Skipping the Boss Fight is Skipping

Some rejoice, while others naturally grieve.

The grand gathering before Wu Prefecture's Dinghuang Tower was an unexpected boon for the Gujian master and disciple; for the various noble clans invited to celebrate, it was an unforeseen source of amusement. But for the Liu Family, the original hosts of this event, it was a disgrace worthy of being recorded in the clan annals.

Behind Dinghuang Tower, in a secluded and empty courtyard, the Liu Family's Protector Elder, Liu Lu, paced anxiously, his voice crackling like wildfire. "Young Master, this matter absolutely cannot be left at that!"

Liu Sanlang sat at a stone table in the pavilion, idly flipping through a Ganfeng Book in his hands as he replied casually, "Indeed, our parting with that Gujian master and disciple today was far too hasty. Another day, I'll send gifts to formally congratulate them..." Before he could finish, the stone table before him was smashed in two by the Protector Elder's urgent slap.

"Young Master, stop joking around!" Liu Sanlang glanced regretfully at the broken table before looking up and asking, "Then what does Uncle Lu think should be done?"

Liu Lu proposed, "Kong Zhang has been on good terms with our Liu Family for decades. As Prefecture Governor, he can always find some fault with that brat..." Liu Sanlang laughed. "The Mingren Jade has already been distributed. What fault can still be found? If we really dig up a problem, it'll only prove that the seal-granting work of Wu Prefecture's Dinghuang Prefecture was a joke, full of holes. Then Kong Zhang, as Governor, would be the first to take the blame! That's why he won't trouble that kid! Just now, he was chatting and laughing with the Gujian Sect Leader like old friends—what a flexible and slippery character!"

Liu Lu ground his teeth. "Mingren Jade... how could such a sinister thing exist?! That old Gujian fellow clearly had all his divine abilities crippled, living in seclusion in the barren mountains for a hundred years, yet he knew all about this long-forgotten item. He must have been plotting for ages—truly deserving of death!" Liu Sanlang said, "Perhaps it's a case of a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. What do you think, Uncle Xi?"

Liu Xi, whose name was called, immediately turned pale, but still stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Reporting to the Young Master, I did indeed have... a conflict with that Gu Bai. Five years ago, when Baixi Immortal Mansion appeared, Dinghuang Prefecture recruited Foundation Establishment cultivators from the prefecture to prepare for pioneering. That Gu Bai brought a Wuren descendant to apply, and that Witch, with her heretical wild arts, cheated her way through several rounds using various underhanded methods, eventually squeezing into the final list!"

Liu Sanlang suddenly understood. "I recall now. At the time, Uncle Xi's son also applied, didn't he? But it seems he didn't make the final cut? Could it be that he was squeezed out by that Gujian Sect's Witch, leading to your grudge with Gu Bai?" Liu Xi's face grew even darker; the blood vessels that had just been reconnected after bursting from rage seemed ready to explode again.

He ground his teeth. "Exactly! Thanks to that cunning and shameless Gujian master and disciple, my son missed the pioneering list by one spot, wasting a great Immortal Fate! Fortunately, that Witch didn't succeed either. She was full of Desolate Blood, with less than eighty percent human bloodline, and couldn't even hide the Desolate features on her ears! Her Human Dao Seal was only at the twentieth layer, barely passing! Yet she somehow cleared every hurdle—cheating was written all over her face!"

"Afterward, I repeatedly reported to the prefecture and finally convinced the state government at the last moment to expel her from the team, eliminating the hidden danger. Unfortunately, the vacancy couldn't be filled, and my son has been in a slump ever since... Young Master, this matter does involve personal grievance, but that Gu Bai is undoubtedly sinister and full of schemes!"

Liu Sanlang listened silently for a long while before saying, "So, Gu Bai, to avenge the grudge from five years ago, painstakingly found a loophole in the Mingren Jade, then seized the moment, bribed Daoist Qiu with despicable means, and stole the Dharma Sword that should have been mine?" Liu Xi nodded emphatically. "That's most likely it!"

Liu Sanlang said lightly, "So my setback today, in the end, is because of Uncle Xi's burden?" Liu Xi was stunned speechless. "I, I... Young Master..."

"Haha, just joking." Liu Sanlang smiled. "Uncle Xi, I can understand you. When it comes to matters concerning one's children, people easily become stubborn. But if that stubbornness goes too far, it only narrows one's vision and ends up harming both oneself and others." Liu Xi grunted, "The Young Master's lesson is well taken..."

Liu Sanlang could tell the other was insincere but didn't press further. "In any case, regardless of the reason, the Gujian master and disciple came prepared and handled things beautifully, leaving no trace. Continuing to entangle will only do harm, not good. It's better to change tack and build a good connection. To achieve a six-layer Human Dao Seal on his first cultivation, that Wu Ming likely has boundless prospects. In a few years, we might see him shouting 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west,' stirring up Qiongzhou into chaos..."

Liu Lu said helplessly, "Young Master, please read fewer novels!" "Haha, enough jokes. I'll go chat with a few uncles and elders, then we'll head home. Since we're returning empty-handed today, losing face for the clan, remember to pick out some gifts for my parents on the way back as an apology..."

After Liu Sanlang left, the two accompanying Liu Family elders in the courtyard sighed in unison. Liu Lu lamented, "The Young Master's temperament... is far too carefree. How can someone from a noble clan be so indifferent to worldly strife?" His partner, Elder Liu Feng, said, "Alas, that Fragrant Dye Dharma Sword was bestowed by the Sanqing Immortal Sect, a matter of great importance. The Immortal Fate attached to it far outweighs the sword itself. The Madam prepared for this for a long time, spending no small amount of resources. For the Young Master to return empty-handed like this, the gap between him and the Eldest Young Master will only widen. Life will be hard for him when he gets back."

Liu Lu said bitterly, "Better worry about ourselves. No matter how hard the Young Master's life gets, he's still the Young Master. But us guest elders and protectors—if the Madam takes her anger out on us... the Young Master may not be able to shield us." As they spoke, they suddenly saw Liu Xi stand up, his face dark as a storm cloud, but his eyes sharp as knives, as if he had made a decision.

"This matter may not be without a turning point." The two elders exchanged glances. "Even the Young Master himself has given up. How can there be a turning point?" Liu Xi gritted his teeth. "As long as that master and disciple die by foul means, the state government will naturally find a new owner for the Dharma Sword!"

"..." Liu Lu was stunned for a moment before shuddering in horror. "Liu Xi, what are you thinking?! Qiongzhou is peaceful and bright now, and you want to kill and rob?!" Liu Xi sneered. "Peaceful and bright? That's only within the prefecture city. Leave the city, and how many demonic heretics run rampant in those desolate mountains? What's so strange about a pair of rogue cultivators dying? Besides, that pair flaunted themselves in front of everyone. If their Desolate compatriots targeted them and ambushed them on the road home, that would be perfectly reasonable!"

Liu Feng said urgently, "If something really happens to that master and disciple, even without proof, people will suspect the Liu Family!" Liu Xi said, "What use is mere suspicion? As long as the deed is clean, people will only be happy to see it happen! Do you think those noble clan members today would enjoy seeing a Desolate mongrel trample over everyone? The Liu Family is at least the head of the noble clans. What is the Gujian Sect? How dare they compete for the noble clans' glory?! Hah, you've been too influenced by the Young Master, playing the good person until you've gone muddleheaded! Do you really not understand why the family keeps us collateral elders?"

Liu Lu said, "But the Young Master's sincere goodwill will be misunderstood as duplicity and ruthlessness..." "Ruthlessness earns fear! Do you think the various clans that came to celebrate today respect our Liu Family for its moral integrity and uprightness?! The Young Master wants to be a good person, so the dirty work has to fall to us!"

The two elders were left speechless by the barrage. After a long silence, Liu Lu asked hesitantly, "But even if you say we should act, that Gu Bai is at the Nascent Soul Realm. We can't even form our cores without the family's help..." "He's just a crippled Nascent Soul!" Liu Xi roared. "His Dao foundation is damaged, his divine abilities are gone, even his breathing and circulation are abnormal! He has nothing but a lofty realm! If you're afraid of even such a waste, what kind of cultivation are you doing?!"

Liu Lu and Liu Feng, embarrassed by the taunts, still refused to go out and kill with Liu Xi. They made excuses, and the more Liu Xi argued, the angrier he got, until he finally stormed off. "A bunch of useless fools who can't reason! I'll go alone! But I'll need to borrow your magic tools and talismans. When it's done, you'll get a share of the credit!"

The two elders exchanged a look and, after a long silence, nodded silently.

--

An hour later, twenty li northeast of the prefecture city, above Bald Mountain, Gu Bai helplessly stopped the Cloud Carpet, turned around, and cupped his hands toward a patch of fiery red clouds in the west. "True Person Liu Xi, there's no need to see us off this far, is there?"

After a moment of silence, the red cloud writhed, and from within emerged a blue-robed Daoist with eyes like blazing stars, exuding authority without anger—it was Liu Xi.

Having been exposed by Gu Bai, Liu Xi clicked his tongue, casually tossing aside a borrowed Cloud-Covering Talisman, and sneered: "I never expected a cripple like you to have such sharp eyes!"

Gu Bai smiled bitterly: "The True Person's talisman is formidable; this old man truly couldn't see through it... However, the Prefect of the Prefecture City has long had Dinghuang Prefecture gather the surrounding hundred li of water vapor to nourish the city, so there are rarely clouds to the northeast. The next time True Person Liu Xi uses a Cloud-Covering Talisman, he should consider the local geography and climate a bit more."

A flash of anger crossed Liu Xi's face: "I don't need your useless prattle! Hand over the dharma sword!"

Gu Bai lowered his head to glance at Wu Ming, still fast asleep, and smiled bitterly again.

"True Person Liu Xi jokes. This dharma sword was won fair and square by my disciple Wu Ming in front of Dinghuang Prefecture; the Immortal Fate is already entangled and bound, not easily severed. Besides, the Liu Family's wealth is vast, and the Third Young Master's path to immortality is boundless—he certainly doesn't lack a mere dharma sword. Forcing a snatch of another's possession will only bring loss outweighing gain. Why must True Person Liu Xi go to such trouble?"

As expected, Liu Xi snorted.

"...In that case, don't blame me for not giving you a chance when you're nine springs under!"

The next moment, the glow behind Liu Xi suddenly swelled, turning blindingly white. And the instant Gu Bai instinctively squinted, a figure in blue and gold, noble and imposing, had silently appeared behind him!

Watching Gu Bai's caught-off-guard, hunched posture, a cruel smile already spread across Liu Xi's face.

This crippled old Nascent Soul bastard had truly fallen for the trap!

He actually knew full well how to use the Cloud-Covering Talisman. Deliberately setting up a rosy cloud in a place with not a wisp of cloud for ten thousand li was merely a feint, a smokescreen to lull Gu Bai into complacency.

The real killing move lay in a [Shadow-Shifting Nail] he had borrowed from Liu Feng. With this item, he could silently appear anywhere there was a shadow—which naturally included an unguarded back!

Now, the place where the two had been talking was not far from the Prefecture City. The evening glow was like fire, still under the bright heavens and earth. Who could possibly guard against a dignified Protector Elder of the Liu Family using a vicious dharma nail to commit murder for gain?

And with just one moment of carelessness, human life could become exceptionally fragile.

Liu Xi was not at all careless about killing and robbing. Though he held Gu Bai in utter contempt deep down, he still gave due respect to a Nascent Soul True Person.

This set of shadow-shifting backstrike tactics, he had rehearsed and refined over a dozen times, confident it was foolproof. Even against some genuine Nascent Souls, he had a sixty to seventy percent chance of a one-hit kill. Using it on a crippled old man who couldn't even see through a Cloud-Covering Talisman was like using a butcher's knife on a chicken.

Next, he just had to stab the carefully prepared [Human-Loathing Arrow] tip, stained with the blood of the Desolate People, into Gu Bai's back, turning that crippled old man into a pool of pus, and the deed would be done.

As for the little bastard sleeping soundly on the Cloud Carpet, Liu Xi couldn't even be bothered to dirty his own hands—once Gu Bai was dead, the Cloud Carpet would dissipate, and the little bastard would fall from ten thousand zhang high, smashing to pieces.

After that, as long as he greased the palms of the people at Dinghuang Prefecture and pinned the matter on some unknown Desolate demonic cultivator, the deaths of this master and disciple of Gu's Sword would become a cold case, and the dharma sword they had stolen could return to its rightful owner!

As for himself, having rendered great service to the Liu Family, wealth and glory went without saying!

In that instant, Liu Xi only felt his vision suddenly rise, then ascend, breaking through the sky, breaking through the high heavens... In a daze, he seemed to see himself being heavily rewarded by his wife, praised by his master; he seemed to see himself granted a precious pill, finally breaking through to the peak of the Golden Core; he seemed to see himself joining the pioneering team of the Golden Core Immortal Mansion, from then on, Immortal Fate rolling in...

Amidst countless dreamlike bubbles, a corpse fell from the high sky. The body was clad in blue and gold Daoist robes, exuding nobility. On its face, still carrying a trace of life, was frozen a greedy and cruel smile.

On the Cloud Carpet, Gu Bai's face was pale. Slowly and tremblingly, he withdrew the sword technique in his hand.

At the moment the glow swelled, the intense light not only stabbed Gu Bai's eyes but also blinded Liu Xi's vision, making him completely fail to notice that Gu Bai had already condensed his Sword Qi at the first instant, ready to strike.

Gu Bai was indeed not a genuine Nascent Soul, merely a cripple with a damaged Dao foundation... At the same time, he was a cripple who had seen all the coldness of the world and the arrogance of petty men. Though he had ten thousand kinds of "inability," he would never have a single shred of carelessness.

As for Liu Xi's ambush, which he thought was a sure success, Gu Bai didn't even need to see through it—he could guess it...

Afterward, the old man tilted his head, glanced at Liu Xi's falling corpse behind him, and a glint of sharp light flashed in his gray-white pupils. The corpse suddenly shuddered, then turned into countless fine ashes, drifting away with the wind.

The old man withdrew his gaze, sighed silently, his complexion growing even more ashen, and his body couldn't help but curl up... A crippled soldier's sword strike cost eight hundred of his own. If not absolutely necessary, he truly didn't want to use such a desperate move. Killing Liu Xi not only consumed a great deal but also brought all sorts of future troubles.

However, looking at Wu Ming beside him, lost in a sweet dream, the old man only felt the pain in his body lessen a few degrees, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his face.

For the sake of his disciple, what were mere losses and future troubles?

Thank you to Hei Shi Bai Wu for the reward.