Zheng Kun

"My home is at No. 22 Baolu Ward, Xia Liang East City Gate. Tell my wife that under the third pickle jar beneath the bed, there's a hidden compartment with two little goldfish. Use them sparingly—they should last until Bao Er comes of age."

A middle-aged man covered in pimples, barely suppressing his terror, whispered his final words to Li Huowang.

He was today's Medicinal Guide sent to the Pill Refining Room. Li Huowang could do nothing about it but commit these words to memory.

Watching the trembling man walk into the Pill Refining Room, Li Huowang turned and left, his expression irritable as he headed back.

This was already the eighth person. As time passed, the number of people in the Material Room kept dwindling. What pained him even more was that he seemed to be getting used to it—the guilt of sending people to their deaths was steadily weakening.

He was being assimilated by a disgusting wretch like Danyangzi, and he didn't want that.

Li Huowang desperately wanted to escape this tormenting situation. He was searching for a solution, but it wasn't easy to find. Relying only on himself and a few disabled people in the Material Room, it was nearly impossible to deal with the unfathomable Danyangzi.

The only things he knew now were that the "Lord You" controlled by Danyangzi didn't exist on the first and fifteenth of the month, so he couldn't watch them then. Also, Danyangzi was illiterate, and someone inside Qingfeng Temple was helping him read the Heavenly Book.

"What if I go to Danyangzi's dwelling, find that being, and kill him? Among all his disciples in the cave, I'm the only one who can read—he'd have no choice but to let me translate the Heavenly Book! Then, wouldn't killing Danyangzi be a piece of cake?"

This thought had barely popped into his mind before Li Huowang dismissed it.

He knew where Danyangzi's cave dwelling was, but first, he didn't know what traps were inside, and second, he didn't know how strong the being reading the Heavenly Book for Danyangzi was. Rushing in recklessly like that, he'd probably die without even knowing how.

"Poison his pill ingredients? No, all my alchemy skills were taught by him. Showing off in front of an expert like that would be even more suicidal."

Li Huowang walked back as he went, his mind churning with new ideas to deal with Danyangzi.

Just then, a young man with a gloomy expression, wearing a Daoist robe and a Taoist Scarf, approached from the opposite direction. Li Huowang recognized him—he was Danyangzi's inner disciple, Zheng Kun.

Li Huowang didn't know much about him. Aside from occasionally running into him during meals, he never saw hide nor hair of Zheng Kun otherwise.

Moreover, unlike Li Huowang and the other nominal disciples, he didn't have to bother with managing the affairs of Qingfeng Temple up and down. What he usually did, Li Huowang had no idea.

The two passed each other, one left, one right. As Zheng Kun's shoulder lightly brushed against him, Li Huowang collided with his body. The moment he touched him, Li Huowang felt as if he'd bumped into a piece of raw iron.

Zheng Kun suddenly stopped, turned sideways, and looked at him with a smirk that wasn't a smile. "Xuan Yang, you've been pretty cocky in the temple lately. You've got Master laughing his head off, huh?"

Li Huowang frowned slightly, glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to leave.

But before he could take two steps, he felt a massive force from behind shove him forward.

Li Huowang stumbled a few steps, steadied himself for a good while, and barely managed not to fall flat on his face.

"What, Junior Brother Xuan Yang, this senior brother's words don't count anymore?" Zheng Kun, arms crossed, stepped forward one by one until he stood in front of Li Huowang.

"Senior Brother Zheng Kun, I still need to help Master organize the pill ingredients," Li Huowang said calmly.

"Don't you dare use Master to pressure me. When I was fleeing for my life with Master back in the day, you weren't even a speck on the map! I'm telling you, Xuan Yang, just do your job quietly and keep your mouth shut about everything else. Don't be so clueless." Zheng Kun's tone grew harsher.

Li Huowang didn't get angry. Instead, he stared blankly at Zheng Kun, as if pondering something. The guy really was as bad-tempered as Xuan Yuan had said—but didn't that mean he was impulsive?

"What? Cat got your tongue? Speak up!"

Li Huowang, who had been wooden-faced just moments ago, began to animate. A hint of sarcasm crept into his voice.

"If Master values me, that's his decision. Even if Master told me the method of Immortal Ascension, that's his business. Senior Brother Zheng Kun probably can't control that, can he?"

Zheng Kun froze for a moment, caught off guard that the other would dare speak to him like that.

When he came to his senses, his expression twisted viciously. He pressed two fingers together, forming a hand seal, and jabbed them like a small chisel through the Daoist robe straight into Li Huowang's left ribs.

"You think you're worthy? Master didn't even teach me the Immortal Ascension Technique—you think he'd tell you? What do you think you are? Dregs!!"

The searing pain nearly made Li Huowang pass out, but a smile crept onto his face. He'd guessed right.

"Heh, if Master didn't tell you, maybe it's because your comprehension is too low, Senior Brother Zheng Kun. Immortal cultivation is about talent. Since your talent isn't up to par, don't waste Master's time on your body."

These words seemed to touch Zheng Kun's reverse scale. He pulled his fingers back and jabbed Li Huowang three more times in quick succession. "You dregs! You're asking for death!!"

Under the excruciating pain, Li Huowang's laughter only grew louder. "Hahaha, come on, kill me! Let's see how Master reacts when he finds out his disciples are killing each other!"

Watching Li Huowang's laughter shift from loud to manic, Zheng Kun kicked him, sending him crashing into the wall. "Hmph! Reckless Madman."

Li Huowang lay on the ground, unable to recover for a long time. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a pair of broad hands reached out and helped him up.

"Ah, Junior Brother Xuan Yang, why won't you listen? Didn't I tell you to show some respect to Zheng Kun? Why did you go and provoke him?"

The speaker was the ever-amenable Xuan Yuan, the only person in Qingfeng Temple who could talk to Li Huowang because of his easygoing nature.

Li Huowang clutched his armpit, enduring the pain as he said, "What? Could he kill me? Master's Lord You is watching nearby. If any more disciples in the temple die, it won't be sustainable."

"What Lord You?" Xuan Yuan looked surprised.

He doesn't know? A thought flashed through Li Huowang's mind. Did the others not know how Master monitored the entire Qingfeng Temple?

Thinking back to the two inner disciples among those who had died, Li Huowang realized they probably really didn't know.

"Nothing. I'm just saying he wouldn't dare make a move."

"That's not how it works. He's an inner disciple, you're a nominal disciple. Even if he doesn't dare kill you outright, making things difficult for you would be a piece of cake."

"Haha, my feet are small—they're naturally suited for tight shoes."

As he spoke with Xuan Yuan, a glint of amusement flickered in Li Huowang's eyes. Just now, Zheng Kun had revealed something: even as an inner disciple, he still wasn't qualified to learn the Immortal Ascension Technique.

Danyangzi trusted no one.

But that wasn't the point. The point was the look in his eyes. When they'd locked gazes, the moment Li Huowang said he'd learned the Immortal Ascension Technique, he'd clearly sensed the intense unwillingness in Zheng Kun's eyes.

The disciples Danyangzi trained couldn't be that loyal.

This might be something to exploit. He wanted to try.