Chapter 45: Too Late—the Taxes of Qingxi Fang Have Already Been Collected for the Next Dozen Years!

Red Eyebrow Recluse Zhong Tianshuo—no, Wang Yulou corrected himself—the clan chief would not keep him locked up any longer.

But letting this old bastard go so easily was impossible.

Wang Xianmao waved his hand, and the black vine spirit seed he had nurtured for years flew toward Red Eyebrow.

Red Eyebrow tried to dodge, but Wang Xianmao, with his Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation, easily suppressed him.

The black vine burrowed into Red Eyebrow’s back, crawling along his spine while draining his blood and growing wildly.

“Ahh~ Ahh~ Mmm~ Mmm.....”

In excruciating pain, Red Eyebrow let out desperate screams that sent a chill down Yulou’s spine.

The clan chief frowned slightly, and the vines sealed Red Eyebrow’s mouth.

Watching Red Eyebrow’s desperate struggles and moans, Yulou worriedly said:

“Clan Chief, don’t let him die—we haven’t learned everything yet.”

“Relax, this is the Black Vine Locking Soul Art I developed from my own unique spiritual technique—his spine will be corroded by the black vine.”

Wang Xianmao paused, glanced at Red Eyebrow, now seeded with the Black Vine Locking Soul Art, and smiled:

“If you still wish to achieve Foundation Establishment, only I can remove the black vine.”

“Yulou, do you want to achieve Foundation Establishment?”

Lying on the ground, Red Eyebrow gasped for breath, sweat the size of beans streaming like streams down his flesh crevices—he made no cries, only exhaustion.

Looking at this deformed mass of flesh, Yulou felt a creeping revulsion.

Cultivation, cultivation—Red Eyebrow had become neither man nor ghost, and those like the clan chief who had already achieved Foundation Establishment were even more...

Was it worth it?

“Clan Chief, Yulou wants to achieve Foundation Establishment.”

Red Eyebrow replied weakly.

Did he regret it?

No, he was already too late to regret.

Life is not always a smooth path; Red Eyebrow paid the price for his choice, but at least now he still had a faint, elusive chance.

He did not regret it—he wanted to achieve Foundation Establishment!

Clan Chief, Wang Xianmao, whoever you are—I still want to achieve Foundation Establishment!

“Good, spirit! This secret art was awakened by my spiritual technique, Red Eyebrow—unless you find a Wood Dao expert of Purple Mansion rank to remove it, then...”

Red Eyebrow understood. Red Eyebrow knew.

“Clan Chief, Yulou understands—Yulou will surely teach everything I know to Young Masters Yulou and Yuan!”

Yet this humble, groveling behavior of Red Eyebrow made the clan chief wary.

To endure to this extent...

Red Eyebrow, where did your true master come from?

But the clan chief did not ask—he spent only an instant to devise a suitable plan.

Wait until Yulou and Yuan have finished learning, then interrogate him thoroughly!

“Return to Qingxi Fang, Red Eyebrow—I believe in you.”

Wang Xianmao had this confidence: the black vine seed had been cultivated for years, and the Black Vine Locking Soul Art was cast with his own spiritual technique.

Only a powerful Purple Mansion cultivator like Mang Xiang—or even the legendary Jin Dan True Person—could break it!

If Red Eyebrow did not want to die, he must obey!

Foundation Establishment? You’ll never achieve it in this lifetime!

Accompanied by the clan chief, the group returned to Qingxi Fang in only half a day.

At night, lying in bed, Yuan felt a sense of things changed beyond recognition.

“Brother, it feels like a dream—why did Master want to kill us?”

Yuan couldn’t understand.

Both he and Yulou had been his disciples; Red Eyebrow was too cruel—he even wanted to kill them.

“Hard to say. Greed drove him to raid Jin Guang Pavilion; after succeeding, fear made him want to eliminate all threats.”

Perhaps... our master never saw us as disciples at all.

After all, we only became his disciples in exchange for something.”

Yulou too felt as if viewing things through mist—was the lure of Foundation Establishment truly that great?

To achieve Foundation Establishment, Red Eyebrow slaughtered everyone in Jin Guang Pavilion, risking the enmity of Bai Qian, the legendary Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Immortal Alliance.

To achieve Foundation Establishment, Red Eyebrow even planned to kill his own disciples to remove all possible threats.

To achieve Foundation Establishment, Red Eyebrow changed his name and surname under coercion, becoming Wang Yulou from Zhong Tianshuo.

This craving made Yulou feel a cold dread.

He did not yet know that Red Eyebrow had even considered slaughtering an entire mortal town.

Yuan fell silent for a long while, then murmured:

“I still like Sister Ningyao, brother.”

They were blood brothers; Yuan saw no need to hide anything—he was troubled and longed for his brother’s comfort and support.

“Sister is a person with unshakable Dao heart; now that this has happened, you and Zhong Ningyao have little chance.”

Besides, there are many beautiful female cultivators—you’re still young, you’ll meet better ones later, don’t dwell on this.”

Yulou understood the repression of youth, but he wanted Yuan to realize: after this event, he and Zhong Ningyao were utterly impossible.

“Last year, Sister taught me swordplay and held my hand, saying I was a sword prodigy.”

“Brother, if this hadn’t happened—if I become a powerful cultivator in the future—would Sister like me?”

Yuan knew many things had changed forever, yet he still could not accept it.

He craved some form of validation—desperately.

“There’s something wrong with what you just said—do you realize it, Yuan?”

The harsh reality has planted fear and worry in your heart, so you’re seeking security from a hypothetical scenario.”

Don’t think about this anymore—our main task now is to diligently cultivate and return home as soon as possible.”

Gu Shen Sect and Miao Feng Mountain are clashing; Mang Xiang Ancestor seeks Jin Dan—I fear the future will be chaotic.”

Yulou saw clearly: the Ten Sects of Wunan were ten stable cultivator kingdoms.

Purple Mansion power was already terrifying enough to rival twin suns; if Mang Xiang succeeded in becoming Jin Dan, it would surely shift the balance of power between Hong Deng Zhao and other factions.

From limited information, Yulou noted that Tian She Sect had recently added a Purple Mansion-level beast elder: Fanshipiao.

If Fanshipiao’s joining Tian She Sect is linked to Mang Xiang’s attempt at Jin Dan, then the conflict between Gu Shen Sect and Miao Feng Mountain becomes terrifying.

Yulou saw this possibility—certain events had already occurred, and now they were rising from beneath the surface.

But his own cultivation was still low; in the coming chaos, he could do too little.

Yuan’s romantic fantasy about Zhong Ningyao was the peculiar daydream of youth; Yulou even felt a touch of envy for his innocence.

I hope I’m just overthinking...

Qingxi Fang, Garrison Cultivator’s Residence.

Wang Xianmao was drinking tea and discussing Dao with Mu Chunze.

Both were seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators skilled in Wood Dao, discussing choices of Wood-element magic treasures and spirit seed cultivation, then recent newly developed techniques—they spoke with great pleasure.

“Chunze, you’re profiting too heavily in Qingxi Fang—be careful. The sect now demands strict resource quotas,” Wang Xianmao warned.

Mu Chunze didn’t change expression; he pointed toward Hong Deng Zhao and cursed:

“Isn’t it because Jiang Bao, that dog, collected all the garrison cultivator’s income for the next dozen years?”

What can I do? You know my master—I support Mang Xiang Ancestor’s Jin Dan attempt, but I must also support my master.”

You’re dissatisfied, I understand—but as a disciple, you should understand my loyalty to my master, Xianmao.”

Too late—the taxes of Qingxi Fang have already been collected for the next dozen years.

The Wang clan of Anbei, as vassals of Hong Deng Zhao, are backed by Mang Xiang Ancestor’s lineage.

Mu Chunze, as a Purple Mansion disciple and Hong Deng Zhao’s true heir, has his own Purple Mansion backing.

“I know you’re struggling—we’re all struggling. Let’s understand each other.

Don’t cut the spiritual energy or spirit spring supplies to Fuyuan Ju, Zhiwei Fang, and Huafeng Ju—can you agree?”

“Such a small matter? No problem. But... did you come here just for this?”

Mu Chunze agreed readily, but he hadn’t expected Wang Xianmao had come all this way over such a trivial thing.

It’s just a few hundred spirit stones difference—really?

Xianmao, you’ve regressed over the years.”

Wang Xianmao mentally cursed Mu Chunze as a beast, but asked seriously:

“No, there’s another matter—I received word that Gu Shen Sect raided Wolong Fang. Are they preparing to fight Miao Feng Mountain?”

Mu Chunze’s pupils contracted, then he laughed.

“The matter between Miao Feng Mountain and Gu Shen Sect? I’m just a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator—how could I possibly know?”

You’ll need to pay more for that answer.