Zhao Qiyue snapped impatiently, “Food? Cultivators don’t eat grains or consume mortal food. Have you all forgotten that?”
Zhao Xueyi respectfully replied, “That may be true, but at the time, Senior Brother had lost his cultivation. He was only at the Qi Refining Realm and still needed to eat ordinary food. Only those who reach the Foundation Establishment Realm can rely on Fasting Pills.”
Zhao Qiyue was momentarily stunned. She naturally understood these principles.
But what did that have to do with her?
Was a Master supposed to deliver food to her disciples every day?
What kind of nonsense was that?
Zhao Qiyue flared up. “What he eats has nothing to do with me. Was he incapable of climbing down the mountain to find food? Zhao Xueyi, what are you implying? Are you blaming me for not delivering food to him?”
Zhao Xueyi lowered her head. “This disciple wouldn’t dare.”
Zhao Qiyue snorted coldly and looked at the four disciples, clearly irritated. “Such a minor issue, and you come running to me. Which of you brought him food?”
None of them spoke.
Zhao Qiyue asked again, “None of you did?”
They all shook their heads.
Zhao Qiyue turned to Tang Bingtong. “Tang Bingtong, you’re the Fifth Junior Sister. I remember you brought him food once.”
Tang Bingtong answered respectfully, “Reporting to Master, I only brought food once. At the time, you told me to let Senior Brother cultivate on his own and not to disturb him, so I didn’t go again.”
Zhao Qiyue shouted in anger, “Fool! I told you not to disturb his cultivation—not to stop bringing him food! Are you saying I was abusive toward your Senior Brother?”
“I wouldn’t dare.” Tang Bingtong trembled with fear. Internally, she muttered that Master’s harshness toward Senior Brother had nothing to do with them.
Zhao Qiyue waved her hand. “Enough. I remember there were fruit trees on Misty Peak. Even if he didn’t eat grains, he could’ve eaten spiritual fruit and cultivated quickly.”
“That useless thing stayed in the Qi Refining Realm for ten years and couldn’t even reach Foundation Establishment. What a waste of my efforts.” Zhao Qiyue grew even more irritated just thinking about it.
Zhao Xueyi sighed. “Master, there are no fruit trees left on Misty Peak.”
“Absurd. I saw plenty of fruit trees there myself. They were behind the mountain. Do you think I didn’t know? I even scolded him back then for planting trees instead of cultivating.”
“They were dug up by Third Junior Sister. Nothing is left.”
Zhao Qiyue stared at Ning Ningyun.
Ning Ningyun lowered her head, not daring to meet her eyes.
Zhao Qiyue nodded coldly. “If they were dug up, fine. It’ll help him focus on cultivating.”
“Then who brought him food?” Zhao Xueyi asked.
Zhao Qiyue grew extremely impatient. “How should I know? He stayed on Misty Peak for ten years. If no one brought him food, he’d have starved to death.”
“I remember the one who managed the outer sect disciples was Li Yun, Elder Li.”
Disciples above the Foundation Establishment Realm all took Fasting Pills, but those below were all Qi Refining Realm disciples who lived at the foot of the mountain. Though not formally in the sect, there were cooks who prepared food for them—meals made from spiritual fruits and herbs to aid cultivation.
Once they reached Foundation Establishment Realm, they could be officially admitted into Qilin Holy Land.
The outer sect had tens of thousands of disciples.
Zhao Qiyue took out a talisman and contacted Li Yun. “Elder Li, come to the Qilin Sacred Hall immediately.”
Soon—
An Elder in his fifties flew in and knelt. “Outer Sect Elder Li Yun greets the Sect Master.”
“Rise.”
“Thank you, Sect Master.”
Elder Li was uneasy. Why had he suddenly been summoned? Had something gone wrong with the outer sect?
Was he going to be punished for negligence?
Zhao Qiyue asked, “Ten years ago, were you the one in charge of delivering food to Li Chen?”
Elder Li was confused. He cupped his fists and asked, “Forgive me, Sect Master. Which Li Chen are you referring to?”
“Fool! Of course, I mean Holy Son Li Chen!” Zhao Qiyue was furious.
Elder Li was even more confused. That was the Holy Son! He only managed outer sect disciples. When would he have ever delivered food to someone like the Holy Son?
He replied respectfully, “Reporting to Sect Master, I only oversee the meals of outer sect disciples. I was never responsible for delivering food to the Holy Son.”
Zhao Qiyue said, “Ten years ago, Li Chen’s cultivation fell to the Qi Refining Realm. You didn’t deliver food to him?”
Li Yun shook his head. “No, even though he was at the Qi Refining Realm, he lived on Misty Peak. As an outer sect elder, I wasn’t allowed to enter Misty Peak.”
Zhao Qiyue waved her hand, dismissing him. Elder Li let out a sigh of relief and quickly left.
Outside the Sacred Hall, Elder Li was still confused. The Holy Son was so high above, he had never even had the chance to meet him. Besides, would someone like the Holy Son even need to eat ordinary food?
Didn’t he live on Fasting Pills?
Suddenly, realization struck. The Holy Son’s cultivation had fallen—to the Qi Refining Realm. And he was living on Misty Peak.
Then who had brought him food?
No wonder the Holy Son had gone without eating for so long.
Elder Li looked toward Misty Peak—its peak hidden in the clouds.
Such a towering place. How had the Holy Son survived those ten years?
Elder Li sighed. If not for the Holy Son’s protection, Qilin Holy Land would have perished long ago.
But there was nothing he could do. As a mere outer sect elder with only Foundation Establishment cultivation, he didn’t even have the right to speak—let alone intervene.
…
Qilin Sacred Hall
Zhao Xueyi was filled with sorrow. A mortal, without even food… Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
How could he even think of cultivating?
How had Senior Brother survived with no food?
No wonder he left Qilin Holy Land. It really wasn’t his fault…
Zhao Qiyue impatiently waved her hand. “Enough. Don’t bother me with these trivial matters again. What does food have to do with anything? He lived just fine, didn’t he? He survived ten years.”
“Misty Peak is huge. Couldn’t he have found food himself? Why should others feed him?”
“Zhao Xueyi, go to the Myriad Demons Sect and tell him: now that he has resumed cultivation, if he obeys me, I will take him back.”
“A righteous man shouldn’t join a demonic sect. Is Qilin Holy Land inferior to a demonic sect? Ridiculous.”
“If he sincerely repents and kneels before me, I’ll give him everything he wants—including the position of Holy Son.”
“I’ll be entering closed-door cultivation soon. Unless it’s important, do not disturb me.”
With that, Zhao Qiyue vanished in a flash of light.
The Junior Sisters looked at one another and breathed a collective sigh of relief.
But doubt lingered in their hearts.
If no one had brought Li Chen food, how had he survived those ten years?
Perhaps he had been prepared all along.
Zhao Xueyi looked at Third Junior Sister Ning Ningyun, her gaze firm. “Third Junior Sister, you’re coming with me to the Myriad Demons Sect. We must seek Senior Brother’s forgiveness and bring him back. He can’t remain in that demonic sect.”
“People in the demonic path are deceitful and sinister. If he stays there, Senior Brother will eventually turn evil.”
“We can’t let him walk that path.”
Ning Ningyun refused. She didn’t want to go.
What did his cultivation recovery have to do with her?
So he joined the demonic sect—fine.
Now they wanted to bring him back?
Ning Ningyun scowled. “I’m not going. Back when we moved the fruit trees, he agreed. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have touched them.”
Zhao Xueyi’s voice turned cold. “Say that again.”
Ning Ningyun was scared stiff. Seeing Zhao Xueyi’s icy glare, she trembled. “S-Senior Sister, why don’t you go alone?”
Zhao Xueyi looked at her and spoke patiently, “Have you all forgotten how Senior Brother treated you? And how you treated him in return? Without his forgiveness, do you really think he’ll come back?”
Suddenly, Zhao Xueyi’s expression turned grim. “Come with me immediately—or don’t blame me for being merciless.”