Chapter 84: Candidate for Consort

Grass and trees withered, clouds deep, water dark.

The man standing on the high platform was barely thirty, tall and lean, his face clean-shaven and pale, clad in a bagua robe, wearing a Hunyuan crown, and stepping on flying-cloud void shoes; his attire was splendid, his bearing solemn.

He slightly opened his eyes, expressionless, glancing around.

Instantly, the dozens of Blood Lotus Sect disciples below the platform, who had been chatting and laughing moments before, all startled, puzzled by his intent—yet as his gaze swept over them, they all bowed in unison, clasping hands in salute.

The courtyard fell utterly silent.

Only the cold wind made countless withered branches and yellow leaves tremble and flutter down in rustling swirls.

“Brother Qin, has something changed?”

Amid the silence and bowed heads of all Blood Lotus Sect disciples, a cloud of red-and-white qi drifted slowly from afar, upon which stood a short, bald, red-browed dwarf.

The dwarf cultivator grinned, glancing around at the bowed Blood Lotus Sect disciples, a hint of mockery flickering in his eyes; then he gently lowered the cloud onto the platform, composed and calm, and bowed with a gesture:

“Has some senior brother or sister encountered trouble? What has stirred Brother Qin to such anger?”

The dwarf called “Brother Qin” was the lead organizer of this Blood Lotus Sect delegation, named Qin Xian.

His cultivation had reached the second level of Foundation Establishment, “Great and Small as One,” just one thin barrier away from the third level’s fullness—he was the highest-ranked among all present in the Blood Lotus Sect!

Seeing the dwarf’s inquiry, Qin Xian’s expression softened slightly, yet his face remained grim; he shook his head and sighed:

“Brother Xu, you don’t know—just now, the eyeless Hu Qin I gave to Zheng Hua for communication suddenly lost its connection; it’s likely dead already. Thus—”

“Then Zheng Hua must be in grave danger too?!”

Hearing this,

the dwarf cultivator lost his calm demeanor, his smile vanished, his expression turning sharply serious.

“Who was with Zheng Hua?”

He turned to the Blood Lotus Sect disciples below the platform and coldly barked: “Is that person still alive?!”

“It was Sister Zhao who was with Brother Zheng… I’ve sent word to Sister Zhao, but received no reply—likely both of them are…”

A Blood Lotus Sect disciple below the platform bowed and replied.

As he raised his head, he saw the dwarf’s gaze held a hint of hostility, startled, and hastily explained, drenched in sweat:

“Brother Qin, Brother Xu, it’s not that we neglected Brother Zheng—his ties with the senior sister are strong; we’d be glad to curry favor with him, how could we ever distance ourselves?!

It’s simply that Brother Zheng has pined for Sister Zhao for years—he found our presence an obstruction and stubbornly refused to let us accompany him! Brothers, please understand—this is not our fault, we’re truly wronged!”

Upon hearing this, countless Blood Lotus Sect disciples below the platform began protesting in unison, voices clamoring, chaos erupting.

Only when Qin Xian impatiently released his Foundation Establishment qi, pressing down upon their hearts with oppressive weight, did the noise subside slightly.

“Zheng Hua! Zheng Hua! What a fool—even in death, he brings us trouble! Had I known, when he first entered the sect, I should’ve sacrificed him in blood offering!”

After pondering for a long while, the dwarf cultivator realized he could no longer avoid this mess; he stamped his foot in fury, cursing bitterly:

“Sister Zhao? That fat, pig-like female cultivator? Her body fat could light a whole city’s lamps! Zheng Hua was lucky enough to be chosen by the senior sister as her consort—how could he be so ungrateful?!

With such a jewel before him, he refuses to cherish it, yet clings to some Sister Zhao—fool! A fool who knows nothing of fate!”

As the dwarf seethed in rage, Qin Xian fell silent, his face growing even more grim.

“It’s done. After returning to the sect, punishment is inevitable—more resentment won’t help.”

Seeing the dwarf still spewing curses, Qin Xian raised a hand to stop him and shook his head:

“Zheng Hua’s face is strikingly handsome; over these years of constant proximity, the senior sister favored him deeply—even allowed him to marry, bear children, and keep concubines.

You and I know he was meant to be a cauldron for cultivation; yet the senior sister let him live this long, let him enter the path of cultivation, and even we must treat this consort with respect. His death under our watch—”

Qin Xian paused, then sneered:

“We’ll all have to pay a visit to the Eight-Eyed Cave when we return.”

The dwarf shuddered, lifting his head in disbelief.

Qin Xian, as if seeing nothing, continued speaking:

“If you wish to avoid that suffering and humiliation, the only way is to redeem yourself through merit—that’s the only viable path!”

“You mean capture the one who killed Zheng Hua and hand him over to the senior sister for punishment?”

The dwarf understood, yet hesitated: “Will this appease the senior sister?”

“Better than doing nothing at all!”

Qin Xian spoke without expression.

The dwarf sighed; the two exchanged glances.

The dwarf pulled several golden arrows from his sleeve, used his fingers as brush, inscribed words with true qi, then hurled them skyward and murmured a spell.

Moments later, he pointed and said: “Go!”

The golden arrows shot through the clouds with a “whoosh,” swift as wind and lightning, vanishing instantly.

“There. I’ve informed several junior brothers of this matter—may they have good fortune and capture Zheng Hua’s killer.”

Watching the golden arrows vanish into the sky, the dwarf cultivator’s face twisted into a bitter smile, his expression helpless.

This time, the Blood Lotus Sect sent six Foundation Establishment cultivators; besides himself and Qin Xian on the platform, four others were roaming the Huaiwu Cave, plundering qi to help Qin Xian secure a ranking.

“Such a fine opportunity, yet Zheng Hua had to spoil it—truly vexing!”

The dwarf shook his head, took a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, and handed it to Qin Xian.

Qin Xian, after lifting the seal and checking the total qi within, could not help but relax his perpetually stern expression slightly.

“Brother Xu, truly impressive—you’ve gathered so much qi! You’ve made your elder brother look at you anew!”

“I didn’t bother killing beasts or birds, sweating myself to exhaustion.”

The dwarf yawned lazily:

“I just steal—no need to search. Kill anyone I meet, rob anyone I see! Those fools labor hard to slay beasts, nearly dying for it—yet what do they gain? It all ends up in my hands!”

“Brother Qin, now I finally understand the benefit of having someone behind you—it’s this sweet taste.”

With that,

he sighed deeply: “Had it not been for the Flower God Mansion’s desire to chastise the Huaiwu Cave Master, and their willingness to back us, how could we ever dare risk angering a Cave-Enlightened Alchemist beneath his very nose?”

“The Flower God Mansion and the Five-Light Sect are clashing; our Blood Lotus Sect and this Huaiwu Cave Master are merely pawns—what do we matter?”

“I heard the Flower God Mansion intends to absorb our Blood Lotus Sect as a branch—assuming this is true—”

The dwarf gazed dreamily: “Will we one day be able to call ourselves disciples of a great sect when we travel?”

Qin Xian smiled, but said nothing.

The two exchanged a few more words; the dwarf courteously took his leave. After he departed, the countless Blood Lotus Sect disciples below the platform also dispersed, rushing in all directions.

In an instant,

only Qin Xian remained alone on the platform.

“With the help of these sect brothers, though only one Foundation Establishment cultivator may rank in the top three, I will surely be among them!”

Qin Xian sat down again, closing his eyes to rest.

He silently thought:

“The ripples from the clash between the Five-Light Sect and the Flower God Mansion—even a single one—could drown me a thousand times over. Yet in the struggle for the Dao, how can one afford such hesitation?

This act may anger the Huaiwu Cave Master, but with the Flower God Mansion backing me, my life and wealth are safe—and perhaps I’ll even earn their favor and promotion… Isn’t that precisely why I’m risking everything?”

Thinking of this,

Qin Xian’s lips curled slightly upward.

Yet,

when he thought of Zheng Hua and his senior sister, that faint smile faded helplessly…

“Capturing Zheng Hua’s killer isn’t enough. The senior sister adores handsome men. To quell her fury, we’ll need to find her a new consort.”

After much hesitation,

Qin Xian suddenly remembered something.

His eyes flashed bright; he rose with a long laugh, pacing back and forth behind his back, his steps growing lighter and quicker.

“Yes! Yes! How could I have nearly forgotten him?! In all the southern lands, even all of Dongmi, who could rival him in beauty? Zheng Hua isn’t even worthy to carry Chen Hang’s shoes!”

Qin Xian felt he had seized the perfect plan; his eyes grew brighter still.

“Yan Zhen is dead—he can’t stay in the Xuanzhen Sect much longer; his life is in peril. Now, if I step forward, with just a few talisman coins, I can claim him.”

The senior sister has long yearned for Chen Hang; she took Zheng Hua as consort only because he bore a faint resemblance to Chen Hang… but a fake can never match the real thing.

If I present Chen Hang to the senior sister, I won’t just avoid the Eight-Eyed Cave—I might even earn great rewards!”

The more he thought, the more feasible it seemed!

Qin Xian paced several more rounds.

He refined every detail in his mind, then suddenly stamped his foot and clapped his hands, laughing heartily.

Just as Qin Xian reveled in his triumph,

outside the Huaiwu Cave, in a crystal palace within the Fuyu Lake,

the Huaiwu Cave Master sighed, stroked his long beard, fell silent for several breaths, then spoke with a bitter expression:

“Brother Deng, your Blood Lotus Sect’s meddling has broken the rules. If all sect disciples act like Qin Xian, how can wandering cultivators survive? This violates my very purpose of offering grace and selecting talent!”

In the hall, besides the Huaiwu Cave Master, five others sat in attendance.

Hearing the Cave Master speak,

the Deng elder of the Blood Lotus Sect laughed heartily, unconcerned:

“Youngster’s games—let them play. Why take it so seriously? It only lowers your dignity. Besides, Brother Xie of the Flower God Mansion is watching with great interest—your words might spoil his amusement!”

This remark carried deep implication.

The Flower God Mansion’s Cave-Enlightened Alchemist smiled faintly, closed his folding fan, and gently tapped its handle against his palm, his gaze full of amusement.

“He’s deliberately trying to humiliate me because he knows I’m allied with the Five-Light Sect.”

The Lord of Huaiwu Cave felt his heart sink.

He turned his gaze toward the Dongxuan Lianshi of Wuguang Sect.

But he saw that the man remained utterly unmoved, watching coldly, as if he had not seen him at all.

At that moment.

The Dongxuan Lianshi of Huashen Mansion opened his fan again and smiled slightly, saying:

“Brother’s trial in Huaiwu Cave is, after all, merely about bestowing fortune upon others. Since it’s all about bestowing fortune, why bother with status or sect lineage?

How could a cultivator without a sect be granted priority over a sect disciple? Moreover, if we speak of true talent, I observe that Qin Xian of Xuelian Sect is a remarkable figure—he acts in accordance with circumstances and follows the tide! Excellent! Very excellent!”

He turned toward the Wuguang Sect’s Dongxuan Lianshi and sighed:

“Brother of Wuguang Sect, what do you think of my words? Is there anything amiss?”

“Typical demonic sect heresy. What’s there to discuss?” replied the Wuguang Sect Lianshi coldly.

Upon hearing this, the Lord of Huaiwu Cave fell silent for a moment, his eyelid twitching slightly, his heart turning cold.

Wuguang Sect’s stance was clear—they had no intention of quarreling with Huashen Mansion over such a trivial matter, and his Huaiwu Cave trial,

in Wuguang Sect’s eyes,

was indeed nothing more than the tiniest of trifles…

“When the guest leaves, the tea grows cold. After my master’s death, even if Wang True Person of Wuguang Sect once held some regard for me, he would no longer treat me as a nephew or disciple. Ultimately, it is because my realm is too lowly.”

The Lord of Huaiwu Cave forced down his anger and sneered inwardly:

“You wish to chastise me? To break my rules? We’ll see! When the Lady completes the Heavenly Demon Art on that page of the Earth Palace Golden Scripture! When she turns Qin Xian into a demonic retainer!

Then it will be my turn to break your rules!”

Though his heart burned with the desire to slaughter everyone present, the Lord of Huaiwu Cave still wore a look of helpless, bitter amusement.

Seeing the growing tension between Wuguang Sect and Huashen Mansion, the other minor sect’s Dongxuan Lianshi—such as Jiang Gulian of Baihe Cave—lowered their heads, silent as cicadas in winter.

Fearing that if the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat will suffer…

“The top three in this Huaiwu Cave trial all seem to be from Xuelian Sect. To turn them into demonic retainers may risk exposure, but the Lady’s Heavenly Demon Art is nearly complete—I can’t afford to hesitate.”

Under the Lord of Huaiwu Cave’s deliberate flattery, the hall soon resumed an atmosphere of mutual merriment. He raised his wine cup, yet a shadow flickered in his eyes:

“Those two men and women I gave the Crane Embryo Pill to—they must not be allowed to live!”

…

…

Two days passed in a flash.

Within Huaiwu Cave.

A Xuelian Sect Foundation Establishment cultivator roared, spitting out a tortoise shell that blocked Yuan Yang’s fist with brute force.

But before he could catch his breath, a flying sword slashed straight for his face, its icy light unbearable—there was no way to evade it!

“Chen Hang? Are you mad? To serve as the Senior Sister’s paramour—is that really such a disgrace? How many would beg for such an opportunity!”

He cried out in horror:

“If you kill me, you’ll be making a true enemy of Xuelian Sect!”

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