Secret Buyer-Chapter 291 - 224: Adopted Daughter

Chongyang.

Undercurrents surged.

The massive aerospace ship had just entered Chongyang City, immediately surrounded by soldiers.

From afar, sounds resembling those of a whale and a peng could be heard.

The ship’s gate opened, and Hong Tianbao descended expressionlessly, looking around. His gaze fell on Chen Daoling:

"Second Senior Brother?"

Chen Daoling, looking troubled, waved his hand, standing alongside Zhao Wenting and nearly half of Chongyang City’s senior officials.

The other half of the officials, however, followed behind a woman.

Cui Qingyi’s hands were gathered in her sleeves as she spoke softly:

"Where is Director Zhang?"

Hong Tianbao raised an eyebrow:

"He’s not on the ship."

"Oh?"

Cui Qingyi glanced at Chen Daoling, Zhao Wenting, and the others, smiling:

"It seems someone among us has been tipping someone off..."

She pointed at the aerospace ship from a distance:

"Everyone, detain them all. Let’s see whether Director Zhang will return or not."

Anger flashed in the eyes of Chen Daoling and the others:

"Inspector Cui, Chongyang is under martial law. Without an order signed by me and Governor Zhao, even an inspector presumably doesn’t have the authority to do this, right?"

Cui Qingyi said calmly:

"I have already reported Zhang Fusheng colluding with an evil cult, forcing Chen Qiusheng to become a bandit to Golden City, along with Chen Qiusheng’s confession and numerous pieces of evidence." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She turned her head, a smile appearing on her face:

"Lord Ruan personally inquired and issued a supervisory order, demanding a thorough investigation..."

"Which Lord Ruan?" Li Guoquan approached, asking coldly.

Cui Qingyi’s smile deepened:

"Ruan Yutu, Lord Ruan."

Everyone’s expression changed, even the Old Master, wearing a different face unrecognized by Cui Qingyi, slightly furrowed his brow.

Ruan Yutu.

The only female cabinet elder in the Golden Province, crucially adored by nearly everyone in Golden City.

Even the other three elders of the Governor’s Mansion’s Inner Discussion Pavilion obeyed her—not because of profound cultivation, but because of her virtue.

She solely relied on virtue, convincing everyone.

Always impartial, of utmost justice and virtue.

Li Guoquan’s face turned grim.

Cui Qingyi’s smile faded as she quietly said:

"If Legislator Li has any dissatisfaction, you can go question Cabinet Elder Ruan. As a Golden Legislator, your status is not lesser than that of a cabinet elder. Why not seek justice?"

Li Guoquan’s lips trembled, finally letting out a cold snort, saying nothing.

Cui Qingyi turned her head, calmly saying:

"I carry Lord Ruan’s order, and will naturally act within the rules. After review, if these people are found unrelated to Chen Qiusheng’s coerced betrayal, they will naturally be released."

"Escort them all back."

The soldiers stepped forward silently; the Old Master remained expressionless, not revealing his true form, and Wei Lingzhu beside him showed no fear.

Hong Tianbao raised his eyelids:

"Detaining and interrogating... isn’t something a little girl like you can do."

A kilometer-long Dharma Aspect suddenly rose from the ground!

"Innate??" Chen Daoling was so shocked his eyeballs almost popped out—how did the Third Junior Brother go from Grandmaster to Innate after a trip out??

The Ultimate Leap??

The majesty of the Dharma Aspect made Cui Qingyi’s breathing somewhat difficult, yet she didn’t take a step back, letting out a cold snort as two elders emerged behind her.

The great and second rooms of the Cui Family.

Behind the two elders, grotto heavens manifested, with equally massive Dharma Aspects rising from the ground. Hu Zhongli appeared from nowhere, standing by Hong Tianbao’s side.

The fourth Dharma Aspect surged up.

The four colossal Dharma Aspects stood in opposition, terrifying auras clashing in the void, occasionally sparking thunderous sounds.

The brilliance reflected from the Dharma Aspects almost lit up half of Chongyang!

Many gazes fixed on this place; Divine Favor Envoys of various sects and factions were scattered and hidden throughout the city, quietly watching.

A conflict was about to erupt.

Cui Qingyi, in the form of a Grandmaster, yet stood calmly at the center of the vortex, suddenly smiling:

"It seems the one rebelling isn’t Chen Qiusheng....."

She gave a meaningful smile:

"Today’s events, I will report in full detail. Let’s see how Golden City, Lord Ruan will respond."

With that, Cui Qingyi turned and left, and the two Innate Realm elders retracted their mighty auras,

along with the dense group of soldiers dispatched from Golden City, following Cui Qingyi.

"This is troublesome." Li Guoquan and Hu Zhongli exchanged glances, their expressions extremely grim.

......

"Virtue shines brightly, of utmost importance."

In the bamboo forest, cups of calming tea were consumed, and Zhang Fusheng’s pores opened wide, emitting a refreshing aura.

The quality of this calming tea was so high that even someone like him, whose physical form was sealed and unexposed, couldn’t resist revealing it!

He was somewhat tea-drunk.

The two used tea as wine, exchanging cups, as Zhang Fusheng, drunk, said:

"Brother Su, why suddenly talk about virtue?"

Su Qiansuan, equally bleary-eyed, with the calming aura in his nose, replied:

"When I take on a disciple, I don’t look at enlightenment, nor root bone, only character. For many years, I’ve traveled all over, seeking her amid thousands..."

He downed another cup of calming tea, burping, releasing a wave of refreshing aura that surged like a tide in the bamboo forest.

Even the Nine Nether Death Qi was suppressed!

This tea seemed like an immortal object.

Su Qiansuan, smug, continued:

"In the end, I found someone perfect in every way, with virtue comparable to ancient sages. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!"

Zhang Fusheng was astounded:

"Perfect in every way?"

"Indeed!"

Su Qiansuan slapped the table, swaying:

"Great benevolence, great perseverance, great humility, great self-discipline, great courage, great understanding, great fearlessness, great compassion, great filial piety!"

"These are the nine perfections—Junior Brother Zhang, don’t think what I’ve said is ordinary; these are not traits cultivated postnatally, but inherent."

Zhang Fusheng inquired:

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course!"

Su Qiansuan seriously explained:

"Take evil cults for example, Confucianism has great benevolence worthy of sagehood, Buddhism has great compassion worthy of Buddhahood. A person with one perfection receives a fraction of divine favor."

"A nine-perfection person receives nine parts of favor from the heavens!"

Zhang Fusheng was amazed—is there really such a perfect person in the world?

Su Qiansuan was displeased:

"Does Junior Brother Zhang not believe me?"

"It’s not that I don’t believe..." Zhang Fusheng appeared drunkenly hazy, though his mind was clear.

Even though the refreshing aura of the tea made him a bit dizzy, could a Divine Spirit be affected this way?

He didn’t think so.

This old fox of several thousand years, dragging me to drink tea like wine, suddenly talks about this so-called ’Nine Complete Person’; it can’t be without reason.

Zhang Fusheng followed Su Qiansuan’s words, lazily saying:

"Nine Complete Nine Beautiful, something unheard of!"

Su Qiansuan slapped the table again, glaring with a heroic spirit:

"Today, let’s allow Junior Brother Zhang to witness it, let her bow to you and become an adoptive father!"

Zhang Fusheng almost spat out the tea in his mouth.

He wanted to decline, but Old Su didn’t give him the chance, a swipe of the hand and there fell a splendid decree towards Golden City.

The decree was like the blazing sun, and wherever it passed, it burst with great brightness.

Zhang Fusheng looked up to see it.

The decree formed a golden bridge, bringing over a graceful figure from Golden City, similarly dressed in plain clothes, hair coiled up, walking calmly step by step, guided by the golden bridge.

Despite her very weak aura, at best a martial arts master, she seemed like an immortal.

Following the golden bridge, she arrived at the bamboo grove.

Ruan Yutu, familiar with the path, walked to the depths of the bamboo grove, bowed first to her master, then looked at the young man reclining by the stone table.

She was somewhat surprised, who was this young man...?

"Dear disciple!"

Su Qiansuan laughed heartily and said:

"Come, come, this is your Zhang Fusheng, Uncle Zhang!"

Ruan Yutu saluted meticulously:

"Uncle Zhang."

Zhang Fusheng scratched his head, laughing out loud in response.

He carefully scrutinized the young woman, with a Qingfeng sword on her back, appearing dignified and grand, yet having an ethereal and transcendent quality.

It was hard to see anything peculiar about the ’Nine Complete Nine Beautiful’.

However, subtly sensing,

Zhang Fusheng was amazed to find himself inexplicably drawn to Ruan Yutu, unconsciously wanting to get closer.

Not like the reverse causality where he subconsciously wanted to accept Wei Lingzhu as a disciple,

This sense of closeness felt more like it came from the heart, from nature—to be more precise.

It was ’favor’.

The heart wished to favor this woman.

"Ruan Yutu, my disciple." At this moment, Cui Qiansuan introduced again: "Nine Complete Nine Beautiful, favored by heaven, with nine parts of affection."

He chuckled:

"Although her root bone is ordinary, and her cultivation speed is a bit slow, her enlightenment is excellent, sincerely devoted to the sword... In this way, can she catch Junior Brother Zhang’s discerning eye?"

Ruan Yutu was a bit confused, Zhang Fusheng...

Not long ago, she had heard this name, but naturally, it wouldn’t be the same person. How could that Zhang Fusheng be so close with her master?

In her puzzlement.

She saw the handsome young man nod and praised:

"What an immortal!"

Su Qiansuan laughed heartily, saying without leaving room for argument:

"That’s settled then. Yutu, you have been without parents since young. Today as your master, I find you an adoptive father; won’t you come greet him?"

Ruan Yutu: ?

She fell silent for a moment, stepped forward, and performed the ceremonial three kneels and nine kowtows:

"Yutu greets adoptive father."

Zhang Fusheng’s eyelids twitched wildly, this old fox, Su Qiansuan, was serious??

Just what was he scheming??

Zhang Fusheng gave a deep look at the Golden Governor, then smiled, extending his hand to lift Ruan Yutu up gently out of thin air,

then he chuckled and shook his head:

"I don’t even have a wife, how have I suddenly gained a daughter? Brother Su, this matter..."

Su Qiansuan, however, sincerely said:

"By doing this, I can establish some kinship with Junior Brother Zhang..."

Zhang Fusheng’s mind whirled with numerous thoughts.

He finally nodded with a smile:

"In that case, I can’t not give Yutu a greeting gift."

While speaking,

Ruan Yutu saw this ’adoptive father’, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, tapping the void with five fingers, then the void tore with a tiny crevice,

from which death qi poured down like a waterfall, accompanied by an impenetrable depth.

Su Qiansuan’s pupils shrank.

The next moment, under both their gaze, Zhang Fusheng reached into the crevice, into the eerie unknown,

when he pulled back out, he had a flower in his hand.

The flower bloomed with a dim light, just by gazing at it, one felt a sense of homecoming,

The death qi that draped and rolled within the bamboo grove suddenly surged upward, gathering towards the flower, enshrouding the surroundings.

"A Otherworldly Flower."

Zhang Fusheng forcibly refined an Immortal Flower into reality, yet this time he wasn’t as exhausted as before, nearly fainting.

He had accumulated mental strength for 4,300 years, and even more from the incense and candle power donated by disciples,

The various consumptions, part of it was shared by the followers.

Ruan Yutu carefully examined this dimly glowing red and white flower,

hearing the ’adoptive father’ she just met for a brief tea time calmly introduce it:

"This flower from the Nine Netherworlds symbolizes the cycle of life and death, where it exists is the boundary of life and death, able to guide the dead and cleanse their body and soul."

Su Qiansuan’s pupils shrank to the tip of a needle.

This was also the reason why Zhang Fusheng chose the Otherworldly Flower as the ’greeting gift’.

He gently pushed, and the Otherworldly Flower fell into Ruan Yutu’s palm, she holding the Immortal Flower, saluted meticulously:

"What the elder bestows, one dare not refuse."

"Thank you, adoptive father, for the treasure."

Zhang Fusheng just laughed heartily as, under Ruan Yutu’s still bewildered eyes, he drank and conversed with Su Qiansuan until dusk.

"Brother Su, I must leave."

The two hand-in-hand, seemingly reluctant to part.

Su Qiansuan sighed:

"Where in the world is there any feast that doesn’t end? I must still guard against this God of Plague, so I won’t see you off, Junior Brother Zhang."

After a pause, he nonchalantly mentioned:

"That sound just now, like a whale or a roc..."

Su Qiansuan briefly introduced the Jingpeng Ship, focusing on:

"It’s someone from the capital; I’ve heard, they came to investigate the High Heaven Association, but more so..."

"It’s to investigate me, your brother!"

Zhang Fusheng nodded heavily:

"Brother Su, if you are challenged, so am I; I can’t help but want to draw my sword and slay that person immediately!"

"Junior Brother Zhang, you jest, that’s an envoy from the capital...."

A thousand words, fall silent at this moment.

Su Qiansuan finally gesturing as please:

"Yutu, won’t you see your adoptive father off?"

Ruan Yutu softly obliged, then supported Zhang Fusheng, stepping onto the decree’s golden bridge, leaving step by step.

Leaving behind the drunken Su Qiansuan alone in the bamboo grove.

The intoxication had long vanished completely.

He sat upright, closed his eyes, and sighed softly.

"Nine out of ten bets lose... did I bet on the right one this time?"