That morning, Xu Yifan noticed his master’s expression looked subtly off, almost as if he were gloating over someone else’s misfortune. When they took a break after finishing sword practice, he asked, “Master, what’s up with you today?”
The Sixth Elder immediately broke into a grin, as if he’d been waiting for this exact question for ages. Even though they were up on his own peak, with restrictive wards set outside, no one but the two of them and the Seventh Elder could get in, the Sixth Elder still leaned in close to Xu Yifan, dropping his voice extremely low and covering his mouth with one hand.
“Let me tell you, the day before yesterday Ma Xiang discovered his secret chamber had been cleaned out completely. You have no idea how furious he got, coughed up blood on the spot, nearly went into a cultivation deviation right then and there. These past few days he’s been investigating nonstop, even went to the Sect Master and had her activate the mountain-protection grand array, only allowing entry, no exit. And yet he still hasn’t found anything out. Then last night, our sect’s Spirit Plant Garden got hit by another thief.”
The Beast-Taming Hall was Ma Xiang’s territory, but he also had a few spirit fields within the Spirit Plant Garden.
For the past half-month, Ma Xiang had been like a mad dog, snapping at the Sixth Elder and Seventh Elder every chance he got. Now that misfortune had struck him, the Sixth Elder was over the moon.
“???”
Xu Yifan’s heart skipped a beat, a bad feeling creeping over him.
“No idea who’s got that kind of nerve,” the Sixth Elder continued. “That old bastard Ma and your Eldest Uncle-Master have had disciples guarding the Spirit Plant Garden day and night, and your Eldest Uncle-Master even had your Third Uncle-Master set up several array formations at the entrance, even I’d have trouble getting in there. And yet this thief just waltzed in and out as he pleased.”
“…” Xu Yifan’s expression turned distinctly unpleasant. He swept his gaze around the cave dwelling and didn’t see that unlucky thing anywhere. His throat suddenly went dry. “…What all did they steal?”
“Plenty,” the Sixth Elder shrugged, not noticing Xu Yifan’s face suddenly turning grim, and continued cheerfully, “I heard from Old Seven that most of the third- and fourth-grade spirit plants with some age to them in the Spirit Plant Garden got stolen. The first- and second-grade ones the thief apparently didn’t even bother with, not a single one taken. But every spirit herb on those spirit fields belonging to Ma Xiang got completely wiped out, not even a weed left for him. You should’ve seen it—Ma Xiang’s face these past few days… Hey, what’s wrong with you? Why’s your face gone so pale?”
Xu Yifan wiped away a cold sweat and said, “It’s nothing.”
The Sixth Elder grinned at him. “Your Eldest Uncle-Master’s expression these past few days matches yours right now, like he’d lost his cultivation partner, so miserable, hahaha.”
Xu Yifan felt an overwhelming urge to smack him, the Sixth Elder’s gloating expression was making him unbearably conspicuous with worry. “Do you have a grudge against that Eldest Uncle-Master?”
“Yeah!” the Sixth Elder nodded, honest about it. “Although not really a grudge exactly, he’s always looked down on me. Whenever I went to buy pills from him, he’d sell me the lowest-grade stuff, and charge me an arm and a leg for it too, always saying I lacked ambition. So I don’t like him much, and now that misfortune’s struck him, I can’t help feeling a bit pleased.”
Cultivators depended on pills to aid their cultivation, and pill masters were scarce. The Grand Elder was a fourth-grade pill master, not just within the sect, but across the entire Southern Region, he was someone everyone respected and treated as an honored guest wherever he went.
The Sixth Elder, on the other hand, was a one-trick pony, swordsmanship was all he had, nothing else, so it was inevitable he’d be looked down on by others. In ordinary times, the Grand Elder always liked to shake his head at the sight of the Sixth Elder, calling him unambitious. Now that the man’s precious spirit herbs, things he valued as much as his own life, had been stolen, how could the Sixth Elder not be pleased?
Xu Yifan wanted to hit him.
Back at the cave dwelling, Xu Yifan reached out through the contract to contact the demonic plant, telling it to come back right away. But no matter how long he waited, all the way until nightfall, the demonic plant still hadn’t returned.
It had gone off having a wild time for a few days, clearly its heart had run wild.
Looked like it couldn’t escape a beating this time.
Xu Yifan slapped on a concealment talisman, swallowed a breath-suppressing pill, and slipped out of the cave dwelling, flying toward the Spirit Plant Garden.
The Grand Elder, as a pill master, treasured his spirit plants dearly. These past few days he’d personally led disciples in staying up all night guarding the third-grade spirit plant fields, though the first- and second-grade spirit plant fields hadn’t been targeted, disciples had still been posted to guard them as well.
Xian Qinglin was on watch with several other outer disciples at a first-grade spirit plant field. When the shift change came around midnight, the disciple scheduled to relieve him suddenly sent word that something urgent had come up and he couldn’t make it, asking Xian Qinglin to cover for him, offering three spirit stones as payment.
Xian Qinglin, having finished refining those three chests of spirit stones, had now reached peak Qi Refining eighth layer, just one step away from ninth layer. He was in dire need of spirit stones at the moment and, without thinking too much of it, agreed right away.
Since the thief had only targeted the third- and fourth-grade spirit fields, this seemed like a low-risk assignment, just standing watch for one night. Who could have known that in the second half of the night, something happened at the first-grade spirit field.
Someone had triggered the protective array around the spirit field.
The outer disciples immediately snapped to alert. “The thief’s here, over in the East District, let’s hurry over—”
“Wait, no, the protective array in the South District’s been disturbed too.”
“What’s going on? Could there be two thieves?”
“Should we notify the Grand Elder?”
Anyone who could freely enter and exit the third- and fourth-grade spirit plant fields surely had no low cultivation, at minimum Golden Core stage or above. This was well beyond something these lowly outer disciples could handle.
“I’ve already sent word to the Grand Elder through voice transmission. He told us to go guard the area first.”
“Alright, I’ll go check the South District with you. Qinglin, you go with Li Xiaodong to the East District. Zhao Huan and Zhou Mo stay here on watch.”
“Understood.”
On the way, Xian Qinglin had an instinctive feeling something was off, though he couldn’t quite place it, not until they reached the location and he saw three inner disciples standing outside the protective array. Only then did Xian Qinglin realize he’d been set up.
Outer disciples like them received no favor at all, they normally couldn’t even enter the inner sect’s library. How could that disciple possibly have sent word directly to the Grand Elder?
Something was wrong here.
He turned to flee by sword, but the three inner disciples suddenly surrounded him.
“You’re Xian Qinglin?” one of the inner disciples asked.
All three of the men were at early Foundation Establishment. Although it was only a single tier of difference, the gap between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment was nothing to compare lightly, in truth, even a single tier could mean a world of difference. Xian Qinglin didn’t dare act rashly.
“Yes. And you are, Senior Martial Brother?”
“You don’t need to know who I am,” the man said, drawing the sword at his waist and slowly stepping forward. Getting a clear look at Xian Qinglin’s face, a flash of surprise passed swiftly through his eyes. “Truly a face devastating enough to bring down kingdoms and ruin nations [1]禍國殃民, a phrase traditionally applied to beauties said to be so captivating they lead rulers to neglect their duties and bring ruin upon the state jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3015883_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3015883_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. No wonder it drove the young master to lose his mind and even throw away his life over it. Such a pity, really.”
Xian Qinglin’s hand at his side slowly curled into a fist. Even as he thought through his options, he took a few steps back. “What do you mean by this, Senior Martial Brother?”
“You’ve offended someone you shouldn’t have.” The man saw that Xian Qinglin wanted to flee, yet made no move to stop him. “Be obedient, and at least you can die a quicker death.”
“Why waste words with him,” one of the other disciples said impatiently. “Just finish him off already.”
Every tier of cultivation was separated by an enormous gulf. They seemed to have already decided Xian Qinglin, being only at Qi Refining, was as good as dead, speaking without the slightest restraint.
“No idea what the Hall Master was thinking, sending the three of us after a mere Qi Refining eighth layer.”
“Alright, alright, let’s just hurry up and—”
While the group was busy grumbling among themselves, Xian Qinglin seized the moment and abruptly channeled all his spiritual energy, flying off to his left.
“He’s still trying to run!” The group immediately gave chase.
Xian Qinglin gripped his sword tightly. Xianhao Sect forbade disciples from killing one another within the sect, far off to the left was the third-grade Spirit Plant Garden, where the Grand Elder was stationed. If he could just make it over there…
He could think of it, and of course those disciples had thought of it too.
A fierce, powerful sword energy came slashing from behind with the force of thunder. Xian Qinglin tried to twist aside to dodge, but it was already too late, his arm was slashed open in an instant, blood pouring out immediately.
Li Xiaodong caught up along with the other three, surrounding Xian Qinglin.
“Xiao Lin, don’t even think about running. You can’t escape. Just surrender yourself.”
His arm was badly wounded, blood still flowing out nonstop. Xian Qinglin clutched his arm, a thin sheen of sweat breaking out from the pain. He looked at Li Xiaodong and asked, “I’ve always treated you well. Why would you betray me?”
As if hearing some amusing joke, Li Xiaodong stared blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing. “You’ve treated me well? Sure, you’ve been good to me. But so what? Does you being good to me turn me into an inner disciple? Does it mean I no longer have to look at people’s faces for approval?”
“Hall Master Ma said, as long as I kill you, I can go join him.” Li Xiaodong raised his sword, pointing it at Xian Qinglin. “Qinglin, don’t blame me. If you want to blame someone, blame—”
“Enough talk.”
An inner disciple gathered a ball of purple spiritual energy in his palm and hurled it at Xian Qinglin, the others attacked him simultaneously as well. Xian Qinglin drew his sword to try to block, but his cultivation wasn’t enough, the moment his sword made contact with the energy ball, it shattered into pieces, and the remaining energy sent him flying backward violently.
Seeing this, one disciple struck him with a palm strike, sending him crashing right back to where he’d started. Xian Qinglin took two hits in the span of a single instant, and having no protective talismans or magic tools on him, within a mere dozen or so exchanges he was struck down out of the air by a burst of sword energy, slamming hard into the ground.
Dust and dirt exploded outward.
“Cough, cough…”
The group struck to kill, every blow vicious and lethal.
Xian Qinglin’s body was covered in sword wounds, his white sect robes tattered and shredded, more than half of them stained red with blood, which kept pouring out from beneath him, pooling into a small puddle before long.
That last sword strike had felt as if it had shattered every organ in his body, he could clearly feel the warmth draining from his body bit by bit.
Li Xiaodong and the others walked toward him unhurriedly. He wanted to get up, but no matter how hard he strained, he couldn’t move at all. He struggled a few times, and in the end could only lie helplessly face-down in the mud, vomiting blood without pause.
This spot was remote, ordinarily no one would come by.
Xian Qinglin swallowed the blood pooling in his throat, a metallic taste filling his mouth.
Li Xiaodong walked over, stepped on his back with one foot, and laid the blade of his sword flat against his neck, the cold touch of the metal shockingly clear.
“Qinglin, don’t blame me. I’ve been stuck as an outer disciple for far too long. My aptitude isn’t good, and without a shortcut, I’d spend my whole life at the mercy of others. Elder Ma promised me, if I kill you, I’ll be an inner disciple from now on.”
His body ached to the point of near numbness, and as the cold blade slowly cut into his neck, he felt no pain at all, only a needle-like prickling. Xian Qinglin wanted to turn his head to see what expression Li Xiaodong wore right now, but he couldn’t even manage that small motion.
Unable to move at all, his fingers twitching faintly, Xian Qinglin closed his eyes in helplessness.
“Ooh, quite the lively scene here!” A careless, devil-may-care voice suddenly came from overhead, without any warning.
That wasn’t Li Xiaodong’s voice. That was…
Xian Qinglin’s eyes flew open.
Li Xiaodong and the others were scared half to death by this sudden voice, looking all around, but not a single figure was in sight.
“Who’s there?”
“Your daddy!” [2]a common crude taunt, roughly “it’s your father speaking,” used to belittle an opponent jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3015883_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3015883_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
“…”
The moment the words landed, Li Xiaodong was knocked aside by some invisible force. He’d only just staggered to try to steady himself when something he saw made his eyes widen sharply, hovering in midair, out of nowhere, was a figure sitting cross-legged in meditation, and that figure was now hurtling toward him at tremendous speed.
Li Xiaodong’s entire body froze as if pinned in place. “What the, ah!”
The other inner disciples nearby were stunned senseless by this sudden appearance, only snapping back to their senses at the sound of Li Xiaodong’s agonized scream.
Li Xiaodong lay face-down in the dirt, pinned beneath that figure’s rear end, not moving at all.
“Li Xiaodong?” someone called out.
Li Xiaodong didn’t answer.
That person’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
Li Xiaodong… had been crushed to death.
References[+]