Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Regret Comes Too Late
While the many Cultivators were still trembling with fear and full of regret, they had no idea that the Senior they spoke of had already ridden the wind and left.

High above the land a thousand miles away, a tall figure was weaving through the clouds and mist.

Her brows and eyes were cold and pure. She wore a plain robe, and her black hair fluttered among the clouds, making her skin seem whiter than snow.

This person was Yu Zhao.

After half a year of Closed-Door Cultivation, she had finally reached Golden Core Great Completion, a full ten years earlier than when she had formed her core in her previous life.

Yu Zhao thought to herself: “The Purple Gold Pot that Master refined really is extraordinary. The illusion it creates can actually change depending on the target’s cultivation level.”

After receiving the inheritance of Wanderer Bright Moon, Yu Zhao had also learned the correct method to recognize the Purple Gold Pot as its master, and she refined it.

With her cultivation at the Golden Core Stage, the illusion of Wanderer Bright Moon could now unleash power comparable to a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

At this moment, Yu Zhao could already imagine the interesting scene that would happen if she suddenly brought out the Purple Gold Pot in the middle of a battle.

At the same time, she looked forward even more to obtaining the Heavenly Immortal Herb so she could personally refine a Life-Bound Magic Treasure that perfectly matched her Illusory Tide Art.

Before that, however, her first goal was to head to Nanming City and investigate the former site of Water Cloud Palace to see if she could find any clues related to Shui Qing Yue.

Perhaps because she was feeling anxious, her flying speed increased a little more. She turned into a streak of rainbow light and disappeared into the sky.

…

At Greenwood Sect, Wang Qian walked out of the alchemy room and happened to run right into Mu Ye, who was on her way in to do alchemy.

His face darkened, and he gave a heavy snort.

Mu Ye could not be bothered to argue with him. She did not even look at him and swept past his side.

Feeling ignored, Wang Qian felt he had been insulted. He flew into a rage and shouted: “Mu Ye, stop right there! You are not even Young Sect Master yet, so what kind of Young Sect Master airs are you putting on!”

Mu Ye turned her head and rolled her eyes as she shot back: “Wang Qian, if you are sick, take more pills. Stop throwing fits in front of me every day!”

It was hard to blame her for speaking so sharply. Wang Qian was narrow-minded, and there was always a strange, sarcastic tone in his words no matter when or where he spoke.

Mu Ye had tried talking to him a few times, but it never worked, so she simply stopped being polite with him.

Wang Qian roared in anger: “Mu Ye! Do not think that just because the Sect Leader favors you, you can become Young Sect Master! You are not qualified yet!”

Mu Ye was speechless.

This was exactly why she did not want to bother with Wang Qian.

He was clearly the one who started things, yet he turned around and blamed her. He just had to drag the matter of the Young Sect Master into it, making it impossible to have a normal conversation.

Mu Ye finally lost her patience and said coldly: “Wang Qian, I will say it one last time. The position of Young Sect Master will be decided by our own abilities. If you can beat me in the Disciple Assessment, I, Mu Ye, will admit defeat. If you cannot, then shut your mouth. Do you understand?”

Mu Ye and Wang Qian were both Disciples of the Alchemy Hall. Their cultivation levels were both at Late Foundation Establishment, and even the time they entered the sect was almost the same, so people often compared them.

Mu Ye handled this well. Pressure gave her motivation, and having a rival on her level only sparked her desire to win.

Unfortunately, Wang Qian had the exact opposite attitude. He treated her like a thorn in his eye and a needle in his flesh, and every few days he would come to pick a fight, making her extremely annoyed.

The good thing was that she only needed to endure for one more year, until it was time for the Greenwood Alchemy Hall Disciple Examination.

The Sect Leader had already spread the word in advance: the Champion of the Alchemy Hall Disciple Assessment would become the next Young Sect Master of Greenwood Sect.

She and Wang Qian could use this chance to settle things once and for all.

Wang Qian threw down his harsh words and strode off in a huff: “Mu Ye! I am definitely going to win. Just wait to kneel and salute me!”

Mu Ye frowned in disgust, and in her heart she sighed: [Why can I never meet fellow disciples as trustworthy as Senior Sister Zhou and Yu Zhao from Five Elements Dao Sect?]

[This was the one hundred and thirty second time she regretted joining Greenwood Sect.]

On the other side, Wang Qian was also thinking of Yu Zhao’s name.

He had been in Closed-Door Cultivation for alchemy for three months now. Myriad Treasures Pavilion should have news by now, right?

He used a Messaging Talisman to send a message to Guo Ming En and Tian Han, asking them to meet.

Half an hour later, the three of them met in Wang Qian’s cave dwelling.

Wang Qian looked at the two of them out of the corner of his eye, his expression cold as he asked: “What is the situation on Myriad Treasures Pavilion’s side? Is Yu Zhao dead or alive now?”

Tian Han let out an embarrassed laugh and said: “Junior Brother Wang Qian, Myriad Treasures Pavilion has not replied yet. It seems the one who took the task has not found any trace of Yu Zhao, so…”

His voice grew weaker and weaker under Wang Qian’s furious stare.

Wang Qian was so angry he wanted to scream: “Half a year! It has already been half a year! They cannot even find where Yu Zhao is. What are those people even doing? Does Myriad Treasures Pavilion not claim to grant any request? Is this how they handle things for their clients?”

He had just swallowed a bellyful of anger from Mu Ye and was still fantasizing about venting it by seeing Yu Zhao in a miserable state.

In the end, he had already refined two furnaces of pills, but had not seen even a single strand of Yu Zhao’s hair. What was the point of him putting up that kill order?

Seeing Tian Han being scolded so harshly, Guo Ming En could not help speaking up to smooth things over: “Junior Brother Wang Qian, getting angry is bad for your health. Please calm down. Yu Zhao will not be able to escape.”

Wang Qian looked over at him, lifting his chin slightly to signal him to go on.

Guo Ming En poured a cup of hot tea, pushed it in front of Wang Qian, and then explained: “Last time when I went with Tian Han to Myriad Treasures Pavilion, I especially asked around. The ones who took the task were the Four Gentlemen of Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, whose assassination success rate is one hundred percent. Their average cultivation level is at Mid Golden Core Stage.

“Among the Four Gentlemen, Sir Plum is best at tracking. With him on the job, even if Yu Zhao runs to the ends of the earth, she will not escape their hunt.”

Wang Qian’s expression shifted slightly as he asked: “Are those Four Gentlemen really as strong as you say?”

“It is absolutely true,” Guo Ming En said firmly. “The Four Gentlemen are not very famous among the major sects, but among Rogue Cultivators they are extremely well known and no one dares provoke them. As long as Yu Zhao runs into them, she is doomed.”

Wang Qian fell silent, deep in thought.

Then Guo Ming En suddenly leaned forward and said in a mysterious tone: “Actually, the longer this task drags on, the better it is for us.”

Wang Qian frowned and asked: “What do you mean by that?”

Guo Ming En explained: “Think about it, Junior Brother Wang Qian. If Yu Zhao had been killed in the wild not long after she became our enemy and left the city, the people of Five Elements Dao Sect would definitely suspect us.

“But now, more than half a year has passed. Who knows what kind of enemies Yu Zhao has provoked outside in all that time? Even if she dies now, no one can blame it on us.”

Wang Qian and Tian Han both brightened at that.

That was right. The sooner Yu Zhao died, the more suspicious they would look.

If Master Qing Yan personally stepped out and demanded a thorough investigation, Greenwood Sect might not be able to protect them.

Now, by a twist of fate, Yu Zhao had been allowed to live for half a year longer, and their situation had actually become safer.

Wang Qian laughed and said with satisfaction: “Senior Brother Guo, I really did not misjudge you.”

Guo Ming En and Tian Han both let out a breath of relief, knowing they had made it past this hurdle.

There was an old saying among common folk: to serve a lord is like living beside a tiger.

At this moment, they deeply understood that feeling.

Being around Wang Qian was even more exhausting than cultivating. It wore down their minds.

If their pair of senior brothers had not been squeezed out of Mu Ye’s little circle, they would never have thrown in their lot with Wang Qian.

They truly regretted their choice back then.