Only I am Venerable

Yongchun's lips parted, but she said nothing, lapsing into silence. Qin Li's last words had shaken her deeply.

"I don't have a habit of letting women shield me from the storm!"

'Could it be... in his heart, I'm a woman? Not some old crone who's lived for thousands of years?'

Something had gently plucked at Yongchun's heartstrings, sending ripples through her heart.

By the time Yongchun came back to her senses, Qin Li was already far away. She wanted to call out and stop him but couldn't think of a reason. She admired Qin Li, and was even willing to help him annihilate the Hai Family, but she couldn't keep him at the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace under these circumstances. After all, by saying what he did in front of everyone today, Qin Li had basically thrown himself into an inescapable deathtrap. If he remained at the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, wouldn't that be the same as the Palace standing with him against the Hai Family?

The Hai Family wanted to destroy Qin Li, and in turn, Qin Li wanted to destroy the Hai Family. This was now a fight to the death!

Even with her supreme status in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, she couldn't keep Qin Li here. So when Qin Li himself suggested leaving, she should have been relieved. But... why did she feel so melancholic and worried?

Yongchun remained silent for a moment, watching Qin Li's back disappear from view. She glanced at the other ancestors, their expressions all complicated, and said faintly, "One day, you will all regret what you did today!"

With that, Yongchun drifted away.

"Regret? You mean regret not discovering this sooner!" one of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace's ancestors sneered, glancing at Yongchun's departing figure.

"Heh, the matter is finally resolved. I never thought Yongchun would actually develop feelings for him. How interesting." Another ancestor from the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace said with a disdainful look, "What a pity. That brat doesn't know what's good for him, daring to say something so arrogant. Yongchun's efforts were all for nothing!"

"She wants us to regret it? We'll just wait and watch the show."

The group of ancestors spoke amongst themselves, then took their leave from the Palace Master, Mingyue Ascendant, one by one.

Only Mingyue Ascendant and a group of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace's upper echelon remained. Elder Hu looked crestfallen. Like Elder Yongchun, she had been very optimistic about Qin Li and never expected things to end up this way. 'She deeply hated Han Mei. If she hadn't tipped off the Hai Family, how could any of this have happened?'

Fortunately, Han Mei's expulsion from the palace lessened some of Elder Hu's displeasure.

The person with the most complex and sorrowful feelings was probably Mingyue Ascendant. Her beloved disciple, Han Mei, had made a grave mistake, been caught, and expelled from the Sect. Meanwhile, Qin Li, who was destined to become a peerless expert, had been squeezed out by the Hai Family and the palace's own ancestors.

Today was truly a gray day for the entire Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. Seeing the relieved expressions on the faces of the upper echelon behind her, Mingyue Ascendant sighed internally. 'Even without the Hai Family and the ancestors forcing the issue,' she thought, 'most of these high-ranking members would have probably opposed Qin Li staying at the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace anyway!'

'What a shortsighted bunch! The Moon Shaking Immortal Palace is slowly losing its original spirit. Power struggles, selfishness, and indifference are beginning to spread like a cloud over the Sect.'

'Given the circumstances, it would have been better to bet on Qin Li and fight it out with the Hai Family!'

With these thoughts in mind, Mingyue Ascendant dismissed the others and departed, a hint of worry in her heart.

Within a few hours, news of the incident had spread throughout the entire Moon Shaking Immortal Palace.

When Bu Yunyan, Zhao Qianqian, and Linghu Feiyue heard what happened, the three of them gathered together, speechless for a long time. They had originally thought that with Qin Li's arrival, they would finally be able to leave with him. They never expected him to run into such huge trouble. They knew exactly why Qin Li hadn't come to say goodbye—he was afraid of implicating them.

But in their hearts, even if it meant death, they wanted to die with Qin Li!

If something truly happened to Qin Li, what meaning would there be for them to continue living in this world?

Linghu Feiyue blinked. Years of living among humans had made her completely human in her own mind. Most of the time, she even forgot that she was a Spirit Beast.

She glanced at Bu Yunyan and Zhao Qianqian and said softly, "Bu, why don't we leave too? Let's go find our Young Master!"

Zhao Qianqian also said with a determined expression, "Qin didn't want to implicate us, so he left quietly. We might not be able to help much, but staying here will only make us more miserable!"

Bu Yunyan was hesitant. She understood that with their current strength, they would only be a burden to Qin Li if they followed him, forcing him to divert his attention to protect them. But she truly didn't want to stay here any longer. Qin Li had already told them where the Qin Family was now. If they left the Land of the Far West, they could find the Mysterious Land where the Qin Family was located.

But even if they went home, what could they do besides bring bad news to Shangguan Shiyu and the others?

Just as Bu Yunyan was hesitating, a soft voice suddenly sounded from outside. "May I come in?"

The three women were all startled, as they hadn't sensed anyone approaching. The person's strength was clearly immense. The voice was crisp and clear, sounding like that of a young girl.

Bu Yunyan took a deep breath and asked, "Who are you?"

The door was gently pushed open, and a young girl in a floral dress walked in with a smile. Looking at the three bewildered women, she said, "I am Yongchun!"

"Yong...chun? Ah? Elder Yongchun, the Ancestor?" Bu Yunyan was stunned for a moment, then stared in astonishment at the young girl who had entered.

She, Zhao Qianqian, and Linghu Feiyue all knew that Qin Li had gone to see Elder Yongchun some time ago. But they had never met her and had assumed she was an old woman in her seventies or eighties. They never imagined she would be a young girl who looked even younger than them.

Zhao Qianqian and Linghu Feiyue's mouths fell slightly open, both utterly shocked, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"Y-you're really the Yongchun Ancestor?" Bu Yunyan asked again, coming to her senses but still finding it hard to believe.

"Of course. It seems no one here would dare to impersonate me yet," Yongchun said with a faint smile. She looked at the three beautiful and charming women and thought to herself, 'That little guy Qin Li, who refuses to show his true face, is quite the romantic. Legend has it that Qin Li's true appearance is that of a very handsome young man. It's a shame I've never seen it.'

Of course, Yongchun wouldn't reveal her inner thoughts. She smiled faintly and said, "I came because when Qin Li left, he asked me to take care of you. So, don't overthink things!"

As she spoke, Yongchun looked the three women up and down. Her gaze then settled on Linghu Feiyue, and slowly, her elegant brows furrowed. After a long moment, she suddenly smiled again. "You're already at the Shattered Void Realm?"

Linghu Feiyue nodded obediently. Being stared at by Yongchun had made her heart pound with anxiety. Even Bu Yunyan and Zhao Qianqian had only learned a little about her identity and origins in the last two years, and only because she had intentionally or unintentionally revealed it. The Little Fox had always been confident in herself, believing that as long as she didn't say anything, no one would know she was a Spirit Beast that had undergone Transformation.

But now it seemed that wasn't the case. At the very least, the way Yongchun had just looked at her made the Little Fox feel as if she had been seen through completely. Fortunately, Elder Yongchun didn't expose her on the spot, allowing the Little Fox to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Shattered Void, not bad. In a moment, the three of you will come with me. From now on, I will teach you!" Yongchun said with a faint smile, as if she had made a decision.

The three women froze in unison, staring at Elder Yongchun in disbelief. Even if they had never seen her, they had at least heard of her. This was the highest-ranking ancestor currently in the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace!

Why would someone of her status and position suddenly take an interest in the three of them? It made them feel like they were in a trance, as if it were all a dream and nothing was real.

"What? You're not willing?" Elder Yongchun asked with a smile.

"Ah, no, no, of course we're willing! It's just... our master..." Bu Yunyan's face showed a hint of dilemma.

Over the years, aside from initially forcing the three of them to come with her, which had made them a bit uncomfortable, Elder Mo had truly been dedicated to them. It could be said she treated them very well!

"That's fine. I'll just have a word with her," Yongchun said dismissively. Indeed, what was her status compared to Elder Mo's? Besides, Elder Mo would be overjoyed. A disciple chosen by Elder Yongchun, even if she didn't become the Palace Master of the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, would have a bright future. As their master, she would also gain face.

After all, the three women had been her disciples for many years. No one could deny that fact!

...

In a room, Xiaoying and her master, Yu Xiaoyi, sat facing each other. Xiaoying's eyes were red, and Yu Xiaoyi's expression was grim.

They never imagined that the person they had randomly recruited into the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace would turn out to be the infamous Qin Li. And now, he had gotten into a conflict with most of the people in the Immortal Palace and left.

The Saintess, Han Mei, had also been expelled from the palace because of this.

And Xiaoying was basically the source of the whole affair. Almost no one around them believed that the master and disciple pair of Xiaoying and Yu Xiaoyi had any good days left at the Moon Shaking Immortal Palace.

After learning that Qin Li had left and made such a powerful enemy, Xiaoying had been worried sick about him. She had been crying for a long time before her master, Yu Xiaoyi, came to find her.

"Master, will I never see Qin Fang... I mean, Qin Li, again?" Xiaoying asked Yu Xiaoyi, looking pitiful.

Yu Xiaoyi smiled bitterly in her heart. 'Oh, this naive, silly disciple,' she thought. 'I'm not sure if you'll ever see your Qin Li again. The real question is how much longer we ourselves can even stay in this Moon Shaking Immortal Palace!'

Just then, the door opened. It was Yu Xiaoyi's master, Elder Hu. And when Elder Hu looked at the master and disciple, her eyes actually held a trace of envy.

"You two little girls are in luck. The Yongchun Ancestor has taken a liking to you. Come with me!"

Yu Xiaoyi and Xiaoying couldn't help but stare, dumbfounded.

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My Peak Alone

Beneath my iron fist, all is illusion.

Where I stand, that is the peak. (To be continued. If you want to know what happens next, please log in to www.qidian.com. There are more chapters, and you can support the author and authentic reading!)