Supreme Sword Exalt

Gu Han fell silent. Cultivation resources and the Ghost Physician’s pill were of utmost necessity to him. One could say that the man’s gaze was sharp. Every condition he offered precisely hit Gu Han’s weak spots.

After a long while, Gu Han asked, “Senior, if I refuse, you won’t exchange that pill, will you?”

The man smiled and countered with a question. “What do you think?”

Gu Han took a deep breath. “I refuse!“

The man’s smile froze as he was somewhat confused. “Why? If you’re worried about Zuo Yang, then just return that great demon’s flesh to him. If he causes trouble for you, I’ll handle him myself. His backing is extremely proud, she definitely won’t trouble a minor cultivator like you. Besides, even if she comes looking, someone will stand up for you.”

He continued raising the stakes. “Or is it because of the Yang and Meng families? Just say a word and they will cease to exist!”

Gu Han smiled bitterly. “Senior, please, no more. If you continue, I’ll really be swayed.”

The man’s brow furrowed even more deeply. “Why?”

He could see that Gu Han was very tempted, yet there was still no sign of him relenting.

Gu Han shook his head. “I don’t know. If Senior Brother hadn’t come today, I would definitely have agreed with you, but now...”

Actually, his reason for refusal was simple, so much that it could be boiled down to one word: home.

Gu Han dismissed the thought, seemingly disappointed. “Senior, since you are unwilling to exchange, then I will take my leave now.”

He turned to leave the room.

The man stopped him. “Wait! Did I say I wouldn’t exchange?”

Huh?

Gu Han was stunned, then overjoyed. “You would?”

Having been rejected by Gu Han, the man seemed annoyed and somewhat impatient. “Nonsense! It’s a guaranteed profitable deal, why wouldn’t I do it? Enough talk, hand over the goods before I change my mind.”

Gu Han was ecstatic. “Alright! Alright”

He even felt that the piece of great demon flesh wasn’t so smelly anymore. Happily, he took it out and exchanged it for the jade box. Carefully opening it, he saw a golden pill lay quietly inside.

Inwardly, Gu Han let out a long sigh of relief. Done! Ah Sha is saved!

He bowed deeply. “Senior, thank you so much!”

Gu Han understood that although he wagered something extremely precious, he was the one who proposed the exchange first. If the man deliberately made things difficult or sought revenge, Gu Han naturally had no recourse.

However, the man did not do so, showing how honorable and upright he was. Just this point alone had earned Gu Han’s respect.

The man’s attitude was completely opposite to before. “Alright. The exchange is done. Is there anything else?”

“No more.”

“No farewells!”

Gu Han, having been rebuffed a few times, wasn’t angry. He bowed once more, then turned and left the room.

The man was still seething with annoyance. “Hmph! What an ungrateful brat!”

Just then, a playful voice came from outside. “The dao of ruthlessness, evolving sentient beings of affection. Although most people in this world are unscrupulous, cold-blooded, and ruthless individuals, there are still a few who are deeply devoted and true to their nature, not swayed by ordinary temptations. Wei Fang, you miscalculated this time!”

Wei Fang’s expression darkened. “Jiang Xuan, can’t you change that nasty habit of yours!”

A middle-aged, chubby man entered. “I can’t! All these years, I’ve only developed a habit of being talkative. If I really changed it, that wouldn’t be me anymore!”

The man glanced at him. “To cling to life, you don’t even spare your own descendants. You are truly an unmitigated, cold-blooded, ruthless person, selfish to the extreme!”

Jiang Xuan wasn’t angry either and sat down. “Say what you will. Without me, where would he be? Everything he has was given by me. If I want it back, he has to return it.”

Wei Fang looked disgusted. “Speak. What do you want from me?”

Jiang Xuan became serious. “In the past, you owed me a favor, right?”

“Correct.”

“I want you to repay it.”

“Go on.”

Jiang Xuan’s gaze grew distant. “One month from now, I want to enter that place. Cover for me.”

Wei Fang’s face changed color. “Have you gone mad?! You know how important things inside are. If this is exposed, even I will suffer along with you!”

Jiang Xuan spread his hands. “You don’t have a choice. That little guy’s bloodline can only let me live a few more years. If I don’t think of a way soon, I’ll really die.”

Wei Fang was full of contempt. “Die? Isn’t there still a descendant of yours in Yuqing Sect? I heard he also awakened a special bloodline.”

Emotion flickered across Jiang Xuan’s face. “Him? That little guy is not bad. Unless absolutely necessary, I really can’t bear to act against him. Of course, even with him, it’s ultimately only a temporary fix, not a cure. There’s only one path left to completely solve my problem. Help me for the sake of our past acquaintance!”

Wei Fang was silent for a moment before saying, “Fine! After this, we are even!”

Jiang Xuan was overjoyed. “Hahahaha! Good! You’re still the Wei Fang I know! Then it’s settled. I’ll go prepare some more things. I strive to ensure there are no mishaps!”

Wei Fang said expressionlessly, “If you fail, the entire Northern Domain of the Eastern Wasteland will suffer along with you.”

Jiang Xuan waved his hand. “Rest assured that I know my limits.”

As he was about to leave, he seemed to suddenly remember something, as a sly look appeared on his face. “By the way, I recall that back then, you also tried to recruit Luo Wushuang like this, didn’t you? Tsk tsk, what a pity you were beaten half to death.”

“Get lost!”

“Farewell, farewell!”

***

Gu Han knew nothing of what happened in the room. Having obtained the pill, his heart was filled with joy. On the way back, he traveled at full speed, taking even less time than on the way there.

From afar, he saw Ah Sha’s small figure at the foot of the mountain.

She kept waving her hand while holding a piece of dried meat. “Young Master!”

When he saw her blissful expression as she munched on the meat, Gu Han felt his choice was absolutely right. In a few leaps, he had already arrived beside her. “Ah Sha, is it tasty?”

Ah Sha nodded. “Very”

Gu Han smiled, taking out the jade box. “Come. Take this pill first.”

Ah Sha was astonished. “Young Master, you really got it in exchange?”

A strange fragrance wafted out as he opened the box. “Mhm. Thanks to Senior Brother.”

Ah Sha picked up the pill but didn’t take it immediately. Instead, she looked at Gu Han with a serious expression. “Earlier, Senior Brother and the others told me to think of this place as home.”

Gu Han patted her head. “Is that so? What do you think?”

Ah Sha wrinkled her delicate brows. “Senior Brother’s roasted meat is very delicious, and Senior Sister is also very gentle. I like it here.” ℯℯ𝑙.

Gu Han laughed. “That’s great! Then from now on, we’ll make this place our home!”

Although Ah Sha still didn’t fully understand what home was, she still felt very happy. “Mhm!”

***

Halfway up the mountain, inside the thatched hut, dozens of balls of thread in different colors floated around Yu Miao. As if weaving something, the jade needle shuttled back and forth, leaving behind afterimages.

She couldn’t help but smile upon hearing Gu Han and Ah Sha’s conversation. “That little girl still has a bit of a conscience.”

Her hands moved incessantly, casting one mysterious and profound barrier after another into the balls of thread.

After ensuring Ah Sha had taken the pill and fell asleep, Gu Han arrived in front of the thatched hut. “Senior Sister, you—”

Before he could finish, the jade needle brushed past the tip of his nose. That was fast! Too fast!

He was startled, but did not show it. At his level of cultivation, he could scarcely follow the jade needle’s trajectory, much less block it.

Yu Miao glanced at him. “You’re back? Did you see Senior Brother?”

“I did.” Gu Han recounted what happened outside Ruyi Tower.

Yu Miao frowned slightly. “Did the Yang family bully you?”

Gu Han thought for a moment. “To be precise, they wanted to bully me, but I ended up bullying them instead.”

Yu Miao nodded with satisfaction. “That’s good! You’re worthy of being my junior brother. Senior Sister didn’t misjudge you. If they were bullied, then they were bullied. Leave the aftermath to Senior Brother. He’s so lazy, it’s time to give him something to do.”

“Oh, right.” Gu Han seemed to remember something and he told her about the secret realm.

Yu Miao frowned slightly, stopping what she was doing. “You want to go to a secret realm? You have to be careful there.”

Gu Han was taken aback. “Careful? Is it very dangerous inside?”

Yu Miao shook her head. “I haven’t been there either. I just heard Senior Sister mention it back then. It’s not as simple as it appears on the surface. It seems something is hidden inside. Right, why do you want to go to a secret realm anyway?”

Gu Han was speechless. Isn’t it obvious? I need to cultivate and break through!Fengwu Court is destitute, without even a secret realm. If I don’t think of some ways, I’m afraid even in a few years I won’t reach the Spirit Profound realm!

Yu Miao also came to the same realization. “It was my oversight. Actually, Fengwu Court isn’t poor. We’re even richer than those families.”

Gu Han stared at the leaky, drafty thatched hut. He had an urge to ask Yu Miao if she was talking in her sleep.

Yu Miao said with a serious expression, “I’m serious! We have secret realms too. We have divine secret arts as well. As for essence crystals, pills, and such things, they are countless.”

Gu Han was taken aback. “We have all that? Where are they?”

“They’re with Senior Sister. When she returns, you’ll have everything.”

Gu Han felt a wave of helplessness. “Senior Sister, you keep busy. I’ll go check on Ah Sha.”

Yu Miao stopped him and casually tossed over a storage ring. “Wait, Senior Brother has accumulated quite a few beast cores from the demonic beasts he’s slain over the years. Take them and use them. If it’s not enough, we can think of another way when he returns.”

Beast cores? Gu Han’s spirits lifted, but with a glance, his brows furrowed again. The beast cores in the storage ring were at least Tier 5. Although their quality was extremely high, their quantity was pitifully small, only about a dozen or so.

He was somewhat puzzled. “Senior Sister, the demonic beasts Senior Brother killed, are there only this many?”

Yu Miao pointed to the threads around her. “Of course not. I’ve exchanged the rest for all these things over the years. Since you’ve come, it’s just right. I will make you a decent set of clothes, so others won’t look down on Fengwu Court.”

A warm feeling rose in Gu Han’s heart. He felt things like secret realms, pills, divine secret arts weren’t that important anymore.

***

At the imperial capital of Great Qi.

After the great battle a few days ago, the palace had now become a pile of ruins, and hadn’t yet been rebuilt. For the moment, there was no new king ascending the throne.

Within the ruins, Jiang Xuan walked unhurriedly, hands clasped behind his back. “Back in my day, I watched this palace being built. What a shame later generations were so incompetent they ruined it.”

As he spoke, he had already arrived at the location of the main palace hall. With a light sweep of his sleeve, he revealed greenstone ground beneath. Strangely, only one piece of greenstone remained smooth as jade, seemingly unaffected by any damage.

He stared at it, overcome with emotions. “The God-Slaying Formation, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.”