“So, are you really going to the Lu family to awaken that artifact spirit?” Qi Rong leaned forward slightly, revealing a curious expression.

After finishing her conversation with Feng Qinxue, Qin Ruqing was parched.

She gulped down a pot of excellent Mingxin tea and took a deep breath before, under the curious gazes of Lu Wei and Qi Rong, she recounted the details of today’s discussion.

“Of course I’m going! Who knows, maybe I’ll gain some benefits from it?” Qin Ruqing casually replied, grabbing a small handful of pine nuts from the fruit platter on the table.

“So, did they offer any conditions in exchange?” Lu Wei asked softly.

Since they had specifically invited them to the Feng residence and now proposed such a request, it couldn’t be just a freebie.

They had to promise some benefits.

The difference was whether the Feng family was sincere and generous enough.

Qin Ruqing popped a nut into her mouth and said cheerfully, “Director Feng promised that if I could help them awaken the artifact spirit and retrieve the magical tool, they would definitely stop supporting the Fang family. At that point, we could take action against the Fang family.”

Was it just a promise to stop supporting the Fang family, or was it conditional upon completing the task?

Tang Zifeng frowned and commented, “That’s not very sincere.”

“Right, I think so too,” Qin Ruqing said calmly. “So I adjusted the conditions: as long as I accompany the Feng family’s delegation to attempt to awaken the artifact spirit, regardless of success or failure, as long as I’ve tried, the Feng family must stop supporting the Fang family. They can choose not to help us, but they mustn’t continue to back the Fang family.”

“Last time at the Hundred Clans Conference, didn’t the Feng family support the Fang family? I still remember it clearly!” Qi Rong said with a sniff, clearly still holding a grudge.

At the Hundred Clans Conference, the Fang family had openly assassinated Qin Ruqing.

The matter was exposed, yet it was only handled blandly in the end.

The Fang family received no real punishment, only a bit of compensation for Qin Ruqing.

Clearly, the Feng family had suppressed the issue.

The Feng family manages the Eastern Domain Celestial Bureau.

If they don’t take action against the Fang family, no one else can intervene.

Qin Ruqing smiled faintly and analyzed calmly, “From the current perspective, it’s clear why they chose to support the Fang family at that time—it was related to the Daoist tradition dispute with the Lu family. As a subordinate family of the Lu family, if the Fang family were punished on their own, it might escalate the conflict and ultimately disrupt the balance of power.”

“Although there’s a reason, I still don’t like it.”

Qin Ruqing looked at Qi Rong, “It’s normal for you to be unhappy. Even though we were weak at the time and couldn’t make the Feng family change their minds—since you slapped my face when I was weak, I have the right to hold a grudge. After all, saints are rare these days… This time at the Feng family, let’s make the most of it. They probably won’t dare to say much.”

Qi Rong sighed loudly and began seriously considering how to take advantage of the situation.

He was serious.

The assassination of his sister couldn’t be brushed off easily.

Someone needed to remember and seek some compensation for the past grievances.

Since his sister was focused on major matters now, he, as the “little man,” would handle these small past issues.

Lu Wei clearly had no problem with Qi Rong’s approach but was worried about one thing, “The Feng Director seems a bit domineering. Will she agree to our conditions?”

Qin Ruqing said, “The Feng Director is not just domineering; she’s even more skillful in strategy and intellect. The initial offer she made with such little sincerity was likely just to allow me to negotiate. She probably anticipated what I would propose.”

Lu Wei nodded.

The art of negotiating and gauging verbal finesse was indeed a skill she wasn’t particularly good at.

“So, are you going to the Lu family alone this time?” Tang Zifeng, who had been silent for a while, suddenly asked a strange question.

“No!” Qin Ruqing blinked, not quite understanding the point of the question. “I will definitely be going with the Feng family’s delegation, not alone… Though the Lu family probably doesn’t want me to go, I don’t know what reason the Feng family will use to bring me along… Anyway, I don’t need to worry about it.” She waved her hand dismissively.

“Got it,” Tang Zifeng said, lowering her eyelashes, her expression remaining relatively neutral.

Lu Wei, sharp-eyed, glanced at Tang Zifeng.

She was considering clarifying the matter further but felt it wasn’t the right moment. Instead, she decided to change the topic:

“Qin Ruqing, you mentioned earlier that the Feng family invited you because Dao Sovereign Yue Ming personally named you?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Ruqing’s interest was piqued. “Yes, it’s true. Feng Mingyue specifically asked Dao Sovereign Yue Ming for guidance during her inheritance ceremony, and the Dao Sovereign’s advice was…,” she exaggeratedly gestured towards herself, “What does this mean?”

“It means you’re impressive!” Qi Rong said cheerfully, feeling that Qin Ruqing was just fishing for compliments.

Qin Ruqing, however, shook her head mysteriously, her clear eyes sparkling like they had been washed with water. “It means that the artifact spirit controlled by the Lu family has an affinity with me! In the cultivation world, having such an affinity is quite significant, don’t you think?”

Qi Rong was speechless.

Qin Ruqing, however, grew more excited the more she talked about it.

This topic seemed to be her eternal passion.

She couldn’t help but look at Tang Zifeng with enthusiasm. “Tang, you’re the expert. Can you explain more about what this artifact spirit is all about? Do I have any way to awaken it?”

Tang Zifeng saw through her immediately and said directly, “For artifact spirits of this level, there is basically no concept of ‘recognizing a master’.”

In other words, don’t even think about it.

Why was Qin Ruqing so excited?

It was clearly because she had her eye on that artifact spirit.

She almost had “I want to get my hands on it” written all over her face.

Tang Zifeng, who knew Qin Ruqing well, shattered her dreams with a single sentence.

Qin Ruqing’s face fell, and she slumped weakly onto the table.

Tang Zifeng’s lips curled up slightly, and he added slowly, “However, even if the artifact spirit cannot recognize a master, it doesn’t mean it cannot be moved.”

“Great!” Qin Ruqing straightened up instantly. “Tang, you’ve learned some tricks!”

He knew how to tease her appetite with his words.

Tang Zifeng smiled and explained calmly, “Artifacts are created with a specific purpose in mind, whether for combat assistance or cultivation aid. According to what you said, the artifact controlled by the Lu family seems to be more focused on aiding cultivation. Thus, if you can meet the excellent standards that the artifact spirit has in mind, you might be able to attract its attention.”

He always knew what Qin Ruqing wanted to hear, and sure enough, even though her expression didn’t change, her ears perked up, and her breathing lightened.

This was clearly a sign of full concentration on listening.

“As you mentioned, the artifact might indeed be connected to you. When you call out to the artifact, just make sure to reveal the aspects of your connection with the artifact or with the Dao Physique. Perhaps the artifact spirit will have some additional reaction.”

Tang Zifeng’s explanation was somewhat vague, due to the caution needed in Feng family territory.

Some things had to be avoided for discretion’s sake.

For example, the relationship between Qin Ruqing and Azure Lutos.

Qin Ruqing understood the implication immediately.

So, she only needed to reveal some traits related to Azure Lutos or the Dao Physique, and the artifact spirit might respond?

Whether it would work or not, it was worth trying in that direction. After all, when it came to this, Tang Zifeng was the expert!

Qin Ruqing was satisfied, quickly forgetting the earlier teasing.

She patted Tang Zifeng’s arm next to her and cheerfully said, “I’ll do just that!”

Tang Zifeng’s brows relaxed, and he finally showed a noticeable smile.

Watching all this, Lu Wei suddenly realized a truth.

Sometimes, it wasn’t necessary for her to specifically point things out.

Tang Zifeng himself seemed capable of handling it.

After all, the focus of his life was really quite simple.

Aside from her tools and skills, all that remained was Qingqing.

If one makes up their mind to overcome obstacles, is there anything that can’t be achieved?

The Lu family wasn’t somewhere you could just waltz into.

After all, to place someone like Qin Ruqing, an “outsider,” the Feng family had to make an effort to negotiate.

During this time, Qin Ruqing was not idle; she stopped drinking tea and watching plays and instead focused on training with Lu Wei and the others.

Penglai was naturally a feng shui treasure with spiritual energy that was denser than the outside world.

As distinguished guests of the Feng family, when they expressed a desire to train in peace, the Feng family eagerly opened up an independent secret realm for them, showing sincere hospitality.

But this warmth wasn’t entirely genuine; they genuinely wanted to send away these troublesome “little ancestors” who spent their days sipping tea and watching shows on the mountain.

Even though the Feng family’s fairies were all deeply immersed in the way of the sword, knowing that someone was observing from the mountain made their practice feel like a performance; they couldn’t help but be mindful of appearances, unwilling to let outsiders look down on them.

But in Xuanming Swordsmanship, once you lose focus, the sharpness of your sword dulls.

Seeing this, Qin Ruqing sighed and shook her head: “If we stay any longer, we’ll just become a nuisance. Let’s be sensible and leave on our own accord.”

The transition of their secret realm was still handled by the previous manager(Steward), but this time, the manager truly acted only in his official capacity, devoid of the pride that once marked his demeanor.

“This small secret realm is called ‘Cliff of a Thousand Peaks,’ aptly named for its sheer cliffs that plunge into the earth, ever-changing treacherous winds, and the sharp sword energy left behind by generations of Feng family sword cultivators. It’s an excellent secret realm; even Miss Feng Mingyue has trained here!” the manager said.