Zhang Hongxiu!

So she was here to find an old possession.

Li Qingshan felt a little more at ease, but his face remained fearful. "I-I'm afraid I don't know, Senior Sister. This old man only sweeps every day. The newly delivered odds and ends are piled in that corner over there, and I haven't had time to sort through them carefully... I haven't paid any particular attention to whether there's a jade pendant..."

"You haven't paid attention? Then what use are you, you old waste?!"

The young woman's brows shot up, clearly furious with his answer. "Then hurry up and look! What are you staring at with those old eyes? Get over to that pile of trash and start digging! If you can't find it and ruin my business, you'll regret it!"

Her tone was vicious, as though ordering Li Qingshan around were only natural.

Li Qingshan was furious inside, but didn't dare show it on his face. He could only answer repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes. This old man will look right away, right away..."

He turned toward the pile of newly delivered refuse and pretended to rummage through it with difficulty.

Li Qingshan had struggled to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining. All he wanted was to cultivate in peace at the Hall of Discarded Treasures, without anyone disturbing him.

So he only hoped he could find that jade pendant quickly and get the girl in red to leave.

But the girl in red clearly had no patience. She stood to one side with her arms crossed, watching Li Qingshan's slow movements as she complained and urged him on without pause. "Hurry up! Haven't you eaten? Those old arms and legs are in the way! What a waste!"

Li Qingshan suppressed his anger. As he searched halfheartedly, he stayed on guard, silently praying that this plague-god would find what she wanted and leave.

However, the more the girl thought about it, the angrier she seemed to get. Suddenly, she strode forward, a flash of light in her hand, and lashed a whip at Li Qingshan. "Why are you dragging your feet? You're making me angry just looking at you!"

Crack!

A sharp, piercing snap!

The tip of the whip struck Li Qingshan hard across his stooped back.

His coarse hemp clothes split open at once, and a bloody gash appeared. A searing pain shot through his body, and blood quickly seeped out, staining the torn fabric red.

Li Qingshan grunted and staggered, nearly toppling into the pile of refuse in front of him.

He clenched his teeth, forcing a cry of pain back down his throat. Cold sweat instantly covered his forehead, and his aged face twisted with pain. But deep in his eyes, a cold flame burned wildly.

Humiliation! Rage! Killing intent!

All kinds of emotions surged through him. His fourth-level Qi Refining cultivation, with spiritual power as dense as that of someone at the sixth level, roared in his dantian, almost bursting out of control and crushing the arrogant little brat before him!

But he couldn't.

A century of experience was like ice water, dousing the dangerous impulse in an instant.

He knew perfectly well that if he fought back, utter disaster would await him.

There was no way this girl was merely an ordinary inner-sect disciple. The force behind her could crush him as easily as an ant.

Hold back! I have to hold back! A moment's impatience can ruin the greater plan! Only if I survive will I have a future!

Li Qingshan frantically admonished himself, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and killing intent.

Trembling, he turned around, stooping even lower. His face showed nothing but fear and meekness, and his voice quavered as if he were about to cry. "Please calm down, Senior Sister! Please calm down! This old man will hurry up and look. I'll hurry up..."

He acted as though he were scared out of his wits, clumsily speeding up his search. He even deliberately made himself look more wretched, rubbing his wound against the filthy odds and ends to make it seem unbearably painful.

Seeing Li Qingshan's miserable, submissive appearance, the anger in Zhang Hongxiu's heart seemed to ease a little, but the disgust and impatience on her face remained undiminished.

She snorted and flicked her whip. "Old fool, you're an eyesore! I don't have time to waste here with you!"

She paused, pointing her whip at Li Qingshan as she threatened him in a chilling tone. "Old fool, you have three days! Turn this shabby hall upside down if you have to, but you'd better find that Vermilion Sparrow Jade Pendant! I'll be back in three days. If I don't see the pendant..."

A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes. "I'll break every bone in your old body and toss you into the back mountain to feed the demon beasts! Do you understand?!"

"I understand! I understand! This old man understands. I'll find it, I definitely will!"

Li Qingshan nodded and bowed repeatedly, his body trembling with fear.

"Hmph!"

Zhang Hongxiu gave the filthy surroundings and Li Qingshan another disgusted glance, as though she could barely stand to stay another second. Then she turned and mounted a flying artifact, vanishing into the distance in a streak of red light.

Only after that red streak had disappeared completely from the horizon did Li Qingshan slowly straighten up.

The pain in his back was still sharp, but his eyes had turned icy cold, no trace of his earlier fear remaining.

He quietly returned to the stone hut, fetched some clean water, and carefully washed the wound.

Looking at his aged reflection in the water and the vicious whip mark, Li Qingshan slowly clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white.

"That lash today... This old man will remember it."

His voice was low and calm, but it held a bone-deep chill.

"The immortal path is long. We... have all the time in the world."

Just as he finished treating his wound and was wondering how to handle this trouble, another figure appeared outside the Hall of Discarded Treasures.

It was Zhang Ming.

He still looked the same, but there was a barely perceptible urgency in his expression.

"Junior Brother Li? I heard Senior Sister Zhang came by just now?"

As soon as Zhang Ming entered, he asked in an overly familiar tone, though his eyes darted around the place.

Li Qingshan's heart stirred. He immediately returned to his earlier look of lingering terror, humble and timid, and said with a bitter expression, "So it's Senior Brother Zhang... Yes, Senior Sister Zhang just left. She was furious..."

He deliberately turned slightly, revealing the whip mark on his back. He had treated it simply, but it was still clearly visible.

Seeing the mark, Zhang Ming's eyes flashed with understanding, as if to say he'd known it. Lowering his voice, he said, "Junior Brother Li, you've gotten yourself into big trouble! That's our sect's Golden Core Elder Zhang Yuzhen's own granddaughter, Senior Sister Zhang Hongxiu!

"She was spoiled rotten growing up. She's arrogant and overbearing, and even in the inner sect she does whatever she wants! If she really loses her temper, no one will be able to protect you!"

Li Qingshan put on an appropriately terrified and despairing expression. "What? The granddaughter of a Golden Core elder? Th-then what am I supposed to do? Senior Brother Zhang, you have to help this old man!"

That was exactly the reaction Zhang Ming wanted. He moved closer and lowered his voice further. "Junior Brother, I'll level with you. That Vermilion Sparrow Jade Pendant Senior Sister Zhang is looking for is said to be a pretty valuable treasure, and it means a lot to her. If you find it, don't give it directly to her..."

"What? Not give it to her? Then..."

Li Qingshan pretended not to understand.

"Give it to me first!" A crafty, greedy glint flashed through Zhang Ming's eyes. He explained patiently, "I'll pass it on to Senior Sister Zhang. We're on good terms, so she won't get angry if I give it to her. If you hand it over yourself, she might kill you to silence you. Understand?

"After this, I'll naturally look out for you in the sect. Don't worry, there'll be something in it for you!"