Chapter 749: What If I Insist on Having a Share?

After Master Yun Miao True Person finished speaking, he held a gentle smile and gazed quietly at the youth before him.

"..."

Shen Yi did not rush to respond; instead, he directed his gaze toward the clear water in the cup.

These great figures of the Three Teachings always hid mysteries within their words.

The other party's attitude was extremely polite, leaving no flaw to pick, yet the meaning they expressed was the same as that of the pink-satin-clad woman beside them.

What did "come and go as you please" mean?

That was treatment reserved for guests, not for the masses of the Sanxian Sect, and certainly not for disciples of the Lingxu Cave.

If he wished to stay in the Lingxu Cave, that was fine, but it would only be as a temporary lodger; although there was no time limit, the people of the Puti Sect would not come here to cause trouble, which sounded very good, at least solving the immediate problem of survival.

However, once he accepted, he, Shen Yi, would become a loose cultivator, completely cut off from the affairs of Beizhou.

After all, as long as he left the Lingxu Cave, what reason would the Sanxian Sect have to protect him? If he intended to fight for anything, they could simply join forces to kill him, a down-and-out from Da Nanzhou, without any issue.

Beyond that, Shen Yi had no qualification to cultivate the Dao in the Lingxu Cave; how would the great Dao of the Immortal Sects be passed to an outsider?

To obtain this safe dwelling place, the price was to stay here and grow old; the moment he stepped out, any problem that arose would have nothing to do with the Sanxian Sect.

The Human Emperor truly was the Human Emperor; even amidst a pool of wine, he saw through Shen Yi's fate at a glance.

That was why he used those final few words to soothe Shen Yi's unwilling heart.

Just live on peacefully like this, without participating in the Great Calamity; as long as one survives until the end, no matter the result, there will be no lack of a place for you.

"..."

Shen Yi closed his eyes and exhaled gently: "Hoo."

Coming here this time had also opened his eyes.

Since the beginning of the Great Qian, Shen Yi had often heard the phrase "living beings turned to mud," so he had always been cautious, daring not to take a single wrong step; fortunately, his luck was not bad, and up to now, he had never seen a true human hell.

He never expected to see it this time.

Those ruined cities, ruins everywhere, scattered corpses; if Da Nanzhou were broken, it would likely look just like Beizhou does now.

"Still not satisfied?"

Shen Yi's prolonged silence, combined with that sigh, seemed to step on Ling Su's sore spot; her eyebrows shot up, and she spoke with a bit of sharpness: "Don't think I don't know what you're plotting in your heart; stop dreaming!"

"My sect's elders personally intervened, wrestling with the Great General who protects the Divine Dynasty, and with the hard work of my sect's fellow disciples, we achieved the current great situation in Beizhou; you, a cultivator from Da Nanzhou, did nothing, yet you shamelessly come here wanting a share of the spoils; on what grounds?"

"We gave you a cave dwelling to protect your life, and you're still not satisfied."

"If that insect demon master of yours taught you how to write the word 'shame,' either stay here properly or get out and go back to Da Nanzhou!"

Hearing Ling Su's relentless, sharp, and mean words, Master Yun Miao True Person unusually did not speak to stop her.

He had already played the red face; it was time for someone to play the white face, to make this Da Nanzhou cultivator realize the current situation.

Judging by the other party's conduct since arriving at the Lingxu Cave, he must be an introverted and reasonable person; with these words alone, it was enough to shut this young man's mouth.

"..."

Under the gaze of the two, Shen Yi remained silent for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

This laughter made Master Yun Miao True Person unconsciously frown.

Shen Yi raised his eyes to look at the pink-satin-clad woman; there was no great turmoil in his expression: "An imperial decree from Beizhou ordered us all to leave our mountains; at this time, it was the plan of our great sect."

"The Puti Sect scattered my master's sect."

"That monk killed my master."

"I fled for my life and finally arrived in Beizhou."

"Now, it has become your sect."

His clear voice echoed within the cave dwelling; there was no denunciation or weeping, and no sorrow on Shen Yi's face; indeed, a faint smile still lingered on the corner of his lips.

These painful experiences, in his mouth, were terrifyingly calm.

"You!"

Ling Su opened her mouth, somewhat speechless.

Immediately, she saw the youth before her put down the teacup in his hand, slowly rise to his feet, and come before her, looking down from above.

On that slightly blurred face, the earlier warmth like jade had long vanished; in his pair of clean eyes, a trace of ferocity quietly surged.

"If I say..."

Shen Yi stared coldly at this Miss, and a few more notes of mockery born of chilling disdain appeared in the smile on his lips: "I must have a share of this pot?"

Being stared at by those eyes, Ling Su shuddered all over; she had not yet organized her words to refute, and now her mind was completely muddled, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long time.

"Tsk."

Shen Yi did not give the other party a chance to speak; he directly and freely swept past this woman and strode toward the outside of the cave dwelling.

In an instant, his gaze became solemn.

No matter what, even if he had to give up this dwelling place, the identity of the Sanxian Sect must be preserved; in this iron-tight Beizhou, if he were branded as an outsider, even if he possessed three heads and six arms, he would not have any chance to rise again.

"..."

Master Yun Miao True Person's eyelids unconsciously twitched twice.

He never thought that this seemingly gentle youth had such a fierce character.

If this person left this door, and those recent words reached the ears of other fellow disciples, not only would he fail to help Master Qingguang solve this problem, but he would also be suspected of deliberately ruining the other party's reputation!

It was true that the Qingguang Cave did not want to take responsibility, but others did not know that.

This Da Nanzhou cultivator had not gone to request an audience with that senior master, but had come to the Lingxu Cave first; when this eventually spread, would this junior dare to take a few words from the Crane Boy and confront Master Qingguang?

The likely outcome would be that the senior master would directly intervene to deal with the two of them, these two immature juniors, to resolve the "misunderstanding."

Thinking of this, he finally could not hold back and raised his hand: "Wait! Junior brother, stop!"

The title "Junior brother" did not mean admitting Shen Yi into the Lingxu Cave; after all, the Sanxian Sect had many factions, and fellow disciples addressed each other as senior and junior brothers, but it at least recognized the Shenxu lineage.

"..."

Shen Yi, as if he had heard nothing, left the cave residence with decisive speed.

Seeing this, True Person Yun Miao grew anxious, directly waved his sleeve, and a wisp of vast calamity force gently wrapped the youth in place.

"Junior brother, listen to my words."

"We, fellow disciples from Beizhou, are far removed from the Puti Sect; we truly do not understand that the situation in the other three continents is so fierce. You have contributed to our sect, so how could we treat you poorly? Junior sister Ling Su rarely descends the mountain and knows even less of the rules; she is in no position to represent the elders' will. Please, do not take it to heart."

Shen Yi stood silently in place, not turning back.

His eyes remained as calm as an ancient well, yet anyone could see the grievance all over his body; he simply disdained to continue the entanglement.

True Person Yun Miao stepped forward quickly, withdrew the calamity force, and said with slight apology: "The Sect Master has not yet returned; you may stay here for now. Rest assured, I, your senior brother, will personally bear the responsibility for the compensation owed to you."

Fearing Shen Yi might not believe him, he directly took out a jade slip, flicked his finger to leave a message upon it, then used calamity force to transform into a spiritual bird, which carried the jade slip and swiftly vanished into the clouds.

Clearly, this Taixu Danhuang was not a soft persimmon for anyone to knead; on the contrary, the other party was extremely self-willed.

To soothe such a person, one must offer some tangible benefits.

The other party's sect had suffered heavy losses; it would not be an exaggeration to say it was annihilated. Having fled all the way here, all he sought was to claim his share in Beizhou.

Today, I will cast aside this old face to secure a territory for this Danhuang.

Even if there is no result for now, as long as that group of fellow disciples loosens their stance, giving the other party a little hope is not bad.

"Listen to your senior brother and stay peacefully in Lingxu Cave."

Yun Miao forced a smile, patted the other's shoulder, then turned his head to glare at Ling Su: "Choose a cave on the cliff and arrange it near us."

Being able to cultivate near several direct disciples almost equates to admitting this person under Lingxu Cave; it just awaits the Sect Master's return to make the final decision.

Benefits and future prospects were all arranged clearly; nothing was lacking.

"..."

Shen Yi glanced at True Person Yun Miao and said not a word.

Moments later, he cupped his hands, turned around, and returned to the cave residence once more.

Seeing this, Yun Miao stood in place, slowly withdrew his smile, his face turning gloomy, and returned to Banluo Cliff with Ling Su.

Just as they landed.

Ling Su immediately spoke with overflowing resentment: "Why was senior brother so impulsive? Not only did you accept him, but you also sought benefits for him in the name of Lingxu Cave... Even if his master died, it has nothing to do with us; on what grounds should we bear the responsibility!"

"Then what do you say I should do?"

True Person Yun Miao looked at him coldly: "Just watch him leave? Then let Master Qingguang lose face and personally come to Lingxu Cave to demand punishment?"

"That still cannot..." Ling Su was choked by his words.

True Person Yun Miao sighed, raised his hand to cut off her words, and soothed her: "Wait until the Sect Master returns; report this youth's background truthfully to him. If the Sect Master refuses to accept him, then it has nothing to do with us."

"Understood."

Hearing this and realizing there was still a chance, Ling Su could only grit her teeth and endure it.

She could almost imagine how many people would mock her in the future if this insect demon disciple became her junior brother.

"Rumors are just rumors. Now that we have met him, this person is nowhere near as excellent as the crane boy described. I see his cultivation as merely entering the third-rank realm, not even as good as mine... Looking at this, that so-called Dragon-Suppressing and Tiger-Taming Bodhisattva may not be so formidable after all."

"..."

True Person Yun Miao pondered for a moment and nodded lightly.

Even a cultivator of such a realm could escape from his grasp; one could glimpse a fraction of the Bodhisattva's true methods.

Perhaps my future lies in Da Nanzhou?

At the same time.

Inside the mountain cave, Shen Yi sat before the table and similarly took out a jade slip.

He pondered as he recorded a message into it.

While those two observed him, Shen Yi was also observing them; for instance, that Daoist in the purple cloud robe, with a slight display of power, revealed cultivation at the extreme of the Ninety-Nine Transformations.

For these great sects, he still needs to understand them gradually.

Shen Yi had actually visited Nan Xumi once, but did not stay long.

However, the high peaks where the Great Self-Purifying World Bodhisattva resides, and others similar to them, are numerous within East Xumishan; the foundation is truly heart-stirring.

And it takes gathering three Mount Sumerus to equal the Sanxian Sect of Beizhou.

A single disciple under a Jin Xian could possess cultivation comparable to a Southern Emperor; this is not particularly surprising.

The Human Emperor once said that Lingxu Cave is merely an unremarkable branch within the Sanxian Sect... To stand firmly in Beizhou, the difficulty is indeed somewhat terrifying.

"..."

After finishing recording the current situation, Shen Yi summoned Shenxu Laozu, allowing the other to flee into the Taixu Realm and return this jade slip to the Imperial City.

The one he left behind in the Imperial City was Ye Lan.

The two knew each other thoroughly; Shen Yi could somewhat trust the other. Coincidentally, keeping her by the Human Emperor's side meant that before the grand situation was settled, the Divine Dynasty could also conveniently protect Ye Lan's life, achieving two goals with one move.

As for Master Zhikong, who left Da Nanzhou together, he was not left in the Imperial City.

This former Puti Sect pilgrim, even after enduring the torment of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, still had not let go of that sliver of kindness in his heart.

In his own words, although his cultivation was only sixth-rank, as long as he entered the world, he could always do something for the common people; even picking up a few bricks to help rebuild a few villages was better than sitting idly within high walls.

Of course, he would not return to Da Nanzhou.

Regarding this, Shen Yi did not persuade him further. Looking across the world, there was an emerging trend where good and evil were hard to distinguish; whatever anyone did seemed inextricably linked to the Imperial Qi.

Only this pilgrim, who could once be blocked by an old commoner woman with a broken wooden door, still possessed such a clear heart.

"Better to think of oneself first."

Shen Yi helplessly shook his head; although the process was not smooth, he had at least achieved his goal.

With the identity of the Sanxian Sect, conducting affairs in Beizhou in the future would be much more convenient.

He closed his eyes and sank into internal observation.

The Bodhisattva's seat of Jin Guang, brilliant and radiant, had already reached the realm of perfection; the characters that had previously swept across it had not reappeared for a long time.

On the other side, the whirling wind of the Divine Void still retained only the rudimentary shape of its gathering, with a long way to go before reaching perfection.

However, with Beizhou in such chaos, earning some demon lifespan should not be difficult.

With such strength alone, it is far too hard to make a name for oneself.

Shen Yi had long seen through the true face of Beizhou.

With the three Sect Masters holding the fort, fellow disciples were everywhere; pull a vine and you bring forth a melon, one lineage connected to another.

In such a place, no matter how high one's cultivation, it cannot surpass that of a Sect Master; thus, compared to strength, background and roots are what truly matter.

Do not rush; wait first for True Person Lingxu to return.

Several more days passed.

A new cave dwelling was opened up within the Half-Falling Cliff.

"Yan Shidi Taixu Danhuang, see if there is anything else needed." True Person Master Yun Miao stood with hands clasped behind his back.

"Thank you both." Shen Yi shook his head; he was not particular about such external things.

Ling Su stood cold-faced beside them, as if someone owed her money.

"That is good."

True Person Master Yun Miao smiled; as long as this Taixu Danhuang could be temporarily stabilized, what was a mere cave dwelling?

Just then, a spiritual bird from the sky returned carrying a jade slip.

He raised an eyebrow and waved his sleeve to catch it: "Perfect; there is also news regarding the junior brother's matter."

Speaking thus, True Person Master Yun Miao directly immersed his divine sense into the jade slip.

As he finished reading the reply within, the smile on his face quietly faded, his expression gloomy with a hint of embarrassment.

(End of this chapter)