Skipping the Boss Fight Means Skipping It

Some rejoiced, while others naturally grieved.

For Gujian and his disciple, the grand gathering outside Dinghuang Prefecture in Wu Prefecture was an unexpected delight. For the various powerful clans invited to celebrate, it was an unexpected bit of entertainment.

But for the Liu Family, the hosts of the gathering, it was an utter disgrace worthy of being recorded in their clan annals.

In a secluded, deserted courtyard behind Dinghuang Tower, Liu Lu, the Liu Family's Protector Elder, paced anxiously, his voice seeming to burn with wild fire.

"Young Master, we really can't just let this go!"

Liu Sanlang sat at the stone table in the pavilion, turning the Ganfeng Book in his hands with keen interest as he casually replied, "That's true. We parted from the Gujian master and disciple far too hastily today. I should send them a gift another day to offer my formal congratulations..."

Before he could finish, the Protector Elder slammed his palm down in desperation, splitting the stone table in two.

"Young Master, stop joking around!"

Liu Sanlang cast a regretful glance at the table before looking up and asking, "Then what does Uncle Lu think we should do?"

Liu Lu proposed, "Kong Zhang has been on good terms with our Liu Family for decades. As Prefect, he must have some way to find fault with that brat..."

Liu Sanlang smiled. "The Mingren Jade has already been issued. What fault could there be to find? If he really did find a problem, that would only prove the seal-issuing process at Dinghuang Prefecture in Wu Prefecture was a farce, riddled with loopholes. Kong Zhang would be the first to take the blame as Prefect! That's why he'd never make things difficult for that brat. Just now, he chatted and laughed with Gujian Sect Leader as if they were old friends. He really knows how to bend and grease the wheels!"

Liu Lu gritted his teeth. "Mingren Jade... How could such a wicked thing exist?! That old Gujian had clearly lost all his divine powers and lived in seclusion in the barren mountains for a hundred years, yet he knows every detail about something people had long forgotten. He must have been plotting this for ages. His intentions are truly reprehensible!"

Liu Sanlang said, "Perhaps he learned from a bitter lesson. Uncle Xi, what do you think?"

At the mention of his name, Liu Xi's face turned green, but he still stepped forward and cupped his hands. "In reply, Young Master, I did indeed have... a past quarrel with that Gu Bai. Five years ago, Baixi Immortal Mansion appeared, and Dinghuang Prefecture recruited Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators from across the prefecture to prepare for the reclamation. Gu Bai brought a descendant of the Wuren to apply. That Witch practiced all sorts of Outer Dao and Desolate arts, and somehow passed several rounds through cheating and other underhanded tricks, eventually making it onto the list!"

Liu Sanlang suddenly understood. "I remember. Your son applied too, Uncle Xi, but he didn't make it in, did he? Was his place taken by that Witch from Gujian Sect, so you held a grudge against Gu Bai?"

Liu Xi's face turned even greener. The blood vessel that had burst from rage not long ago and only just been mended looked ready to burst again.

He ground his teeth. "That's right. Thanks to the guile and shamelessness of that Gujian master and disciple, my son missed the reclamation roster by a single place and lost a great Immortal Fate! Fortunately, that Witch didn't get her way either. She was full of Desolate Blood, with less than eighty percent human blood, and her Desolate features were so obvious she could barely hide her ears! Her Human Dao Seal was only at the twentieth layer, just barely passing! Yet she still made it through every round. She might as well have written 'cheating and lawbreaking' across her face!"

"Afterward, I reported her to the prefecture repeatedly. At the very last moment, I finally persuaded the provincial government to expel her from the team and remove the threat. Unfortunately, there was no way to fill the vacant place, and my son never recovered after that... Young Master, this matter was indeed tied to a personal grudge, but there's no doubt that Gu Bai is devious and full of schemes!"

Liu Sanlang listened in silence for a long while before saying, "So Gu Bai spent years plotting to find a flaw in the Mingren Jade just to avenge what happened five years ago. Then, at the opportune moment, he used despicable and baseless means to bribe Daoist Qiu and steal the Dharma Sword that should have been mine?"

Liu Xi nodded emphatically. "That's most likely what happened!"

Liu Sanlang then said lightly, "So, when all is said and done, I was thwarted today because Uncle Xi dragged me down?"

Liu Xi gaped. "I, I... Young Master..."

"Haha, I'm joking." Liu Sanlang smiled. "Uncle Xi, I can understand you. When it comes to their children, people can easily become obsessed. But take that obsession too far, and it narrows your vision until you end up harming both others and yourself."

Liu Xi grunted. "Young Master is right..."

Liu Sanlang could tell the man didn't mean it, but said no more. "In any case, whatever their reasons, the two from Gujian Sect came prepared and handled everything beautifully, without leaving a single opening. Continuing to meddle would do us no good. We'd be better off changing our approach and making a friend of them. Someone who gained six layers of the Human Dao Seal on his very first cultivation attempt—Wu Ming's future must be boundless. Perhaps a few years from now, we'll see him shouting, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river!' as he turns Qiongzhou upside down..."

Liu Lu said helplessly, "Young Master, you really should read fewer novels!"

"Haha, all right, enough joking around. I'll go chat up a few more uncles, and then we'll head back. We've come back empty-handed today and disgraced the family. On the way home, pick out a few gifts for Father and Mother for me, as an apology..."

After Liu Sanlang left, the two Liu Family elders who had accompanied him sighed in unison.

Liu Lu sighed. "The Young Master's temperament... is far too carefree. How can someone born into an Aristocratic Clan be so indifferent to worldly affairs?"

His fellow elder, Liu Feng, said, "Sigh, that Fragrant Dye Dharma Sword was bestowed by the Sanqing Immortal Sect. Its significance is immense, and its Immortal Fate is far more valuable than the sword itself. Madam spent a long time preparing for this, using up a great deal of resources. The Young Master came back empty-handed, and the gap between him and the Eldest Young Master will only widen. Life won't be easy for him once he returns."

Liu Lu said glumly, "You should worry about yourself. No matter how difficult life gets, he's still the Young Master. But we're only retainers and protectors. If Madam takes out her anger on us... the Young Master might not be able to protect you and me."

As the two spoke, Liu Xi suddenly rose to his full height. His face was clouded, but his gaze was sharp as a blade, as if he had reached a decision.

"This matter may not be beyond saving."

The two elders exchanged looks. "Even the Young Master himself has given up. How can there still be a way?"

Liu Xi gritted his teeth. "As long as that master and disciple meet an untimely end, the provincial government will give the Dharma Sword a new owner!"

"..." Liu Lu was stunned for a moment, then cried out in horror, "Liu Xi, what are you thinking?! Qiongzhou is peaceful and prosperous. You're actually planning to kill them and rob their belongings?!"

Liu Xi sneered. "Peaceful and prosperous? That's only true within the Prefecture City. Beyond it, how many evil cultivators and Outer Dao fiends run rampant in those wild mountains? What's so strange about a pair of Rogue Cultivators dying out there? Besides, that master and disciple strutted around in public. If their fellow Desolate People took notice and ambushed them on the way home, wouldn't that be perfectly reasonable?"

Liu Feng said urgently, "If something really happened to those two, people would suspect the Liu Family even without proof!"

"What good is suspicion alone? If we do it cleanly, people will only be glad it happened! Do you think the powerful clans who came to celebrate today want to see a mixed-blood Desolate standing above everyone else? The Liu Family is the foremost Aristocratic Clan, after all. What is Gujian Sect? They think they can compete for the clans' prize? Hah, you've been so influenced by the Young Master that you've forgotten how to be bad! Do you really not understand why the family keeps people like us, its branch-line elders?"

Liu Lu said, "But the Young Master's sincere kindness will only be mistaken for hypocrisy and viciousness..."

"People fear those who are vicious! Do you think the clans who came to celebrate today respect the Liu Family for our high morals and upright conduct?! If the Young Master insists on being a good person, then we'll just have to be the bad ones!"

The two elders had been pressed with question after question until they had no answer. After a long while, Liu Lu finally asked hesitantly, "But even if you're going to make a move, Gu Bai is at the Nascent Soul Realm. We can't even reach Core Formation without the family's help..."

"He's just a crippled Nascent Soul!" Liu Xi snapped. "His Dao Foundation is damaged, his divine powers are gone, and even his breathing and cultivation are abnormal! He has nothing but a lofty realm! If you're afraid of even a good-for-nothing like that, why bother cultivating immortality at all?!"

Liu Lu and Liu Feng were left even more embarrassed by his scorn, but they didn't want to follow Liu Xi out to murder someone, so they made every excuse they could. Liu Xi grew angrier with every word, until at last he stormed away.

"A pair of useless fools who can't reason! I'll do it myself! But I'll need to borrow your magical treasures and talismans. Once it's done, you'll get your share of the credit too!"

The two elders looked at each other. After a long silence, they finally nodded without a word.

An hour later, twenty li northeast of the Prefecture City, above Bald Mountain, Gu Bai reluctantly brought the Cloud Carpet to a halt. He turned toward the fiery red clouds staining the western sky and cupped his hands.

"True Person Liu Xi, surely you didn't have to see us off this far?"

After a brief silence, the red clouds stirred, and a blue-robed Daoist emerged from within. His eyes gleamed like stars, and he carried an imposing air. It was none other than Liu Xi.

Now that Gu Bai had exposed his location, Liu Xi clicked his tongue and casually tossed aside a borrowed Cloud-Covering Talisman. He sneered. "Who would have thought that even a cripple like you would have such sharp eyes!"

Gu Bai smiled wryly. "Your talisman was masterfully made, True Person. This old man truly couldn't see through it... But the Prefect of this city has the Dinghuang Prefecture gather water vapor from the surrounding hundred li year-round to nourish the city. As a result, there are hardly any clouds to the northeast. Next time you use a Cloud-Covering Talisman, True Person Liu Xi, you should pay more attention to the local geography and climate."

A flash of anger crossed Liu Xi's face. "Spare me your lectures and showing off! Hand over the Dharma Sword!"

Gu Bai lowered his head and glanced at Wu Ming, who was still asleep, then smiled wryly again.

"True Person Liu Xi, you must be joking. My disciple Wu Ming won that Dharma Sword fair and square in front of Dinghuang Prefecture. His Immortal Fate is already bound to it and cannot easily be severed. Besides, the Liu Family is wealthy and powerful, and the Third Young Master's cultivation path is boundless. He certainly doesn't lack one mere Dharma Sword. Stealing what belongs to someone else will only bring you loss. Why go to such lengths, True Person Liu Xi?"

Just as Gu Bai expected, Liu Xi snorted.

"...In that case, don't blame me for not giving you a chance when you're in the underworld!"

The next moment, the rosy glow behind Liu Xi suddenly swelled, turning dazzlingly white. And in the instant Gu Bai instinctively narrowed his eyes, a luxurious figure woven from blue and gold silently appeared behind him!

Watching Gu Bai's hunched figure, caught completely off guard, Liu Xi's cruel delight leapt to his face.

This crippled old Nascent Soul really had fallen for it!

He knew perfectly well how to use the Cloud-Covering Talisman. The rosy clouds he had deliberately conjured in a cloudless sky were nothing but a smokescreen, a ploy to make Gu Bai lower his guard.

The true killing move was a Shadow-Shifting Nail he had borrowed from Liu Feng. With this item, he could silently appear anywhere there was a shadow—including, of course, the unguarded shadow of someone's back!

The place where the two of them were speaking was not far from the Prefecture City. The evening glow blazed in the clear sky, and no one could possibly have expected that a dignified Protector Elder of the Liu Family would use a vicious magical nail to murder someone for their possessions!

All it took was a moment of carelessness, and human life could become terribly fragile.

Liu Xi had not been careless in the least about murder and robbery. Though he despised Gu Bai in every way, he had still given a Nascent Soul True Person the respect he deserved.

He had gone over this shadow-shifting backstrike more than ten times and was confident it was foolproof. Even against a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator, he was sure he had a sixty or seventy percent chance of landing the hit. Using it against an old cripple who couldn't even see through a Cloud-Covering Talisman was like using a cleaver to butcher a chicken.

Next, he only had to drive the arrowhead of the Human-Loathing Arrow he had prepared—one stained with Desolate Blood—into Gu Bai's back, and turn the crippled old man into a pool of pus. Then the deed would be done.

As for the little brat sleeping soundly on the Cloud Carpet, Liu Xi couldn't even be bothered to get his hands dirty. Once Gu Bai was dead, the Cloud Carpet would disperse, and the brat would plummet from ten thousand zhang in the sky and be smashed to pieces.

After that, all he had to do was smooth things over with the people at Dinghuang Prefecture and pin the deed on some unknown Desolate People demonic cultivators from the surrounding region. Then the deaths of the Gujian master and disciple would become an unsolved case, and the Dharma Sword they had stolen would be returned to its rightful owner!

As for Liu Xi himself, he would have rendered a great service to the Liu Family. Wealth and honors would naturally follow!

In an instant, Liu Xi felt his field of vision rise, then soar, breaking through the firmament and beyond the highest heavens... In a daze, he seemed to see himself handsomely rewarded by Madam and praised by the Master of the household. He seemed to see himself receiving a precious pill and finally breaking through to the Golden Core peak. He seemed to see himself joining a reclamation team for a Golden Core Immortal Mansion, with a flood of Immortal Fate rolling toward him from then on...

Amid countless dreamlike illusions, a corpse fell from the sky. The body wore blue-and-gold Daoist robes and looked rich and noble. Though the life had not yet faded from his face, a greedy, cruel smile still hung upon it.

On the Cloud Carpet, Gu Bai's face was pale as he slowly gathered up the sword arts in his hands, trembling.

When the rosy glow swelled, its blinding light had not only stung Gu Bai's eyes but also blocked Liu Xi's vision, so he had failed to notice that Gu Bai had immediately gathered Sword Qi, ready to strike.

Gu Bai truly wasn't a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator. He was a disabled man with a damaged Dao Foundation... and a disabled man who had seen too much of the world's coldness and petty men running rampant. Though there were countless things beyond his power, he would never let his guard down, not even for a moment.

Gu Bai hadn't even needed to see through the ambush Liu Xi thought so clever. He could have guessed it...

Then the old man tilted his head and glanced at Liu Xi's falling corpse behind him. A glint passed through his gray-white pupils, and the corpse suddenly shuddered before crumbling into countless specks of dust that drifted away on the wind.

The old man looked away and sighed soundlessly. His face grew grayer, and his body curled in on itself. With one strike of a battered sword, he had paid eight hundred in self-inflicted losses. If he hadn't been left with no other choice, he wouldn't have used such a final blow. Killing Liu Xi had cost him dearly, and it would bring all manner of trouble.

But seeing Wu Ming sleeping soundly beside him, the old man felt even the pain in his body ease a little. A smile appeared on his face.

For his disciple, what were a little exhaustion and trouble worth?