Stealing Immortal

Chapter 37: Chapter 36: Wind Control

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Qingyang understood the reason.

Gong Yueshu had a Qi Refining cultivation. Though he didn’t know what realm she’d reached, the methods at her disposal were far beyond anything Lü Yunshen could have fathomed. His actions must have been detected, bringing about this current disaster.

While he was alive, the man had given him no small amount of trouble. Only after receiving his elixirs did he start to show him some respect.

Lü Yunshen’s base instinct of only caring for personal gain had never changed, but he was dead now, after all.

At the thought, Chen Qingyang even felt a sliver of regret.

He didn’t know where Lü Yunshen had died, and there was no way to find the body. After three to five days, it would surely have ended up in the bellies of wild beasts.

From the incident of Xu You’s disappearance, it wasn’t hard to see the Sect’s attitude toward Miscellaneous Task disciples. So, if Lü Yunshen was gone, he was gone. At most, it would just inconvenience the Stewards from the Outer Sect enough to make another trip.

Then, small golden characters floated into view, indicating he had gained 11 Immortal Seedlings.

This meant that thanks to the elixirs, Lü Yunshen’s chances of successfully reaching the Qi Refining realm had greatly increased.

「Dawn broke.」

But it wasn’t very bright.

Outside, the wind and snow raged on, making the grass and trees on the mountainside whip about and rustle.

After a small fire was lit in Chen Qingyang’s hut, Xu Yong from across the way saw the glow and came over.

”Senior Brother Chen, are you up?”

Normally, he would just ignore him and not open the door, but today there was a reason he had to.

The young man wore a gray robe, his expression grim in the cold wind. It was as if he had shed all his childishness in just a few short days.

”Come in!”

Senior Brother Chen’s decisiveness made Xu Yong a little suspicious.

Usually, he had to say a few flattering words at the door before Senior Brother Chen would let him in. Today, however, he was being so proactive.

Stepping inside, he looked around before his gaze finally landed on Chen Qingyang. ”I knew it, you have to have a charcoal fire. It’s so warm in here now. The weather has been brutal lately. It actually makes me enjoy going to work!”

Working on the Fire God Token assignment meant being close to the flames. It was naturally scorching hot inside, making it one of the most grueling jobs on the slopes of the Four Golden Peaks.

Of course, Chen Qingyang’s Hongling Token assignment wasn’t the most comfortable either. It was just that over the past one hundred and twenty years, he had honed his skill in carving Dao Rhyme Text to perfection, arguably becoming the best among the Miscellaneous Task disciples.

”Just say it. What do you want?”

Xu Yong thought for a moment, then decided to start with Lü Yunshen. ”I remember Senior Brother Lü was always on bad terms with you, Senior Brother Chen. He usually did nothing but speak ill of you. I wonder why he’s been so close to you recently?”

From these words alone, Chen Qingyang could tell he knew that Lü Yunshen was dead.

His bringing it up now was just a way to probe him.

Lü Yunshen was the type who wouldn’t lift a finger unless there was something in it for him. Without some benefit, he wouldn’t willingly do your bidding. And that benefit would reveal one’s secrets.

This just went to show how cautious Gong Yueshu was; she had only shown her face once from beginning to end.

”It’s because he genuinely came to respect me. Do you believe that?”

As expected, Xu Yong scoffed as if he’d just heard a hilarious joke. ”You must be joking, Senior Brother Chen. A man as profit-driven as Senior Brother Lü? How could he possibly listen to you without getting some kind of benefit?”

Chen Qingyang retorted, ”Then what do you think that benefit was?”

On this point, Xu Yong was quite certain. ”I’m guessing it must be elixirs. Otherwise, how could his cultivation have improved so quickly? Can you tell me, Senior Brother Chen, which senior brother or sister from the Golden Summit gave them to you?”

’Without a doubt, he’s asking this on behalf of Gong Yueshu,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ’She probably didn’t expect this boy to be so direct, though.’

”Hmph!” Chen Qingyang flicked his sleeve. Xu Yong, who was standing at the door, felt a powerful force strike his chest, sending him flying back about ten feet to land heavily in the snow.

”Are you that desperate to pry into my affairs?”

After that, he changed his clothes, locked the door, and walked straight out of the small courtyard.

As he was leaving, Xu Yong, still on the ground, finally caught his breath. His face filled with rage, and he cursed under his breath, ”Old bastard!”

「Later that day, at the Hongling Token workshop.」

When Chen Qingyang saw Wu Boyou, he took the initiative to greet him. ”Senior Brother Wu, could we have a word in private?”

”In private?” Wu Boyou’s face broke into a wide grin. How could he not know what ”a word in private” meant? ”Hehe, of course, of course!”

Once they reached a more secluded spot, Chen Qingyang didn’t take out any elixirs. He just said, ”I’d like to ask you for a favor, Senior Brother Wu, if I may.”

A clever man like Wu Boyou understood Chen Qingyang’s nature; his favors never came for free. He grinned again. ”I know. Someone must have offended you, Junior Brother Chen, and you want me to kill them. Don’t worry, I won’t even bat an eye!”

”Alas!” Chen Qingyang sighed. ”There’s a disciple named Xu Yong in my courtyard. He works on the Fire God Token assignment and has always been at odds with me. I’d like to have him sent down the mountain so I can have some peace and quiet.”

”The Fire God Token assignment?” Wu Boyou stroked his chin thoughtfully. ”That’s not under my jurisdiction. Killing him would be easy, but sending him away will take some effort. I might have to call in some favors, and even then... I’d become a laughingstock. After all, what Outer Disciple goes out of his way to target a Miscellaneous Task disciple!”

Knowing he would say this, Chen Qingyang was prepared. ”We are fellow disciples, after all. I don’t plan to kill him, and our grudge doesn’t run that deep. I just want him sent down the mountain. At most, he can be taught a lesson on the way. I’ve recently prepared two Qi Gathering Pills. I’ll offer these two pills as a reward for your help, Senior Brother Wu. What do you say?”

”Done!” Without a moment’s hesitation, Wu Boyou agreed. ”You’re a righteous man, Junior Brother! Having followed Senior Sister Li Qianxue, you’ve really seen the world—to think you value Qi Gathering Pills more than the life of a Miscellaneous Task disciple! Say no more. I guarantee you’ll see results within three days.”

At this, he rubbed his hands together and narrowed his eyes into his signature slits. ”My cultivation has been alarmingly weak lately, and I’m getting really anxious. Do you think... you could give me one of the pills first?”

Chen Qingyang had prepared two elixirs for him. One was a Poison Pill, the other was not.

He would have him take the non-poisonous one first. This would, one, create some distance from the last time he took a Poison Pill, and two, allow him to gain some short-term benefits.

With this arrangement, Wu Boyou was getting exactly what he asked for.

”I’ve already prepared it.” When Chen Qingyang’s hand emerged from his sleeve, it held an elixir.

Wu Boyou’s eyes widened. Like a starving wolf spotting food, he snatched it away. ”Good, good! I’ll show you results in two days, Junior Brother Chen! Make sure you have that other elixir ready!”

With that, he scurried away.

Gong Yueshu was using Xu Yong as a pawn. Driving Xu Yong down the mountain was the greatest mercy Chen Qingyang could show him.

Chen Qingyang returned to crafting Dao Rhyme Patterns. Then, he waited until the image of Qi Xiuyuan appeared in his mind.

...

In the darkness, before a candle flame, he sat upright and motionless.

His whole body glowed with a white light that emanated from his very marrow. Through the palm of his hand, one could see the stark white of his bones.

’Is this the Ice Skin Jade Bone Technique?’

His eyes were slightly closed, his head bowed a little. His face held a quiet fortitude, and even the arrogant, domineering aura he once had was gone.

Today was the seventh day, and he had only reaped 62 Immortal Seedlings, a significant drop from the day before.

Each of the tribulations had only a limited effect on him now. After the ninth tribulation, the effect would disappear completely. When he emerged from seclusion then, he would be a completely new person.

Chen Qingyang used all the Immortal Seedlings he stole today on the One-Origin Sword. ’I wonder how many Immortal Seedlings I’ll be able to steal from Xu Yong in two days,’ he mused.

With the crisis of Qi Xiuyuan looming, he was in desperate need of a higher cultivation!

He went up to the Golden Summit and completed his daily Alchemy.

He still only managed to produce two Tier Three elixirs, which was enough for Liu Tao.

The night was dark and stormy, the wind and snow as fierce as ever.

After sitting under a pine tree for a short while, Chen Qingyang was covered in a layer of snow. He then took out the Warm Jade Scroll, and Xu Baoling’s Divine Soul began to materialize before him.

As usual, he tossed her a Qi Gathering Pill. Xu Baoling caught it and stood with the utmost respect. ”This servant greets you, Master!”

Chen Qingyang got straight to the point. ”Against everyone’s expectations, Qi Xiuyuan is about to pull through!”

”Ah!” Xu Baoling gasped. Even she couldn’t believe this was happening. However, she calmed down quickly. ”I suspect that after he was struck by the Nine Deaths Treasure Mirror, my master must have locked him away in seclusion. How did you confirm this, Master?”

Even considering the matter from Chen Qingyang’s perspective, her confusion was warranted.

”Rest assured, the information is correct. Today is his seventh day.”

Hearing this, Xu Baoling pondered for a moment. ”Then what is your next move, Master? I think hiding with Liu Tao would be the safest option. After all, her cultivation is high, and with the help of your Qi-Introducing Pill, Qi Xiuyuan will be no match for her in the short term.”

This was undoubtedly a good idea, but Chen Qingyang had no intention of just sitting idly by and waiting for his doom. He gazed at the flawless, white jade-like mountains across from him. ”Even you are saying this. Let me ask you: if I were to face him with my current Sword Dao Cultivation, what realm would I need to reach just to have the power to protect myself?”

’Even you...’

Xu Baoling immediately understood. He had already discussed this with Liu Tao. ”Surviving the Nine Deaths Treasure Mirror only means that Qi Xiuyuan’s Dao Heart will be firm and his Divine Soul has been tempered. It doesn’t mean his cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds all at once. I believe that to have the power to protect yourself, you must at least reach the Seventh Realm of Qi Refining. That way, even if you can’t defeat him, you can still escape. I happen to have mastered a rather good Wind Control Technique. I wonder if you need it, Master?”

For the first time, Xu Baoling had taken the initiative to offer Chen Qingyang a Cultivation Technique.

”That’s exactly what I was thinking. You’re very thoughtful.” As he spoke, he tossed her another Qi Gathering Pill.

Xu Baoling accepted it and immediately kowtowed in thanks.

After that, she recited a Wind Control Skill called the ”Void Step Introduction” word for word.

”This technique was passed down from my master. At a high level of mastery, riding the wind for hundreds of feet is no problem. It’s extremely fast, far superior to Qi Xiuyuan’s Yin Yao Step, and is a top-tier Wind Control Technique in our lineage...”

After Chen Qingyang contemplated it for a while, the words ”Void Step Introduction” indeed appeared among the small golden characters.