Chapter 146: An Eye for an Eye
In the dimly lit secret chamber, a cauldron sat in the center.
Beside the cauldron was an iron cage.
A small, emaciated girl, about eight or nine years old, huddled inside.
She wore only a thin, tattered rag, her hair dry and brittle, her cheeks gaunt, her lips pale, her eyes dull and lifeless. Her arms and legs were so thin they looked like they might break.
Her wrists were covered in scars, some fresh, some old.
The door creaked open, and several Kunpeng Sect disciples rushed in, frantically gathering the items in the room.
“Hurry! Get rid of everything! Leave no trace!”
The little girl remained motionless, her head resting against the bars of the cage, her eyes vacant.
The disciples quickly destroyed the cauldron and the various bottles and jars, then opened the cage door. A large hand roughly grabbed the girl’s thin arm.
“Get out!”
The grip was so tight that it seemed like her arm might snap.
The little girl, lifeless as a doll, was dragged out of the cage.
Suddenly, panicked shouts came from behind them. “Who’s there?! You…”
Then, muffled groans and the sickening sound of bones breaking.
The little girl didn’t react, as if she hadn’t heard anything. She simply collapsed to the ground.
A soft, pitying voice spoke beside her. “Poor child…”
Luo Luo looked at the emaciated girl, her eyes welling up with tears.
Nan Xiaoxiang immediately checked her pulse, her brow furrowing deeply. “Is she… even alive? What kind of poison could do this to a person?”
“We need to hurry,” Qingying said coldly from the doorway. “They’ll be here soon.”
Nan Xiaoxiang nodded and quickly administered acupuncture and some medicinal pills.
Meanwhile, Qingying swiftly examined the remaining items in the room, her expression turning icy cold.
“These bastards… they’re using her blood to refine pills?”
“That’s horrible…” Luo Luo covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with horror.
Nan Xiaoxiang also frowned as she read through the documents. “Pills made from her blood can cause addiction and make cultivators susceptible to manipulation… Is it because her blood contains a high concentration of the Life Returning Herb?”
“We’ll discuss this later. We need to get her to safety.”
Qingying lifted the little girl onto her back, and they headed towards the exit.
But as they reached the door, Qingying’s eyes narrowed.
“…Too late.”
The doorway was blocked by several Kunpeng Sect disciples, their swords drawn, their eyes hostile. Two or three Supreme Clarity Realm elders led the group.
They were completely surrounded.
“What do we do?” Nan Xiaoxiang whispered anxiously.
Qingying shook her head calmly. “Don’t panic. This is within his expectations.”
“You vile demon! Release my disciple’s daughter immediately!”
A powerful voice boomed from the distance. Wang Kurong and Ye Huang were rushing towards them.
Ye Huang reached Qingying’s side. “Ling’er!”
“Don’t worry, we’ve already given her some medicine.”
Nan Xiaoxiang said softly, “But they’ve been using her blood to refine pills. Her body is extremely weak. She’ll need further treatment.”
Using her blood to refine pills? Ye Huang turned to Wang Kurong, his eyes blazing with fury.
“Master! Explain yourself!”
“What? How could this be?”
Wang Kurong feigned outrage. “Young lady, you can’t just make baseless accusations and sow discord within our sect!”
“The evidence is right behind us. See for yourself.”
Qingying said coldly, clearly unimpressed by his denial.
Seeing the murderous glint in Ye Huang’s eyes, Wang Kurong narrowed his eyes, then quickly said, “How dare they do such a thing! This is a disgrace!”
“Law Enforcement Elder! Execute all those involved!”
The Law Enforcement Elder behind him acknowledged the order and led a group of disciples into the secret passage.
Wang Kurong continued his righteous act. “Don’t worry, my disciple! I will personally cleanse the sect of this evil and bring you justice!”
Ye Huang’s anger hadn’t subsided, but Qingying simply scoffed.
…Just as he predicted. This Sect Master was a liar.
Nan Xiaoxiang whispered, “Your daughter’s condition is critical. Her safety is our priority.”
Ye Huang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and glared at Wang Kurong, his eyes bloodshot. “I expect a full explanation, Master.”
With that, he left with his daughter, followed by Chen Yin, Qingying, and Nan Xiaoxiang.
Wang Kurong watched them leave, his eyes narrowed, then a hesitant voice spoke beside him:
“Sect Master, should we—”
“Not yet. There will be other opportunities.”
“Why not just kill Ye Huang?” The disciple asked, puzzled. “Can’t we just take his daughter?”
“Fool! He’s the most talented disciple our Kunpeng Sect has seen in years! Who will lead the sect after I’m gone?”
Wang Kurong said angrily, “He must never learn the truth. We have to keep him on our side.”
“B-but Uncle Ye Huang hasn’t been interested in cultivation for years. He just wants to live a peaceful life with his wife and daughter…”
“That was before! Now that his wife is dead, and his daughter is dying, he’ll soon realize the difference between immortals and mortals.”
“When he returns, heartbroken and disillusioned, and devotes himself to cultivation, we’ll use the pills refined from his daughter’s blood to secretly expand our power.” Wang Kurong stroked his beard. “With both overt and covert operations, within a decade or two, the Kunpeng Sect will be able to rival even the most powerful sects.”
“Brilliant, Sect Master!” The disciple bowed respectfully.
“Go now. And make sure to clean up the mess. Leave no evidence for Ye Huang to find.”
The disciple bowed again and left. But after leaving the main hall, he circled around and, finding an opportunity when no one was looking, made his way down the mountain.
He entered an inconspicuous house and knelt respectfully before a figure inside. “Divine Messenger, Ye Huang has taken his daughter.”
Inside the house, a man in a black robe and mask nodded slowly. “I see.”
“Continue to stay by the Sect Master’s side and sow discord between him and Ye Huang.”
“Yes, Divine Messenger.”
After the disciple left, the Divine Messenger also left the house and headed north, traveling for an entire day and night, until he reached a small, unremarkable village nestled among the snowy mountains.
He entered a seemingly ordinary house, but inside, it opened into a grand and magnificent palace.
In the dimly lit hall, four men in black robes and masks sat around a table. At the head of the table sat the Divine Son, leisurely sipping tea.
“As you predicted, Ye Huang has betrayed us,” the Divine Messenger reported.
“I see.” The Divine Son’s expression remained calm and indifferent. “What about the Kunpeng Sect?”
“Although Ye Huang rescued his daughter, the rift between him and the sect has deepened. With a little more manipulation, they’ll be at each other’s throats. Ye Huang, alone and isolated, won’t survive for long.”
“Heh, we have the Kunpeng Sect’s Sect Master to thank for this. Such a fine example of human nature, willing to sacrifice even his own disciple’s daughter for the sake of power and ambition.”
The Divine Son chuckled softly. “Human nature is truly shallow and easy to manipulate.”
“Damn it!” Another masked figure cursed. “If it weren’t for that Yu Ling and the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion breathing down our necks, I would have personally dealt with that traitor Ye Huang!”
“Patience is a virtue.”
The Divine Son’s smile remained calm and serene. “It’s just the loss of a pawn. A minor setback.”
“We’ll deal with him later. Our priority now is—”
He stopped mid-sentence.
The other Divine Messengers looked at him curiously.
They watched as his expression shifted from calm amusement to a rigid stillness, and then to a cold indifference.
“…I underestimated you.” He suddenly closed his eyes and sighed softly.
As the Divine Messengers exchanged confused glances, a playful voice came from behind them:
“Well, I thought you might need a little… push.”
Chen Yin, his hands casually tucked into his sleeves, strolled out from the shadows, a mischievous grin on his face.
The Divine Messengers instantly tensed, their eyes filled with hostility.
“Surprised?” Chen Yin chuckled.
…He had suspected that the Kunpeng Sect was involved, but he knew they couldn’t have acted alone. Shen Li must have been behind it.
So, he had split their group into three. Ye Huang would confront the Kunpeng Sect directly, while Qingying, along with Luo Luo and Nan Xiaoxiang, would rescue his daughter.
And he would wait in the shadows, ready to uproot Shen Li.
“Hiding in the shadows, pulling strings, enjoying the show, huh?”
Although Chen Yin was smiling, his eyes were cold and filled with a chilling rage. “I hate flies.”
Always buzzing around, annoying you when you’re trying to rest or focus, then vanishing the moment you try to swat them.
Persistent and irritating.
“But you won’t be enjoying the show from the sidelines this time.”
Chen Yin walked towards them casually. “You can’t always avoid getting your hands dirty.”
With that, the Eternal Light sword blazed with a cold, brilliant light, its tip pointed at the Divine Son.
The Divine Son, usually calm and composed, finally fell silent.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice low and dangerous:
“…You’re good.”
“Thank you for the compliment.” Chen Yin grinned.
“You should be grateful,” the Divine Son sighed, “that I’m always cautious. This is just an avatar.”
“If I were here in person, I would have eliminated you myself. A true threat.”
“Yu Ling’s disciple, I’ll remember you.”
The Divine Son looked at him intently, then his figure began to dissipate.
“If anything happens to my Divine Messengers today,”
“I will make you pay a thousandfold.”
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