The next day, as dawn broke, Chen Qing stepped onto the Transmission Square of the Cyan Wood Institute.

Disciples were gathered in small clusters, whispering amongst themselves. The atmosphere was a little different than usual, tinged with a restless energy.

The chatter only subsided when they saw Chen Qing arrive. The disciples hurried to bow and greet him.

"Chief Disciple!"

"Good morning, Chief Disciple!"

Chen Qing’s gaze swept over the crowd before finally landing on Yu Bao’er, who was jogging toward him.

Her face was slightly flushed, and she wore an indignant expression.

"What is everyone discussing?" Chen Qing asked, his tone level.

Yu Bao’er immediately leaned in and lowered her voice. "Chief Disciple, a lot of the disciples are secretly ranking the Chief Disciples of the Five Institutes!"

"Oh? And what’s the ranking?"

Chen Qing continued walking toward his usual spot, and Yu Bao’er scurried to keep pace.

"How else would they rank them?"

Yu Bao’er pouted and said indignantly, "Some people are ranking Yan Yaoyang of the Geng Metal Institute first, Nie Shanshan of the Gui Water Institute second, and then... then they put you third! Li Lei of the Kun Earth Institute is fourth, and Li Wang of the Li Fire Institute is fifth."

She paused for a moment, her voice thick with righteous anger on his behalf. "That’s just ridiculous! You’ve only been Chief Disciple for a short time! And you haven’t even properly fought that Yan Yaoyang, so how can they just decide you’re third? I think your strength is..."

Chen Qing raised a hand, gently cutting off her indignant rant. His expression was unreadable. "It’s a meaningless title. Don’t worry about it. It’s just idle gossip among the disciples. Let them talk."

When Yu Bao’er saw how unfazed he was, she leaned in even closer, almost whispering in his ear. "Chief Disciple, I’ve noticed... Xu Danyan has been getting pretty close with the Geng Metal Institute disciples lately. They’ve gone drinking together several times."

"And Xu Qi, too. He’s always running off to the other institutes... Should I... should I keep an eye on them for you? I guarantee I’ll watch their every move!"

She puffed out her chest, looking utterly loyal and ready to receive her orders.

Chen Qing stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Yu Bao’er.

"How has your cultivation been lately?"

"Huh?"

Yu Bao’er’s expression instantly fell. She avoided his gaze. "It’s... it’s fine, I guess. You know... the usual."

Chen Qing said coolly, "You should focus more on your cultivation. In the Sect, strength is the only thing that truly matters. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come and ask me."

He gave Yu Bao’er a pointed look. "Go on. Focus on your training, and don’t get distracted by pointless things."

Her thoughts exposed, Yu Bao’er’s face flushed crimson. "Yes... Yes, you’re right, Chief Disciple. I’ll get back to training right away!"

With that, she didn’t dare say another word and quickly scurried away.

Chen Qing watched her retreating back and shook his head.

’Yu Bao’er has decent aptitude, a good family background, and no shortage of resources. But in the end, her temperament is too flighty. Indulging in this sort of gossip and "networking" will only harm her cultivation, not help it.’

「Meanwhile.」

Yu Bao’er put on a show of getting into a training stance, but her mind was already a million miles away.

’What the Chief Disciple just said... it was a hint! It was definitely a hint!’

Yu Bao’er told herself with conviction, her little fists clenching subconsciously. ’On the surface, he told me to focus on my training and not get distracted, but that look in his eyes... that tone! It clearly had a hidden meaning!’

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became.

’Who is the Chief Disciple?’

’He’s the Chief Disciple of the Cyan Wood Institute, the future pillar of the Wutai Sect!’

’How could a man like that possibly *only* care about his own cultivation?’

Chen Qing had only been on the Transmission Square for a short while when a disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall arrived with a summons, requesting his immediate presence at the Council Hall.

A thought crossed Chen Qing’s mind, and he made his way to the Law Enforcement Hall.

The atmosphere inside the hall was somber.

Elder Tang Song of the Law Enforcement Hall sat ramrod straight in the seat of honor. His face was stern, his gaze sharp.

Li Wang was already there, standing respectfully to one side. His brow was slightly furrowed, and he wore his customary solemn expression.

When Chen Qing entered, Elder Tang gave a slight nod and got straight to the point. "Chen Qing. Li Wang. I’ve summoned you both because there are two urgent matters that require your separate attention."

"Please instruct us, Elder," the two replied in unison.

"First,"

Elder Tang first turned his gaze to Li Wang. "An urgent report has come from the Captain of Lin Yang County. A band of vicious thugs has appeared near the county borders. Their methods are ruthless, and they’ve been plundering merchant caravans. Their leader is reportedly an expert at the Embracing Pill Force level. His True Qi is described as scorching and ferocious, and his attacks leave distinct burn marks... features that are remarkably similar to the Li Huo True Qi of our Li Fire Institute!"

At these words, Li Wang’s body instantly tensed, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

A suspected leak of a Core Heart Method was a major affair, enough to shake the entire Sect to its foundations!

Elder Tang continued, "The City Chief of Police has already led a team to investigate. However, as this involves one of our sect’s Core Heart Methods, the Law Enforcement Hall has decided to dispatch one of our own to assist. We must determine the origin of this leak—whether the Cultivation Technique was stolen or if we have a traitor in our midst. Li Wang, you are the Chief Disciple of the Li Fire Institute. This responsibility falls squarely on your shoulders. You are to depart for Lin Yang County at once. You must cooperate with the City Chief of Police, uncover the truth, and either capture or kill this fiend! If needed, you have authorization to command local resources and send word back to the Hall at any time."

Li Wang straightened his posture and replied in a heavy voice, "I accept my orders! I will not fail this mission!"

He knew full well the weight of this responsibility.

Elder Tang gave a slight nod, and his gaze shifted to Chen Qing. "Chen Qing, the second matter falls to you. Last night, the patriarch of the Ye Family—a minor family affiliated with our Wutai Sect’s Cyan Wood Institute—was murdered. The victim is Ye Zhenshan, and he was killed aboard the Moon Embracing Painting Boat in the western part of the city."

A perfectly calibrated expression of confusion appeared on Chen Qing’s face. "The Patriarch of the Ye Family? Murdered on a painting boat? Do we know if it was a revenge killing, or...?"

He frowned slightly, as if struggling to recall the Ye Family.

Elder Tang waved a dismissive hand, his tone much flatter now. "The scene was a mess. The painting boat was mostly destroyed by fire, and the body was charred beyond recognition. The killer was clean and efficient—clearly an expert. Since the Ye Family is one of our affiliates, their patriarch’s murder must be investigated. It’s a matter of principle and maintaining appearances. We need to give our other subordinate families an answer and show that the Wutai Sect doesn’t turn a blind eye to its own. Therefore, this matter is being handed to your Cyan Wood Institute for handling."