She suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.
She no longer talked about death all the time, yet she was still doing things that risked her life.
What if those from the Taiqing Pavilion had a plan and weren't ready to strike immediately, but decided to silence her directly to avoid raising suspicions?
Or what if they kidnapped her and locked her away in the Taiqing Pavilion just for her pill formulas? What would she do then?
She was no longer the supreme sword cultivator who could sweep through the Tianshu Realm; she was just a minor Golden Core.
To them, crushing her would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Why couldn't she just behave herself?
The words caught in Zhu Zhao's throat, and she forced them back down.
Forget it.
She had always known what kind of person Song Yao was.
She did things without any regard for consequences, bound by no taboos.
No one could stop Song Yao, and no one could hold her back.
Only Song Yao herself knew what path she wanted to walk.
Zhu Zhao massaged her temples. In the end, she said nothing, only reaching out to pull the longevity lock around Song Yao's neck out from her collar. She rubbed it twice and asked abruptly, “Didn't you say you wanted to leave the Nine Saints Hall? Do you want to leave right now?”
Song Yao watched her actions, wondering if she had misheard. “Right now?”
“Yes.”
Zhu Zhao nodded. “When I went out to train in the past, I passed through the Haitian Realm and saved a minor sect from sea demons. You can go stay with that sect for a while. Neither the Taiqing Pavilion nor the Beiyao Sect will be able to find you there, and they won't mistreat you. If you want to farm and raise chickens, it's very suitable. Once everything is over, you can return to the Tianshu Realm and find a place you like to stay.”
It did sound very tempting.
However...
Didn't Zhu Zhao hate deserters the most?
During a previous demon hunt, it was said that a disciple under her command got scared and fled at the last second, only to be severely punished by her upon return.
So why was she the one suggesting that Song Yao run away now?
Song Yao thought about it and said, “But we can't get out right now, can we?”
Zhu Zhao replied, “I heard Feng Qing is returning to the Beiyao Sect tomorrow, leaving only two of her elders here. When the time comes, I'll find a way to slash open a rift. There are still Nine Saints Hall disciples outside who can receive you.”
Song Yao was even more astonished.
She had already thought out a plan?
Zhu Zhao had truly undergone a complete personality shift and turned into an incredibly good person.
Seeing her remain silent, Zhu Zhao frowned. “You should think it over carefully. Opportunities like this are rare...”
“No need, I'm not leaving.”
Song Yao snapped out of thoughts, took the longevity lock from Zhu Zhao's hand, stuffed it back into her collar, and interrupted her. “With so many good shows waiting to unfold, wouldn't it be a shame if I left?”
Still that same nonchalant attitude.
Zhu Zhao grew slightly anxious. “This is no time for games. If a fight breaks out, I might not have the spare energy to protect you.”
Song Yao finally couldn't help but chuckle. “Zhu Zhao, why would you protect me?”
It was already a miracle if they didn't fight to the death or kick each other while they were down, let alone protect one another.
This was too much of a leap.
Zhu Zhao choked on her words.
Why was she protecting her?
What else could it be?
She was simply afraid that Song Yao would get hurt, that she would suffer, and that she would vanish without a trace just like before.
But how could she say those words out loud?
Song Yao patted her shoulder considerately. “Don't worry, I won't die... nothing will happen. Even if something does go wrong, who could possibly run faster than me?”
She turned and pushed open the door to walk outside. As she stepped over the threshold, she looked back at Zhu Zhao and said with a smile, “Why have you become so timid and hesitant? Zhu Zhao, what are you afraid of?”
Without waiting for Zhu Zhao's response, she strolled away lazily, leaving behind a few parting words: “Besides, it's still up in the air who will be protecting whom when the time comes. Relax, Zhu Zhao. Don't we still have ninety-nine meals left to eat?”
“I'd hate to die before eating the meals Second Senior Sister promised to treat me to.”
...
Above the dome of the Taiqing Pavilion's main hall, a bizarre mass of dark purple mist churned and swirled, its heavy pressure blanketing the entire palace like a tangible force.
Ye Chongguang sat cross-legged in the center of the mist. His eyes snapped open, and a majestic ripple of spiritual energy swept down the palace steps in waves.
The five elders standing below the steps all paled. Their feet faltered as they stumbled half a step backward. They hurriedly circulated their full spiritual energy just to barely anchor themselves in place, respectfully cupping their hands. “Congratulations, Pavilion Master, on taking your cultivation a step further! This is truly a blessing for our Taiqing Pavilion!”
Ye Chongguang slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. The dark purple mist retracted, flowing back into his body.
He descended to the main seat, the ruthlessness in his eyes lingering. “Is Feng Qing really planning to keep the Nine Saints Hall all to herself?”
Ye Linchong immediately stepped forward and reported in a deep voice, “Replying to the Pavilion Master, this is by no means false. The Beiyao Sect previously went behind our backs to intercept all the high-grade spiritual herbs. Right now, the key locations of the Nine Saints Hall, such as the Pill Pavilion, the Library Pavilion, and Qiangua Peak, are entirely under their control. They won't allow any disciples from our Taiqing Pavilion to come even half a step closer.”
“If a pill cultivator from the Nine Saints Hall hadn't accidentally let this slip, we would probably still be kept in the dark, played like fools by them!”
The Third Elder took half a step forward and added, “I heard they have also controlled several personal disciples and elders of the Nine Saints Hall, forcing them to teach the Beiyao Sect disciples everything they know.”
“The others are one thing, but if the Crimson Phoenix Sovereign's spiritual techniques and the Myriad Talisman Sovereign's talisman arts are learned, it will likely propel the Beiyao Sect to even greater heights.”
“Even more troublesome is that personal disciple of the Nine Saints Hall, Lin Mu. The pills she refines conserve ingredients yet possess extraordinary efficacy, working wonders for healing, replenishing Qi, and detoxifying. Feng Qing has locked her in the Pill Pavilion, forcing her to refine the pill formulas to eliminate side effects. Once they succeed, the Beiyao Sect will have an endless supply of pills, and their next move will surely be directed at us.”
The First Elder showed an anxious expression. “If we let this continue, the thousands of years of the Nine Saints Hall's heritage will be completely swallowed by her! How can we just toil for someone else's benefit?!”
Ye Chongguang sneered upon hearing this. His hands slowly clenched over his knees as killing intent surged in his eyes. “She wants to swallow it all? She'd better have the stomach for it!”
Ye Linchong's spirits rose. “Pavilion Master, should we make our move immediately? We can reclaim control of the Nine Saints Hall while the Beiyao Sect has yet to fully establish their footing.”
The other elders chimed in as well.
However, Ye Chongguang's gaze suddenly darkened. His cold, harsh eyes swept over the crowd below the steps, and his voice was bone-chillingly cold. “I recall that I recalled you all from the Nine Saints Hall and left it to Feng Qing so that you could focus all your efforts on tracking down Chen Qingqiu's whereabouts. Where is she?!”
The hall instantly fell silent. The elders exchanged glances and bowed their heads, their voices laced with unmistakable guilt. “Replying to the Pavilion Master, to this day, we have... we have yet to find any trace of Chen Qingqiu... Please punish us, Pavilion Master.”
“Punish you?”
Ye Chongguang laughed in extreme anger. He slammed his palm heavily onto the armrest, and dark spiritual energy exploded outward, crashing down on those below like a collapsing mountain.
With several loud thuds, the knees of the five elders buckled. They were forced to their knees by the majestic pressure, unable to raise their heads even a fraction.
“A bunch of useless trash!”
His face was livid. “Combined, you have the strength to rival even a Deity Transformation cultivator. Yet after all this time, you can't even catch a single girl! What use do I have for you?”
Rate on N.U.
