Tranquil Daoist’s Daoist na was Tranquil.
However, before Song Knife’s death, when he ntioned his third regret, he remained silent, not uttering a single word.
If there were no connections among these matters, she would never believe it.
"My son, rember, cultivate diligently and avenge your father," Hai Shuzhu lanted, hugging her young son tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
「Flying Feather Immortal Palace.」
「Imperial City Peak.」
After leaving the Hai Family’s residence, Tranquil Daoist did not rush back to Blue Sacred Island. Instead, he stayed within the Sect for five days. Once the uproar over Song Knife’s death had subsided, he ca to this peak.
He set foot on the mountain path and, shortly after, arrived at the entrance of Song Knife’s Cave Mansion.
Tranquil Daoist looked at the white-browed young man standing at the entrance of the Cave Mansion and inquired softly, "Martial Nephew Ruan... This Martial Uncle recalls that Song Knife and you had no prior dealings. It’s unlikely you two beca enemies."
Although he wasn’t well-acquainted with Song Knife, they were fellow sect mbers. Thus, his clandestine actions were not without considerable risk.
And the one who had orchestrated this was none other than Ruan Baii, who, like Song Knife, held the position of Chief.
Ruan Baii did not speak.
He invited Tranquil Daoist to a small waterside pavilion near the mountain path and personally brewed tea. The two sat facing each other.
Shaoqing, the water boiled, and the aroma of tea filled the air.
"The Flying Feather Immortal Palace only needs one Human King physique. Since we have Xu Xing, Song Knife is no longer needed." Ruan Baii rose, lifted the teapot, poured tea for both himself and Tranquil Daoist, and only spoke as he returned to his seat.
"Xu Xing?" Tranquil Daoist did not touch his tea, his brow furrowed. "Xu Xing is a fugitive and has now killed Song Knife. The Immortal Palace will not tolerate him."
This ti, although he himself was the true, direct murderer of Song Knife, in the eyes of outsiders, two people were responsible for Song Knife’s death.
One was his enemy, Xu Xing. The other was Elder Thousand Cranes Daoist of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, who had been pursuing Song Knife.
The forr forced Song Knife to abandon his physical body and flee using his Dao Pill; the latter shattered Song Knife’s Dao Pill, thereby avenging the Burial Halberd Elder.
"Martial Uncle, you are mistaken." Ruan Baii smiled. "Didn’t Sect Master Ren say that Song Knife was ant to be Xu Xing’s whetstone? Now that Xu Xing has killed Song Knife, by the standards of the Immortal Palace, he is without fault in both sentint and logic."
Tranquil Daoist listened, his brow furrowed in silence. How could the sword of a previous dynasty execute an official of the current one?
Before and after the Heavenly Change, the Flying Feather Immortal Palace remained one of the Ten Great Upper Sects, yet its internal structure had undergone a massive transformation.
The most glaring example was Sect Master Ren Yuanrui’s removal from his position.
Anyone with discernnt knew that Ren Yuanrui had been ousted by the two Sage Monarchs.
Although they hadn’t negated the decisions made during his tenure, the Sect later chose to support Song Knife’s rise to Chief, thereby implicitly invalidating Ren Yuanrui’s previous judgnt against Song Knife.
"Xu Xing still holds the Flying Feather Immortal Palace in his heart," Ruan Baii said, taking out a mory Stone and projecting a scene from it.
In the scene, two n were drinking together. The banquet was lavish, with a dazzling array of spiritual foods. The man on the left was Song Knife, while the one on the right had an unfamiliar face.
"That is Junior Brother Xu in disguise. He goes by the na Yan Sheng now," Ruan Baii clarified.
Ruan Baii didn’t mind revealing his connection to Xu Xing to Tranquil Daoist. Tranquil Daoist had always been close to the Ruan Family. This ti, by conspiring against Song Knife at Ruan Baii’s behest, Tranquil Daoist had essentially given him leverage. Furthermore, with Ruan Baii’s own standing, even if this secret were exposed, his position wouldn’t be threatened in the slightest, especially since the two Sage Monarchs had already designated him as the future Seventeenth Sect Master of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace.
"Lang Huan Pavilion?" Tranquil Daoist recognized the na from the conversation between Xu Xing and Song Knife.
The na ’Lang Huan Pavilion’ itself didn’t seem particularly noteworthy, certainly not sothing to cause a stir.
However, the upper echelons of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace knew that the Sect’s own Cave was nad Lang Huan Cave Heaven.
A rare smile touched Tranquil Daoist’s usually tense face. "Song Knife’s death was not unjust. Xu Xing said he wanted to return to Lang Huan Pavilion, aning he intended to return to the Flying Feather Immortal Palace. Song Knife attacked Xu Xing, was outmatched, and perished... It was due to his own inferior skills."
In the Cultivation World, it wasn’t uncommon for sects to share nas, nor was it rare for the nas of Caves and Sects to coincide.
It was quite normal for Song Knife not to have discerned the hidden aning in Xu Xing’s words at the ti.
It might not have been an identical na but a homophone—perhaps another ’Lang Huan Pavilion’ spelled differently, or even ’Wolf Pavilion.’ All were possibilities.
Who could have guessed that the ’Lang Huan Pavilion’ Xu Xing ntioned was actually Lang Huan Cave Heaven?
"Song Knife’s aptitude was limited, far inferior to yours. But Xu Xing is different. If you allow him into the Sect, I fear it will bring more harm than good," Tranquil Daoist advised Ruan Baii after a mont’s hesitation.
Song Knife possessed rely a Second Grade Dao Pill and a Human King physique.
Xu Xing, however, has a First-Rate Dao Pill and a Human Emperor Body.
Killing Song Knife to bring Xu Xing back to the Sect—in his eyes, this was Ruan Baii driving out a wolf only to invite in a tiger.
"If Xu Xing returns to the Sect, the power you’ve gathered under your banner... might dwindle by forty to fifty percent. You must guard against this," Tranquil Daoist added.
A crucial reason why the two Sage Monarchs favored Ruan Baii for Seventeenth Sect Master was his role as a vital link between the Family Line and the Master and Disciple Lineage within the Sect.
In this respect, no other disciple in the Immortal Palace could replace him.
Ruan Baii’s unique status was largely due to the actions of his ancestor, Ruan Mingong, the Eleventh Sect Master.
Back then, Ruan Mingong was the one who demarcated the Family Line and the Master and Disciple Lineage and established many of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace’s foundational rules.
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