“Finish off the Daoists…”
Lu Fan’s tone of voice was very calm—like it was about to rain, and Lu Fan was telling him to go home and retrieve his laundry and bring it inside.
Nie Changqing’s seated body stiffened on the futon.
Did the Daoists… offend the Young Master in any way?
Among the Hundred Schools of Philosophy, not only were the Daoists very powerful, but also they were the first school Lu Fan came to know.
Originally, Nie Changqing was a traitor of the Daoists. Han Lianxiao was sent by the Daoist philosophers to go after and kill Nie Changqing and take Nie Shuang away. But Han Lianxiao was careless, leaving room for Lu Fan to thwart his plans.
Nie Changqing once thought that following Han Lianxiao’s death, many other powerful Daoist members would show up at Beiluo City to avenge his death.
However, Nie Changqing guessed wrong.
The Daoists did nothing. Han Lianxiao’s death was like a piece of autumn leaf quietly sinking to the bottom of a pond, creating not even a ripple.
“Young Master… do you mean it?” He could not help but ask.
Nie Changqing suppressed the dreadfulness he felt in his heart.
Lu Fan leaned back in his wheelchair, as the morning light flickered, shining its glaring rays behind him with a hint of purple hue.
“Do I sound like I’m kidding?”
“When you save your wife, you will have to break into the Daoist territory anyway. If you finish them off while you’re at it, you don’t lose anything…” Lu Fan said as he rolled up his sleeves and placed a white chess piece on the Spirit Pressure Chessboard.
Acquiring the Daoists was really an impulsive fantasy of Lu Fan’s.
He had always been holding onto the wrong idea.
If he wanted to build White Jade City into a Supreme Power that could surpass the Hundred Schools of Philosophy, then there was, in fact, a more convenient way of doing so—some sort of shortcut.
By acquiring two to three of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy to achieve the purpose of deterring them while maintaining White Jade City’s mysteriousness at the same time, then it would show the world White Jade City’s prowess. From there, White Jade City could become a Supreme Power.
Lu Fan had always felt he was a very kind person.
That was why he made Old Nie go and find out first if the Daoists were willingly agreeable with getting acquired like how Tianji School was. If they were, then it would be a happy ending for everyone.
If they were unwilling, then at least he, Lu Fan, had been kind about it beforehand.
Nie Changqing’s mouth felt dry.
After acquiring Tianji School, they were once again going to acquire the Daoists…
It was like Nie Changqing could vaguely see the grand ambitions that Lu Fan had. While he was flustered, he was also somehow excited.
“Why? You don’t dare to?”
Lu Fan glanced at Nie Changqing and raised his eyebrows.
“Now that you’ve reached the Eleventh Stage Qi Core, if you refine one more wisp of Spirit Qi, your Qi Core will reach completeness, and you can then try for the Internal Organs Realm.”
Lu Fan’s words echoed on the balcony.
Nie Changqing kept a straight face as he sat in all seriousness.
“It’s actually not easy to go for the Internal Organs Realm. The Overlord defeated 10,000 armed soldiers all by himself and tried to break the shackles of the Internal Organs Realm under immense pressure but failed by a hair’s breadth. Do you think that without some pressure, you’d be able to break through the Internal Organs Realm?” Lu Fan asked.
Nie Changqing was surprised. Had Overlord the defeated 10,000 soldiers all by himself?
“Don’t be too relaxed. Your strength now is not even worth mentioning. If you continue to stay still and refuse to make progress, in the future… You will be eliminated,” Lu Fan stated.
Nie Changqing clenched his fists.
“Fix your attitude, and then go and get three Gathering Qi Elixirs from Ni Yu. Just three, no more than that… Though the elixirs may be good, you are different from Ni Yu. She can achieve a breakthrough by consuming elixirs. But you, Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, and the others are not allowed to do so.”
“If you break the rules, you will be severely punished,” Lu Fan said, his fingers tapping the armrest of the wheelchair.
Nie Changqing looked serious as he nodded his head solemnly.
Did the Young Master… give up on Ni Yu?
Nie Changqing turned his head to look at the said girl, whose backside was still perched up as she refined elixirs happily on the island and pursed his lips.
“You can go.”
Lu Fan waved his hand.
Nie Changqing got up and left the White Jade City pavilion.
Lu Fan’s wheelchair turned automatically, and while leaning against the railing, he gazed at the morning sun as the corners of his mouth curled up.
He was suddenly quite looking forward to the moment when White Jade City would acquire all the Hundred Schools of Philosophy and become a Supreme Power.
White Jade City was only a thin layer away from becoming the Supreme Power, and acquiring the Hundred Schools of Philosophy would be able to tear away this thin layer.
On Lake Island.
Mo Liuqi was kneeling quietly on the slab of bluestone.
He had been kneeling the whole night, yet Lu Fan had not once paid him any heed.
Mo Liuqi did not give up.
He was going to become a disciple of White Jade City. He wanted to learn Immortal Cultivation. He wanted to become a real cultivator. He wanted… revenge.
All of a sudden…
Mo Liuqi’s whole body shuddered.
He raised his head and looked toward White Jade City pavilion, which was shrouded with a thin fog, his eyes full of hope.
“Young Master…”
Mo Liuqi balled his fists tightly.
“You lost to the Overlord. Failure is not frightening. What is frightening is being unable to stand back up after failure and becoming blinded by hatred.”
Lu Fan’s faint voice resounded in Mo Liuqi’s ears.
“Young Master… What should I do?”
Mo Liuqi loosened his clenched fists, both hands trembling. Tears had unknowingly started falling down his face.
He had witnessed with his own eyes how Zhu had fallen like a withering scarlet Angel’s Trumpet.
With his own hands, he had picked up Mo Yiheng’s half-shattered smiling mask.
His heavy heart was crumbling.
“Young Master… You possess extraordinary power. Can you please save Zhu and Poker Face? I am willing to spend my whole life working for you in exchange for their lives…”
Mo Liuqi knelt on the ground like a broken child as he cried.
On the island.
One by one, Nie Changqing, Ning Zhao, and the others looked at the brokenhearted man.
They gazed were fixed on Mo Liuqi, as they watched him cry his heart out.
Such true feelings of extreme grief would only be revealed when one lost a loved one.
“They’re dead.”
Lu Fan’s faint voice sounded.
“When a person dies, his soul goes to hell, and he cannot be reborn.”
After hearing Lu fan’s words, Mo Liuqi’s heart fell to his stomach, and he felt it grow even colder.
“However, now that Spirit Qi has been rejuvenated, the world has experienced a great change, so go out there and search for the Immortal encounters. In the future… it might be possible to reopen hell, and their souls might just be able to return.”
Mo Liuqi was stunned and then quickly raised his head, his eyes filled with hope.
“Work hard and become stronger. When you’re strong enough to reopen hell, maybe… that will be when you’ll meet them again.”
Lu Fan’s voice continued to linger on Lake Island.
But just like a drop of dew, his voice brought moisture and hope to Mo Liuqi’s heart, which was like a dry and desolate desert.
Mo Liuqi stood up and gave a deep bow to Lu Fan.
Afterward, he turned around and left Lake Island on his lone boat.
He was going to leave Beiluo City. He was going to travel across the continent to look for the Immortal encounters, and he was going to become stronger until the day when he could reopen the gates of hell.
In the second story of the pavilion…
Lu Fan took a sip of his green plum wine as he watched from the railing and gave another reminder.
“You can go to the borders. Perhaps, hope will be where despair is overflowing.”
His words mingled together with the clouds.
However, Mo Liuqi’s figure was already gradually becoming blurry.
******
North County, Buzhou Peak.
Li Sansi opened his eyes slowly as the mountain peak grew more silent than ever as the howling wind had all but disappeared.
Dressed in a green top and seated on a bluestone, Li Sansi grabbed his wooden sword as he turned his head around warily.
Immediately, he was stunned.
Because behind the bluestone, a young girl was sitting quietly while hugging her knees.
The young girl’s eyes were closed, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.
How could this girl have appeared on Buzhou Peak?
Li Sansi hopped down from the bluestone as he continued to observe his surroundings alertly. In front of the dark cave, there was a pile of dried bones.
Although there were so many bones in front of her, this young girl showed no signs of fear.
There was something wrong… with this girl.
A great sense of terror spread throughout his body.
While staring intently at the girl, whose eyes were still closed, Li Sansi brandished his wooden sword while his Spirit Qi swirled in his Qi Core.
He was shocked all of a sudden.
The young girl’s skin was like creamy jade, while her baby-faced features reflected a tinge of naivety and ignorance of the world.
Her innocence was like a little hammer beating Li Sansi’s chest, making his heart slightly quiver.
He could not help but think of his little sister, Li Sansui.
A long time ago, she had been so innocent as well…
However, the more innocent she was, the more vulnerable she became.
When his sister changed her name to Mo Chou after getting hurt, Li Sansui no longer existed in this world, leaving behind only the nun, Li Mo Chou.
Li Sansi dropped his wooden sword and then said, “Young lady…”
The girl with closed eyes said nothing, only raising her finger and pointing at the wooden flute attached to Li Sansi’s waist.
Li Sansi paused.
“Young lady, you want to listen to the flute?”
The young girl nodded.
Li Sansi was somewhat embarrassed. He liked playing the flute alone beyond the Great Wall, precisely because he was not very good with the instrument.
He was not used to playing in front of others.
Li Sansi was about to open his mouth to refuse, but as he looked at the young girl who was hugging her knees and crouching on the ground with a pout on her baby-faced features, his heart quivered, and he suddenly did not feel like refusing any more.
“If I don’t play it well, please don’t mind it,” Li Sansi said as he scratched his head.
After that, he leaped onto the bluestone again and sat back down with his legs crossed. He placed his wooden sword on his knees as he held up the long flute to his lips and blew into it, the air going through the holes in the flute. His fingers moved slightly, playing a graceful tune.
Atop the Buzhou Peak, the music from the flute resonated melodiously, accompanied by the brilliance of the morning light. To say the least, it was an elegant sight.
A Daoist in a green robe was playing music, while a young girl was listening to it.
It was quite a harmonious picture.
However…
If someone from outside Buzhou Peak were to look over in their direction now…
Then they would realize that no such young girl was listening to the music from the flute.
There was only a monster with a human head and a snakelike body winding out from the within the dark cave and suspending itself in front of Li Sansi as it closed its eyes and listened to his tunes.
As the saying goes, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.”
That was the exact situation that Li Sansi was in right now.
When he had finished playing his flute…
Li Sansi opened his eyes slowly with a smile on his face as he looked at the young girl.
The young girl nodded slightly as she raised her hand again and pointed at the long flute.
Li Sansi was surprised. After playing the flute once, it seemed he was no longer as shy, so he carried on to play another tune.
The beautiful musical sounds from the flute made Li Sansi quite enjoy the feeling of having a listening audience.
As the sounds from his flute lingered on, the indescribable horror that permeated on Buzhou Peak disappeared.
“Young lady, I’ve made a fool of myself.”
Li Sansi let out a hearty laugh.
He rubbed the back of his head as he looked at the young girl curiously.
“I am Li Sansi. Surname, Li. Name, Sansi. May I ask what your name is, young lady?”
Li Sansi smiled.
The girl hugging her knees hesitated for a moment. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and then she opened her mouth, her voice a silent murmur.
“Dad… Calls… Me… Zhu Long [Torch Dragon].”
“Zhu Long [Bamboo Jade]?”
Li Sansi thought for a moment and nodded. “What an elegant name, with the beautiful meaning of a bamboo resembling a jade in the moonlight. It sounds much better than the stupid name of Mo Chou that my little sister gave herself,” Li Sansi exclaimed.
The young girl was a little confused, but she said nothing in response.
She raised her hand and pointed at the flute once again. She liked to listen to music.
“Let me take a rest. I’ve already played a few tunes, so my mouth’s feeling dry.”
Li Sansi chuckled as he retrieved the wine flask hanging by his waist. He pulled the stopper and drank a few mouthfuls of his liquor to his heart’s content.
The girl’s eyelashes twitched, and her nose was slightly raised as she held out a finger and pointed at the wine flask.
Li Sansi could not help but stop what he was doing.
“You want to drink this wine?”
“No, no…”
After hearing the rejection, the young girl seemed to look unhappy as her creamy jade skin flushed a shade of red. Her eyelashes twitched once more like she was about to open her eyes.
Li Sansi thought the girl was going to cry.
As a child, he was most afraid of his younger sister crying because whenever she did, he would always be at a loss as to what to do.
In a fluster, he hurriedly passed the flask to the girl.
“You can only have one sip,” Li Sansi said seriously.
The flush on the young girl’s face disappeared as she held the flask to her mouth and took a drink… And then all the liquor in the wine flask was gone.
However, she pointed her finger at the flute once again.
Li Sansi did not know whether to laugh or cry. This girl… was peculiar indeed.
He sat cross-legged on the bluestone and faced the rays of the morning light as he played his flute, the melodious tune a relaxed one.
The girl listened to him play while she patted the wine flask, wanting for some wine to pour out from it.
******
Beiluo, Lake Island.
Just as he was playing chess, Lu Fan’s body suddenly stiffened.
His eyes changed indistinctly, his vision shifting. Then, he saw the beautiful scene of a man in a green robe playing the flute on top of Buzhou Peak.
Lu Fan’s mouth trembled…
Li Sansi, that scoundrel!
Was his newly born Torch Dragon… going to be kidnapped just like that?
