Song Yao: “?”
Had Feng Qing been possessed?
Slightly bewildered, she nodded and then shook her head, tilting her head up to look at her.
Feng Qing reached out intimately, seemingly wanting to touch her face, but a paper talisman flew over once again, blocking her hand right on target.
Her brows arched slightly, a flash of displeasure crossing her eyes as she slowly withdrew her hand. Looking up at Xie Zhou, who stood by the bed, she said with a trace of casual mockery, “You certainly protect her fiercely. I used to think the Myriad Talisman Sovereign was cold-natured and looked down on everything in the world, but it turns out you have moments when you care this much as well.”
Xie Zhou still didn't respond.
Feng Qing didn't press the issue with him either. She turned, walked to the desk, sat down, and got straight to the point. “I didn't come to look for you for any other reason. I heard earlier that the Qi-Replenishing Pills you refine cost next to nothing compared to ordinary pills, yet their effects are extremely peculiar, to the point that even Mingdan Pavilion extended an olive branch to you.”
Song Yao instantly understood what she meant.
No wonder she was being so pleasant despite Song Yao concealing the matter of the secret realm.
It turned out she needed something from them.
Looking at the situation, the reason Feng Qing hadn't made things too difficult for her Fourth Junior Brother, and was even somewhat tolerant, was also to obtain his talisman techniques.
She sat up, bending over to reach for her shoes, which had been kicked askew on the floor, as she said, “Mingdan Pavilion did indeed invite me to participate in the Alchemist Tournament, but Sect Master Feng must have also witnessed the side effects of my Qi-Replenishing Pills. They are incredibly powerful and difficult to overcome...”
Midway through her sentence, a shadow fell beside her.
Xie Zhou bent down and picked up the shoes before she could. His slender, bony fingers held the back of the shoes as he knelt on one knee, familiar with the motion as he slipped them onto her feet.
Song Yao felt that something was slightly off, but since she was focused on speaking, she didn't pay it much mind. She continued, “Besides, I only know how to refine this one type of pill, so I can't participate in any Alchemist Tournament. For Sect Master Feng, the harms of this kind of pill outweigh the benefits, so it really shouldn't be considered a high-grade pill.”
Feng Qing's gaze fell on Xie Zhou. Watching him put shoes on someone else as if no one else were in the room, a strange look flashed in her eyes.
After a moment, she said in an unquestionable tone, “Since there are side effects, then find a way to overcome them.”
“First, hand over your current pill formula to the Beiyao Sect's pill cultivators. I will assign you the best pill cultivators and the most abundant medicinal herbs for you to adjust and improve as you wish.”
“As long as you can produce a safe and flawless finished product, I will allow you to take charge of the Beiyao Sect's Pill Pavilion.”
Song Yao raised her eyebrows.
Oho.
The conditions offered were quite tempting.
After hesitating for a moment, she nodded. “It's fine, but I have a condition.”
Moqi's face darkened instantly. Stepping forward, he barked sharply, “Presumptuous! The conditions offered by Sect Master Feng are already exceptionally generous. A disciple from an evil sect like you dares to push your luck and negotiate terms?”
Song Yao immediately shrank back to Xie Zhou's side, grabbing his arm to seek an ally. “If we can't reach an agreement, then forget it. Neither my Fourth Senior Brother nor I will do it, right, Fourth Senior Brother?”
Moqi instantly flew into an even greater rage. “It's one thing if you don't want to live, but why drag the Myriad Talisman Sovereign to death with you!”
Xie Zhou's gaze lingered for a moment on her hand clutching his arm. He said, “I'll do as she says.”
Song Yao breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, thank goodness.
Fortunately, her Fourth Junior Brother knew to stand by his junior sister at the crucial moment.
Feng Qing's brow twitched violently.
Previously, she had used so many disciples of the Nine Saints Hall as leverage to force him to barely agree to her terms. Was he now disregarding the lives of his fellow disciples entirely?
She stopped Moqi, who was about to lash out again, and said calmly, “Whatever condition you have, feel free to speak. As long as it is not excessive, I will do my best to satisfy you.”
Song Yao originally wanted to tell her to stop privately punishing the disciples of the Nine Saints Hall. But on second thought, this woman was ruthless; Chen Qingqiu had suffered hundreds or thousands of whip lashes under her hand in the past.
Getting someone so inherently tyrannical to stop punishing the Nine Saints Hall disciples was simply impossible.
Song Yao thought for a moment, then cast a stealthy glance at Moqi.
Moqi: “...”
What was that look?
What did she want to do?
Why did he have a bad premonition?
Sure enough, in the next second, the young girl spoke up in a gentle and warm voice, “Actually, it's not a big deal. I just hope that if any Nine Saints Hall disciple does something wrong and needs to be punished, Senior Moqi will be punished along with them. Is that okay?”
Moqi: “?”
Feng Qing: “?”
Seeing that neither of them seemed to understand, Song Yao kindly explained, “Meaning, if a cultivator from the Nine Saints Hall gets whipped once, Senior Moqi gets whipped once too.”
Moqi: “??”
Wait.
Was this girl out of her mind?!
What kind of grudge did they have between them?!
What benefit did this bring her?!
He hurriedly turned to look at Feng Qing. “Sect Master! Absolutely not! This girl is clearly being difficult on purpose. She must be hiding some sort of conspiracy—”
But Feng Qing raised her hand to interrupt him, her voice cold and hard, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation. “I agree.”
“Sect Master!”
Moqi cried out in disbelief. “This girl is pushing her luck! How can you let her run wild like this!”
Feng Qing cast a sideways glance at him, her face darkening slightly as she spat out two words: “Shut up.”
How could she not see that this girl was deliberately making trouble?
Under normal circumstances, she had plenty of ways to slowly wear them down until she and Xie Zhou bowed their heads and obeyed.
But right now, time was of the essence, and she really had no time to waste on them.
Song Yao hadn't expected her to agree so quickly and decisively either. She cast a gloating look at Moqi, then quickly straightened her face and said with utmost seriousness, “Since Sect Master Feng is so sincere, I naturally won't disappoint you. I will write down the pill formula later and send it over...”
After saying that, she thoughtfully asked, “By the way, do I need to send a copy to the pill cultivators of the Taiqing Pavilion as well?”
Feng Qing's voice suddenly turned cold. “No need!”
Probably realizing her reaction was a bit too intense, she added, “I will deliver it to them myself when the time comes. Write down the pill formula here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to collect it and escort you to the Pill Pavilion.”
With that, Feng Qing did not wish to waste any more breath. She flicked her sleeves and turned to walk out.
Moqi glared fiercely at Song Yao and angrily followed. However, before he could take two steps, Song Yao called out again, “Sect Master Feng.”
Feng Qing paused in her tracks. When she turned back, her brows were already knitted, her tone thick with impatience. “Is there something else?”
Sitting by the bed, Song Yao asked expectantly, “When you punish Senior Moqi in the future, can you let my Junior Sister Ming do it? Her whip technique is precise and powerful. She's quite formidable.”
Feng Qing: “...”
“You're courting death!”
Moqi's face flushed red with anger. He pointed at her and was about to step forward, but Feng Qing swept a cold gaze over him, forcing him back.
Feng Qing's temples throbbed. She really had no energy to bicker with her over such boring matters, so she said coldly, “As you wish.”
Then, she stepped over the threshold. With a sweep of her palm in midair, spiritual energy spread along the doorframe, laying down a barrier outside the entire quiet room.
As the spiritual energy fluctuated and expanded, her cold, harsh voice drifted in: “I have granted all the conditions you requested. You had best stay here obediently tonight and write the pill formula. If you run around again and get caught by me, don't blame me for being ruthless!”
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