Chapter 207 - Important Mission

It took Qiu Ling and Jing Yi two weeks to reach the gates of the Yun Zou Sect. It wasn't that they couldn't have been faster but Qiu Ling wanted to give Jing Yi as much time to cultivate as he could without making it too obvious.

In the end, it hadn't been enough for him to reach the second stage, though. His earth spirit vein was still in the fourth of the five levels of the seed stage, even though his other five spirit veins had already reached the peak. If not for that earth spirit vein, he could have already broken through a while ago.

Whenever Qiu Ling thought of that he felt a pang of guilt and regret. If he hadn't been so ridiculously jealous back then and made his beloved scared of everything dirty, then they could have already been married by now. This was probably what one would call digging your own grave.

It was too late to change anything about that now, though. He could only hope that his master hadn't called them over because of the marriage.

Qiu Ling and Jing Yi hurried right over to Grandmaster Zhangsun's palace.

"Master?" Qiu Ling gripped Jing Yi's hand and led him inside, already calling out from the door. He felt like he should be prepared to flee just in case his master really wanted to prevent the marriage.

Zhangsun Xun Yi looked up and nodded. He didn't waste his time with explanations. Instead, he stood up and waved at the two of them. "Come with me."

"Uh … Why?"

Zhangsun Xun Yi turned around. He didn't know what to say to the doubtful expression in his disciple's eyes. Even though it was just a fake disciple he had never taught, it was bitter seeing him like this.

The Grandmaster sighed. "Sect Master Yuchi wants to see him. He'll tell you everything else."

Qiu Ling didn't feel one bit reassured but what could he do? He hugged Jing Yi and flew after Grandmaster Zhangsun to the Sect Master's palace on the second highest peak of the Yun Zou Sect's mountains.

He entered with a grim expression, Jing Yi directly behind him.

Sect Master Yuchi was sitting on an elevated seat on the other side of the hall. He held a cup of tea in his hand as if he would take a sip the next moment but he wasn't actually drinking. He seemed to have completely forgotten about it and just stared off into space. Who knew where his thoughts were headed right now?

"Sect Master." Zhangsun Xun Yi sat down next to him and made his presence known.

Yuchi Bing Xia jerked and nearly spilled the tea. "Grandmaster Zhangsun!" He hurriedly placed the cup down and turned toward him with a tensed expression. "Your disciple …?"

Grandmaster Zhangsun indicated his head toward Qiu Ling who had stopped in the middle of the hall with Jing Yi.

Qiu Ling felt like he was just being cautious. He was faster than the humans anyway but he still wanted to make sure that he could get out of the hall if they tried to do something fishy.

Sect Master Yuchi only took a quick glance at Qiu Ling. The Grandmaster's disciple still looked the same as back then. The youth next to him, however …

Yuchi Bing Xia could still remember the young boy from last year. He had been a little short and quite thin as if one breeze might be enough to blow him away. His face had been lovely, though, the dark eyes especially appealing.

Now, that boy had turned into a youth that made the Sect Master marvel at Qiu Ling's foresight. His figure could only be described as slim and willowy and lend a certain elegance to his movements, even though he seemed to be a rather simple person. His face was diamond shaped, his cheeks seemed a little haggard but that only highlighted his full lips. Though, just like back then it was still his eyes that attracted the gaze of others: A dark iris that made one think of the starless night-sky, dense lashes that didn't lose out to those of any of the beautiful female disciples of the inner sect and a pair of slim eyebrows that formed a soft arch above them.

Yuchi Bing Xia actually had trouble to look away. How had that boy turned into such a beauty in just a year? One really had to wonder how he'd look when he was a few years older.

Qiu Ling frowned. Don't talk about someone preventing his marriage, this guy was looking at his beloved as if he wanted to marry him himself!

"Heh!" He grabbed Jing Yi's hand and pulled him behind him. With his chin raised, he looked at Yuchi Bing Xia and narrowed his eyes. "That is my fiance. Find somebody else if you want to marry!"

Zhangsun Xun Yi took a cup of tea and pretended to hear nothing. He had brought the person over. Everything else had nothing to do with him.

The Sect master coughed. "Uh … I know that. Come over here, you two."

"No, thanks. We're good here." Qiu Ling wasn't dumb. He certainly wouldn't go over there if that guy had already lusted after his beloved at such a distance! Wouldn't it get even worse if his Jing He came closer? Maybe that guy would even try to touch him!

Jing Yi slapped his shoulder, though. "Qiu Ling!" His tone of voice told Qiu Ling that his beloved once again thought of him as shameless.

Begrudgingly, he stepped aside but he still took Jing Yi's hand and led him forward. Under no circumstances would he separate from him and give that guy any chances!

Sect master Yuchi tried to ignore the obvious distrust and motioned at the chairs next to him. "Please, take a seat. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Qiu Ling's distrust wasn't waning. He took the seat that was closer to Yuchi Bing Xia and had Jing Yi sit down in the other. "What is this about?"

"Actually, this concerns Zhong Jing Yi." He faced him and smiled lightly. "You might ask yourself why I've called you here. Actually, there is a mission of utmost importance that was entrusted to our sect and I would like you to undertake this mission."

Jing Yi was stunned. He never would have thought that the Sect Master would personally issue a mission for him. It seemed like his dream of becoming a cultivator that was able to help people wasn't unattainable anymore.

He smiled back at him and nodded. "Please do tell, Sect Master. As long as I can be of help to the sect I'll gladly do it."

Qiu Ling felt a sudden sense of crisis at these words.