Third Ghost Lord (Part 2)

Third Ghost Lord (Part 2)

Thinking back to those years, after the Ancient Nether Era ended and the Era of Emperors had just begun, his soul had been trapped within the Shadow Crow. By then, after countless years of effort, he had temporarily broken free of the Immortal-Demon Cave's control.

Thinking back to when he had met Immortal Emperor Mingren, Immortal Emperor Mingren had still been a young man who had yet to touch the Grand Dao—a warm-hearted young man who loved justice and martial arts!

Thinking back, it had been he who had led Immortal Emperor Mingren into the world of cultivators. Alas, in the blink of an eye, millions upon millions of years had passed, and the invincible figures of generations past had already vanished like smoke.

When Li Qiye's gaze fell upon a charred wooden stick beside the incense brazier beneath the statue, even he was surprised. Then the corner of his mouth curled upward in a faint smile. After all these endless years, he had never expected this wooden stick to still be here.

Thinking back, he had beaten that group of youngsters until they howled and yelped. How high-spirited those youngsters had been in those days...

At this moment, the six Elders of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect filed in one after another. Though the six Elders were no longer young, their blood and vitality surged like rainbows. Every one of them carried a sharp, imposing aura, with treasure light rising around them.

Although the Washing Yan Ancient Sect had declined, it was, after all, an immortal sect with an imperial lineage. If its Elders were willing to accept titles from the Treasure Saint Empire, they would at least be granted the rank of great heroes!

The six Elders fixed their razor-sharp gazes on Li Qiye. Yet in the face of their astonishing pressure and piercing stares, Li Qiye remained calm and composed, sitting there in perfect serenity.

"Where is the Washing Yan Ancient Token?" At last, the Grand Elder spoke in a deep voice, his tone cold. To the Washing Yan Ancient Sect, the Washing Yan Ancient Token was of immense importance. It was something left behind by their founding ancestor, Immortal Emperor Mingren.

Li Qiye slowly opened his palm, revealing an ancient, simple token. When Third Ghost Lord had sent him to the town at the foot of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's mountain, Li Qiye had never expected Third Ghost Lord to plunge headfirst into the Emerald Red Pavilion.

Before leaving, Third Ghost Lord had tossed him a Washing Yan Ancient Token. In truth, Li Qiye had not expected Third Ghost Lord to possess one.

After Immortal Emperor Mingren had borne the Heaven's Will, although he had still been a Shadow Crow, Immortal Emperor Mingren had given him three Washing Yan Ancient Tokens. Later, however, Li Qiye had given all three tokens to others!

After millions upon millions of years, seeing this token again filled Li Qiye with deep emotion. He had never expected that a token he had not needed back then would be of use today.

The six Elders carefully examined the Washing Yan Ancient Token. In the end, they confirmed that it was genuine, and the six Elders could not help exchanging glances.

In fact, the Washing Yan Ancient Sect had always wanted to reclaim this token. It had used many methods to try to retrieve it from Third Ghost Lord, but Third Ghost Lord knew that the token was his life-preserving talisman and had always refused to return it. No one had expected that today, Third Ghost Lord would give it to an obscure mortal.

"Where is Third Ghost Lord?" the Grand Elder asked coldly. He had never had a good expression for this Third Ghost Lord, who loved money and women. Even if Third Ghost Lord truly was the previous sect master's illegitimate son, the Grand Elder still found him utterly disagreeable!

"He went to the Emerald Red Pavilion," Li Qiye replied calmly.

Those words left the six Elders with nowhere to hide their faces. Though they refused to acknowledge Third Ghost Lord as a member of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect in their hearts, he was, in fact, one of them. Naturally, the six Elders knew what kind of place the Emerald Red Pavilion was—the most famous and largest brothel within a thousand miles of this area!

This was not the first time such a thing had happened, nor was it Third Ghost Lord's first visit to the Emerald Red Pavilion! The six Elders were particularly frustrated. They wished the Washing Yan Ancient Sect had no such whoremonger!

"What do you want?" another Elder asked in a deep voice. They did not know what method Li Qiye had used to make Third Ghost Lord willingly give him the Washing Yan Ancient Token, but the token before them was undeniably genuine.

"I heard that the position of Chief Disciple of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect is still vacant. Third Ghost Lord strongly recommended that I become the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's Chief Disciple, so I wish to become the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's Chief Disciple," Li Qiye said slowly.

Those words immediately darkened the six Elders' faces. Since when had a whoremonger like Third Ghost Lord been qualified to recommend a Chief Disciple for the Washing Yan Ancient Sect? Moreover, the choice of the sect's Chief Disciple had always been made with the utmost caution. Otherwise, that position would not have remained vacant all this time.

"The position of Chief Disciple is no child's play!" an Elder said coldly.

"I know." Li Qiye remained composed. "However, the holder of the Washing Yan Ancient Token may make one request. This was a rule established by your founding ancestor, Immortal Emperor Mingren."

"The token in your hand may have come from an improper source," the Grand Elder said coldly. The position of Chief Disciple was no trivial matter. How could it be treated as a game?

Li Qiye was not alarmed. He said unhurriedly, "I understand. You Elders fear that I forcibly snatched it from Third Ghost Lord. If you do not believe me, you may send someone to the Emerald Red Pavilion to verify it."

Upon hearing the three words "Emerald Red Pavilion," the six Elders' old faces immediately darkened. Still, they promptly sent a disciple to verify it.

Very quickly, the disciple they had sent returned. He confirmed that Li Qiye's Washing Yan Ancient Token had indeed been voluntarily given to him by Third Ghost Lord. Naturally, the disciple omitted the part about Third Ghost Lord enjoying himself at the Emerald Red Pavilion. Otherwise, the six Elders' expressions would have turned even uglier.

The six Elders were exceedingly unwilling to acknowledge the Washing Yan Ancient Token in Li Qiye's hand. But the ancestral rules could not be violated. The Washing Yan Ancient Sect was, after all, an immortal sect with an imperial lineage. Even though it had declined, it could not afford to lose such face.

"Bring the True Form Mirror," the Grand Elder said coldly. Since the Washing Yan Ancient Token was genuine, the six Elders had no choice.

Very soon, the sect disciples brought over the True Form Mirror and shone it upon Li Qiye. Any mortal wishing to enter a sect and cultivate the Dao had to undergo examination by the sect's True Form Mirror, which would reveal the state of that person's physique, life wheel, and fate palace.

Within the True Form Mirror appeared Li Qiye's reflection. His image flickered hazily, like a candle flame that could be extinguished at any moment. Behind his head was a faint wheel of blood light, while within his forehead was a vague cluster of light and shadow. Yet whether it was the blood light or the light and shadow, both were indistinct.

"His physique is a Mortal Physique, his life wheel is Mortal Meridians, and his fate palace is a Mortal Fate," the disciple reported after probing Li Qiye's physique, life wheel, and fate palace.

Every person possessed a physique, life wheel, and fate palace. The physique directly determined the strength of one's body, the life wheel determined the length of one's lifespan, and the fate palace determined the quality of one's talent!

The moment they saw that Li Qiye possessed a Mortal Physique, Mortal Meridians, and a Mortal Fate, the six Elders were rendered speechless. Such a physique, such life wheel, such fate palace—among mortals, one could grab a whole bunch of them with a casual reach. As long as one was human, one would likely possess such qualities!

"The Washing Yan Ancient Sect's Chief Disciple need not necessarily possess an Imperial Physique or a Saint Physique, but at the very least, he must possess an Innate Physique. His life wheel should be of similar quality as well. Your qualifications are unsuitable for becoming Chief Disciple," the Grand Elder said coldly.

"I know." Li Qiye was not surprised, and he still spoke unhurriedly. "My condition is that I become Chief Disciple!"

"You—" Li Qiye's words immediately enraged the other Elders. With a physique like Li Qiye's, he simply could not become Chief Disciple. He did not even meet the qualifications to enter the Washing Yan Ancient Sect, yet he now wanted to become Chief Disciple. How could this not infuriate them?

"I trust that the descendants of Immortal Emperor Mingren would not do something that violates the ancestral rules and betrays their master and ancestors, would they?" Li Qiye spread open the Washing Yan Ancient Token in his hand and said slowly, "If this token were to fall into someone else's hands, the consequences would be difficult to imagine."

The six Elders present wore extremely unsightly expressions. The Grand Elder said coldly, "Even so, the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's Chief Disciple must undergo a thorough investigation, whether of his origins or background. Otherwise, he cannot become Chief Disciple!"

"That is your concern." Li Qiye looked at the six Elders and said calmly, "Besides, if you believe I was sent by another sect to steal your Immortal Emperor inheritance, then I need not become Chief Disciple at all. With this token, I could directly demand your secret manuals. You should understand this better than I do! With one token in hand, if I truly wished to harm the Washing Yan Ancient Sect, it would not be difficult!"

Li Qiye's words made the six Elders exchange glances, but in their hearts, they still could not trust him!

"What he says is not without reason." Elder Xiong among the six Elders pondered aloud. "If the Washing Yan Ancient Token remains outside the sect, it will be a hidden danger to our sect as well. We have no way to refuse the token holder's request. Why not settle the matter this way?"

"Hmph—this matter cannot be treated lightly!" the Grand Elder said coldly.

"Throughout the generations, the Chief Disciple has always been the sect master's personal disciple. Whether this can be done or not, why not ask for the sect master's opinion?" another Elder said after pondering for a moment.

"That makes sense. After all, this is the sect master's personal disciple," another Elder agreed.

"Send word to the sect master." After the six Elders discussed the matter, the Grand Elder finally said coldly.

The six Elders sent word to the sect master, Su Yonghuang, who was away from the sect. To their surprise, Su Yonghuang sent back a reply very quickly. What surprised them even more was that the sect master had agreed to let Li Qiye become Chief Disciple.

"The sect master is muddleheaded—absurd!" The Grand Elder read the sect master's reply three times before confirming it. Deeply dissatisfied, he could not help shouting in a heavy voice.

"Brother Gu, since even the sect master has agreed, what else can we say? After all, the Chief Disciple is the sect master's personal disciple. It can be said that the sect master has the final say," Elder Xiong persuaded him.

"The sect master is being muddleheaded." Another Elder could not help sighing and shaking his head.

Elder Xiong gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Other than this, what else can we do? Being able to recover the Washing Yan Ancient Token is also a great merit!"

All readers are welcome to read the latest, fastest-updating, and most popular serialized works here!

For the fastest updates, please bookmark this site for the latest novels!