Stealing Immortal
Chapter 7 - 6: Killing Intent

Chapter 7: Chapter 6: Killing Intent

Chen Qingyang had used all the Immortal Seedlings left by Liu Jinyuan on Qi-Introducing Pills without hesitation.

As a result, he produced three pills today, each one of them quite potent!

Liu Tao was grinning widely. "I’ll gladly accept these two from today’s batch!"

She hurriedly tucked them into her sleeve as if afraid Chen Qingyang would go back on his word. "If you keep progressing at this rate, refining Tier Two Qi-Introducing Pills doesn’t seem so difficult after all!"

"If I really could refine Tier Two Qi-Introducing Pills, would you be able to break through in your cultivation, Senior Sister?"

"Three Tier Two pills a day, and I’d be sure to reach Essence Condensation in three to five years. If I were taking three Tier Three pills a day, it would be even shorter—perhaps half a year, or maybe a full one. Once my cultivation breaks through, everything from my old bones to my face will become young again."

At this, the old woman Liu Tao gave a somewhat bashful smile. "You might laugh, but back when I was a girl, I never lacked for suitors."

The edge of the black mole by the corner of her mouth flushed a faint pink.

’Indeed, who wasn’t young once?’ At one point, Chen Qingyang had also been a youth full of ambition.

"I believe you, Senior Sister!"

Liu Tao was even more pleased to hear this. With a beaming smile, she changed the subject. "But of course, I was still a far cry from a heaven-gifted maiden like Li Qianxue."

Her words clearly held a deeper meaning, so Chen Qingyang just stood there silently.

"Don’t get the wrong idea. I was just curious, so I asked around about your background and where you learned the art of alchemy. I never expected there to be such a story. You must have gotten that pill formula back when you were an attendant in the Inner Sect, right? Qi-Introducing Pills are difficult to refine, but the formula itself is easy enough to find."

Liu Tao reclined softly. Her body was stiff and rigid, yet she tried to affect the posture of a young maiden. "And as for you... I’ve thought it over and I think I understand. You must have had a talent for alchemy all along, but since you were stuck and unable to advance your Qi Refining, that talent was buried. Now that you’ve had a breakthrough in your cultivation, your talent can finally shine. Am I right?"

Her logic was tight and perfectly reasonable. Chen Qingyang had no choice but to nod. "You’re right, Senior Sister."

"I do have one question for you. Rumor has it you two were betrothed as children and even privately pledged your lives to one another. Is that true?"

This was the first Chen Qingyang himself had heard of any rumor about a private pledge.

"Never mind. Looking at your sorry state, that must not have happened."

He remained silent, and Liu Tao came to her own conclusion.

"Senior Sister, did you happen to find out how Li Qianxue is doing?"

At his words, Liu Tao rolled her eyes. "Men are all the same, always indulging in wishful thinking. If she’s a cloud in the heavens, you’re the mud on the ground. Why are you still thinking about her? Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with you. A person should stay grounded in reality."

She lectured him so effortlessly. Chen Qingyang didn’t even know when their relationship had become so familiar.

"I don’t need you to remind me of that, Senior Sister. I just want to know what happened."

"Fine. I’ll tell you everything so you can finally put these thoughts to rest. The Tai Hao Sword Master invited the Jingling Peak Master to examine her personally. He said that during her life-or-death battle with the Yu Xiao Demon Sect, Li Qianxue burned her own Sword Soul. Though she managed to kill her opponent, she fell into a coma. The only way for her to wake up is to have her Sword Soul restored."

’Of all the various rumors, this one sounded the closest to the truth.’

Chen Qingyang asked, "How can a Sword Soul be restored?"

Liu Tao acted as if she hadn’t spoken to another soul in eight hundred years. Now that she had Chen Qingyang cornered, she couldn’t resist a bit of pointed mockery. "Hmph. What are you going to do? Go yourself? Save her with your Qi-Introducing Pills?"

Chen Qingyang said, "I just wanted to know the outcome. We haven’t seen each other in seven or eight years. Even if I stood right in front of her now, she wouldn’t recognize me!"

Liu Tao scoffed again. "That’s true enough. Who would recognize a ragged old man like you?"

A few broken teeth showed when she laughed. "The Jingling Peak Master said she can be awakened with a Glazed Heaven Repairing Pill, which is used to restore the Divine Soul. But that’s a legendary item. No one in the entire Tai Xu Sect can refine it, and we don’t even have the pill formula. So, her body can only be preserved on a Cold Jade Ice Bed. Perhaps for a hundred years, perhaps a thousand... or perhaps she’ll never wake up at all."

"What’s a Glazed Heaven Repairing Pill?" Chen Qingyang asked again.

For some reason, Liu Tao suddenly grew annoyed. "I don’t know! If you want to worry about things like that, at least wait until you reach Foundation Establishment!"

’In his memory, Li Qianxue had at least done him the kindness of bringing him into the Immortal Sect, and she had taken good care of him afterward. Thinking of the Stealing Immortal he possessed, reaching Foundation Establishment in the future might not be impossible. If he ever got the chance, what was the harm in repaying her one day?’

"Thank you, Senior Sister. I’ll be heading back now."

Liu Tao waved her hand. "Go on, go on. But I must remind you, the commotion you caused the other day wasn’t small. A lot of people are secretly watching us, trying to figure out if you’re a genuine Furnace Boy or a fake. If you run into any trouble, tell me immediately. You should know, there isn’t a single good person in this Tai Xu Sect!"

But Chen Qingyang said, "Anyone looking for me would just want me to refine pills for them. What’s the difference who I refine for? Maybe someone else would offer a better reward."

"You..." Liu Tao was stunned with anger, but then a thought struck her. "Fine. What are your conditions?"

"I’ve never seen you refine any pills, Senior Sister, so I don’t know what you specialize in. Do you have anything suitable for me? After all, it’s only to your benefit if my cultivation improves!"

Liu Tao gently wagged her index finger. "You’ve really learned how to push your luck. It’s a good thing I’m so kind-hearted. I can give you something, but don’t you dare think about leaving my side. Things would get very messy."

She tossed over a brocade box. He opened it to find two elixirs inside.

"These are Qi Gathering Pills. They’re useless to me now, but they’ll be of great use to you. Just remember, the energy cultivated from these elixirs is impure, so don’t take them in excess."

Chen Qingyang grasped the box firmly. "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister!"

「On the way down the mountain.」

He kept his hand tucked inside his sleeve, feeling the warm, smooth texture of the two Qi Gathering Pills.

’Judging by the elixirs alone, Senior Sister Liu’s Alchemy Dao is quite impressive,’ he thought. ’I wonder how much of a benefit they’ll be to my cultivation.’

As he followed the stone steps down, just as he was about to head toward the pine tree, a figure that had abruptly appeared in the moonlight startled him to a halt.

"I’ve been waiting here for you for so long, I was starting to think you’d gone and slept with that old hag!"

It was a woman. Her back was to the light, obscuring her face, but her voice was cold and filled with killing intent.

’Here below the Golden Summit, even under the bright moonlight, I’m just a Miscellaneous Task disciple. If I were seriously injured or simply went missing here, it wouldn’t cause the slightest ripple.’

Chen Qingyang felt a pang of regret for not taking Liu Tao’s warning more seriously.

"Might I ask which Senior Sister from the Golden Summit you are?"

"You didn’t see me at the Pill Institute the day you made that bet with the old hag, but I saw you. Spit it out. Can you really refine Qi-Introducing Pills?"

’The Pill Institute. She’s most likely an Outer Disciple. And the fact that she could corner me here means she’s been observing me for a long time.’

Being a Furnace Boy was an extremely draining task. Anyone who paid the slightest bit of attention could tell whether someone had actually been doing it or not.

This was no time for lies. Chen Qingyang admitted it outright, "I can."

Hearing this, the woman took a few steps forward.

She was a beauty dressed in green. Her chest was magnificent, and her simple robes couldn’t conceal an ounce of her alluring figure. Her waist was slender, accentuating the stunning curves of her hips. With red lips and enchanting eyes, her cheeks seemed bathed in a golden light, and her expression held a sacred purity, like the incense smoke in a divine temple.

"You may look old, but you’re not shy about staring. Well? Have you had your fill?"

Her tone was severe, yet it held a hint of coquettishness.

She was certainly the type of woman men found captivating, but Chen Qingyang wasn’t cowed. He remained calm and composed. "My apologies for my rudeness. May I ask for your name, Senior Sister?"

The woman didn’t answer, asking instead, "How many times have you refined pills for that old hag?"

"Every day for the past few days."

The woman’s almond-shaped eyes widened. "Every day? You’re saying you can produce a successful batch every single day, without a single failure?"

"Not once."

The woman pressed on, "How many pills per batch?"

"Three. This is one from today’s batch."

He carefully offered it to her with both hands.

’Be compliant and demonstrate your value.’

No matter the situation, this strategy increased his chances of survival. He had, without a doubt, felt her killing intent moments ago.

Under the moonlight, the woman covered her red lips with one hand. "To think it has such quality... This is a top-notch Tier One Qi-Introducing Pill. Out of the twenty-odd people in the Four Golden Peaks Pill Institute, no more than seven can refine something this good. That old hag certainly kept you hidden!"

"Yes."

The woman’s beautiful eyes shifted, her thoughts unreadable. "What is your relationship with Liu Tao?"

At that moment, Chen Qingyang was certain that she and Liu Tao had a deep-seated grudge.

He rushed to speak ill of Liu Tao. "Senior Sister Liu has a strange, difficult personality. It’s not easy working for her."

Sure enough, the woman broke into a smile as delicate as a dew-kissed hibiscus.

"That makes sense. You’re refining such incredible elixirs for her, yet she hasn’t even considered helping you leave your Miscellaneous Task post to join the Golden Summit. That selfish nature of hers is at it again!"

Chen Qingyang took the cue and sighed. "I’m just from the Miscellaneous Tasks. My situation is already much better than before. What more could I ask for? Besides, I wouldn’t dare defy Senior Sister Liu. I’d surely suffer for it."

The woman fell into thought for a moment before tossing the elixir back to him. "Take it back. I have a transaction to propose, if you’re willing."

Chen Qingyang nodded eagerly, even feigning a look of infatuation. "What kind of transaction, Senior Sister?"

The woman chuckled lightly. "I need your elixirs. You tell me what you need, and tomorrow at this time, right here, I’ll bring it to trade. How about it?"

Chen Qingyang offered the Qi-Introducing Pill once more. "It is my good fortune to befriend a Senior Sister from the Golden Summit. Please, just take it. There’s no need for any talk of trade."

She wasn’t buying it. "No," she said. "I have always conducted my affairs with fairness. When I say we trade, we trade. I don’t make empty promises. You can’t treat me like that shrew Liu Tao!"

"Of course, of course. In that case, Senior Sister, perhaps you could get me some Qi Gathering Pills? My cultivation is low, so I’m in great need of them."

The woman nodded lightly. "Remember, my name is Xu Baoling. You must not tell anyone about what happened today, especially not that old hag."

Chen Qingyang bowed with clasped hands. "Please rest assured, Senior Sister Xu."

Xu Baoling turned slightly to the side. As Chen Qingyang passed her, he was extremely careful, afraid of accidentally brushing against her magnificent chest.

When he passed the pine tree today, he did not stop to meditate as usual before continuing on his way.

’This is the first time I’ve met someone like her, but I know she’s trouble. She definitely wouldn’t just let me walk away. She’s probably following me secretly.’

’If I go straight down the mountain, it proves I have no intention of running to tell Liu Tao, and that our relationship is nothing special.’

’If I head back up, it’ll signal that I’m going to tattle to Liu Tao. In Xu Baoling’s eyes, there’d be no reason to let a Miscellaneous Task disciple like me live.’

’Sometimes, things were just that subtle. To them, a Miscellaneous Task disciple was like a roadside weed—crushing one meant nothing.’

’The question is, should I tell Liu Tao tomorrow or not?’

’If I tell her, I’ll be caught in the middle of whatever grudge she and Xu Baoling have. My life will become very difficult.’

’If I don’t, I’ll have to accept the olive branch Xu Baoling is secretly offering.’

’If I handle this badly, I’ll be seen as a fence-sitter, and I’ll end up on the bad side of both of them.’

When he reached the outside of his small courtyard, Chen Qingyang paused for a moment.

He then found a secluded spot outside and swallowed a Qi Gathering Pill.

As it settled in his abdomen, a wave of warmth spread through his limbs and bones. Without any need for conscious cultivation, his Dantian True Essence began to strengthen.

Circulation after circulation, the warmth continued until it faded completely. After he took the second pill, the progress of his Tai Xu Energy-Introducing Technique shot straight up to 3.

He finally understood why those born into the upper echelons of the Tai Xu Sect could advance their cultivation by a thousand miles in a single day!