Blade Drawing Tournament (3)

The bridge leading from Hat Island to the Wu family had been burned. Although the ice floes on the river were large enough to carry Yue Qianchou and the others, they all flew across directly. The crowd dispersed, eager to quickly relay what had happened back to their sect. Dongfang Changao and Chou Wuyuan remained, watching Yue Qianchou depart. A moment later, they exchanged a glance, each letting out a disdainful snort. The two, who had seemed so in sync just moments before, had parted ways.

In the Serene Guest Hall, Yue Qianchou wandered around but surprisingly didn't find Wu Lixue. He wasn't in the mood to think about it now; he wanted to use this opportunity to teach that stubborn girl who had sabotaged him a lesson. Returning to the living room, Ziyi stood there awkwardly, seemingly realizing her mistake.

"Hmph!" Yue Qianchou sneered twice, then turned to face her and said sarcastically, "I really don't know why my master sent you here to follow me? Heh! To assist me! To assist me by going against me? Well, I'm truly honored, thank you for your cooperation! But I've had enough. Now, I'll trouble you to go back to Shuntian Island and find my master. Just say that I'm a difficult person to work with, and that I'm the one who sent you back. You can put all the blame on me, and I absolutely won't argue. Then, from now on, you can stay peacefully in your South Sea Purple Bamboo Forest. Please! I won't see you out!" He gestured towards the door.

The woman in Ziyi, her pretty face slightly lowered, suddenly raised it, and said with some resentment, "You want to send me away? How can I face Elder Bi like this?"

"What a joke! You know you're ashamed to face my master?" Yue Qianchou asked with a stern face, "Do you know why I took out the treasure I possessed to hold that 'Blade Drawing Tournament'?"

"I didn't know at first, but I do now." The woman in Ziyi lowered her pretty face again and said awkwardly, "It's for the Spirit Stone."

"Then do you know why I'm collecting Spirit Stone?" Yue Qianchou asked, heartbroken. The woman in Ziyi lowered her head even further and said in a barely audible voice, "To fulfill Elder Bi's important request."

"So you knew all along! I thought you didn't." Yue Qianchou immediately rebuked him angrily, "Then why did you sabotage me at that crucial moment? You kept saying you would fulfill the important task entrusted to you by my master, is this how you accomplished it? Do you think I would dare keep you by my side? If you assist me like this a few more times, I think we won't have to do anything else, and we can go back to Shuntian Island to report back now."

Yue Qianchou could utter such harsh words to such a beautiful and innocent woman. But he was determined to give Ziyi a moral lesson, and he had to do it while she was still naive. Otherwise, once she became a cunning and Hundred Charm Demoness, she wouldn't be able to fool anyone anymore, and it would be hard to tell who would be fooling whom. So, he needed to seize the opportunity to educate her now, starting now, to firmly establish in her the concept that everything Yue Qianchou said and did was right.

"I was wrong, please don't send me back..." Ziyi said, her head bowed, and she even started to sob.

"Uh..." Yue Qianchou was stunned. He didn't expect that he could make a master at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage cry. His heart softened for a moment because of the crying, but then he hardened his heart again and said fiercely, "I was wrong? What an easy sentence. Does it mean that anyone who does something wrong can just say 'I was wrong' and be fine? Then what's the point of fighting and killing in this Cultivation World?"

Ziyi immediately shook her head and said, "Don't send me back. Give me another chance. I won't go against you anymore. I'll do whatever you say."

"Hmph! That sounds nice, but if you ever get into a bad mood, you'll probably forget what you said today." Yue Qianchou expressed his disbelief.

"I promise." Ziyi quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and said earnestly, "If you don't believe me, I can swear."

"Judging from your expression, it seems you really know you were wrong. I'll believe you this once. As for that oath, there's no need for that. I trust you won't make me heartbroken and despair again, because you're not that kind of foolish woman." Yue Qianchou waved his hand, thinking to himself, "If your father knew I made you make such an oath, he definitely wouldn't let me off the hook."

After finishing his persuasive work, he took out a spirit pill from his Storage Bag and gently opened his palm in front of Ziyi. Ziyi, who had been cautiously Yue Qianchou's palm was a spirit pill radiating a seven-colored glow, its rich Spiritual Qi swirling around it—clearly no ordinary pill. Actually, the quality of the pill wasn't what attracted her; it was the beautiful seven-colored glow. A woman's love of beauty is innate.

"Here you go, eat it now." Yue Qianchou smiled slightly and handed it to her. Ziyi took it suspiciously and asked uncertainly, "What kind of elixir is this? Eat it now?" As soon as she finished speaking, Yue Qianchou's face darkened. Ziyi immediately remembered her promise to him and swallowed it without hesitation. She stood aside silently, feeling the changes in her body.

Yue Qianchou walked to the chair opposite her and sat down, asking with a smile, "Have you heard of the 'Ruyi Pill'?"

"My master told me it's a rare treasure, a priceless treasure in the mortal world. Taking one can keep you young forever, and even..." The woman in Ziyi paused, pointing at herself in disbelief and stammering, "I... what I just took, could it be... the Ruyi Pill?"

"That's right, it's the rare and Ruyi Pill you mentioned." Yue Qianchou said with a smile. This is what you call giving a sweet treat after a beating, combining kindness and severity to discipline you, so you won't be disobedient in the future.

Ziyi was momentarily flustered and at a loss for words. The Ruyi Pill could grant eternal youth, something every woman dreamed of! After a long while, she finally managed to suppress her excitement and said, "Yue Qianchou, thank you!"

Unexpectedly, Yue Qianchou stood up and said in a very disappointing tone, "Hey! This elixir could have fetched at least 100 million high-grade Spirit Stones at auction, maybe even more. I've been saving it for myself for a long time and couldn't bear to eat it, but I can't let you work for me for nothing! Consider it my payment for helping me out! Once you've accepted my payment, you can't be so childish with me anymore."

Upon hearing this, Ziyi suddenly lost her excitement and stood there dumbfounded. According to Yue Qianchou, this trip was precisely when money was needed, and she had just spent a hundred million? And possibly more than a hundred million? Moreover, Yue Qianchou himself was reluctant to eat, yet he gave her food. This favor was truly enormous, and she was afraid she could never repay it.

While the two were in silence, Wu Lixue walked in from outside, her face pale and looking quite unwell. Upon seeing Yue Qianchou, she actually bowed and said, "My grandfather and others are outside the courtyard and wish to come in to pay their respects to you."

Yue Qianchou asked in surprise, "Xue'er, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" He walked over and wanted to touch her forehead.

To everyone's surprise, Wu Lixue immediately stepped back as if avoiding a thief, causing Yue Qianchou's concerned hand to miss its target. Yue Qianchou was even more astonished. How could such a lively and lovely woman, in the throes of new love, have become like this? Something terrible must have happened. He narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "Xue'er, what's wrong with you? Did someone bully you? How dare they touch my woman! Tell me, and I'll kill their whole family!"

Wu Lixue remained silent. For every step Yue Qianchou took closer, she retreated. Yue Qianchou grew impatient and sneered, "If you won't tell! I'll go out now and kill anyone I see. I'll find someone who knows the truth." With a cold snort, he flicked his sleeve and stormed out.

Yue Qianchou was notorious in the Cultivation World for daring to do anything; otherwise, he wouldn't have earned the titles of scoundrel and madman. Wu Lixue often cared about him and had naturally heard of his exploits, so she absolutely believed he could really wreak havoc in the Wu family. She immediately stood in front of the door and pleaded, "Yue Qianchou, don't do anything rash. I'll tell you."

"Tell me, what exactly happened?" Yue Qianchou asked in a deep voice. Wu Lixue bit her lip with a pained expression and said, "I heard that you are the personal disciple of my Old Ancestor, and even my grandfather and the others have to respect you as their teacher. It would be against the rules for us to be together."

Upon hearing this, Yue Qianchou raised an eyebrow and immediately understood what was going on. He then bluntly said, "Bullshit! Who's spouting nonsense? I have absolutely no relation to your Wu family's Old Ancestor. When did I become your Wu family's Old Ancestor's personal disciple? That's pure nonsense."

The woman in Ziyi glanced back and forth between the two of them, puzzled by many things, but unfortunately, she was in a bit of pain in her stomach and was clutching it with her hand.

Wu Lixue's deeply furrowed brows gradually relaxed, a hint of surprise appearing on her face, but she dared not show it. She asked weakly, "Is it true? Then why did Elder Wu Zhenggang tell me this?"

"You silly girl, don't you know I have a grudge against him! He's deliberately sending you to annoy me and make me unhappy, don't you understand?" Yue Qianchou scolded, feigning anger. But inwardly, she was truly furious. It was Wu Zhenggang again! She hadn't even settled accounts with him yet, and he was already stirring up trouble. Very well!

"Really?" Wu Lixue's eyes lit up.

"Of course it's true. Your grandfather and the others respect me because my current master is highly respected in the Cultivation World. It's not as complicated as you think." Yue Qianchou raised his hand to stroke her hair, a rare tenderness appearing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "I could have openly used Old Man Bi's name to extort money from the Four Great Families, but I gave up doing so for you! Besides, your surname is Wu, and you have no blood relation to those surnamed Bi. How could someone surnamed Bi be your Old Ancestor?"

"Take her to the bathhouse first." Yue Qianchou pointed to Ziyi, then gestured towards the outside and said, "And let your grandfather and the others in while you're at it."

Wu Lixue was startled when she saw Ziyi and exclaimed, "Ziyi, what's wrong?" Black stains seeped from Ziyi's exposed skin, which was quite frightening. Ziyi touched it herself and was also startled, but perhaps because she knew something about the 'Ruyi Pill,' she quickly recovered from her surprise. After glancing at Yue Qianchou, she immediately urged Wu Lixue to take her away.

After watching the two women leave, Yue Qianchou pondered that he should refine another batch of Ruyi Pill when he had time... The sound of footsteps outside interrupted his thoughts, and he put on a smile and went out to greet them.

The heads of the Four Great Families, along with six Clan Elders and a number of important elders from the Wu family, were all present. The initial greetings were a little awkward, as everyone was unsure how to address Yue Qianchou, given his identity, even though it hadn't been openly stated. Yue Qianchou, however, didn't seem to mind. He stepped aside and waved, saying, "Please come inside and sit down so we can discuss things."

The group nodded and walked into the hall one after another. Just as they filed in, a fierce glint flashed in Yue Qianchou's eyes, and a burst of azure flame, heated to its extreme, suddenly appeared in his hand. He swung it at Wu Zhenggang, who was passing by. At such close range, and with Wu Zhenggang caught off guard, he was engulfed by the raging azure flames before he could even react.

"Ah..." A brief scream echoed through 'Serene Guest Hall'. As the blue flame subsided, Wu Zhenggang had already turned to ashes. Yue Qianchou snorted coldly. No matter what you were thinking when you said those words to Wu Lixue, I'll kill you. Whatever your plans are, they're all in vain.

The members of the Four Great Families were all stunned when they looked over. Yue Qianchou, however, put on a smiling face, as if nothing had happened, and raised his hand, saying, "Please come in and sit down. I just wanted to discuss the 'Blade Drawing Tournament' with you all. Please!" He took the lead and walked into the hall.

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