Chapter 27: If He Doesn't Leave, Azure Brush Peak Won't Survive

Outside Pyre Heaven Sword Tomb.

A figure came streaking through the air from afar, moving at tremendous speed.

Just before arriving, the figure formed a Hand Seal, and the barrier automatically parted to let them through.

"Old Geng, get out here!" A sharp shout rang through the entire Sword Pavilion.

For a moment, every disciple in the area looked up.

Who in the world was this?

Someone actually daring to shout and holler inside Pyre Heaven Sword Tomb — did they have a death wish?

But the moment they saw the newcomer hovering in midair, every single one of them snapped their mouths shut and lowered their heads.

A Revolving Pill Realm cultivator!!!

Who could possibly afford to provoke someone like that?

And given how openly and boldly this person had appeared here, they were almost certainly a high-ranking figure within the sect.

Besides, hadn't they just called out "Old Geng"?

Looking at it now, that was clearly directed at their own Pavilion Master.

In the blink of an eye, another figure shot out from inside the Sword Pavilion and rose into the air.

It was their Pavilion Master!

Only, the usually expressionless Pavilion Master wore a rare look of irritation on his face today.

"Old Mu, you old scoundrel — I was just about to come find you, and here you show up on your own," Old Geng said, glaring at Elder Mu with barely contained anger.

"Find me? Find me for what? Never mind that — where's my disciple! We agreed to split the time, half a month each. It's been nearly twenty days now. Are you really this untrustworthy?!" Elder Mu erupted in fury, his voice a cold, cutting demand.

That question left Old Geng completely dumbfounded.

"Bullshit!! You've got some nerve playing the victim! Lin Xiao has been with you for twenty days, and now you're turning it around on me? Are you asking for a beating?!" Old Geng's own temper flared.

He had already been in a foul mood from not seeing Lin Xiao for so long, and now this old fool had the gall to come pour oil on the fire.

It was enough to make his blood boil.

The two men's auras clashed in the air, and the disciples below suffered for it. They felt as though they were standing in the middle of a raging thunderstorm, one wrong move away from being swept up in the lightning.

"Hm!?"

"Wait??"

"Lin Xiao isn't with you?"

"Lin Xiao isn't with you?"

The two old men spoke the exact same words at the exact same time.

They both froze, brows knitting tightly together. The explosive tension that had been on the verge of erupting vanished in an instant.

The two had known each other for nearly a hundred years. They understood each other's temperaments inside and out.

What could be joked about and what couldn't — they both knew perfectly well.

So after both of them had flared up and blurted out that one sentence, they immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"After I finished passing on the techniques that day, I assumed Lin Xiao would stay with you for half a month first, then come to my side. When nearly twenty days passed without a sign of him, I got anxious and came to collect him," Elder Mu explained, his tone now serious.

"Well… Lin Xiao truly isn't inside Pyre Heaven Sword Tomb. I assumed he'd gone to your place," Old Geng replied, equally earnest.

Elder Mu: "……"

Old Geng: "……"

Then where was Lin Xiao???

That was the question burning in both their minds.

They couldn't care less about anyone else, but Lin Xiao absolutely could not be in trouble.

"Wait here. I'll go ask around," Old Geng said, then shot back into the Sword Pavilion.

About ten minutes later, Old Geng flew back out, his expression dark.

"Someone says they saw Lin Xiao head to Azure Brush Peak over half a month ago — and he hasn't come back out since." Old Geng ground the words out through clenched teeth.

"Azure Brush Peak??? That promissory note of mine?? Damn it!! Don't tell me that Old Qiao has gone and kept the kid there!" Elder Mu's eyes went wide.

It clicked for him immediately.

Lin Xiao must have taken the promissory note he'd given him and gone to find Old Qiao to exchange it for Pills.

But why would Old Qiao detain Lin Xiao?

Unless…

"Lin Xiao has exceptional talent in Body Tempering, exceptional talent in sword cultivation — what's so strange about also having exceptional talent in Alchemy?" Old Geng said in a low voice.

"This infuriates me. That Old Qiao is trying to snatch the prize right out from under us. No — I'm going to find him right now!" Elder Mu turned to leave.

"Together!" Old Geng said, and was already shooting forward before the word had fully left his mouth.

* * *

Over the past half month, the Elders of Sword Demon Sect had noticed something peculiar.

High-grade Pills that were normally difficult to exchange for had suddenly become plentiful.

As long as you had enough contribution points, you could exchange for them whenever you wanted and in whatever quantity you needed.

What's more, they found that the quality of these exchanged high-grade Pills was even a notch higher than before.

Had Elder Qiao's Alchemy reached yet another Breakthrough??

And that wasn't the only strange thing.

In the sect's mission hall, the number of tasks requesting spirit herbs, spirit fruits, and other heavenly treasures had increased dramatically — and the rewards had been raised by thirty percent.

These changes delighted both disciples and Elders alike.

If only it could keep up like this.

* * *

Meanwhile.

Old Geng and Elder Mu had already flown up to Azure Brush Peak.

To avoid any misunderstanding, they didn't immediately make a scene. Instead, they spread out their spiritual senses to search for Lin Xiao's presence.

They found it quickly.

Lin Xiao appeared to be somewhere inside the main pavilion at the peak's summit.

Goodness!

So the person was right there, and so was the evidence.

Old Qiao, let's see how you explain yourself.

But before the two of them could even reveal themselves and start making demands, a series of anguished wails drifted out from inside the main pavilion.

"Friend Lin Xiao, please, just go. Azure Brush Peak truly cannot accommodate a great figure like you."

"Don't touch those — don't touch those materials! Those are reserved for our peak's internal competition!"

"Not those either! Friend Lin Xiao, have mercy on me. High-grade materials aren't easy to gather — it takes time, time! Please!"

"I promise you — the moment they're collected, I'll deliver them to you personally. Just please stop terrorizing my disciples!"

Elder Mu and Old Geng looked at each other, expressions deeply bewildered.

What was going on?

Why did it sound like Old Qiao was trying to drive someone away?

What on earth had happened?

Still puzzled, the two of them landed in front of the main pavilion.

Elder Qiao sensed their arrival immediately.

"Elder Mu! You old ghost! Hurry up and drag your disciple away! If he stays any longer, Azure Brush Peak won't survive!"

Elder Qiao came flying out, looking utterly pitiful.

But when he spotted Old Geng standing beside Elder Mu, he froze.

"Old Geng, what brings you out of your mountain retreat??" Elder Qiao asked in astonishment.

Old Geng almost never left the Sword Pavilion — you'd be lucky to see him once a year.

What wind had blown him out today?

"Old Geng is half a master to Lin Xiao as well — why do you think he came!" Elder Mu said with a cold snort.

What?!

Elder Qiao was stunned.

But then, thinking back to the twenty percent Sword Intent Lin Xiao had displayed, he understood.

Of course.

A prodigy like that was bound to have caught Old Geng's attention.

"Where's my disciple?" Old Geng asked, frowning.

"Inside, right inside — you've come at the perfect time. Take him away, now, immediately!" Elder Qiao urged.

He let out a long breath of relief. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

Even if these two hadn't come, he'd been on the verge of sending someone to fetch Elder Mu himself.

"What exactly has my disciple been doing in there??" Elder Mu asked, puzzled.

"Alchemy, of course. Ah — it seems you two don't know yet. Friend Lin Xiao, he's—"

Elder Qiao had just begun to explain when, suddenly—

The entire main pavilion shuddered.

Elder Qiao blanked for a moment, then his expression changed drastically.

"Holy shit!! Don't tell me this kid is about to—" he cried out in alarm.