Chapter 101: Forced Persuasion?
Little Red hesitated, her mouth slightly open as if wanting to say something, but unable to find the words. Her mind buzzed with confusion, rendering her speechless. At that moment, she felt a strong grip lift her by the collar. Struggling to look up, she saw an old man with a gentle, kind smile.
“Are you Little Red?” he asked.
The old man’s age seemed similar to Grandpa Cha’s, and even his smile looked just as warm. Instinctively, Little Red let her guard down and nodded, almost robotically.
“Good child, tell Grandpa: the woman who accompanied you to the Siren Pavilion that day—where did she go afterward? Who did she meet? If you tell Grandpa, I’ll give you a medium-grade spirit stone. With that, you and your little brothers can move into a spacious and warm house,” the old man coaxed gently.
Three young boys stood nearby, their eyes filled with eager anticipation as they watched Little Red.
Though still young, Little Red sensed the old man’s ill intentions. She lowered her gaze, her voice shaky as she stammered, “I… I don’t know.”
The old man’s kind facade vanished in an instant, replaced by a menacing aura. The dilapidated house trembled under the pressure of his aura, and with a loud crash, it collapsed, sending up a cloud of dust. The three boys fell to the ground, trembling in fear.
Little Red felt as though an invisible hand was choking her; she could barely breathe, her face turning red. “Little girl, lying is not a good habit,” the old man threatened, his voice cold. “You don’t want to risk your brothers’ lives over a stranger, do you?”
Tears welled up in Little Red’s eyes as she pleaded, “Sir, please, let my brothers go. They’re innocent.”
“Innocent or not, that’s not for us to decide,” the old man retorted, stepping forward menacingly. He cruelly placed his foot on Little Wool’s hand, causing the boy to scream in agony. “Sister! Help me! Please!”
Little Red’s heart wrenched with worry. She blurted out, “I’ll talk! Just let my brothers go!”
Even Little Red was surprised by her own outburst. Was she really going to betray her senior? But there was no time to think—the old man was using her brothers’ lives as leverage. She quickly spilled everything she knew, even mentioning the Fragrant Tea House and the tea master.
The old man signaled to someone in the distance, who immediately set off to verify her words. Little Red, focused on helping her brothers up and brushing the dust off their clothes, didn’t notice the departure.
Little West pouted, grumbling impatiently, “You could’ve just said that earlier instead of dragging it out.”
Little Red bit her lip, murmuring, “I’m sorry.”
The boys ignored her, their expressions huffy with frustration. Soon, the old man’s subordinate returned, whispering the results of his investigation. The old man nodded, tossed a medium-grade spirit stone onto the ground, and left without another word.
The three boys pounced on the stone like ravenous dogs, fighting over it fiercely. For the first time, Little Red didn’t intervene. She stood there, numb, the image of the vibrant red blood stain on the informant’s sleeve replaying in her mind.
“Have I made a mistake?” She murmured.
…
Meanwhile, Yu Zhao followed a mysterious man through mountains and rivers, finally arriving at a waterfall. With a light step, the man leaped into the waterfall and disappeared. Yu Zhao waited for a while, and when no one reappeared, she wrapped herself in a shield of spiritual energy and jumped in.
Splash!
Yu Zhao emerged in a wide, damp tunnel, following a trail of wet footprints. Cautiously, she proceeded down the narrowing path, which soon became so tight that only one person could pass through at a time. Fortunately, the passage wasn’t long. She soon heard voices ahead.
“Young man, take my advice. Don’t be stubborn. She’s not forcing you now because she’s still in a good mood. But if you keep refusing, she won’t be so patient. She’s not a delicate woman; she has the strength and means to make you comply.”
Yu Zhao paused, unsure if she had heard correctly.
“Tell her to forget it! I’d rather starve to death or bash my head against the wall than submit to her!” A defiant voice echoed through the cave, filled with fierce resolve.
Even without seeing him, Yu Zhao could imagine the speaker with his chin held high, full of defiance.
“Why make it hard on yourself?” the first man sighed. “You’re a man; it’s not like you’d lose out. Besides, if she hadn’t found you injured on the roadside, you’d be dead by now. With your late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, how can you stand against a Golden Core practitioner? Just give in.”
“Rubbish! I took healing pills before I passed out. I wouldn’t have died without her! She’s just taking advantage of me! Shameless! Disgusting! If she dares come, I’ll take her down with me!”
Yu Zhao listened quietly, piecing together the situation. There were two people in the cave: the mysterious man who had entered earlier and a second, fiery individual.
The mysterious man was trying to persuade the other to dual cultivate with a female Golden Core practitioner. The fiery young man was fiercely refusing, vowing to fight to the death. The mysterious man had come from Master Qing Yan’s room; could the Golden Core practitioner they were discussing be the stern and righteous head of the Breeze Sect?
“Interesting…”
Yu Zhao scratched her chin, intrigued by the situation. In the cultivation world, the strong dominated the weak. Female cultivators, if not powerful enough, could become mere sexual power reserves for male cultivators. Similarly, weak male cultivators could be used by stronger females to enhance their own powers in the same way.
This wasn’t unusual for Yu Zhao. But since she had stumbled upon this situation, it seemed right to intervene.
She scanned the cave with her spiritual sense, confirming that no one else was present. She stepped inside.
The cave was spacious, with separate chambers carved into the rock. The defiant young man was locked in a chamber directly opposite the entrance, furiously confronting the mysterious man. The mysterious man, facing away from Yu Zhao, nodded absently, clearly uninterested in the conversation.
The young man, or rather the boy, was even younger than Yu Zhao had expected. His brows were furrowed, and his slanted eyes were filled with defiance. His high nose and tightly pressed lips added to his fierce demeanor. His long, unkempt hair gave him an untamed aura.
Seeing him, Yu Zhao understood why Master Ziwei wanted him.