Immortality by Merit and Sin Coins

Chapter 243: Chapter 129: The Qi Family’s Suppression

She was the Mountain Master the Yu Family had arranged for Yu Sheng.

The Storage Ring contained the resources for recruiting and nurturing this Mountain Master Disciple.

’Since you’re such a hopeless case, I’ll just take this disciple, then.’

Yu Mingxuan sneered and casually put the Storage Ring away.

’Within an Immortal Sect, a Mountain Master’s status is quite high, granting them a degree of autonomy. If that young disciple happens to look down on Yu Sheng, the clan can’t blame me for handling things poorly.’

...

「At dusk.」

The elegant little courtyard received a few more guests.

”Please.”

The ugly man stood sullenly at the courtyard gate.

Ever since Old Yang had told him to serve Master Lin well, aside from cleaning the various courtyards, he had truly become the house’s attendant in his spare time.

But his movements were still awkward; he was clumsy even with simple tasks like brewing tea and serving water.

”Brother Lin, we meet again.”

Ruan Xiangling glanced curiously at the fool, not understanding why Lin Shu would find such an ugly attendant.

Behind her, Ruan Changfeng cupped his fists toward the young man in the courtyard. ”I pay my respects to the Yu Family’s Mountain Master.”

The two siblings were both in plainclothes. Chang Yi, in contrast, wore a well-fitted Captain’s black shirt with a Treasure Saber at his waist. Despite his slightly dark skin, he cut a valiant and heroic figure.

”Please, have a seat, everyone.”

Lin Shu had just been worrying about how to inquire about the Qi Family, and now these two Vice Generals from the Demon-slaying Bureau had shown up on his doorstep.

’I’ve heard these two are the disciples of some big shot in the Demon-slaying Bureau.’

’If I can re-establish this connection, it will be much easier to investigate the matter of the heart.’

”This Mountain Leader’s Attire is so luxurious.”

Ruan Xiangling couldn’t help but sigh in admiration, but she quickly averted her gaze.

’It’s one thing to like it, but without the right qualifications, forcing yourself to wear this attire would just feel like sitting on pins and needles.’

’Forget about me—even Lin Shu, who earned a great reputation in the Border Region and obtained his Mountain Master status through solid achievements, couldn’t escape the gossip.’

On the surface, everyone was respectful.

But behind his back, they laughed endlessly.

They were saying things like he’d managed to become a Mountain Master just by bullying Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

If they had known it was that easy, their group of Core Formation Cultivators should never have left the Border Region.

’But no one considered that when Lin Shu first arrived at Yongzhou Pass, he also only had a Foundation Establishment Cultivation.’

’And when that group of so-called Core Formation Cultivators left upon completing their five-year trial, how many of them had successfully broken through?’

’Unfortunately, even the Yu Family’s own attitude toward this special Mountain Master Disciple was extremely strange.’

’It was as if he was a family embarrassment they wanted to hide away.’

Even though Ruan Xiangling felt indignant, her words carried little weight.

”You two have come to visit. Is there something you need?”

Lin Shu noticed the strange change in Ruan Xiangling’s expression when she mentioned the Mountain Leader’s Attire, but he didn’t pay it much mind.

’This identity as a Mountain Master Disciple was just a convenient title to use while traveling in Yongzhou.’

’Besides...’

’The merits he had earned with his own two hands among the Signal Towers... ’

’Why should he feel ashamed just because of others’ gossip?’

”It’s nothing. We were dismissed, weren’t we? Just bored with nothing to do.”

Ruan Xiangling smiled. ”We heard you were back, so we came to catch up.”

”Don’t talk nonsense.” Ruan Changfeng shot her a glare, then turned back and explained helplessly, ”We’re just on leave for a while.”

...

Seeing this, Lin Shu more or less figured it out.

’The matter of these Vice Generals leading their troops in a retreat from Yongzhou Pass had most likely displeased their superiors.’

”What’s there to hide? Yongzhou Pass has been renamed Dragon Ridge. Doesn’t that prove our judgment was correct?”

Ruan Xiangling got angry just talking about it. With a face full of defiance, she said, ”And it just so happens Brother Lin is here too. He personally experienced that demon attack. Even if the four of us hadn’t left, what difference could we, plus those Captains and constables, have possibly made?”

”We’d already realized something was wrong. What’s the problem with rushing back to deliver a warning?”

”That Lei Shouren was afraid of angering Yu Qiheng, so he didn’t dare make a fuss, and now he’s trying to blame us for it.”

Ruan Xiangling was so angry she started to laugh. ”It was Yu Qiheng and that bunch of City Lords who failed to guard the Border Region properly, allowing the Demons to grow so powerful.”

”Faced with such a severe demon scourge, a dignified Demon-slaying General didn’t even dare to report to the State Yamen, point out Yu Qiheng’s negligence, and request that the garrison be reinforced.”

”Now, the scions of numerous Immortal Families have perished at Dragon Ridge.”

”To appease their anger, Lei Shouren actually chose to make us the scapegoats.”

”If our master wasn’t the General of Yongzhou, the few of us Vice Generals would probably be facing more than just a forced suspension.”

”We could have been charged with desertion, stripped of our Profound Armor, and pushed out for execution.”

”Brother Lin, what do you say? You think if we’d thrown another thousand lives at them, that pack of Fierce Demons would have just eaten their fill and left Yongzhou Pass?”

”That makes sense.” Lin Shu nodded lightly.

”Senior Brother Mountain Master, please don’t encourage her.” Ruan Changfeng sighed, feeling a bit helpless. If she kept speaking so recklessly, their master, whose position was already precarious, would probably be denounced in several more official reports.

Just then, two graceful figures came flying in from outside.

With a WHOOSH, Yu Sheng threw herself onto Lin Shu’s back, wrapping her fair, tender arms around his neck and pressing against him with a giggle. ”I’m back! Did you miss me?”

...

At this scene, the expressions of the two siblings turned to alarm.

’Is this something we should be seeing?’

’The dignified Vice Mountain Master of Qiankun Academy was acting like a little girl, fawning over her disciple?!’

’Even though there had long been rumors that something had happened to Yu Sheng in her youth, and that Lin Shu alone had protected her as she grew up.’