That day, Yue Qinglong returned to his residence and never left. No one knew whether he went out that night.
However, the next morning, Yue Qinglong came to Ming Qi early, his face turbulent.
"Come on, come with me to see her."
"Who?"
Ming Qi was busy preparing his meal. On the table before him sat the same wine jug and wine glass, as always. He acted as if he couldn't live without wine.
Yue Qinglong glanced at the wine glass in front of Ming Qi, then suddenly reached out and grabbed it, tilting his head back and downing the entire glass. Without waiting for Ming Qi to stop him, he grabbed the wine jug and poured it down again, glass after glass, until the jug was completely empty.
Ming Qi observed Yue Qinglong's actions clearly.
"You don't want to see her?"
"Yes!"
With a thud, Yue Qinglong slammed the wine jug down on the table.
"I'm a loser, she's a genius."
Dang!
The wine glass in his other hand also hit the table.
Such an action, such a style, was clearly not Yue Qinglong's usual demeanor. The cunning hidden beneath his unruly demeanor was completely absent.
Indeed, his expression at this moment was a reflection of his psychological state. Yue Qinglong seemed completely distraught. Ming Qi could see that he truly didn't want to see that person, no matter what the reason.
But, Tianqi Academy's reputation, and even his own, was in tacit agreement. If he couldn't even do this, could he ever maintain that reputation?
Without a powerful leader, participating in the Golden Autumn Festival and being attacked would be a tactical exercise. Without the support of a powerful leader, Tianqi Academy would be in vain even if they spoke out with all their might.
It was conceivable that if Tianqi Academy rashly stepped onto the stage of the Golden Autumn Festival, they would be met with countless backstabbing attacks.
"Wine makes heroes brave. Let's go!"
Yue Qinglong downed half a pot of strong liquor, his face already flushed with an unstable blush. He shook his sleeves and turned out of the room.
Ming Qi didn't stop him. After all, this step was necessary. He didn't know Yue Qinglong's background, nor did he know what had caused him to harbor such a deep resentment. But one thing was certain: once he took this step, he would surely gain something and grow.
After leaving Tianqi Courtyard, the two walked on without saying a word.
The inner gate's core was not accessible to casual visitors; both men were well aware of this.
Normally, outer disciples could not enter the inner gate without special permission or a summons from an elite inner disciple. However, Yue Qinglong had a special connection with the person they were seeking.
"Outer disciples are not allowed to enter the inner gate without permission!"
As expected, when the two men crossed the outer gate and reached the barrier leading to the inner gate, they were stopped.
The inner gate's guards were two cultivators at the peak of the ninth level of the Acquired Realm, formidable figures with one foot halfway to the innate realm. Perhaps because they frequently interacted with the inner gate's innate masters, they couldn't help but look at two obviously weaker outer disciples brazenly attempting to enter the inner gate with disdain.
"We're here to see the Azure Dragon Guardian Yue Dongqing."
Yue Qinglong had no desire to engage in idle chatter and simply announced a name.
Azure Dragon Guardian Yue Dongqing!
The two gatekeepers were instantly shocked. They knew exactly who the Azure Dragon Guardian was. He was a formidable figure within the Biyou Sect, second only to the Sword-wielding Elder, Prince Xu. He held a position of transcendent status and immense power, a core member of the Biyou Sect's leadership, and wielded law enforcement authority. Even the Sect Master had to give her some respect.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here with the Azure Dragon Guardian?"
One of them asked cautiously.
Although the Canglong Guardian's prestige was undeniable, it couldn't be denied that someone might dare use it as a cover to sneak into the inner gate and commit undisclosed acts.
The two had been guarding the inner gate for some time and had seen plenty of such incidents, so they couldn't afford to be careless.
"We have important matters to discuss with the Canglong Guardian. What's wrong? Are you suspicious?"
Yue Qinglong's expression darkened. He was already in a bad mood, and now that he was being blocked, he couldn't remain calm.
"Of course I'm suspicious!"
One of them bluntly stated, "Trying to sneak into the inner gate and commit such shameful acts? You guys at Tianqi Academy are getting bolder and bolder."
"You!"
Yue Qinglong's anger surged, and he took a step forward.
Initially, he had been agonizing over the prospect of meeting Yue Dongqing and hadn't expected to be taunted like this. Now, he was being stopped at the gate with blatant accusations of illicit activity. No one could remain calm.
"What about me?"
One of them sneered in disdain. "Get back now, or I'll call for the law enforcement disciples."
Like the outer sect, the inner sect also had law enforcement disciples, but they were all innate masters, overwhelmingly superior in strength.
At the mention of law enforcement disciples, Yue Qinglong chuckled in anger. The law enforcement disciples were under the jurisdiction of the Azure Dragon Guardian Yue Dongqing. If a law enforcement disciple actually showed up, things would be much easier.
Seeing that Yue Qinglong and the other guards showed no sign of leaving, the two guards immediately challenged them. A brilliant signal rose, exploding into a dazzling display of fireworks above Azure Sky City.
A moment after the signal fireworks rose, three innate masters dressed in law enforcement disciple uniforms arrived.
"What's going on? Who sent the signal?"
The leader was approximately thirty years old, his eyes like swords, his face murderous, and his steps steady and light. He was clearly a master of innate power, possessing immense energy.
Behind this middle-aged man came two slightly younger men and women. The man was tall, but his eyes were rather small, giving him a rather comical look. The woman was also quite pretty, with a cinnabar mole between her eyebrows. The maturity of a twenty-something, combined with the mole's added charm, made her quite a sight.
The three were clearly led by the middle-aged man. While he was asking questions, he quickly sized up Ming Qi and the other two.
"Senior Brother Lu, these two men tried to sneak into the inner gate, but we've discovered them. We don't know what to do, so we've asked you to come here."
"You're quite bold, trying to sneak into the inner gate."
Before Senior Brother Lu could speak, the tall young man spoke harshly.
"Captain Lu Chengyun, my relationship with the Canglong Guardian is beyond your wildest imagination. Lead the way, or you'll be forced to reflect on your mistakes!"
At this moment, Yue Qinglong's tone suddenly hardened. He had been here long enough, and he didn't have the time to continue tangling with this group. Lu Chengyun pondered for a moment, then seemed to have a sudden realization. His expression changed twice, and then, with a wave of his hand, he led Yue Qinglong and Ming Qi through the gate barrier and walked through.
As soon as he stepped into the inner gate, Ming Qi immediately sensed the rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It was clear that there must be a spiritual vein that concentrated this spiritual energy.
Looking at the buildings within the inner gate, each one was magnificent, like a palace, with flying eaves and brackets complementing each other, a scene of golden splendor, and lush flowers and trees everywhere, fragrant and fragrant.
Ming Qi and the other two had no time to linger on the scenery within the inner gate, simply following Lu Chengyun at a leisurely pace.
The other two law enforcement disciples, though still somewhat puzzled, were clearly feeling a little guilty.
Since the other party was so brazen in addressing Lu Chengyun by name, it was clear that he had some powerful backing. It seemed that he was related to the Canglong Guardian and was likely not an imposter.
The group traversed the flowery landscape, finding their way, and in a short while, they had left a vast palace behind them.
Ming Qi had been preoccupied with how to respond to the people he encountered, but he also occasionally glanced around, familiarizing himself with the layout of the inner gate. Suddenly, as he was aimlessly looking, he caught sight of someone, which truly startled him.
"How could it be!"
At that moment, a strange thought welled up in Ming Qi's mind, and he couldn't help but take a few more glances.
It was her, there was no doubt about it!
It was the woman who had appeared deep in the purple bamboo forest!
At that moment, the woman was walking briskly, surrounded by several young disciples, her head lowered, her gaze fixed solely on the road ahead.
The two groups were following the same path, but fortunately, someone on the other side had pointed out the situation, allowing the woman in front to avoid the awkward collision with Lu Chengyun.
Ming Qi, having stepped aside to avoid the group, was still wondering who this woman was, when Yue Qinglong, standing beside him, couldn't wait to speak.
"Senior Brother Lu Chengyun, who is that girl?"
Although Yue Qinglong was still trying his best to act like a scoundrel, it was obvious that his words were far-fetched given the current situation.
"She is Xiao Lingyun, the younger sister of Xiao Longzhen of the Fanhua Palace. Perhaps you've heard of her. She's the eldest sister of the Qionghua Courtyard of the Outer Sect."
"Oh, she's quite beautiful."
Yue Qinglong was clearly not in the mood. He said this perfunctorily and stopped talking.
Outer Sect disciples are organized into courtyards. After all, their numbers are vast, while the Inner Sect's elite disciples clearly have access to far more equipment and resources than the Outer Sect can match. Each Inner Sect elite disciple has their own courtyard. While the courtyards are small, they best demonstrate the status of these elite disciples.
Xiao Longzhen of the Fanhua Palace was naturally one of these elite Inner Sect disciples.
"This Xiao Lingyun, relying on her relationship with Xiao Longzhen, has always considered herself an Inner Sect elite, incredibly arrogant. Why does she seem a little off today?"
Lu Chengyun had been around the Inner Sect for a long time and knew quite a bit about Xiao Lingyun. Seeing Xiao Lingyun's unusual state today, he was also deeply puzzled.
She is Xiao Lingyun!?
After learning of her identity, Ming Qi truly wanted to burst out laughing. This two-faced woman must have been afflicted with an indelible psychological shadow, one that couldn't be explained or resolved. And then, and then...
And then there was nothing else.
In Ming Qi's opinion, the only solution was to work with someone who shared her psychological trauma to discuss how to overcome it.
While Ming Qi was chuckling, he suddenly remembered to ask Meng Ling how long her magical flower-transplanting technique would last.