Chapter 65: Chongyang Ancestor, Reflection

“One… one thousand!”

Zhao Linger spoke with trembling excitement: “I contributed four hundred, and my brother and sister each contributed three hundred!”

“The three of us pooled together one thousand!”

“Hmm!” Yu Ning looked at the black bead in her hand, reluctant to let go: “This item should be a treasure that aids spiritual soul cultivation—but you three are all Qi Refining stage; it’s useless to you!”

“Here’s what I’ll do: give me the bead, and I’ll pay you two thousand spirit stones for it!”

“Deal?”

Yu Ning looked at the three of them.

Their faces immediately darkened with reluctance.

A treasure.

We don’t even know what this treasure is, and you just take it— isn’t that just disguised theft of your disciples’ belongings?

But the other side was their master; they dared not refuse.

Yet they were unwilling, each falling silent.

Yu Ning smiled and said: “I know what you’re thinking—but I’m not greedy for your treasure. I simply feel it’s useless in your hands!”

“Your Grandmaster is about to celebrate his three-hundredth birthday. I’ve searched everywhere but found nothing suitable.”

“My suggestion is you give this to me—I’ll present it as a birthday gift to the Grandmaster.”

“It’s not that I’m coveting it!”

“What do you say?”

Yu Ning looked at the three of them.

“Fine!” Zhao Linger said: “I’ll follow my Master’s decision!”

With Zhao Linger’s agreement, the other two naturally dared not object.

“I’ll follow my Master’s decision!”

“I’ll follow my Master’s decision too!”

“Good, good, good!” Yu Ning smiled, then pulled out two thousand spirit stones: “Divide them among yourselves!”

“Come—come with me to pay respects to the Grandmaster!”

Yu Ning wanted to take the disciples to meet the Grandmaster, to prove he hadn’t embezzled the treasure—he truly intended to offer it as a birthday gift.

“Master, I won’t go,” He Pingsheng said, not wanting to go.

Why?

Because the so-called Grandmaster was the only Golden Core cultivator on Xiuzhu Peak: True Person Chongyang.

And He Pingsheng had met him before.

“No!” Yu Ning said: “Since you joined my sect, you’ve never paid respects to the Grandmaster—how can that be allowed?”

“Come with me today—bow your head to the Grandmaster!”

He Pingsheng dared not refuse, and with a nervous expression, followed his Master out of the palace toward the Grandmaster’s cultivation grounds.

The Grandmaster’s cultivation grounds lay atop the highest peak of Xiuzhu Peak.

The spiritual energy here was twice as dense as in Yu Ning Palace.

Boom… boom… boom…

Outside the massive palace, layers of arrays activated one after another as Yu Ning led the four disciples inside.

Though there was no sunlight within the grounds, golden light flowed everywhere.

Blindingly bright.

He Pingsheng dared not look around, only seeing ahead on the lotus platform a Daoist clad in green robes.

Around the Daoist, streaks of golden light shimmered, giving him an aura like a celestial immortal.

True Person Chongyang.

“Bow to your Master!”

“Greetings, Grandmaster!”

All bowed together.

The Daoist on the lotus platform opened his eyes, smiling kindly: “Yu Ning… no need for such formalities!”

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon He Pingsheng: “Is that you, boy?”

He Pingsheng’s heart jolted.

Back when he worked as a laborer in the elixir chamber, he’d seen the Grandmaster once—could the Grandmaster remember him so well?

But He Pingsheng didn’t know: it wasn’t that True Person Chongyang had a good memory—Golden Core cultivators could spend years in meditation; events from a few years ago felt as fresh as yesterday.

As for He Pingsheng’s changed appearance, it mattered little—Golden Core cultivators saw bones and spiritual aura, not faces.

They did not judge by looks.

Now that He Pingsheng stood before him, True Person Chongyang saw through him at a glance.

“Disciple He Pingsheng bows before the Grandmaster!” He Pingsheng quickly bowed again.

“Don’t bow!” True Person Chongyang quickly stopped him: “I dislike such formalities.”

Yu Ning asked: “Master, you know this disciple?”

True Person Chongyang shook his head: “No. I saw him once before—he wasn’t even a disciple of Xiuzhu Peak then.”

“Enough. Yu Ning, why have you come today?”

Yu Ning said: “Master… your three-hundredth birthday is near. I’ve found a treasure that seems uniquely beneficial to spiritual soul cultivation!”

“I’ve come to present it to you—please examine it!”

As he spoke, Yu Ning pulled out the black bead and handed it to True Person Chongyang.

True Person Chongyang took the bead with a chuckle: “You’re thoughtful.”

But barely a few breaths later, the Daoist’s brow furrowed.

“Master!” Yu Ning asked: “Is something wrong?”

“You’ve been deceived!” True Person Chongyang applied slight pressure—the black bead cracked, shedding black dust to reveal a green seed.

“This…?” Yu Ning said: “Master, what is this?”

True Person Chongyang said: “Far in the westernmost lands grows a poisonous herb called Jilan Flower. Its seed is deadly—just a trace can paralyze spiritual sense.”

“This is a Jilan Flower seed!”

Puh…

He Pingsheng nearly vomited.

He’d thought it was a divine artifact—turns out it was a poison that numbed spiritual sense.

Damn it!

That old bastard was a total fraud!

“Master, forgive me!” Yu Ning nearly vomited too.

True Person Chongyang, however, was good-natured—he waved his hand: “No need for such gestures. Three hundred years of life? I don’t care. I’m about to enter meditation—go now.”

“Yes!” Yu Ning trembled all over.

True Person Chongyang asked: “How many spirit stones did this thing cost?”

Yu Ning said: “Two… two thousand!”

“Bah!” True Person Chongyang said: “Don’t be greedy for small gains. I have some spirit stones I don’t need right now—I’ll give them to you.”

Shhh…

A storage pouch flew through the air.

Yu Ning grabbed it and hurriedly led the disciples out of the hall.

Xu Kunlun, Zhao Linger, and Tian Xiaoqing all hunched their shoulders, not daring to breathe.

Afraid of angering their Master.

Back in Yu Ning Palace, Zhao Linger said: “Master, we should return these spirit stones to you.”

Yu Ning’s face darkened: “What do you think I am?”

“Then—go to the teleportation square and reflect on your faults for seven days.”

“Go!”

Zhao Linger pouted: “Why, Master? Disciple…”

“Why?” Yu Ning glared: “You dare ask why?”

“Because you’re all foolish…”

“Go!”

“Wait!” Yu Ning looked at He Pingsheng: “You’re going too.”

He Pingsheng panicked: “Master… I didn’t take part! I didn’t even know they bought it!”

It wasn’t me who was stupid!

Why punish me?

Yu Ning swept his sleeve: “Go. Don’t dawdle. Do you want me to double it?”