Betrayal

Chapter 29: Betrayal (please bookmark)

"This...!" At the sight, Wang Yan went pale and hesitated, seemingly at a complete loss...

In truth, Wang Yan had already made his plans. He had come this way precisely to wait for the Third Elder and the others from the Ma Family. Naturally, this was all an act.

"All... all right! But who are you? You don't look like people from the Wang Household." Wang Yan spoke in a fluster, yet a flicker of temptation showed in his sidelong glance at the Spirit Stones in the Third Elder's hand...

"Who we are doesn't matter. What matters is that your little life is in our hands!" the young woman behind him said coldly, her voice tinged with arrogance.

"Little brother! We mean you no harm. We only want to ask a few simple questions!" The young man smiled, looking perfectly friendly.

"Well... I'll talk, I'll talk!" Wang Yan said repeatedly. Then he paused and hastily added a precautionary warning, "But I'm only an Outer Clan disciple. I don't know much, seniors...!"

"Hmph!" The Third Elder shoved the seven or eight Spirit Stones straight into Wang Yan's hand and said coldly, "I'll judge for myself whether you're telling the truth. Don't you dare lie!"

"Yes, yes!" Wang Yan hurriedly replied, a hint of delight showing on his face. He quickly tucked the Spirit Stones into his clothes and asked, "What would you three like to know? This junior will tell you everything truthfully!"

"Let me ask you! Do you know a Wang Household disciple named Wang Ziling?" The Third Elder wasted no time beating around the bush.

"I do!" Wang Yan answered at once. After a pause, he hurried on without waiting for another question. "Wang Ziling came to our Wang Household last year, and in just a few short months, he'd already entered the Cultivation Realm. During our Wang Household's Back Mountain Trial a little over two months ago, he was the most outstanding participant. You could say he brought back the most spirit medicine. He won the Clan Chief's favor and joined the Inner Clan directly. Good grief, what's even more incredible is that he'd already reached minor completion of the Cultivation Realm when he joined the Inner Clan, and a little while ago, he advanced to major completion!"

"Major completion of the Cultivation Realm already?" The Third Elder and the other Ma Family members could not help exclaiming in surprise when they heard the end of Wang Yan's account. Advancing to major completion of the Cultivation Realm in so little time truly marked him as a rare talent... "No wonder...!" the Third Elder sighed, but stopped before finishing his thought...

"Exactly! The Clan Chief said Wang Ziling is a once-in-a-century genius and has already taken him as his personal disciple!" Wang Yan said with some exaggeration. The alliance between the Ma Family and the Wang Household was only superficial anyway. A genius emerging from the Wang Household did the Ma Family no good. He might as well praise Wang Ziling a little and make the Ma Family resent him...

"Tsk! No wonder they wouldn't sell him!" the young woman blurted out.

"Ahem!" The Third Elder shot her a glare and coughed lightly before asking, "Then, little brother, do you know where Wang Ziling is now?"

"Well... I don't know!" Wang Yan faltered, then hurriedly answered, "He's an Inner Clan disciple, and I'm an Outer Clan disciple. We haven't seen each other in months. Unless he's gone out, he should usually be cultivating in the Inner Clan disciples' Cultivation Chamber..." Then, looking hesitant, he also disclosed the spells Wang Ziling practiced, such as Five Elements Appearance...

"Oh? Is that so?" The Third Elder frowned, paused, then continued, "Do you know whether Wang Ziling has gone out over the past few days?"

"How would I know? He's always acting strangely, and he's terribly underhanded. We wouldn't dare provoke him!" Wang Yan hurriedly said, a trace of fear flashing across his face...

"Oh! I see...!" the Third Elder said. Suddenly, his gaze turned peculiar, and he narrowed his eyes at Wang Yan...

"...!" Wang Yan did not dare meet the Third Elder's eyes, and unease suddenly crept into his heart. Perhaps he had been careless. Could these fellows actually be planning to attack him? This place was very close to the Wang Household. To prepare for any sudden move, he had already switched his active Immortal Card to the Water-Fire Blast Technique card. If these four fellows tried anything, Wang Yan would strike with the Water-Fire Blast Technique... Perhaps he could even injure the Third Elder and seize the chance to escape.

"Oh! Then thank you, little brother! Let's go!" the Third Elder suddenly said. He called to the others and dashed away...

"Hmph!" As the other cultivators passed Wang Yan, they snorted disdainfully, clearly finding him displeasing.

Within moments, the Ma Family cultivators disappeared at the bend in the road.

"Say, brat, how did you know they'd come looking for you?" Card Fairy's voice rang out in Wang Yan's mind.

"The Ma Family couldn't buy Wang Ziling, so they'd surely think of something else. Naturally, they'd have to gather information!" Wang Yan quickly replied. He took the seven or eight Spirit Stones from his clothes and smiled. "Information on that damned bastard is worth quite a bit. It'd be nice to sell him out a few more times!" Indeed, selling Wang Ziling out counted as a small act of revenge, and it left Wang Yan feeling quite pleased...

With that, he casually put the Spirit Stones into his Storage Bag and sprinted straight up toward the cliff. He was still free and unfettered out here, so naturally, he would not return to the Wang Household...

"Brat, what are you going to do next?" Card Fairy continued.

"Wait and see! I reckon the Ma Family will make their move tonight... If they don't, they may have given up for the time being!" Wang Yan said.

"Are you certain?"

"No! The Ma Family brought too few people. I think they're more likely not to act, and Clan Chief Wang may be on his guard! Still, I won't let them off easily either!"

"Oh!"

"By the way, Card Fairy, I know too few spells right now. Could you teach me some others and help me refine a few more Immortal Cards?" Wang Yan asked as he hid in a patch of grass.

"Tsk! Haven't I told you already? You have to rely on yourself for everything. I'm not going to refine Immortal Cards for you!" Card Fairy said, making it clear she would not help.

"But I only have two kinds of Immortal Cards. That's not enough!" Wang Yan complained. He paused, then continued, "Or you could just teach me a few spells!"

"No. Just be good and cultivate your magic power. Once your magic power is stronger, any spell you practice will come much faster!" Card Fairy quickly said. After a pause, she continued, "Besides, you have the Immortal Card Artifact. Why waste time practicing spells?"

"Tsk! Isn't that because I still don't know how to refine Immortal Cards?" Wang Yan said helplessly.

"Oh, right!" As though remembering something, Card Fairy hurriedly said, "I've finished sorting out the Heart-Control Art. Practice that first. Your state of mind is a little unsettled right now... Oh!" At this point, she seemed to realize something and quickly added, "I know! You're worried about Wang Ziling, aren't you?"

"A little! That fellow has already reached major completion of the Cultivation Realm. His cultivation might keep climbing, and then he'll become harder and harder to deal with!" Wang Yan promptly replied.

"Ah! Then all the more reason to practice the Heart-Control Art!" Card Fairy said. "You have to understand, cultivation means leaving a solid footprint with every step. Wang Ziling must have relied on pills to reach major completion of the Cultivation Realm. On top of that, there may be problems with his state of mind, leaving him prone to falling into demonic deviation. I think he'll run into considerable trouble both at major completion of the Cultivation Realm and when trying to break through to the Core Condensation Realm. As long as you practice the Heart-Control Art properly and steady your state of mind, you'll surpass him soon enough!"

"Really?" Wang Yan narrowed his eyes.

"Of course! Would I, Card Fairy, lie to you?" Card Fairy boasted. She paused, then hurriedly continued, "But you'll have to work hard too... Oh, right! One more thing. Don't be so impatient about spells. I promise that once you reach major completion of the Cultivation Realm, I'll teach you a way to master spells quickly!"

"A way to master spells quickly? What way?" Wang Yan asked curiously. Practicing spells was hardly any faster than cultivating magic power, so naturally, a method for mastering them quickly piqued his curiosity.

"You'll find out when the time comes. I'll teach you the Heart-Control Art first!" Card Fairy said, changing the subject...

"All right!"

"Listen carefully...!"

"...!"

In a stretch of woods, the Ma Family's Third Elder and three disciples sat in a clearing, apparently resting.

"Third Elder, wouldn't it be a little too rash for us to make a move?" the young man asked.

"Yes! The Wang Household might be on their guard, wouldn't they?" the young woman hurriedly added.

"We'll give it a try tonight. If we can't succeed, we'll have to return and discuss it with the Clan Chief!" the Third Elder said, his expression cold.

"Third Elder, I think something seems a little wrong here. Didn't Clan Chief Wang say Wang Ziling hadn't gone out? Then how could he have left that token in the cave?" After hesitating for a long time, the young man in the long robe finally asked in a low voice.

"Hmm?" At his words, the three cultivators froze and turned in unison to look at the young man in the long robe...

"Hmph! Who gave you the right to speak here?" the young woman snapped with a cold snort.

"Wait! He has a point!" the Third Elder interrupted her in a grave voice. Frowning, he pondered the matter carefully, then suddenly took out the Spirit Token and began examining it closely...

That night, successive booms and explosions threw Azure Spirit Mountain into chaos...

"Boom! Boom! Clang, clang, clang!" Muffled blasts and the clash of metal rang out.

A burst of shouting followed...

"Catch him!"

"Don't let him get away...!"

"...!"

Meanwhile, in a dark stretch of mountain forest, a masked cultivator in gray clung to a large tree and peered down through the branches. Below, the young man and woman looked somewhat anxious...