Book 12: Chapter 25: A Retaliation Has To At Least Look Like One

This courtyard suddenly became quiet.

With just Lin Xi’s calm answer, everyone’s expression instantly changed.

In that instant, Yuan Tianyu and all of the other soldiers whose expressions were extremely overcast instantly revealed a bit of self-mockery, unable to help but shake their heads lightly. They felt like all of their worries and anger were excessive, because as it turned out, this matter really wasn’t much of an issue at all.

Several breaths of time ago, the round faced official turned pale with fright, truly worried that Gu Yunjing would order the military to agree to Lin Xi carrying out another assassination like this. With Lin Xi’s ability, he had no choice but to be worried that he could truly assassinate Qiu Mochi in this army. However, at this time, he discovered that Lin Xi didn’t have to waste any energy doing this type of thing, because he truly overlooked this other identity Lin Xi had.

“You all are doubting the character of a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest? Could it be that with the status of a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest, I will speak lies?”

Lin Xi’s eyes swept over the eyes of that round faced official, then calmly saying this.

The scene immediately became quiet.

Government Sector’s two officials did their best to remain calm. Their eyes concentrated on Qiu Mochi’s body. In their eyes, since Lin Xi spoke like this, with Lin Xi testifying, then this matter was already set in stone, it could already end here.

It was because ever since Green Luan Academy was deliberately suppressed by the emperor through Thunder Academy until now, seemingly low-profile, even giving one the feeling of deteriorating day by day, that was why Lin Xi’s status as Green Luan Academy’s heaven’s choice seemed to make many people forget their reverence.

It was because after Jadefall City, Lin Xi faded from Yunqin for a long time. That was why many people forgot that his official rank still hadn’t been stripped, that the emperor just deliberately didn’t mention it.

Meanwhile, when he reappeared in South Tomb Province again, because his achievements were too stunning, everyone immediately thought of him as a powerful archer and cultivator, easily forgetting about the fact of him being a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest.

Spiritual Sacrifice Priests were originally precisely the symbol of radiance.

How could normal officials have the qualifications to doubt the character of Spiritual Sacrifice Priests?

However, Qiu Mochi instead shook his head, calmly saying, “How could I forget your identity? Only, it isn’t that there are no examples of corrupted Spiritual Sacrifice Priests. According to usual practice, even though a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest ascetic priest like you is not in the royal court, each year, you have to experience an examination from Priest Hall. During this year, you’ve never come into contact with Priest Hall, haven’t experienced any studies or examinations.”

When Qiu Mochi’s words sounded, the expressions of all of the officials here changed again.

“You understand how to use those tricks of bureaucracy well. You understand how to climb up, what kind of rules to exploit. By bringing up Priest Hall’s examination of me as a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest, you can at least buy more time. Even if in the end, everyone still decides that their accomplishments and experiences aren’t fake, you were still doing official business according to the official principles. However, this process would still be enough to thoroughly embarrass us.” Lin Xi looked at how the other party still argued with sophistry at this type of time, but instead didn’t get angry, only calmly saying, “It is just because our Green Luan Academy and my way of doing things really were a bit too low-profile, that’s why even a small figure like you has the courage to jab at me. However, you really don’t have the qualifications… Also, why do you have to pretend to be so calm? In this type of situation where I’ve been so disrespectful and criticized you so harshly, the more you act like this, the more fake you look.”

Qiu Mochi’s calm expression disappeared, revealing a sneer of anger. “I don’t know what counts as qualifications. I only know that I have the authority to investigate this matter.”

“Is that so? Do you really think you are something?”

Lin Xi laughed. He discovered that he now felt a bit of joyful feeling, just like when dealing with those East Port Town officials back then. “I can inform you of the difference between us. I can walk out right now, walk into the city, tell all of the civilians in the city that I am Lin Xi. I’ll then tell all of them about the bitter experiences these more than a hundred loyal soldiers faced, how they continuously broke out of sieges, moreover in the end successfully breaking through enemy barracks, returning to Yunqin. I’ll also tell them how when these soldiers returned to Yunqin, they were detained as spies by Military Prison, by you. I don’t need to prove if my status as a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest has become corrupt at all, but you might already be killed under stones and eggs by the people’s wrath.”

“If you insist on doing this type of thing that will incite the will of the people, then you can feel free to do it.” Qiu Mochi took a deep breath, and then coldly said, “However, you can forget about using this to make me yield. Even if I die, Military Prison’s following officials will similarly come here to take care of matters!”

Lin Xi’s brows furrowed.

Towards someone of Qiu Mochi’s level, he indeed felt it beneath him to deal with the trouble. In his opinion, using his status as a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest to suppress these people was the simplest and most effective method. However, he didn’t expect that even in this type of situation, Qiu Mochi actually walked this path down to its depths.

Lowly people were just like dogs, but this was quite the difficult dog to deal with.

This place became quiet.

It was precisely because this place became quiet that everyone here, including the slightly frowning Lin Xi heard that there was an expanse of numerous and disorderly footsteps that sounded in the wind.

These footsteps seemed to be like many people welcoming one person, but also like many people frantically chasing after one person.

Soon afterwards, these footsteps quickly disappeared, this place becoming calm once more.

Then, only a single person’s footsteps drew closer and closer, carrying a shocking and unique aura.

Lin Xi turned around.

He sensed that this aura wasn’t that of rippling soul force, but rather a type of unique vital energy fluctuation. It was as if a type of external force always swirled around this cultivator’s body, waiting for this cultivator to take it in and use it at any time.

Could it be that Grand Secretary Zhou arrived?

This was the first thought that appeared in his head.

However, the dazzling golden color that appeared in his sight immediately overthrew this thought.

All of the officials here, and even Gao Yanan who was standing at Lin Xi’s side, the instant they saw this figure releasing golden brilliance, their eyes were instantly filled with powerful shock.

This was an elder dressed in golden priest robes.

His hair was also golden.

In Yunqin, golden priest robes represented the highest status in Priest Hall, an Eternal High Priest.

Meanwhile, the golden hair precisely represented Yuhua Family.

This was an elder whose face was covered in wrinkles, his figure wizened and short. However, in Yunqin, this was an elder whose status was even more respected than the eight sectors’ heads. That was why when he walked over along the green stone path right now, in everyone’s eyes, his figure was especially large and tall.

“I am Yuhua Shanhe.”

The elder looked at Lin Xi and Gao Yanan, smiling, first saying this.

Yuhua Shanhe, this was the younger brother of the Yuhua elder who sat behind layers of curtains. However, no one felt that this was out of the ordinary, because Priest Hall had two other Yuhua Family Eternal High Priests, all of them of the same seniority as Yuhua Shanhe. All those who wore Eternal High Priest golden robes were the most respected existences in Yuhua Family.

Ever since the moment this High Priest who was enough to represent all of Yuhua Family appeared, Lin Xi was always seriously contemplating the meaning behind this individual’s arrival. Meanwhile, everyone else’s expressions were too shocked, momentarily even forgetting etiquette.

“Can you guess what color the item I am holding in my hands is?” Like a true divine staff, this elder walked up to Lin Xi. He didn’t say anything excessive, instead reaching out a clasped right hand towards Lin Xi.

His right hand was like a dried branch, but it released a wave of golden radiance. This already made one feel as if his hand was covered in golden metal, let alone seeing through it to find out what was inside.

Lin Xi bowed respectfully, asking, “Why should I guess?”

“This can grant you a bit of proof you know.” The elder laughed in a wise and farsighted manner. “Moreover, for our Priest Hall, it isn’t an issue of guessing or not, but rather a question of worth or not worth.”

Lin Xi straightened his body. He looked at Yuhua Shanhe, this type of old priest, also smiling and saying, “Are you here representing Yuhua Family and Priest Hall?”

The elder looked at Lin Xi helplessly, “You clearly don’t like to waste time with words, so since you understand, why are you still feigning confusion?”

Lin Xi laughed in an even happier manner, nodding. “I guess crimson color.”

The elder’s eyes lit up. His body began to release a type of unique golden brilliance, as if a sun was rising.

“You guessed correctly after all.” He carried shock and satisfaction while looking deeply at Lin Xi, saying this.

Lin Xi revealed a faint smile. In his heart, there were some things that already happened, just that after he returned, the other party’s respected self didn’t know.

Qiu Mochi didn’t know what was going to happen now. However, the things that were happening between this elder and Lin Xi instead made his body continuously tremble. His originally ice-cold face also became snow-white, lacking the slightest trace of color.

Under everyone’s shocked and confused expressions, the elder loosened his hand.

Something quickly blossomed in his hands like a flower.

This flower was crimson colored.

This was a set of crimson priest robes.

It was unknown what material it was made of, even after being forcibly clenched into a small clump within this elder’s hand, when this elder released his grip, it quickly unfolded, turning into a set of crimson colored priest gown that possessed a bit of ceramic-like luster.

Embroidered on the crimson colored priest robes, similarly with crimson special threads, was a Three-Tailed Black Foxcat, as well as a Yunqin phoenix.

Qiu Mochi’s breathing completely stopped.

It was because he understood extremely clearly that in Yunqin, this type of crimson colored priest robes could only represent one thing, which was precisely Priest Hall’s High Priest!

A red robed high priest who would receive the protection and respect of all priests, someone who had the authority to remove and promote priests!

“This is for me?” Lin Xi looked at this set of priest robes, asking this.

Yuhua Shanhe laughed, his smiling face producing even more wrinkles, “Still asking questions despite already knowing the answer… You are a Spiritual Sacrifice Priest, yet while facing enemies in Meteor City, you only wore the white robes of an ordinary priest apprentice, this doesn’t match our customs… However, considering how you often enter the battlefield and the glory that you bring back, priest robes are indeed easy to damage and lose. That is why Priest Hall made this new set of priest robes for you, a set of priest robes that won’t become easily damaged. In the future, you can’t wear the wrong things now.”

Yuan Tianyu and the others were all already shocked to the point where they found it a bit hard to breathe.

This was precisely the same as saying… That Priest Hall, through a congressional decision, had Lin Xi enter Priest Hall, moreover become a red robed High Priest?!

Lin Xi took a deep breath, clearly a bit surprised and moved. “I am now already a red robed High Priest?”

“It is learning on the job… this is the wording Principal Zhang passed down.” Yuhua Shanhe looked at Lin Xi and said, “You can exercise all of the authority of a red robed High Priest, but if you do anything that isn’t radiant within three years, you will immediately lose your qualifications as a red robed High Priest.”

“Then isn’t this still the same?” Lin Xi laughed. He received the priest robes in Yuhua Shanhe’s hands, but his smile then turned rigid, his mouth turning into an ‘o’ shape out of shock. It was because the seemingly soft red priest robes were actually at least twenty jin in weight.

Yuhua Shanhe seemed to have long foresaw Lin Xi would react like this. He chuckled again, only looking at Lin Xi, thinking about many events of his youth, his eyes instead revealing a bit of indescribable emotions.

Lin Xi curled his lips in a bit of an embarrassed manner. Then, he became serious. He gave the deathly white faced Qiu Mochi a look. “Sir Qiu, I believe now, you won’t question my identity anymore, right?”

Yuhua Shanhe gave Qiu Mochi a look, calmly saying, “This is already no longer something that has to do with him. Priest Hall suspects his character, so Government Sector will carry out a suspension and investigation.”

Qiu Mochi’s mouth suddenly opened, yet he couldn’t utter any sounds. His uniform was instantly completely drenched in cold sweat.

However, when he saw how he was beside himself, changing from his previous calm and cold appearance to his current completely different appearance, Lin Xi instead shook his head. “This is too light, right?”

Lin Xi said with a smile, “Since it is a retaliation… we have to at least make it look like a retaliation, we have to let them feel a bit of reverence.”

Yuhua Shanhe remained silent for a bit, but then said, “Alright. Since his character needs to be questioned, the front lines are naturally the best place. Let’s have him prove himself there.”

Qiu Mochi still didn’t utter a single sound.

His trusted aide, that round faced Military Prison official’s entire body continuously trembled, in a powerful state of dizziness… Originally, they wanted the other party to prove himself, yet now, it was completely flipped over.

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