Asked About The World Of Mortals

Chapter 19: Presenting the Sword

"If he's not a disciple of the National Teacher, then he must have heard some bad things about them. I've cooperated with Li Qinglin three times to eliminate demons. Just last night, we killed a corpse worm demon. Why do you think someone who eliminates demons shouldn't associate with Li Qinglin? What kind of prejudice is this?"

"Did you eliminate the corpse worm demon?" Ming He calmly replied, "It escaped, and I eliminated it."

Qin Yi: "......"

"Last night, I wanted to go see Prince Qinglin to confirm some things, but unexpectedly encountered the three of you on the way to the farm. Li Qinglin clearly has the ability to eliminate demons, but he pretended to be powerless and let the demon escape. His only concern is solving the mystery in the manor. Whether the demon runs away or dies is not important to him. He is a schemer, not a demon hunter."

Qin Yi felt embarrassed. It was true that Li Qinglin was not a righteous person who fought against demons and monsters. It would be the same if it were Li Qingjun. But this couldn't tarnish Li Qinglin's reputation. Everyone has their own path.

He sighed, "So... Ming He Daoist, what exactly do you want to express by telling me all this?"

"I want to say that someone like Li Qinglin would cooperate with demons if it benefits him."

"That's nonsense." Qin Yi frowned unhappily, "The one who truly cooperated with demons is..."

He stopped halfway, realizing that they were still at the entrance of Changsheng Temple. He couldn't speak recklessly.

But his expression towards the people in the temple had already shown his attitude. Ming He shook her head slightly, "I personally witnessed the National Teacher eliminating demons. He was ruthless and showed no mercy. On the other hand, on the night the Crown Prince was assassinated, there was Monster Qi as strong as lightning, appearing and disappearing in the Prince's residence. Even now, the Monster Qi remains dense there. I went to secretly investigate Prince Qinglin to confirm this matter."

Qin Yi was stunned. He repeated it in his mind several times and suddenly widened his eyes.

Ming He continued, "I see that the young master can wield a sword to eliminate demons and break through the Eight Gates Golden Locks. It's obvious that he is a cultivator. And the young master directly called Li Qinglin by name, indicating that he is not his subordinate. This leaves room for negotiation. If the young master still has some intention to eliminate demons and uphold justice, I wonder if he could help me with a small favor?"

Qin Yi squinted his eyes, "You want me to investigate the monsters in Li Qinglin's residence?"

"Exactly," Ming He sighed, "During my travels, I am dedicated to eliminating demons and upholding justice. I have made a vow to only use my skills against demons and monsters, not against ordinary people. Li Qinglin's residence is heavily guarded, so it would be inconvenient for me to forcefully enter and eliminate the demons."

Qin Yi looked at her for a long time and said seriously, "I'm sorry, but I have no intention of eliminating demons and upholding justice. If it's about eliminating demons and upholding justice, I can consider it."

The two terms sounded the same, and the nun couldn't understand what he was saying. She looked at him with a pair of big eyes, puzzled.

Only now did he notice a hint of innocence in this beautiful woman. The previous impression was too distant. Qin Yi suddenly felt amused. This nun was probably naive in certain aspects and not as unapproachable as he thought.

He finally translated his meaning, "I am not a cultivator at all, so I can't sense Monster Qi. I'm sorry, but I can't help."

After saying that, he turned around to leave. He didn't even enter Changsheng Temple. It seemed that this nun was more troublesome for him than Changsheng Temple.

Ming He sighed from behind, "Young master doesn't trust me."

Qin Yi didn't answer and silently walked back. He thought to himself, "Isn't that obvious? Li Qinglin has left a good impression on me. Even if we can't be called friends, we already have some rapport. Why would I trust a nun I've never met before?"

Is it because you're beautiful?

You haven't even asked for my name!

Even if Li Qinglin keeps monsters in his residence, it's not a big deal. As Ming He said, Li Qinglin is a schemer, not a demon hunter. It's not difficult to understand that a future king would cooperate with monsters in certain matters. Qin Yi didn't think it was necessary for him to get involved in such matters.

He came to cooperate with Li Qinglin to deal with the National Teacher, not to meddle in Li Qinglin's private affairs.

As for the "night of the Crown Prince's assassination"...

This nun came out of the National Teacher's temple. Who knows how much she is connected to the National Teacher? Maybe everything she said is a complete lie, using him for her own purposes?

It's better to keep a distance.

Just as he was thinking this, Ming He suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his way. Qin Yi said indifferently, "Do you have any further instructions, Daoist?"

Ming He didn't mind Qin Yi's increasingly distant tone. Instead, he handed over a wooden sword and said softly, "I apologize for being presumptuous. Upon further consideration, you indeed have no cultivation. It would be inconvenient for you to face demons forcibly... If you insist on entering the mansion, take this sword to protect yourself and avoid being harmed by demons."

Qin Yi looked down at the wooden sword, then glanced at Ming He.

Ming He's eyes remained clear, like water.

Like the Milky Way.

Qin Yi wanted to refuse, but after a moment's thought, he accepted the wooden sword and bowed politely before leaving without saying a word.

...

"What's going on?" When they were alone, Qin Yi immediately asked Liu Su in a low voice, "Did that nun follow us?"

Liu Su remained silent for a while before saying, "She didn't follow us, but it's better to speak softly. I don't know if she can eavesdrop with her spiritual awareness."

Qin Yi lowered his voice even more and asked, "What happened to you today? You're usually chatty, but now that we need your judgment on this nun, you've been silent from start to finish."

Liu Su sighed softly and said, "She is a formidable cultivator... Although she can't detect my presence with her current cultivation level, if I were to communicate with you using our souls in front of her, the fluctuation of soul power would be within her range of perception. It's better to be cautious."

"A formidable cultivator?" Qin Yi was taken aback.

Liu Su usually looked down on everyone, so Qin Yi believed that its previous owner must have been extraordinary. This was the first time he heard it describe someone as "formidable" in terms of cultivation.

Liu Su suddenly asked, "Why were you so nervous when she asked about your weapon? Were you afraid of being discovered?"

Qin Yi replied irritably, "Of course. That nun is unpredictable. What if she wanted to kill you?"

Liu Su fell silent. After a while, it chuckled softly, its meaning unclear.

It didn't continue the topic and slowly began talking about Ming He. "This nun is no older than twenty, yet she has already reached the Zither Heart Realm, no, she's about to complete it."

"What is the Zither Heart?" Qin Yi asked.

Liu Su, unusually without sarcasm, said, "...Never mind. Considering your obsession with Foundation Building and Gold Core, just think of it as Foundation Building."

"She's only at Foundation Building and hasn't even completed it yet. That doesn't sound impressive..."

"She's not even twenty! Do you know what that means?" Liu Su, who had softened its attitude, couldn't hold back anymore and almost cursed, "There are countless people who can't even establish a foundation in their entire lives, and she's about to complete it! That demon tiger you couldn't defeat, she could kill it with a breath. Li Qinglin, who seems formidable in martial arts, would be lucky to withstand a single move from her!"

Qin Yi suddenly said, "So, she's a true cultivator?"

"Yes, without a doubt. And her cultivation is extremely profound. It's definitely not comparable to those Spirit Gathering formations. I suspect she comes from a top-notch sect! Do you know what the peach wood sword she gave you is?"

"Like the one Yun Zhongzi gave to King Zhou?"

Liu Su hadn't heard that story and said directly, "She has enchanted this peach wood sword. As long as there are demons within its range, it will automatically thirst for their blood without harming humans. It is extremely powerful against demons. I can't determine the exact range of its demon-sensing ability, but this kind of enchantment that remains attached to an object is the foundation of crafting a Law Treasure."

Qin Yi stood there in a daze for a while, hesitating, "Could it be that she really wants to help me defend myself?"

Liu Su didn't answer.

When Qin Yi accepted the sword, his intention was to let Liu Su determine its origin and purpose. The result was unexpectedly that it was meant for demon-slaying. This was strange. He furrowed his brows and carefully considered all the circumstances, but it still seemed like a tangled mess. Why would a Foundation Building cultivator from a top-notch sect suddenly appear in this small southern country?

A true cultivator from a top-notch sect meant that she was definitely not under the tutelage of the national teacher. Even if Donghua Zi was considered, he didn't have that kind of status. Otherwise, Li Qinglin could just wash his hands of it and go to sleep, and there would be no need for a fight.

Although she was just passing through, she still seemed hostile towards Li Qinglin. If she really had any intentions, Li Qinglin would be in trouble.

"Forget it, let's go back to the mansion first. We don't know now, but we will eventually find out."