Chapter 52: Thickening Fog

Chen Ping said nothing more.

He lay on the bed, staring at the weathered roof beam overhead, silent for a long time.

In this lifetime… he had never suffered such a loss.

Never been this badly injured.

Twenty years since crossing over. People mocked him, looked down on him, but at least he lived a steady life.

Then the System arrived.

He took on a good disciple, his cultivation soared, his combat strength skyrocketed, and even Divine Ability Realm experts were easy to handle.

He got cocky.

He really did get cocky.

He thought that with the System, with the Grand Dao Divine Scripture, with the Primordial Chaos Creation, he was invincible.

He thought that since killing Divine Ability experts at the Qi Refining stage was like slaughtering chickens, he could swagger around unchecked.

And what happened?

Four Divine Ability experts self-destructed and nearly blew him to pieces.

A Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivator ambushed him, and a single palm strike nearly took his life.

His strength was insufficient, yet he dared bring his disciple to storm someone’s lair.

His strength was insufficient, yet he dared play mind games with old foxes who had lived for centuries.

Those old monsters had been scheming for hundreds of years, hiding backup plans behind every move.

And him?

A fresh-faced rookie, led around by the nose.

*

Chen Ping closed his eyes and gave a bitter smile.

“System… ah, System…”

He murmured inwardly.

Are you here to help me, or to make me arrogant?

The System did not answer.

But Chen Ping knew the truth in his heart.

The System was only a tool. He was the one with a mind of his own.

Getting arrogant was his own stupidity.

He had no one else to blame.

*

“Master…”

Lin Xiaoyu’s voice came from beside him, choked with tears.

“Master, it’s all this disciple’s fault… this disciple shouldn’t have insisted on going…”

Chen Ping opened his eyes and looked at her.

At her reddened, tear-worn eyes. At her trembling lips. At her face full of self-blame.

His heart softened.

“Silly girl.”

He reached out and gently held her hand.

“Your master got hurt because of his own fault. It has nothing to do with you.”

Lin Xiaoyu shook her head desperately.

“But…”

“No buts.” Chen Ping cut her off.

“Your master got full of himself. Thought he was invincible, and got taught a harsh lesson instead.”

He smiled.

“That was a good lesson to learn.”

Lin Xiaoyu stared at him, stunned.

Chen Ping spoke slowly:

“Remember today’s lesson. Not just you. Your master needs to remember it too.”

“When your strength isn’t enough, you lie low. You endure. You wait.”

“When your strength is enough, then you go settle the score.”

He tightened his grip on Lin Xiaoyu’s hand.

“The next time we go to the Blood Fiend Sect, your master will make sure they understand what regret really means.”

Lin Xiaoyu looked at him and nodded firmly.

“This disciple will remember.”

*

From outside the door came the sound of footsteps.

“Chen Ping!”

It was Saint Qingyuan’s voice.

Chen Ping smiled bitterly.

Those two gate disciples had reported it after all.

*

The door swung open.

Saint Qingyuan stood in the doorway. He looked at Chen Ping’s pale face on the bed, and his pupils contracted slightly.

“What happened?”

Chen Ping looked at him and said flatly:

“Got bitten by a dog.”

Saint Qingyuan: “…”

Saint Qingyuan stood beside the bed, staring at Chen Ping’s face, which was as pale as paper. His brow furrowed tightly.

He reached out and pressed his fingers to Chen Ping’s wrist.

A moment later, his expression grew grave.

“Massive loss of vital blood. Origin energy damaged…”

He looked at Chen Ping, a trace of complexity in his eyes.

“The fact that you made it back alive is sheer fortune.”

Chen Ping smiled bitterly.

“I don’t know about fortune, but I did almost meet my end out there.”

Saint Qingyuan remained silent for a moment, then withdrew a jade bottle from his robes.

“Yunling Pill. A seventh-grade elixir, specialized for replenishing vital blood and nurturing damaged origin. Take it.”

Chen Ping accepted the jade bottle and pulled out the stopper. A warm, mellow medicinal fragrance spread through the air.

He didn’t stand on ceremony. He tipped out the pill and swallowed it directly.

Once in his stomach, the pill dissolved into a warm current that flowed into his limbs and bones.

His depleted dantian was like parched earth finally receiving sweet rain, greedily absorbing this energy.

Chen Ping let out a long breath, and his complexion improved slightly.

“Thank you, Sect Master.”

*

Saint Qingyuan waved a hand dismissively and turned to look at Lin Xiaoyu.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment as he carefully sensed her aura.

After a brief pause, he nodded slightly.

“You’re unharmed.”

Lin Xiaoyu kept her head down and said quietly:

“This disciple is fine… but Master got hurt protecting this disciple…”

“As he should.” Saint Qingyuan cut her off.

Chen Ping rolled his eyes.

Saint Qingyuan pretended not to see it.

He paused, and his tone turned solemn:

“You are the hope of the Qingyun Sect’s rise. Not even the slightest mishap can be tolerated.”

Lin Xiaoyu froze. She lifted her head, wanting to say something.

Saint Qingyuan had already turned back to face Chen Ping.

“Tell me. What happened?”

*

Chen Ping leaned against the headboard and briefly recounted the events.

From Lu Ya’s night raid, to the words “Blood-Robed Spirit Child,” to the Blood Shadow Hall Master’s soul memories, to the first stronghold, to the ambush at the second stronghold…

He spoke plainly, as if telling someone else’s story.

But Saint Qingyuan’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper as he listened.

*

“Four Divine Ability experts… self-destructed?”

His voice was heavy.

“The Blood Fiend Sect… they’ve certainly got nerve.”

Chen Ping nodded.

“Four of them. One at the early stage, two at the middle stage, one at the late stage.”

Saint Qingyuan was silent for a moment, then said slowly:

“In a second-rate sect like the Blood Fiend Sect, Divine Ability Experts count as high-level strength. To throw away four at once, just to kill two Qi Refining stage cultivators…”

He looked at Chen Ping, a hint of deep meaning flashing through his eyes.

“Either you touched something vital to their survival.”

“Or the people backing them have frightening resources: a massive power hidden in the shadows.”

Chen Ping’s heart tightened.

The people backing them…

That black-robed man?

*

He thought for a moment, then suddenly asked:

“Sect Master, do you know of the Blood-Robed Spirit Child?”

Saint Qingyuan paused.

“Blood-Robed Spirit Child?”

He frowned in thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

“Never heard of it.”

Chen Ping looked at him and didn’t ask further.

If the Sect Master didn’t know, there was no need to say more.

Some things are best known by as few people as possible.

*

Saint Qingyuan looked at him, silent for a moment, and didn’t press further either.

He simply retrieved a few more bottles of pills from his robes and placed them on the bedside.

“Focus on recovering.”

He turned and headed for the door.

At the doorway, he stopped and glanced back at Chen Ping.

“Chen Ping.”

“Mm?”

“Next time you go to the Blood Fiend Sect, remember to bring people from the Qingyun Sect.”

Chen Ping was taken aback.

Saint Qingyuan had already pushed open the door and vanished into the courtyard.

*

The room fell quiet again.

Lin Xiaoyu stood by the bed, looking at Chen Ping.

“Master…”

“Mm?”

“Disciple… from now on, I will definitely listen to you and never be willful again.”

Chen Ping looked at her and smiled.

“Silly girl.”

He reached out and ruffled the top of her head.

“This time, your master got carried away. It’s not your fault.”

“Once my injuries heal, we’ll go again.”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded firmly.

*

Outside the window, the sun was shining just right.

Luoxia Peak was tranquil.

*

Meanwhile.

In a hidden chamber within the Qingyun Sect.

Li Yuanyi stood with his hands behind his back, a black-clothed disciple kneeling before him.

“Have you confirmed it?”

“Reporting to Hall Master, confirmed. The Blood Fiend Sect has three key strongholds in the Southern Region. The first has been wiped out. The second was evacuated after laying an ambush. The third is also abandoned.”

Li Yuanyi fell silent for a moment.

“What about the Blood Fiend Sect Master?”

“His whereabouts are unknown. But according to reports, the last place he was seen… was at the border of the Southern Region, near Tianyue Sacred Land.”

Li Yuanyi frowned.

Tianyue Sacred Land?

He suddenly recalled that a few days ago, the Saintess of Tianyue had come to the Qingyun Sect and visited Luoxia Peak.

Could these two matters be connected?

“Keep investigating.”

“Yes.”