After I Became a Divine Monarch, the Sect Wants Me to Marry In

Now that Ren Shan's situation had passed, Gu An finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, he had to keep watch in case anything unexpected happened.

Seven days later.

Early April.

Everything had remained peaceful.

Especially today, since it was resource distribution day.

This time was different, though, because he displayed the cultivation of the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

Fewer people would come to "borrow" Spirit Stones from him now.

The numbers hadn't changed much in just seven days.

If he wanted to advance, he had to wait until the end of the month.

If his luck was bad, even until early May.

Of course, if he could keep logging, maybe he'd be able to try for advancement around mid-month.

But the Sect didn't allow nonstop logging, at least not in the Qingyang Wood Area.

Today, after picking up his resources, Gu An went straight home.

He looked at the Big Eye Fish by the pond.

It was still lazily flipping its belly up toward the surface.

*That meant no one came here at all.*

Chu Meng's arrival had made him notice the Big Eye Fish's use.

Whenever a stranger showed up, it would hide away.

Whatever else it could do was still a mystery.

What it liked to eat was the Gang Qi from Qi Sea Sky Gang.

And the second volume of Qi Sea Sky Gang had to be exchanged for at the Merit Hall.

Gu An had inquired about it—it wasn't any cheaper than a Foundation Establishment Technique.

Gu An calculated how long it would take to trade for it.

Then the Ring of Destiny suddenly responded.

Without daring to hesitate, he immediately checked it.

[Yesterday at noon, Qing Chenxi received a mission. She learned she needed to wait for the others at the old temple outside the city at midnight tonight. Once everyone arrived, they'd set out together. She'd been laying plans for this mission for a long time, and if she succeeded, she would return with Foundation Establishment cultivation.

For safety, she ordered her trusted subordinate to keep an eye on you—not because she wanted you dead immediately, but so she could bring you in herself after her return to interrogate you about Ren Shan's matter.

She'd also use it to avenge her two followers. No matter how they died, she planned to lay all the blame at your feet.

Someone had to take the fall when people died—your death would be the explanation to everyone else.]

Reading the contents of the Ring of Destiny, Gu An was a little surprised.

Qing Chenxi was about to reach Foundation Establishment.

And as soon as she did, she'd come for him.

*He'd known she was watching him, but hadn't expected her to move so directly.*

*Wasn't she afraid of being noticed by people from the Law Enforcement Hall?*

*She definitely had someone backing her.*

*That made her less scrupulous about her actions, especially since he was just an old guy in his forties.*

*His cultivation wasn't impressive, and he was getting older—not many people would help him.*

*If he died, the Sect might not even notice for a while.*

*Just like Ren Shan's disappearance.*

*Only those paying attention to her would notice she was gone.*

*Other people had no clue when someone went missing from the Sect.*

*Even if there were strict types in the Law Enforcement Hall, someone first needed to know what was happening.*

Gu An calmed himself down.

*No matter what, he had to stay composed above all else.*

After thinking for a moment, he realized he still had some time left.

If he could also advance to Foundation Establishment before she returned,

then the danger would be gone.

Except, advancing would take at least two or three months—if he had the right technique.

If he didn't, who knew how long it would be postponed?

*So how long would it take for Qing Chenxi to finish her mission?*

*Would it be a few months?*

*Gu An didn't know, but could he bet on it?*

*Foundation Establishment was nowhere in sight—if she returned within a month, there was no way he'd make it in time.*

So there was only one other way out.

A cold, ruthless light filled Gu An's eyes, "Ambush and kill her."

He had thought he was moving fast these days, only to realize the other side was just as quick.

He originally planned to wait until reaching the Ninth Level of Qi Refining to act, but he couldn't wait any longer.

With Eighth Layer Qi Refining plus Qi Sea Sky Gang and Mountain Opening Fist, even if he couldn't kill her, he could at least wound her and disrupt her plans.

As long as Qing Chenxi didn't become Foundation Establishment in the next few months, he'd have a shot.

He took a deep breath.

Gu An began calculating his odds.

With the Perfect Mountain Opening Fist empowered by Qi Sea Sky Gang, he could definitely injure her.

He just couldn't be sure by how much.

And a Defense Talisman could block one or two attacks.

Thinking so, he took out a small shield.

This shield was from Ren Shan—maybe it could also block an attack.

He had already refined the shield earlier, so it did have some defensive power, just not much.

Still, it was better than nothing.

Then he checked his Elixir Pills.

Nothing very useful—he'd go try buying some poison.

Gu An wasted no time and headed for the workshop.

Since Qing Chenxi was to wait for others at the destination at midnight, he needed to get there as soon as possible too.

If the others arrived first, he'd have to figure out how to ambush Qing Chenxi on the road.

He wandered the workshop for a while and found that the poison wasn't very effective—it needed time to work.

Especially against a cultivator in the Ninth Level of Qi Refining.

But Gu An still spent some Spirit Stones buying poison.

He bought some more Defense Talismans, too.

This was not the time to worry about saving Spirit Stones.

After spending quite a lot of Spirit Stones,

Gu An finally left the workshop and left the Sect behind.

He had already asked around when buying—there was only one old temple outside the city.

It had been abandoned for a while, supposedly because the original was relocated.

When Gu An arrived, he found it was a pretty big place. Standing on the roof, he looked around and saw no one.

Then he found a high spot to hide and wait for Qing Chenxi.

If she arrived before the others, he'd have the advantage.

If not, he'd have to come up with another plan.

Night gradually fell, and Gu An sat cross-legged, making sure he was in peak status.

The bright moon hung high in the sky.

As it neared midnight, Gu An heard something moving.

He turned his head and spotted two figures approaching the temple.

His heart instantly went cold halfway down.

*Two people...*

*There went his chance.*

As they drew near, hidden in the darkness, he saw it was Qing Chenxi and another young woman.

He didn't rush—just waited.

*Now was no time to make a move. He'd have to wait for his chance.*

"Senior Sister, about how long will you be gone?" Zheng Xiu asked.

"It could be as short as seven days, or as long as a month," Qing Chenxi said, entering the temple and lighting a fire.

"When are the other senior brothers and sisters getting here?" Zheng Xiu asked.

Qing Chenxi looked at her, saying seriously, "They just finished a mission, so they'll be a bit late coming over.

"For now, keep an eye on Gu An. If you get a chance, you can question him about Ren Shan yourself.

"But remember, don't do anything rash unless you're sure. Don't send anyone to mess with him, either—that'll only make him more cautious.

"If you back a dog into a corner, it might do something unpredictable."

"Don't worry, Senior Sister, I looked into this Gu An specifically—he's just some nobody from the backwoods. No background, and not much ability.

He only joined the Sect in his forties.

Guys like that would wag their tails like dogs if they met us outside," Zheng Xiu said with a laugh.

"Don't underestimate him. Joining the Sect in your forties isn't simple," Qing Chenxi replied,

"but he doesn't take sides. How can you stay on the sidelines in the Sect?

"Does he really think he can rise up alone?

"When I get back, I'll watch him repent before he dies."

"You're so benevolent, Senior Sister," Zheng Xiu said admiringly with a laugh.

Qing Chenxi shook her head, saying, "You go back now. Nothing can go wrong during this time."

"Alright, then I'll leave you to it." With that, Zheng Xiu turned and left.

Some time after Zheng Xiu had gone, Qing Chenxi suddenly heard something.

Suddenly, sword light flashed ahead of her.

"Who's there?" she shouted angrily, releasing Ninth Level of Qi Refining aura.