Chapter 34: Attitude

Then again, for an evil cultivator to dare bring his schemes all the way to the foot of Yonglu Mountain—he truly had nerve.

Evil cultivators were famously quick in their cultivation, but for one merely in the Foundation Establishment Realm to come to Langyuan City and pull something like this... Either he was exceedingly stupid, or he had some ulterior motive.

Gu Wufang summoned Huang Qianshu, the disciple responsible for the case. “Has that evil cultivator confessed?”

“Reporting to the Sect Master, that evil cultivator...”

“What is it?”

“He suffered a backlash from the array. When we captured him last night, he was already at death’s door. He is still alive for now, but he is only half a step away from dying.”

Langyuan City was enormous. Huang Qianshu had been investigating the matter of “men becoming pregnant” near the eastern part of the city. After receiving the Junior Granduncle-Master’s message, he had rushed to Jade Pavilion, but he had still arrived one step too late.

Gu Wufang fell silent for a moment. On second thought, it was hardly surprising. That had been the spiritual power of an Integration Realm expert. Although the jade slip was only a passive protective measure, even he would have struggled to withstand the force it reflected back onto the array.

Using such a jade slip against a mere Foundation Establishment evil cultivator was truly like using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken.

Gu Wufang silently calculated the situation. His Junior Martial Uncle must have suffered quite a fright this time. He would have to search the private treasury and see whether there were any protective artifacts suitable for low-level disciples.

Honestly, even he did not own a protective jade slip gifted by an Integration Realm expert. To think it had been used up just like that—his heart was bleeding on Wen Xu’s behalf.

His Junior Martial Uncle had never managed a household and had no idea how expensive firewood and rice were.

“Sect Master?” Huang Qianshu called softly when the Sect Master remained unresponsive for so long.

“Have you determined how many ordinary people this evil cultivator harmed?”

“Everyone from Jade Pavilion has been detained in the city lord’s underground prison. Most of them knew very little, but according to one of the managers, the proprietor was always extremely mysterious. He only appeared when a customer ordered Heavenly Fragrance Brew.”

“Heavenly Fragrance Brew?”

“Yes. It was sold for as much as ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. Even for a wealthy household, that was an enormous sum. But it was said that drinking it would allow someone to enjoy the sweetest dream in the world, and even...”

“Even what?”

“Even spend a night of passion with an immortal maiden.”

Gu Wufang was speechless.

What a beautiful fantasy. Did they really think the violent female cultivators of the cultivation world never went outside?

On this point, however, Gu Wufang had unfairly blamed the evil cultivator.

The man had dared advertise such a thing because he had accurately grasped the desires of both male and female cultivators. Cultivators were generally dispassionate, aloof, and proud. They disliked interacting with ordinary people. It was precisely because he understood this that he had built his business around carnal pleasures.

Moreover, after being treated with his Jade-Bone Evil Seed, its aura was perfectly concealed once it entered the human body. Mist Mountain Village was also located in a remote area. With Jade Pavilion serving as a cover, even disposing of bodies became perfectly reasonable.

Honestly, had a certain richest man’s son not lost his mind and decided to open a brothel, Jade Pavilion might still have been operating perfectly well.

After all... no respectable cultivator would visit a house of pleasure catering to ordinary people.

“In truth, the wine contained powder from the Jade-Bone Silk Tree. Its effects were similar to those of Jade-Bone Aphrodisiac Powder, and it likely possessed hallucinogenic properties as well. That was how it deceived ordinary people.”

In reality, the Heavenly Fragrance Brew itself was utterly worthless.

“The evil cultivator also used the Heavenly Fragrance Brew to search for suitable hosts for the Jade-Bone Evil Seed. Once the parasitization succeeded, he imprisoned the victims in Mist Mountain Village.

“After Jade Pavilion burned down, we discovered an incomplete array on its underground level. Based on our investigation in Mist Mountain Village, that array led directly there.”

This also explained why no one had discovered the evil cultivator’s activities for so long.

Gu Wufang suddenly knitted his brows. “An array? How did a Foundation Establishment evil cultivator obtain so many arrays?”

Everyone knew that arrays consumed vast quantities of spirit stones. Otherwise, teleportation arrays between cities would not cost so much to use.

Could a Foundation Establishment evil cultivator truly possess such deep pockets?

“This disciple will continue investigating.” Huang Qianshu took out a jade slip. “Sect Master, this contains records of the current condition of every commoner imprisoned in Mist Mountain Village. Most have suffered irreversible injuries. The blood of a small number of victims had not yet turned green, so this disciple found a spiritual physician who managed to stop the evil seed from taking root in time. Even so, they will still require a long period of recovery.”

Gu Wufang examined the contents with his spiritual power, then signed a special authorization from the Sect Master.

“Take the token and withdraw the corresponding pills and spirit stones. The commoners at the foot of Yonglu Mountain suffered this calamity. We cannot shirk our responsibility.”

For the time being, that concluded the report concerning the evil cultivator.

Huang Qianshu had originally been about to leave, but the Sect Master unexpectedly brought up the Golden Cauldron Pavilion’s young master and his involvement in the matter.

In truth, by the time Huang Qianshu arrived at the scene, the young master of the Golden Cauldron Pavilion was already gone. Nor had there been anyone else from the Golden Cauldron Pavilion present.

Given his cultivation and status, Huang Qianshu had therefore not yet gone to demand an explanation from them.

When Gu Wufang heard this, he thought the matter could not be simpler.

“When you descend the mountain later, have someone deliver a jade slip to Clear Hearts Hall of the Golden Cauldron Pavilion. Write that a disciple of Yonglu Mountain used a jade slip belonging to an Integration Realm expert last night to save their young master’s life.”

Huang Qianshu was speechless.

Sect Master, this is exactly what I would expect from you.

“If their manager asks, you may also reveal a little about the Integration Realm expert’s identity.”

Huang Qianshu immediately understood.

After descending the mountain, he personally went to Clear Hearts Hall to deliver the jade slip. Following a verbal sparring match with its difficult manager, he finally let slip the news that their young master might have made an enemy of Divine Venerable Chengwei’s disciple.

The manager of Clear Hearts Hall was surnamed Chang.

After Shopkeeper Chang saw the Yonglu Mountain disciple off, he immediately sent a message to the main family.

When Pei Dongxiu, the head of the Golden Cauldron Pavilion, received the news, he very nearly needed to swallow a Heart-Protecting Spirit Pill.

“Where is that wretched son?!”

Pei Mingshan seemed to have anticipated that Yonglu Mountain would come looking for trouble. As it happened, he was already waiting outside for his father to summon him.

When he heard his father smash a cup and roar, he strolled inside at an easy pace.

“How rare. Father actually took the initiative to call for me.”

Pei Dongxiu was so furious that he struck him with his palm. “You wretched son! What in the world have you done outside? You even dared offend that mad dragon from Yonglu Mountain?”

Pei Mingshan remained standing and took the slap head-on.

“Father, should you truly have the courage, you ought to call him that to the Divine Venerable’s face.”

“You little bastard!”

Pei Dongxiu was seven hundred and fifty-nine years old and in the late Nascent Soul Realm.

His talent was neither especially good nor especially poor. He had advanced into the Nascent Soul Realm at four hundred years of age. At his current rate of progress, he would probably be able to enter the Soul Transformation Realm before reaching the end of his lifespan.

But that was merely probable, not certain.

For the sake of continuing the Golden Cauldron Pavilion’s family line, Pei Dongxiu had married three wives when he was five hundred.

Unfortunately, cultivators found it difficult to produce children, and he was no exception. Over the following century, none of his three wives showed any sign of pregnancy, so he gave up on having and raising an heir.

Who could have known that after he abandoned all hope, his first wife would become pregnant instead?

Pei Dongxiu had been beside himself with joy.

He thought that even if the child’s talent proved perfectly ordinary, he could accept it. The Golden Cauldron Pavilion possessed vast wealth and resources. Even if they had to pile up miraculous pills and medicines, they could still force the child’s cultivation into the Nascent Soul Realm.

Yet after the child was born and gradually grew older, Pei Dongxiu discovered something unfortunate.

The boy became more crooked with every passing year, straying farther and farther from the meaning of the name “Mingshan”—Understanding Goodness.

Pei Dongxiu had originally planned to send the boy to Yonglu Mountain for proper instruction when he turned eighteen.

He had never expected that the child would indeed possess a spiritual root, but that it would be naturally defective, leaving him entirely incapable of cultivating normally.

After all these years, he was still only at the first level of Qi Refining.

Pei Dongxiu would rather his son had been an ordinary mortal!

Pei Mingshan touched his swelling cheek and grinned.

“Father, is this your first day learning that I’m a bastard? You only have yourself to blame for producing such a useless son.”

“You—”

Pei Dongxiu knitted his brows tightly. “What exactly did you do? Tell me the truth.”

“Who told you to keep arranging matchmaking meetings for me? My three mothers are always crying in front of me too, telling me to settle down and become a proper young master who carries on the family line. But are you truly planning to hand the Golden Cauldron Pavilion over to me?”

Pei Mingshan gave a derisive laugh.

“I’m nothing but a tool for producing the next generation. You may be willing to accept that, Father, but I am not!”

“You—”

“I did not involve myself in his schemes. The evil cultivator is the evil cultivator, and I am me. I have not gone so mad that I would become an evil cultivator.”

After saying this, Pei Mingshan smiled again.

“But if anyone forcibly drags me to another spring matchmaking banquet, Father, you know what I’m like. There is nothing I won’t do!”

Smack!

Well, that settled it. The palm prints on Pei Mingshan’s face were now symmetrical.

“As for the Divine Venerable’s disciple, your son will go and apologize. I must admit, he is a very interesting person.”

…

The following day, Bian Chunzhou and Chen Zui had yet to emerge from seclusion when Wen Xu heard that the young master of the Golden Cauldron Pavilion had personally come to the mountain gates to apologize.

Moreover, he had come alone, without a single attendant.

“He came by himself?”

“Yes. The Sect Master wishes for you to meet him.”

Wen Xu did not particularly enjoy dealing with this man. After some thought, however, he decided to see what Pei Mingshan was planning.

“All right. Please give me a moment.”

Wen Xu had been studying swordsmanship.

After everything that had happened, he had realized just how limited his means of fighting an enemy were. Apart from the Folding Wind Fan and a few talismans, he possessed virtually no offensive techniques.

As for his swordsmanship, he had only just crossed the threshold.

Although he possessed the cultivation of the seventh level of Qi Refining, he could not bring out even half of its full strength. When he encountered danger this time, all he could do was use the lifesaving measure his master had given him.

Although his master had replaced the protective jade slip after Wen Xu returned yesterday, it felt almost too hot for him to hold.

Wen Xu silently made a decision. Before descending the mountain again, he had to master a few methods of preserving his own life.

Otherwise, if he used one of his master’s jade slips every time he went down the mountain, would that not damage his master’s reputation once word spread?

“Junior Granduncle-Master?”

“My apologies. I kept you waiting.”

Wen Xu followed the young Dao attendant to Xiyuan Peak, where guests were received.

Pei Mingshan was merely the young master of the Golden Cauldron Pavilion and had no cultivation of his own. The person assigned to receive him was a Foundation Establishment senior brother from Kaiyuan Peak.

When the man saw the Junior Granduncle-Master enter, he left the room to the two of them.

After all, this was Yonglu Mountain. Surely the young master would not dare attack anyone here.

“I thought you wouldn’t come to see me.”

Wen Xu replied, “Didn’t you come to apologize? Is this your idea of an apologetic attitude?”

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