CHAPTER 556: CHAPTER 549: THE OLD MAN’S PROTECTION_1

Confronted with the repeated interrogations of the Yun State Governor, anyone else would have been flustered, betraying themselves.

But Qin Feiyang remained calm.

His mind raced, thinking of how to respond.

He had not expected the Yun State Governor to come looking for him, let alone so suddenly and quickly.

"Why so?"

"Feeling guilty, with nothing to say?"

The Yun State Governor sneered.

"Guilty?"

Qin Feiyang put on a helpless look and said, "Pardon my frankness, Elder, but I have no idea what you are talking about. So where does the guilt come in?"

The Yun State Governor was instantly furious.

"Please don’t get so angry, Elder. First, let me sort out my thoughts."

Qin Feiyang then pondered for a moment and said, "If I’m not mistaken, someone stole the Elixir Fire from the Inner Sanctum in Yun State. And you suspect me because of a medicine with three Elixir Patterns and a battle skill that rebounds an opponent’s attack?"

"Correct."

The Yun State Governor nodded.

"But Elder, I haven’t even been to Yun State, let alone know where it is."

"Moreover, with the vastness and the multitude of talent in the Nine States, are you so certain that nobody else can craft a pill with three Elixir Patterns or master a battle skill that rebounds enemy attacks?"

"Elder, I can understand your feelings, but that doesn’t mean you can be irrational and pin everything on me without substantial evidence," Qin Feiyang said, his demeanor rather wronged.

The Yun State Governor’s face twitched. He dares accuse me of being irrational? What a smooth talker!

"As the Governor of Yun State, I am well acquainted with the geniuses from the other states, and there’s no one like you described," she said, suppressing her anger and gritting her teeth.

"So, you are the Governor of Yun State. My apologies for the lack of decorum. Allow me to formally apologize to you."

"But Elder, as we are discussing the matter at hand, forgive me if my words come across as harsh."

"Your judgment seems rather arbitrary."

"Allow me to explain."

"Certainly, as Yun State’s Governor, you are privy to information about the geniuses of the other states."

"But have you ever considered that in the Nine States, there are countless talents, some of whom prefer to keep a low profile?"

"And those who prefer to keep a low profile, even if they stood right in front of you, you might not recognize their talent and abilities."

"How can you be so sure there’s no such person?" Qin Feiyang stated.

Upon hearing this, the Yun State Governor was at a loss for words.

"Elder, if you can produce solid evidence, I will submit to your judgment today."

"But if you can’t, then you need to provide me with an explanation."

"After all, this is not a trivial matter," Qin Feiyang added.

The Yun State Governor’s face darkened. It was only then that she realized she should not have come to Spirit State. This was utterly humiliating!

Suddenly, a cold glint flickered in her eyes, and she said in a low voice, "I heard at the tavern that you were missing for quite some time. How do you explain that?"

"I’ve been missing?"

Qin Feiyang was taken aback and answered helplessly, "I have been in closed-door cultivation the entire time; I just haven’t been seen in public. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the Old Master."

"Of course, it’s probably because I’m so conspicuous; when people don’t see me for a while, they can’t help but speculate wildly," Qin Feiyang added.

Conceited brat. The old man couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

The Yun State Governor was left speechless. Following Qin Feiyang’s explanation, she really couldn’t find any other points of suspicion.

Wait! There’s still one more suspicious point!

She eyed Qin Feiyang and said, "If I’m not mistaken, you should be an Eight-Star War Emperor, right?"

Qin Feiyang nodded, puzzled. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Of course, there is!"

"Because the person who stole the Elixir Fire is also an Eight-Star War Emperor!" the Yun State Governor said in a deep voice.

Qin Feiyang’s heart skipped a beat, and he retorted angrily, "Elder, there are countless Eight-Star War Emperors in the Nine States. Can that even be considered a reason?"

The Yun State Governor also lost her patience, exclaiming, "Both are Eight-Star War Emperors, both are alchemists, and both have mastered a battle skill that rebounds enemy attacks. Is this a coincidence?"

"True, such coincidences are very rare in this world."

"But as I said before, just because you don’t know about them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. The key is evidence."

"I don’t want to say any more. Elder, if you have evidence, present it. If not, don’t waste your breath here."

After saying this expressionlessly, Qin Feiyang stood behind the old man and lowered his head in silence.

The Yun State Governor glanced at Qin Feiyang, then shifted her gaze to the old man.

"Don’t look at me."

"During this period, Feiyang has indeed been in closed-door cultivation, and right here with me."

"So, what you’re suggesting is simply not possible," the old man stated indifferently.

The Yun State Governor remained silent for a while, then said, "In that case, I apologize for the disturbance."

"Oh?"

"You slander someone from my Spirit State, and now you wish to leave just like that?" The old man raised an eyebrow.

"What do you propose?" The Yun State Governor’s eyes suddenly grew icy.

"Feiyang is still a child; his mind is fragile. Being wrongly accused by you, he must be very upset. Shouldn’t you offer him some compensation?"

"Let me make this clear: if this issue is not settled amicably today, then three months from now, in the Imperial Capital, I will denounce you before the Emperor!" The old man smirked.

"You..." The Yun State Governor was furious, but for a moment, she wasn’t sure how to retort.

Eventually, she reached into her Qiankun Bag, took out a jade slip, and threw it on the stone table. Then she opened a portal and stormed out.

When Qin Feiyang saw the jade slip, his eyes lit up and he reached out to grab it.

But at that moment, the old man slapped his arm hard and said angrily, "You’ve stirred up such a big mess, and you still want this jade slip?"

Qin Feiyang rubbed his arm and said in a wronged tone, "I didn’t cause any big trouble!"

"Hmph!" the old man snorted. "Then tell me now, did you or did you not steal the Elixir Fire from the Inner Sanctum in Yun State? If you dare to lie, you can forget about participating in the Battle of the Nine States."

"Well..." Qin Feiyang frowned, then reluctantly admitted, "Alright, I confess. I stole it."

"You really are..." The old man suddenly stood up, glaring at Qin Feiyang. But then, a radiant smile spread across his old face. He patted Qin Feiyang on the shoulder and nodded. "You’re quite something."

"EH!" Qin Feiyang was taken aback. He thought the old man would fly into a rage and give him a thorough scolding, but instead, he was praised? What’s going on? Has the old man lost his mind?

The old man sneered, "That woman is no good. What you did was immensely satisfying to me."

"Oh!" Realization dawned on Qin Feiyang. It seems the old man and the Yun State Governor have irreconcilable grudges.

"Actually, I didn’t forbid you from going to Yun State because I was afraid you would cause chaos, but because I feared you might die there."

"Because that woman is extremely malicious."

"The Situ Family, which once served her loyally, was exterminated by her due to a traitor’s instigation!" the old man said, his eyes filled with intense hatred.

"Huh?" Qin Feiyang looked puzzled and asked, "You know about the Situ Family too?"

"Of course, I do. The Situ Family’s War Ancestor was my dear friend."

"When I learned about his tragic fate, I was greatly enraged. The last time I went to the Imperial Capital, I even mentioned this matter to the Emperor."

"But that woman persistently argued her innocence, and the Emperor, high and mighty, didn’t want to bother with it, so the matter was left unresolved."

"I was powerless to help!" the old man sighed.

"So that’s how it is." Qin Feiyang had an epiphany. So that was the reason the old man disliked the Yun State Governor.

He smiled. "Actually, the Situ Family has not been completely wiped out. There’s still one descendant alive."

"Who?" The old man looked at him skeptically.

"You’ve met him, but he’s not here right now," Qin Feiyang said.

"I’ve met him?" The old man looked surprised.

BUZZ!

At that moment, Qin Feiyang’s Image Crystal Stone emitted a sound. The moment he took it out and activated it, Fatty’s illusory figure quickly materialized.

Fatty laughed. "Boss, it’s done. Where are you now?"

Qin Feiyang smiled. "I’m with the Old Master. We were just talking about you. Come over quickly."

"Talking about me?" Fatty was stunned. After shutting off the Image Crystal Stone, he arrived in the courtyard in less than Three Star.

Qin Feiyang patted Fatty on the shoulder, looked at the old man, and said, "The person I mentioned earlier is him."

"Huh?" The old man immediately turned to look at Fatty.

Qin Feiyang said, "Fatty is a descendant of the Situ Family; he’s even the son of the Family Head. This trip to Yun State was mainly to pay respects to his clansmen."

"Really?" The old man looked at Fatty and asked.

Fatty was somewhat puzzled.

Seeing this, Qin Feiyang told Fatty about the close friendship between the old man and the Situ Family’s War Ancestor.

"The War Ancestor and the Old Master knew each other?" Fatty was flabbergasted. This was truly unexpected.

Regaining his senses, he nodded to the old man. "Yes, I am indeed a descendant of the Situ Family."

"Excellent!" Quite excited, the old man said, "Work hard. You must clear your War Ancestor’s name."

"I definitely will." Fatty clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with unwavering determination.

The old man nodded and asked, "Are there any other survivors from your Situ Family?"

"Only I and the steward are left."

"It was the steward who sent me to Spirit State," Fatty said dejectedly.

"You’ve had a hard time." The old man sighed. "Honestly, that steward! He knew full well the relationship between your War Ancestor and me. He should have sent you directly to me. Then you wouldn’t have had to wander around."

Fatty laughed. "The steward probably didn’t want to trouble you.

"Or maybe he thought I didn’t have the talent back then and wanted me to lead an ordinary, peaceful life in Spirit State.

"But I must thank him for not doing that.

"Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met Boss in Black Bear City.

"And I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today."

"Indeed."

"Perhaps your meeting was fated."

"Tell me, aside from seizing the Elixir Fire, what else did you do in Yun State?" the old man asked.

Qin Feiyang and Fatty exchanged a smile.

Fatty chuckled. "Actually, we didn’t do much, just killed Commander Nie."

"EH!" The old man was surprised. He, of course, knew Commander Nie, who was a bona fide War Ancestor.

Following this, Qin Feiyang added, "Aside from the Elixir Fire from the Inner Sanctum, we also seized another fourth-rank Elixir Fire."

"What?" The old man’s eyes widened.

Fatty continued, "The Seven-star and Eight-star War Emperors of the Inner Sanctum have all been killed by us, and one Nine-star War Emperor also died."

Immediately, the old man’s face twitched involuntarily. And this wasn’t much?

Fatty smirked. "Actually, we were quite low-profile, because we could have also killed the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace, but Boss spared him."

"EH!" Once again, the old man was dumbfounded. This was considered low-profile? Something’s not right!

Suddenly, he looked at Qin Feiyang and frowned, asking, "Why did you seize so many Elixir Fires?"

Qin Feiyang hesitated for a moment, then said, "To be honest with you, Old Master, my Netherworld Demon Flame can enhance its rank by consuming Elixir Fires."