Immortal Father
Chapter 443 - 443 159 Direct Provocation_2

443: Chapter 159 Direct Provocation_2 443: Chapter 159 Direct Provocation_2 Gu Qingcheng said, “There’s also a second direction, which is the movement of Spirit Stones between Forge-Heaven Gate and the high-ranking officials of the Eastern Alliance.”

“This is even harder to investigate,” Li Ping’an sighed, “To know these, we must find the core accounts of Forge-Heaven Gate, and these accounts can be easily destroyed by a Heavenly Immortal or a Golden Immortal.”

Chen Ting’er had a flash of insight, what if we start with the accounts of the Eastern Alliance…

“There’s a third direction!”

Gu Qingcheng’s eyes lit up with excitement and he said with a smile:

“The Eastern Alliance must have accounts of their purchases from Forge-Heaven Gate, we just need to find an opportunity to look over the accounts when we go there.

“Inside the Eastern Alliance, the accounts surely can’t just be said to be destroyed and then they’re destroyed, right?”

Li Ping’an and Yu Yingshu both leaned back at the same time.

Chen Ting’er bit her lip and lowered her head to punch the deck of the ship.

Yu Yingshu naively asked, “What’s wrong with Senior Sister Chen?”

“It’s nothing, nothing,” Chen Ting’er quickly said, “You guys continue talking, I’m not very good at these things, I’m only good at tasks like ironing and washing clothes.”

“The accounts within the Eastern Alliance.”

Li Ping’an nodded with a smile, offering everyone a word of encouragement:

“That’s a good starting point, at least we’re not without any direction now.”

“By the way, Master, why not bring Wen Ling along to think with us too?”

As he spoke, with a flash of immortal light on his chest, Qing Su Immortal brought Wen Ling over to Li Ping’an’s side.

Gu Qingcheng, Chen Ting’er, and Yu Yingshu all quickly rose to greet her with their respects.

Qing Su nodded slightly as a response to their greetings.

Wen Ling was busy laying out three mats, inviting Qing Su to take a seat, and then she sat down neatly behind Qing Su.

Li Ping’an introduced everyone: “Master, this is Yuan Immortal Chen Ting’er from Caiyun Peak, and these two are old friends of mine, Yu Yingshu and Gu Qingcheng.

This is Wen Ling, Elder Xiao’s registered disciple…”

“I am an outer sect Disciple, and a maid to little ancestor Ping’an!”

Wen Ling bowed politely:

“Please take care of me in the future, dear Senior Brothers and Senior Sister!”

Gu Qingcheng and Yu Yingshu bowed in return, having already been acquainted with her before.

Chen Ting’er was struck as if by lightning, looking at Wen Ling’s adorable little round face and her delicate and nimble figure, she suddenly felt an unstoppable sense of loss.

She couldn’t even manage to do tasks like washing and ironing clothes.

“Sigh, I might as well return to the sect and continue cultivating.”

Just then!

Suddenly, from the horizon came a deep and ancient voice: “Little friend Ping’an, are you on this Cloud Boat?”

Everyone from the Wanyun Sect on the Cloud Boat stood up and looked towards the source of the voice.

There, four figures stood between heaven and earth, initially looking like sesame seeds, but in a blink, they had arrived in front of the Cloud Boat.

These four were dressed in the robes of the Eastern Alliance and each possessed the Dao Realm of a Golden Immortal!

…

“Sure enough, they came.”

Li Ping’an secretly chuckled to himself, but outwardly he maintained composure as he took the initiative to bow and said, “My name is Li Ping’an, I bid the Elders welcome.”

The old Artifact Spirit of the Myriad Manifestation Chart advised him quietly, ‘Master, it’s not just these four old Golden Immortals appearing; there are dozens of experts observing this place.

The Elder Tianli is nearby but hasn’t shown himself.’

With this knowledge, Li Ping’an had a clearer understanding of the situation.

The four Golden Immortals, with smiles all over their faces, bowed back at the same time, one of them said, “Friend Ping’an, this boat of yours is rather small.”

With that, he waved his sleeve and a grand ship, several tens of feet in length and seven or eight feet in height, appeared beside them.

“Please!

Let us go up and have a chat!”

Li Ping’an bowed and said, “Then I will accept your invitation without reservation.”

Everyone jumped onto the deck of the large ship.

The Golden Immortal invited everyone inside, but Li Ping’an tactfully refused.

“Dear Elders have come all of a sudden, intercepting us on our way.

You must have some advice to offer, please speak your mind.”

The four old Golden Immortals folded their hands together and said:

“We wouldn’t dare provide advice.”

“It’s nothing serious, just coming to meet you, friend Ping’an, and become familiar with your face is all.”

“We all serve the Yellow Emperor within the Eastern Alliance, and hearing that you have received a reward from His Majesty, we sincerely envy you and have come to give our congratulations!”

“Friend Ping’an need not worry; we are all…”

The talking old Golden Immortal lowered his voice and whispered, “Pure protectors of the Emperor; we are a completely different matter from the Western Faction and the Wa Palace Faction!”

Li Ping’an: …

Good grief, protectors of the Emperor, Western Faction, Wa Palace Faction—are these not the names he had coined himself?

This must be validation that Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor had been eavesdropping on their father-son conversation.

It must be Elder Tianli who had listened in and intentionally leaked it out!

The Human Emperor eavesdropping, tsk.

“Dear Elders,” Li Ping’an said with a smile, “We all serve the Yellow Emperor; there shouldn’t be this faction or that faction.”

The four Golden Immortals glanced at each other and burst into laughter.

“Ha ha ha ha!

Young friend speaks the absolute truth!”

“Indeed, indeed, there aren’t really any factions, it’s just that everyone has different people they’re close to on an everyday basis, that’s all.”

Li Ping’an raised his hand in invitation, “Let’s keep the Cloud Boat moving; I have some matters to report to the Alliance Hierarch and the Vice Alliance Hierarchs, sooner rather than later.”

The four old Golden Immortals agreed repeatedly, speeding up the tower ship towards the sky ruins.

If Li Ping’an hadn’t guessed wrong, these four old Golden Immortals were probably sent by several Vice Alliance Hierarchs for the purpose of probing his intentions.

Li Ping’an sighed inwardly:

‘Given their demeanor, in the eyes of the Immortals of the Eastern Alliance, I must now be considered a special envoy from Xuanyuan.’

‘What’s with this appointment by the Yellow Emperor?’

Li Ping’an’s thoughts churned incessantly as he made small talk with the four Golden Immortals.

Qing Su turned and walked away, retracting the awning of the Cloud Boat that had been following.

Gu Qingcheng and the other three disciples retreated to a corner, not daring to eavesdrop on what the Golden Immortals were discussing with Li Ping’an.

The sky ruins were now within sight.

Li Ping’an didn’t utter a single word of truth, continuously speaking in officialese.

All thanks to his father, Li Dazhi’s ‘tutoring’ over the past few days.

Finally, one of the old Golden Immortals couldn’t hold back anymore, and with a cupped-fist salute, he said cheerfully to Li Ping’an, “There is one thing that’s truly unclear to me, and I would like to ask young friend Ping’an about it.”

“Oh?”

Li Ping’an asked with a smile, “What matter?

There’s no harm in speaking, my senior; I shall withhold nothing.”

“We all know that Your Majesty spoke to you alone for an hour, and we really wonder…”

“Such matters, you really shouldn’t pry into, nor should you inquire.”

Li Ping’an’s smile faded, his brow furrowed slightly, as he calmly clasped his hands behind his back.

The four Golden Immortal ministers exchanged glances, observing the wariness and urgency in each other’s eyes.

Another old Golden Immortal saluted with his hands:

“Young friend Ping’an…

Officer Ping’an!”

“The few of us are Golden Immortals who ascended after ancient times, and though we participated in the war against the Hundred Clans, our contributions were minor, our military exploits few.”

“Although we now serve the Eastern Alliance, deep down we cannot find peace, fearful that one day when the thunder rolls, we will have no place to belong, no position to uphold.”

“Please, Officer, reveal just a hint.”

Li Ping’an sighed and said seriously, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to disclose information to you, but His Majesty cautioned that what we discussed must not be recounted to anyone.”

He spoke with not a hint of falsehood.

After discussing the Heavenly Dao with Li Ping’an for half an hour, the Yellow Emperor had indeed instructed him so.

Li Ping’an continued, “The four of you have come here, and I roughly understand the intention.

It’s nothing more than the Eastern Alliance worrying that my return might affect the current state of affairs…

but you can rest assured!”

Looking at the increasingly near sky ruins, he declared loudly:

“My Dao realm is too low, His Majesty appointed me as a mere squad leader, a mere squad leader with only ten men under my command, what can I do?”

The four Golden Immortals looked somewhat puzzled.

Li Ping’an’s tone suddenly changed, his hands clasped behind him, and in his palm appeared a golden jade token.”

The Xuanyuan Sword Command!

A strand of sword qi seemed to leap out of the token, piercing the clouds.

The four old Golden Immortals took a closer look, promptly saluting with cupped fists and giving a Daoist bow.

Li Ping’an raised his eyebrows.

It indeed had its uses.

Li Ping’an turned around, displaying the token in a 360-degree turn, then put it away in his sleeve, his voice becoming much gentler.

He chuckled, “Later I’ll go to the military camp and act as a squad leader.

However, I cannot neglect the duties of this third-grade Inspector either, I must inspect various places.

But rest assured; I shall not misuse the authority of an Inspector.”

“Young friend is truly benevolent, truly benevolent.”

“Then we are reassured.”

“We…

Eh?

The Immortal Palaces are on fire?”

The faces of the four old Golden Immortals were illuminated by the orange glow.

Li Ping’an turned his head slightly.

Above the sky ruins, within the rolling expanse of Immortal Palaces, one palace burst into raging flames in just two breaths’ time, a visible wave of Spiritual Energy radiating from the palace, causing blasts in the air.

Several figures appeared above the palace, simultaneously making their move, and the flames extinguished instantly.

The four old Golden Immortals were taken aback:

“Return to Origin True Fire?

Did an artifact-refining furnace explode?”

“That’s not a place for Artifact Refining; that’s…

the Chouxian Sixth Hall where the Eastern Alliance’s accounts are kept?”

“It seems so, the Chouxian Sixth Hall.”

Li Ping’an’s mouth twitched slightly, and he turned to look ahead.

They actually used Return to Origin True Fire?

A provocation?