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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
After returning to my residence, I began to categorize the various herbs I had gathered. I had nearly all the materials needed for the Taoist Sacred Body Forging Technique, and the auxiliary herbs were relatively easy to find. However, there was still one main herb that I needed. The Outer Sect's collection of medicinal texts was scarce, and the Herb Garden only contained a few simple herbs. It seemed that I would have to enter the Inner Sect to uncover the whereabouts of the main herb.
Currently, I dared not take out the Dragon Abyss Sword within my Qi Sea; if it were discovered by the higher-ups of the sect, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Before his death, Yang Yan had given me his Dao Dan, which he had not yet used to open his Qi Sea. Now, as I focused inward, I could see my Qi Sea churning, and it seemed that the Dao Dan was slowly merging with my Qi Sea, causing it to radiate a golden glow.
Yang Yan's Dao Dan made my Qi Sea even more robust and solid, stabilizing what had previously been a somewhat unstable Foundation Establishment Realm. Following the Azure Cloud Sect's foundational cultivation method, I sat in meditation. After cycling through several rounds, I felt completely refreshed and free of fatigue before finally stopping.
I walked to the Pavilion where Elder Hong used to reside. Although both he and Ma Yuan were severely injured, they were still moving their belongings themselves. Outside the door and in the courtyard stood many Outer Sect Disciples, none of whom offered to help.
Both men pretended not to see them. When they had been full of themselves, they had looked down on everyone else, calling others lowly beings. Now that they had fallen from grace, naturally no one was willing to assist them.
As they carried some items on a table towards the entrance, a young man stepped forward and tripped Ma Yuan. The pale-faced Ma Yuan glared at him in anger. The young man chuckled and said, "What's wrong, Brother Ma? Are you blind while walking? You're a master of the Foundation Establishment Realm; do you really want to kill me under Radiant Day?"
"Disciple, don't pay any attention. Let's just move our things first," Elder Hong said.
"Wait." A child's voice interrupted them; it was the Dao Child beside Elder Jin. He looked at both men expressionlessly and said, "My master has ordered that you cannot move any furniture from the Pavilion; you may only take your clothes."
Ma Yuan retorted angrily, "Everything in this Pavilion belongs to my master! What does it matter to others whether we take something or not?"
Slap!
A loud slap struck Ma Yuan's face as the Dao Child coldly said, "What do you mean by 'others'? In the Outer Sect, everything is decided by the Outer Sect elders. If you dare act recklessly again or insult my master, according to sect rules, you will be executed."
Ma Yuan trembled with rage as Elder Hong grabbed his hand and began packing up their belongings into a bag while carrying it himself as they headed towards the Disciples' Quarters.
Seeing this, Ma Yuan was so furious that tears welled up in his eyes. He followed behind Elder Hong with items in hand and coldly stated, "I will remember today's humiliation well; we shall meet again."
"The words you said, I will relay them to Elder Jin," the Dao Child said.
Elder Hong arrived at a dilapidated Disciples' Quarters. He looked at the worn-down house before him, weariness flashing in his eyes. "In my day, I also lived here with a group of fellow disciples for many years. I never expected that time would pass and I would still be able to return."
"Master, don't worry. Once my injuries heal, I will enter the Inner Sect. Within five years, I will definitely bring you the heads of those surnamed Jin," Ma Yuan declared fiercely.
Elder Hong nodded. "Disciple, go to the Inner Sect and call your junior brother over. Now that I am stepping down, his status in the Inner Sect will surely plummet. I have a few words to pass on to him."
"Yes, Master." Ma Yuan replied and turned towards the direction of the Inner Sect.
After Ma Yuan left, Elder Hong said, "Come out; there are no others around."
I stepped out from behind the house and said, "Elder Hong has sharp hearing. Even after sustaining such serious injuries, you can still hear the wind and grass around you."
Seeing me, Elder Hong snorted. "So it's you. If you think you can take advantage of me at this moment, you're gravely mistaken. My cultivation is at the Divine Transformation Realm, far stronger than you can imagine. If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn't be able to escape."
"So after Foundation Establishment comes Spirit Transformation," I muttered to myself. Elder Hong still believed that my strength was only at the Entry-Level Realm.
Elder Hong showed no signs of friendliness towards me. "What do you want?"
I asked, "Do you think I'm the kind of person who would kick someone when they're down?"
Elder Hong replied, "I'm only speaking to you because you saved Ma Yuan; otherwise, you wouldn't even qualify to stand before me."
I chuckled lightly. "Humans are truly strange creatures. Not long ago, any random disciple from the Outer Sect could openly humiliate you, yet now that I've put aside past grievances to help you, I'm being slandered and targeted instead. It's hard to know what to make of it."
Elder Hong said, "I know you're hiding spiritual medicine. That old woman who committed suicide must have known you."
I responded, "You're quite clever, Elder Hong. It's obvious to anyone that I knew that old woman. I'm not hiding it from you; I have plenty of medicine—spiritual medicine, Medicine King herbs, Holy Medicine—I possess them all. I even have things that you'd never dare to imagine having, but you'll never get them; what isn't meant for you cannot be forced."
Elder Hong furrowed his brow and asked, "Who exactly are you? Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?"
I replied, "I'm just an ordinary person. To enter the sect, I had to give up my beloved sword to you and do things I don't like to turn my crisis around. I had to watch my family members driven to suicide by you, Elder Hong. As for killing me, do you really think those useless drunks like Xiong Wanjun can take me down? Or do you believe that in your current severely injured state, you can kill me?"
A murderous intent flashed in Elder Hong's eyes. He looked at my confident gaze and quickly dismissed the thought. He asked, "Since you know I want to kill you, why did you save Ma Yuan? What is your purpose?"
I said, "I have no purpose; I'm just asking about my Fish Intestine Sword."
Elder Hong snorted and said, "You don't need to know."
I replied, "Elder Hong, what a strong will you have. Since you don't want to answer, I won't press further. I thought after being in the Outer Sect for so long, you'd be a cunning old fox. It turns out you're just a self-deceiving fool. Do you still fantasize about making a comeback?"
"The wheel of fortune turns; no one can predict the future," Elder Hong said.
I chuckled and said, "So it turns out Elder Hong really rose to power through hard work. I'm impressed. No wonder as an elder of the Outer Sect, not a single person at the upper levels of the sect supports you. Even the Grand Elder who promoted you just turns a blind eye while you get punished."
"What do you mean by all this?" Elder Hong asked.
"I think Elder Hong is oblivious to how close he is to death," I said.
Elder Hong retorted, "Do you think you can kill me?"
I replied, "Whether I can kill you or not, you're going to die. I initially wanted to find an opportunity to kill you before your injuries healed to avenge Grandma Wu, but now it seems unnecessary. That high-ranking member from your sect named Yunxi injured you, then the Azure Cloud Sect Leader stripped you of your position and appointed Elder Jin as the new head elder of the Outer Sect. Not long ago, when you moved, Ma Yuan's harsh words naturally reached Elder Jin's ears. If I'm not mistaken, someone like Elder Jin will soon send someone to execute you—tonight at the earliest or tomorrow at the latest."
"Elders in the Outer Sect have no authority to execute disciples; otherwise, you'd be dead by now," Elder Hong scoffed. "You're being overly clever."
I shook my head and said, "The elder has been dismissed but not expelled from the sect nor assigned a new position. The meaning from the sect leader is clear; talking to a fool like you is truly a waste of breath."
With that, I turned and walked away.
Not long after, Ma Yuan returned to Elder Hong's Disciples' Quarters with a handsome young man. This young man was the one who had been accepted as Elder Hong's disciple on the spot during the entrance examination of the Azure Cloud Sect, and now, observing his fluctuating cultivation, he had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.
In just three months to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage was indeed remarkable talent.
Shortly after, the handsome young man emerged from Elder Hong's Disciples' Quarters with an unhappy expression and hurried back to the Inner Sect.
That evening, Elder Jin personally brought several disciples to Elder Hong's residence. The surrounding disciples were all driven out of the house, and Ma Yuan was dragged out of the Disciples' Quarters by a few people. He shouted curses at Elder Jin while Elder Jin's Dao Child and a group of disciples beat Ma Yuan mercilessly, leaving him on the brink of death.
Not long after entering Elder Hong's room, Elder Jin came out with a smug expression and said, "Let's go."
After they left, Ma Yuan rushed into Elder Hong's room. His cries echoed through the air, and everyone turned to look inside, only to see Elder Hong's legs hanging in midair; he had been hanged from the beam in the Disciples' Quarters.
In the following days, Ma Yuan wore a White Silk headband as a sign of mourning for Elder Hong.
However, Elder Hong's disciple, that handsome young man, never appeared again.
Elder Jin's murder of Elder Hong solidified his position within the Outer Sect; the higher-ups would turn a blind eye. However, he dared not openly kill Ma Yuan, as Ma Yuan had already qualified as an Inner Sect Disciple. Even if Elder Jin wanted to eliminate potential threats, he had to weigh the pros and cons.
I went to the Outer Sect's Herb Garden and picked some Hairy Ginger. Its properties are known for nourishing the kidneys and strengthening bones, as well as treating injuries and alleviating pain—very effective for bone fractures.
I walked to the dining hall and found a cook in the kitchen. Upon seeing me, he respectfully said, "Brother Yang Hao! How may I assist you?"
Most of the Outer Sect disciples recognized me now. I asked, "I came to see what kind of meat you have here."
The cook replied, "We have pork, beef, lamb—some ordinary meats that are usually used for meals by Outer Sect Disciples. What would you like to eat? I can get some for you to try."
I nodded and said, "Then please get some beef."
The cook responded with delight and quickly cut a large portion of cooked beef for me.
I carried the beef to find Ma Yuan. Upon arriving at the Disciples' Quarters, I saw him lying on the bed. When he noticed my arrival, he got up from the bed, looking wary, and asked, "What are you here for?"
I placed the beef on his table and said, "I brought some beef for you. You've been injured, so eating more beef will help you recover faster. I secretly gathered some herbs from the Herb Garden; these herbs invigorate the blood and strengthen the bones, as well as relieve pain. If you drink this a few times, you'll feel better soon."
In front of Ma Yuan, I prepared a ginger herbal soup and took a sip to ease his concerns.
After watching me eat a few pieces of beef, Ma Yuan suddenly burst into tears. He said, "My master was killed by Elder Jin, and the people from the Inner Sect didn't care at all. Moreover, that ungrateful Lin Jingyu hasn't even come back to take a look after my master's death. But why are you being so kind to me?"
I replied, "Everyone has their tough times. Brother Ma, although you're downcast now, you're already a strong cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Your future is limitless."
Ma Yuan nodded and said, "Once I return to the Inner Sect and take on an elder as my master, I will definitely clear my name."
I nodded in agreement. "Your Lin Jingyu is the one who was publicly accepted as a disciple by Elder Hong during the entrance test?"
Ma Yuan confirmed with a nod. "Yes, my master personally taught him. To ensure he could enter the Inner Sect to learn, he even gave the Fish Intestine Sword to the Sword Princess."
"The Sword Princess?" I asked in confusion. This was the second time I had heard that title; when Red-Clad Woman Yunxi appeared in the Water Storage Room, Huang Laohu had thought she was the Sword Princess.
Ma Yuan nodded again. "The first female swordmaster of Azure Cloud Sect, on par with Song Qianqiu from the Outer Sect. They are known as the Twin Swords of Qingyun. She is the eldest disciple of the only female elder in the Inner Sect. My master gave the Fish Intestine Sword to the Sword Princess to help Lin Jingyu enter the Inner Sect."
As Ma Yuan spoke, he seemed to recall that I had provided the Fish Intestine Sword to Elder Hong back then, and a hint of shame crossed his face.
I said, "Eat the beef while it's hot. You haven't eaten much lately; drink this soup too. I've added sugar to it so it's not bitter."
Ma Yuan nodded and finished an entire plate of beef in front of me, along with all of the ginger soup I had made.
"Once you're done eating, rest up. I need to head back now; Elder Jin has sent someone to watch you, and it wouldn't be good if I'm seen," I said as I turned to leave.
"Yang Hao," Ma Yuan called out to me. I stopped and turned back; he looked a bit embarrassed and said, "Thank you."
I nodded and walked out of his Disciples' Quarters.
The night was clear, and I stood in the darkness, looking at Ma Yuan's room from a distance. After a while, Ma Yuan burst out of the Disciples' Quarters, blood streaming from his nose as he wiped it repeatedly, his face turning pale.
"Help! Someone help me!" Ma Yuan's cries echoed through the night, and the other disciples living nearby rushed out of their rooms to see his pitiful state. Blood began to flow from his mouth and nose as he clutched his stomach and collapsed on the ground.
"I’ve been poisoned! Why is this happening?" Ma Yuan exclaimed, tears streaming down his face. His stomach was swollen, and the other disciples hesitated to approach him. Just days ago, his master had been hanged by Elder Jin; they feared it might be the same fate for him.
Lying on the ground, black blood oozed from Ma Yuan's mouth. I stepped forward and crouched in front of him, a light smile playing on my lips.
When Ma Yuan saw me, confusion filled his eyes. He asked weakly, "Why?"
I replied, "If killing someone allows you to put down your knife and become a Buddha, how unfair that would be for the victim and their loved ones. I didn’t want to hold this against you since you are just a child, but you have repeatedly challenged my limits. Beef isn’t poisonous, nor is ginger; but when combined, they become deadly."
Ma Yuan stared at me with wide eyes, refusing to close them, filled with immense regret.
I turned away from the crowd and looked up at the bright moon. "Grandma Wu, I have avenged your grudge," I said.
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