Not long after, Jiang Lingzhu stopped and turned around, looking straight at Nie Tian. 

Jiang Lingzhu, who had drank a bottle of fresh water, had recovered much of her energy and her bright eyes were twinkling with captivating rays of light. 

The expression in her eyes, when she looked towards Nie Tian, hinted that she was slightly examining him, making Nie Tian feel that he couldn’t completely make heads or tails of why she was doing so.

Nie Tian stopped and turned his head around to take a look, realising that the trial takers from the Black Mist Palace, who were on the other side of the mountain, had already disappeared from his line of sight.

“That…” Jiang Lingzhu hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Yuan Feng and Yun Song must have been killed by you, right?”

Nie Tian’s heart skipped a beat, but his face didn’t reveal any hints, as he said in an astonished tone, “Senior Sister, don’t scare me. How could I have possibly killed Yuan Feng and Yun Song?”

Jiang Lingzhu, who was the Lingyun Sect’s Core Disciple, was the pearl in Sect Master Jiang Zhisu’s palm in the Lingyun Sect. On the other hand, the Nie Family was but a mere subordinate family of the Lingyun Sect. After he had been received by the Lingyun Sect on the mountain in the future, and due to the fact that he would enter the Sect rather late compared to Jiang Lingzhu, Nie Tian would definitely have to address Jiang Lingzhu as Senior Sister. 

He was very confident and knew that before he turned fifteen, he would definitely be able to become a disciple of the Lingyun Sect, so he addressed her as such in advance.

“This guy really is so brazen!” Jiang Lingzhu ferociously glared at him and said, “Yun Song is nothing much; him dying is nothing serious. However, Yuan Feng… has already been deemed by the Grey Valley as their Seed. Many Elders from the Grey Valley think very highly of him.”

“Once the news, that you have killed him, is exposed, then even we, the Lingyun Sect, will be unable to protect you.”

Nie Tian had an expression on his face that showed that he felt wronged, “It wasn’t me who did it.”

“You might have been able to deceive Zheng Bin, but you cannot deceive me!” Jiang Lingzhu was somewhat angry.

“What proof do you have?” Nie Tian’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.

Jiang Lingzhu looked deeply at him and suddenly let out a quiet laugh. Only then did she say: “You, this fellow, actually aren’t surprised when dealing with these affairs. Regardless of whether or not Yuan Feng and Yun Song were injured, your Realm is lower than Yuan Feng’s. Nevertheless, I admire you greatly for being able to kill the Grey Valley’s Seed.”

“But, I didn’t...” Nie Tian continued to quibble.

“You’re reluctant to admit your mistake!” Jiang Lingzhu snorted and said, “Yuan Feng had a flag banner on him, which is now in the cloth pouch on your waist, right?”

Nie Tian was slightly startled, suddenly falling silent.

“That flag banner is a Middle grade fourth tier spirit weapon. When we were besieged by the Blood Sect and Ghost Sect, he took out that flag banner to fight. During that time, fluctuations of spiritual energy came from that flag banner and left a very deep impression on me. I’m definitely not mistaken.”

Jiang Lingzhu glared at him and muttered “idiot” in a low tone towards Nie Tian, after which, she continued and said, “Middle grade fourth tier spirit weapons are very different. Even if they’re not activated through the use of spiritual energy, so long as they’re not concealed by special devices, they’ll release faint fluctuations.” 

“The spiritual art that I cultivate is slightly special. I’m able to detect extremely minute fluctuations of spiritual energy. After I finished talking to Zheng Bin and moved closer to you, I was able to detect the faint movements that came from the flag banner.”

Not giving Nie Tian the chance to explain, Jiang Lingzhu continued her a.n.a.lysis. “Based on what you previously said, if it was Yu Tong who had killed Yuan Feng and Yun Song, it would have been impossible for you to get the opportunity to obtain the flag banner from Yuan Feng’s body. If you were to obtain the flag banner before Yu Tong arrived, even if Yuan Feng was still alive then, how would he possibly give you that Middle grade fourth tier spirit weapon?”

“Only if he was dead, would you have been able to obtain that flag banner from him.”

“Therefore, before you encountered that witch, Yu Tong, you killed Yuan Feng and stole the items that he had on him.”

After she had finished speaking, Jiang Lingzhu looked at Nie Tian, feeling pleased with herself and she had a look on her face that seemed to say, “Let me see how you are still going to quibble now.” 

Nie Tian forced a smile and seeing as Jiang Lingzhu had seen through his lies, he unfolded his hands and said: “As expected, Senior Sister really is remarkable.”

“Of course!” Jiang Lingzhu raised her head towards the sky.

“When Yuan Feng and Yun Song encountered me, they were like mad dogs, insistent on killing me. I didn’t have another choice...” Nie Tian attempted to explain.

“Fine, fine!” Jiang Lingzhu waved her hand and stopped his explanation, saying, “Who is interested enough to bother about what the reason is? I also don’t look favourably upon those two fellows. So be it that you killed them. The only thing is that you should be slightly more cautious. It’s fine if you just don’t expose that fact. Yes, you must remember that the one you need to bite to death in one mouthful is that Blood Sect witch, Yu Tong. It’s fine that you killed them both already.”

“Oh.” Nie Tian nodded.

“Hand over that flag banner as well as all of the other things that came from Yuan Feng’s body. You definitely cannot carry them on your body.” Jiang Lingzhu extended her hand, demanding for them.

After knowing that the flag banner would release faint fluctuations and that it was extremely possible for him to get caught up in a dangerous situation, Nie Tian handed the flag banner as well as the map, that he had obtained from Yuan Feng’s body, without the slightest hesitation.

Jiang Lingzhu took the flag banner and map. Pressing them towards the jade bracelet on her wrist, both the flag banner and the map then disappeared into thin air. 

Nie Tian’s eyes suddenly shone slightly. 

“This is a treasured object that is of a much higher grade than that cloth pouch of yours. If not for the fact that I have a good father, it would also be impossible for me to have a storage bracelet.” Jiang Lingzhu simply explained, “That cloth pouch, that you used to store the flag banner and map, isn’t capable of preventing the leakage of the minute fluctuations from within that flag banner. When you leave the Green Illusion Realm in the future, the disciples of the Grey Valley will be able to perceive the flag banner in your cloth pouch in an instant. When that time comes, no matter how you try, you won’t be able to explain yourself.”

The expression on Nie Tian’s face suddenly changed, as he quickly said in a serious manner. “Many thanks to Senior Sister.”

“Sooner or later, you’ll be part of our Lingyun Sect. It’s a given that I should help you.” Jiang Lingzhu was all smiles as she then said again, “Also, you actually killed Yuan Feng! You, this fellow, exactly how many secrets are concealed on your body? Please, tell me honestly.”

“Nothing!” Nie TIan quickly shook his head.

“Humph! Do you think I don’t know?” Jiang Lingzhu rolled her eyes at him, huffing as she explained, “That day, my father returned from your Nie Family and said that there was an extremely daring youngster who actually dared to lie to his face. Later, I only knew from Uncle Fan’s mouth that that fellow was you!”

“In all honesty, how would I dare to lie to the Sect Master? I was only scared to the point, that I didn’t remember anything!” Nie Tian shrunk his head back.

“Save it. You’re the worst of the Nie Family members!” Jiang Lingzhu seemed to be annoyed and angry, but in reality, she wasn’t really angry. From her point of view, since Nie Tian, who was able to kill the Grey Valley’s Seed, Yuan Feng, and was the Nie Family’s clansman, then he was truly a disciple of the Lingyun Sect.

For the Lingyun Sect to be able to have such a brazen and audacious disciple with vicious methods of doing things, in addition to only being in his early teens, it was practically a great fortune! 

She had already secretly decided, that if she could make it out of the Green Illusion Realm alive, then she would implore her father to receive Nie Tian up the mountain in advance, even if it meant that the Lingyun Sect were to make an exception for him.

She faintly felt that the Ling Bao Court’s An Shi Yue as well as An Ying, Pan Tao, and the others seemed to regard Nie Tian as an extremely important person. 

She was afraid that the Ling Bao Court had bested her and would be the early bird that caught the worm.

“Ling Bao Court! The people from Ling Bao Court have also arrived!” In that moment, a shriek belonging to the Black Mist Palace’s Han Xin resounded from the other side of the mountain.

“Let it be as such first. Once you arrive at the Lingyun Sect, I’ll return the flag banner to you.” Jiang Lingzhu said in a soft voice.

“Thank you, Senior Sister.” Nie Tian sincerely said.

He understood in his heart, that if it weren’t for Jiang Lingzhu keeping that flag banner in her storage bracelet, then when he had left the Green Illusion Realm later on, it was possible that the Grey Valley would really expose his lies and from there, he would stir up the disaster of people going after his life.

Even though he was already sufficiently intelligent, but as a result of his insufficient cognition towards High Grade spirit weapons, added on to the fact that he didn’t have any special devices of his own, Nie Tian didn’t know that formidable spirit weapons could actually stealthily release subtle fluctuations. He had almost suffered a great deal from that.

Jiang Lingzhu was fully aware, that he had killed Yuan Feng and Yun Song. Not only did she not blame him, but she also helped him to cover it up. He would keep this favour in his heart.

“Go and see who has returned.” Jiang Lingzhu said. 

Nie Tian nodded his head. The duo didn’t continue talking, as they very quickly returned to the campground where everyone was at. 

“Nie Tian! You’re actually still alive!”

The Ling Bao Court’s Pan Tao suddenly saw him and immediately rushed up to him in pleasant surprise, hammering a fist ferociously on his chest. “I even thought that you died a long time ago!” Pan Tao’s eyes were slightly red and it was clear that he was very emotionally moved.

In the Ling Bao Court, he was the person who acknowledged Nie Tian the most. He knew that Nie Tian was out of the ordinary and had already considered Nie Tian as his comrade-in-arms since a long time ago.

When Nie Tian left without a care of anything, he was also the person who had urged him to remain at all costs. He had really beaten himself up, as he had hoped that nothing would happen to Nie Tian.

“Hoho, it is good that everyone is alright.” Nie Tian let out a brilliant smile and realised that other than Pan Tao, An Ying, Zheng Rui, as well as that Jiang Miao, were all safe and sound.

“It’s not that everyone is alright.” The expression in the eyes of the Ling Bao Court’s An Ying dimmed. “It’s only us four that are still alive. Tong Hao, Guo Qi, and the rest have all died.”

Upon hearing these words, Nie Tian heaved a sigh and fell silent.

……

Translator: Naaata
Editors: Zaaach and Sietse
From XianXiaWorld