Chapter 169: Merciless is the Path to Immortality

Sect Master Huanglong’s face was still pleasant and amiable, showing no sign of any lingering resentment from their last unpleasant parting. “Xu Yu, sit.”

After giving her thanks, Xu Yu sat down naturally. She was well aware of the Sect Master’s intentions in summoning her. On the way here, she had already made a secret resolution: on any matter involving Brother Haoxuan’s interests or safety, she would never yield, even if he threatened her with her own life.

“Your progress these last ten days has been very fast. It has greatly surprised this seat,” Huanglong began with praise. “A new leaf every two days, five leaves in ten days. Such a speed and frequency is a rarity not just in our Taichu Sect, but in the entire cultivation world.”

Faced with his praise, Xu Yu just smiled faintly and said nothing.

Seeing her like this, Huanglong knew that she had become wary of him. For him, the Sect Master, to engage in pleasantries with a junior disciple would be a loss of face if word got out. So, he changed the subject and got straight to the point. “You are the most peculiar disciple this seat has ever seen, to be able to refine a Qi-Circulating Pill that is a hundred times more effective than an ordinary one. Such aptitude, comprehension, and fortune are unprecedented in the Taichu Sect. However, cultivation is not something that can be achieved by one person alone. This seat hopes that you can release your recipe so that more people can benefit. If the overall strength of the sect increases, you too will be able to obtain more cultivation resources.”

Huanglong directly appealed to her sense of benefit, but seeing that she was still unmoved, he said, “This seat also knows that this recipe is your great secret. But as long as you are willing to release it, you may ask for any reward you desire.”

“Kill Zhang Kuang,” Xu Yu blurted out almost without thinking. “As long as the Sect Master agrees to personally kill Zhang Kuang, I will reveal the recipes for both the pill and the powder.”

The Sect Master’s face instantly turned incredibly ugly. He never thought that the seemingly gentle Xu Yu would make such a savage request. Even if she wanted to eliminate an ordinary disciple, such a thing would be impossible, let alone an Unsurpassed Purple Seed like Zhang Kuang. Besides, his original intention for wanting the pill was to give it to Zhang Kuang. If he killed him, what would be the point of the recipe? For decoration?

“Do not speak such words again!” Huanglong’s face was stern, his voice tinged with anger. “Have you forgotten the rules of the Taichu Sect? Harming a fellow disciple? Even for a Purple Seed, this seat would not forgive you! You can go and ask Zhang Kuang. After he spoke those words that day, do you think I merely locked him up for a few days? Did I not personally teach him a lesson?”

Xu Yu lowered her head and fell silent. She had heard that after Zhang Kuang had threatened to kill Qin Haoxuan in front of the Sect Master, he had not only been locked up for many days but had also been given a proper beating.

With Xu Yu refusing to budge, Huanglong was helpless. He sighed softly. The thought of forcibly detaining and interrogating her had crossed his mind, but Xu Yu was already the unofficial disciple of the Hundred Flowers Hall. If he were to do so, the hall would surely raise a protest. As the Sect Master, although he greatly favored Zhang Kuang, he did not want to cause a rift between the four great halls and shake the foundation of the sect. It would not be worth the cost.

“Anything besides killing Zhang Kuang?” he asked.

“Then please forgive this disciple for not revealing it,” Xu Yu said, bowing slightly. Her gaze was firm and resolute, her face showing a willingness to face death.

Seeing her expression, Huanglong knew that to continue would be futile and would only make her resent him. So, he changed the subject and put on a smile. “Let’s not talk about this. Since you can refine such a pill, this seat hopes that you can show some consideration for your fellow disciples and sell some of them to those in need, such as this Uncle-Master Chi Lian of the Ancient Cloud Hall.”

Following his gesture, Xu Yu saw the pale, sickly, and gloomy-faced Master Chi Lian standing to the side. “You are Master Chi Lian of the Ancient Cloud Hall?”

Master Chi Lian was taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to be so impolite, addressing him directly by name. But since he was asking for a favor, he maintained a good temper. “Yes. I had a mishap in my cultivation some days ago and lost some lifespan. I am in urgent need of a breakthrough and would like to ask my niece, Xu Yu, to sell me a few pills. I will certainly not treat you unfairly in terms of price.”

Xu Yu’s expression did not change as she politely refused. “Uncle-Master Chi Lian, the materials for these pills are rare and precious and very hard to find. I do not have enough on hand to refine more at this time. Please forgive me.” She knew all about his conflict with Qin Haoxuan. She wished he would die sooner rather than later; how could she possibly sell him the pills?

“Alright. If you ever gather enough materials, please refine some for me. I will absolutely not shortchange you on the price,” Master Chi Lian said, suppressing his anger.

Xu Yu gave a slight nod, but from her eyes, he could see that she would absolutely never sell to him. He thought to himself, I’ve heard this Xu Yu is extremely close with Qin Haoxuan. Could it be that he has told her about what happened between us? If I can just get rid of him, she will no longer have any reservations, and if I offer a high enough price, she will surely sell to me.

Just then, Huanglong said to Xu Yu, “It is getting late. You may return and rest. Do not let your great aptitude and fortune go to waste. As you cultivate, also consider how to properly distribute the pills. Giving them to those who need them most will allow them to be of greater use.”

How could Xu Yu not understand the meaning behind his words? She smiled faintly. “This disciple will remember.”

After she left, Huanglong and Master Chi Lian were both silent for a long moment.

“Uncle-Master,” Chi Lian finally said, breaking the silence, “you have seen her attitude. She is completely arrogant and has no regard for the sect’s traditions of respect, nor does she have the slightest bit of camaraderie for her fellow disciples. I believe she is a kind girl by nature; she must have been led astray. And the one who has led her astray is that Qin Haoxuan.”

As he spoke of Qin Haoxuan, a venomous light flashed in his eyes, as if he wanted to grind his bones to dust. Seeing the Sect Master’s grim expression, he pressed on. “You heard her. Her condition for sharing the recipe was to kill Zhang Kuang. Would a kind-hearted little girl say such a thing if she were not incited by someone else? If these two disciples continue to be enemies, will our Taichu Sect ever know a day of peace in the future?”

Huanglong slowly nodded. Chi Lian’s words had struck a chord. This was his greatest fear.

“Then what do you suggest?” he asked.

Chi Lian’s face turned cold. “Simple. Kill Qin Haoxuan. Only when he is dead can there be a chance for peace between Xu Yu and Zhang Kuang.”

“Do you know what you are saying!?” Huanglong roared. “You, an elder of the Taichu Sect, want to kill a disciple! This seat thinks you’ve gone mad from your cultivation! If not for the fact that your lifespan is short and you are anxious to break through, this seat would not forgive you! You are not to have this thought again!”

Chi Lian felt a deep chill of fear run through him. He cursed himself for his foolishness.

Seeing that his proposal was rejected, he grew desperate. He walked forward, bowed, and said righteously, “Uncle-Master, for the peace and harmony of the sect, and so that our three Unsurpassed Purple Seeds can work together to make our sect a supreme great sect, I am willing to risk everything to eliminate this troublemaker, Qin Haoxuan. Even if I am punished for it later, I will not regret it!” He then added, “But as of now, I have not yet committed a crime, so you cannot punish me!”

Huanglong’s face grew dark. With a wave of his hand, a terrifying, angry aura filled the entire hall. “Chi Lian! This seat thinks you are insane! Go to Jie Prison for three days and clear your head! If you speak such nonsense again, you can stay there until you die!”

Despair filled Chi Lian’s heart. He had thought that by framing it as being for the good of the sect, he could move the Sect Master, but he had never expected this. “Chi Lian obeys the order…” he said, then turned and strode out of the hall.

“Merciless is the path to immortality,” Huanglong said thoughtfully, his gaze on the floating white clouds outside the window. “For the sake of long life, too many people abandon things they think are worth abandoning. Only at the end do they realize… that the things they gave up were the most precious of all. A pity so few understand.”

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