Qi Cultivation Starting from the Repair Panel

"Brother Yin, although our meeting was fleeting, we did have an encounter. I hope you can resolve my confusion," Song Tonghai said gravely, his voice tinged with a trace of entreaty.

"Commoners like us, knowing what we do, what could we possibly do about it? The Immortal Sect is not the Government Office; whom can you expect to seek justice for you?" Yin Ping sneered and said indifferently, "The message from the Night Light Pavilion commanded me to come here, with the intention of forcing you to send a message to the Phantom Spirit Sect."

"The Night Light Pavilion? Where is that?" Song Tonghai's expression tensed slightly, while Li Mingzhou beside him squinted his eyes slightly but did not speak.

"A Northern Country Immortal Sect, not within Great Zhou, so naturally you wouldn't know. My ancestors have lived in the Northern lands for generations, so it's hard to avoid some involvement," Yin Ping said, the corners of his mouth lightly twitching. "I suggest you write a letter and then release a multitude of carrier pigeons, sending word to the Phantom Spirit Sect.

By doing so, the Night Light Pavilion will naturally be aware, and your Song Family should be able to ensure a few months of safety, but that's all."

The Night Light Pavilion's purpose was no more than to force the Song Family to seek help from the Phantom Spirit Sect, or rather from Song Lingqing, as a way to test the attitude of the Phantom Spirit Sect.

As long as the Song Family was asking for help, that would be enough.

Once the message was out, whether true or false, the Night Light Pavilion would wait for a while before initiating the next step.

"After several months, if the Phantom Spirit Sect has not responded, what comes will not be mere flesh and bone mortals like us," Yin Ping said in a low voice, then looked up at Li Mingzhou, "May I ask, Lord, do your words carry weight?"

Li Mingzhou did not speak but nodded slightly.

"Many thanks for the mercy."

Yin Ping kowtowed in thanks, his head never rising again, as he severed his heart meridian.

In Chu Zheng's eyes, the Yuan Qi around him was slowly dissipating, gradually blending into the world.

"Governor Li, about today's incident..." Song Tonghai looked to Li Mingzhou who was nearby, inquiring about his next move.

"My coming here tonight was only to capture an imperial criminal. I am utterly unaware of what exactly occurred and have no involvement whatsoever with the Imperial Court," Li Mingzhou said softly.

"If this gets out, it's your fault."

Before his voice had faded, he had already picked up the unconscious Grandmaster beside him, sealed off his meridians, and turned to leave.

...

...

Song Tonghai eventually followed Yin Ping's advice, writing a letter for help, and the very next morning, he released dozens of carrier pigeons.

These pigeons were for the outsiders to see.

He knew the real method of contacting the Phantom Spirit Sect and quietly sent out a genuine plea for assistance.

At this point, any method that offered a glimmer of hope had to be tried.

If there was no response from the Phantom Spirit Sect, then preparations for the worst were in order.

In just one night, the wounds on Chu Zheng's body had already scabbed over, revealing a healing speed extraordinary for a human.

The essence of the sun and the moon was superior to healing herbs.

At noon, a member of the Vermilion Bird Divine Guards came to give a verbal message from Li Mingzhou to Chu Zheng.

...

...

On the long street.

Chu Zheng stopped in front of a restaurant.

Tasting Moon Pavilion.

This place was one of Luofeng City's finest restaurants, usually packed with people. Nowadays, with many people fleeing, it seemed a bit quieter.

The message passed to Chu Zheng from Li Mingzhou was an invitation for a meal.

Chu Zheng stepped into the restaurant, where there were only a few tables of patrons, mostly lone customers. He immediately saw Li Mingzhou, seated unobtrusively in a corner.

Unarmored and in plain clothes, he sat alone in the corner, unremarkable.

Chu Zheng approached the table, bowed with hands clasped, then sat down opposite Li Mingzhou.

"I've never invited anyone for a meal before; you're the first," Li Mingzhou said with a light laugh, calling over the server.

"What would the gentlemen like to eat? Just yesterday, our establishment received a three-year-old stag; perhaps give it a try?" the server suggested.

Before Chu Zheng had a chance to speak, Li Mingzhou had already raised two fingers:

"Two bowls of vegetarian noodles."

"Alright, sirs, please wait a moment."

The server acknowledged with a nod, his smile fading a bit as he casually asked, "Would you like to order anything else?"

"No need, you may go." Li Mingzhou waved his hand, then seemed to remember something and quickly called the server back,

"How much is a bowl of your plain noodles?"

"Four coins." The server answered and then left without looking back.

Li Mingzhou turned back around, satisfied, and let out a light sigh, "At my age, I usually skip meals after noon, today is an exception."

Chu Zheng, "..."

He was not a greenhorn, and he found the frugality of such a great grandmaster to be rather excessive.

Chu Zheng was silent for a moment, then tentatively offered, "How about I treat you today, Governor Li? It would let me show you some hospitality."

"I said I would treat, can't I afford this meal?"

Li Mingzhou huffed softly and then said slowly, "I'll be returning to the capital tomorrow."

Upon this news, Chu Zheng couldn't help feeling surprised, "So soon?"

"The Emperor only gave me half a month, and just the journey there and back takes fourteen days. This trip, I actually came here to kill someone."

As he spoke, Li Mingzhou took a brocade handkerchief out of his sleeve and then a book wrapped in silk from his chest, pushing both items across the table to Chu Zheng.

"Governor Li, what is this?" Chu Zheng's expression changed as he unconsciously accepted them.

"It's some of my personal insights into the martial path, as well as a fragmented map I copied from a stone wall."

[Martial Path Initial Understanding (Second Order/Incomplete): The lifetime insights of a First Order martial artist, vaguely containing methods to advance to Second Order, but still incomplete.]

[Martial Wall Remnant Map (Third Order): A fragment copied from the Martial Barrier, containing a trace of the true essence of the martial path, greatly helpful in repairing the Third Form of the Xuan Tian Seal.]

Two notification sounds rang in succession, and Chu Zheng's gaze sharpened as he glanced at his panel and suddenly caught his breath.

[Currently repairable: Xuan Tian Seal Third Form (0/300), Martial Path Initial Understanding (0/80)]

That brocade handkerchief reduced the difficulty of repairing the Xuan Tian Seal by more than a hundredfold.

The two bowls of plain noodles arrived quickly, white noodles in a clear soup, garnished with two pieces of vegetable.

"Last night, I arrived a bit earlier than Yin Ping and the others."

Li Mingzhou lifted a chopstick full of noodles, offhandedly saying, "I was watching you the entire time."

"Thank you for taking action last night, Governor Li."

Chu Zheng expressed his thanks, withdrew his hand, and started eating his noodles.

He didn't ask what Li Mingzhou had come to do last night; it had been made clear already—to capture the criminals wanted by the Imperial Court.

If Yin Ping and his company hadn't come last night, whom Li Mingzhou would have chosen to capture, only heaven knew.

"Follow me tomorrow, and I can ensure your safety."

Li Mingzhou ate his bowl of plain noodles very slowly, chewing thoroughly and swallowing slowly, then he spoke in a deep voice,

"The Song Family's waters run deep, and even the Imperial Court is reluctant to intervene. This is a struggle within the Immortal Sects. You're still young, with great potential in the martial path; dying would be such a pity."

Chu Zheng didn't respond and quickly finished his noodles in two or three bites. After drinking up the soup until nothing was left, he thanked Li Mingzhou again,

"Thank you, Governor Li."

Li Mingzhou ate his noodles even more slowly, waving his hand to indicate that Chu Zheng should leave, "Take the items with you."

Chu Zheng stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then took the brocade handkerchief and the book of Martial Path Initial Understanding into his chest, bowed deeply, and then left at a leisurely pace.

......

......

The next morning at dawn, the sun was just rising.

The sun of advancing spring already held a hint of warmth.

At the city gate, five hundred Vermilion Bird Divine Guards were fully assembled.

In a prison cart, the Tongue-cutting Grandmaster was held captive, limp all over, without stirring.

Some citizens lined the roads to see them off, all beaming with joy, their faith in the Great Zhou Official Government somewhat restored.

As they reached the outskirts of the city, Li Mingzhou suddenly turned, looked towards Song Tonghai in the crowd, his smile fading away, his eyes turning ice cold, and spoke softly without making a sound,

"If there is a next time, I will surely kill you."

"Safe travels, Commandant."

Song Tonghai's expression didn't change as he bowed deeply,

"Thank you, Lord Li."