Chapter 400 - You Don't Even Have The Right To Die

The man forced a bright, fawning smile, the kind a pitiful dog might wear. Still bowing, he shuffled toward Li Guanqi, terrified of provoking the slightest displeasure.

His name was Kong Yunzhang. His smile twitched, stiff and strained, and panic clouded his eyes. Everyone knew Li Guanqi’s reputation. The Ghostly Spirit Sect was far weaker than the Immortal Crane Alliance or the North Sea Temple, and if Li Guanqi had wiped out both when he was only at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, what could he do now?

Kong Yunzhang flicked his sleeves and bowed deeper. “Kong Yunzhang, sect master of the Ghostly Spirit Sect. Greetings, Elder Li.”

Humiliation burned through him the moment he spoke. There had been a time when he wouldn’t have spared Li Guanqi a glance. Yet now...

The Ghostly Spirit Sect disciples looked toward the sky. When they saw their sect master bow, they felt a little humiliated.

Li Guanqi regarded him with a calm gaze.

“I’ll only ask once. Is there someone else pulling the strings behind your sect?”

Still staring at the ground, Kong Yunzhang paled. His eyes widened. Cold sweat broke across his face. Even his calves trembled.

Li Guanqi had his answer.

Pfft!

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

A streak of red sword light flashed. An arm spun through the air.

Kong Yunzhang didn’t lift his head. He didn’t even gasp.

The disciples below hadn’t even seen the strike. One moment, their sect master had two arms, and the next, he didn’t. They cried out in shock, yet not one dared fly up to strike at Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you dodge?”

Kong Yunzhang clenched his teeth until blood welled between them. “If you want to kill me, dodge or not, I’ll still die.”

Li Guanqi let out a quiet snort. “At least you’re not an idiot. Tell me, who is controlling you? What do they want?”

Kong Yunzhang finally raised his head, ignoring the blood pouring down his shoulder. His face had gone deathly pale. His eyes flashed with determination, as if he had made up his mind. “If I tell you, can you kill only me and spare the others?”

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. “You are not in a position to negotiate with me.”

Kong Yunzhang’s breath hitched. His eyes dimmed with sorrow, and his posture sagged as if he had aged years in a heartbeat.

He stood and pointed toward the ground with his remaining arm. “We can’t keep anything from them while we’re up here. Let’s talk below.”

Li Guanqi thought for a moment, then followed him to the island below. The disciples hurried aside, forming a path. They didn’t know what had happened.

Soon, they stepped into a large pavilion and sat across from each other.

Li Guanqi said, “Tell me what happened.”

Kong Yunzhang shook his head, his voice bitter. “I don’t know who they are. I don’t know where they came from...”

Li Guanqi frowned but didn’t doubt him. Whoever this mysterious force was, they were careful enough to keep Kong Yunzhang ignorant from start to finish.

Kong Yunzhang glanced up. Seeing no emotion on Li Guanqi’s face, he blurted out, “Everything I said is true! You have to believe me! And only I know. No one else on the island is involved. The elders and disciples have no idea. They just think I want to expand our herb mountains.”

Li Guanqi watched his expression closely, surprised to confirm he was telling the truth. After a long moment, he asked, “What does this person want?”

Kong Yunzhang didn't say a word for a long time. As Li Guanqi’s patience wore thin, Kong Yunzhang abruptly stood up and kneeled.

Slap slap slap!

With his remaining hand, he brutally slapped himself across the face. The initial blow drew blood, and after repeated slaps, he spat out a few teeth.

“If I tell you everything, could you let me live? I just want to live... They’re too powerful... If I hadn’t agreed, I would have died!”

Li Guanqi rose slowly, staring down at him. “There is no reason for me to spare you. Perhaps you had no choice, but that is not enough to convince me.”

Kong Yunzhang pursed his lips and looked up. “Then the Ghostly Spirit Sect can merge into the Daxia Sword Sect. We’ll become your subsidiary!”

Li Guanqi laughed out of sheer anger. “Merge? Become a subsidiary? Do you think I can’t see through you? With the Daxia Sword Sect’s current strength, who do you think gains anything from that?”

Kong Yunzhang looked at him awkwardly. Li Guanqi was right. With the Daxia Sword Sect’s reputation, stronger sects would line up to submit. Some might even fight for the privilege.

The Daxia Sword Sect was simply too strong.

If the Ghostly Spirit Sect joined the Daxia Sword Sect, the Ghostly Spirit Sect’s status would rise accordingly.

Li Guanqi crouched. Flames burst to life around him. In a breath, they devoured the entire pavilion, reducing the lavish building to nothing but ashes.

Boom!

A powerful aura surged from Li Guanqi, slamming Kong Yunzhang flat against the ground.

“Whether you live or die is my decision. Not yours,” Li Guanqi said. “Speak. What are their intentions?”

Pinned by the crushing force, Kong Yunzhang couldn’t move. His limbs twisted under the pressure.

By then, Kong Yunzhang had accepted his fate, knowing he wouldn’t leave alive. Blood dripped from his every orifice as he struggled to look up. Madness flickered in his eyes.

“You... want... to know? I... refuse... to tell you...”

Boom!

Energy rippled from him. His body began to swell.

Li Guanqi snorted. “Trying to die?”

He thrust out his hand, and a stronger force crushed down. Kong Yunzhang’s swelling halted. His nascent soul froze, sealed in an instant.

“In front of me, you don’t even have the right to die.”

Buzz!

Li Guanqi reached out and tore a translucent soul straight from Kong Yunzhang’s body.

He rifled through the man’s memories. The moment he saw the strange ink-green powder, his eyes widened.

With a sharp squeeze, he shattered the man’s soul, then drew out his jade slip and roared, “Inspect every pill and herb now! Poison!”