Chapter 519: Chapter 519: Severe Internal Corruption
“Ladies and gentlemen, the conference will not commence for a few days. Please rest here for the time being. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask.”
The woman left after leading the five to their resting place, and Fang Zhou noticed that her respect was solely directed at Chang Kong, completely ignoring the other four.
Even Fang Zhou, the leader of the fourth largest organization in the Cultivation World, was openly disregarded.
Of course, it might have been because he didn’t present an invitation, leading her to mistake him as part of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
The accommodations provided by the Righteous Alliance for guests from the Heavenly Sword Sect were first-class, serene, and elegant.
Soon after settling in, a high-ranking member of the Righteous Alliance came to visit Chang Kong.
Fang Zhou really wanted to reveal his identity to see if the Righteous Alliance would at least acknowledge him and send someone to visit.
But after thinking it over, he decided against it, lest no one pays attention, only embarrassing himself.
Moreover, he wasn’t someone who liked attracting attention.
Bored with nothing to do, Fang Zhou took Yu Qing out for a walk, planning to thoroughly explore this “United Nations Council” of the Cultivation World.
Xuan Ling stood under the gallery eaves, watching the two disappear into the distance, with a deep gaze, pondering something unknown.
The entire Luofu Mountain was filled with Spiritual Energy, making it an ideal place for cultivation. Its scenery might not match the Cloud Sea Mountains, but its awe-inspiring nature exceeded them.
Yu Qing, having visited several times, took Fang Zhou to see a famous spectacle.
They arrived at a plaza, where a huge triangular rock was suspended in the air, as if the top of a mountain had been cut off and moved. Seen up close, it was overwhelmingly impressive, enough to terrify those with megalophobia.
As he gazed at this seemingly gravity-defying boulder, a thought suddenly popped into Fang Zhou’s mind: Could he install a planet engine under Luofu Mountain’s base to push it off the planet?
Which led to yet another question: Was the Cultivation World actually a planet? After all, when he flew high, looking down at the earth, he hadn’t noticed any curvature of the horizon.
Given the chance in the future, he definitely wanted to fly up to the atmosphere to see for himself.
As they prepared to leave after viewing the spectacle, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly sounded behind them.
Turning back, Fang Zhou saw the person behind them was Xiao Yin.
Xiao Yin approached with a broad smile and enthusiasm, “I was just looking for you. The Heavenly Sword Sect folks said you went out, so I guessed you might be here.”
Fang Zhou was puzzled, “How did you know I came?”
He had entered with Chang Kong and others without showing his invitation.
“Did Chairman Fang think I was a fool?”
Xiao Yin seemed insulted, “With your close ties to the Heavenly Sword Sect, it was obvious you’d come with them.”
“Then why not guess, when will I fight with your friends? If you guess right, there’ll be a prize.”
“Spare me, Chairman Fang, I can’t afford to offend either of you.”
Yu Qing watched Fang Zhou and Xiao Yin chatting happily, and a sense of alertness instantly rose in her heart.
It wasn’t that she was overly sensitive; rather Fang Zhou’s notorious history and many past offenses made her vigilant.
Xiao Yin, with her beauty, sweet voice, and excellent figure, was exactly Fang Zhou’s type. There’s no telling if their conversation would end up on a more intimate subject.
Handling Wu Lin already made Yu Qing anxious; she certainly didn’t want another heavyweight rival.
“This must be Yu Qing, we’ve met several times before.”
Xiao Yin, adept and mature in handling matters, naturally didn’t neglect Yu Qing standing by.
They had met a few times, but were not familiar, making this their first conversation.
Yu Qing hid her minor vigilance and smiled warmly, “Yu Qing greets Senior Xiao.”
Xiao Yin waved her hands quickly, “What senior? We are peers. I just debuted a dozen years earlier. Just call me by my name.”
It wasn’t mere politeness; Xiao Yin and Yu Qing were indeed of the same generation, and she didn’t underestimate Yu Qing.
As the True Inheritor of this generation in the Heavenly Sword Sect, Yu Qing enjoyed resource abundance. With her outstanding talent, she would assuredly ascend to the Innate level in three to five years.
Xiao Yin’s realm was only higher than Yu Qing’s due to practicing for over a decade more, lacking the seniority to put on airs.
Perhaps entering the Refining Immortal City this time, Yu Qing might get lucky and find an opportunity to leap over that threshold. Such occurrences weren’t unheard of.
Yu Qing wisely refrained from calling her senior again but didn’t get intimate enough to call her by name, opting to address Xiao Yin as Taoist Xiao.
Xiao Yin invited Fang Zhou and Yu Qing for tea, as she enjoyed making friends, especially those with promising futures.
This had something in common with Fang Zhou’s tendency to latch onto influential people, which explained their friendship as they were birds of a feather.
The trio chatted while walking, and Yu Qing observed that Fang Zhou and Xiao Yin didn’t seem to share any ambiguous feelings, merely finding mutual interest.
Yet even a simple mutual interest warranted vigilance, as countless couples had begun from mutual interests.
Previously, Yu Qing may have endured it, but now she wouldn’t be so passive. In the battlefield of emotions, one must actively advance to gain an advantage.
Inadvertently, Yu Qing seemed to instinctively hold Fang Zhou’s hand, using this gesture to declare her ownership.
This man belongs to me! You, a recent interloper, get lost as far as possible!
Though she wouldn’t say such crude words, the sentiment was similar.
Such subtle actions couldn’t be hidden from Fang Zhou and Xiao Yin.
Xiao Yin couldn’t help but cast a teasing glance at Fang Zhou, clearly noticing the intimate connection between him and Yu Qing. This was their private affair, and Xiao Yin typically wouldn’t meddle.
However, Yu Qing seemed to regard Xiao Yin as a rival, which was perplexing. What was going on?
Xiao Yin was at a loss, unaware that it was due to Fang Zhou’s dubious reputation that Yu Qing reacted so intensely, instinctively treating every close woman as competition.
Fang Zhou remained unmoved, completely unfazed by Xiao Yin’s teasing glance.
He was only slightly emotional, recalling how Yu Qing used to blush when holding hands away from prying eyes, and how she now dared to openly hold his hand in front of strangers.
If this continued, the once simple and shy Yu Qing would transform into someone far more bold and forward.
The three headed to where Xiao Yin resided, an area even more upscale than where the Righteous Alliance hosted the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Moreover, the layout and furnishings bore artisanal intricacy, concealing Arrays that concentrated Spiritual Energy, creating a superior cultivation environment than outside.
Xiao Yin boastfully said to Fang Zhou, “How is it? Pretty nice place, right?”
This was a place she personally designed and built, an accomplishment she was proud of.
Fang Zhou tutted, “The Righteous Alliance must have a severe internal corruption issue. It seems necessary to propose at the conference that members’ annual fees be reduced.”
Xiao Yin was bewildered, merely wanting to show off her proud creation, not expecting Fang Zhou to label it as internal corruption.