Chapter 112: Keep Bluffing

Liu Junhuai was deeply shocked; he had never expected this single bamboo leaf to have such a profound origin, and he felt an overwhelming sense of anticipation for the rest of the bamboo.

The old steward continued, "This Boundary-Separating Bamboo shares a common living space with the Master's God-Slaying Spear and the Red-Fire Nine-Infant, so your Chaos Space is perfectly suited for its growth. If the Master can successfully cultivate it, this mature Boundary-Separating Bamboo will be a treasure trove. Its stalks are impervious to both water and fire, and possess such immense toughness that they can be used as Heaven-grade weapons even without any refinement. Stripping the bamboo into threads allows for the weaving of Heaven-grade protective armor—a luxury that even low-level immortals in the Immortal Realm struggle to obtain.

"The bamboo shoots are also treasures. Beyond their medicinal uses, the immortal wine brewed from them, 'Nine-Brewed Resonance Bamboo,' is several times superior to your Sanggan Fruit wine. Its leaves are even more remarkable; holding a single leaf in your mouth grants immunity to all poisons, and they can be refined into potent antidotes as well!"

The more Liu Junhuai listened, the more excited he became. He never imagined that something obtained by mere chance could yield such astonishing rewards.

The old steward clearly felt there was more to be said, continuing, "I recall telling you before, Master, that your destiny is earth-shattering. It seems that the treasures of heaven and earth have a profound affinity with you; your fortune is so immense that it seems to harmonize with the cosmos itself. I reiterate these words today: whether it be fate or fortune, your path is already ordained by the heavens. Regardless of whether you acknowledge it or not, please, Master, allow me to pay my respects."

With that, the old steward straightened his clothes, smoothed his beard, and bowed deeply to Liu Junhuai, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Liu Junhuai quickly returned the gesture, saying, "Steward, you must not do this. Ever since you began accompanying me, I have benefited tremendously. Almost every achievement I have made is inseparable from your teachings. From now on, you must never bow to me again!"

The old steward smiled, "Master, there is no need to be so insistent. My own fate is already tied to yours; I know well whether I am worthy or not."

Mo Sitong chimed in with a smile, "Alright, enough, you two don't need to keep being so modest. Why don't you take me to the armory? After the battle in Pingdu City, I realized my offensive techniques are far too limited. I need to find a few more to feel at ease!"

Liu Junhuai replied, "That’s no problem. I haven't been in there for a while myself. By the way, Sitong, how many drops of Golden Infant Liquid has your Chengde Offering Cauldron produced?"

Mo Sitong answered, "There are three drops already. Shall I take them out for you?"

Liu Junhuai said, "Give me two for now; one each for A-Zi and A-Jiu."

Mo Sitong nodded, produced the Chengde Offering Cauldron, and poured two drops into the jade bottle Liu Junhuai handed her.

Upon entering the armory, the old steward led Mo Sitong to browse, while Liu Junhuai focused his mind, causing A-Zi to appear at his fingertip. Its purple flame core was still surrounded by three rings of reddish-brown light. Liu Junhuai wondered if this drop of Golden Infant Liquid would be enough for A-Zi to evolve into a fourth-grade Heavenly Flame.

As Liu Junhuai withdrew the jade bottle, A-Zi stopped its lively dancing on his finger, its purple flames slowly leaning toward the bottle. The moment Liu Junhuai poured the Golden Infant Liquid into his palm, A-Zi swallowed it in one gulp. The flame trembled violently, as if struggling intensely to refine the substance.

Leaving A-Zi to one side, Liu Junhuai joined Mo Sitong. She hadn't found a suitable technique for herself, but she had chosen a movement technique called the "Five Elements Steps" for Bian Ji, which complemented his Tiger Shadow Saber technique perfectly.

Liu Junhuai then began to carefully browse through all the techniques, something he hadn't had time for previously. Looking at these tiers of jade slips, any one of them could serve as the foundation for a cultivation sect. Once he established his own sect, he would need to select appropriate techniques here for his disciples to study. He briefly shared this idea with Mo Sitong, and the two spent their time browsing through the levels.

By the time they had selected seven or eight techniques, A-Zi finished its refinement. Liu Junhuai could clearly sense its joy. With a thought, A-Zi darted to his fingertip like a bolt of lightning, jumping around happily. Liu Junhuai lifted his finger and examined it closely; four reddish-brown rings now circled the purple flame core. A-Zi had successfully evolved into a fourth-grade Heavenly Flame.

Liu Junhuai sighed in admiration at the powerful pure yang properties of the Golden Infant Liquid. The old steward had previously explained how difficult it was for Heavenly Flames to evolve, and he hadn't expected the first feeding to have such a massive effect.

The old steward looked at A-Zi and said, "This is because it is the first time it has refined such a substance. It won't be as effective in the future; it will likely require dozens or even hundreds of drops to meet the requirements for the next upgrade."

Mo Sitong asked, "Does my Solar Aurora Flame need a drop of Golden Infant Liquid as well?"

The old steward shook his head, "The Master's wife's Solar Aurora Flame is of too low a grade; it would be a great waste to use it now. Wait until it reaches the third grade; after all, the first three stages of evolution are simpler."

Liu Junhuai asked Mo Sitong, "Do you want to visit the treasure vault as well?"

Mo Sitong shook her head, "Not tonight. I've decided to stay in the alchemy room starting today. You can come find me when you reach He Guan Ridge."

Liu Junhuai nodded. Her alchemy skills did need improvement, and there were many spiritual herbs that needed refining. However, he still instructed Mo Sitong to take the time to refine some excavation tools.

"I am going to cultivate as well. I will visit the Heavenly Mystery Sect tomorrow; He Guan Ridge will have to be delayed," Liu Junhuai said.

The night passed without incident. The following morning, Liu Junhuai entered the Cloud-Piercing Shuttle and headed straight for the Heavenly Mystery Sect.

Three hours later, he met Wu Wanyin, who was waiting at the mountain gate, and was led to see Xiao Qingtian. Xiao Qingtian was delighted to see Liu Junhuai, invited him into the reception hall, and began detailing the interrogation process.

Xiao Qingtian said, "We didn't give those captured a chance to commit suicide; their dantian fields have all been crippled. The interrogation of Yun Jiezi and Zhi Kejian went relatively smoothly, mainly because they didn't know much, though they were both involved in the Dragon Sacrifice Pool incident. The rumors about the Profound Heaven Dragon Fish were spread by them. They were lurking at the bottom of the pool, and once enough cultivators arrived, they launched a massacre. They don't know the specific reason, as they were only following orders relayed by Cheng Kelei of the Yanfu Palace.

"Ye Qili has been detained. As for the seven survivors, it is as you estimated: they are all connected to spies from various sects. Cheng Kelei's direct disciple, Shen Bingwen of the Shen family, was also in the know and is considered a member of the Blood-Slaying Alliance; he managed to escape during the martial arts arena battle.

"The interrogation of Zisang Yanqi was extremely difficult. We tried every method, but he wouldn't speak. Finally, Nan Pingyi, the Vice Sect Leader of the Ocean Sky Pavilion, brought in a female cultivator skilled in gu-sorcery, who planted a parasite in his consciousness, forcing him to talk. Many of the things he confessed match what you obtained from Li Wanqiu. The name of the other Nascent Soul early-stage Vice Leader has also been revealed: he is Tai Shu Yong, the Great Elder of the Fallen Star Mansion.

"The two unknown elders are Che Shangguan, the Vice Island Master of Long Whale Island, and Guan Shaoqing, the Second Elder of the Yama Palace; both are in the late Gold Core stage.

"Additionally, almost all the cultivators of the Yanfu Palace were dragged into this by Cheng Kelei. Aside from the twenty-three who were killed in Pingdu City, there are twelve still at the Yanfu Palace. I have already ordered Cheng Kelei to send a transmission jade slip to the Yanfu Palace; those twelve cultivators are still unaware of the situation."

Liu Junhuai interjected, "I came to the Heavenly Mystery Sect today precisely because of the Yanfu Palace. Over twenty of their cultivators died by my hand. After I reported this to my master, he ordered me to eradicate the Yanfu Palace so that no hidden threats remain. Moreover, I have long wanted to establish my own sect, and my master supports this idea. I plan to head to the Yanfu Palace in the next few days. Since you have the list of those twelve cultivators, I have a legitimate excuse."

Xiao Qingtian was excited to hear this, "Then you shall carry out the Sect Alliance's mission to weed out traitors! However, Junhuai, you must join the Sect Alliance when you establish your new sect; otherwise, it will be difficult for me to speak on your behalf within the alliance."

Liu Junhuai feigned hesitation, "To be honest, Senior, I do wish to join the Sect Alliance, but I still need to communicate this slowly with my master. I estimate there shouldn't be much of a problem, but if my master doesn't approve, I will need you to put in a good word for me!"

Xiao Qingtian patted his chest, "That goes without saying. To secure a genius like you, who appears only once in a century, I am willing to pay even more."

Liu Junhuai secretly smiled. *I am trying every possible way to tie the Sect Alliance to my wagon, and you are tripping over yourself to join me! Hahaha!*

Wu Wanyin, who was standing to the side, seemed to understand Liu Junhuai's inner thoughts. He held back his laughter and said, "Junhuai, our Sect Leader is inviting you with complete sincerity. You mustn't let the Sect Alliance look down on our Sect Leader!"

Liu Junhuai looked panicked, "I wouldn't dare! I will definitely give you an answer as soon as possible. Or, perhaps Uncle Wu could come back with me? Having him speak a few words would certainly help."

Xiao Qingtian slapped his thigh hard, "Good! Let's do that. Junhuai, take your Uncle Wu with you this time. I can write a personal letter, and you can present it to your master if necessary!"

Liu Junhuai also slapped his thigh, "Great! That letter is very necessary, Senior. Please make sure the tone is sincere, and then there should be no problem at all!"

Fearing that Liu Junhuai might change his mind, Xiao Qingtian quickly changed the subject, "That's settled then. Wanyin, come to the study with me later. Let's continue discussing the interrogation. Through questioning Zisang Yanqi, we learned that the Blood-Slaying Alliance mobilized almost its entire force this time for the sake of a mining site owned by the Shen family. The information was leaked by Shen Ao's brother, Shen Jin. We don't know exactly what kind of mineral it is; Shen Jin just happened to see Shen Ao hiding a map. When he asked about it, Shen Ao only replied that their father didn't dare to mine it, as doing so would invite the destruction of their family."

Liu Junhuai gritted his teeth inwardly. *Shen Jin dared to betray the Shen family's secrets—it seems killing him was the right thing to do after all.* He thought of how the Shen family had fallen to such a state; although it had a lot to do with him, the fact that the Shen family had two traitors meant such a disaster was only a matter of time. At this thought, Liu Junhuai's mood inevitably darkened.