Volume 4, Chapter 128 – Holding the Upper Hand

“You should know, little sister, that the Demon Court has countless experts hidden away. On the surface, they say they do not interfere with people’s conduct in the outside world, but in truth they still issue all sorts of rules, and anyone who violates them is punished,” Zhu Qingluo said.

Bai Xiang nodded.

She did know that much.

For example, the demon race was not allowed to openly form factions for the purpose of targeting or slaughtering human forces.

There were also Dao Bells placed throughout the Thirty-Three Heavenly Seas, and many other scattered little rules that did not really count as formal laws.

“They are not ‘little rules’ at all,” Zhu Qingluo said again.

“You should know, little sister, that inside the Demon Court there are thirty-three halls.”

“There are thirty-three halls and thirty-three hall masters. Each hall master governs one share of a Sacred Dao order, ensuring that the Void Realm develops and operates in the direction they desire.”

“For example, the Heaven-Watch Hall is specifically responsible for overseeing all things under heaven. The Heaven’s Pride List, the Venerable List, and a whole series of other rankings all come from the Heaven-Watch Hall.”

“Then there is the Immortal Works Hall. Their craftsmanship is peerless in all the world. The Black Venerable Card and the Venerable Net both come from them.”

Bai Xiang more or less understood and asked, “So the Transmitters refers to one of those hall masters?”

“It refers to the master of the Transmission Hall,” Zhu Qingluo said with a nod. “That hall is responsible for the inheritance of Dao-Void Methods. Even among the thirty-three halls, it is one of the most important and ranks near the top. So long as the Transmitter remains, and so long as they occupy the seat of the Transmission Divine Pool, then even if someone else creates a new law, it will likely still be very difficult to break through the restrictions of the Transmission Divine Pool and imprint that method into other people’s hearts.”

So that was it.

Bai Xiang finally understood. No wonder she had put the Shenming Qi-Refining Art online, yet the real-world response had fallen far short of expectations.

After returning from Shenwu Heaven, she had in fact asked Xiang Xian and Bai Shengju about the development of the Path of Qi in Great Yu. The reply she received was, “Outside Maozhou, it has barely risen at all. Even in Maozhou, apart from those disciples who have entered the Dao, very few have achieved much.”

In other words, people in Maozhou still needed to enter the Shenming Sword Dao system and study there in order to steadily get started. Very few private practitioners had achieved anything.

Other provinces were even worse. Online, everyone was saying Bai Xiang was a fraud.

At the time, Bai Xiang had been puzzled. If it had been because of court suppression, or because people simply could not see the method and thus had no way to practice it, that would have been one thing.

But judging from many online comments, they had seen the method and had practiced it. Among them were even some moderately well-known genius sword students.

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And yet those people still failed to produce any results. That was deeply unscientific.

Now, after hearing Zhu Qingluo’s explanation of the Demon Court, she finally understood. Just as Dao-Void Methods were protected by the Demon Court’s Transmission Hall, the Sword Dao Divine Pool, which was controlled by the court, would also interfere in secret and prevent subjects from being taken away by the Path of Qi.

But Han Yinshuang had given her a different account.

Han Yinshuang of the Red Dust Sword Dao had once been given a copy of the Shenming Qi-Refining Art by Bai Xiang and told to take it back and recruit disciples with it.

News had come back from Liangzhou in dribs and drabs, saying that while not many had mastered it, neither was the number especially small. So what was the explanation there?

Could it be because that copy of the art had been written by her own hand?

And what about Li Sheng and the others, or the disciples within the dojo who had succeeded? Was it because they had all heard her explain the key points of the method in person?

Was the key lying with her?

As if she had seen through Bai Xiang’s confusion, Zhu Qingluo nodded and said, “You should have realized it now, little sister. Under the restrictions of these Heavenly Dao Divine Pools, unless someone has substantial karma tied to you, they likely cannot cultivate your new law.”

“Even a heaven-defying genius, if too deeply influenced by those rules, may well learn your new law only to forget it again the moment they turn around.”

“These are not things ordinary people should know, are they?” Bai Xiang said, looking at her. “I’m now very curious who you really are.”

What she was asking about here was no longer family background or name.

She meant status, the sort of status that would allow someone to know these secrets.

“As for my identity… to be honest, it is somewhat complicated.” Zhu Qingluo frowned. “For now I can only tell you that I have certain ties to the Demon Court… perhaps even enmity with it. So I will not help them plot against you.”

“So borrowing the treasure is also for the sake of dealing with the Demon Court?” Bai Xiang’s gaze sharpened. “Doing some great thing? You want to overturn the Demon Court’s rule?”

“…That’s right.” Zhu Qingluo nodded, her gaze firm. “Rather than letting you remain trapped in this spiderweb, little sister, slowly being smothered to death by them, why not strike at the root and make them turn their attention to me? That way you can gain time for your cultivation… or for transmitting your law.”

After saying this, Zhu Qingluo continued looking at Bai Xiang with expectant eyes.

She felt she had already laid out all the advantages and disadvantages clearly. Whether Bai Xiang had been taken over by some predecessor or was a peerless genius, anyone who had reached this point could not possibly fail to understand the logic.

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Bai Xiang would most likely agree.

This woman is not lying.

Bai Xiang repeatedly scanned Zhu Qingluo with Golden-Pupil Illusory God, confirming that she herself had not been affected by Zhu Qingluo’s Divine Pool.

“I can choose not to pursue whatever relationship you have with the Demon Court.”

Bai Xiang withdrew her gaze from Zhu Qingluo and looked straight ahead at the screen, at the splendid embroidery upon it.

Joy flashed across Zhu Qingluo’s face, but the very next moment she heard Bai Xiang continue, “But I will not lend you anything.”

This…

Zhu Qingluo’s eyes widened, and she could not help asking, “Why?”

She cannot keep her composure. Her nature might even be called somewhat innocent.

Silently, Bai Xiang lowered her evaluation of Zhu Qingluo yet another notch. Since she was the ancestor of an entire clan, had she really gained so little over all these years?

“Because I have use for it myself,” Bai Xiang said frankly.

“And great use at that.”

“As for the plan you mentioned, in my view, that is simply courting death.”

Bai Xiang was not lying. She truly thought so.

Zhu Qingluo’s cultivation was formidable, but if she thought she could overturn the Demon Court simply by obtaining the little yellow jade, then she was joking.

As for buying time, a promise with no guarantee behind it meant nothing. Bai Xiang was not the sort of person who liked handing her fate over to others. Of course she intended to keep control of the situation herself.

“You!”

Zhu Qingluo was a little angry.

She felt Bai Xiang did not know what was good for her.

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She had already explained everything so clearly. So what if she had concealed her true identity? Anyone who was not a fool could already infer quite a bit from what she had revealed. What difference did it make whether the question was asked explicitly or not?

Moreover, she could see that when Bai Xiang said she would not pursue the matter, she truly meant it. Bai Xiang really did not care who she was. She simply did not believe in Zhu Qingluo’s plan and intended to go it alone.

“Little sister Zhixing!” Zhu Qingluo emphasized. “I told you earlier that you were lucky. Do you really not understand what I meant?”

“I do,” Bai Xiang said, looking at her again, laughter glinting in her golden eyes. “But by the same token, wasn’t it also luck on your part that you were able to notice me and find me?”

“It evens out. I do not think I owe you anything.”

Zhu Qingluo narrowed her eyes, and the aura around her changed all at once.

“You want to make a move?”

Bai Xiang picked up her teacup, took a sip, and glanced sidelong at Zhu Qingluo.

“If the treasure’s aura leaks out again, whether it might attract your enemies… I cannot guarantee that.”

How can she be like this?

Zhu Qingluo truly lost her composure. Grinding her teeth, she looked at Bai Xiang, her not especially lofty chest rising and falling sharply as she struggled to believe what she had just heard.

She did not even know how things had developed into this situation.

Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be the one saying something like this, using it to threaten her?

How did it turn into her threatening me like this instead?

She acts as though she doesn’t care at all… but why does it feel like she genuinely doesn’t care?

Could it be that she is not bluffing?

Has she already made arrangements for how to use the Order-Preserving Treasure, and can break the situation at any time?

Looking at Bai Xiang with uncertainty and suspicion, Zhu Qingluo found herself not knowing what to do.

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Bai Xiang did not care about her confusion. After extracting the information she wanted, she stood up and left.

She still had a pile of things to attend to. She needed to go see what was happening on the Benling side.

That left Zhu Qingluo standing there glaring blankly. Only after quite some time did she finally react.

“I… I don’t care whether you’re bluffing or not!”

The woman in green flushed red with anger and clenched her fists stubbornly.

“I am going to see what cards you really have!”

“…Not because I’m worried the treasure will be taken by someone else!”

Still fuming, Zhu Qingluo strode out and at a glance saw the old beggar sitting grandly in the courtyard. A long table had been placed before him, covered with roast chicken, beef, fruit, and fine wine. In one hand he held a great bone with meat still on it, in the other a wine jug, and he was eating and drinking with gusto.

“You’re done?”

The moment he saw Zhu Qingluo come out, his eyes lit up.

“Did you finish talking with Fra… fragrant one?”

“The hell she is!”

Zhu Qingluo cursed in a low voice.

“All you know how to do is eat!”

“If you still want treatment, then get over here!”

?

The old beggar narrowed his eyes, looking puzzled.

But clearly he cared more about treatment, so after thinking it over, he still set down the bone, picked up the wine jug, and chased after her.