Chapter 35

Half an hour later

There was an additional corpse in Qing Residence, with bite marks all over the body. The strong smell of blood lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate. If one listened carefully, they could still hear the crunching sound reminiscent of woodlice gnawing on wood.

Such a scene inevitably made one’s hair stand on end.

Jiang Ming Yue did not pay attention to the disfigured corpse on the ground, merely giving it a cold glance before getting up and leaving Qing Residence.

The rest would be taken care of without him having to say anything.

When he returned to Changsheng Pavilion, Jiang He was still reading in the library. Hearing footsteps, she raised her eyes to look at the man walking in and asked, “What have you been doing in Jiaohuan City these past few days?”

She remembered that her son disliked such noisy places the most. The last time he went to Taizhou City was due to important matters, but she had never seen him enter such crowded places for no reason before.

Jiang Ming Yue’s cold gaze remained unchanged as he countered with a question instead of answering, “Why did you call me back?”

Jiang He was already accustomed to his attitude. His cold demeanor was exactly like his father’s. She put the book back in its original place, unhurriedly descended the wooden ladder, walked to the central desk and sat down. A black invitation card with gold edges was particularly eye-catching on the desk.

“This is an invitation sent by Qianshi Gate. They say they want to use this banquet to pass the position to the next gate master. They’ve invited several sects from Jiaohuan City to witness it. I have to go abroad for a couple of days, so you’ll go on my behalf this time.”

It was customary in the jianghu for some sects to invite high-ranking or equal-ranking sects to witness the passing of positions. Jiang He had received many such invitations. Her way of handling matters was exactly opposite to her son’s; she preferred to keep a low profile. For similar invitations, she would personally attend, just to give face to those sects, sitting there for a while before leaving.

This time, the invitation came at an inconvenient time, so she could only have him go on her behalf.

“Passing the position?” Jiang Ming Yue’s lips curled in mockery. “I remember the current gate master of Qianshi Gate is only forty. What’s this? One foot hasn’t even stepped into the coffin and they’re already being kicked out of position?”

He languidly sat down on a nearby armchair, leaning to one side as if reclining on a chaise lounge. His slender fingers touched his forehead, his beautiful eyes half-open, exuding an air of laziness. “Could it be that they are secretly plotting something unsavory?”

“Oh?” Jiang He looked at him with interest. “This invitation is for various major sects. So who do you think is the target of Qianshi Gate’s secret plot?”

Jiang Ming Yue closed his cold eyes, not responding to her words.

Jiang He withdrew her gaze and continued, “The ones truly in charge of Qianshi Gate are the four elders. The gate master is merely a puppet. When a puppet becomes useless, naturally it needs to be replaced. Thinking about it this way, it’s not surprising.”

This wasn’t really a secret, at least those in high positions in the jianghu knew. On the surface, there was a gate master, but that was just a title. In reality, Qianshi Gate was completely controlled by those four old foxes.

Jiang He glanced again at the silent man with closed eyes and said slowly, “If you don’t want to go, I’ll have someone return the invitation. No need to worry about this matter.”

The man’s long, beautiful eyes opened slightly, his gaze fixed on the night pearl inlaid in the wall not far away. The bottom of his dark pupils seemed covered with frost, a strange color flashing past. His thin lips curled up, “Why not go? As it happens, I have a grand gift to send.”

Hearing this, Jiang He’s hand holding the brush paused slightly. Although confused, she didn’t ask further. After all, she couldn’t stop this child from doing what he wanted. He had his own discretion and could handle things well. She had never interfered in his affairs.

—

Five days later

Today, Qianshi Gate could be said to be the protagonist of Jiaohuan City. Important figures from various sects arrived one after another to witness the event. The place for witnessing the passing of position was set at the Five Elements Platform of Qianshi Gate. The sky-supporting pillars standing at the four corners of the Five Elements Platform were pure white, with carved totems rising from the base of the pillars and disappearing into their tops.

The center of the four pillars was Qianshi Gate’s martial arts arena. At this moment, people from many sects were lined up, automatically leaving a path in the middle leading to the high seats at the front. Five seats had already been placed on the high platform, waiting for the witnesses to be seated.

On the other side, a carriage slowly stopped outside Qianshi Gate. The curtain was immediately lifted, and Ye Xi Feng jumped down from the carriage. Someone immediately came forward to guide her. She followed the person leading the way, her gaze surveying the surroundings.

“Young Mistress, how come the people of Qianshi Gate have such a hobby? The entire way is full of flowers on both sides,” Zhao Li, who was following behind Ye Xi Feng, couldn’t help but whisper in her ear.

Indeed, from the moment they entered, these flowers lined the entire path. Ye Xi Feng walked closer to examine them carefully. These were flowers she had never seen before. A faint, fresh fragrance entered her nose, giving people a refreshing feeling.

Just as Ye Xi Feng was about to pick one for a closer look, the guide walked over again and gestured in a direction, “Young Mistress Ye, please come this way.”

The outstretched hand had to be withdrawn. Ye Xi Feng stood up straight, “swish” opened her fan, and raised her chin slightly to indicate that the guide should continue leading the way.

After passing through several small paths, they finally arrived at the banquet location. The guide led the woman through an entire row of lined-up Qianshi Gate disciples, up the stone steps. Some people were already seated on the high platform. The three people saw the newcomer and nodded with varying expressions.

Ye Xi Feng returned their nods with a smile and took her seat. She surveyed the three seated people, glanced at the only empty seat beside her, and understood in her heart.

Not long after she sat down, several elders of Qianshi Gate walked out from the high pavilion behind. This place was connected to Jiaohuan City, with the north area of the city right behind the pavilion. This entire area was under Qianshi Gate’s management.

Compared to the government office in the city, Qianshi Gate seemed more like the true ruler of Jiaohuan City.

Walking in front of the elders was a woman of about forty. Her vibrant appearance made Ye Xi Feng raise an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued.