Chen Wentian was about to ask something else when he sensed an unexpected presence. He looked at the door and tensed. Another immortal had arrived, someone strong. He frowned when he realized who it was and looked at the two female immortals questioningly.
“Do not be alarmed. It was us who invited her. Orders from our abbotesses, you understand.” Gui Li said, “Come in, Immortal Gentle Lotus…”
It was indeed her. He didn't want to see her but he didn't have a choice in the matter.
Gong Liyun strode in and glanced around the room before settling her eyes on him. Her gaze did not have any hostility and was instead filled with a mix of unwillingness and regret.
Chen Wentian instinctively grabbed Long Yifei and held her behind him protectively.
Gong Liyun laughed wryly, “Don’t be silly. I’m not here to fight you.”
“Indeed.” Gui Li said and her partner Zhu Yao’er nodded as well.
There was a brief awkward silence as Chen Wentian eyed all three female immortals. It seemed that they had been communicating with each other while he was gone. He didn’t like it that they had done such things behind his back especially since Gong Liyun was partially responsible for the crisis in the first place.
“That’s right.” Zhu Yao’er answered the question that he did not vocalize, “We negotiated with Immortal Gong and we have come to a beneficial agreement.”
“What kind of agreement?” He asked suspiciously.“I will help you.” Gong Liyun answered. She ignored his incredulous look. “I will use my influence and power in the subcontinent to sweep this matter away. News of Long Yifei joining the Virtuous Order will be completely suppressed. I will not spare any resources to make this happen. The common people will soon forget that such a thing never happened while those whose memory cannot be influenced, I will force into keeping quiet.”
Chen Wentian scoffed, “What about the other Spirit Kings?”
Gong Liyun nodded, “As you know, two of them intended to help you originally so they won’t be a problem. Little Ming Mu wasn’t really on Abbotess Liang’s side either. He was just trying to cause trouble. The other kings and I will punish him and keep him in line. You don’t have to worry.”
“I appreciate the gesture but you’re not exactly a person I would trust anytime soon.” He said. He then looked at the Gui Li, “Your side is willing to trust her?”
Gui Li answered affirmatively, “We do. She managed to convince us adequately.”
“But she used to be a member of the Sororal Order!”
“We know but she was expelled.”
“And that’s enough?” He asked incredulously.
Gui Li looked at Gong Liyun and then back at him, “She revealed to us the consequences of her expulsion and we were able to verify certain facts and events that occurred. She has much more to lose with the reds, I assure you.”
Chen Wentian was still unconvinced and remained obstinate.
Seeing this, Gong Liyun twirled her fingers and a cloth sack appeared in her hand. The sack levitated to the nearby table and was emptied of its contents. A large number of spiritual crystals fell out, most of them were yellow, but a few were a brilliant green.
“…”
“The green spiritual crystals were what Abbotess Liang gave me in exchange for Long Yifei. The yellow spiritual crystals are from me. Compensation for my actions.” Gong Liyun said.
Chen Wentian would have rejected the spiritual crystals if he was a man of noble character. But he liked money so he accepted. The items disappeared into his spatial bag and a friendly, albeit fake, smile appeared on his face.
“Alright… I think we are in agreement!”
They all shared a laugh which was mostly disingenuous.
Gui Li clapped her hands in satisfaction, “In matters regarding Long Yifei, no one in the subcontinent will bother you. If anyone does, Immortal Gong and other kings will get rid of them. If it is something they cannot resolve, then the order will handle it.”
“Indeed.” Zhu Yao’er chimed in.
The two immortals of the order were satisfied with the arrangement and made to leave the room. Gong Liyun, on the other hand, remained behind.
Chen Wentian looked at her questioningly to which she held a finger to her lips. She waited until the other two female immortals had gone farther away and then spread her spiritual energy to create a barrier around them so that nobody outside the room would be able to eavesdrop.
When she was finally satisfied, she spoke to him in a hushed voice. “I wanted to give you a warning. Not about me or the Sororal Order but about the Virtuous Order, your new friends.”
“Oh?”
“Congratulations, you managed to keep your lovely disciple for now... But don’t celebrate too soon and forget your place in the world. The Martial Brilliance Continent is a completely different league compared to the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent. You will find that your talents aren’t that impressive over there. You will find that things are not always what they seem… that your new friends may not remain friends for long.”
Chen Wentian remained expressionless so she continued.
“From what I know about the Virtuous Order, you’ll be made her acolyte. That position seems honorable and mighty and it is. But for you, it is filled with dangers. If you aren’t careful… you will not only lose your position, you will lose Long Yifei and you might lose your life as well. You will slowly understand just how prized daughters and sisters of both orders are in the cultivation world. People are capable of doing anything to obtain them. You better stay vigilant when you enter the continent. I would hate to see my little dragon suffer at the hands of others.”
Chen Wentian took her words in and didn’t get offended or angry. He understood her intentions. He simply nodded and thanked her politely.
He was always a careful person so her words simply heightened his vigilance. He knew she wasn’t trying to make him distrust his new allies. She was simply stating facts.
It was fortunate that Zhu Yao’er had spoken the truth, at least the outward truth to those who did not know of his secrets. He was someone of no background, common talent, and a person with no remarkable attributes. If she thought this way, others in the order would surely think the same. He would receive no support from them and they would be glad to see him disappear.
While Long Yifei’s future path would be smooth and paved with gold and treasures, his path alongside her would surely be filled with unseen dangers. Every step of the way, he would be challenged, he would face resistance from all directions. It would be up to him and him alone to survive it.
This was the cost of seeking help from a superpower like the Virtuous Order of Chunzhen.
In some sense, Gong Liyun was a person who could be more helpful to him than anyone in the order. She was an outcast; someone not aligned with either order, whose loyalty was only to herself and those that could benefit her.
He remembered the spatial bag he had looted from Abbotess Liang’s body. Although the number of items within was high, there were many that he was unable to use or simply didn't recognize. They were accessible only to those related to the Sororal Order and who knew their secrets.
He wondered if Gong Liyun would be able to help him unlock some of those secrets. He wondered if she could ever be trustworthy enough.
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