Chapter 369

: I Don’t Owe You     Shan Qing Luo’s name was not something that could be mentioned casually.

Seeing their Young Lord act so boldly caused the two Blood Warriors’ brows to rise, and their expressions were somewhat intrigued.
That was Qiu Yi Meng!  The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady, one of the dynasty’s favoured daughters of Heaven, was the target of almost every great family’s Young Lords.
However, even after being treated like this, she didn’t strike back but instead simply struggled like an ordinary woman.
Exchanging a quick glance, the two Blood Warriors could see the excitement in each other’s eyes.
[There’s definitely something between them!]  Tu Feng and Tang Yu Xian both thought in their hearts.

Let go of me!
  Qiu Yi Meng who couldn’t break free quietly muttered under her breath.
However, Yang Kai gave her a threatening look before slowly releasing his hand and taking a few steps back.
Frowning deeply, Yang Kai stared at her indifferently and stated,
I don’t owe you anything.  Everything you encountered you brought upon yourself, it had nothing to do with me.


Heartless bastard!
Qiu Yi Meng cursed viciously.

Don’t say those kinds of easily misunderstood words, we only met by chance, there’s no friendship between us!
Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Qiu Yi Meng suddenly felt angry, as she found that none of her usual means had any effect on Yang Kai.  If she had spent so much effort on any other young lords in the capital, they would all be more than willing to nod their heads and wag their tails for her, so why was this one always so cold towards her?

There’s a lot of things I have to ask you, is there any place private we can talk?
Yang Kai said as he looked around.
Qiu Yi Meng snorted disdainfully; however, after calming herself for a moment she still nodded,
Come with me.

The many High Heaven Pavilion disciples who had watched this scene play out all felt baffled.
Just now, Yang Kai and Qiu Yi Meng didn’t make any effort to conceal their discussion or their attitudes towards each other.
Just who Qiu Yi Meng was, they all knew quite well. Yet, it seemed like Yang Kai was acquainted with her, and their relationship was by no means simple.
What magical ability did he have in the end?  How had he managed to become associated with the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady?
Not long after the group departed, Xie Hong Chen landed nearby with a slightly embarrassed appearance.  After chasing after it for so long, he still hadn’t managed to even catch a single feather from the Golden Eagle, on the contrary, he had nearly been injured by it instead.
After landing, he quickly discovered that Yang Kai had disappeared.

Where’s Yang Kai?
Xie Hong Chen asked the disciples around him coldly.

Young Lady Qiu arrived and led him away.
  A junior brother answered.

Led him away?
  Xie Hong Chen’s brow furrowed, and a look of disbelief spread across his face,
Are you sure she led him personally?

The junior brother didn’t dare say he was certain about it but simply replied,
It seems like Young Lady Qiu wanted to discuss something with him.

Xie Hong Chen nodded but was still suspicious.  Why did Qiu Yi Meng want to talk to him? Previously she had given him authority over the rebuilding process so what qualifications did that little brat have to speak with her?
Unable to quell his doubts, he quickly walked toward the place where Qiu Yi Meng and Luo Xiao Man had temporarily taken up residence.
In a house nearby, Qiu Yi Meng and Luo Xiao Man sat in front of a table across from Yang Kai.
The house was very simple without any furnishings or decorations in it.  It was obviously a newly built structure, probably erected specifically for the Qiu Yi Meng and Luo Xiao Man while they resided in High Heaven Pavilion.
Outside the house, Tu Feng and Tang Yu Xian stood guard, indifferent to everything around them, and their expressions were cold and serious.
After the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady personally served tea, she sat back down and stared at Yang Kai for a moment before speaking,
If you have anything to ask, just ask!


When did she let you go?
Yang Kai lifted the teacup and casually asked.

One month ago,
Qiu Yi Meng grinned wryly, obviously understanding that the ‘she’ Yang Kai was referring to was the Beguiling Demon Queen Shan Qing Luo.  
She really didn’t embarrass us and only took us around to various battlefields. Before the decisive battle, she let us go.


And, what happened?


A lot of my preconceived notions changed….
Qiu Yi Meng paused for a moment before earnestly saying,
I used to believe that the world’s evil was contained within the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land and that all who lived there were demons and devils, but now I can’t think that way anymore.  I saw many innocents brutally murdered by our so-called righteous path. I also saw many of our so-called just Sects commit numerous outrages inside the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land…. she was right that this world isn’t only black and white. Everyone has demons in their hearts, and everyone can become a demon, it all depends on whether or not they choose to give in to those urges or not.


En,
Yang Kai nodded lightly as he witnessed the great change Qiu Yi Meng had undergone. It was indeed a rare enlightenment.
Shan Qing Luo was right to bring her around the battlefield.
Perhaps Shan Qing Luo had hoped to use the power of the Qiu Family to change the world’s opinion of the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land, possibly bring about a more permanent understanding and peace.

After she let us go, the next place I came was here.
Qiu Yi Meng said with a smile.

Then, does the Qiu Family know you’re safe?
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed.

I have already sent them a message informing them of my safety,
Qiu Yi Meng nodded,
I also sent a letter to Purple Fern Valley, as for the Bai Family…

Yang Kai gazed sharpened slightly as he stared straight at Qiu Yi Meng.
However, the latter simply giggled,
Oh, don’t worry, I told Xiao Man to tell the Bai Family that Bai Yun Feng was hunted down by the Thunderbolt Beast King’s henchmen and was unfortunately killed.  I made sure there was no mention of you and her.


En, good!
Yang Kai smiled with satisfaction.  Although Bai Yun Feng’s death really didn’t have much to do with him, if the truth of the matter were to spread, it would likely stir up the Bai Family’s resentment.
These great forces were notorious for being unreasonable, and while he, a Yang Family Young Lord, would likely escape unscathed, High Heaven Pavilion might still be targeted.
Qiu Yi Meng slowly stretched herself, fully revealing her graceful curves, not giving the issue a second thought, and indifferently continued,
I once told you that if one day I could regain my freedom, I would help clear High Heaven Pavilion’s name!  Right now, I don’t have enough authority to do so, so best I can do right now is help rebuild it and plan for the future.

Although Qiu Yi Meng was the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady, the matters surrounding High Heaven Pavilion were too serious and complex for her to call the shots.
At the very least, one of the leaders of a super-force would have to take the lead.

So you’re the one presiding over the reconstruction work here?
  Yang Kai asked as he stared at her.

What do you think?
  Qiu Yi Meng grinned,
High Heaven Pavilion has been declared an evil Sect, if I hadn’t shown up, who would dare to build anything here?  I was prepared to declare it as a subsidiary of the Qiu Family for the meantime and look for opportunities later on the restore High Heaven Pavilion’s name as a favour to you.


No, there’s no such thing as selling me a favour, this is simply what your Qiu Family should do.
Yang Kai sneered back at her.
Qiu Yi Meng didn’t immediately refute this time, instead just nodding as she said,
What you say makes some sense, after all, it was my Qiu Family that set this place ablaze in the first place, but now that you’re back, and with an appropriate backing, you should take over yourself. I’m too lazy to get involved.  Heh, as the property of a Yang Family Young Lord, no one would dare say anything about it, right?

Yang Kai was slightly stunned but also didn’t refute her.  After contemplating for a long time, he felt that what Qiu Yi Meng proposed was indeed a good idea. Therefore he nodded in agreement,
Good, I give you my thanks.

Qiu Yi Meng’s eyes flashed imperceptibly as she maintained her smile.

But what about those people outside?  Where did you find all of them?
Yang Kai questioned.

From around the local area,
Qiu Yi Meng grinned as she casually propped up her head with her hands which were resting on the table, a bit lazily replying,
They’re were all hanging around the two other nearby Sects, so all I needed to do was speak a few words to those faction’s Elders and they were all allowed to come back here.

Yang Kai suddenly understood.
Those people outside should all be the disciples who were tempted by Storm Hall and Blood Battle Gang!  However, it was unexpected for him that on the eve of the Sect’s disaster, Xie Hong Chen, who was a Core Disciple, had also abandoned High Heaven Pavilion, while on the contrary, Common Disciples like Li Yun Tian firmly stood with the Sect and finally escaped through the Void Corridor, fleeing ten thousand kilometers away.
It was only in times of crisis that one could truly understand what was in another’s heart.
However, Yang Kai didn’t give much thought to this matter, them choosing to leave the Sect at that time was their freedom.
It seemed that many of them were taken in by Storm Hall and Blood Battle Gang, but now that Qiu Yi Meng had arrived and sought them out, with her identity as the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady, what objections could Blood Battle Gang and Storm Hall possibly say?

One’s Sect should always be supported by one’s own people, don’t you agree?
  Qiu Yi Meng smiled happily, as if looking forward to Yang Kai praising her efforts.
Yang Kai, unfortunately, turned a deaf ear to her, and instead chose to stare at Luo Xiao Man, the latter behaving like a vicious tiger had her in its sights.
Seeing this, Qiu Yi Meng simply rolled her eyes, knowing just how stubborn this young man was and did not force the issue any further.

Right, when you came here, did you notice anything odd nearby?
  Yang Kai suddenly recalled a certain point and inquired.

Something odd?


En, like a place where Evil and Demonic Qi surged forth.
  Yang Kai spoke in an intentionally casual tone.

Oh, you mean that,
Qiu Yi Meng smiled and nodded,
We didn’t see it when we arrived, but after listening to your Senior Brother Xie Hong Chen, it seems like the place you call the Coiling Dragon Stream was once erupting with Demonic Qi, so much so that the two nearby factions were preparing to relocate, but it seemed like something down below was continuously absorbing that Demonic Qi, so, after a few months, the place was restored to its former calm.


Has anybody gone down to investigate then?
  Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling slightly nervous.
What was absorbing the Demonic Qi, others might not know, but Yang Kai was clear.
Old Demon!
Upon returning here, Yang Kai had done a quick sweep of the area with his Divine Sense, but he couldn’t find any traces of Old Demon’s aura, therefore he had simply assumed he had been successful, but now had no idea where he had gone.
[Did that old devil want to take this opportunity to escape from his control?]  Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking of such a possibility.
It wasn’t impossible, Old Demon was a real Devil lord, not exactly someone who could be described as trustworthy and loyal.

No, nobody has gone down there to check.  The nearby cultivators were all extremely fearful of approaching the Coiling Dragon Stream!
  Qiu Yi Meng slowly shook her head.
That was also understandable. All of them had witnessed what had transpired here.  At the time, the Demonic Qi soared to the Heavens and shook the very ground beneath them, and all of them felt a fatal threat from it.  Although it now appeared safe and sound, nobody was daring enough to risk their life just to satisfy their curiosity.

Do you know what’s down there?
  Qiu Yi Meng’s gaze suddenly became sharp as she stared at Yang Kai.

Nope.
Yang Kai shook his head perfunctorily.
Qiu Yi Meng snorted, knowing that he didn’t trust her enough to tell her the truth.

Forget it, if you don’t want to say then don’t. Let’s just focus on the rebuilding of your Sect.  I’ve also lingered here for a long time and even though I’ve sent a letter back to the capital explaining the situation, I still have to go home as soon as possible, otherwise, my family would start worrying about me again.  They might even send someone out to bring me back.
Qiu Yi Meng said bitterly. It seemed like she was somewhat reluctant to go back to the capital.
In which case, I think I’ll entrust the rebuilding efforts here to you instead of overseeing things myself.  Right now everything has been given to that Xie Hong Chen to manage, but do you have any thoughts on the matter?