Yujin Prefecture in Chaos

Outside Yujin Prefecture, the Sect Masters of the Heavenly Saber Sect, Jade Spring Sect, and Spirit Heart Peak gathered together. In Yujin Prefecture, these were the only three forces worth mentioning.

And now that Little Alchemist had been abducted within Yujin Prefecture, these same three were the prime suspects.

Ye Zhi Qiu was not the only one who thought so. The three Sect Masters shared the same suspicion.

"Speak. Which side took him? The matter has already reached Ye Zhi Qiu. Keeping him all to yourselves is impossible, so why not be open about it? We can all benefit together and share much of the pressure."

The speaker was the Heavenly Saber Sect Master, a man in his forties with a face as red as a jujube, fleshy cheeks, and a pair of triangular eyes that made him seem rather cold-hearted.

To his left sat another man in his forties, lean and wiry, with narrow cheeks and shifty eyes that rolled about now and then, brimming with cunning—the Sect Master of Spirit Heart Peak.

To his right sat the Jade Spring Sect Master, dressed in strange black-and-white Daoist robes. In his fifties, with a round face that always wore a genial smile, he looked quite amiable.

After the two men scrutinized each other, they turned their suspicious gazes toward the Heavenly Saber Sect Master.

The Spirit Heart Sect Master gave a few dry coughs and spoke first. "You suspect us, but I suspect you of crying thief while being the thief yourself."

Though the Jade Spring Sect Master said nothing, the questioning look in his eyes spoke for itself.

The Heavenly Saber Sect Master sprang to his feet, his face dark with anger. "If I had taken him, why would I go to the trouble of inviting you two here to talk?"

"Besides the three sects present, who else would have the nerve to break into Yujin Prefecture's prison and snatch someone away?"

The Jade Spring Sect Master spoke with a smile.

Thus, the three men resumed eyeing one another with mutual suspicion.

"I think we should lay our cards on the table. Whoever has him should hand him over, and the three sects can share him. Surely Little Alchemist can produce more than three portions of medicine!"

The Spirit Heart Sect Master's eyes shifted as he spoke slowly, then he looked toward the Heavenly Saber Sect Master.

"Even if there is not enough to go around, we can provide spiritual herbs for Little Alchemist to refine. If one person tries to swallow everything alone, once Ye Zhi Qiu comes, I doubt they will be able to keep him."

The Jade Spring Sect Master nodded with a genial smile and echoed the sentiment. Once he finished, he too looked at the Heavenly Saber Sect Master.

That made him feel terrible. So from beginning to end, these two had been convinced that the man was in his hands.

It would be difficult to persuade them. One was an old fox with eight hundred schemes in every hair on his body; the other smiled all day like a tiger in a mask, swindling people without a sound.

If those two truly joined forces, he would have a hard time dealing with them.

The Heavenly Saber Sect Master's expression shifted between light and dark. At last, he gritted his teeth and said, "How about this? Let the three sects swear an oath: if any one sect hides him privately, the other two shall join forces to attack it."

"It really wasn't you?"

The two men were slightly startled and blurted it out.

They immediately turned suspicious looks upon one another again. The Spirit Heart Sect Master hurriedly said, "I am willing to swear as well. If it was me, you are welcome to come trouble me."

The Jade Spring Sect Master also nodded. "This poor Daoist agrees."

Now that was strange. After going around in a circle, none of the three had done it.

"The greatest suspicion falls on us. Ye Zhi Qiu likely thinks the same."

The Spirit Heart Sect Master's face darkened as he frowned.

"The three of us have probably taken the blame for someone else. Good, very good!"

The Jade Spring Sect Master's genial smile vanished, and he let out a sinister laugh.

Ye Zhi Qiu's methods were simple and brutal, but Rat Daoist now had a headache. He had originally planned to let those three great sects outside block the blade for a while. Given a few days, he could get the medicine, then secretly release the man without anyone the wiser.

But this Prefectural Lord had insisted on muddying the waters. Once the three great sects joined hands, they would sooner or later trace the trail to him.

Rat Daoist was so furious that he stomped his feet, cursing under his breath. "That bastard Ye truly has no sense of decency. He is a complete and utter scoundrel!"

There was likely not much time left. He had to make this Medicine Master produce pills quickly. Whether they enhanced aptitude or cultivation, he wanted them all.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to inspect matters personally. In great haste, he arrived at a large courtyard filled with artificial hills. He walked beneath the largest one and gently pressed a spot on the rock wall. A recessed section shifted slightly.

A Stone Gate opened in the ground, revealing a flight of stairs that extended underground.

After descending the stairs and passing through a stretch of corridor, he came upon a stone chamber ahead, guarded by more than ten Disciples.

Walking up, Rat Daoist asked with a dark expression, "How is it going?"

One Disciple hurriedly reported, "We have watched him for an entire day. He only lies there sleeping and has not refined any pills. When the Disciples went in to urge him, he said there were not enough medicinal ingredients."

"But once we brought him the ingredients, he went back to sleep. When the Disciples urged him again, he gave us another list of herbs to prepare. We have gone back and forth seven or eight times already."

The Disciple wore a bitter expression. "In the end, he simply stopped responding and kept sleeping."

Rat Daoist flew into a rage and strode into the stone chamber. The alchemy furnace inside had not even been lit. Precious spiritual herbs were strewn around like rubbish, while Hanyu slept nearby with his head pillowed on a Thousand-Year Ginseng King.

It was simply too boring. Other than sleeping, he had no entertainment. Refining pills? He did not even know the steps of alchemy.

Those Five Immortals outside were especially annoying, constantly coming to bother him. Left with no choice, Hanyu casually gave them tasks as though he were reciting a menu.

But there were only so many medicinal herbs he knew. In the end, he simply ignored them. He could not make anything else up anyway.

After Rat Daoist entered, he walked up to Hanyu and suddenly shouted, "Little sir."

Hanyu jumped in fright. Once he saw who it was, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and climbed up, casually tossing the Ginseng King aside.

Rat Daoist's eyelids twitched at the sight. He struggled to suppress his anger and squeezed out an ugly smile. "Since you have yet to produce pills, why have you delayed taking action?"

Hanyu yawned and helplessly shook his head. "No inspiration. I can't refine anything."

Rat Daoist could no longer contain his fury and bellowed, "This poor Daoist has treated you with courtesy. Are you toying with me?"

As his words fell, a row of Disciples entered from outside and, without another word, hauled Hanyu over to the alchemy furnace and tied him to it.

One of the Disciples drew a barbed whip and looked toward Rat Daoist. Rat Daoist said viciously, "Beat him!"

Having received the order, the Disciple did not dare hold back. He swung the whip, striking Hanyu with sharp crack! crack! crack! sounds.

After roughly half a quarter-hour, the Disciple found that the more he whipped, the stranger it felt. Even Rat Daoist sensed that something was wrong.

Hanyu stared with puzzled eyes, without the slightest expression of pain. If not for the clothes across his chest being torn into strips of rags, Rat Daoist might have suspected that the Disciple was merely putting on a show.

"His body is incredibly tough."

The whip-wielding Disciple suddenly cried out, raising the whip for everyone to see. The row of barbs had already been worn smooth, with not an edge left.

"Send several more in. Use clubs, rods, and hammers. All of you, together."

Rat Daoist gave the order coldly.

Several more Disciples stepped forward, each carrying a heavy hammer, iron rod, or iron club.

Rounds of pounding rang out through the stone chamber.

After a long while, Hanyu looked helplessly at his clothing. Strips of shredded cloth hung from his body. He was unharmed, but his clothes could barely cover him anymore.

Seeing that they could do nothing to Hanyu, Rat Daoist roared in fury, dismissed the Disciples, and stepped forward himself, striking a palm toward Hanyu's chest.

With a dull thud, Rat Daoist staggered back several steps. Hanyu had initially paid it no mind, but when that palm struck his chest, his entire body shuddered. A wave of nausea surged up, and he directly spat out bile.

Hanyu was horrified. His sixty-year-old physique had been broken through!

Rat Daoist was even more horrified. He was a dignified Shore Realm cultivator, yet one palm had only made the man spit bile?

What kind of body was this?

If he possessed more methods of trading injury for injury, then in the Shore Realm, who could do anything to him?

Hanyu secretly regretted being too overconfident earlier. One palm had made him spit bile. If he took several more, would he not die?

"At most, I will give you one more day. If I do not see pills by tomorrow, this old man can only throw you into the alchemy furnace and refine you. Even iron can melt in there. Your body should not be difficult."

Seeing that he could do nothing to Hanyu for now, Rat Daoist could only leave behind this harsh threat before flicking his sleeve and departing.

The Disciples of the three great sects streamed continuously into Yujin City. The doors of one small sect after another were brutally smashed open, and they were searched everywhere as though their homes were being ransacked.

For a time, it was utter chaos, with chickens flying and dogs leaping.

Ye Zhi Qiu, who should have stepped in to stop it all, remained unmoved. He intended to flush out the person who had made him lose face.

"By then, I can gather all of you together and deal with you at once."

Seated within the Prefectural Yamen, Ye Zhi Qiu gave a cold smile.