Chapter 492: Tianyan Sect

Deep in the night, inside a remote room in one of the buildings at the very center of the Medicine Pavilion complex, the lanterns on the walls emitted an orange glow. Although this room in the Medicine Pavilion contained no stored herbs, it was still permeated with a faint medicinal fragrance.

Lv Zhongtang, Sun Fuga, Zheng Yi, and Xu Qie were all sitting on grandmaster chairs, their expressions looking very grim at this moment.

With Ge Rusong and his faction destroyed, and Qingling Peak—where the Office of Transmission was located—now taken over by Lin Youjian, they had no choice but to move their meeting place here to the Medicine Pavilion.

Ge Rusong's sudden collapse was a heavy blow to them, especially to Lv Zhongtang, whose face could not hide his dejection. Pei Du, the personal disciple he had cultivated for many years, had also been lost in this incident. This time, he had truly suffered a double loss, losing both his wife and his soldiers!

Zheng Yi's expression was also very heavy, as if he had just swallowed a bowl of extremely bitter medicinal decoction. He sighed and said, "So it turns out we didn't see it coming! That old thief Zhu He had already set the trap, just waiting for us to jump in?!"

Xu Qie chimed in, "With Elder Ge's fall and the Office of Transmission lost, we will all be deaf and blind from now on. How can we still fight against Zhu He!?"

Lv Zhongtang's gaze swept over Zheng Yi and Xu Qie. To be honest, with Ge Rusong's fall, his own spirit had cooled by more than half. As for the matter of Pei Du, it caused him even more heartache. He already regretted listening to Ge Rusong's urging to compete for the next Sect Master position. He was never cut out for that role to begin with!

Lv Zhongtang said, "If we can't win, then let's stop fighting. I don't think being the Sect Master is worth it anyway!"

Lv Zhongtang's words already carried the implication of breaking up the group. He had never had much heart for these power struggles; he had merely been unable to resist Ge Rusong's instigation, coupled with his own unwillingness to accept his status as a descendant of the Sect Ancestor, wanting to prove himself. His spirit had been built on a hollow foundation to begin with, and now, faced with setbacks and a bleak future, he began to harbor thoughts of retreating.

Hearing this, Zheng Yi and Xu Qie were actually silent, as if tacitly agreeing. With Ge Rusong's fall, their fighting spirit had also greatly diminished. In fact, Ge Rusong had been the core strength of this faction; Zheng Yi, Xu Qie, and even Sun Fuga had all been individually persuaded by Ge Rusong in the beginning.

Sun Fuga, with his white hair and beard, smiled slightly and said, "Are you all admitting defeat over just this little setback? Isn't that a bit too small-minded?"

Zheng Yi gave a bitter smile and said, "Elder Sun's reprimand is correct, but the situation is so dim that I truly cannot see where the winning move lies! This wave from Zhu He directly wiped out Elder Ge and pulled up our main banner!"

Sun Fuga sighed, "Zhu He is indeed difficult to deal with! But as the saying goes, the situation is stronger than the people. As long as there is an opportunity, we can still turn the situation around."

Hearing this, Xu Qie's gaze swept over Sun Fuga's meaningful expression, and he couldn't help but ask, "An opportunity? What is Elder Sun referring to?"

Lv Zhongtang and Zheng Yi also looked at Sun Fuga. Among them, Sun Fuga spoke the least, and he would never say anything empty or pretentious. Since he had brought it up to this point, he must have something substantial in mind.

Sun Fuga moved his somewhat stiff shoulders and said, "You all should have heard recently that Zhuang Tairu of the Divine Physician Sect achieved the Nascent Soul Realm a month ago."

Zheng Yi's eyes flickered, and he said, "This is no longer a secret; the Jiuzhou Eight Sects should all know by now. In this way, the Shenyi Sect now has two great cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm. The Shenyi Sect occupies the land of Ji Province and borders our Qingzhou; I fear our days will not be easy from now on."

Xu Qie sighed, "There is no help for it. After all, whoever has the bigger fist makes the rules. I expect we will have to concede profits in any future disputes."

Sun Fuga said, "It is not just our Taiyi Sect whose days will be difficult. We are not the only ones bordering Ji Province!"

Lv Zhongtang said, "True! The Tianyan Sect, which occupies the land of You Province, seems to have had more disputes with the Shenyi Sect over the years. With the Shenyi Sect suddenly gaining another great cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm, the pressure on the Tianyan Sect is likely even greater than ours."

"Exactly so!" Sun Fuga said, "There is an old acquaintance of mine within the Tianyan Sect. When we were young, he was just like me, obsessed with the path of medicine and poison. We have known each other for nearly a hundred years and often discuss new discoveries in the path of medicine and poison. Recently, he traveled to Yong Province and, passing through Qingzhou, specifically arranged to meet me. While reminiscing about old times, we also mentioned the recent situation of the sects. He told me personally that the Tianyan Sect's Ancestor, Li Ku, will soon come to Qingzhou to personally pay a visit to our sect's Ancestor, Lv Yinlin."

Zheng Yi said in surprise, "Li Ku is coming to see our Ancestor?"

Sun Fuga said, "That is correct!"

Zheng Yi said, "That old fellow Li Ku hasn't left his mountain in hundreds of years."

Xu Qie said, "It seems that Zhuang Tairu achieving the Nascent Soul Realm has indeed put significant pressure on the Heaven Eye Sect, enough that even that old fellow Li Ku can no longer sit still."

"Every time a new Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse emerges, it affects the situation of the Jiuzhou Eight Sects. Now, except for the Dharma Image Temple in Yong Province, the other seven sects are likely all contemplating change." Sun Fuga's eyes flashed as he said, "However, for us, this is an opportunity!"

Lv Zhongtang, Zheng Yi, and Xu Qie all looked at Sun Fuga with questioning eyes; they still failed to grasp what opportunity Sun Fuga was referring to.

Sun Fuga continued, "The Tianyan Sect's Ancestor, Li Ku, is also bringing the Tianyan Sect's Young Sect Master, Li Ruozhou, with him this time. It is said that he intends to facilitate a marriage alliance between the two sects."

"A marriage alliance!?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi and Xu Qie both looked at Lv Zhongtang in unison.

Old Li Ku's intention could not be more obvious: he wants to form an alliance between the two sects through marriage to jointly resist the pressure from the Shenyi Sect. This matter is by no means empty talk, because if this were to be achieved, it would clearly be in the interests of both the Tianyan Sect and the Taiyi Sect.

Moreover, Old Li Ku brought the Tianyan Sect's Young Sect Master, Li Ruozhou, directly with him this time, showing he is sincere about bringing this to fruition.

As for the person to be married, it was already practically self-evident!

The Tianyan Sect is different from the Taiyi Sect; the Taiyi Sect's Ancestor, Lv Yinlin, is already over a thousand years old and has long since taken a detached view of matters of bloodline.

But the Tianyan Sect is not like that. Even now, a thousand years later, the Li family still controls the sect and the secular world, which can be called a model for all ages.

Therefore, the Tianyan Sect has always placed great importance on bloodline.

This time, who else in the sect could be the best candidate for a marriage alliance with the Tianyan Sect's Young Sect Master, Li Ruozhou, besides Lv Zhongtang's only daughter, Lv Qingzhu?

A flash of excitement crossed Zheng Yi's face, and he smiled, "The only one who is a match for the Tianyan Sect's Young Sect Master, Li Ruozhou, is the apple of the Lv family's eye."

A flash of worry crossed Lv Zhongtang's face, and he hesitated, "That girl Qingzhu has a reclusive temperament; she might not even listen to me?"

Ever since A Mo died, the relationship between father and daughter had once become very strained.

Xu Qie said, "This is an excellent match. Even if she won't listen to Brother Lv, would she not listen to the Ancestor? It is said that the Tianyan Sect's Young Sect Master, Li Ruozhou, is a first-class talent."

Zheng Yi said, "Once the two of them meet, with our Qingzhu's appearance, I guarantee that Li Ruozhou will be head over heels."

Sun Fuga said, "A talented man and a beautiful woman—wouldn't they be a perfect couple?"

Upon hearing this, Lv Zhongtang frowned deeply. He was somewhat unwilling to entangle Lv Qingzhu's lifelong happiness with these matters. Ever since Lv Qingzhu's mother died, he had already owed this girl too much.

Lv Zhongtang said, "This matter still depends on the Ancestor's wishes. Let's wait and see."

Zheng Yi, Xu Qie, and Sun Fuga looked at Lv Zhongtang's expression, somewhat failing to understand the worry on his face.

Isn't this a good thing?

Moreover, this marriage alliance clearly gave them great hope.

Once Lv Qingzhu and Li Ruozhou are married, the next Sect Master will, in all likelihood, be Lv Zhongtang.

After all, the Taiyi Sect's most important task ahead is to deal with the pressure and challenges from the Shenyi Sect. To be honest, the Taiyi Sect's days are not easy either; there is the chaos of the Filthy Blood Sect internally and the pressure of the Shenyi Sect externally, so an alliance with the Tianyan Sect is truly necessary.

If the marriage between Lv Qingzhu and Li Ruozhou is confirmed, and Lv Zhongtang succeeds as the next Sect Master, then the Sect Master of the Taiyi Sect and the Sect Leader of the Tianyan Sect would be in-laws. This alliance would become even more solid because of this relationship.

For this reason, the Elder Council would surely recommend Lv Zhongtang as the next Sect Master. Because this is the interest of the sect, and behind it even lies the will of the Ancestor.

Although Lv Zhongtang did not speak, Zheng Yi, Xu Qie, and Sun Fuga clearly already viewed this as a certainty.

The atmosphere, which had been dejected, immediately became spirited.

Zheng Yi then said, "There is one more thing that needs to be handled."

Lv Zhongtang looked at him and asked, "What else is there?"

Zheng Yi said, "It is Pei Du and Jiang Zhe! They confessed everything about us at the Ruling Sect Justice Division. Although there is no physical evidence and Chu Qiushan did not pursue it, leaving these two alive is a disaster in the end."

Xu Qie said, "Pei Du and Jiang Zhe have had their dantian crippled and have been expelled from the sect; killing them would be no different than slaughtering two dogs. If Brother Zheng feels it is troublesome, just leave these two to me."

Zheng Yi said, "No! I have a ready-made candidate. However, Pei Du is, after all, Brother Lv's discarded disciple, so I must ask for Brother Lv's opinion." As Zheng Yi spoke, he looked at Lv Zhongtang.

A flash of pain crossed Lv Zhongtang's brow, and he said, "You all decide."

Xu Qie said, "Brother Zheng, you say there is a ready-made candidate, but why do I feel there is more to your words than meets the eye!"

Zheng Yi said, "Isn't Liu Shushan still in Shenyun Prefecture? Having him do this, isn't he a ready-made candidate?"

Xu Qie's eyes flickered, and he said, "Brother Zheng wants to take him into your sect?"

Zheng Yi said, "Changing one's sect is not that easy; there must be some price to pay, right?"

In truth, Liu Shushan's talent was not bad; during the Yougu test, he had crossed the Red Line, and during those three years as an Outer Sect Disciple, his achievements were considered outstanding. When Liu Shushan was apprenticing at Longyu Hall, Zheng Yi had wanted to take him in, but clearly, Ge Rusong's terms were more generous, so at that time, Liu Shushan entered Ge Rusong's sect.

Now, Ge Rusong was about to be executed, and Qingling Peak had already been taken over by Lin Youjian; Liu Shushan, this personal disciple, was already a name in name only.

What difference was there between a personal disciple who had lost his master and an Inner Sect Disciple merely registered to various departments?

Zheng Yi giving him this dirty work was to see Liu Shushan's intentions. If he were truly willing to enter his sect, he would have to swallow this dirty work. If he were not even willing to pay this small price, why would he bother recruiting a stray dog with no sincerity?!

Just as Lv Zhongtang and the others were discussing matters at the Medicine Pavilion, deep in the Dungeon of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, inside a solitary cell, Ge Rusong was lying on a pile of hay with a dull gaze.

His hair hung messily over his face, and a dim lantern at the cell entrance illuminated his pale complexion.

He had not suffered a single injury on his body, but his entire cultivation had been completely crippled. Yang Sixuan had just come over to tell him of the Elder Council's decision to execute him.

Ge Rusong lay there, not even lifting his eyelids. When his cultivation was crippled, he had already died once; the execution in a few days was meaningless to him.

Just then, in the Corridor outside the cell, came the creaking sound of the wheels of a wooden cart.

A hunched old man with graying hair was pushing a wooden cart with some effort, walking along the uneven path of the cell Corridor.

On that wooden cart sat two black, filth-covered buckets.

One bucket contained paste-like rice, and the other contained porcelain bowls.

Every time the old man reached a cell, he would stop, scoop a bowl of paste-like rice with a porcelain bowl, and place it outside the cell. Before long, a hand would reach out from inside the cell, take the bowl of rice inside, and then came the slurping sounds of eating.

For a starving prisoner, even spoiled paste-like rice was a delicacy.

Just as for someone about to die of thirst, the water in a chamber pot is also sweet dew.

Following the creaking sound of the wheels, the wooden cart stopped outside Ge Rusong's cell door.

The old man scooped a bowl of paste-like rice and placed it on the ground at the entrance of Ge Rusong's cell, but he did not leave. Instead, he looked left and right cautiously, and after confirming no one was there, he suddenly whispered to Ge Rusong, who was lying motionless in the dark straw, "Sir, Jing Chou has words he wants me to bring to you."

"Jing Chou?"

Upon hearing this name, Ge Rusong's originally dead-gray eyes actually flashed with a glimmer of light.

He turned his head to look at the old man standing at the cell door, with his face full of wrinkles and dead-fish-like eyeballs. He knew this old man; this person was a spy he had planted in the Ruling Sect Justice Division for many years. When he planted this person in the Ruling Sect Justice Division, Yang Sixuan was not yet the Chief of the Ruling Sect Justice Division.

Ge Rusong looked at the man, swallowed with difficulty, and asked, "Jing Chou is not dead yet?"

Jing Chou was an old servant who had served Ge Rusong closely for many years. This person was an orphan who grew up by Ge Rusong's side, was physically disabled, had incomplete bones, and was completely unable to practice martial arts; he was just an ordinary person.

The old man said, "Sect Master Chu said he was just a servant and did not kill him. He sent him to the Lower Courtyard to help manage the Registered Disciples."

Ge Rusong chuckled and said, "Sect Master Chu is virtuous indeed!"

"Sir, Jing Chou found me. He asked if you have any last words to entrust to him," the old man stood outside the cell, looking at Ge Rusong, and asked.

Ge Rusong suddenly struggled to get up, half-kneeling and crawling to the cell door, looked at the old man, and instructed, "Tell Jing Chou to use the things I left behind. Find an opportunity, find a way to kill Duan Rong! As long as this brat is alive, I will not be able to die in peace! My current fate is all because of him!"

"Yes, sir!" The old man's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Anything else?"

Ge Rusong suddenly lay down at the cell door and said, "If it succeeds, burn some paper in front of my grave and tell me, so that I may rest in peace in the netherworld."

"Yes, sir." The old man stood up, pushed the wooden cart, and creaked away.

Ge Rusong suddenly reached out, brought the bowl of paste-like rice from the ground outside the cell door inside, and began to slurp it down.

Jing Chou was one of the people he trusted most by his side. Many of the things he had hidden in various places were entrusted to Jing Chou to conceal, and he had also handed over many of the Sect's secret agents to Jing Chou to contact; this old man was one of them.

If Jing Chou could gather all the things hidden in various places, it would be a force not to be underestimated. As long as it was used properly, killing that old fellow Zhu He was unlikely, but killing a Qi Refining Realm cultivator like Duan Rong was still very possible. He knew very well that the things he had accumulated over many years were very attractive even to experts of the Dongming Realm. It just depended on whether Jing Chou could use them well; making a deal with a Dongming Realm old thief was like asking a tiger for its skin.

"Jing Chou, I will be waiting for your good news down below; don't let me down!" Ge Rusong said, and he actually began to laugh eerily, like an evil ghost.

A centipede dies but never stiffens!

(End of chapter)