forget it, stop rambling and focus on the task at hand.”

“That’s all I can do,” Qiu Changtian nodded in agreement.

He certainly understood what the Kunlun Mirror meant: It was nothing more than worrying that he would lose his subjective initiative by getting caught up in philosophical speculation about predestination.

I am not someone who would so easily submit to fate!

“Ah Jing, let’s teleport!” After returning to the Golden Ridge Cave Abode, Qiu Changtian rallied his spirits and spoke, “Let’s go check what’s really going on with Wei Dongliu!”

“Okay,” the Kunlun Mirror began to recite:

[Destination Four: Tongtian Gorge, Shiping Mountain.]

[Identity: Wei Dongliu.]

[Mirror Flower Water Moon Template overlapping, time-space travel in progress.]

Wei Dongliu rose from bed and went to the next room to check on the progress of his new disciple’s training.

“How is your training going, Guo Jin?”

“Reporting to Master,” answered Guo Jin, “I am still cultivating my Qi Sea.”

Wei Dongliu glared and questioned:

“After so many days, why are you still cultivating your Qi Sea? I’m giving you two more weeks. If you can’t cultivate your Qi Sea by then, don’t claim to be a disciple of Wei Dongliu when you’re outside!”

“Yes, Master,” Guo Jin replied naively.

Only after Wei Dongliu had left with his hands behind his back did Guo Jin’s face fill with worry.

What do you mean ‘so many days’? Didn’t Master just teach me the cultivation technique yesterday?

I’d better focus on cultivating…

Wei Dongliu, completely oblivious to the fact that he was complicating his disciple’s situation by adding the timelines from other narrative threads to his own, hurried back to his residence, puffing with anger.

Opening the Sealing Altar, he saw the golden color of the Hundred-Poison Golden Silkworm Gu extending to the second section of the shell’s wing case.

Very good, according to ancient texts, the process slows towards the end, and it should take almost one more year to mature.

Wei Dongliu cast several spells to activate the array in his room, then took out the Myriad Demons Evil Spirit Sword.

As soon as the sword was revealed, a wail of ghosts ensued. Fortunately, the array completely blocked out the noise, or else it would have alarmed the area for miles around.

But if he planned to use it outside, there was no way to set up an array to isolate it every time the sword was drawn.

Best to refine and assimilate it quickly.