Stealing Immortal

After a day of wandering, he had seen the local customs and the way of life. For Chen Qingyang, it was a wish fulfilled—to see the world of common people with his own eyes.

As dawn broke, a wind swept in from the Great Marsh, its wisps and threads seeping into the homes of the common folk. Fishermen were already on the water, rowing their boats and pulling in a night’s worth of hopes with a single cast of the net.

Yao Zhi appeared outside the door right on time. "Liu Xianggu, are you awake? I’ve come especially to pay my respects!"

This time, it was Liu Tao who answered the door herself. Dressed in a Vermilion and Purple Robe, she possessed a graceful and noble air, her looks both charming and delightful.

He led four maids in, just as before, and glanced at Chen Qingyang, who was meditating. "Liu Xianggu, I have news about the matter you entrusted to me. A fisherman once saw something on the small island in the middle of the lake: a ten-foot-tall bank of clouds that wouldn’t disperse, from which a rainbow-colored rain fell. It must be the Water Spirit Immortal."

Liu Tao simply said, "Good. I understand."

Yao Zhi continued with great enthusiasm, "From the docks, head northeast until you see an island inhabited by common folk. Once you reach it, turn east and travel for another hundred li. You should be able to see the island from there. It’s a difficult place to find. Would you like this old man to escort you by boat?"

Liu Tao shook her head. "That won’t be necessary. Your directions were very clear."

Perhaps finding her indifferent expression odd, Yao Zhi probed, "I’m not sure if this matter is urgent for you, Immortal Lady. When do you plan to set out? As you know, the Water Spirit Immortal is quite elusive. If the timing is wrong, it might just disappear."

Liu Tao shot him a sideways glance. "You seem to be in a hurry. Are you that eager for me to leave this estate?"

Yao Zhi shook his head repeatedly. "Not at all, not at all. The Immortal Lady may stay as long as she wishes."

"Hmph." Liu Tao gave a slight nod, finally giving him a definite time. "The day after tomorrow. We’ll leave first thing in the morning."

"Very good. This old man understands."

With that, Yao Zhi finally seemed satisfied. He led his retinue of servants away.

Liu Tao, however, frowned in anger. "That old coot. And after I gave him an Elixir, too. He doesn’t remember the favor at all. Qingyang, what do you think we should do next?"

Chen Qingyang looked up, his eyes sweeping across the room. "With your Cultivation, Senior Sister, you could capture him and bring him here without alerting anyone, couldn’t you?"

Liu Tao was full of confidence. "I can guarantee he won’t make a single sound."

Chen Qingyang said, "Then I’ll have to trouble you to capture him, Senior Sister. We need to find out exactly who this Master Wufang is and what his Cultivation is. Only then can we plan our response."

Liu Tao seemed a bit surprised. "I thought after all this, you’d be urging me to leave as soon as possible. You’ve been acting so timid lately, after all."

"Senior Sister, if we solve this, won’t it be considered a great service to the Immortal Sect? We could even get some Merit Copper Coins."

In truth, Chen Qingyang was after the Immortal Seedling.

Liu Tao agreed. "Alright, we’ll do as you say. We’ll gather information first. If it turns out to be something we can’t handle, we can just find the local Xuanwei Master."

Xuanwei Master. The term was unfamiliar. Seeing the question in Chen Qingyang’s eyes, Liu Tao explained, "The Tai Xu Sect’s territory is vast, and all of it needs to be managed. Disciples like us, who only venture out occasionally, can’t be of much help. The real work is done by the Xuanwei Masters."

"These Foundation Establishment Masters have incredible abilities. They are dispatched by the Sect, each assigned to patrol a territory. They have the authority to handle anything that happens under their jurisdiction, and it’s also their duty to deal with traitorous Immortal Cultivation Clans."

’When you’re inside the Immortal Sect, you can’t truly grasp its power. But on this trip, everything he saw revealed the sheer authority of the Tai Xu Sect.’

"I understand. In that case, please capture Yao Zhi and bring him back, Senior Sister. It’s crucial that you don’t alert anyone. Once he’s here, I’ll handle the interrogation myself."

Liu Tao smiled. "You? Interrogating someone? You’re usually as dense as a block of wood. What’s your method?"

Seeing her pressing him, Chen Qingyang could only say, "Senior Sister, just go, quickly."

After Liu Tao left, Chen Qingyang sat meditating in the room, his mind already scheming. ’If I kill Yao Zhi, a cultivator at the Qi Refining Ninth Realm... I should get at least a thousand Immortal Seedlings, right? That should be more than enough to break past the Qi Refining Eighth Realm.’

’Then, I’ll be able to help Liu Tao out more.’

Gradually, his thoughts sank completely into his Cultivation. He was roused by the BANG of the door as Liu Tao finally returned.

"That man and his sons were still in there plotting. I had to wait a long time for them to leave before I could secretly snatch Yao Zhi."

Yao Zhi’s body was stiff as a board, standing rooted to the spot like a wooden statue. Hearing Liu Tao’s words, only his eyes could dart back and forth. He had clearly been placed under a Restriction.

The gap between the Qi Refining and Essence Condensation Realms was a world of difference, even if one was only half a step into it.

"You’ve worked hard, Senior Sister. As long as no one noticed, we’re fine."

Liu Tao waved her hand, placing another Restriction on the room. Then, she extended a finger and pointed at Yao Zhi from across the room. His body immediately went a little limp, and he was at least able to speak.

He immediately adopted an innocent tone and asked Liu Tao, "Liu Xianggu, I have treated you with the utmost courtesy since your arrival. Why are you doing this to me? Have I somehow offended you?"

Liu Tao sneered. "Hmph! You, a treacherous man pretending to be loyal. If my junior brother hadn’t been sharp-witted, I would have been completely fooled by you!"

Yao Zhi once again protested his innocence. He knew full well there was no escape from the grasp of an Essence Condensation Cultivator. His only chance at survival was to play dumb.

"Oh, Immortal Lady, you truly have misunderstood this old man..." It was the same old line. It was clear Liu Tao wasn’t going to get anything out of him.

"Senior Sister, let me handle this old scoundrel."

Liu Tao said, "Fine. Let me see what you can do."

Chen Qingyang slowly walked over without saying a word. He formed a Sword Point with his fingers, and a silver light instantly exploded, striking Yao Zhi right between the eyebrows. Most of his Cultivation was wiped out in an instant.

It was so decisive, so ruthless, that even Liu Tao was left a little stunned.

"I don’t have time to play games with you. Tell me about Master Wufang. Speak clearly, and in consideration of our past association, I might let you live. But if you don’t, you and your entire clan will die. As you can see, my patience is limited."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried immense pressure. Blood trickled down, staining Yao Zhi’s cheeks and dripping onto the floor.

Yao Zhi was dumbfounded. He didn’t know what to say. Everything had happened too suddenly.

"You..." Not daring to confront Chen Qingyang, he could only turn his gaze to Liu Tao. "Liu Xianggu, we’ve known each other for sixty years, and this is how you treat me..."

Liu Tao gritted her teeth. "I’m listening to my junior brother now."

Finally, as if seeing his own coffin before him, Yao Zhi’s eyes welled with tears. "Senior... Senior Brother Chen, I... I was bewitched... I shouldn’t have... I..."

Chen Qingyang raised his hand again. A silver flame of Sword Qi flickered to life atop his Sword Point. "My patience has run out. After you’re dead, your sons will tell me the truth just the same."

Even though his Cultivation was a realm higher than his opponent’s, his body was now completely controlled. He could be killed at will. His body trembling, he was finally about to yield.

This was Chen Qingyang’s interrogation technique: no gradual pressure, just cutting off all mental escape routes from the very start. The only way to live was to submit.

"Master Wufang’s Cultivation is at the First Realm of Essence Condensation. He only broke through recently. He’s an Elder of the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace. Years ago, he took an interest in a treasure my family possessed and wanted to win me over. Later... I just gave the item to him, and we became close friends."

Chen Qingyang sneered. "Quite the strategist, aren’t you? Giving away a family treasure just like that?"

"Sigh..." As Yao Zhi sighed, tears and snot streamed down his face, a picture of utter misery. "People like us struggle to survive in the margins. Treasures... things like that only bring disaster. This old man understood that long ago."

"So how did he win you over?"

Yao Zhi said, "I was actually the one who brought it up. My youngest son was having trouble sensing his Qi Mechanism, so I thought of the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace’s Armor Control Technique. But the Elder set a condition: my entire clan had to secretly pledge allegiance to the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace... The Tai Xu Sect has always been in my heart, so of course, I didn’t agree to his terms..."

The rest was all nonsense; Chen Qingyang didn’t believe a word of it. "Later, when your lifespan was running out, you thought about joining the Nine Nether Mechanic Divine Palace, didn’t you? But you were worried you wouldn’t be valued, so you decided to use our heads as your entrance gift?"

Yao Zhi’s body was immobile; otherwise, he would have surely fallen to his knees. "Senior Brother Chen, He Xianggu, I’ve told you everything! Please, spare my life! In the future, my entire estate can belong to you both, just let me and my four sons live..."

"Fine. I have one last question for you. When was the last time you saw Master Wufang?"

"Well..." Yao Zhi looked as if he were thinking hard. "Seven or eight years ago, I believe. We aren’t in close contact. After all, I wouldn’t dare betray the Tai Xu Sect..."

At this point in the questioning, Chen Qingyang paused to think. Liu Tao spoke up, "Junior Brother, what should we do?"

Right in front of her, Chen Qingyang used another Sword Formula and ended Yao Zhi’s life. His eyes were wide and bulging at the moment of his death.

Staring at him, Liu Tao grew timid. "When you’re like this... it honestly scares me a little!"

After it was done, Chen Qingyang’s tone softened, and the usual gentleness returned to his eyes. "Senior Sister, I’m not ruthless. It’s just that when people want us dead, I can’t show them any mercy. Didn’t you realize he was still scheming to get us killed, even just now?"

Liu Tao didn’t understand and just shook her head.

Chen Qingyang explained, "He said he last saw Master Wufang seven or eight years ago, but he also said the man ’just’ broke through. Does ’just’ mean seven or eight years ago? He was trying to trick us into thinking Master Wufang’s Cultivation was no match for you, sending us to our deaths!"

Liu Tao thought about it carefully and her doubts vanished. "You’re right. You did the right thing, Junior Brother. I was being too naive. So, what’s our next move?"

Chen Qingyang said, "I’ll handle what comes next myself. You can just wait for me here, Senior Sister."

"You have to at least tell me what you’re planning to do, right?"

Chen Qingyang said, "To get to the bottom of this, of course. We just executed the patriarch of an Immortal Cultivation Clan. We’ll need to give the Sect an explanation."

"Mm, alright."

In the brief lull, he glanced at the small golden words that had appeared before him: *Qi Refining Ninth Realm’s path to life has been severed. Immortal Seedlings stolen: 1,082.*