Volume One, Chapter 24: Why Waste the Money? Uncle Shi Can Do It

“No, it won’t happen.”

Li Hanzhou comforted him gently. “Now that your uncle has money, boosting your strength will be easy. We can also renovate our Eternal Life Sect properly and get you a brand new bed. How does that sound?”

“Money?” Liu Dongyue’s eyes lit up.

“I don’t want a new bed. Why not have uncle buy me a powerful spiritual treasure? That way, I can take care of them.” Liu Dongyue quickly replied, “I saw a spiritual treasure at the Divine Mechanism Guild—a Soul Seizing Bell. With it, I’m sure I can defeat them and preserve the honor of our Eternal Life Sect!”

“All right. For the sake of our Eternal Life Sect’s reputation, your uncle will definitely support you!” Li Hanzhou agreed immediately.

Money.

What’s there to fear?

“It’s just two hundred thousand taels,” Liu Dongyue said eagerly, his eyes shining with excitement.

Li Hanzhou paused.

“Dongyue,” Li Hanzhou patted Liu Dongyue’s shoulder and said, “That Soul Seizing Bell isn’t complicated, yet it’s selling for two hundred thousand taels? That’s nothing but a rip-off. Of course, uncle doesn’t mind the money. You want to uphold the honor of our sect—that’s a good thing. I also think those three clans are way too arrogant, as if our Eternal Life Sect is defenseless! If they come, we must teach them a harsh lesson. As for the Soul Seizing Bell, I’ll just craft one for you myself. It’s a trivial matter, no need to spend two hundred thousand taels.”

“Uncle, maybe you shouldn’t make it?” Liu Dongyue shuddered all over.

The memory of the previous mishap with the Seven-Treasure Gourd still haunted him.

“Don’t worry. This time, what I make will definitely be reliable. Just trust me.” Li Hanzhou confidently patted his chest.

“In that case, could you give me some money to buy pills? I want to buy a Divine Power Pill. It can temporarily boost my strength and is said to let one fight four opponents at once. It’s a very powerful pill, and it costs fifty thousand taels each!” Liu Dongyue held out his hand eagerly, expecting Li Hanzhou to hand over a silver note.

“Hmph.”

Li Hanzhou spoke with a sigh, “Don’t go eating random stuff from outside. You know that’s just technology and tricks. Who knows what side effects it might have? It’s just a Divine Power Pill, right? I’ll make it for you. I already promised to make you pills. Now that things have settled down, I’ll get started. Don’t worry, I guarantee it won’t kill you!”

“Alright, I’ll be waiting patiently!”

Li Hanzhou laughed heartily as he left the main hall.

Watching Li Hanzhou’s retreating figure, Liu Dongyue shivered involuntarily.

He had a bad feeling about this.

---

“Why is everything so expensive?” Li Hanzhou muttered as he walked. He had thought that receiving seven hundred thousand taels from Zhao Qianqiu was already a fortune. Who would have expected that a single spiritual treasure or pill would cost so much?

If he could make it himself, why buy it?

Having endured hard times on Earth for so many years, Li Hanzhou understood one thing deeply: if you can do it yourself, never buy it from others.

He wasn’t lacking the means.

So he immediately set off for the Divine Mechanism Guild in White Cloud City, intending to make some purchases.

Meanwhile, news of Zhao Qianqiu’s death had spread throughout the martial world.

The entire community was shaken.

Zhao Qianqiu’s strength was on the cusp of reaching the Sword Immortal realm. Who would have thought he was dead?

The news circulated among the great sects.

Even some of the top experts in major sects were in disbelief.

But no one knew exactly who had killed him.

Yet all eyes turned toward a single faction: the Tang Sect.

Rumors claimed Zhao Qianqiu was slain by the Tang Sect’s hidden weapon, the Thousand Fate Ghost Lotus.

Some factions had already congratulated the Tang Sect, celebrating the removal of a scourge from the martial world, while warning them to beware of retaliation from the Blood Sacrifice Pavilion.

Tang Sect’s leader, Tang Jue, had received four or five waves of visitors since waking up, yet even after the last guest departed, Tang Jue remained utterly baffled.

Zhao Qianqiu was killed by the Thousand Fate Ghost Lotus.

The key point was that the weapon had been stolen by Tang Sect disciple Zhou Ziyin.

Zhou Ziyin had been imprisoned and tortured for three days and nights—burned, poisoned, even having his fingernails pulled out—but he stubbornly refused to reveal who currently held the Thousand Fate Ghost Lotus.

The Tang Sect disciples had come to admire this former senior brother’s steadfast silence.

No matter what, he wouldn’t say who had the weapon.

---

In the dead of night, when no one was around, he would mumble curses about “chicken leg thieves” and such, but no one understood what he meant.

“Sect Leader.”

At that moment, a disciple entered respectfully. “The Patriarch requests your presence.”

“I’m on my way.” Tang Jue knew this matter would surely alarm the Patriarch. He tidied his clothes and proceeded to a courtyard within the Tang Sect to meet the venerable Patriarch.

“Patriarch.”

Upon entering the small courtyard, he saw an elder seated before a chessboard, playing against himself.

“Jue’er, you’ve arrived.” Patriarch Tang Shiyuan didn’t look up but tossed a note to Tang Jue. “Take a look.”

Tang Jue curiously picked up the note. Upon reading its contents, his expression instantly darkened.

“This news came from the palace,” Tang Shiyuan said calmly. “Zhao Qianqiu died at the hands of the Tang Sect’s Thousand Fate Ghost Lotus, and the person wielding it also demonstrated the Great Celestial Phenomenon Technique. It seems our Tang Sect has inexplicably become involved with the Xingluo Kingdom.”

“This complicates matters.”

Tang Jue’s face grew grim. “The emperor must know by now. If His Majesty suspects our Tang Sect’s connection to the Xingluo Kingdom, what are we to do?”

“Perhaps the emperor has already sent someone to our sect,” Tang Shiyuan said as he placed a chess piece. “Who exactly? Since this intelligence came from the palace, surely the identity of this person is known?”

“The emperor will let you know what he wants you to know,” Tang Shiyuan said. “If there’s something he doesn’t want you to know, then you won’t.”

“Patriarch, you mean the emperor deliberately concealed this person’s name?” Tang Jue asked in surprise.

“What do you think?” Tang Shiyuan replied. “The emperor hasn’t sent anyone to interrogate us. Either he doesn’t care about this matter at all, or he’s preparing to strike against the Tang Sect…”

“Sigh.”

Tang Shiyuan sighed deeply. “If the emperor had sent someone to interrogate us now, I’d feel somewhat relieved. But I truly cannot fathom what His Majesty is thinking.”

“Patriarch, I think we should prepare for all eventualities,” Tang Jue said cautiously after a moment’s thought.

“What preparations do you suggest?” Tang Shiyuan’s calm eyes flickered. “What, are you planning a rebellion?”