Chapter 54

Qian Chen thought he was just joking—he hadn’t reached the point of killing someone over a few harsh words, unless it involved ideological conflict, good-versus-evil divides, or mortal enmity; he still had a fairly good temper, not the rash kind who’d slaughter entire families at a single glance.

He put away the spirit pill and said calmly, “To offer such a spirit pill in exchange is my impertinence. If the clan head refuses, I’ll simply bring another magic treasure to trade…”

Wei Taiping sneered, “You trick me with such inferior spirit pills—your character is narrow-minded, a scheming opportunist. What good magic treasure could a man of your caliber produce? Now that Zhen Daochang has exposed your true face, how dare you still linger here? We of the Wei family decline to entertain you…”

Facing this torrent of accusations, Qian Chen felt utterly innocent—it was clearly you who lacked discernment… but he was the host here; if he refused the exchange, Qian Chen had no face to forcibly seize it.

He rose and bowed, “Then I shall take my leave!”

Wei Lecheng said kindly, “Let me escort the young Daoist out…”

Qian Chen laughed, “No need!” and immediately summoned a sword light, shooting through the hall in flight—the moment the sword light arose, it startled everyone present.

Wei Taiping hadn’t expected this young-faced Daoist to have such cultivation, let alone carry a flying sword; his departure revealed a refined sword technique, which also startled those in attendance.

He immediately felt regret: “If I’d known this young Daoist had some cultivation, I should’ve spared him some face.”

But then he thought: “Zhen Danshi seems to dislike this young Daoist for some reason—perhaps the Daoist’s alchemy is sloppy and has annoyed Zhen Danshi. Right now, my priority is to curry favor with Zhen Danshi and get him to teach me some alchemical secrets. If I can make him my master, even if I never inherit the clan head’s position, my status in the family will be as solid as a mountain, thanks to my alchemy.”

He immediately poured wine repeatedly, subtly hinting at this intent.

Yet Zhen Daoist, watching the sword light vanish into the distance, had already grown covetous—he wanted to forge the Earthly Demon Dragon-Snake Sword, merely a side-path flying sword, inferior in essence to the Black Iron Dark Demon Hook Qian Chen had purchased; others saw Qian Chen’s exquisite sword technique, but he saw that Qian Chen was only at the Sensing Qi Refining stage, hadn’t yet forged his fundamental magic power talisman, and his cultivation was far beneath his own.

Moreover, he prided himself on having many cruel schemes, and judging by the young Daoist’s dull reaction today, he was likely not particularly clever.

He immediately conceived the idea of launching a covert attack.

Seeing Wei Taiping’s eager flattery, Zhen Daoist’s thoughts shifted, and he devised numerous cruel schemes to use Wei Taiping as a blade—he shook his head and chuckled, “This man can’t take advice… arrogantly proud. He showed off at the end, yet still revealed his fear—I suspect he’s only got Qi Refining power, hasn’t even mastered the Dao. His flying sword is surely just a stroke of luck.”

He planted a seed in Wei Taiping’s heart, to manipulate him later.

He played a few rounds of Taiji with Wei Taiping, finally tricking the Wei family’s second young master into kowtowing and begging to become his disciple in alchemy; Zhen Daoist feigned refusal several times, then reluctantly accepted Wei Taiping, as if worn down by everyone’s pleas. He even arranged a spirit pill gathering, promising to refine a batch of pills for everyone at a discount.

Instantly, flattery surged through the hall—the warm, harmonious atmosphere returned, and everyone forgot Qian Chen’s departing sword light.

Qian Chen’s sword light fled the Wei estate, and he felt a faint gloom—he was reminded of the petty scheming of his past life. As a graduate student, he’d endured plenty of indignities: working like a beast for his advisor, swallowing endless bitterness. That advisor was greasy as hell, even declaring: “If you can’t hold your liquor, don’t expect to graduate from me!”

He’d studied and labored so hard in his past life he nearly went bald—enduring so much irrelevant bitterness…

Being shouted at today? What was that compared to his past life, when he had to smile while being scolded!

Qian Chen slashed out a sword, its blade slicing sharply across the Nine Zhen Lake—the water surged in waves, like the tangled troubles of his past life, chaotic and relentless…

A sharp cry—he pushed the sword light harder.

The Black Iron sword light surged three zhang, breaking through an invisible barrier—the sound of the sword piercing the air vanished entirely, and the lake surface calmed.

This sword light severed all the troubles stirred within Qian Chen—he laughed aloud.

“Can these petty troubles still bind me today?”

“I am no longer the man I was yesterday. That me, struggling in the mud of mortal life, is now free. If I must still compromise, endure, betray my heart as I did in my past life, what joy is there in immortality? I’d merely be pickled deeper in that filthy water!”

“With a long sword in hand, I’ll take no shit from any bastard!”

“In this life, I not only seek immortality—I seek freedom and ease. If I can’t have freedom, even immortality won’t tempt me!” Qian Chen spoke with iron resolve, but inwardly he wasn’t as firm as he sounded; honestly, if someone offered him immortality—even with a few compromises—he’d still say, “Mmm, delicious.”

Qian Chen gave a cold, sly smile: “Why does Zhen Daoist harbor ill will toward me? My spiritual sense has sensed it—he holds deep malice, not mere temporary irritation. Throughout history, such malice arises from stealing a lover, clashing egos turning to grudges, or greed over wealth and profit…”

“Before I left, I showed off my flying sword—without using external qi or spirit pills.”

“He must think my power is weak. If greed stirs, malice flares, and he acts out of avarice, that will be his death warrant.” Qian Chen flared his sword light and vanished a hundred li in an instant.

Only now did he understand why he clung to his cultivation.

It was the endless troubles of the mortal world, the humiliations and compromises forced upon him, the vulgarity, helplessness, and betrayals of his true self—the invisible net binding him, the urge to scream in the quiet of a city night. Since he began cultivating, he’d suddenly realized he had another choice—he saw the vastness of heaven and earth.

He had finally found a path beyond it all…

Long confined in a cage, trapped in nets and snares.

One day, riding the wind, I return to nature.

Qian Chen stood atop the Nine Zhen Lake, the night serene and beautiful. He felled trees to make a boat, laid his sword across his knees, and gazed at the moonlit lake, drifting peacefully all night. Aside from refining pure qi as usual, his spirit was utterly relaxed—he’d long forgotten the Wei family’s affairs.

Yet in the Wei estate, someone had worried about him all night.

Wei Taiping went to Wei Lecheng’s study to pay respects. He entered to find Wei Lecheng holding a cup of fragrant tea and reading a scroll; he merely nodded at Wei Taiping’s arrival.

Wei Taiping whispered, “Father, I’ve arranged for my master to rest.”

“Study hard and learn your craft,” Wei Lecheng said calmly. “Then I’ll rest easy…”

Wei Taiping’s eyes flickered: “Father, that young Daoist is only at Qi Refining—he hasn’t even forged his magic power. Yet he still has a flying sword. Our Wei family owns only one ancestral sword… This Jiaobu Town is our territory. Since he’s heading deep into the Great Marsh, he won’t leave easily.”

“The Great Marsh holds many dangers. Losing a Qi Refining cultivator isn’t unusual.”

Wei Lecheng chuckled, “Did your master teach you to say that?”

Wei Taiping’s face paled, his gaze scattering: “Master said, it’s just one flying sword—it’ll be mine eventually…”

“Fool!” Wei Lecheng hurled his teacup, pointing at Wei Taiping. “Fool… you haven’t even received a single benefit from him, and you’re ready to kill for him? Zhen Daoist covets that flying sword—why doesn’t he act himself? Why push the dirty work onto you?”

“This Jiaobu Town is our domain—anyone acting here can’t hide from us. Master must rely on us, right?” Wei Taiping protested.

“He’s a wandering cultivator—if trouble arises, he vanishes, roams the rivers and lakes, even flees overseas. Even a Golden Core master can’t track him down. But we have a family, a legacy—this Wei estate can’t run away!” Wei Lecheng cursed his son’s stupidity.

“But every year, those lucky cultivators who find precious spirit herbs…”

“We knew their origins! Do you know this young Daoist’s background? Is that sword a gift from elders? A stroke of luck? A sect-bestowed treasure? Is he a true disciple of a Daoist sect? A great side-path lineage? Or a noble scion? He writes ‘wandering cultivator’ on his letter—do you believe it?”

“Your old man is called the Bald Vulture—everyone in the cultivation world laughs at me for my short-sighted greed, fixated on petty gains.”

“But when have I ever acted before securing the benefit? You, on the other hand—someone offers you a pie in the sky, and you’re already willing to risk your life for your master?”

“Now he needs us—why not dangle him, and learn real skills? Instead, you’re driving him away!”

Wei Taiping, fearful and confused, said, “That young Daoist is unpredictable—he won’t stay long. If we get the sword first, then deal with my master later, wouldn’t that be better?”

“When his goal is achieved, do you think you’ll still have a chance to take the sword?” Wei Lecheng sneered. “Once his goal is met, he won’t linger—he’ll leave before trouble finds him.”

Wei Taiping said more, but Wei Lecheng explained each point clearly; finally, Wei Taiping left reluctantly. Wei Lecheng said, “Go fetch your master several batches of Qi-replenishing pill ingredients…”

Wei Taiping winced: “That’s worth tens of thousands of taels!”

Wei Lecheng finally exploded—he smashed the teacup before his son’s face. “When it comes to great matters, you act recklessly, yet you balk at spending a little money? You dare kill for him, but you whine over cash? Useless! If you don’t give him benefits, why should he teach you?”

“Give him the herbs—ask him to refine a few batches. Even if you just sneak and learn, you’ll pick up plenty!”

“With master-disciple ties, how can he refuse to offer a few tips? That’s the real benefit you can seize. That young Daoist’s origins are strange—his bearing isn’t from a minor sect. Why don’t I court him? Why choose your master instead? Is he a true Daoist disciple? How much can he truly help our Wei family?”

“Your master’s alchemy? That’s the kind of skill that can expand our family’s fortune.”

“Angering a great sect disciple—they have rules. Would they destroy our Wei family over this? But anger your master? He’s a petty man—he’ll seek revenge day and night. That’s the real calculus… You, on the other hand, want to kill someone you should respect, and bow to someone you should slowly subdue!”

“How did I, Wei Lecheng, give birth to such a fool?”

Zhen Daoist watched his cheap disciple respectfully present several batches of Qi-replenishing pill ingredients, claiming they were a gift for his master to practice with. He casually grabbed the well-prepared, high-grade spirit herbs and sneered inwardly: “Old fox.”