Chapter 53: Li Daoye
"The renowned monk is actually a member of the Spirit Blood Sect! Unlike Daoist Xue and Granny Jin Hua, who hid in the shadows, Master Xu operated openly. He arrived in the empire and made a name for himself. Even my parents have met him to seek a way to restore my cultivation...” Fang Chen's expression turned solemn, and he felt a bit uneasy. His Grand Xia Hidden Guards had been operating in the capital for many years, yet they hadn't been able to discover the true identity of these individuals.
If Master Xu had taken action against his parents back then, he wouldn't have had the ability to stop him.
"Master Xu, what should we do? Could they be targeting us? Especially Fang Chen..." Qin Dong rubbed his hands anxiously.
"Fang Chen?" Master Xu chuckled. "He's just a young cub with no teeth. Why are you scared of him? His parents sought medicine for him all these years. They’ve even come to me once seeking a way for him to restore his cultivation. I could’ve easily helped them back then, but it seems as though they’ve already found some sort of spiritual medicine for him.”
"Master Xu, why not let me take care of this potential trouble? If we eliminate Fang Chen, I can act without any restraint. After all, it seems like he’s starting to become suspicious of me," Qin Dong suggested.
"Jin Hua had acted recklessly by treating the maidservants in your mansion as supplements. That was why suspicions were aroused in the first place, but fortunately, we’ve nothing to fear. We just need to confirm whether or not there are cultivators actually targeting us. As for Fang Chen, killing him won't bring any benefits. Keeping him alive might even facilitate our plans," Master Xu stated coolly.
After a pause, he looked at the manager. "Bring that person over. Let’s show Deputy Minister Qin the little surprise we have for him. His days in the Hall of Compassion were probably a little dull. Let's make it a bit more interesting."
"Yes." The manager nodded and left.
Qin Dong's expression changed. "Master Xu, what are you..."
"Deputy Minister Qin, do your best for our Spirit Blood Sect, and we won't mistreat you." Master Xu smiled faintly, then turned and went back to the inner courtyard.
Shortly after, Fang Qingyao and her maidservant were brought in front of Qin Dong, tied up.
"What are you trying to do?! Manager He, what’s the meaning of this?!” Fang Qingyao's face turned red as she screamed.
"Deputy Minister Qin, I can see that you’re quite fond of her. We'll let her accompany you for a few days. It might add some fun to your dull days here," Manager He said to Qin Dong with a smile, ignoring Fang Qingyao's protests.
Qin Dong wore a righteous and stern look for a moment as he glanced at Fang Qingyao. After a while, he stroked his beard and nodded. "Then, I'll trouble you all. This maidservant also has some charm; let's take her along."
"Deputy Minister Qin?!" Fang Qingyao looked at Qin Dong incredulously. The middle-aged man in front of her, who initially appeared righteous and just, turned out to be colluding with the manager! He intended to humiliate them!
"Miss Fang, you can only blame your own bad luck. You came over at such a bad time," Qin Dong said with a faint smile.
"Manager He, please lead the way to the room."
Manager He smiled at Qin Dong and signaled for his subordinates to take Fang Qingyao and her maidservant to a nearby room.
Qin Dong lightly waved his sleeve and followed.
Fang Chen's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. He was about to recall his divine soul, but suddenly, he saw two figures hopping down from the courtyard’s wall. "Release them at once!"
The crowd was taken aback as they turned to see that a gray-robed Daoist and a fair and delicate little nun had appeared not too far away.
"Who dares to trespass here?" Manager He’s face darkened.
Qin Dong immediately covered his face with his sleeve, then hurriedly hid behind the group, afraid of being recognized.
"Help! Save us!" Fang Qingyao's maidservant yelled in fright. "Quick, save the young lady!"
"Fear not! Since I, Daoye, have taken action, I’ll definitely save your mistress as well as you too," the Daoist clad in gray declared proudly.
He then turned to the little nun. "See, Little Abbess? I told you. My Divination Technique of the Eight Trigrams is not just for show. There turned out to be truly something unusual about this place!"
"Hurry up and save them!” the little nun stammered in fright.
"Save them? Of course I’ll save them. But you’ve to promise me one thing: after I save them, you will accompany me in the future for dual cultivation!" The gray-robed Daoist chuckled.
The little nun blushed immediately, and was somewhat unsure of how to respond. "Save them first..."
"Alright, Little Abbess, witness my strength!" The gray-robed Daoist laughed heartily. Then, he drew out a wooden sword, pointed it lightly towards the group, before letting it fly straight at them.
The manager and others were startled. What kind of technique was that?!
Fang Qingyao and her maidservant, on the other hand, revealed expressions of joy. This Daoist indeed had extraordinary abilities. It seemed like they were saved!
"Deputy Minister Qin, look, as I said, there are cultivators targeting us. Hmm... But, with only their second and third stage Qi Refining Realms, how could they’ve possibly dealt with Granny Jin Hua and Daoist Xue?" he pondered for a moment, then raised his palm forward, and a golden bowl flew out. When it met the wooden sword, it smashed it to pieces.
Seven Soul Imprints appeared on the golden bowl as it slowly returned to Master Xu's hands.
"Seven Soul Imprints?!" The gray-robed Daoist's mouth oozed blood, his face full of disbelief. He stared blankly at the shattered wooden sword on the ground, revealing a miserable expression. "My treasure! I had to beg and plead grandpa and grandma just to finally obtain it..."
Shocked and saddened as the Daoist was, he knew that it wasn't the time to lament the loss of his treasure. Master Xu's aura made his hairs stand on end. He was facing an opponent in the fifth stage of the Qi Refining Stage at the very least!
The gray-robed Daoist grabbed the little nun and tried to escape, but the golden bowl flew over again, knocking the Daoist several feet away. He crashed heavily into the ground.
The little nun wasn’t spared either. She was flipped over by the golden bowl.
Fang Qingyao and her maidservant stared blankly at the scene. They thought they had found their saviors, but their saviors were defeated in an instant!
Fang Qingyao struggled to turn her neck, staring at Master Xu with disbelief. The renowned high monk in the Grand Xia Empire turned out to be... one of them?
After a while, the gray-robed Daoist and the little nun were also tied up.
"Little Abbess, seems like I dragged you into this," the gray-robed Daoist said, somewhat pale faced.
"Speak, who sent you? How dare you mess with my Spirit Blood Sect? I believe the people behind you guys aren’t some random nobodies?" Master Xu strode forward toward them, asking calmly.
Spirit Blood Sect?! Both of them shivered at the mention. Even the seemingly foolish little nun understood the weight of that name. It was one of the most notorious demonic sects in the cultivation world, known for its cruelty, tyranny, and mysterious nature. That name spelled a headache for countless righteous cultivators.
"What?! Spirit Blood Sect?! I swear I didn’t know! This is a misunderstanding! I hope that you can let us off considering that we’re all cultivators," the gray-robed Daoist gasped with a bewildered expression.
Master Xu's eyes flashed with a cold smile. "When you heard the words ‘Spirit Blood Sect,’ your qi and blood almost stagnated. Why aren’t you pretending anymore?"
"Senior, I admit my mistake. Please let us live on account that we’re the same...” the gray-robed Daoist pleaded with tears rolling down his face.
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