PCJ – Chapter 567 Seeking Refuge

“Mingjie, it wasn’t easy for you to finally get a chance to contribute to our Kunlun Sect. How did you manage to mess things up like this? How do you expect our Shushan disciples to look at our direct bloodline now? You were given the best resources—sure, your cultivation talent is mediocre, but now you can’t even handle a simple task? You’re disgracing our lineage!”

Liang Mingjie hadn’t even figured out what was going on before someone began mocking and scolding him right to his face.

“Seventh Brother, you can’t put all the blame on Eighteen. The cultivation world is in decline now—those small sects can’t survive and are turning into wealthy secular families. Isn’t that becoming more and more common? Nowadays, only the Three Great Holy Lands can maintain themselves. If you ask me, it doesn’t really matter whether these small sects participate in the Cultivator Symposium or not.”

Liang Mingjie wasn’t entirely without support—his cultivation aptitude might be lacking, but he wasn’t completely friendless.

“Mingjie, regardless, you’ll have to make another trip. Since you didn’t complete the mission the sect assigned to you, you’ll have to take responsibility. Go investigate who destroyed the Xiyun Sect. If they can’t attend, you should try inviting another sect.”

“Thank you, Brother Mingqing. I’ll get ready to set off right away,” Liang Mingjie replied helplessly.

After destroying the Xiyun Sect, Zhang Jiaohua resumed teaching as usual.

But only a few peaceful days had passed before Wei Yunlong called Zhang Jiaohua to his office.
“Jiaohua, the principal wants to see you about something. Please be respectful—speak carefully. Say what should be said, and don’t say what shouldn’t.”

Wei Yunlong seemed even more nervous than Zhang Jiaohua.

Zhang Jiaohua couldn’t help but chuckle, “Mr. Wei, how do I know what should or shouldn’t be said?”

Wei Yunlong frowned. It was indeed hard to define, so he just smiled and said, “Just stick to the facts about class matters. If Principal Li asks about anything, answer honestly—but avoid mentioning anything that puts the class in a bad light. Try to highlight the positives and downplay or avoid the negatives.”

But what Wei Yunlong didn’t know was that the principal wasn’t asking to see Zhang Jiaohua because of class or school issues. A government official had specifically requested to meet him.

That official was Wei Changxin, the district governor of Beihai District in Beijing. Although Beijing No. 4 High School was a top-ranked national school and Principal Li Kunda was prestigious, Wei Changxin’s visit prompted him to be extra cautious—after all, the school fell under Beihai District’s jurisdiction.

“Principal, I’ve brought Zhang Jiaohua,” Wei Yunlong said, leading the student into the office.

“Alright, Mr. Wei, you can get back to work,” Principal Li clearly didn’t want Wei Yunlong to learn too much.

“So you’re Zhang Jiaohua? I’ve heard of you for a long time. I understand you entered No. 4 High School with the top score in the city. If you keep up this performance, you’ll have your pick of universities nationwide,” Wei Changxin stood up enthusiastically.

“Zhang Jiaohua, this is District Governor Wei—he has something to discuss with you,” Principal Li explained.

“Principal Li, I’m here in a personal capacity today. It’s a private matter. Could I speak with Zhang Jiaohua alone?” Wei Changxin asked sincerely, not putting on any airs.

“Zhang Jiaohua, go ahead and talk with District Governor Wei. I have something to take care of, so I’ll leave you to it,” Li Kunda said with a smile.

“Thank you, Principal.” Wei Changxin politely saw Li out and closed the door.

“What does District Governor Wei want with me?” Zhang Jiaohua sensed a faint trace of spiritual energy from him and had a pretty good idea—it had to be something related to cultivation.

“I’m here today purely in a personal capacity, so please don’t call me that. In the cultivation world, I should address you as ‘Senior Zhang’ or even ‘Martial Uncle’ or ‘Ancestor.’ Our Wei family used to be a cultivation clan, but our spiritual veins have dried up, and we’ve likely lost our future in the Dao. I’ve taken the path of politics, growing more distant from the immortal path,” Wei Changxin said with a sigh.

“So why are you here then?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“My father is Wei Chenguang. He attended the last Xiyun Market and learned about you then. You bought a large number of spiritual herbs from Zhu Wanze, the heir of the Medicine King Sect. My father deduced you must have spiritual roots—otherwise, why purchase so many seemingly useless herb seeds, and also a bunch of alchemy recipes and refining methods?” Wei Changxin paused.

“You were investigating me?” Zhang Jiaohua’s eyes narrowed, immediately alert, ready to strike if needed. He wasn’t about to go easy on someone just because they were a high-ranking official.

“Don’t misunderstand! It’s true that after my father returned, I looked into you—but not with ill intentions. We were just trying to find a way out for our family,” Wei Changxin explained quickly.

“A way out? What do you mean?” Zhang Jiaohua asked, puzzled.

“Our family’s current position stems from our background as a once-powerful cultivation clan. But now that our spiritual foundation is gone, our heritage is fading. Our future looks bleak. If we could join a major sect and rekindle our cultivation path, the Wei family might find a better future,” Wei Changxin made his intention very clear.

Zhang Jiaohua understood what he was implying but remained calm. “So what exactly are you suggesting?”

“My father has a favor to ask,” Wei Changxin said.

“What kind of favor?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“My father isn’t convenient to come to No. 4 High School. Would you be willing to visit our home to discuss the matter further?” Wei Changxin asked.

Zhang Jiaohua shook his head. “I live in Guluba Alley. You and your father can come find me there. You won’t have trouble finding it, will you?”

Since he had already investigated Zhang Jiaohua, Wei Changxin knew exactly where he lived. He smiled awkwardly, “Yes, I know the place. I’ll go inform my father right away.”

The meeting ended on a pleasant note. Wei Changxin was very satisfied. If the Wei family could obtain cultivation resources through Zhang Jiaohua, they could rise again. Even if it meant relying on Zhang Jiaohua from now on, it would be worth it—it was a layer of protection. After all, Zhang Jiaohua had destroyed the Xiyun Sect with a flick of his hand. That kind of power was not to be underestimated.