Chapter 151: Chapter 147: Not Heaven’s Blessing, but the Ancestor’s Blessing
From the clamor of the Qi Cultivation disciples, Bei Shaoyin managed to piece together what had happened.
It turned out that Guardian Envoy Yu’s party had been admiring the scenery when Zhang Hai approached. Observing all the proper courtesies, he asked if Guardian Envoy Yu and the others required anything.
Guardian Envoy Yu had spoken condescendingly at the time, remarking that while the scenery was excellent, a landscape without the touch of humanity was ultimately a bit dull. He hoped Zhang Hai would send a few female disciples to perform with their swords for entertainment.
Zhang Hai was displeased, but he was wary and restrained himself from making any sharp remarks. Instead, he simply smiled and said, "Guardian Envoy Yu, don’t you have a beautiful, sword-bearing maidservant right here? Why not have her perform?"
Guardian Envoy Yu had replied coolly, "This maidservant of mine has learned the art of the Killing Sword. When her sword is drawn, it kills. She does not know how to dance with it."
Zhang Hai, now angry and feeling that Guardian Envoy Yu was being far too aggressive, wanted to save face for the Shengxuan Sect with a duel. "Your maidservant must have superb swordsmanship, Guardian Envoy Yu," he said. "The prospect of a good match excites me. I would like to request a lesson. What are your thoughts, Guardian Envoy?"
Guardian Envoy Yu glanced at Zhang Hai and said something infuriating. "I’ve already told you, when this maidservant of mine draws her sword, she kills. Fellow Daoist Zhang, have you reached the end of your lifespan? Do you wish to use my maidservant’s hand to achieve liberation from your mortal coil?"
After such words, how could Zhang Hai possibly back down?
He burst out laughing on the spot. "If your maidservant’s swordsmanship is truly as divine as you say, Guardian Envoy Yu, then to be liberated from my mortal coil by her hand would indeed be a beautiful affair!"
And so, he brazenly drew his sword.
And then, Zhang Hai died.
After learning the whole story, Bei Shaoyin shook his head and sighed.
Although anyone with eyes could see that Guardian Envoy Yu had deliberately provoked Zhang Hai with his words, baiting him into a trap.
But if this incident had been recorded on a Memory Stone and brought before the Upper Sect, the Shengxuan Sect would have no legal standing whatsoever.
As for whether it had been recorded by a Memory Stone... Bei Shaoyin thought to himself, ’This Guardian Envoy Yu obviously came prepared. Why would he be stingy about using a single Memory Stone?’
Seeing his sect’s Qi Cultivation disciples seething with indignation, while Guardian Envoy Yu sat calmly in the pavilion with a leisurely expression, Bei Shaoyin couldn’t help but ponder.
’Why exactly is this Guardian Envoy Yu here?’
’Why kill someone from the Shengxuan Sect as a show of force?’
The man who was killed wasn’t a True Inheritor, nor did he have much of a future to speak of.
But he was, after all, a core member of the Sect.
The Shengxuan Sect only had a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Cultivators in total. For one of them to die so senselessly, Bei Shaoyin naturally felt the sting of the loss.
It was not only painful, but also deeply frustrating.
He wanted to seek justice for Zhang Hai, but there was nowhere to turn.
Beyond that, he also felt a chill of horror.
From what he’d heard, it had only taken a few breaths for Guardian Envoy Yu’s maidservant to cut down Zhang Hai, a man of comparable cultivation.
She hadn’t even harmed the surrounding flowers, grass, or the pavilion, which showed how effortlessly she had done it.
This was partially because Zhang Hai had no intention of causing harm and hadn’t anticipated a lethal attack.
But it also indirectly proved the maidservant’s immense strength.
Otherwise, it was normal for battles between Cultivators of the Same Tier to last for half a day.
’A mere maidservant has such power.’
’What about Guardian Envoy Yu, then?’
’And what about that silent Perfect Foundation Establishment Cultivator?’
After a moment of thought, Bei Shaoyin made a decisive choice.
With a wave of his hand, he blocked out the clamor of the Qi Cultivation disciples, isolating the pavilion in silence.
"Guardian Envoy Yu, please follow me!"
Du Youqian looked at him with a half-smile, rising lazily to his feet. "Alright."
They quickly relocated to a side hall next to the Shengxuan Sect’s main hall, a place for receiving honored guests.
Without the incitement of the clamoring Qi Cultivation disciples, they could finally have a proper discussion.
"Guardian Envoy Yu, your actions are a bit extreme. The Shengxuan Sect may only be one of the Fourth-class Sects, but we are not a doormat for anyone to walk all over. The Taihe Sect and the Holy Blood Sect have maintained order in this world for eight thousand years; surely some rules must still apply."
Bei Shaoyin did not shrink back and yield from the very beginning; instead, he met the aggression head-on.
Seated in an expensive Golden Rattan Chair, Du Youqian smiled and said, "My Sect naturally abides by the rules, as do I. Although that Zhang Hai overestimated his own abilities and sought his own death, he did, after all, die at the hands of my maidservant. I am deeply sorry and will provide compensation."
With that, he turned to Meng Xiao. "Fellow Daoist Meng, according to the Sect’s rules, what is the compensation for accidentally killing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator during a spar?"
"Three hundred Spiritual Jade," Meng Xiao replied, his voice devoid of emotion, as if completely indifferent.
Du Youqian then commanded, "Fang Hua, give three hundred Spiritual Jade to this Elder Bei as compensation."
"Yes, sir." Just as Fang Hua was about to take out her Storage Treasure Pouch, Bei Shaoyin stopped her.
It was a good thing that the prudent and steady Ge Cheng had accompanied him. Had it been someone with a fiery temper, they would have found it impossible to de-escalate the situation after seeing Guardian Envoy Yu’s attitude.
"Guardian Envoy Yu," Bei Shaoyin said coolly, "let’s not beat around the bush. I presume your visit to my Sect is not for sightseeing. If you have some other objective, please state it plainly."
He truly had no desire to dance around the issue with Du Youqian any longer. He just wanted to conclude this matter quickly and escort him out with all due courtesy.
It had only been two days, and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was already dead. If they didn’t get rid of this harbinger of disaster quickly, heaven knew what other trouble he would stir up.
How many Foundation Establishment Cultivators could the Shengxuan Sect afford to lose like this?
Even Fang Hua and Meng Xiao unconsciously perked up their ears, ready to hear Du Youqian’s words.
After all, Du Youqian hadn’t briefed them on this matter at all; they had no idea what his ultimate objective was.
Du Youqian said with a hint of nonchalance, "I would be happy to speak frankly, but could this Elder Ge here perhaps put away his Memory Stone, as a show of good faith?"
Ge Cheng showed no sign of embarrassment, merely chuckling. "Ah, my apologies. This old man was careless and grabbed the wrong item. I was merely intending to retrieve a Spirit Stone, to crush it and cast a spell to cool the room."
Du Youqian naturally wouldn’t waste his time bickering, but neither was he foolish enough to actually state his objective openly.
Wouldn’t that be handing them leverage against him?
He just chuckled. "This envoy has no particular objective. I simply heard that your esteemed Sect has a newly ascended Alchemy Master, Master Wei, and I came specifically to witness this master’s brilliance for myself."
Bei Shaoyin’s own smile was far more sincere. "Senior Sister Wei is currently in seclusion, preparing to face the Taihe Sect’s evaluation... Perhaps it would be best for you to return for now, Guardian Envoy Yu. After some time, once our Sect has passed the evaluation and been promoted to a Third-class Sect, we will announce it to the world and invite you to attend the grand celebration. You can have a proper chat with Senior Sister Wei then."
Du Youqian shook his head and chuckled. "Oh, there’s no need for me to leave. Your Sect has such beautiful mountains and rivers; it’s quite intoxicating. This envoy would like to stay for a short while. By the way, I heard that Master Wei is skilled in Magical Combat? This good friend of mine here is always excited by the prospect of a good match. When Master Wei emerges from her seclusion, I hope she will not be stingy with her guidance! And rest assured, this friend of mine is not a Sword Cultivator. He is extremely measured in his actions and would never resort to a killing blow in a spar. It won’t affect your Sect’s promotion assessment at all."
The expressions on Bei Shaoyin’s and Ge Cheng’s faces changed drastically.
Sometimes, words have to be understood by their opposite meaning.
This Guardian Envoy Yu claimed there would be no killing blows, but his clear message was: ’If you don’t play along, my man will kill Wei Yunshi, or at the very least, injure her so severely that her realm drops, making it impossible for your Sect to pass its promotion assessment!’
And this was no empty threat; it was a tangible intimidation.
Zhang Hai’s corpse was more than enough proof of the power and viciousness of the people with Guardian Envoy Yu.
If Guardian Envoy Yu truly wanted to do such a thing, he had a very high chance of succeeding.
Bei Shaoyin’s voice trembled slightly as he forced a smile. "Guardian Envoy Yu, no matter what you require, our Sect will do its utmost to fulfill your request. As for the matter of a spar, let’s not speak of it again. There are no weak soldiers under a Guardian Envoy’s command; our Sect’s cultivators are certainly no match."
Du Youqian still didn’t give a straight answer, just smiled. "A request? What request could I possibly have? Elder Bei, Elder Ge, you mustn’t overthink things. Come, let’s continue drinking!"
Du Youqian would not say, and Bei Shaoyin and Ge Cheng could not force the issue.
They could only force smiles and continue drinking with Du Youqian, feigning enjoyment.
As they drank, the thought of Zhang Hai’s innocent and tragic death filled both of them with a gloomy rage they dared not express.
The Spirit Wine tasted only of bitterness as it went down.
After drinking for half the day, Du Youqian claimed he couldn’t hold his liquor any longer, and Fang Hua escorted him away to rest.
Only Meng Xiao was left, sitting expressionlessly, downing his wine in sullen silence.
After offering him a few more toasts, Bei Shaoyin asked, "Fellow Daoist Meng, may I be so bold as to ask what Guardian Envoy Yu truly requires of our humble sect?"
Having received a message from Du Youqian via Divine Sense, Meng Xiao stopped playing games and said coolly, "The Guardian Envoy wishes to refine a Spiritual Artifact."
Bei Shaoyin fell silent for a moment before asking tentatively, "Where will he be refining it?"
’For a member of the Demon Sect, "refining a Spiritual Artifact" naturally means refining a Demon Artifact.’
’It probably requires a large number of living souls, or perhaps flesh and bones. Some of the more unorthodox methods require extreme human Emotions.’
"Where will he be refining it?" Bei Shaoyin asked nervously.
"Rest assured, Elder Bei. It will not be within your Sect’s Blessed Land."
Bei Shaoyin nodded forcefully. "My Sect knows what must be done."
A corner of Meng Xiao’s mouth lifted. "The Guardian Envoy has made no requests of your esteemed Sect."
"Understood, understood!" Bei Shaoyin knew that this was the sort of thing that could be done, but never spoken of.
’Is he going to the Mortal World to create a slaughter to refine a Demon Artifact?’
’And he expects our Sect to turn a blind eye?’
’You could have just said so! If you had, could I possibly have refused?’
’Why did you have to kill one of our Foundation Establishment Cultivators just to make a point!’
A bitter taste filled Bei Shaoyin’s mouth.
This was the sorrow of a minor sect serving a Major Sect.
"Also," Meng Xiao said deliberately, "your esteemed Sect is the Immortal Sect backing the Wu Kingdom, is it not? Those disciples acting as Tributors in the Wu Kingdom, trying to cultivate without a Spirit Vein, suffering in the Red Dust... it must be hard on them. Why don’t you have them return to the Sect and rest for a period of time?"
Bei Shaoyin froze for a second, then immediately understood.
’That Guardian Envoy Yu must be planning to do something in the Wu Kingdom Capital City.’
’That’s why he doesn’t want any Shengxuan Sect disciples around to get in his way.’
Bei Shaoyin lowered his head. "Fellow Daoist Meng is right. Those disciples have indeed suffered. My considerations were lacking. Our Sect will recall them immediately! But... how long do they need to rest?"
Meng Xiao shot him a look. "You will know when the time comes."
"Yes, yes," Bei Shaoyin said deferentially, a growing sense of desolation filling his heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What? The Immortal Master Tributors at the Imperial Palace have all left in a grand procession? And no one knows when they will return?"
After a moment of stunned disbelief, Du Yuhuan burst out laughing. "The heavens are truly protecting me... No, it’s my ancestor who’s protecting me!"
