Chapter 150: Chapter 146: You Died Because You Were Too Stupid
The Shengxuan Sect’s Blessed Land.
"Reporting to the Sect Leader! Yu Fei, the Wu Kingdom’s Guardian Envoy from the Holy Blood Sect, has entered our sect’s Blessed Land with his retinue and presented a formal visiting card."
A flicker of astonishment crossed the face of Rong Jian, the Sect Leader of the Shengxuan Sect. Though his hair and beard were white, he had only a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, giving him the appearance of a man in his prime. Yet, a faint aura of decay emanated from him.
"The Holy Blood Sect?" He lowered his head and pondered for a long moment before giving his orders. "Go and summon the Supreme Elder. Have Elder Bei handle the reception. The Guardian Envoy from the Taihe Sect will be arriving soon. We can’t have any trouble before then. If that Yu Fei is here to extort us, just give him what he wants and send him off politely."
The Shengxuan Sect belonged to the Profound Sects Orthodox Sect. They only answered to the Taihe Sect and their own superior sect, the Chongzhen Sect. In principle, they had no need to bother with some damn Guardian Envoy from the Holy Blood Sect.
The problem was, the Holy Blood Sect was the number one sect of the Demon Sects.
Could you really just ignore them?
Were you sure you dared to do so?
They might not be able to help you much.
But ruining your plans? That would be as easy as breathing.
For example... what if they sent a Demon Child or two, disguised as Loose Cultivators, to sabotage the ore veins you were in charge of mining? What would you do then?
Or what if... they targeted the talented disciples from your sect who were out gaining experience, killing them on sight and leaving no trace behind? What would you do then?
It wasn’t just Sect Leader Rong who understood this logic; Supreme Elder Bei Shaoyin, who had been ordered to handle the reception, understood it as well.
Although the thought of receiving a Demon Sect Cultivator made him deeply uncomfortable, he showed no sign of it on the surface.
When he and the welcoming party met Du Youqian’s group, he was all smiles, his eyes sparkling. "Guardian Envoy Yu, your presence truly brings light to our humble sect! I have long heard that despite your youth, your cultivation is profound and your bearing is noble. You are truly a hopeful for Core Formation. Seeing you today, I find your distinguished air is indeed real, just as the rumors said."
He assessed them while spouting pleasantries.
This Guardian Envoy Yu was dressed in an ordinary blue robe, looking like a frail scholar. He had a lazy smile, completely different from the sinister and vicious Demon Children in Bei Shaoyin’s memory.
Standing beside Guardian Envoy Yu was a beauty whose looks surpassed any he had ever seen. Her figure was graceful and elegant, yet she exuded a dense Sword Intent, making her seem like a drawn, sharp sword.
Behind the Guardian Envoy stood a middle-aged cultivator dressed as a scholar, his expression indifferent.
His aura... was actually at Foundation Establishment Perfection.
"HISS!" Bei Shaoyin almost gasped.
Although the Shengxuan Sect was a Fourth-class Sect and had over twenty Foundation Establishment Cultivators, four of whom were at Foundation Establishment Perfection...
...could a Foundation Establishment Perfection from a First-class Sect be the same as one from a Fourth-class Sect?
Could the depth of their foundation, the Magic Secret Techniques they commanded, or the Spiritual Artifacts they wielded possibly be compared?
History was filled with accounts of Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators from the inner discipleship of First-class Sects single-handedly fighting four or five of their peers from ordinary sects.
And if they were a True Inheritor, it was even more terrifying. They could be considered invincible within their realm. Even ten Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators from an ordinary sect attacking together wouldn’t necessarily gain an advantage against a True Inheritor from a First-class Sect.
Bei Shaoyin secretly grew vigilant.
’Don’t be fooled by the fact that Guardian Envoy Yu’s party only has three people, with the Guardian Envoy himself at only Foundation Establishment Early Stage and that Kun Cultivator at Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.’
’If we really had a falling out and came to blows, these three could turn the Shengxuan Sect upside down!’
At this thought, Bei Shaoyin couldn’t help but be even more cautious. The smile on his face became more sincere, bordering on fawning.
Du Youqian had no idea that the other man had gone through so many internal dramas in just a few short moments.
He spoke in a clear voice, "I’ve heard that the Shengxuan Sect has been flourishing in recent years and that an Alchemy Master has even appeared recently. Your sect is on the verge of being promoted. I hold you in high esteem and have come especially to pay a visit. A small gift, a mere token of my respect."
After he spoke, Fang Hua presented the gift they had prepared beforehand.
Bei Shaoyin took it and looked inside. It was just some Spirit Stones of a special attribute and hundred-year-old Spirit Medicines.
They weren’t exceptionally precious, so to speak.
But as a first-time meeting gift, it was far too generous.
Bei Shaoyin grew anxious. ’This Demon Child comes to visit and even brings a hefty gift. What could be the reason?’
’He didn’t believe a Demon Child would ever engage in a losing business.’
’Whatever they’ve given now, they’ll surely want to squeeze ten times the value back from the Shengxuan Sect.’
Therefore, Bei Shaoyin really didn’t want to accept this gift.
But he couldn’t refuse it, either.
If word got out: A Guardian Envoy from the Holy Blood Sect came to visit the Shengxuan Sect and offered a generous gift, but the Shengxuan Sect refused to accept it.
What was the Shengxuan Sect trying to do?
Did the Holy Blood Sect have no face?
Would you believe that in a few days, a Demon Path Giant might pay a visit and "accidentally" have a mishap with the Demonic Treasure he was carrying, draining all the Essence Blood from the mortals in the Blessed Land, or causing them all to die from a plague?
This was something that had actually happened in history, though the unfortunate victims hadn’t been the Shengxuan Sect.
Of course, those of the Demon Dao had to follow the rules; they couldn’t just go on random killing sprees, slaughtering cities and destroying kingdoms.
This was because the Holy Blood Sect and the Taihe Sect had the biggest fists. Whoever didn’t play by the rules would be destroyed by them, and that was how order among the world’s sects was maintained.
But if some minor sect was blind enough not to give face to a major sect... well, the rules of the Holy Blood Sect and Taihe Sect were not without human sentiment!
And so, Bei Shaoyin’s smile turned a bit bitter. He had to happily accept the gift, all the while calculating how to get a few of the wealthier elders in the sect to bleed a little and chip in.
They needed to return a gift at least three times as valuable to avoid being picked on by this Guardian Envoy Yu.
However, no new troubles arose after that.
Guardian Envoy Yu didn’t turn out to be an arrogant and domineering person. On the contrary, his conversation was refined, making him seem like a True Cultivator of the Dao.
Bei Shaoyin had some of the sect’s beautiful and graceful Kun Cultivators come over to keep them company, but Guardian Envoy Yu did not make any inappropriate or rude advances.
Instead, it was those Kun Cultivators who, seeing the Guardian Envoy’s youth, handsome features, and elegant demeanor, found their hearts fluttering and repeatedly sent flirtatious glances his way.
After two days of this, Bei Shaoyin’s heart gradually relaxed.
’It seems this Guardian Envoy Yu’s sudden visit bears no ill will. There’s no need to be so on guard.’
So, when a disciple came with a message that preparations for the reception ceremony for the Taihe Sect’s Guardian Envoy required his presence to arrange the details, Bei Shaoyin hesitated for a moment before excusing himself from Du Youqian’s company to leave for a while.
Unexpectedly, Bei Shaoyin had just finished dealing with a few minor matters for the ceremony preparations in the main hall when a disciple ran up, his face a mask of shock and anger. "Supreme Elder, this is bad! That Yu the Thief... he killed someone!"
Bei Shaoyin felt a "BOOM" go off in his ears, and his mind went completely blank.
After a long moment, he came to his senses. Looking at the disciple, he asked urgently, "What about Yu Fei? You didn’t hurt him, did you?"
As he said this, Bei Shaoyin’s voice trembled slightly.
The disciple’s eyes were filled with grief and resentment. For a moment, he was speechless.
’That Demon Child killed someone from our sect, and the first thing you, a Supreme Elder, care about is whether we hurt *him*?’
Bei Shaoyin noticed the disciple’s strange state and explained, "That Yu Fei is a Major Sect Guardian Envoy, with a Core Formation Ancestor backing him. If something were to happen to him in our sect, even if we were in the right, we couldn’t withstand the wrath of a Major Sect!"
The disciple said dejectedly, "A dozen or so people, filled with righteous indignation, have him surrounded. When I left, Brother Qi was trying his best to maintain order and stop the other disciples from attacking. I don’t know what the situation is now."
Bei Shaoyin felt a little relieved and said hurriedly, "I’ll go see for myself."
When he arrived where Du Youqian and his group were, the heart that had been hanging in his throat for so long finally settled back into his chest.
Because he saw a dependable figure standing next to Yu Fei—no, a figure that could reassure any cultivator from the Shengxuan Sect.
Du Youqian was in a place famed as one of the Shengxuan Sect’s scenic spots.
It was beside a small lake, a lake as clear and tranquil as a large sapphire. The surrounding trees were reflected in the water, their graceful forms creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
Du Youqian and his companions were sitting in a pavilion, a corpse lying just a few steps outside of it.
Further away, dozens of Qi Cultivation Cultivators from the Shengxuan Sect were filled with righteous indignation. Some were waving their arms and shouting, while others had even drawn their Magical Artifacts and Flying Swords, ready to strike at any moment.
However, although the situation looked tense enough to explode, Bei Shaoyin knew that a real fight would not break out.
Because the man standing beside Du Youqian was Ge Cheng, a Supreme Elder of the Shengxuan Sect and a True Cultivator of the Dao, who was admired by almost everyone in the sect.
Ge Cheng had always been a steady person and would never rashly start a conflict.
With a single step, Bei Shaoyin’s figure flickered and landed in the pavilion.
He looked down at the corpse and immediately recognized it as one of the sect’s elders, the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator Zhang Hai.
Bei Shaoyin breathed a sigh of relief.
Although this Zhang Hai was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he was mediocre in all respects and had little presence. He was already close to 200 years old, nearly at the end of his lifespan, and wouldn’t have lived much longer anyway.
’The death of a Zhang Hai is much better than the death of a potential True Inheritor.’
But a wave of guilt quickly washed over Bei Shaoyin. ’Even if he wasn’t a potential True Inheritor, he was still a disciple of the Shengxuan Sect! I should be mourning for him, how can I be sighing in relief!’
Though many thoughts raced through his mind, Bei Shaoyin’s face remained impassive. He just frowned and asked, "What happened here? Even if our sect’s hospitality was lacking, Guardian Envoy Yu shouldn’t have resorted to killing, should he?"
Du Youqian raised an eyebrow, Fang Hua gave a cold smirk, and Meng Xiao looked down at his fingernails with indifference.
Shengxuan Sect’s Supreme Elder Ge Cheng sighed. "Junior Bei, calm down. I’ve just gotten a handle on the situation. This matter... in truth, both sides are at fault..."
Du Youqian suddenly interrupted, "What fault does my handmaiden have? She is a Sword Cultivator; her strikes never leave room for mercy. When have you ever seen a Sword Cultivator hold back? If there’s any fault here, it lies with this idiot. Since he issued a challenge to a Sword Cultivator, he should have been prepared to die by the sword. He died purely because he was too stupid."
The nearby Qi Cultivation Disciples were filled with righteous indignation, their faces contorted with rage, veins bulging on their foreheads.
’They come to our sect, kill one of our own, and then call our people idiots?’
’This is absolutely intolerable!’
Although the Qi Cultivation Disciples were deterred by the authority of the two Supreme Elders and didn’t dare to attack, they began to shout curses.
Fang Hua’s eyes flashed. Her gaze, like a drawn, sharp sword, slowly swept over them. Every Shengxuan Sect disciple she looked at felt their limbs turn to ice and a chill rise in their hearts, as if a cold, sharp blade was pressed against their throat.
