Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 205 Reveals the Purpose

The night at Qingcheng Mountain was quieter than Zhou Ning had imagined.

The windows of the side room were boarded up, leaving only a few small gaps through which moonlight streamed in, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

The air was filled with the scent of sandalwood, a unique spice from Qingcheng Mountain, said to have calming and soothing properties. But for Zhou Ning, the aroma only made him more alert.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. The shackles on his wrists were heavy, sealing his power of Dao integration.

Without true essence or divine sense, he was no different from an ordinary person at this moment.

But he wasn't in a hurry.

As Yan Chixia said, the Righteous Alliance could not produce conclusive evidence and had no choice but to release the person in the end.

All he has to do now is wait.

Wait until they find out the truth and he is exonerated.

Outside the window, the occasional sound of patrolling disciples' footsteps could be heard, neat and powerful.

The security at Qingcheng Mountain is very tight. Every incense stick's time, a group of people passes by, and not even a fly can get out.

"Young Master Zhou."

A low voice came from outside the door. Zhou Ning opened his eyes, walked to the door, and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Hyun Jung."

Zhou Ning was taken aback.

Xuanjing?

Why is she here?

"Miss Xuanjing, how did you get in?"

Xuan Jing said, "My senior brother is Xuan Zhenzi, so the people of Qingcheng Mountain wouldn't dare stop me. I brought you some food and left it at the door. Eat it while it's hot."

Zhou Ning said, "Thank you. Miss Xuanjing, how is the situation outside?"

Xuan Jing was silent for a moment, then said, "This is not good. Yu Zhenzi is insisting on punishing you."

"My senior brother and the other sect leaders are arguing their case, but Yu Zhenzi is the host after all, and his words carry a lot of weight."

"My senior brother asked me to tell you not to worry, he will find a way to get you out."

Zhou Ning said, "I understand. Please tell Daoist Xuanzhenzi that I have nothing to hide and that I am upright. Tell him not to fall out with Yuzhenzi because of me."

Hyun Jung sighed.

"Young Master Zhou, you always think of others first. You're in trouble yourself, yet you're still worried about others."

Zhou Ning smiled and said, "I'm used to it."

Xuan Jing didn't say anything more, and the sound of her footsteps gradually faded away.

Zhou Ning opened the door, where a food box was placed.

He brought it in, opened it, and found a bowl of hot porridge, two steamed buns, and several side dishes inside.

He ate slowly, a warm feeling welling up inside him.

Just then, a slight noise came from outside the window.

Zhou Ning put down his chopsticks and walked to the window, looking out through the crack.

Under the moonlight, a dark shadow was moving silently along the eaves.

He was agile and nimble, moving like a nimble cat as he darted across the rooftops.

The patrolling disciples walked right under his feet without noticing.

"A-Shu?" Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat.

The shadowy figure approached his window and gently tapped on the window frame.

Zhou Ning pushed open the window and, sure enough, saw Ashu squatting outside the window with a hint of anxiety on his face.

"Young Master Zhou, I've come to rescue you."

Zhou Ning shook his head: "No. If I run away, it will confirm my guilt."

Ashu said, "We can't worry about that now. That old bastard Yuzhenzi has already sent people to Lanruo Temple."

"He wants to arrest Jingchen and also shut down Lanruo Temple. Although Immortal Master Yan is not afraid of him, he does not want to fall out with the righteous alliance."

"If you don't get out of here soon, things will only get worse."

Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "Why does Yu Zhenzi want to capture Jing Chen?"

Ashu said, "He said Jingchen is a demon and must be sealed away."

"Actually, he wanted to steal the Phoenix Feather. I heard that the Phoenix Feather can not only suppress inner demons, but also help people break through the Tribulation Transcending stage."

"Yu Zhenzi inherited the cultivation of the old Yu Zhenzi, and his cultivation reached the peak of the Dao Integration stage. Naturally, he also wanted to obtain the Phoenix Feather."

Zhou Ning clenched his fist.

It turned out to be the case.

Yu Zhenzi targeted him not for justice, but for the Phoenix Feather.

His so-called "collusion with philanthropists" is nothing but an excuse.

His true purpose was to seize the Phoenix Feather and break through to the Tribulation Transcending stage.

"A-Shu, do you have a way to unlock these shackles?"

Ashu took out a black key from his pocket and proudly waved it.

"I hid in Qingcheng Mountain for several days and stole it from a disciple. They never dreamed that a little demon would dare to trespass on Qingcheng Mountain."

Zhou Ning took the key and unlocked the shackles.

The moment the shackles hit the ground, the power of Dao Integration surged back into his body like a tide, and his divine sense expanded again, covering the entire Qingcheng Mountain.

He could sense that there were hundreds of cultivators on the mountain, some meditating, some patrolling, and some talking in hushed tones.

Some of the auras were particularly powerful.

Yu Zhenzi, Xuan Zhenzi, Zhang Tianshi, Liu Zhenren...

They were all experts at the Dao Integration stage.

"Let's go." Zhou Ning pushed open the window and jumped out.

Ashu led him along the eaves, avoiding the patrolling disciples, and moved down the mountain.

Ashu was very familiar with the terrain of Qingcheng Mountain. He knew exactly where the paths were, where the sentries were, and where the restrictions were.

"A-Shu, how come you know Qingcheng Mountain so well?" Zhou Ning asked in a low voice.

Ashu said, "Before the True Emperor was sealed away, he sent me to Qingcheng Mountain to steal something. I have been lying in wait here for three months and have thoroughly explored every path."

Zhou Ning asked, "What did you steal?"

Ashu said, "It's a jade slip. It contains the sealing formation of the True Emperor of the Demon Realm. The True Emperor wanted me to find a way to break it. But I failed. The jade slip was hidden too deep; I couldn't get in at all."

The two stopped talking and sped up.

As they approached the foot of the mountain, a patrol of disciples suddenly appeared ahead.

The leader was a middle-aged man wearing a blue Taoist robe, with a dignified face; he was none other than Yu Zhenzi.

"Zhou Ning, you really wanted to escape." Yu Zhenzi sneered.

"I knew it, you had something to hide."

Zhou Ning stopped and looked at him calmly.

"Sect Leader Yu Zhenzi, I don't want to escape, but I don't want to be framed by you."

"You sent people to Lanruo Temple to arrest Jingchen, not for justice, but to steal the Phoenix Feather."

Yu Zhenzi's expression changed: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhou Ning said, "I'm not lying. You want to use the Phoenix Feather to break through to the Tribulation Transcending stage in one fell swoop, and thus take sole control of the Righteous Path Alliance, which is why you're willing to frame me."

A flicker of panic crossed Yu Zhenzi's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Zhou Ning, don't make false accusations. The evidence against you for colluding with those who indulge in pleasure-seeking is irrefutable. You won't be leaving Qingcheng Mountain today."

With a wave of his hand, his disciples drew their weapons and surrounded Zhou Ning and Ashu.

Ashu stood nervously behind Zhou Ning, his hand resting on the short sword at his waist.

"Young Master Zhou, what should we do?"

Zhou Ning did not answer, but instead drew the Heavenly Fox Sword from his waist.

The runes on the sword shone with a dazzling blue light, and the celestial fox soul within the sword let out a deep roar.

"Yuzhenzi, I do not wish to be your enemy. But if you insist on making a move, I will not surrender without resistance."

Yu Zhenzi sneered, "You think you can defeat so many of us by yourself?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than an aged voice came from afar.

"What if I were included?"

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw an elderly man with white hair walking down the mountain path.

He wore a blue Taoist robe, held a whisk in his hand, had a kind face, and his eyes were full of wisdom.

It was Xuanzhenzi.

Behind him followed a dozen or so disciples of Qingfeng Temple, each wielding a weapon, their imposing presence overwhelming.

"Xuanzhenzi, are you going to protect him?"

Yu Zhenzi's face turned ashen.

Xuanzhenzi shook his head.

"I'm not protecting him, I'm upholding justice."

"Yu Zhenzi, I already know that you sent people to Lanruo Temple."

"You can fool others, but you can't fool me. You're not there to capture Jingchen at all; you're there to steal the Phoenix Feather."

"For the sake of your so-called Tribulation Transcending stage cultivation, you didn't hesitate to frame innocent people and ally with demons. How dare you call yourself a righteous sect?"