Chapter 1703: She Truly Wants to Stay Low-Key
Chapter 1703: Chapter 1703: She Truly Wants to Stay Low-Key
"Speak no more," he rose to lash out, for according to the temple’s law, anyone daring to cheat in the assessment was showing contempt for the temple, and would be executed on the spot, with their kin exiled to the desolate polar wastes, never to return. He definitely would not show Mu Hanyan any courtesy.
"Wait." Catching Wen Rongsong’s intention, Kang Qingyuan quickly tugged at his sleeve.
"What is it? Do you still intend to plead for her?" Wen Rongsong asked impatiently.
"How could I possibly plead for her," Kang Qingyuan shook his head, explaining, "I was merely speculating earlier, without any solid evidence. If Mu Yi’an really dared to do such a thing, she must have something to rely on, so how could she be easily caught? If we rashly accuse her without concrete evidence, wouldn’t that ruin our reputation?"
"You have a point," Wen Rongsong considered for a moment, and halted his steps.
"Then, are we just going to let her off like this?" Wen Rongsong was certain that Mu Hanyan was carrying a magic artifact and trying to bluff her way through, completely disregarding Feng City Temple and was naturally unwilling to let her go so easily.
"Let’s observe first. If she gives up, we’ll let her go for now. There will be opportunities to deal with her later. If she’s foolish enough to continue, then she’s courting death," Kang Qingyuan said with a cold smile.
His real target was Sunrise Peak. As long as he prevented the opponent from becoming a priest, his goal would be achieved. Avenging Kang Zihe was, of course, an easy task. But if Mu Hanyan truly took them for fools and acted recklessly, then she’d be running headlong into her own doom.
"Indeed." Wen Rongsong nodded. This was, indeed, the most prudent approach. As long as Mu Hanyan wasn’t given the chance to become a priest, dealing with a lowly name would be a trivial matter given their status and power.
"Who would have thought this array was also in such disrepair? Mu Hanyan, why don’t you just return for now? Or shall we activate another array for you to try?" Wen Rongsong suppressed his inner fury and forced a cordial smile toward Mu Hanyan.
"No way!" To everyone’s surprise, before Ye Yi’an could voice his objection, Sikong Qinglan spoke firmly.
It must be her; it must be her! Sikong Qinglan would never believe the nonsense about the array being in disrepair. With his preconceived notions, he never considered the possibility of Mu Hanyan carrying a magic artifact. An array breaking down due to disrepair was one thing, but how could two arrays be the same?
Unless the Mu Hanyan before him was the one he suspected, otherwise such a strange occurrence would be impossible. At that moment, Sikong Qinglan was almost certain of his assumption and would never let her take such a risk.
"Our Huayu Temple also has a Gathering Spirit Array. If Miss Mu wishes to become a priest, she can also take the assessment at our Huayu Temple," Sikong Qinglan added as everyone looked at him in astonishment.
"Well..." Ye Yi’an appeared hesitant.
Mu Hanyan only wished to learn the temple’s secret techniques and didn’t particularly care where to take the assessment. Hearing this made her somewhat tempted. After all, she had injured Kang Zihe and become enemies with the Kang family, and it was apparent that Wen Rongsong and Liang Gubai were aligned with Kang Qingyuan. Even if she became a priest at Feng City Temple, she would face constant setbacks. It might be better to switch temples, and Ye Yi’an hadn’t mentioned any prohibition against taking the priesthood assessment at other temples.
However, seeing the hesitation on Ye Yi’an’s face, Mu Hanyan refrained from making a rash decision. She decided to gauge his opinion first.
"Sikong Qinglan, what is the meaning of this!" Wen Rongsong said angrily, no longer bothering to address him as Lord Sikong, directly calling him by name.
"Lord Wen, I’m considering this for the sake of Feng City Temple. These Gathering Spirit Arrays are in disrepair, and any further mishaps would be undesirable," Sikong Qinglan replied mildly, unwilling to completely sever ties with them.
"The affairs of Feng City Temple do not concern you, Lord Sikong. If you have the time, worry about your Huayu Temple instead," Wen Rongsong retorted scornfully.
"If Lord Sikong insists on meddling in the affairs of Feng City Temple, we shall have to ask you to leave for the time being," Liang Gubai added bluntly, issuing a direct expulsion order.
Sikong Qinggang paused slightly. If he stayed, he could intervene if anything happened to Mu Hanyan. If he were expelled from Feng City Temple, he wouldn’t even have the chance to act.
Reluctantly, Sikong Qinglan turned his attention to Mu Hanyan, secretly signaling with his eyes.
Mu Hanyan, of course, understood his good intentions. Still, seeing Ye Yi’an’s hesitation and inner turmoil, she could not agree to become a priest at Huayu Temple.
"Thank you, Lord Wen. Let me try once more," Mu Hanyan said.
She understood what troubled Ye Yi’an. He evidently didn’t have much regard for Huayu Temple, yet worried about potential mishaps if she continued.
Enough, I’ll just pass the assessment honestly this time and avoid delving into any arrays. Mu Hanyan resolved internally, feeling a pang of guilt for continually worrying the elder.
Besides, having just arrived on the Divine Continent, keeping a low profile might be wiser.
But she often forgot that whenever she wanted to keep a low profile, it never worked out—she ended up being even more conspicuous...