Chapter 189: Master Mo Ziqing

“You all really are quite stubborn, huh…”

Miss Vilyric didn’t mind going along with the other party. With her integrity intact, she feared nothing; she had already anticipated that helping Fish Dan’er could lead to situations like this. A few Eastern Yuan Guards couldn’t possibly pose a real threat to her, so she wasn’t worried about any wrongful accusations they might concoct.

However, if we trace this matter back to its roots, it ultimately boiled down to the St. Sect Alliance mishandling the situation. Whether it was the staff or the Eastern Yuan Guards, their one-size-fits-all approach was the real issue.

Indeed, the St. Sect was undoubtedly the boss of Xingyuan City, and the cultural style of Qiguo was rather rigid. Even if their rules seemed a bit unreasonable, as long as everything was overall fine, common folks had to endure a bit of grievance.

But what Miss Vilyric loved most was going head-to-head with those who thought too highly of themselves!

“To be fair, while this little girl making a scene in public isn’t right, isn’t your judgment a bit too arbitrary? In situations where you don’t understand, shouldn’t you pass it on to someone more knowledgeable? Do you just expect the weaker party to bear the consequences of your incompetence?”

A staff member immediately began to explain.

“We don’t want it this way… But there are just too many applicants; we can’t consult the seniors every time there’s an issue. Furthermore, we didn’t revoke her eligibility to apply; according to the rules, one payment indeed only allows for one attempt at answering the questions, and we already told this lady she could return tomorrow…”

Before he could finish, Fish Dan’er, having found support and regained a bit of confidence, interjected.

“Are you joking? Then what was the point of that money! It’s clearly not my fault; why should I have to pay for it? Do you know how many delicious things I could buy with ten silver coins?”

“…?”

Miss Vilyric cast a strange glance at the well-dressed girl beside her.

So, the reason she wouldn’t leave wasn’t about proving herself, but was caught up over that little bit of money… She looked quite well-off; why did it seem like this girl was quite greedy…

She coughed lightly again, pretending to be calm.

“Anyway, she does indeed possess real talent. If you really don’t believe it, just take this test to someone who knows what they’re doing, and you’ll see. We can wait here; we won’t run away or interfere with the normal order of applications.”

“As for any arrests… Let’s skip that. The mistakes here are shared evenly. I merely nudged you gently; I couldn’t have possibly caused even a scratch. If this escalates to physical confrontations, then your Eastern Yuan Sacred Sect might be a bit overbearing.”

“Honestly, I don’t want to escalate a trivial matter into a real conflict, but I have never feared anyone or any power. If you insist on being aggressive… then I’ll just have to accompany you to the end.”

The captain of the Eastern Yuan Guards frowned but still held onto his weapon, an increasingly hostile expression on his face.

“I’ll emphasize again that Xingyuan City belongs to the St. Sect Alliance. No matter how powerful you were in your original lands, once you are here, you must abide by the rules. I’m not negotiating; surrender immediately or…”

“Cough cough! Alright, alright, let’s not escalate this trivial conflict into something too tense.”

Just as both sides were at an impasse, a peculiar old man casually made his way through the retreating crowd, slowly arriving at the center of the incident, smiling at the Eastern Yuan Guards.

“What this girl said has merit. This issue fundamentally arose from the lack of review resources and the organizers must bear some responsibility. Why not both sides take a step back and wrap it up as a small matter?”

“Huh? You, how do you…?”

Although the ordinary Eastern Yuan Guards and bystanders exchanged puzzled glances, apparently unaware of the modestly dressed, silver-haired old man who appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, the higher-ranking captain clearly recognized him.

Just as he was about to speak, the old man merely smiled and shook his head, cutting off his words.

“I just came out for a stroll; there’s no need to make such a fuss. Let me assure these young ladies; what do you think, young brother? Does this meet the rules of the Sacred Sect?”

“Uh… Of course, you have that qualification… Alright, since you’re saying this, let’s call it a day. Stand down!”

The captain decisively waved his hand, and though the Eastern Yuan Guards were puzzled, they immediately followed orders to lower their weapons and hurriedly returned to their posts at a distance.

However, the captain did not leave but instead gestured a few times to the bewildered reviewer, who immediately turned pale and hurriedly nodded, returning to their work.

“?”

While that inexplicably appearing old man resolved the issue seemingly out of the blue, the Priestess turned to the silver-haired girl beside her, who immediately understood and whispered succinctly.

“Master Mo Ziqing of the Five Origin Sect, protector of the nation.”

“Oh… no wonder.”

Hen, as a highly esteemed Ling Girl, naturally had interactions with significant figures from various countries in the Ancient Spirit Realm, and given her ability to see through people’s identities with her [Heaven’s Secret], it was no surprise she could recognize him right away.

Moreover, the Eastern Yuan Kingdom had a unique structure. The leader of the Five Origin Sect, in other ordinary nations, would be akin to a Prime Minister or Grand Tutor, holding one of the highest ranks below the sovereign and wielding real power.

Although the Eastern Yuan Guards were directly under the Sacred Sect, the Five Origin Sect was closely tied to it; if this young captain recognized the Master of the Mo Sect, his respectful demeanor would be reasonable.

And this old fellow couldn’t have come out to help for no reason. He probably had recognized certain identities of the people involved.

Knowing that some conversations weren’t meant for outsiders, Vilyric patted the equally dazed Fish Dan’er, signaling for her to handle the application herself.

On the other side, after issuing a few simple instructions, the old man in plain black robes approached them with a smile, greeting them warmly.

“Princess Ling, I didn’t expect to meet you again here in the capital of Qiguo after our parting three years ago in Kaiyuan City. You carry yourself with even greater elegance than before!”

Hen merely nodded slightly in reply.

“Master Mo, it is a blessing that you remain robust. Thank you for your assistance before.”

Mo Ziqing chuckled.

“Just a minor matter, nothing worth mentioning. These young lads are just a bit too hot-headed, and they only cling to their own logic; they had no real malice. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

After some pleasantries back and forth, for some unexplained reason, the Master of the Mo Sect, who had appeared alone at the application venue, smiled kindly and directed his gaze towards the black-haired girl who hadn’t spoken up until now.

“This one should be the famous Miss Vilyric, right? I am Mo Ziqing, happily holding the position of Master of the Mo Sect. How do you do?”

“Oh? You know me?”

The old man laughed and shook his head, pointing to the nearby rest area.

“Standing and chatting isn’t quite suitable. Why not take a moment and have a chat over there?”

The two girls exchanged glances, and the Priestess promptly smiled.

“Sure, let’s chat!”

Compared to the bustling application area, the specially designated rest area was rather quiet. Vilyric and the others found a secluded spot to sit facing each other. Soon a girl, appearing from nowhere, brought hot tea and pastries before quickly exiting, leaving the conversation space entirely to the three.

Pouring a cup of tea for each girl, the man named Mo Ziqing cut through the chit-chat without hesitation.

“A while ago, Zhengyang received much help from you all; I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you.”

“Oh…”

So this was indeed the news from that General Wen of the Black Scale Army. But that was inevitable; even if Wen Zhengyang hadn’t mentioned it, there were so many members of the Black Scale Army present.

Only she pondered how much information this old man possessed—did General Wen adhere to their agreement?

Vilyric discreetly shook her head.

“Not at all; we merely helped each other out, fulfilling our own needs; there’s nothing to thank us for.”

“Haha, Miss Vilyric is too humble! Zhengyang was a child I watched grow up; he’s very capable, but he also has high standards. If it weren’t for the fact that outsiders cannot practice the Mo Sect’s ultimate techniques, he might have been a candidate for the next master!”

Mo Ziqing stroked his neatly groomed beard, looking a bit emotional.

“Having brought him up for over thirty years, it’s the first time I’ve seen Zhengyang describe someone in such a manner. It’s evident he respects and values you greatly, even to the point of… oh, I’m sorry, sorry, I slipped into my own thoughts.”

“Miss Vilyric, Princess Ling, please sample this tea; it’s a rare fragrant tea preserved by the Mo Sect, only brought out to serve esteemed guests. We have plenty of time; we can chat slowly.”

   

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