Severing Ties: The Sect Regrets My Departure Chapter 100

"Disciple Bizhu pays respects to Master!"

As Qin Meran stepped through the gates of Cloud Firmament City, a woman in matching Azure Mystic robes hurried forward to greet her. This was Tang Bizhu, Qin Meran's direct disciple, who had arrived days earlier to scout the situation.

"I have prepared accommodations for you, Master," Tang Bizhu offered. "Would you like to rest?"

Qin Meran shook her head. "Time is short. I will visit the City Lord first. Walk with me and report."

Tang Bizhu fell into step beside her, her voice low and hurried. The situation in the city was murky. The "Homage of Ten Thousand Rhymes" had ceased, leaving no trace to follow. Talisman masters were already abandoning the city in droves, frustrated by the lack of answers.

"As for last night's phenomena—the Primordial Bell and Heaven's Gate—rumors are rampant," Tang Bizhu continued. "But like the Rhymes, no one knows who triggered them. We are blind."

Qin Meran frowned. "And the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion? Have they revealed the source of the Perfect Dao Talismans?"

"They are stonewalling us," Tang Bizhu said, her tone sharp with indignation. "Manager Su claims it is a 'commercial secret.' They are being incredibly arrogant. But now that you are here, Master, they won't dare hide the truth any longer."

Qin Meran raised an eyebrow but said nothing. They had arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion.

Before the guards could announce them, the heavy doors swung open. An elderly man with snow-white hair and eyes full of vitality strode out, his laughter booming like a drum.

"Hahaha! The little Qin girl has arrived! Why didn't you send word ahead?"

Qin Meran immediately bowed deep, her posture full of genuine respect.

"Junior Qin Meran pays respects to Senior Sang!"

Tang Bizhu hurriedly followed suit. "This junior greets City Lord Sang!"

The man before them was a living legend: Sang Shoudao. Once a brilliant disciple of the Lancang Sacred Land, he had abandoned his sect to walk the path of a rogue cultivator, single-handedly building Cloud Firmament City into a sanctuary for the wandering and the hunted. Even as an Elder of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land, Qin Meran was merely a junior in his presence.

"No need for such formality, rise, rise!" Sang Shoudao chuckled, ushering them inside.

In the reception hall, tea was served. Tang Bizhu remained standing behind her master, head bowed in service.

Sang Shoudao watched her, a nostalgic smile touching his lips. "Time flies. The little girl from back then is now a master herself."

"I merely wish to ensure the inheritance continues," Qin Meran replied politely. "If Senior Sang were willing to take disciples, your students would fill the world by now."

"This old wreck has no patience for children," Sang Shoudao laughed, waving a hand. Then, his expression softened. " speaking of children... how is that kid, Gu Xiu? I heard he returned from the Forbidden Realm years ago, yet he has never come to visit me. Is he too big for this old man now?"

Qin Meran froze. A flicker of unnatural stiffness crossed her face.

"Gu Xiu... he is well," she lied, her voice tight. "He has been in seclusion at the sect, recuperating. Even I have not seen him for a long time."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Sang Shoudao’s eyes seemed to pierce right through her, but he simply nodded. "Good. As long as he is back. With the Azure Mystic Sacred Land protecting him, I’m sure even the gravest injuries are being treated with the utmost care."

The casual remark struck Qin Meran like a slap. Her cheeks burned with hidden shame. She quickly changed the subject.

"Senior Sang, I actually came to ask about last night... the Primordial Bell and the Heaven's Gate."

"That was me," Sang Shoudao said.

Qin Meran blinked. "You?"

"I had a sudden flash of enlightenment," the old man said, tapping his chest. "I created a Heaven-rank technique, the Cloud Firmament Mantra. Though... it is barely scratching the surface of the Lower Heaven-rank. I don't know if this old life of mine will last long enough to perfect it."

He sighed, the sound heavy with the melancholy of a hero facing his twilight years.

Qin Meran stood up immediately, bowing again. "Congratulations, Senior! To create a Heaven-rank technique is a feat one in ten thousand could not achieve. You may yet push open Heaven’s Gate and ascend!"

She felt a wave of relief. If the anomaly was caused by Sang Shoudao, the Azure Mystic Sacred Land had nothing to fear. A rogue cultivator, no matter how strong, was not a threat to the established order.

"You flatter me," Sang Shoudao chuckled.

"Senior," Qin Meran pressed on, seizing the moment. "May I ask one more thing? About the Homage of Ten Thousand Rhymes... and the Perfect Dao Talismans?"

"I knew you would ask," Sang Shoudao smiled. "Yes, it is related to my city."

"Oh?"

"Recently, someone achieved a breakthrough in the Dao of Talismans, triggering the Homage," Sang Shoudao explained. "Their force uses methods even I cannot fully comprehend to mass-produce Perfect Dao Talismans."

Qin Meran’s eyes narrowed. "Their force? It is not a single person?"

"A hundred thousand talismans a day?" Sang Shoudao raised an eyebrow. "Do you believe one person could do that?"

"No... but what force is it?"

Sang Shoudao leaned back, studying her with an enigmatic smile. "I suspect you won't act rashly once you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you heard of the Ink Chill Tower?"

Qin Meran stiffened. "The... pinnacle force of the Talisman Dao?"

At the end of the talisman path, Ink Chill reigns supreme.

Ten thousand years ago, Xu Mozi held the Heavenly Book of Talismans and suppressed an entire era. One talisman to destroy a clan; one drop of ink to sever a sect. His organization, the Ink Chill Tower, was the holy land of talisman masters.

"But they vanished ten thousand years ago," Qin Meran whispered. "Are you saying...?"

"They have returned," Sang Shoudao said calmly. "And they are here, in Cloud Firmament City."

Qin Meran felt as if the floor had dropped out from under her. The Ink Chill Tower had resurfaced? And they were partnering with the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion? This was a seismic shift in the power balance of the cultivation world.

"Thank you, Senior, for this vital intelligence!" She stood up abruptly, eager to report back to the sect.

"Think nothing of it," Sang Shoudao waved a hand. "Gu Xiu once did me a favor. Cloud Firmament City usually dislikes sect interference, but... for little Gu Xiu’s sake, I will give you face."

Qin Meran’s expression stiffened again. "I... will thank Senior on my junior brother's behalf."

"No need."

Sang Shoudao turned his head, his gaze drifting out the window toward a specific corner of the city. His voice dropped, heavy with meaning.

"If it is convenient, he will come to thank me himself."

He paused, a sad smile touching his lips.

"If he does not come, then it is simply inconvenient. This old man... understands."

At that exact moment, inside the Listening-to-Rain Pavilion.

Gu Xiu opened his eyes. He turned his head, looking through the walls in the direction of the City Lord’s Mansion.

A faint, warm smile broke the calm mask of his face.

Thank you, Senior. For your care.