Chapter 645: When I Was Eighteen

At the shores of the East Sea, the sea waves billowed.

Accompanying the rolling waves of azure seawater was pure white sea spray, leaving trails of sea foam on the sand. There seemed to be blue robes draped over the dark rocks by the shore. However, if someone were to approach it, they would be able to discern that under the fabric lay a person.

Du Wuhen opened his eyes and opened his mouth, wanting to speak. Instead, he spat out a mouthful of bloody sea foam.

"

Hah...

"

A man in black Daoist robes descended onto the shore. He wore an indifferent expression as he observed Du Wuhen lying on the rocks.

"How did you end up like this?" he asked.

"Daoist Xuan Lu..." Du Wuhen raised his hand weakly. "Save me."

The man in black Daoist robes was none other than Daoist Xuan Lu, who had recently risen through the ranks of the Penglai Supreme Sect. He had little life experience compared to the other high-ranking members, but his strategizing ability had earned him the favor of Daoist Cangsheng.

"I already saved you," Daoist Xuan Lu replied, gazing down at him. "If not for the life-saving enchanted tool I gave you, you wouldn't have even been able to flee all the way here. You'd already be dead."

"My... my cultivation foundation is damaged. My injuries need to be treated," Du Wuhen said anxiously in a weak voice. "If I don't get treated in time, my cultivation journey will end here..."

"Shouldn't you return to the Thunderbolt Stronghold then?" Daoist Xuan Lu asked puzzledly. "You're the eldest disciple of the Thunderbolt Stronghold. Why have you come to the East Sea?"

"I can't go back..." Du Wuhen grasped Daoist Xuan Lu's ankle as he gasped for air. "I... I just realized. It couldn't have been the Lei Family that betrayed me and leaked my location. It... it must have been Huang Hanshan. He must have found out about our dealings and handed me over to the Celestial King Sect to appease their wrath. He already wanted to do that four years ago. He's unwilling to bear the bad name of someone who kills his own disciples, so he... he exposed my whereabouts. It has to be him..."

"You know as well as I do that it was a one-time deal," Daoist Xuan Lu replied coldly. "We gave you what you wanted, and you did what we required of you. That's all there is to it. Now, repairing your foundation would require far more resources than what we gave you before. What do you have left to give us in exchange for treating you?"

"If not for you..." Du Wuhen became enraged and coughed up more blood. "If not for you, why would I have crossed Celestial King Sect..."

...

After the Assembly of Immortal Sects six years ago, Wei Tiandi's cultivation level advanced rapidly. He beat Du Wuhen by a step and advanced to the sixth realm first.

Meanwhile, Du Wuhen's performance during the assembly had been heavily criticized, causing his standing within the sect to plummet.

As the strongest among his generation of Thunderbolt Stronghold disciples, Du Wuhen had initially been set to inherit the position of the Thunderbolt Stronghold's lord without question. Now, that position might very well slip from his grasp.

There were even rumors that Huang Hanshan intended to arrange a marriage between Huang Ling'er and Wei Tiandi. If that happened, Wei Tiandi would undoubtedly be the one to take over Thunderbolt Stronghold.

Du Wuhen couldn't help but grow anxious. It was at this time that people from the Penglai Supreme Sect approached him.

Seeking to expand their influence across the nine provinces, the Penglai Supreme Sect set their sights on the Thunderbolt Stronghold in the Southern Regions. However, while the Thunderbolt Stronghold maintained friendly ties with the Penglai Supreme Sect, they were far from being the Penglai Supreme Sect's hawks and hounds at their beck and call. The Thunderbolt Stronghold would never risk offending the imperial court on their behalf.

Thus, the Penglai Supreme Sect sought to exploit the conflict between the Thunderbolt Stronghold and Celestial King Sect. They planned to escalate the conflict until the Thunderbolt Stronghold had no choice but to fully align with them.

At the time, Daoist Xuan Lu told Du Wuhen that their goal was to suppress the Celestial King Sect through this scheme. The Penglai Supreme Sect promised to cover up the murder, framing it as an accidental killing to ensure Du Wuhen's safety. In exchange, they provided him with resources and treasures to aid his cultivation, allowing him to advance to the peak of the sixth realm in a short time.

Du Wuhen went through with the plan, but the consequences were far graver than he had anticipated. The Thunderbolt Stronghold was forced to become fully subservient to Penglai, reliant on their favor to survive.

...

Now, Du Wuhen was finally reaping the bitter fruits of his actions.

Daoist Xuan Lu shook his head. "Young Hero Du, we aren't the cause of your descent into such a plight. As you just said, it was likely your teacher who betrayed you."

"Save me..." Du Wuhen pleaded submissively, abandoning his pride. "I can join the Penglai Supreme Sect. I will serve you faithfully, like a dog or horse..."

Daoist Xuan Lu let out a soft laugh, "

Haha.

Have you forgotten? We were already the top immortal sect before you came along."

Du Wuhen was at a loss for words. "I..."

Seeing Du Wuhen's pitiful state, Daoist Xuan Lu bent down and placed his hand on Du Wuhen's chest. "I can help you once. I'll send you to a place where you'll have only two paths ahead of you.

"You will either be reborn from the ashes or perish without even a grave.

"Would you like to go?"

...

"Let me! Let me!"

"I... I... I..."

"Make way! Make way!"

Chu Liang rode the Fierce Draconic Colt and returned to Mount Shu. As he hovered overhead, he almost didn't recognize it.

Red Cotton Peak had been moved even further away, creating a considerable distance between it and the other peaks of Mount Shu. It was something that just had to be done. Red Cotton Peak had gotten too popular and busy with activities and events that it inevitably affected the surrounding mountains.

Red Cotton Peak was now covered with towering pavilions stacked dozens of stories high, piercing the clouds. Spirit birds and exotic beasts danced in the breeze, airships weaved to and fro through the sky, and beams of swordlight rose and fell like raindrops.

The plans of a future that Chu Liang had envisioned for Red Cotton Peak had been realized almost perfectly.

As Chu Liang and the Fierce Draconic Colt approached Red Cotton Peak, they encountered cultivators descending toward the peak from all directions, either riding on swords or beasts. There were so many of them that he got swept along with them to a public square.

Chu Liang hadn't decided where he would go first anyway, so he simply went with them to see what was happening.

Upon landing, he realized the Four Extremities Hall, Red Cotton Peak's logistics department, was holding a recruitment event. The crowd of cultivators had traveled there from all over the mortal world to apply for a job.

Initially, Red Cotton Peak's logistics department consisted of Mount Shu Sect disciples managing higher-level operations[1] and the Four Seas Whale Gang managing lower-level operations[2], covering their bases across four seas and the nine provinces.

However, Red Cotton Peak's business operations continued to expand, and they didn't have enough manpower within the Mount Shu Sect to meet the growing needs of their business. That led to the formation of the Four Extremities Hall and the recruitment of capable and reliable cultivators from outside the sect to work as their logistics and transport staff.

Given the great salary that Red Cotton Peak offered, the response was unsurprisingly overwhelming.

That was how Chu Liang came to witness the bustling scene before him.

At the end of the square stood a pill shop with a sign saying "Red Cotton Peak's First Store." There was a raised platform set up in front of it.

Just as the crowd filled practically the entire square, a delicate and pretty female cultivator stepped onto the platform and said loudly, "Fellow Daoists, please quiet down! Let us welcome Red Cotton Peak's Hall Master Lin!"

A deafening wave of cheers erupted from the crowd. "Wooohooo!"

Amid the crowd's anticipation, a young man dressed in beautifully embroidered swordsman robes[3] stepped onto the platform. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a face full of yang qi. Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, he really did carry the imposing air of someone who held a high-ranking position.

Who else could that be but Lin Bei?

Lin Bei cleared his throat and raised a hand to silence the crowd. "Everyone, quiet down."

Not bad. Pretty imposing,

Chu Liang remarked inwardly.

He watched Lin Bei with a pleased smile.

He's already got them feeling envious and in awe. Next up, he'll probably paint a picture to make them believe they could be like him.

"I know why you're all here—to make money, right?" Lin Bei said slowly. "Let me make something clear. Joining the Four Extremities Hall is not the end point of your career. My current position here is not the end point of my career either..."

Mm.

Chu Liang nodded.

The opening was very smooth; it seems he's had a lot of practice in painting this vision. Next, he should recall his humble past so that the crowd can relate to him.

Lin Bei continued, "Six years ago, I was still a nobody. At the last Immortal Sects Assembly, I was eighteen, and I just stood around as a mere underling. I swore through my tears that one day, you would all see me rising..."

Nice. It even rhymes.

Chu Liang nodded again.

In the next step, he should be revealing the main objective.

"Everything I've achieved today is thanks to one person. He founded Red Cotton Peak and led us down this path... That person is my best bro forever—Chu Liang!" Lin Bei exclaimed.

With a wave of his hand, a black-and-white picture scroll unfurled behind him, revealing a portrait of Chu Liang.

Right then, clusters of white and yellow flowers appeared around the square.

Lin Bei said loudly, "I'm sure many of you have heard how that brother of mine became the champion of the last Assembly of Immortal Sects and that he went missing soon after. As potential members of the Four Extremities Hall, your first task is to report back to us immediately if you see him—no matter the time or place!

"Regardless of whether you end up joining the Four Extremities Hall, if you can provide clues as to his whereabouts, you will be rewarded with 10,000 sword coins! And if you can find him and bring him here, the reward will be 100,000 sword coins! You'll also be made a hall master!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the eyes of everyone in the crowd turned red with excitement.

The several people standing beside Chu Liang all turned their gazes toward him. They looked at the portrait and then back at him. Then they looked at the portrait once more.

They thought he looked the same as the person in the portrait, but they couldn't quite believe it to be true.

It couldn't possibly be that easy to find him, right?

Wasn't this like finding the answer to a riddle in the riddle itself?

They hesitated for a moment because the reward seemed too easy to claim.

Seeing that someone was about to raise their hand, Chu Liang panicked. He was touched that Lin Bei would go to such lengths to find him...

But I'm back now. If you don't stop this now, you'll just be squandering away the family fortune!

Chu Liang quickly yelled, "Nobody move!"

He quickly leaped into the air. "I'm right here! Don't—"

"It's him!" someone shouted, interrupting Chu Liang.

The crowd of cultivators immediately shot into the air, surrounding and piling onto Chu Liang.

The scene instantly descended into chaos with Chu Liang at the center of it all.

"I—

"Be a little more civilized—

pui!

"Whose foot is on my face?!"

1. I assume this is referring to strategic and tactical operations. ☜

2. I assume this is referring to operational, making sure the strategies produced at the higher level are actionable. ☜

3. Light and flexible clothes for combat. ☜