Chapter 29: The Elixir of Immortality, and the Creation of a New Technique
“A Demonic Cult Protector?”
Li Qingqiu was surprised.
After all, such information would not appear on the Dao Lineage panel.
He could not help but ask, “Which Demonic Cult? The Azure Sect?”
Feng Dai glared at him and said, “The Azure Sect may also commit evil deeds, but compared to the Demonic Cult, the difference is like heaven and earth!”
As if afraid that the members of the Clear Sky Sect would not take it seriously, Feng Dai continued, “Wu Baoyu, Protector of the Northern Division of the Demonic Cult. In the third year of the Kaiyuan Era, he slaughtered the entire Xiao Clan of Northern Liang Prefecture—one hundred and thirty-six people in all, from eighty-year-old elders down to swaddled infants. That same year, he went into qi deviation and beat his own disciple to death, hanging the body from the city gate of the prefecture capital, defying the law and provoking the imperial court.”
“In the fourth year of the Qianming Era, Wu Baoyu led his men to seize the disaster relief funds sent by the court to the southern frontier, killing seventy-three officers and soldiers. As a result, one hundred thousand commoners starved to death in the Southlands, and the people's resentment soared to the heavens.”
“His crimes are beyond counting, his evil unforgivable. Sect Master Li, you must not shield him!”
His words caused everyone to look at Wu Baoyu differently.
Although Wu Baoyu was usually quiet and taciturn, he had never seemed like such a monstrous villain.
Zhang Yuchun had not expected Wu Baoyu to have such a background either.
His first thought was the trouble Wu Baoyu might bring upon them.
Harboring a wanted criminal of the empire was no small offense.
Wu Baoyu stopped chopping wood.
He turned his gaze toward Feng Dai and asked, “And where did you hear of these crimes?”
Feng Dai said solemnly, “I saw them in the archives of the Prefect’s Office. A few years ago, you appeared within the borders of Guzhou, causing quite a disturbance. I thought to myself that when I took office, I would arrest you—so I made a point of remembering. You have a crimson wolf-head mark on your left wrist. I won’t mistake it. Are you going to deny your identity?”
The nine constables, who had not known Wu Baoyu’s past, now grew pale with fear at his supposed cruelty.
They grew tense, terrified he might strike without warning.
Wu Baoyu’s expression did not change as he said, “Actually, my surname is Xiao.”
At that, Feng Dai frowned deeply and demanded, “What do you mean?”
“The Xiao Clan you spoke of—the one that was exterminated—that was my family. I was the only survivor. I wasn’t home at the time; I was serving as an imperial guard in the palace. After the massacre, the Crown Prince found me and placed me within the Demonic Cult as an undercover agent. Back then, the court’s knowledge of the cult was shallow; they didn’t even know the true name of the Northern Protector. I struggled within the cult and eventually slew the Protector with my own hands, taking his place. But when the Crown Prince fell from grace, there was no one left to restore my identity. They even pinned all of the Protector’s crimes upon me.”
“As for that disaster relief shipment you mentioned—it wasn’t for the southern frontier at all. It was a tribute the current Emperor sent south to bribe a heretical Daoist in exchange for an elixir of immortality. I intercepted it and distributed it among the people. But the famine was severe; that meager wealth could not reverse the tide.”
Wu Baoyu spoke in an indifferent tone, as though the events he described had nothing to do with him.
Feng Dai’s face flickered between doubt and fury as he shouted, “Utter nonsense!”
The disciples of the Clear Sky Sect also found the story unbelievable—such an enormous reversal.
Wu Baoyu continued calmly, “You can check it for yourself. See if the records of the Xiao Clan have been erased.
If they still exist, check whether the second son, Xiao Ji, once served as an imperial guard, and whether his age matches mine.”
Feng Dai opened his mouth but found himself speechless.
Yang Jueding suddenly said, “I believe him. His Majesty’s obsession with immortality is no secret. Every year, strange men and mystics enter the palace seeking audience. The rebellion in Guzhou now—it’s precisely because the Emperor, fixated on longevity, neglected governance.”
Zhang Yuchun followed, “Since Magistrate Feng is a man of justice, why not investigate? If Senior Wu speaks the truth, you could clear the name of a hero.”
Li Qingqiu remained silent, watching the exchange.
Wu Baoyu gave a cold snort.
“There’s no need to clear anything. The Xiao Clan is long gone. I now bear the surname Wu, have no wife or children, and no attachments left in this life. Once you’ve confirmed my story, Magistrate Feng, forget I ever existed—and don’t drag the Clear Sky Sect into this. These children know nothing of my past. I only wish for a quiet place to spend my remaining years.”
Feng Dai instinctively looked around.
The Clear Sky Sect disciples—all still young—were watching him.
His heart softened.
He knew that if this were exposed, the Clear Sky Sect would surely be purged by the court.
Some officials, for the sake of merit, would not hesitate to exaggerate guilt.
The more “accomplices” of Wu Baoyu they could name, the greater their reward.
“Very well. I’ll investigate first. I will not wrong a good man,” Feng Dai said through clenched teeth.
He rose immediately, and two constables hurried to support him.
“Let’s go!”
At his order, the constables breathed a sigh of relief and escorted him out through the courtyard gate.
Wu Baoyu spoke again, “One more thing I must tell you. Do you know why the Demonic Cult appeared so suddenly, wreaked havoc across the martial world in so short a time, and vanished just as swiftly?”
Feng Dai and the constables turned back to him, their expressions filled with confusion.
Wu Baoyu’s gaze turned icy cold as he said, “Because the Demonic Cult was created by the current Emperor himself. The cult slaughtered countless people—since the founding of the dynasty, no other force bears greater sin. Now that you’ve heard this, even if you don’t believe it, once I’m captured and reveal that you know this secret, the court will silence you all without mercy.”
“You…”
Feng Dai glared at him in rage, never imagining him so ruthless.
The nine constables turned pale.
Li Qingqiu, on the other hand, showed a faint smile—he suddenly found Wu Baoyu rather agreeable.
He had been hesitating whether to let Feng Dai and his men go.
After all, one could never see through another’s heart.
Wu Baoyu ignored Feng Dai and resumed chopping wood.
Feng Dai took a deep breath and signaled for his men to leave with him.
Li Qingqiu said nothing and returned to his quarters, while Zhang Yuchun clapped his hands, signaling for the disciples to disperse.
Li Sifeng crouched on the eaves, watching the backs of Feng Dai and his men as they departed, lost in thought.
Even when dinner began, the atmosphere remained subdued.
“Those who live in the martial world are bound to encounter trouble now and then. Peace without disturbance is impossible,” Yang Jueding coughed lightly to break the silence.
Zhang Yuchun, spooning up a mouthful of rice, laughed.
“Don’t worry. Those fellows wouldn’t dare act rashly. Even if they report Senior Wu’s whereabouts, the credit may not be theirs—and if Senior Wu names them, they’ll be dead men, perhaps their whole families executed. After all, this involves the Emperor himself.”
Li Sijin could not help but ask, “Is it true that the Emperor is the Cult Leader of the Demonic Sect? Just how powerful was the Demonic Cult? And that elixir of immortality—does it really exist in this world?”
Her question opened the floodgates; the other disciples began asking one after another, prompting Yang Jueding to recount various legends and tales of the jianghu.
What they were most curious about, naturally, was the elixir of immortality.
Who did not wish to live forever?
“Since ancient times, stories of immortality have been endless—but in truth, there are no undying men in this world. It’s only the obsession of the powerful who cannot accept death,” Yang Jueding said, shaking his head.
Zhang Yuchun nodded in agreement, equally dismissive of the idea of eternal life.
Jiang Zhaoxia, who had been away in the afternoon, now caught up with the story.
Looking at Wu Baoyu, he asked curiously, “Why would the Emperor found the Demonic Cult? It had little to do with seizing the throne—he took power through the army, not through the cult.”
Sitting in a corner, Wu Baoyu replied without expression, “He was cultivating an evil art that required the blood of virgin boys and girls. Exterminating entire clans was merely to conceal the truth.”
His words sent a chill through everyone present.
Even Li Qingqiu felt a deep sense of unease.
His instincts told him that one day, he would inevitably come into conflict with the imperial court.
The world was far darker than he had imagined.
As for the potential danger Wu Baoyu brought, Li Qingqiu was rather unfazed.
As long as the Clear Sky Sect continued to grow, such troubles were inevitable.
The only difference lay in their scale.
After all, when had any true expert ever had a simple past?
……
After Feng Dai’s departure, the Clear Sky Sect continued its development as planned.
Other than occasional inspections, Li Qingqiu spent most of his time cultivating and instructing Xu Ning.
He intended to train Xu Ning as the leading figure of the next generation.
The might of the Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root was now something he deeply understood.
His current cultivation speed far surpassed before—he could truly feel what it meant to be a genius.
As for his junior brothers and sisters, he had already taught them different techniques; the rest depended on their own comprehension.
Autumn passed swiftly, and as early winter arrived, Li Dongyue turned fifteen.
Since Lin Xunfeng’s departure, both Li Qingqiu and his disciples had grown a year older, and the Clear Sky Sect had undergone tremendous changes.
Snowflakes drifted through the gaps between leaves, scattering into the forest.
Qin Ye, wearing the robes of the Clear Sky Sect, was practicing his fists.
With each breath, warm vapor puffed from his lips.
“That set of fists is no good.”
A voice spoke, and Qin Ye turned to see Wu Baoyu standing not far away, carrying a bundle of firewood.
Qin Ye immediately turned and bowed respectfully, cupping his fists.
He said helplessly, “It’s not that the form is bad—it’s that my comprehension is poor.”
This set of fists, called the Ten Directions Demon-Subduing Fist, had been taught to him by Yang Jueding.
When performed by Wu Man’er, it was overwhelmingly powerful, leaving a deep impression on him.
Though Wu Man’er was dull-witted, his comprehension in martial arts was exceptional—especially in hand-to-hand combat—something many disciples envied.
Wu Baoyu looked at Qin Ye and said, “At midnight, come here. I’ll teach you a staff technique. Perhaps it will help you truly set foot upon the martial path.”
With that, he continued up the mountain without pausing.
“Midnight?”
Qin Ye frowned, uncertain.
He remembered Feng Dai’s earlier words and hesitated whether to trust Wu Baoyu.
Meanwhile—
Fifty zhang away, atop the trees, Li Qingqiu stood upon a branch, having overheard their conversation.
From his vantage point, the mountains were blanketed in white; visibility was dwindling.
As his cultivation rose, his senses had grown keener.
Now, he could clearly hear the conversation between Qin Ye and Wu Baoyu even at such a distance—every word distinct, the wind and snow unable to obscure it.
“So mysterious?”
Li Qingqiu muttered.
He wasn’t truly suspicious of Wu Baoyu.
Over the past period, Wu Baoyu’s loyalty to the Clear Sky Sect had steadily increased—now exceeding eighty.
With such loyalty, he likely wouldn’t act recklessly.
Still, since Qin Ye was his second disciple, Li Qingqiu decided he must go and see for himself tonight.
At that moment, a line of text appeared before his eyes:
【In view of the first self-created technique within the Clear Sky Sect, which will have a profound impact on the Dao Lineage’s development, you have obtained a Transmission Reward Opportunity.】