Chapter 171 Planning The Next Action
" Rascal! Rouge! You are still fooling around before my house?"
The door burst open as Mu Qinglian walked forward with angry stomps. Looking at Long Ming she snorted angrily.
" You just want to do everything alone, Don't you? I am just a burden, right? Why don't you go and mingle with your cute junior sisters?"
" Leave me alone!"
Long Ming smiled as he got on a single knee, raising his hands and presenting the steaming dish before Mu Qinglian.
" Senior Sister, Even if you are angry with me, You shouldn't take out your anger on food." Long Ming spoke with an apologetic tone. " Please reconsider and have a taste of my love and apology."
Mu Qinglian's face turned red when she saw Long Ming's pleading face. " Hmph, Fine... I shall only take a single bite."
Dipping the pork in sauce, Mu Qinglian blew a bit of smoke and ate it. The moment she put it in her mouth, she felt like an explosion of flavors. She was confused, about whether she should chew it faster and take another bite or slow down and savor it.
After gulping down, Mu Qinglian licked her lips instinctively. Using her chopstick, she took another bite. But she blushed when she saw Long Ming's smirk.
" Ahem, Listen... I am just thinking that it would be bad if we waste the food. It's not like I am eating because it tastes good." Mu Qinglian pouted as she looked away.
" Well, What you said is truth indeed. How about this, Senior Sister? Please, come and join us in our banquet." Long Ming smiled. " Everyone is missing their Senior Sister Mu, alright?"
Mu Qinglian glanced at Long Ming as she sighed. " Fine, I shall come."
While flying with Long Ming, Mu Qinglian finally opened her mouth. " Why? Why did you stay back? You can't just face all the dangers alone."
" It was precisely the danger that made me unable to let you come with me, Sister Mu." Long Ming smiled. " After all, how can a fine gentleman allow you to come to a mud of problem willingly?"
" I am not weak." Mu Qinglian argued.
" It's not about weakness, Senior Sister." Long Ming laughed wryly. " It's just concern. I can't see anything happens to you."
Mu Qinglian felt a mix of sweetness and bitterness in her heart when she heard that.
Soon, the girls at Solitary Flower Peak turned ecstatic when they saw Mu Qinglian coming back with Long Ming.
" Finally! She has come."
" Can we start eating already?"
" Gosh, I am so hungry right now!"
" You guys! You guys are thinking more about the food?" Mu Qinglian was baffled.
" Well, The food was getting cold. So, everyone got a bit impatient." Ming Yuexin grinned.
" Hmph! You guys wait, I will finish all the food!"
" Noo! Wait! Leave some for me!"
Long Ming unsealed his premium version of Four Seasons True Wine from the Heavenly Urn of Frozen Flame and poured into everyone's cup. Fermenting in a fast forward time inside the urn, the wine already turned into a real immortal wine.
The meat of the demonic beasts was simply nutritious, and Long Ming's cooking not only enhanced the flavors but also increased qi inside the dishes.
After licking he woke clean, and all the girls felt satisfied.
" Ahaha...To think it would taste so good!"
" Ugh, I can't even move my body right now. I ate so much."
" Mmm, I can feel the overflow of true qi inside me."
Long Ming looked at them as he chuckled. " Everyone, please calm down and circulate your true qi. Using this chance, you can simply improve your cultivation base. Besides, use the energy of demonic beasts and refine your body and vitality."
With Long Ming's instruction, the girls sat cross legged as they started to cultivate. The energy of the Solitary Flower Peak has become denser, so they felt their cultivation speed became faster.
The effect was more evident for Violet Palace Expansion Realm and True Core Formation Realm disciples.
Meanwhile, Core Disciples like Lin Xie and Chen Yin just sat to refine their true qi to nourish their bodies. They had already reached the High stage of the Primordial Spirit Unification Realm during their stay in the Herbal Sanctuary.
" Haah, Brother Long, Your plan was truly devilish." Ming Yuexin grinned as she picked her teeth with a toothpick. " To think you would lure all the enemy sect disciples and butcher them down like pigs."
" Sister Ming, I don't understand you?" Long Ming shook his head. " It's them who went in search of treasure and got killed by the monster."
Mu Qinglian and Ming Yuexin looked at each other and then at Long Ming.
With such an innocent face and calm expression, those who don't know the truth would definitely believe Long Ming.
" So, What's your next move, Senior Brother?" Ming Yuexin glanced at him. " If you don't have much to do, why don't you come to my abode for a few days? We can discuss about dao of sword."
" Ahaha, Does sister Ming want to only discuss about dao of the sword or...something else is mixed with it?" Mu Qinglian glanced at Ming Yuexin with a light smile.
But anyone could see the gathering of dark clouds above Mu Qinglian's head.
However, Ming Yuexin didn't back down as she smiled coyly. " Well, A discussion can go very deeply. Sister Qinglian. Besides, I would definitely like to taste Brother Long's sword once again."
Long Ming almost spat out the wine he was drinking. Ming Yuexin wasn't even trying to hide the ambigiousness at all.
" I see, I see... It looks like Long Ming and Sister Ming have been training together for quite some time."
Long Ming sighed as he gulped the wine. He just felt he would see whatever happens.
" Actually, I guess my next trip shall be the Holy Qilin City." Long Ming remembered Jiang Wanxue's words as he spoke in a light voice.
" Holy Qilin City? Hmm, The second part of the Imperial Tournament is going to happen there though." Ming Yuexin thought for a moment as she spoke.
The expedition of Azure Sun Secret Realm already ended. Since disciples already gained various resources, the second part of the tournament shows their gains in practical way.
It was simply a duel match where the winners would get fame and treasurss from Imperial Family.
In the past, Four Seasons Valley performed poorly. After Mu Qinglian's rise, many young disciples of various sects tried to compete with her. But other than her, none of the other disciples of Four Seasons Valley got any limelight.
However, Long Ming felt this time, that the Four Seasons Valley going to be a dark horse that was going to trample every sect in the tournament.
" Actually, How did the Holy Qilin Empire rise actually?" Long Ming was a bit curious.
" Well, It happened right a few centuries after the battle between our sect and Sky Martial Tower. At that time, Four Seasons Valley, which was a powerful pillar of Eastern Province crumbled, leaving a huge vacancy in power."
" The Southern Barbarians along with some demonic sects launched an attack to capture the entire Eastern Province."
" When the individual sects realized they alone can't defeat them, they all gathered together and formed a coalition."
" At that time, a mysterious force came from outside, bringing a great aid to the sects and families."
" After the fight between the demonic path and the righteous path, the mysterious force got the biggest victory and acquired all the land taken by demonic path followers."
" Gathering all people and controlling all the land, the leader became the first emperor of the Holy Qilin Empire and founded the empire. After that, with his thunderous means, he managed to acquire control of various sects and families, slowly spreading his empire across the Easter Province."
" Many sects couldn't defy the power of Holy Qilin Empire and submitted to them. The sect retained their independence, yet they agreed to stay under Holy Qilin Empire and gave up their lands."
" Honestly, only Four Seasons Valley refused to give into the Holy Qilin Empire's demands. If we had agreed, the entire eastern coast area would have come under their control.'
Long Ming was shocked when he heard the tale of the Holy Qilin Empire. Remembering how the imperial aura of qilin protected the fate and identity of Jiang Wanxue back then, Long Ming felt some connections with it. n-(o)-v((e..l-.b/-I..n
' Is it a unique cultivation method? Creating an empire and being an emperor, emperors are said to be blessed by the luck of nation and fortunes of heaven.'
' Does conquering more land and increasing the influence of the empire make the Imperial Family and the emperor more powerful?'
Long Ming remembered some theories as he tried to conclude. However, he decided to put the matters in check before he got any evidence.
" There is still a time of a month before the Battle Tournament starts." Ming Yuexin spoke.
" Well, I think I should travel around a bit then, before going to Holy Qilin City." Long Ming chuckled. " I really wanted to see the world outside."
" Haha, Is that so?"
Mu Qinglian glanced at Long Ming as she suddenly spoke. " How about both of us going outside?"
" Huh?"
Bith Ming Yuexin and Long Ming became startled as they looked at Mu Qinglian.
" I...I mean, I know a lot of good places outside. I can take Long Ming there and...train. Yes, We can train and increase our worldly experience." Mu Qinglian blushed as she hurriedly added.
Ming Yuexin glanced at Mu Qinglian as a strange smile appeared on her face. " Well? How about this? Allow Brother Long to stay with me for a few days and you can take him afterward?'
It was indirectly a way of telling Mu Qinglian to share Long Ming.
" Yo-You... Hmph! Do whatever you want!" Mu Qinglian puffed her cheeks as she became annoyed.
As the sun set, everyone was either cultivating or having fun at Solitary Flower Peak.
Long Ming suddenly remembered something as he packed some food and got up.
" I have to meet Master. Hehe... I wonder about her thoughts about my proposal. Keke..."