Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 146: Sending Off Song Geying

With Grandpa Jin’s guidance and extra range of vision, Anji navigated her way to the observatory tower, where the research assistant who pulled her hair was taken.

Sceptical that she could see into a high-security building with many wards, spells and no stairs, Anji braced herself for impact. Although rare, there were instances when Anji was blocked from entering a particular place or seeing past what her ordinary sight would see. Grandpa Jin described those as natural barriers. When a person with a will stronger than Anji’s exist, they will naturally repel anyone who tries to pry into them. One such person Anji knew was her father. Although she could normally see her father using extended vision, there were times when Zhao Mingfeng could not be reached. Most of these instances happened in the deep cultivation chambers.

Expecting the same barrier to exist at the observatory tower, Anji slowed down and cautiously entered the territory, phasing through the spell-covered wall. However, when nothing stopped her from entering, she glanced back at the golden dragon in surprise.

Raising a brow, the golden dragon’s whisker twitched with amusement.

"If you thought a few nerdy researchers could compare to the will of the seven heroes in the alliance, you still need to explore more of the world. Of all the heroes, your father has the strongest will I’ve ever seen in a human. He’s rather rare, and the other person who comes close to his level of will is your sabre uncle."

Sabre uncle? Oh, he was referring to Bai Dajin. Belatedly realising how different the people she knew were from others, Anji wondered how she should adjust the scale. Before that, she had always used the people she knew as a measuring scale. However, the gap between these people and ordinary cultivators was too wide to begin with. Even Anji could not be measured ordinarily. Her shifu told her that while her cultivation speed was slower, her enlightenment level was much higher than that of most people in the Mystical Qilin Sect. In the beginning, Anji had no idea if the majority of the people were referring to the farmers who lived outside the cultivation school. However, after meeting people like Researcher Yang and Pearl, Anji began to understand why her shifu made that claim.

As if reading Anji’s thoughts, Grandpa Jin pointed at the door with his claw.

"Those are merely spells to ward off the physical person. The only ward that might pose any threat to you would be the barrier encompassing the entire Mystical Qilin Mountain. These spells were created by half-baked nerds who do not have enough insights. However, the first and final line of defence of this crazy place was created by the founder, a sage. Despite saying that, it is not a difficult seal to bypass. Think of that as your final test. If you can understand the final seal’s formula, you will be able to extend your vision all the way back to the Celestial Dragon Sect from here."

It was not a lie. However, there were many conditions before Anji could accomplish that. The golden dragon wondered if this would inspire Anji to work harder in her soul cultivation. As it was, Anji focused more on her golden core cultivation and knowledge of spells. Her martial arts and soul cultivation progress were lacking in comparison.

Hearing how she would be able to travel back to see the people she missed back at home, Anji stared at Grandpa Jin for a long time.

"Would it take me days to travel back?" she finally asked, wanting to know the catch. Nothing the golden dragon said could be trusted fully. After knowing her guardian spirit for a while, Anji knew better than to trust everything he said. While Grandpa Jin never lied to her, he always spoke in half-truths and never the whole thing.

Twirling his whisker, the golden dragon blinked lazily. Anji was getting smarter with time. In the past, she would simply take his word for it. Now, she would question the unseen angles to figure out the whole truth. Although she was still pure and innocent, she was no longer naive. It was a good change.

"It would depend on you," he answered honestly. "A good mastery of your extended vision can allow you to see several hundred places in one moment. A terrible practitioner won’t be able to see anything past five steps. However, the master can see past any barrier, including the one that divides life and death. Your entrance to the divine realm where you found me was an accident. If you had accidentally fallen to a different place, you could have become lost forever and fallen into an eternal coma."

Remembering how she attempted to ’cultivate’ when she found Grandpa Jin, Anji shuddered. She never knew what she did was dangerous. No wonder everyone was so shocked when she did not wake up on time. There was a reason why so many people who attempted to learn cultivation without a proper guide or teacher often ruined themselves.

Seeing that his chosen contractor now understood the risks and dangers, the golden dragon redirected her attention away from the gloom.

"Don’t you want to know what is happening inside? Song Geying and a few of the sect council members are inside. If I remember, both assistants were told to pack their belongings and leave the lab immediately. Researcher Yang punished them harshly before dismissing them."

Unsure how the kind Researcher Yang would punish them, Anji wondered if they would be demoted. Slightly curious about the punishment, Anji phased through the door with the golden dragon behind her.

"... and you will no longer be allowed to remain in the Mystical Qilin Sect. From this day forth, you have no right to refer to yourself as a student of the Mystical Qilin Sect. You may keep all your research, but all your access will be revoked. Do you have any last words, Song Geying?"

Expulsion?! Anji could hardly believe what was happening. Was the bullying incident enough to warrant an expulsion? What about the other research assistant?

As the discipline committee read out the long list of offences Song Geying had committed since she was still an apprentice, Anji finally realised this was not just about the bullying incident. Song Geying was a long-time offender who had repeatedly gotten off with consequences. Even when she faced disciplinary actions in the past, she never showed any remorse or signs of change. Such a person cannot be taught, much less saved. Anji finally understood what Doctor He meant when he had to let some patients seek the death they sought.

For an hour, Anji and Grandpa Jin watched as the council read out Song Geying’s crimes. Throughout it, the woman remained stone-faced. It was as if she was merely listening to a boring lecture. There was not a single trace of regret or intention to repent.

"Is there anything you want to say before you leave this sect forever?"

For a while, Anji thought Song Geying would remain arrogantly unremorseful. However, when the woman bowed and thanked them for the years of educating her in the sect, Anji wondered if there was still a trace of hope in her. Yet, the next thing she said after thanking them chilled Anji to her bones.

"You might want to be careful with the barrier the sect’s founder created. Unlike everyone else obsessed with improving the quality of mundane life with spells, I specialise in the occult. Unfortunately, Researcher Yang is the only person who has researched barrier spells. I would not have chosen him if others were doing this research. You can choose not to believe me, but there is a way to create a rift in any barrier. Beware, no barrier is truly impenetrable. I might come back."

The warning and threat were Song Geying’s final nail in her coffin. Yet, while she was getting cussed at and dragged out, the smirk on her face never disappeared.

Anji followed Song Geying as far as her extended vision could. When the bully finally disappeared, Anji retracted her extended vision and met Grandpa Jin back at her dreamscape.

"Was what she said true? Is there really a way to create a rift in the founder’s barrier?"

Not wanting to lie to the girl and not wanting to scare her, the golden dragon chose his words carefully.

"You’d have to at least be at the level of a half-sage to do that," he informed Anji. "As it is, that woman might have the knowledge but not the skills for it."

Hearing how it was a slim possibility, Anji relaxed a little. However, this security flaw was a big matter that had to be looked into. She had to inform her shifu when she saw her again. Then again, Yan Ping was a meticulous person. Maybe she already knew about the sect’s barrier and its flaws.