Chapter 62: Chapter 60: Half a Jade Scroll
After Du Youqian and Chen Yingzhi finished their negotiations, settling on one Five-Flower Qi Storage Pill in exchange for the Wei Wen Alliance Cultivator and all his family members, the people from the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect immediately withdrew.
The Wei Wen Alliance Cultivator, who had been on the verge of death, suddenly seemed to experience a final burst of vitality as color returned to his face.
Like a fallen nobleman, with a composure tinged with reserved pride, he saluted Du Youqian with one hand. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Qiu. So you are the Zhongxuan Sect’s Garrison Cultivator? I have long heard of your renown and have always admired you. It is a pity that I’ve only had the honor of meeting you today."
Du Youqian ignored the sarcasm in his words. He glanced at the dozen or so listless Mortals and said coolly, "I understand you harbor some resentment, Fellow Daoist. However, I can see your injuries are quite severe. If you don’t receive treatment soon, I’m afraid your foundation will be damaged. These people also need to be settled in. So, perhaps you shouldn’t be in such a hurry to voice your grievances."
The Wei Wen Alliance Cultivator gave a bitter laugh. "Grievances? What right do I have to voice grievances now? The Wei Wen Alliance is finished. All my friends have perished, and I alone am left, shamefully clinging to life. If I didn’t have to look after their families, I would have followed them in death! Alas. Fellow Daoist Qiu, I’m in turmoil over the loss of my friends. Please excuse my behavior."
"If you don’t mind, Fellow Daoist, then let me handle the arrangements."
Seeing that Du Youqian, who had gone out for something as simple as buying vinegar, had returned with a large group of people, Yang Wuling did not utter a word of blame. Instead, his eyes glistened, and he was overcome with emotion.
"Immortal Master Geng! Are you the only one left?"
Cultivator Geng of the Wei Wen Alliance gave a bitter smile. "Ah, Yang Xiaoyou. My fellow daoists have all perished. Only I, despite losing an arm and having my path of cultivation severed, managed to cling to life."
The two caught up for a moment.
In truth, there wasn’t much to say. After a few brief words, they both tacitly fell silent.
Yang Wuling led the Mortals away to rest.
Cultivator Geng moved to cup his fist in salute, but could only look at his one remaining hand and give a bitter smile. He said to Du Youqian, "Words cannot express such a great kindness. Fellow Daoist Qiu, if you have any need of me in the future, you have but to command."
"You are too kind, Fellow Daoist Geng. You all fought and risked death for Wenzhe City. I saw it with my own eyes and am truly grateful. It’s just that in some matters, I wanted to help but was powerless. I hope you won’t hold it against me."
Cultivator Geng said dejectedly, "Things have already come to this; what’s the point of blame? If we must blame someone, we can only blame ourselves for overestimating our own strength, for being too optimistic. We thought it was just a few renegade disciples from the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect stirring up trouble here. We never expected... never expected this."
Du Youqian understood.
If the Loose Cultivators of the Wei Wen Alliance had known from the beginning that this was an official operation by the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect, they would have steered clear. Even if they had ten times the courage, they never would have dared to get involved.
But for the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect to come and make a move in the Zhongxuan Sect’s Blessed Land, while they did not fear the Zhongxuan Sect, they couldn’t afford to be too blatant about it. Otherwise, under the current rules in Momenan, other Second-class Sects of the Profound Sects Orthodox Sect would step in on Zhongxuan Sect’s behalf.
Thus, the disciples they sent out could only be vague about their identities, making it seem as though they were a few renegades acting on their own, greedy for the immense profits to be made here.
The Zhongxuan Sect, for its part, didn’t dare to resist and was unwilling to publicize the matter, having no desire to blow the situation out of proportion.
If they offended the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect, this behemoth could throttle them in other ways—targeting them during Secret Realm explorations, secretly sabotaging the development of their Spirit Stone Mines, creating difficulties in their dealings with other Sects... That would be far more painful.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect had a typical Demon Sect mentality, caring only for tangible gains and not for appearances. As long as they profited, nothing else mattered.
To put it bluntly, these Loose Cultivators had been completely screwed over by the tacit cover-up between the two Major Sects.
There wasn’t much Du Youqian could say, and Cultivator Geng, having suffered such a great disaster, was in no mood to talk. They looked at each other in silence.
「The next day.」
Yang Wuling came to report, "My Lord, Immortal Master Geng says he wishes to see you about something. It seems he wants to offer some treasure to thank you for saving him."
"After the tragedy they’ve suffered, there’s no need for thanks. I don’t need their gratitude," Du Youqian sighed. "Still, I’ll meet with him. It might put his mind at ease."
When Cultivator Geng was led before Du Youqian, he appeared to be in much better spirits.
He dispensed with the pleasantries and got straight to the point. "Thank you for your protection, Fellow Daoist Qiu. Unfortunately, I spent my entire fortune fighting the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect, and the Magical Artifacts I normally use were confiscated yesterday. I have nothing with which to repay you. However, such a great kindness cannot go unreciprocated. I suddenly recalled a fortuitous opportunity I stumbled upon in my earlier years. I lacked the power to pursue it myself, so I would rather offer it to you to repay your immense kindness."
As he spoke, he took out a Jade Scroll.
Du Youqian was about to refuse, but when he saw the Jade Scroll—or to be more precise, what looked like half a Jade Scroll that had been snapped off—he swallowed his words.
The angle of the Jade Scroll’s fracture looked incredibly familiar.
In his previous life, he had killed a Tribulation Cultivator at Cyan Bamboo Castle in the Wu Kingdom. Among the spoils was another half of a Jade Scroll, and it looked like it would be a perfect match for this one.
According to the analysis of his master at the time, Elder Tao, the Jade Scroll likely pointed to the cave abode of a Cultivator at least at the Golden Core Realm, and might even contain a heaven-shattering Inheritance. That half of the Jade Scroll was currently hidden on Soul-shaking Mountain, inside a cave concealed by an Array.
"Since you insist, Fellow Daoist Geng, it would be rude of me to refuse." Du Youqian accepted the Jade Scroll but didn’t examine it right away. Instead, he took out a porcelain vial and a Heart-Protecting Mirror.
"This bottle of Clover Rejuvenation Pills can help you recover from your injuries and restore your Cultivation. This Defensive Spiritual Artifact, while only Lower Grade, is nearly Middle Grade. Please take it for your protection, Fellow Daoist."
Both of these items were things Du Youqian had crafted casually. To his current self, they were practically nothing, but for a Loose Cultivator like Geng, they were rare and extravagant treasures.
Sure enough, Cultivator Geng was overwhelmed with gratitude. He said, slightly embarrassed, "How can I possibly accept this? I came to repay your kindness, not walk away with something even more valuable."
But his eyes were fixed on the Heart-Protecting Mirror, full of longing.
Du Youqian smiled slightly and pressed the two items into his hand. "Frankly, the fact that you suffered such a calamity and loss within a city of my sect is a failure on the part of the Zhongxuan Sect. I am merely offering you some compensation on the Sect’s behalf. Please do not disdain these humble items."
After some token resistance, Cultivator Geng had no choice but to accept them.
Only after Cultivator Geng had left did Du Youqian eagerly begin to study the half Jade Scroll.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that this half, combined with the piece he had hidden on Soul-shaking Mountain, still wouldn’t form a complete Jade Scroll.
There must be another small fragment missing.
He placed the half-scroll against his forehead and probed it with his Divine Sense.
After a long moment, he lowered it and shook his head.
The combined information from the two halves of the Jade Scroll was still not enough to pinpoint the location of the Golden Core Cultivator’s cave abode.
Nor were there any more detailed descriptions of the life of the suspected Golden Core Great Power.
It seemed he would have to wait until he found the final fragment before he could explore the Golden Core expert’s cave abode.
Du Youqian grumbled to himself, ’Let’s hope I don’t find that last little piece of the Jade Scroll only after I’ve already reached the Golden Core or even Nascent Soul Realm myself.’
