Chapter 26: The Soft-Hearted Martial Uncle

Golden eyes only pierce through illusions; they are useless against concealment spells. Before Ji Ning could devise a countermeasure, she saw reinforcements descend from the sky and settle the matter in a single stroke.

A mist of water vapor poured down, dispelling the earth barrier. Twin swords, engraved with water-element runes, struck down the blades of the two men, Chen and Li. With a flick of the sword tips, the weapons pierced through the spiritual shields protecting the men's chests as if slicing through bamboo, grazed their necks, and embedded themselves deep into the thick tree trunk behind them, shaking loose a shower of withered leaves.

Warm blood welled up, and the two men’s hearts hammered in their chests; their hands, clutching their necks, trembled uncontrollably.

Yun Huan waved her hand, and a mass of mud splattered onto the two men as they collapsed to the ground. A trace of regret flickered in the corner of her eyes. "A bit off-target."

The voice sounded familiar. Ji Ning turned back and saw that the newcomer was none other than the sales clerk who had served her at the Shangxuan Pavilion!

She could not gauge the woman's strength, but she was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Ji Ning was shocked. What is happening to the cultivation world? Are laborers going shopping while the powerhouses work part-time jobs?

"Off-target"? Was she regretting that the blades hadn't pierced their throats instead?

Just then, Uncle Deng from the Artifact Refining Hall arrived with his men from the West Market entrance, followed by Senior Sister Jiang and Uncle Cui.

Earlier, amidst the chaos, Ji Ning had used her palm to carve a message, instructing Senior Sister Jiang to take advantage of the confusion to fetch Uncle Cui as backup. Among the three market entrances, Uncle Cui was the one she trusted and knew the best. Although the Fixed-Breath Talisman would transmit a signal, Ji Ning had suspected that Uncle Cui’s lazy nature would make it difficult to stir him over a minor disturbance in the West Market.

Jiang Yeqiu, following behind, saw that Ji Ning was safe and sound and let out a sigh of relief.

Both uncles were at the Golden Core stage; no matter how the two men tried to disguise themselves, their true appearances were instantly revealed. Ji Ning observed that Uncle Deng of the Artifact Refining Hall was particularly furious. His eyes were burning with rage as he glared at the pair, his face twitching slightly with anger. Given his temper, he was likely the uncle in charge of the Outer Sect’s Artifact Refining Hall—who wouldn't be angry to see their own disciples causing trouble and violating the rules?

To facilitate conversation and preserve the dignity of the Artifact Refining Hall, after leaving a few people to clean up the scene and disperse the crowd, the four of them were taken to a secluded area for routine questioning.

Before leaving, Yun Huan, who had helped Ji Ning, patted her head a few times, leaned down, and whispered, "Don't be afraid. Both of these uncles are upright and impartial; they won't be biased. Just tell them the whole truth."

"Mm..." Ji Ning nodded consciously and watched the store clerk depart. Not far away, the two uncles remained silent.

On the way back, Senior Sister Jiang curiously asked about the female clerk. Upon learning that they were only just acquainted and yet she had been willing to draw her sword to help, Jiang praised her as a "heroine" and promised to visit the shop to support her business in the future.

Thinking of the prices, Ji Ning remained silent, deciding not to dampen Senior Sister Jiang’s heroic spirit.

She was not worried about what the clerk had said. What Chen and Li had done went far beyond selling counterfeit goods; she figured Uncle Deng must have realized this as well, which was why he hadn't spoken up in public.

As for why the clerk had stepped in to save her, that required some careful thought... Could it be the Spirit Sword Peak again? Ji Ning’s mind raced.

With Shen Jingze gone, who was this?

Spirit Sword Peak.

The night was cold, and thin frost stained the red maple leaves. After the sun had baked the earth at noon, it turned into dew, dripping between the withered leaves and the soil.

Sword Inquiry Hall, Martial Arts Arena.

On the lime-colored square sparring platform, there were countless sword marks and traces of spiritual energy impacts, clearly weathered by time. A tall, sturdy figure brandished a spirit sword on the stage. His moves were sharp and powerful, shifting rapidly. Amidst the flurry of afterimages, cold frost flickered. The youth seemed tireless, performing the sword techniques over and over again without pause.

When Shen Weifeng entered the arena, the person on stage moved with his intent, finishing the second set of sword techniques before leaping off the platform.

He shouted, "Brother, why are you here? Are you looking to spar?"

Shen Weifeng shook his head helplessly. After beckoning his brother to his side, he took out a Recording Stone and activated it with his spiritual energy.

"Yun Huan just gave this to me, saying there was a surprise."

The recorded images played one by one.

Shen Jingze’s expression became increasingly strange, the emotions in his eyes complex—puzzlement, surprise, and even disbelief...

In the image, a familiar face was wielding the sword techniques he knew best.

"This is... the Cold Shadow Sword Technique?" He found it hard to even speak.

He had practiced this sword technique for over a decade, only to have it used to play a trick on someone, and to his surprise, that person had stolen it and performed it quite convincingly. He had performed twelve moves of the first set of techniques that day, and Ji Ning had truly not missed a single one; she had learned them all.

Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, he confessed to Shen Weifeng, telling him the whole story of how he had tested Ji Ning’s strength that night.

After hearing this, Shen Weifeng was enraged by his mischief and gave him a few kicks.

"Brother, I was wrong, I won't do it again..."

"If you do it again, hide it better! Privately passing on inner-sect martial arts is a serious matter!"

As a brother, he knew his younger sibling's personality best; Shen Jingze’s promises were like wind passing by the ear—only a fool would believe them.

Looking at the background of the image, Shen Jingze suddenly changed the subject. "But wait, hasn't the market strictly forbidden fighting recently?"

"I heard from Yun Huan that Senior Sister Ji’s friend bought a counterfeit weapon in the market, and the shop refused a refund, which is how the fight started."

"Counterfeit weapon..." Shen Jingze frowned. "Could it be someone from the Artifact Refining Hall?"

"Most likely."

"Although Supervisor Deng is upright and fair, his management skills are truly lacking. One after another, they harbor ulterior motives..."

Shen Jingze thought to himself: When it comes to management, who could compare to you? Full of schemes and slick in his dealings, if he weren't a cultivator, he would surely become a cunning official.

Near the market.

On a plot of land overgrown with yellowed weeds, a few people stood.

Uncle Deng’s chest heaved violently, the air pressure around him dropping to its lowest point. He glared with burning rage at the two men kneeling on the ground. Had Uncle Cui not stopped him, he would have dealt with them according to sect rules long ago.

"Stealing low-grade spirit swords released by the Spirit Artifact Peak—do you admit it?"

"Disciple... disciple admits it."

"After the theft, privately forging them with scrap iron and selling them for profit—do you admit it?"

"Disciple admits it..."

"Intimidating fellow disciples and attempting murder—do you admit it?"

"Disciple was forced into it..."

Before Fatty Chen could finish, the divine sense pressure of a Golden Core cultivator bore down on his mind. Under the immense weight, he coughed up blood, and seeing this, Skinny Li dared not quibble further.

Uncle Deng sighed heavily, turned his back, and stood with his hands behind him, looking indifferent. "Since you two have admitted it, you are expelled from the Artifact Refining Hall, never to be hired again. Chief Cui, please act as a witness."

No one objected; the matter was settled.

This was the lightest possible punishment...

Once out of the Artifact Refining Hall, they could still choose other paths and continue to cultivate in the sect. Ji Ning thought that Uncle Deng had been soft-hearted.

Ji Ning had said everything that needed to be said, and the compensation in spirit stones was in her hands. She was only a servant disciple; since Uncle Cui hadn't intervened, there was no room for her to do so.

The spirit stones gained from this trip totaled nearly two hundred; Ji Ning insisted on splitting them equally with Senior Sister Jiang.

As the sun began to set, casting a fiery red hue across the sky, Ji Ning and Jiang Yeqiu returned to Lingyun Peak together, their two shadows stretching out behind them.

After today, the long-silent Spirit Artifact Peak would no longer be able to remain detached from the affairs of the sect.