Chapter 9: A Web of Deceit and Taming

Su Qin quickly regained his composure; the remark had barely stirred a ripple.

“My room will be more comfortable. I won’t be there for the next two days, as I have matters to attend to and no time to bother with you.”

As Su Qin spoke, he turned towards the back of the hall, just as a crimson bat fluttered towards him.

“If you wish to go, this creature will lead the way. Two days from now, someone from the Azure Profound Sect will come to fetch you.”

Qi Shuyue offered no further words. The blood-colored bat guided her out of the hall, and they soon arrived at Su Qin’s dwelling.

As expected, it was simple yet cozy, imbued with a strong sense of lived-in warmth.

A stove, a woodshed, and in a corner of the kitchen, several small, exquisitely crafted porcelain bowls sat beside a set of miniature table and stools—all clearly intended for children.

‘So this is where he raises his disciples,’ Qi Shuyue mused.

Stepping into the room, Qi Shuyue noticed a warm jade bed, perfect for cultivation, and a scattering of sewing notions in a corner, hinting at the owner’s meticulous nature.

‘Is this truly fate…’

These were all things Qi Shuyue had yearned for most. Her village had perished in a natural disaster, leaving her childhood devoid of joy, with only a taciturn master who truly cared for her throughout her life.

Had her adoptive parents not rescued her, she feared she would have long since perished. She owed a debt of gratitude, a loyalty that demanded absolute devotion to the Azure Profound Sect and the righteous path.

This was her entire existence.

Some found themselves on the righteous path, yet were confined and manipulated their entire lives, while others dwelled within a demonic sect, where warmth was unexpectedly within reach.

***

The blood bat did not return directly to its nest; instead, it flew into the workshop, relaying Qi Shuyue’s message.

“She warned me to be wary of my disciples?”

Su Qin furrowed his brows, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

‘Has it become so obvious that even she has noticed?’

Yet, this was not the moment to act. While the diaries contained no ill remarks about his disciples, he had long sensed that something was amiss.

The ice did not form three feet thick in a single day (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning that deep-seated problems or serious situations are not formed overnight, but are the result of a long process).

Since these very disciples had ultimately joined forces to kill him, how could there have been no duplicity from the outset?

From the beginning, there must have been hints; some harbored treachery, while others wavered.

The murderous glint in Gu Yuhe’s eyes that day, he had seen it clearly—an absolute mark of rebellion.

Yet, on the other hand.

‘Was she the only one with an issue? If he were to move against her now, what if the other disciples concealed their intentions even more cleverly? What if the wavering disciples fully turned traitor?’

These disciples, all possessing superior aptitudes, would be a pity to kill. If he could subdue them, they would prove to be valuable assets in the future.

A single tree cannot stand alone (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning that one person alone cannot accomplish much), and everyone has a vital weakness.

These disciples could not simply be purged; they were the wings upon which he would soar in the future.

These disciples had to be subdued, and thoroughly so—their hearts and minds utterly convinced.

Two words: absolute loyalty.

Striking the grass to startle the snake (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning to alert an enemy or opponent prematurely, revealing one’s intentions or actions before the opportune moment) was not the best strategy.

Now was the time to appear weak, to wait until they could no longer resist making a move, and then reap the harvest.

Qi Shuyue was merely bait. He intended to see how many truly wished him dead.

‘Yes, let them believe he is on his last legs, and then let them strike with all their might.’

‘Let them forget that in the darkness, he was virtually unkillable. Let them forget the tens of thousands of blood bats at his command, the combination of beast mastery and blood dao—a formidable, organized power.’

***

Outside the grand hall, Han Zhiyun gazed at the magic artifact in her hand, finding nothing amiss. This indicated that Su Qin had not cast his divine sense over the territory.

With her concealment artifact, she could easily evade the hall’s protective formation.

“Xiao Chen said it was my master who abducted Qi Shuyue. Master truly is consistently insane.”

‘He sees a pretty girl, snatches her, and forces her into all sorts of things, just like what happened to me when I first arrived.’

She shook her head, attempting to banish the memories of her initial experience upon entering the Silver Blossom Palace.

‘But it will only go this far.’

***

After a night of recuperation, many of the cracks on Su Qin’s body had lessened, allowing him to exert forty percent of his perfected Golden Core strength. His mental state had also significantly improved.

“Master, please have some tea,”

Gu Yuhe offered tea first thing in the morning. Su Qin nodded.

‘It wasn’t a genuine need, but merely a means of control, a way to suppress and manipulate through trivial tasks like serving tea and pouring water.’

‘To tame a hawk, one must do it slowly, infiltrating every aspect of their daily life. Routine conditioning is paramount.’

‘First, draw her close, make her believe she is capable, allowing thoughts of betraying her master, even assassinating him, to sprout.’

‘Then, with a single blow, shatter all her confidence, along with her self-respect, until she is completely reduced to… a good disciple.’

As the poisoned tea entered his body, his Blood Demon Spirit Physique instantly refined the toxins, further repairing his physical form. Out of the corner of his eye, Su Qin gazed with a hint of pity at her ‘tablet’.

‘Indeed, it’s a remote control, and it only has three buttons.’

Su Qin’s gaze was so obvious that Gu Yuhe felt a profound sense of impropriety, a faint glimmer of cold light flashing in her eyes.

The fragrant, mellow black tea was consumed by Su Qin in three gulps. Afterward, he gave a few casual instructions and returned to his cultivation chamber.

Gu Yuhe stared at the still-warm throne for a long time, her eyes terribly vacant.

‘Master, were you mocking Yuhe again just now?’

***

At the Azure Profound Sect, Immortal Lingtai had already reported the matter to Sect Master Qi He.

“Sect Master, I implore your assistance to rescue Yue’er.”

Immortal Lingtai was filled with apprehension, and Qi He, as Qi Shuyue’s adoptive father, couldn’t help but show a worried expression, yet he did not lose his composure.

“Immortal Lingtai, how do you intend to proceed?”

“I possess only twenty-three magic artifacts and fifty-four thousand three hundred seventy-one spirit stones. I earnestly hope the Sect Master can provide the remainder, so we may exchange them for Yue’er tonight. Should we delay, I fear—”

Qi He waved a dismissive hand, directly interrupting Immortal Lingtai Zhao Shuyun, who frowned slightly.

“Firstly, we cannot ascertain if Yue’er will truly be returned. It is entirely possible the other party does not have her, or possesses her but has no genuine intention of returning her.

Secondly, the risk is too great. The identity of the messenger is unknown, and it could very well be a trap.

Thirdly, the Azure Profound Sect absolutely will not negotiate with a demonic sect! Demonic scoundrels are always cunning, treacherous, and fickle. At a time when the righteous path is gathering to suppress demonic sects, our Azure Profound Sect will absolutely not engage in any transactions with them!”

Immortal Lingtai, having grasped his meaning, felt as though struck by lightning, a wave of powerlessness washing over her.

She had never established her own sect, content for decades with freedom and tranquility, and thus held minimal influence within the sect.

At such a critical juncture, her anxiety clouded her judgment, preventing her from clearly perceiving the situation.

Qi He fell silent for a moment, his eyes shifting with calculations as he analyzed the myriad consequences.

“Immortal Lingtai, you need not worry. There is no need to prepare a ransom. This time, I shall act personally. If they are benevolent, we shall reward them afterward.

If they are villainous, I shall eradicate them on the spot and rescue Yue’er.”

Only then did Immortal Lingtai depart, leaving Qi He with a suddenly grim expression.

“Qi Ye.”

A cultivator dressed in night-traveling attire appeared and bowed. Qi He nodded.

“Go investigate the background of Su Qin of the Demonic Sword Sect.”

Qi Ye assented and withdrew, leaving Qi He to cradle his head, a hint of vexation on his face.

This matter was peculiar. Xiao Chen’s report stated that Su Qin had abducted Qi Shuyue, but her life was not in immediate danger.

However, the other undercover agents reported that Su Qin was on the verge of death and did not possess Qi Shuyue, but rather wished to use this ploy to buy time.

‘Blood Zombie, the most mysterious and ancient secret art of the Blood Dao.’

Qi He’s eyes gleamed. The chosen time for the exchange was night, when Blood Dao cultivators were at their strongest.

Moreover, this individual had no notable battle achievements to their name and maintained a very low profile within the cultivation world.

The most crucial concern was whether he truly was, as rumored, skilled at seducing virtuous women. If he had indeed defiled Qi Shuyue, it would utterly ruin the Ancestor’s grand plan.

‘It seems I must prepare the divine talismans for consecration in advance.’