Volume One, Chapter Fourteen: The Traitor of the Tang Sect

“Let’s talk about it later. First, let’s eat,” Li Hanzhou said, currently at a loss for what to do.

The group ate their meal anxiously, each keeping silent, occasionally stealing glances at Li Hanzhou, as if trying to guess what he had done.

Just then, a voice sounded.

“Is Liu Dongyue here?”

They looked up and saw a man dressed in purple entering through the door.

“That’s someone from the Jiuyuan Escort Agency,” Shi Ming said to Li Hanzhou, watching the newcomer.

“I’m Liu Dongyue,” he quickly stood up, curiosity piqued. It was unusual for someone from the Jiuyuan Escort Agency to come bearing letters. In all these years, this was the first such oddity.

“Could it be a letter from the senior apprentice brother?” Yun Qianzhu asked curiously.

The man from the Jiuyuan Escort Agency rummaged through his bag for a while and then produced three notices.

“Liu Dongyue, please sign here,” the messenger said, handing him a slip. “This one is from the Bad Blade Sect, this one from the Zhao family, and the last from the Yue Mountain Sect. They claim these are challenge letters. In seven days, they will come to Changsheng Temple to spar with you.”

“What!” Liu Dongyue’s hand trembled, and he dropped his pen.

The Bad Blade Sect, the Zhao family, and Yue Mountain Sect were all coming to challenge him?

He had assumed the matter was settled, but now they were coming for a direct confrontation?

Was this not a clear act of revenge?

He only had the cultivation strength of a fifth-rank disciple; how could he possibly defeat them?

This was disastrous—he feared this time he might be beaten to death. He had stripped them bare in the Supreme Xuan Sacred Land, but if they didn’t leave him utterly defeated this time, it would be a miracle.

After the messenger left, Liu Dongyue sat on the ground, looking utterly despondent.

“Challenge letters?” Li Hanzhou looked at the three notices and immediately understood. These three sects were here for revenge.

Changsheng Temple hadn’t been this lively in a long time.

“Uncle Master, save me!” Liu Dongyue looked at Li Hanzhou with pleading eyes and said, “Uncle Master, it’s because of your Seven Treasures Gourd that I’ve made so many enemies. You can’t just ignore me!”

“Well...” Li Hanzhou sighed helplessly. “How can I help? I can’t beat them either.”

“Why don’t you practice this?” Li Hanzhou took out the “Great Celestial Phenomena Manual” and handed it to Liu Dongyue.

“Uncle Master, don’t joke,” Liu Dongyue said, unwilling to even try. If he practiced that, not only would the Divine Ruins sect pursue him, but perhaps even the experts from Xingluo Kingdom would come hunting.

“Then use this,” Li Hanzhou said, handing over the Thousand Lives Ghost Lotus to Liu Dongyue.

“Uncle Master, using this could have terrible consequences. If those three sects come, they’ll probably all die,” Liu Dongyue said with a wry smile.

That was no joke. This was the Tang Sect’s foremost hidden weapon.

If he killed those disciples, they’d surely unite and wipe out Changsheng Temple.

“No good, no good,” Li Hanzhou frowned, then glanced at the Azure Dragon Hundred Flames. Suddenly, an idea struck him. “I see there’s also an alchemy furnace here. How about I refine some pills for you to help boost your strength? Maybe then you’ll be able to hold your own against them.”

“What?” Liu Dongyue’s eyes widened. “Uncle Master, you can refine pills?”

Li Hanzhou pondered briefly. “Does stewing braised pork count?”

“Uncle Master, stop joking,” Liu Dongyue said, surprised that Li Hanzhou could even joke at a time like this.

“Not joking,” Li Hanzhou said, turning to take a book titled “Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy” from the shelf. “Look, I have this. If I follow the instructions here, it’s not difficult. Just wait and see.”

“I can even refine spiritual treasures; refining pills should be easy,” Li Hanzhou said confidently.

“Uncle Master, there’s a big problem with the spiritual treasures you refined,” Liu Dongyue quickly replied. “The spiritual treasures are okay, even if there were some issues, they weren’t major. But if the pills are badly made, I’ll end up dead after taking them. The Vajra Talismans you gave me last time were powerful; why don’t you draw some more? That way, I won’t die so easily.”

“Talismans?” Li Hanzhou suddenly remembered he still had that skill but shook his head. “The Vajra Talismans can keep you from dying, but they won’t stop you from getting beaten.”

“Then do you have any offensive talismans you can give me?” Liu Dongyue asked eagerly.

Li Hanzhou shook his head again.

He wasn’t even sure how powerful his talismans truly were. Ye Yun had slain an eighth-rank dream demon with just his Evil-Repelling Talisman. While Li Hanzhou did have offensive talismans like the Five Thunder Talisman and the Coffin-Sealing Talisman, their actual strength was uncertain. If he accidentally incinerated their disciples, wouldn’t that just bring stronger enemies down upon them?

It would be terrible if he accidentally burned down Changsheng Temple.

Moreover, seeing the Azure Dragon Hundred Flames made Li Hanzhou genuinely interested in trying alchemy.

“Ah, no hope,” Liu Dongyue muttered as he left, feeling his life was hopeless.

Nightfall.

Beichuan City.

A dimly lit tavern on a street still had its lights on. Inside, a middle-aged man wearing a bamboo hat sipped his wine.

One man, one jug of wine, his back lonely.

But the tavern’s patrons gradually dwindled, and even the street outside grew silent.

“Waiter, another jug of wine,” the man called out.

Yet after a long moment, no reply came.

“Heh,” the man sneered coldly. Suddenly, he thrust his palm forward, and countless flying needles shot from his sleeve toward the building opposite.

Each needle was condensed with powerful inner energy, piercing through the walls instantly.

Screams followed.

“Attack!”

At the shout, countless arrows rained down.

The man leapt up, raising a palm skyward, smashing a hole in the roof, and in the next moment, he was standing atop it.

But the assault seemed anticipated; a storm of hidden weapons descended like a torrential rain.

“Hmph!”

The man snorted coldly, waving his hand as countless hidden weapons shot out, colliding midair with those flying at him.

His movements were smooth and precise, without the slightest hesitation.

“Come out, all of you!”

With a loud shout, three figures appeared on the rooftop opposite him.

“Third Elder, Fourth Elder, and the Law Enforcement Hall Chief,” the man smiled at the three approaching. “The Tang Sect truly values me. Three Tongxuan-level masters attacking together—looks like you’ve decided to finish me today.”

The Law Enforcement Hall Chief stepped forward, frowning. “Zhou Ziyin, you were once our Tang Sect’s most outstanding disciple. Yet you betrayed us, even killed your master. You’re worse than a beast!”

“Today, we will cleanse the sect!”

“Hahaha! Most outstanding disciple of the Tang Sect?” Zhou Ziyin suddenly laughed wildly. “If I’m the best disciple, then why was the Thousand-Mechanism Peacock Feather only taught to the junior apprentice brother and not me? I’m not convinced. All these years, every good thing went to him, none to me. Such a Tang Sect is not worth staying in!”

“As for that old man, killing him is no loss. He never agreed to marry his daughter to me. Why? Because I’m so exceptional!” Zhou Ziyin’s face twisted with fury.

“You’re beyond saving. Surrender now and save yourself!” the Third Elder shook his head.

“Hahaha!” Zhou Ziyin sneered coldly. “If this were any other time, there’s no way I could handle all three of you at once, but now…”

“Perfect chance to test the power of the Thousand Lives Ghost Lotus on you all...”

“Thousand Lives Ghost Lotus!”

The three’s faces changed drastically at the name. The Fourth Elder growled, “The disappearance of the Thousand Lives Ghost Lotus was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right. This top hidden weapon of the Tang Sect is now in my hands. Let me show you three old geezers the true power of the number one hidden weapon!” Zhou Ziyin shouted. A flash of light appeared from his storage pouch, and immediately, an item appeared in his hand.

“Prepare yourselves for my Thousand Lives Chicken Leg! To die beneath the Tang Sect’s number one hidden weapon, Thousand Lives Chicken Leg, means you three lived a worthy Tang Sect life... huh?”

Zhou Ziyin’s expression suddenly changed.

He had clearly pulled out the Thousand Lives Ghost Lotus from his storage pouch, so where did this chicken leg come from?

And it had even been bitten into.

Damn!

Where’s my hidden weapon?