Chapter 385

Chapter 385: White Lotus’s Disappointment

When Fang Lie entered, Bai Lian Chan Master and Tianhezi both showed very complicated expressions.

Logically, they should have hated Fang Lie deeply. Bai Lian Chan Master lost both of his disciples at Fang Lie’s hands and was also tricked by him, which led to the death of the only Grand Divination Master of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, Bai Mu. Their hatred was deep and unforgiving.

Tianhezi felt the same way; his disciple was practically ruined by Fang Lie, and the loss of the White Dragon Divine Sword had him facing blame from everyone in his sect.

Now, the Three Light Taoist he invited met a tragic end at Fang Lie’s hands, making the level of animosity between them sky-high!

However, even though both of them wanted nothing more than to devour Fang Lie, they had to appear friendly, smiling and nodding at him. Anyone unaware of the situation might think they really liked this junior!

This contradictory scene almost made Mo Qianxun laugh out loud on the spot. Fortunately, he held it in, sparing the two of them from embarrassment; otherwise, they might have been furious!

Mo Qianxun, being the Old Fox that he was, played his part flawlessly. After Fang Lie finished his greeting, he waved his hand casually and said, "The two respected elders have matters to discuss with you. Make sure to respond well and do not offend these two revered seniors!"

Whether it was a coincidence or not, Mo Qianxun’s words, "respected elders," sounded particularly sarcastic. Anyone with half a brain would know he was speaking ironically.

However, the insulted Bai Lian Chan Master and Tianhezi dared not show any dissatisfaction. They had to swallow their anger and smiled towards Fang Lie.

Bai Lian Chan Master was the first to smile, saying, "Fang Lie, good to see you again! How have you been lately?"

"I was doing fine, but when I was in the Lost Forest, I suddenly encountered the Fire Tribulation Immortal who ambushed me. It took all my strength to defeat him. Then I discovered it was one of your esteemed disciples!" Fang Lie squinted his eyes and said with displeasure, "I’m quite curious how I offended your temple to warrant the Fire Tribulation Immortal personally hunting me down? I hope the Master can enlighten me?"

"Hm?" Mo Qianxun feigned surprise and said, "There’s such a thing? Bai Lian, you’ve gone a bit too far. Although Fang Lie may not be capable, he is still a disciple of my Mo Sect. Even if he has offended you, you should have informed me. Though I may be lacking, I would never cover for wrongdoings or allow someone to hunt him down!"

"It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!" Bai Lian Chan Master hurriedly explained. "My misguided disciple acted on his own. He has been close with Jie Kong for many years, and when Jie Kong died at Fang Lie’s hands, he developed a deep hatred for Fang Lie and rushed into action without thinking. But this has nothing to do with the Great Thunder Sound Temple!"

"Ah, so it was a reckless act!" Mo Qianxun frowned and said, "As a disciple, he cannot disregard the unity of his fellow practitioners and should never resort to violence on his own! Bai Lian, don’t blame me for being an old-timer; it’s truly your apprentice that you failed to teach properly!"

Mo Qianxun began to chastise Bai Lian Chan Master in a roundabout way, feeling rather pleased with himself.

Although Bai Lian Chan Master was incredibly angry, he could not argue back because he knew he was in the wrong. He could only helplessly nod and say, "It is my fault; I did not teach my disciple well!"

Seeing Bai Lian Chan Master act like a good child made Mo Qianxun feel overjoyed.

He remembered when Fang Lie’s father died in battle, and Bai Lian Chan Master came to explain, he had feigned humility while being secretly arrogant, refusing to punish those responsible and insisting the Mo Sect should prioritize the bigger picture.

At that time, East Kunlun sent another individual, who supported Bai Lian Chan Master, making Mo Qianxun endure great anger but ultimately having no choice but to swallow it down.

However, he had kept that grudge close in his heart, waiting for a chance to retaliate!

Today, thanks to Fang Lie, he finally got his opportunity and intended to humiliate Bai Lian Chan Master thoroughly. He felt it would be wrong to not step on the old man’s face hard now that he had the chance!

At this moment, Fang Lie suddenly interjected, "Although you deny it completely, I do not believe the Great Thunder Sound Temple had no knowledge of this!"

"What do you mean by that?" Bai Lian Chan Master asked, alarmed, "Would I lie to you?"

"Ha! That’s not out of the question!" Fang Lie sneered, "Your disciple Jie Yan came to me with the Great Thunder Sound Temple’s Eighth-rank treasures, the Eighteen Arhats. This treasure holds a high status within your temple. Unless it’s someone of the Clan Leader level, no one else would have been able to take it out!"

"Hm?" Mo Qianxun immediately looked displeased and said, "There are such twists? Bai Lian, what is going on here?"

Mo Qianxun was taking on a high-handed stance, interrogating like a judge.

Bai Lian Chan Master’s expression changed, quickly explaining, "It was my misguided disciple who stole it! That treasure should have been under my care, but I let him hold onto it, and who would have known he would act with such ravenous ambition and steal from me? Truly despicable!"

"Slaughtering fellow practitioners and stealing the sect’s precious treasures!" Mo Qianxun frowned and said, "Bai Lian, how did you allow such a disciple into your sect?"

"It was my oversight, a grave fault!" Bai Lian sighed, "I apologize to everyone for the trouble caused by my actions!"

There was no other choice; since he was clearly in the wrong, he could not argue anymore. He had to admit his mistake and lower his head to resolve the matter. Otherwise, if the Mo Sect got angry and expelled him, he would have nowhere to appeal.

Of course, he didn’t care about being cast out of the Mo Sect, but the significant mission he carried was paramount. If he couldn’t complete it, he would face dire consequences, having lost the Eighteen Arhats, a serious crime that even as the Clan Leader, he could not cushion.

So, weighing his options, he decided it was best to admit his wrongs first!

Seeing Bai Lian Chan Master’s good attitude made Mo Qianxun unsure how to proceed. He could only weakly lecture a bit more and then say, "So, you’re here this time for the Eighteen Arhats?"

"Yes, yes!" Bai Lian Chan Master nodded eagerly, "The Eighteen Arhats are relics refined from many seniors of the Great Thunder Sound Temple. No matter what, they cannot end up outside. Please, considering our sect’s ties, return them to us!"

"Oh, I wanted to return them, but the problem is, they are in Fang Lie’s hands!" Mo Qianxun pretended to be helpless and said, "According to the rules, the Lost Forest is a place for the Path Contest, and everything in it should be considered as never having occurred. Your disciple attacked Fang Lie; even if we know about it, we must treat it as if it did not happen. Likewise, if Fang Lie retaliated and confiscated the treasures, they now belong to Fang Lie, and you, as the owner, have no right to reclaim them!"

Mo Qianxun’s public lament was secretly telling Fang Lie that the treasures were already his. As long as he didn’t want to give them back, there was no obligation to do so since he had Mo Qianxun backing him up!

Bai Lian Chan Master could naturally understand Mo Qianxun’s subtle hints, feeling quite angry but helpless. He could only say, "I understand. Since this item was lost during the Path Contest in the Lost Forest, it must belong to Fang Lie. However, it is of great importance and does not suit Fang Lie’s abilities, so we wondered if we could buy it from him. We are willing to offer extra!"

Bai Lian Chan Master knew that at this point, words alone would not suffice; only real benefits could sway Fang Lie.

Fang Lie stroked his chin and said, "Although the Eighteen Arhats are impressive, they are truly of no use to me. If you can provide treasures that catch my interest, I think we can talk!"

"That’s wonderful!" Bai Lian Chan Master exclaimed joyfully, "We are willing to exchange two Eighth-rank treasures for them!"

"No way!" Fang Lie snorted coldly, "Are you trying to fool a child? The Eighteen Arhats are eighteen Eighth-rank relics. You think just two Eighth-rank treasures can get you these? There’s no such thing as a bargain!"

"Why can’t they be counted separately? It is clearly a complete set!" Bai Lian Chan Master exclaimed, "Do you want to trade for eighteen Eighth-rank treasures instead?"

"Now that would be too much!" Fang Lie replied seriously, "How about an eight percent discount? Fifteen treasures for one!"

"Absolutely not!" Bai Lian Chan Master exclaimed angrily.

"Then there’s nothing more to discuss!" Fang Lie smiled and said, "Clan Leader, look, it’s not that I’m unwilling to show them respect; it’s really that they are too stingy!"

Mo Qianxun’s mouth twitched, unsure of what to say.

The Eighteen Arhats were indeed powerful, but they really were not worth fifteen Eighth-rank treasures! Fang Lie was clearly trying to take advantage.

Bai Lian Chan Master stomped in frustration and stopped addressing Fang Lie, turning to Mo Qianxun instead and saying, "Sect Leader, please say a fair word! Fang Lie is truly asking for an exorbitant price!"

"Hehe~" Mo Qianxun smiled slightly and feigned helplessness, saying, "If it were someone else, I’d simply speak up for you. But Fang Lie? I feel guilty towards him. You all know about his father’s matter; as the Sect Leader, I never avenged it. How could I ask him to sell his treasures cheaply to his enemy? So, I’m afraid I can’t help you with this!"

"Uh~" Bai Lian Chan Master almost choked. However, at this moment, he finally realized that the seed he had sown years ago had finally borne fruit. Fang Lie was clearly planning to make the Great Thunder Sound Temple lose face. It seemed he would never return those Eighteen Arhats!

Bai Lian Chan Master took a deep breath and said solemnly, "As for what happened that day, I don’t want to dwell on it. If you, Fang Lie, hold a grudge against the Great Thunder Sound Temple, then let’s see where that leads us!"

With that, Bai Lian Chan Master stopped talking, saluted Mo Qianxun with a clasped hand, and left gracefully!

Seeing his dejected figure, Tianhezi felt a pang of sympathy. He then sighed and said, "So, it seems the Three Light Divine Sword is also unrecoverable?"

"Hehe, the Three Light Divine Sword isn’t anything special, I could give it to you, but you must present me with something that truly interests me!" Fang Lie said with a smile, "You know I have very discerning taste!"