Stealing Immortal

The night here was different from that in the Tai Xu Sect, seeming particularly lonely.

Only this manor was brightly lit. Outside was endless darkness, especially over the water’s surface, where you could only hear the ceaseless splashing of waves, but not see them churn.

Chen Qingyang sat cross-legged on a cushion, his thoughts following the Conscious Fish as it floated high above, taking in all the surrounding scenery.

He watched common folk go about their daily lives: fishermen sighing on their boats after a hard day’s work, colorfully dressed girls waving to idle men on the street, and crestfallen gamblers emerging from gambling dens. In the dark, hidden corners, unspeakable dealings were afoot.

He also turned his gaze to this magnificent manor, watching the dozing night watchmen, as well as Yao Zhi discussing matters with his four sons in a room.

"Father, this is a prime opportunity to prove our loyalty. Even if you can wait another three to five years, I... COUGH, COUGH... I truly can’t wait any longer!"

The room was brightly lit. Yao Zhi stood in the very center, while his sickly eldest son sat on a soft couch, gasping for breath, his condition even worse than it had appeared during the day.

Standing in a row behind them were three other sons: a robust old man, a burly middle-aged man, and a fair-faced youth. There appeared to be a large age gap between them.

Upon hearing them speak of proving their loyalty, Chen Qingyang had a feeling it concerned him, so he had the Conscious Fish remain among them.

Yao Zhi paced back and forth, his expression grim. He was clearly facing a momentous decision.

"Father, even if you won’t consider my eldest brother, you have to consider me! My body is weak, making it extremely difficult for me to practice Qi Refining. Do you want me to be shackled by old age, sickness, and death? My mother... she died in childbirth precisely because she was a mere mortal..." The youth was the one speaking. At the mention of his mother, Yao Zhi’s expression shifted once more.

"That’s right, Father! Fourth Brother is correct. If the five of us, father and sons, are of one mind, perhaps in a few hundred years we too can establish the foundation of an Immortal Cultivation Clan!"

This time it was the robust old man who spoke, whom Chen Qingyang guessed was the third son.

Despite the three brothers’ earnest pleas, doubt remained on Yao Zhi’s face. "You are all still too young. You have no idea how formidable the Tai Xu Sect is. Forget anyone else—a single move from Liu Xianggu could annihilate our family in an instant. This matter requires careful deliberation!"

The fourth son was relentless. "Father, the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace is no pushover! With their protection in the future, what reason would we have to fear the Tai Xu Sect? And Master Wufang said that the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace is backed by the Yu Xiao Demon Sect, an entity on par with the Tai Xu Sect! What is there to worry about?"

As he spoke, he gestured to his three elder brothers, who all nodded in agreement—all except the third brother, who had not yet said a word.

Yao Zhi resumed his pacing. "Don’t think that just because I am old, my nerve has failed me. The reality is that you simply do not understand the stakes. To an Immortal Sect, we are nothing more than a drop in the ocean, to be discarded when convenient."

"Once we turn our backs on the Tai Xu Sect, we may not be able to withstand the troubles that will surely follow..." His voice trailed off, and he finally looked to his third son. "You haven’t spoken a word this entire time. Third Son, why don’t you share your thoughts?"

Instantly, all the brothers’ eyes shifted to him.

By this point, Chen Qingyang understood everything perfectly.

’Their Cultivation had stalled, so all five of them, father and sons, were facing the limits of their mortal lifespans. What did Master Wufang of the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace promise them to make them betray the Tai Xu Sect?’

’In an Immortal Sect this large, such things were probably common. But of course, I had to be the one to run into it. I can’t just stop listening now; if they decide to go through with this betrayal, Liu Tao and I will be in danger.’

The third son, with his steady and confident demeanor, seemed to have a plan already formed. He simply asked his father, "As the saying goes, ’One who does not plan for the future will find trouble at their doorstep.’ Which is the greater danger right now, Father? The distant concern or the immediate one? You should understand this."

Yao Zhi contemplated for a moment. "Continue."

"Father, the distant concern is how the family can continue to prosper. The immediate concern is that our lifespans are almost at an end. If we don’t solve this immediate problem, what use is there in considering the distant one? Do we truly have a future if we continue to rely on the Tai Xu Sect? I see nothing ahead for us but a few lonely graves!"

His voice was sonorous and his logic clear. If his brothers’ arguments were driven by emotion, the third son was truly laying out a strategy.

Through the careful observation of the Conscious Fish, Chen Qingyang could tell that Yao Zhi’s conviction was beginning to waver.

"Furthermore, Father, the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace achieves enlightenment through Armor. If we join them, then in the future, even if our clan’s Disciples have weaker Meridians and Dantians, or poorer comprehension, they can still use this to break through and raise their Cultivation, becoming true members of an Immortal Sect. There is no downside for us in this. And that is only my second point."

The other three brothers voiced their agreement, with the fourth son adding, "Father, Third Brother is right! Third Brother, what’s your third point?"

The third son paced around the hall. "As for the third point... that is, of course, the proof of loyalty we just discussed. If we present the heads of Liu Xianggu and Senior Brother Chen to Master Wufang, it will count as a great service. By doing so, we will be seen as meritorious subjects, allowing us to secure our footing with them in the future."

’So, after all their plotting, it finally came down to a scheme against me and Liu Tao. If it weren’t for the Conscious Fish, we might have truly fallen into peril.’

The father and his four sons debated heatedly for a while longer. Finally, pressured by the circumstances, Yao Zhi accepted his sons’ proposal. They were in unanimous agreement: they would defect from the Tai Xu Sect.

"...The Great Marsh spans more than eight hundred li. We need to prepare a large boat ahead of time and load all of our belongings onto it. The women and children will go first. Second Son, you will see to this... Fourth Son, you will contact Master Wufang and tell him to be ready..."

After giving his instructions, Yao Zhi stated his final objective. "Once your preparations are in order, the day after tomorrow I will tell Liu Xianggu that I have discovered traces of the Water Spirit Immortal. I’ll lure them out to search for it, and then have Master Wufang make his preparations. When the time comes, we will do what needs to be done."

’Father and sons, truly of one mind,’ he thought. Not one of them objected. ’To think Liu Tao and I just came here to pick a medicinal herb, and now we’re caught up in such a huge mess.’

’I don’t know what Master Wufang’s Cultivation level is, but I can deal with this father and his sons first. I’ll take their Immortal Seedlings and worry about the rest later.’

These people were extremely cautious. After their discussion ended, a house servant entered from outside. "Rest assured, Patriarch. I’ve kept an eye on them. The two of them haven’t taken a single step out of their room and show no signs of being alerted."

"Good. Very good."

Only after they had dispersed did Chen Qingyang retract the Conscious Fish. When he opened his eyes, Liu Tao was still meditating across from him.

He was in no hurry. He began the Refinement of the two Spirit Stones in his palm, not stopping until dawn the next day.

Only a pile of fine dust remained in his hand, his Dantian True Essence completely restored.

"Liu Xianggu, this old one has come to bid you good morning!"

Yao Zhi’s voice came from outside.

Liu Tao pushed the door open to see him standing there with four Maids, each carrying toiletries, who entered gracefully.

"These four maids are the most skillful in the manor. I’ve brought them to help you two with your morning preparations!" Having said this, he gestured for them to approach Liu Tao and Chen Qingyang.

Liu Tao quickly said, "That won’t be necessary. You can just leave the items here."

Yao Zhi replied, "Of course. I was wondering what plans Liu Xianggu has for today? Shall this old one show you two around so you can appreciate the beauty of our Great Marsh? I’ve even prepared a Tower Ship especially for you."

This time, before Liu Tao could respond, Chen Qingyang spoke up. "That won’t be necessary. We plan to go out for a walk on our own today. We wouldn’t want to trouble the Patriarch."

As if he had anticipated this, Yao Zhi waved his hand, and a young servant entered from outside holding a tray laden with silver.

"As Immortals, you have been away from the Red Dust for a long time and likely carry none of these worldly things. Since you wish to go out on your own today, you will surely need this. Please, accept it as a small gift."

Chen Qingyang did not stand on ceremony. He walked over and picked up a silver ingot that looked to be about ten taels. "This is more than enough. Please take the rest back."

Yao Zhi was a sly old man. He could see the relationship between the two was anything but ordinary, so he didn’t bother asking Liu Tao as well. He took back the remaining silver and led everyone away, taking his leave.

"Junior Brother, where are you planning to go?"

Chen Qingyang replied, "Let’s head out first. We can talk then."

...

Though it was still morning, the market at the docks was already starting to wind down. Bare-chested men finished the last of their tasks, and even the food vendors had little left to sell. The diligent housewives had already bought the fish they wanted early that morning and returned home.

The two of them strolled along the path, and Liu Tao, not thinking of anything in particular, was simply in a wonderful mood.

"Senior Sister, what do you think of Yao Zhi as a person?"

Surprised by the sudden question, Liu Tao was naturally curious. "Why do you ask that?"

"Let me answer that for you. That man wants both the riches of the Red Dust and the longevity of an Immortal Sect, which proves his greed. Now that he’s facing the end of his lifespan, he’s bound to do something drastic."

"And his four sons grew up surrounded by worldly wealth, so it’s only natural they are arrogant. Having never witnessed the might of an Immortal Sect, they lack a proper sense of reverence. You should be able to understand that reasoning, Senior Sister, right?"

Liu Tao considered this seriously. "Junior Brother, you don’t take your Senior Sister for a fool, do you? Whatever you want to say, just say it. I’ll believe you."

"The Yao father and his four sons want to join the Demon Sect. They plan to offer up our heads as proof of their loyalty and are already plotting to kill us. We must guard against this."

Of course, Liu Tao had to ask, "I believe you. But how do you know all this? Is it just a guess?"

’That’s right,’ she thought. ’Chen Qingyang was just sitting there quietly all last night. How could he know these things?’

"Senior Sister, if you want to know whether my guess is right or not, we can drag Yao Zhi back here for a confrontation. If he truly has designs to murder us, he won’t be able to hide it in my presence."

After hearing that, Liu Tao stopped dwelling on how Chen Qingyang could have known. All her past experiences told her that trusting Chen Qingyang was never a mistake.

"Nothing is more important than our lives. Let’s go back and confront him right now."

But Chen Qingyang shook his head. "This is not something to rush. They are in the shadows while we are in the open, which puts us at a great disadvantage. We need to wait."

Liu Tao asked, "Wait for what?"

"Don’t worry, I already have a plan in mind. We just need to wait for the right opportunity."