Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 155 - 155 0163 Brought by Qi Tian

Chapter 155: Chapter 0163: Brought by Qi Tian Chapter 155: Chapter 0163: Brought by Qi Tian As the word “death” was uttered by the female guard, several other women rushed out from the gatehouse with identical swords in their hands, quickly surrounding Qi Tian.

At Peacock Hall, the ban on men and women is strictly enforced; unless there is a reasonable explanation, any male cultivator who trespasses into the Peacock Hall will be severely punished. Even female cultivators are not allowed to intrude into the Hall without permission.

Qi Tian raised his hand to indicate he meant no harm; then, he curled his fingers and pointed to the woman who had led him here, saying, “She brought me here.”

To his surprise, the woman just shrugged, saying, “I don’t know you. I originally thought you were harmless because you’re just a kid. But now, you’ve followed me here and even tried to infiltrate Peacock Hall, what are you really up to?”

Between one of their own and an outsider, the female guard naturally inclined towards believing the woman. She frowned and said, “Sisters, drive this brat away.”

Qi Tian being so young, it was hard to believe that he was up to no good. The guard simply figured he was driven by curiosity or playfulness and wanted to sneak into Peacock Hall. Therefore, she just ordered her sisters to drive him away without taking harsher measures.

The woman who had led Qi Tian here rushed to intervene, saying, “Sister, we can’t let him off that easily. As the saying goes, ‘At three one sees what he will be.’. He has followed me all this while; who knows what he’ll do when he grows up? We must punish him severely, if not break his leg.”

The gatekeeper glanced at the guide, and responded coldly, “We at Peacock Hall have rules and I know better than you what to do in different situations. Little brother, leave immediately or we won’t be as polite to ask you to leave.”

The guide stomped her foot in frustration. She had plotted to teach Qi Tian a lesson, but things didn’t go as she expected. Her eyes darted quickly, as if she was concocting another scheme.

Qi Tian, however, couldn’t afford to delay any longer. If the woman hadn’t fooled him, he should have been training in seclusion now. With a battle against Chu Yang in ten days, he had no time to waste.

“Sisters, there is a misunderstanding. I have a token.” Qi Tian was eager to leave and pulled out his card.

“Token? Other than your disciple card, what other token could you possibly have?” the female guard asked. “Little brother, think carefully. If you leave now, I will not punish you for trespassing into Peacock Hall. But if you fabricate a token, the sin will be far greater, and we’ll have to send you to Yingya Hall.”

Qi Tian laughed, “I really have a token. Can you ask your sisters to lower their swords so I can show you?”

After a brief hesitation, the guard nodded and ordered the women surrounding Qi Tian to lower their spirit swords.

Qi Tian reached into his bosom, pretending to pull out a token, but actually he took one from his Wuhang Ring and raised it for the guard to see clearly. He asked, “Will this token suffice?”

With a whoosh, the female guard was the first to kneel on one knee, followed by the women who had surrounded Qi Tian and the one who had guided him there.

“We were unaware of your distinguished personage, we beg your forgiveness,” the female guard said, her voice filled with fear.

“Didn’t expect that this token Huang Liuyan gave me would come in handy,” Qi Tian muttered to himself, then pointed towards the gate of Peacock Hall and said, “May I enter now?”

The female guard hurriedly replied, “Yes, you may. With the token of Small Medical Immortal, you can enter or leave Peacock Hall at will. And if you have any requests, feel free to ask. We will do our best to accommodate.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Tian chuckled, which sent shivers down the spines of both the female guard and the woman who had guided him.

Qi Tian chose not to make things difficult for the guard and pointed at the woman who had led him here. He said, “She did guide me here. I originally thought that the Small Medical Immortal had sent her to get me, so I followed her. But she denied knowing me. Could you please look into this matter?”

The gatekeeper immediately replied, “Of course. Someone take her away for a thorough interrogation.”

The female cultivator guiding the way was already terrified. If she had known that Qi Tian was connected with the Fairy Doctor, she would rather have died than betray Qi Tian for a trifling gain. She knelt on the ground, pleading hoarsely: “Qi Tian, please spare me. I was blinded by greed and deceived by others to set you up. Please, show your mercy and spare me this once.”

Qi Tian asked, “I have nothing to do with your Peacock Hall. Who instructed you to harm me?”

“It was Hu Qifan, the newly appointed administrator of Sky Eagle Hall. He not only gave me 10,000 taels of silver but also…also…promised to take me as his Taoist partner if I succeeded. That’s why I was tempted to harm you.” Women who are in love usually would not easily betray their lovers. The fact that the woman could so readily admit to it only demonstrated the deep-rooted fear she had for the Fairy Doctor, which had seeped into the depths of her soul.

Qi Tian furrowed his brows. He had no impression of this Hu Qifan. Where had this insignificant man emerged from? But it wasn’t the time to delve deeper into this. He waved his hand, saying, “Alright, I won’t make it hard for you. However, how Peacock Hall chooses to punish you according to your sect rules is none of my concern. I trust in what you just said, that Peacock Hall is a place where rules are respected.”

The woman guarding the gate seemed to be in charge, as she quickly ordered the other cultivators to detain the woman who guided the way, preparing to interrogate her thoroughly before meting out her punishment according to the rules of Peacock Hall.

“Now, may I enter?” Qi Tian pointed towards the inside of the gate. Originally, he hadn’t planned on visiting the Peacock Hall right after his return, but as he had arrived at the front gate, it would not be proper for him not to enter.

“You may, guest. Please enter,” the guard hurriedly responded.

Only then did Qi Tian step forward to walk inside. After entering, he turned around and said, “This is my first time visiting Peacock Hall. I don’t suppose any of you are willing to show me around, so that I won’t get lost and accidentally enter places I shouldn’t.”

The female cultivator guarding the gate replied, “Since the honorable guest wishes it, I will be your guide. You all stay here and guard the door.”

After giving orders briefly, the cultivator moved to Qi Tian’s side saying, “Honorable guest, please follow me.”

Qi Tian chuckled, “Sister, my name is Qi Tian. You can call me by my name, or ‘junior brother’, and not ‘honorable guest’ anymore. It makes us sound like we are not from the same sect.”

“Alright, I’ll call you ‘junior brother’ then. My name is Mi Na. I’m a second-class attendant at Peacock Hall. Junior brother, if you have any matters at Peacock Hall in the future, you can come and find me.” The female guard had clearly understood the importance of networking at any given opportunity. By virtue of Qi Tian’s relationship with the Fairy Doctor and regardless of his background, he would undoubtedly secure a place for himself in the Imperial Master Mansion in the future. Such a person should not be offended but won outright.

Although Peacock Hall occupied a standalone large courtyard, the area it enclosed was only around one hundred acres. It was beautifully constructed with numerous pavilions, terraces, and towers. The East and West Peacock Palaces were the most respected among them. The East Peacock Palace, known as White Peacock Palace was the residence of Hao Wenxi, the Master of Peacock Hall, while the West Peacock Palace, also known as Red Peacock Palace, was where the Fairy Doctor, Huang Liuyan, resided.

Qi Tian originally wanted to learn more about Huang Liuyan from Mi Na, but the moment he brought up Huang Liuyan’s name, Mi Na’s mouth shut tight, leaving Qi Tian feeling rather thwarted. As a result, he didn’t bother asking anymore.

Not long after, following Mi Na’s guidance, Qi Tian arrived at the West Peacock Palace. It was a grand palace built on a raised plaza. Walls were also built around the palace. Though not very high, they sufficed to shield inside views from outside.

A moon gate was made on the wall, and only a single female cultivator dressed in the disciple uniform of the Imperial Master Mansion was guarding it.

Mi Na stepped forward, briefly explaining the situation of Qi Tian holding Huang Liuyan’s token. The female cultivator first saluted Qi Tian saying, “Junior brother, my name is Zhang Lei. I’m here in the name of the Mansion Master to heed the orders of the Fairy Doctor. May I examine the token you carry? It will help me determine whether I should inform the Fairy Doctor of your arrival.”

Qi Tian nodded, took out the token, and handed it to Zhang Lei. Asking him and Mi Na to wait outside, she took the token and went inside. Mi Na craned her neck to peek through the moon gate several times, her eyes filled with envy. If the Peacock Hall was a place that every disciple from the Imperial Master Mansion wished to visit, then the West Peacock Hall was a treasure ground every disciple from the Peacock Hall longed to enter. Unfortunately, it wasn’t open to everyone. Trespassers without permission could be executed by Huang Liuyan herself, without bearing any responsibility. Not even the Palace Master, Hao Wenxi, enjoyed such privilege.

Qi Tian also looked inside through the moon gate. He found it to be very desolate, much unlike the rest of Peacock Hall; it lacked vitality.

Just then, Zhang Lei returned, handed the token back to Qi Tian and said, “Qi Tian, the Fairy Doctor invites you in. Mi Na, you may leave now. You’re not needed here anymore.”

Mi Na bowed and made her exit. Qi Tian put the token away and followed Zhang Lei into West Peacock Palace.

Zhang Lei led Qi Tian to the gate of the palace, stood on the steps, and respectfully announced, “Reporting to Fairy Doctor, Qi Tian has arrived.”