Immortal Lord Zhao Wanted to See Him?

Lin Shisan roared.

He really threw the Body Tempering Pill.

With a crack, the Body Tempering Pill split into four pieces. He had actually smashed it.

Chen Yang stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

Lin Shisan had acted so abruptly that Chen Yang had no time to stop him.

"You'll be the death of me..."

"Lin Shisan, you little bastard! You smashed my Body Tempering Pill! I'll skin you alive today!"

As he spoke, Chen Yang drew the broken half of his Black-Iron Azure Edge from his waist.

Brimming with killing intent, he pointed it at Lin Shisan.

Not only had Lin Shisan failed to offer him the Body Tempering Pill, he had smashed it into four pieces right before his eyes.

This was an undisguised challenge to his authority, to his dignity as a supervisor.

If he could tolerate this, what could he not tolerate? Only killing the brat would ease his fury.

Chen Yang's big, round face had stretched into a donkey's face with rage.

His expression twisted savagely, and his eyes reddened.

"Lin Shisan, I meant to leave you a way out. Since you refuse to appreciate it, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Hiss, hiss..."

He swung the Black-Iron Azure Edge.

It carried a chilling killing intent.

It seethed with hatred over his lost tooth and broken bones.

Chen Yang truly thrust at him.

Even from a distance, the tangible Sword Qi already stabbed painfully at Lin Shisan's chest.

Three years ago, Chen Yang had already reached the third body tempering realm, with one foot over the threshold of the fourth.

A full-force strike delivered in fury would naturally overwhelm Lin Shisan, who had only just advanced to the second body tempering realm.

The two were not remotely on the same level.

Besides, Lin Shisan was already covered in wounds.

Yesterday, he had fallen into the mountain stream and nearly drowned.

He had awakened stiff all over, then dragged his injured body to the Pill Room, only to be nearly strangled to death by Zhou Xiaotian.

Nominally, he was in the second body tempering realm, but in reality, he was barely any stronger than someone in the first.

Yet now, not only did Lin Shisan refuse to retreat, he even straightened his bent back.

Watching Chen Yang's blade thrust toward him, he actually smiled.

His smile was dazzling.

That smile made Chen Yang roar inwardly.

He was treating Chen Yang's full-force attack as though it were nothing.

"Quit putting on an act and die!"

Chen Yang, who had hesitated slightly, was completely enraged by Chen Yang's disregard.

The broken blade in his hand erupted with even fiercer murderous intent.

He cast aside the little apprehension he had felt toward Zhao Xun and Zhou Xiaotian.

As long as he killed this small fry, he could find any old excuse to brush the matter off.

He could still wash his hands of it completely.

Even if the grand elder came to inquire, even if Chen Xun came demanding an explanation, what could they do to him with the witness dead?

He had been doing this for years, and his life was still quite comfortable.

"Father..."

Tears streamed down Lin Shisan's face, not because he was afraid, but because he missed his father, Lin Qinghan.

Death was not frightening.

He felt no attachment whatsoever to this damned world that devoured people without spitting out their bones, to this maddening sect of immortal cultivators.

What frightened him was that he had not fulfilled his father's wishes or realized his own dream of immortal cultivation.

To die just like this-he could not accept it.

He had let his father down. He had let himself down.

"Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"

Lin Shisan roared.

The true qi in his dantian circulated like mad.

His eyes turned bloodred, and blood spurted once again from the two arc-shaped wounds on his chest.

Facing Chen Yang's thrusting sword, he actually lunged straight at him.

"Lin Shisan, Immortal Lord Zhao wants to see you-ah!"

Just as Chen Yang's blade was about to pierce Lin Shisan's chest, a startled cry rang out from the doorway.

A green-robed youth about Lin Shisan's age stood there.

It was Ning Hao, the servant disciple who had been in charge of adding medicinal ingredients earlier, frozen in place.

He had happened upon the sight of Lin Shisan fighting for his life, and it stunned him too.

"Screech..."

Flustered, Chen Yang sent his blade off course.

It scraped past Lin Shisan's neck.

The shallow sword cut even drew a few drops of blood.

"Ning Hao, what the hell are you screaming for?"

His breathing unsteady, Chen Yang glared viciously at Lin Shisan.

Then he turned to Ning Hao. "Who does Immortal Lord Zhao want to see? Lin Shisan?"

"...Yes... yes."

Ning Hao's face was pale, his gaze unfocused, and his words still came in fits and starts.

"I was sweeping outside just now... Immortal Lord Zhao's sword-bearing attendant came with a message... He said Immortal Lord Zhao needed Lin Shisan."

"He also said... he also said it was important... and told Lin Shisan to go over right away... He seemed quite anxious."

Zhao Xun's sword-bearing attendant had brought a message?

Something important?

And quite urgent?

Chen Yang quickly pieced the information together. Could Zhao Xun really have some connection to Lin Shisan?

Or had Zhao Xun truly taken an interest in Lin Shisan?

Did Lin Shisan possess some secret no one knew about?

He had wondered why the grand elder had insisted on placing a useless small fry without a Dao Seed, only in the first body tempering realm, in the Pill Hall.

At that thought, Chen Yang drew a deep breath.

Fortunately, his thrust had gone astray. Otherwise, he really would have had trouble explaining himself now.

Especially with a third person having witnessed it.

"Ning Hao, is this really true?"

Chen Yang looked again at Ning Hao, who kept his head lowered and dared not meet his gaze.

His eyes seemed ready to bore into Ning Hao's heart to determine the truth.

"How would I dare lie about this? It's true."

Ning Hao added, "The sword-bearing attendant is waiting halfway up the mountain right now. If you don't believe me, Boss Chen, you can go ask him."

Waiting?

Chen Yang's thoughts raced.

He glanced at Lin Shisan, who had fought without fear of death, then at Ning Hao, whose tone was firm. In the end, Chen Yang chose to believe him.

As for the sword-bearing attendant, he was someone Chen Yang dared not offend either.

Casually questioning an outer sect steward's sword-bearing attendant would be courting death.

His many years as a servant supervisor had not been spent in vain.

Reading expressions, currying favor, and handling matters smoothly-he was a master of all those tricks.

"Shisan?"

Ning Hao hurried over and supported Lin Shisan, who could barely remain standing.

"Shisan, hurry over. You mustn't keep Immortal Lord Zhao waiting. This is our chance to leap over the Dragon Gate!"

"Boss Chen, what do you think?"

"Go."

After a brief hesitation, Chen Yang furrowed his brows.

He still said, "Since Immortal Lord Zhao has something to tell you, we mustn't keep his venerable self waiting. Go quickly and come straight back."

But then he added,

"Shisan, I merely lost my temper just now. I was angry that you recklessly wasted something precious and destroyed the Body Tempering Pill. I wasn't deliberately targeting you."

"That was just a misunderstanding. You should know what to say and what not to say."

"Unless you ascend to heaven in a single step and leap over the Dragon Gate, you'll still be coming back to work in the Servant Hall. I'll still be your boss."

A threat.

An undisguised threat.

Chen Yang's heart was torn between fear and hatred.

Better to believe there was something to it than assume there was nothing.

He would get through this hurdle first.

At worst, he could find another way to deal with Lin Shisan when he returned.

"Don't worry, boss. Shisan is an educated man. He knows how to repay kindness."

"He'll certainly put in plenty of good words for you before Immortal Lord Zhao. You're our boss, after all, and the benefactor who showed Shisan the way."

Ning Hao explained, his words barely connecting.

"You should go with him."

Chen Yang looked at Ning Hao again. "Ning Hao, go along with him."

"Shisan's so badly injured he can barely walk. How could he get there?"

His eyes flickered as he signaled to Ning Hao. "While you're on the way, tell Shisan about his boss's character. I value brotherly bonds above all else."

As he spoke, Chen Yang took some loose Spirit Coins from his ring.

"This is what you two are owed. Take it and buy yourselves a drink."

"Take it, you silly boy. Immortal Lord Zhao rewarded you with this. Would your boss pocket your money?"

As Chen Yang pressed the Spirit Stones into Ning Hao's hand, he winked several times.

"Thank you, boss."

With an expression that said, I understand, boss. Don't worry, Ning Hao supported Chen Yang and headed toward the door.

Meanwhile, Chen Yang's entire face had become a sauce-pickled dried radish, warped and hideous, like the face of a corpse.