Chapter 749: Deep Listening

A faint, joyful smile touched the corners of Qing Nü's lips, as if she were delighted to see an old friend.

She was wearing a black dress today, perfectly tailored to highlight her exquisite figure. Her long, shapely legs were encased in similarly black yet slightly sheer stockings, whose delicate transparency added a touch of sensuality to her tranquil presence.

Standing in the warm light of the corridor, she was like an exquisite painting; captivating from every angle.

When Chen Mobai's eyes met her bright and gentle gaze, a warm glow seemed to envelop them both. In that instant, amidst the bustling imperial capital of Wangwu Dongtian, the tension that had gripped them melted away, replaced by an unprecedented sense of comfort and relaxation.

"Long time no see," Qing Nü said gently. Chen Mobai smiled and nodded, inviting her inside.

Despite being good friends and calling each other regularly, they rarely had the chance to meet in person.

After all, Qing Nü worked in the special Heaven-Mending Group, and with Lin Daoming supervising her, she was essentially confined to Wangwu Dongtian.

As a council member of the Kaiyuan Hall, Chen Mobai was even more constrained.

They could only meet in Wangwu Dongtian every ten years during their official reporting duties. On those occasions, Qing Nü would always feel grateful that the Heaven-Mending Group's headquarters were situated there.

Without this decennial anticipation, she wondered how she could have endured her time in Wangwu Dongtian.

Qing Nü stepped into the room, and Chen Mobai closed the door.

"Please, have a seat. I'll brew you some tea; it's quite delicious," Chen Mobai said, gesturing towards the sofa by the window. He then personally condensed water, boiled it, and poured it into a teapot already prepared with Green Cicada Spirit Tea.

Besides being an alchemist, Qing Nü frequently assessed the toxicity of various elixirs and medicinal substances. Although she practiced a special secret technique for dissolving and detoxifying elixirs, over the years, some irreducible toxins had accumulated within her body.

She was well aware of this, and it wasn't just her; the work of the Heaven-Mending Group made such accumulation unavoidable.

However, she had never spoken to Chen Mobai about this.

Chen Mobai knew about this because Zhongli Tianyu had told him. Zhongli Yi, Zhongli Tianyu's cousin and the deputy leader of Heaven-Mending Group Four, had blamed her failure to form a core after taking the Golden Liquid Jade Restoration Pill on this very issue.

This was a considerable blow to the Zhongli family.

Even for a Transcendent God family, seeing nearly a century of investment in a family cultivator culminate in a core formation failure was truly heartbreaking.

Chen Mobai had heard Qing Nü speak of Zhongli Yi before, knowing that the latter had looked after her when she first joined Group Four.

Therefore, upon hearing Zhongli Tianyu's account, he realized that Qing Nü undoubtedly shared the same issue.

It was precisely for this reason that he had specially prepared this pot of Green Cicada Spirit Tea for Qing Nü today.

Once the tea leaves had unfurled in the boiling water, releasing their fragrant aroma like fresh green sprouts, Chen Mobai picked up the small teapot and walked towards the window.

Qing Nü, seated on the sofa, rested her fair chin on one hand, her long, shapely legs pressed together. Her gentle, serene gaze followed Chen Mobai's every movement.

"Try this," Chen Mobai offered. "This is a new tea variety that mutated in the tea garden I established for cultivating enlightenment tea. I've found that prolonged consumption helps dissolve elixir toxins."

Qing Nü was indeed very surprised to hear this.

She took the cup and gazed at the pale green tea. After a delicate sip, a sweet aftertaste bloomed in her mouth, invigorating her spirit. At the same time, she felt subtle, almost undetectable elixir toxins within her organs slowly begin to dissipate.

Qing Nü immediately finished the cup of Green Cicada Spirit Tea. Chen Mobai poured her another, which she unhesitatingly accepted and drank.

After five consecutive cups, the pot Chen Mobai had brewed was empty.

As he began to boil water again, Qing Nü had already closed her eyes, guiding the Green Cicada Spirit Tea through her meridians and internal organs, allowing the emerging elixir toxins to dissolve in the process.

As her internal organs felt increasingly light and refreshed, a somewhat shy physiological urge began to surface within her.

She opened her eyes, looked at Chen Mobai, who was replacing the tea leaves, and asked somewhat awkwardly, "Where's the restroom? I think I've had a bit too much tea."

Chen Mobai smiled faintly, gesturing towards the interior of the room. He knew that the Green Cicada Spirit Tea worked by expelling internal elixir toxins along with the tea.

He was staying in the best suite at the Welcoming Immortal Hotel, and the bathroom was located within the bedroom.

Qing Nü's fair cheeks flushed, and she quickly rose and hurried into the room.

After a considerable time, Qing Nü emerged, her head bowed, having taken care of her needs, and sat back down on the sofa.

"How do you feel? Much lighter, aren't you?" Chen Mobai asked, carrying the second pot of tea over to Qing Nü and pouring her another cup.

"Thank you. This spirit tea must be very precious, mustn't it?"

Though she had felt a bit awkward earlier, Qing Nü had now composed herself. Her friendship with Chen Mobai was one of profound trust, so there was no need to dwell on minor embarrassments.

So Qing Nü took the refilled teacup and began to sip it slowly again.

"You could say it's unsellable refuse," he replied.

Chen Mobai's words made Qing Nü look up in surprise.

He was right; it really was like that.

Furthermore, high-level alchemists regularly consumed elixirs similar to the Nirvana Pill to dissolve accumulated toxins and impurities in their bodies, while also enhancing their physical strength.

If high-level alchemists had no use for it, this Green Cicada Spirit Tea naturally wouldn't sell.

Since the Green Cicada Spirit Tea was of a high grade, mid to low-level alchemists couldn't afford it in the first place.

"This 'waste,' to me, is an unparalleled treasure!" Qing Nü exclaimed.

Her eyes sparkling, Qing Nü said this with genuine sincerity.

"Here!" Chen Mobai said with a snap of his fingers. A spatial rift opened, and a beautifully wrapped gift box, already prepared, descended into Qing Nü's arms.

With anticipation, Qing Nü opened the box, revealing two cans of Green Cicada Spirit Tea. A mix of surprise and delight colored her face, yet her words contradicted her expression.

Qing Nü: "It's too valuable; I can't possibly accept it!"

Chen Mobai: "This Green Cicada Spirit Tea is useless to me. If you don't take it, I'll just have to leave it in my spatial realm to expire and spoil."

Qing Nü: "That would be such a waste..."

Chen Mobai: "In that case, Miss Qing Nü, might I trouble you to help me make use of these tea leaves?"

These words made Qing Nü's lips curl into a joyful smile, and she nodded emphatically.

Qing Nü: "Then I shall gratefully accept. Thank you!"

Chen Mobai smiled, seeing Qing Nü finally accept his gift.

They drank tea and discussed their experiences over the past few years.

Chen Mobai couldn't reveal his glorious experience of unifying the Eastern Wilderness. He could only say that he cultivated diligently and ceaselessly atop Mount Danxia every day, and that his calls with her were his only moments of true relaxation.

His arduous cultivation had yielded significant results: the Danfeng Chaoyang Diagram had broken through to the second layer, the Art of the Inner World had reached mastery, and he had also perfected Void Walking.

Other achievements, such as the Pure Yang Scroll reaching the sixth layer of Golden Core and the Pure Yang Dharma Body nearing the Nine Suns stage, were not even worth mentioning by comparison.

As Qing Nü listened, her eyes sparkled with wonder, and her face was alight with reverence and admiration.

She believed that her friend before her was the most exceptionally talented individual in the entire history of the Immortal Sect.

He was considered to possess "Transcendent God potential" simply because that was the highest talent evaluation in the Immortal Sect. She believed Chen Mobai could shatter the historical limitations of cultivation realms in the Immortal Sect and achieve something beyond the Transcendent God stage.

"Compared to you, my life is far more ordinary," Qing Nü said. "Every day, I'm either researching and analyzing strange medicines or dissecting the corpses of cultivators who died mysteriously, investigating their causes of death, and so forth."

Qing Nü's words puzzled Chen Mobai. Hadn't she primarily been responsible for caring for the injured members of the Heaven-Mending Group before?

"Many new people have joined," Qing Nü explained. "So the leader gave them the easier tasks and assigned the more difficult ones to us, the experienced members."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai sensed Lin Daoming's involvement. He then inquired about something he had overlooked previously.

"When you sought to form your core, was it because you wanted to escape this kind of life?"

"That was part of it," Qing Nü admitted. "The leader said that if I formed my core, I might succeed him as deputy general leader after Lan Haitian's promotion. I thought a higher position would give me quicker access to information about the Ascension Sect. On top of that, you cultivate so fast; I was genuinely afraid of being left far behind and never catching up. So, I got a bit ahead of myself and wanted to form my core."

Qing Nü's words made Chen Mobai nod. It seemed the problem stemmed from the leader of Heaven-Mending Group Four.

In that case, if he wanted to protect Qing Nü, he would need to take charge of the Heaven-Mending Group.

Conveniently, the terms offered by Water Immortal were the most favorable. It seemed that after entering officialdom, he would need to join the Hall of Righteous Law.

Originally, his plan was to take Qing Nü back to the Tianhe Realm and care for her for the rest of her life if there were no other options.

However, if he were to take her, Chen Mobai would certainly not allow her to return to the Immortal Sect until he had full control of its affairs, for the sake of his secrets.

Considering her potential unwillingness to abandon Kong Feichen and Yang Jing from the Ascension Sect, Chen Mobai wasn't confident in this particular plan.

After all, he was merely Qing Nü's friend, unlike her younger brother and sister.

Now, with Water Immortal's promise, Chen Mobai could seize the opportunity to join the Hall of Righteous Law, take control of the Heaven-Mending Group, and then promote Qing Nü to be his personal secretary, keeping her under his watchful eye at all times.

This way, as long as Qing Nü didn't form her core, he wouldn't have to concern himself too much with the threat from Lin Daoming for the time being.

If, sixteen years from now, Qing Nü accumulated enough years of service and truly prepared to form her core, they would address that situation when the time came.

A great weight suddenly lifted from Chen Mobai's heart as he considered this.

"What's wrong? You suddenly look relieved."

Qing Nü watched the pensive Chen Mobai while sipping her tea. She quickly finished another cup, then picked up the teapot herself, poured, and continued to sip slowly.

"Nothing, really," Chen Mobai replied. "Just thinking about how we might be together for the next few decades. All the years of loneliness from being apart simply vanish, replaced by a sense of ease and happiness."

Chen Mobai's words made Qing Nü's eyes widen slightly, and a faint look of confusion crossed her face.

"Always together? Are you going to be taking up a post in Wangwu Dongtian?"

"Yes, after this transition of power," Chen Mobai confirmed. "I will officially become the representative of the Dancing Weapons lineage within the Three Halls. Both the Immortal Affairs Hall and the Hall of Righteous Law offered me excellent terms. Because you are in the Heaven-Mending Group, I've decided to join the Hall of Righteous Law and become the leader of the Heaven-Mending Group!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Nü's delicate body trembled slightly, and she could barely hold the teacup. She was overcome with emotion.

"You really don't need to give up your tranquil cultivation in Danxia City for me," Qing Nü said. "If you stayed there, you might achieve Golden Core perfection within a hundred years. Taking a position at the Hall of Righteous Law would only delay your cultivation."

After so many years, Qing Nü knew Chen Mobai best, recognizing him as a true cultivator whose heart held no other thoughts beyond his pursuit of cultivation.

The thought that he would abandon his most cherished tranquil cultivation for her sake made her feel utterly unworthy.

"The main reason isn't entirely you," Chen Mobai clarified. "It's that the older generation of Golden Core True Persons in the Three Halls are all retiring. Among the next generation of our Dancing Weapons lineage, I'm the only one who can step up. For the glory of the Daoist Academy, I had no choice but to enter officialdom. Since I had to pick one of the Three Halls anyway, choosing the place where you are obviously brings me more happiness, so I decided on the Hall of Righteous Law."

Chen Mobai spoke honestly to Qing Nü, but even so, she remained deeply moved.

Her bright, beautiful eyes were slightly reddened, with a faint glimmer of tears, yet also brimming with hopeful anticipation for the next few decades—a future where they would never be separated, spending every day together.

"Oh, right," Chen Mobai added. "I've mastered the second layer of the Danfeng Chaoyang Diagram. Its 'substance absorption' characteristic, combined with the Lamp-Lighting Art, allows me to thoroughly check the elixir toxins in your body. Let me take your pulse and see if two cans of Green Cicada Spirit Tea will be sufficient for you."

"Mmm, thank you for your trouble," Qing Nü responded without suspicion. She put down her teacup and extended her fair wrist towards Chen Mobai, who immediately placed two fingers upon it.

Using the "Sound of the Empty Valley," Chen Mobai listened to Qing Nü's essence, qi, and spirit. They were all already at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm; aside from some deeply hidden elixir toxins, she had essentially reached the zenith of this cultivation stage.

Soon, Chen Mobai perceived the vastness and boundless expanse of the ocean—the essence of her Heavenly Spirit Root. Yet, this was not the answer he was seeking.

As a stream of his spiritual energy entered Qing Nü's body, faint golden lines appeared in Chen Mobai's pupils. The fourth-tier "Sound of the Empty Valley," amplified by the Art of the Inner World, continuously delved deeper.

Finally, he descended into the ocean's depths.

It was like falling into an unfathomable abyss, its gloomy depths terrifying, as if poised to devour everything.

It was utterly dark, devoid of sunlight, profoundly deep, and mysterious.

Its boundless vastness made him feel insignificant, yet within this immensity, Chen Mobai also seemed to perceive the infinitude of life, as if cradled by the ocean, listening to the birth of all things and the miracle of existence!

Just as he prepared to delve deeper, Qing Nü's startled cry broke his concentration.

Chen Mobai opened his eyes to find Qing Nü had fainted. It seemed the profound sound he had perceived with the "Sound of the Empty Valley" was beyond what she should be capable of in her current state.

He immediately checked Qing Nü's condition, confirming she was only spiritually and mentally exhausted, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Seeing Qing Nü lying awkwardly on the sofa with her head tilted, Chen Mobai rose and removed her high heels. He then gently lifted her, one arm around her slender waist and the other supporting the smooth, delicate curve of her inner thigh, and carried her to the bed in the bedroom.

While Qing Nü rested, Chen Mobai sat by the bed, smiling faintly as he observed her serene, completely relaxed expression in her deep sleep.

He mused that she probably hadn't truly slept in Wangwu Dongtian for a long time.

Now that he was here, Qing Nü could finally relax like this every day.

In that moment, Chen Mobai completely forgot about Lin Daoming and Yan Xinjie.

Yet, deep down, he resolved to protect Qing Nü at all costs.

Qing Nü slept for a long time. However, Lan Haitian had already assigned her a long-term mission, and the Heaven-Mending Group's higher-ups were aware of their relationship. Seeing that Qing Nü hadn't returned for several days, they simply assumed the reunion had been too emotional for the two of them after such a long separation.

Fortunately, Chen Mobai had already met everyone he needed to, so staying secluded in the hotel was not an issue. Nevertheless, he still called Wang Shuye to inform him of his decision to accept Water Immortal's invitation and join the Hall of Righteous Law.

Wang Shuye had no objections. After all, among the Three Halls, while the Immortal Affairs Hall generally oversaw everything, the potential advent of a pioneering war meant that the Hall of Righteous Law could, during times of conflict, exert control over the Immortal Sect.

In Wang Shuye's opinion, the Immortal Affairs Hall was the least desirable of the Three Halls.

Not only did it involve numerous trivial matters, but its intricate web of relationships meant a newcomer could easily cause offense by trying to get things done. The Kaiyuan Hall, while offering the chance to inherit his rotating committee position, would present little opportunity for further advancement.

After all, the Kunpeng lineage exerted too much influence in the Kaiyuan Hall, an influence that even the Heaven-Mending lineage couldn't overcome during its heyday.

Furthermore, Chen Mobai had a minor past disagreement with Ye Yun'e, the deputy head of the Kaiyuan Hall. Serving under her, especially if his patience ran thin, could potentially disadvantage the Dancing Weapons lineage.

In comparison, the Hall of Righteous Law offered the most straightforward relationships.

Furthermore, it was as the Hall Master of Righteous Law that Old Ancestor Baiguang's Nascent Soul merged with his sword, allowing him to achieve the Transcendent God Dao.

Consequently, many newcomers in both the military and law enforcement had joined after hearing the legends of Old Ancestor Baiguang. If Chen Mobai wished to advance further in the future, he might be able to redirect this reverence for Old Ancestor Baiguang onto himself, propelling him to become the next Hall Master of Righteous Law.

Once he decided to join the Hall of Righteous Law, the next steps became much simpler.

Wang Shuye used his remaining influence to help him connect with members of the Dancing Weapons lineage in both the military and law enforcement departments.

Since every Golden Core True Person within the Three Halls was also a council member of the Kaiyuan Hall, Chen Mobai's entry into the Hall of Righteous Law would not impede his succession to Wang Shuye's position.

After the leadership transition, he would serve as a member of the Kaiyuan Hall's rotating committee while simultaneously holding various positions within the Hall of Righteous Law granted by Water Immortal.

Half a month quickly passed, leaving only ten days until the Immortal Sect's leadership transition conference.

On occasions when he genuinely needed to leave, Chen Mobai would always leave his Faceless Puppet in the room to watch over the sleeping Qing Nü.

With Wang Shuye's assistance, he completed all power transfers and transitions for the Dancing Weapons lineage within the Three Halls during this period.

Besides Wang Shuye, another elderly Kaiyuan Hall council member was retiring, necessitating a new Golden Core True Person to fill the vacancy.

The competition for this position was much fiercer within the Dancing Weapons lineage. Without Chen Mobai, who was universally favored, no one was willing to yield to another.

After a period of fierce competition, the Golden Core True Person who eventually came before Chen Mobai was named Wang Xinfu.

Upon his arrival in Wangwu Dongtian, Wang Xinfu's first action was to pay a visit to Chen Mobai.

The connection was facilitated by Wang Xingyu, Chen Mobai's classmate and good friend.

Wang Xinfu was Wang Xingyu's paternal uncle.

Given this connection, Chen Mobai naturally greeted him with a smile.

Furthermore, the Dancing Weapons lineage was inherently under his command. Since his main focus would be on the Hall of Righteous Law, he would certainly need someone to oversee matters in the Kaiyuan Hall.

If Wang Xinfu proved to be a capable candidate, some of the political legacy Wang Shuye left behind in the Kaiyuan Hall could gradually be transitioned to him.

With Wang Xingyu facilitating the connection, Chen Mobai and Wang Xinfu easily established a preliminary understanding.

At this point, another good friend with whom he had a prior arrangement arrived in Wangwu Dongtian.

It was Wenren Xuewei!

Compared to Chen Mobai, her position within the Jumang lineage was even more secure. While the "Transcendent God potential" might still be somewhat speculative, her mastery of the Evergreen Art virtually guaranteed a Nascent Soul, with a strong promise of reaching the Transcendent God stage!

Thus, the moment she mastered the Evergreen Art, the Jumang lineage essentially regarded her as their bright future.

Chen Mobai had a close relationship with her, and since she was also staying at the Welcoming Immortal Hotel, he didn't go to meet her at the arrival point.

Wenren Xuewei arrived in Wangwu Dongtian and spent several busy days meeting with key figures from the Jumang lineage within the Three Halls, ensuring their interests wouldn't suffer significantly during the upcoming leadership transition.

One day, as Chen Mobai was enjoying a rare moment of leisure, casually drinking tea in his room, Wenren Xuewei suddenly knocked on his door.

"Are you done with your affairs?" Chen Mobai asked. "Why didn't you say something before coming over? I would have brewed a pot of tea for you earlier."

Wenren Xuewei replied, walking naturally towards Chen Mobai's tea set. "Almost. Two ministers in our lineage have reached retirement age. We made some concessions and could only secure one position for our own people; the other was taken by the Kunpeng lineage." Seeing this, Chen Mobai sat on the sofa, watching her, the tea ceremony master, perform the art of tea.

Chen Mobai: "So Ye Yun'e gave you no quarter?"

The Kaiyuan Hall Master was largely uninvolved, so in Wangwu Dongtian, Ye Yun'e was the de facto leader of the Kunpeng lineage.

"If we had pressed and negotiated, we might have gotten it back," Wenren Xuewei said. "But I couldn't be bothered. Let it be. Once we reach the Nascent Soul stage, we'll get back everything we've lost, twofold."

Wenren Xuewei's words brought a faint smile to Chen Mobai's lips.

But at that moment, a sudden sound from the bedroom caused his expression to subtly change.

A moment later, a slightly groggy Qing Nü emerged from the bedroom.