Chapter 152: The Elder's Token
"Insolence!" The cultivators in purple surrounded Xiao Nanfeng, their weapons drawn.
Zheng Qian frowned. "These cultivators are lawless. Benefactor, you have to leave at once!"
"Matters here aren't settled yet. Why should I leave?" Xiao Nanfeng rejected Zheng Qian's suggestion.
"What are all of you doing? Make a move if you dare!" Ye Dafu jumped out from the crowd and pointed at the cultivators in purple.
"Who dares provoke our senior brother?!" The disabled Taiqing disciples, hearing the commotion, likewise stepped forward in defense of Xiao Nanfeng.
The cultivators in purple, now with their numerical advantage stripped from them, couldn't help but frown.
"What strength! Who dared to launch a sneak attack on me?" The purple-clad leader slowly got up from the ground.
"What division of the Taiqing sect do you belong to?" Xiao Nanfeng asked coldly.
"He's not a disciple, but rather a guard of the most senior disciple of the Mortal division," Ye Dafu quickly replied.
"Oh?"
"The most senior disciple of the Mortal division is the third prince of the Tianshu Empire, and he has a group of guards protecting him at all times. That's them," Ye Dafu explained.
"So these aren't Taiqing disciples to begin with? Why doesn't anyone stop these foreign troublemakers, then?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.
"We work for His Highness, and our reputation is his reputation. You'll suffer for daring to launch a sneak attack on me!" the purple-clad leader cried out, leaping toward Xiao Nanfeng.
"Insolence!" The disciples attempted to block the attack, but Xiao Nanfeng was even faster than they were. He flashed right by his opponent's side and sent him flying even faster than before. He smashed into a huge tree.
"This is the Taiqing Immortal Sect, not the Tianshu Palace. How dare a foreigner lay a hand on a Taiqing disciple? Strike again and I'll have you leave your head behind, too," Xiao Nanfeng warned.
The man coughed out blood as he stood up. Clearly, Xiao Nanfeng had held back the first time. The second time around, after confirming that the man wasn't a Taiqing disciple, Xiao Nanfeng had been much more decisive.
"Sir!" The purple-clad cultivators immediately rushed over to him.
Some brandished their weapons at Xiao Nanfeng, not sure what to make of him.
"Swing it at me and see what happens." Xiao Nanfeng's eyes flashed with killing intent.
"Sheathe your blades!" the purple-clad leader called out, his face dark. He continued to cough out blood. He knew that his opponent wouldn't go lightly on his subordinates; if they really did attack him, they might well be slain.
The subordinates retreated behind their leader.
"Zheng Qian called you his benefactor, so you must be Nanfeng. Just you wait. The third prince will hear of this," the purple-clad cultivator warned.
Xiao Nanfeng scoffed, then turned to Zheng Qian. "Zheng Qian, I heard that some people were hindering you from buying pills. Is it them?"
"Benefactor, a few days ago, some of my friends and relatives were assaulted and had their arms broken. I've been attempting to purchase some limb regeneration pills, but they've bought out the entire stock each time! In my conversation with their leader, he revealed that he might have been the culprit. They're intending to force me to work for the man they serve," Zheng Qian asserted.
"Oh?" Were these cultivators here to steal his talent?
The purple-clad leader called out coldly, "Mr. Zheng, I advise you to be more careful with your speech. What does this assault have to do with us? I spoke in anger; do not take my words seriously."
Zheng Qian frowned, but refused to quibble with the man.
Xiao Nanfeng belatedly discovered that the purple-clad leader was far less impulsive than he appeared to be. It was very possible that the man had been trying to test his strength.
Xiao Nanfeng ignored the purple-clad cultivators and turned to Zheng Qian. "How many limb regeneration pills do you need?"
"Eight, but they've reserved them all, and I—"
"Where is the shopkeep?" Xiao Nanfeng called out.
"Senior Brother Nanfeng, I am the shopkeeper responsible." An elderly man immediately walked forward.
"Are there limb regeneration pills available?"
"A batch of twenty has just been produced, but they've been reserved by a senior disciple from the Mortal division."
"Then they are available. Bring them over."
The elderly man hesitated, wondering if he had stated things clearly enough.
"Senior Brother, this batch of limb regeneration pills has been reserved," the elderly man emphasized.
"Do you not understand me? Bring them over," Xiao Nanfeng repeated.
The elderly man hesitated, looking at the leader of the cultivators in purple.
"We reserved the limb regeneration pills first. If he dares hand them over to you, that would be a violation of sect custom and disrespect to the disciples of the Mortal division," the purple-clad leader began.
"The only reason you're buying these limb regeneration pills is to target Zheng Qian. How dare you be so arrogant about hoarding precious sect resources? Do you not see my injured juniors, who desperately need such pills immediately?" Xiao Nanfeng replied.
"That's right! My arm has already been broken for two months, and it might never recover unless I ingest such a pill immediately. Are you trying to cripple me for life?"
"So what if you represent a senior disciple of the Mortal division? Is he going to take responsibility if I end up crippled for life?"
"I'll fight you for these pills if I must!"
The gathered Taiqing disciples clearly had no intention of giving up on this batch of limb regeneration pills, but the old shopkeeper of the apothecary was firm. "I apologize, but rules are rules. This batch of pills has been reserved by a senior disciple of the Mortal division, and I can't do anything about it."
He was well aware that the ordinary Taiqing disciples were far less influential than the third prince of the Tianshu Empire; he could hardly afford to offend the latter, even at cost to the former.
"If you can't do anything about it, then you had better leave your position. There are plenty of nominal disciples around who can serve as shopkeep," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
"I apologize, but my position is of sufficient importance that only sect elders can remove me from it. Unless you have an elder present or an elder's token, then—"
The old man was about to continue talking when he suddenly stopped short. An elder's token had appeared in Xiao Nanfeng's hand.
"This is—!" the old man exclaimed.
"Using the Lady Arclight's token on you is a waste, but I do need to prioritize my junior disciples' treatment. You've been removed from your position," Xiao Nanfeng announced.
"No! You can't use an elder's token so casually. You must have stolen this!" the old man cried out.
"We can all bear witness that the Lady Arclight conferred this token on Senior Brother Nanfeng herself," the disabled disciples called out.
"What? How could this be?" Flustered, the old man turned to the cultivators in purple. He had been assisting them in making life difficult for Zheng Qian, and they had a tacit accord. Now that he was in trouble, he eyed the purple-clad leader as though asking for help.
"Don't bother looking toward them. They're a bunch of foreigners, who have no say in internal matters of the sect," Xiao Nanfeng continued coolly.
The elderly man stiffened and looked around in mounting panic.
The purple-clad leader narrowed his eyes, pretending not to see the old shopkeeper's expectant gaze. He didn't dare to make a move, not when an elder's token was in play. If he dared slander the elder's token, that could be viewed as willful violation of the sect rules. Even the third prince wouldn't be able to save him then.
"Juniors, go pay for your limb regeneration pills. Leave eight behind for my friend, please." Xiao Nanfeng looked around at the group of disciples that had gathered around him.
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" The disciples surged forward.
Zheng Qian sighed in relief. His friends and relatives were safe.
"Nanfeng? Just you wait!" The leader of the purple-clad cultivators sniffed haughtily as he left. He was unable to prevent Xiao Nanfeng's actions now; all he could do was leave. The other cultivators in purple followed suit.
"A bunch of phonies! Feh!" Ye Dafu called out.
"Ye Dafu, help me out. Keep an eye on them," Xiao Nanfeng whispered.
Ye Dafu immediately nodded, arranging for his lackeys to take turns spying on the purple-clad cultivators.
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