Chapter 14

“Yes, yes, yes...”

He Pingsheng quickly bowed with clasped hands.

The old man before him, He Pingsheng had never met, but he recognized him.

Because throughout Xiuzhu Peak, portraits of this old man were everywhere—he was the disciple of the Supreme Elder of Grand Void Gate, one of its Elders, and the founding ancestor of Xiuzhu Peak.

A senior of Core Formation realm, True Person Chongyang.

This True Person Chongyang was also the master of Yu Xuan, Yu De, and others.

In other words, he was also Linglong’s master’s master.

Is his weight sufficient enough?

“You’re quite unfamiliar!” True Person Chongyang looked at He Pingsheng and asked: “Just arrived?”

He Pingsheng nodded: “I’m from the laborer squad, just a lowly assistant in the Elixir Room!”

“Preposterous!” True Person Chongyang immediately flew into a rage: “I came here to refine elixirs, yet the elixir attendant doesn’t come to greet me—instead, you, a mere laborer, are sent? What is the meaning of this?”

“Where is Hao Yun?”

“That boy was personally promoted by me from outside—where has he gone?”

“Why hasn’t he come to pay his respects?”

He Pingsheng took a deep breath and bowed again to this ancestral master: “Respectfully reporting, Elder Hao Yun was beaten and broke several ribs; he is now bedridden and unable to come pay his respects to you!”

“Beaten?”

The Core Formation elder stepped forward, crossing dozens of zhang in an instant, landing before Hao Yun’s door. He glanced inside and indeed saw Hao Yun lying pale-faced on the bed. He erupted in fury: “What did you do? Who was so cruel as to injure you to this state?”

Hao Yun’s face twisted in pain: “Ancestral Master, I cannot kowtow to you!”

“Forget it, forget it… no need for kowtows—just tell me what happened.”

Hao Yun said: “Yesterday, Senior Sister Linglong from Master Yu De’s sect came to refine elixirs. When the refinement failed, she beat me up.”

“Preposterous… preposterous…” True Person Chongyang trembled with rage: “If this is true, then it is utterly disrespectful—this is bringing karmic debt upon Xiuzhu Peak!”

“After decades of arduous cultivation, how could I let it all be ruined?”

“Hmph…”

With that, True Person Chongyang moved his foot, and with a swift whoosh, he shot into the sky, shrinking into a speck-sized figure, vanishing within a few breaths.

Sssss…

He Pingsheng looked up at the direction where his ancestral master had vanished, unable to suppress a surge of envy: Immortals are truly wonderful—flying through the heavens and earth in an instant, free in their own world.

How wonderful it would be if I could cultivate the Dao?

“Oh no, oh no, oh no…” The man lying in bed inside the room now wore a look of utter despair: “It’s over!”

He Pingsheng walked over and asked: “What do you mean, Senior Brother?”

Hao Yun said: “You don’t know… Our ancestral master on Xiuzhu Peak is the most righteous and unforgiving—this time, when he returns, he’ll surely punish both Linglong and Master Yu De together!”

He Pingsheng was just a boy and couldn’t grasp the hidden complexities; he scratched his head and asked: “Isn’t that good?”

Hao Yun said: “Of course it’s not good! Master Yu De and Sister Linglong are both narrow-minded people—if they’re punished because of me, won’t I be dead the moment they get their revenge?”

“If the punishment is light, it’s fine—I’ll just get beaten again!”

“But if the punishment is severe, I might lose my life!”

“Heh…” He Pingsheng thought for a moment and said: “Senior Brother… if the ancestral master punishes them, won’t they be afraid? How dare they retaliate?”

“You, you!” Hao Yun extended his right hand and jabbed twice hard on He Pingsheng’s head: “Not everyone thinks like you… Some people are narrow-minded and capable of anything!”

“Besides, they don’t even need to strike you themselves!”

“They can just hire someone—anyone—to sneak into our elixir room late at night and beat you senseless—who’d ever know who did it?”

He Pingsheng finally understood, and inwardly admired Senior Brother Hao Yun—he raised his thumb and said: “Senior Brother sees things clearly!”

Hao Yun said: “Clear? I used to be just like you. But after seeing enough, you learn to see clearly—the world is full of treacherous hearts; you haven’t experienced it yet. Wait until you’re beaten and cheated—you’ll understand.”

He Pingsheng nodded in admiration.

After a few breaths, he quietly pulled the Golden Bone Elixir from his sleeve and offered it to Hao Yun: “Senior Brother Hao, this… you should take it.”

“Golden Bone Elixir?”

Hao Yun’s brow twitched; he snatched the elixir and examined it closely—four elixir lines adorned its surface. He raised his voice: “This… is it…?”

He quickly lowered his voice: “Is this… a supreme-grade elixir?”

“Where did you get this?”

He Pingsheng lowered his head: “Don’t ask where—it’s yours. Take it. It’ll heal your injuries quickly.”

Hao Yun’s face hardened: “Tell me first. If you don’t tell me, I won’t take it!”

He Pingsheng recited the lie he’d prepared: “This… this was left to me by my parents before they died. They said no one must see it—not even the vial was given to me. I’ve carried it with me always.”

“Your parents?” Hao Yun frowned: “Weren’t they just outer sect disciples? How could they get something like this?”

“This is supreme-grade! Even though it’s a first-grade elixir, no one on Xiuzhu Peak can refine it!”

“No—should I say, no one in all of Grand Void Gate can refine it!”

He Pingsheng remained silent.

Hao Yun asked again: “You’re sure this was left by your parents? You’re not lying?”

He Pingsheng nodded earnestly.

Hao Yun didn’t hesitate: “I saved your life; you give me one elixir—we’re even.”

Pah…

He slapped the elixir into his mouth with a sudden motion, swallowing it down.

“Heh… truly a fine thing…” Soon after swallowing, Hao Yun’s face flushed red: “I feel like my injuries might heal today!”

“No wonder the texts say supreme-grade elixirs are entirely different from upper-grade ones!”

“Sssss… damn… it hurts…”

…

Xiuzhu Peak, Teleportation Plaza!

The teleportation plaza had two arrays: one for departure, one for arrival.

Disciples who couldn’t fly had to use these arrays to enter or leave.

Thus, it was inevitably the busiest, most crowded place on Xiuzhu Peak.

At this moment, three disciples knelt on the plaza.

One was Linglong; the other two were disciples who had accompanied her to the Elixir Room and participated in beating Hao Yun.

All three were sentenced to three days of reflection.

“Reflection” meant kneeling on the teleportation plaza, contemplating their faults.