Immortal of the Nine Realms

Hua Qianchi’s face was filled with fear. “Get me out of here, Protector Zhao!”

Leave me hanging?

Seeing the attitude of Protector Bai Li and others, he knew that if he couldn’t leave today, he might be publicly humiliated for a long time to come! He could not endure such disgrace.

“Alas...” Protector Zhao sighed softly. “You’re truly foolish. Do you understand what mistake you’ve made?”

Hua Qianchi gritted his teeth. “If I fulfilled the bet, I’d have been the sinner of the Nine Yang Dao Sect.”

Protector Zhao shook his head gently. “What you did right was not fulfilling the bet. What you did wrong was making such a bet lightly without knowing the person’s background. Even with the combined efforts of Protector Bai Li and others, they still couldn’t take him down.

”Can’t you see the pattern? His background is not simple; he’s definitely not just a mere cultivator from the Grand Thousand Dao Sect.”

He paused. “I can’t take you away today. I fear I might end up staying here with you if I do. Don’t blame me.”

By the time Hua Qianchi realized it, Protector Zhao and his people had already left.

“You guys...!”

Hua Qianchi spat out a mouthful of blood in anger, his face growing increasingly haggard.

“Senior Hua is so pitiful... This is too much...” Qin Xuan’s face turned pale as she looked at Qin Nie. “Brother Nie, can we find a way to save Senior Hua?”

“Saving him is simple, but...” Qin Nie shook his head, “the Nine Yang Dao Sect is already aware of this matter, and it should be up to them to decide what to do. If we act on our own, we might end up making things worse despite our good intentions.”

“Indeed, the Nine Yang Dao Sect has lost face this time. They need to restore it themselves; we shouldn’t interfere.” Qi Fa nodded. He then cursed softly, “I was caught in the collateral for no reason! How bad could my luck be!”

Qi Fa instinctively touched his fingers, but his face went pale when he realized something. He looked at Qin Nie with alarm. “My storage ring has been stolen!”

The realization that his storage ring had been stolen caused a stir among Qin Xuan and the others. This was a serious problem. Qi Fa’s status was significant, and if his storage ring was stolen within the boundaries of the Immortal Qin Clan, it could lead to the Azure Dao Manor Lord questioning them!

The next moment, they all discovered their storage rings were also missing. Many people realized that their storage rings had vanished after the incident. Complaints and curses filled the Immortal Origin District.

“Young Master Qi Fa, don’t worry. I will help you find this little thief,” Qin Nie reassured him.

He peered down at his own ring, promptly his expression to stiffen.

It’s gone! My storage ring is also missing?!

Qin Nie’s expression turned grim. The ring contained something extremely valuable and important to him!

“What’s wrong? Your storage ring is missing too? It must have been taken while we were unconscious due to the aftershocks! The thief probably hasn’t left yet. Immediately order people to seal off the area and catch this thief. I want to make him pay!” Qi Fa roared angrily.

Qin Nie was tongue-tied. Finally, he turned to the black-clad cultivators around him. “When we were unconscious, was anyone near us?”

“We noticed something was wrong and immediately stood guard by the young masters. If there was indeed a thief, they should have been among the patrons in the tea house with the young masters at that time,” the black-clad cultivator said, frowning in analysis.

“Could it be that scammer? He’s the one who caused us to be affected by the aftershocks,” Qin Xuan said angrily. “I want to find him and get some answers!”

Qin Nie stopped Qin Xuan. “Wait.”

Seeing her puzzled expression, he took a deep breath and said slowly, “I’ll handle this. After all, he was invited here by your mother. If you keep causing trouble, it might upset her.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Brother Nie.”

“There are other suspects besides him....”

Glancing around, Qin Nie whispered a few words to the black-clad cultivators beside him, then hurried off to catch up with Fang Chen and the others.

***

At the Qin residence.

Chu Lan looked anxious. The maids and servants around her couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. They knew that the troubles caused by Young Master Qin Feng were making the First Lady distressed during this time.

“First Lady, they have returned,” a servant reported.

Chu Lan gave a composed nod. “Please, let them in.”

Standing behind her, He Baiyan hesitated to speak.“First Lady....”

“He Baiyan, you’ve disappointed me,” Chu Lan said softly.

He Baiyan’s expression changed. Many words of explanation were on the tip of his tongue but remained unsaid, ultimately turning into a forced chuckle.

“Knowing that Young Master Fang was my last hope, you repeatedly went against him due to your own views on the matter,” Chu Lan growled. “I asked you to follow them because I was worried about their safety. Why didn’t you intervene before they made the bet? Why wait until the bet was almost over to inform me?”

“First Lady, I didn’t want you to be deceived,” He Baiyan said with a forced chuckle.

“Do you think I’m truly that foolish?”

Chu Lan’s tone was cold.

“That’s not it... First Lady, you are worried about your son and thus confused,” He Baiyan stated, shaking his head.

“Leave now. Take this time to think carefully, and come back only when you’ve made up your mind. If you don’t come back, it’s fine. If I can’t resolve Feng’er’s troubles at the council, I probably won’t stay with the Immortal Qin Clan any longer,” Chu Lan said, waving her sleeve lightly.

He Baiyan stiffened slightly. After a moment of silence, he clasped his hands and bowed. “Then I will take my leave.”

As he left the hall, he happened to cross paths with Fang Chen and the others. He Baiyan glanced at Fang Chen, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent.

“Daoist Fang, it seems Daoist He wants to devour you,” Li Daoye said with a smile.

“Let him be,” Fang Chen said with a chuckle, shaking his head.

Fang Chen entered the hall.

Chu Lan forced a smile upon seeing the two. After some casual conversation, she found an excuse to send Li Daoye away.

Once Li Daoye had left, Chu Lan’s expression became serious. With a mix of anticipation and anxiety, she looked at Fang Chen and asked, “Daoist Fang did you...”

“Fortunately, I have not failed my mission.” Fang Chen took out a storage ring and handed it to Chu Lan. “The Three Solar Fruit is inside.”

Chu Lan’s hands trembled slightly as she received the ring. She immediately checked its contents and indeed found the Three Solar Fruit. At that moment, her long-held grievances found an outlet, and her eyes reddened instantly, her voice tinged with a hint of tears. “Thank you, Daoist Fang.”

Fang Chen sighed softly in his heart, thinking that perhaps all mothers were the same.

“First Lady, it’s best to wait until the council to present the Three Solar Fruit. It will be more effective then,” Fang Chen advised.

Chu Lan was puzzled. “Why? If I give the Three Solar Fruit to the ancestor now, wouldn’t the issue be resolved?”

Fang Chen smiled faintly. “If we can’t unearth key figures from the Spirit Blood Sect, this time it’s the Three Solar Fruit, next time it might be the Four Solar Fruit, or even the Five Solar Fruit. Can you truly be at ease?”

Chu Lan was silent for a few moments before nodding gently. “I will follow your advice.”

After a pause, her eyes showed a trace of concern. “Qin Nie will likely be suspicious of you.”

“Yes, he will be suspicious, but he won’t be able to determine anything. That’s for the best. Given the circumstances, I don’t believe he’ll abandon his plans. As long as he suspects me, he will try various methods to probe me before the council. This will allow some of his associates to naturally reveal themselves.”

Chu Lan smiled and nodded. “Then I wish you success.”

“First Lady, Young Master Qin Nie has arrived!”

The two exchanged a look, not surprised by the announcement.