Chapter 454 - 248: Striking Out
Chapter 454: Chapter 248: Striking Out
Xu Yang opened his courtyard gate and saw a tall, imposing man standing at the entrance. A purple sun was embroidered on his chest.
There were hundreds of Inner Sect Disciples across the Four Peaks of the Purple Sun Sect, and Xu Yang hadn’t met all of them.
So he didn’t recognize the man.
But just as he was feeling confused, the man spoke first. "Are you Junior Brother Xu Yang? My name is He Song, a disciple from Tianquan Peak."
’He Song?’
Xu Yang cupped his fists. "May I ask what business Senior Brother He has with me?"
He Song beamed. "Guidance is too strong a word. I’ve come because the Inner Sect’s Task Hall has an assignment for Junior Brother Xu. I’m here to notify you to go carry out your mission."
Xu Yang’s eyes narrowed. ’Elder Huoyun just left, and sure enough, someone couldn’t sit still. It’s almost certainly that old dog, Liu Qingyuan.’
’Given my status, only someone of Liu Qingyuan’s rank could arbitrarily assign me a mission to make me leave the Purple Sun Sect.’
"Please inform the Task Hall for me, Senior Brother He. My cultivation has reached a critical juncture and can’t be delayed. Please ask them to find someone else for the mission."
Xu Yang refused outright, not even bothering to ask about the mission’s details.
The smile on He Song’s face froze. He reminded him, "Junior Brother Xu, this is a mission assigned by the Task Hall. It isn’t right for you to refuse it like this. You’re an Inner Disciple; how can you turn down a mission from the Sect?"
"I’m not refusing. My cultivation has simply reached a critical point, and I can’t break away."
Xu Yang corrected him. "The Purple Sun Sect is full of talented individuals. Please, Senior Brother, do me the favor of relaying my message and have them ask another disciple to carry it out."
"Fine!" He Song forced a smile. "I’ll pass on the message, but whatever the Task Hall decides to do then is beyond my control."
He was just an ordinary disciple. Even though he was Elder Liu Qingyuan’s first Inner Disciple, he had no authority over the other disciples of the Purple Sun Sect.
He was only here to notify Xu Yang of the mission; he had no power to force him to undertake it.
’I’ll have to let Master handle this,’ He Song thought.
His master, Liu Qingyuan, had wanted to stay behind the scenes, arranging for Xu Yang to leave the Sect so the Song Family could kill him. Unfortunately, Xu Yang was too vigilant and used his cultivation reaching a critical point as an excuse to avoid leaving the Purple Sun Sect.
With narrowed eyes, Xu Yang watched He Song leave, then immediately went to find Gao Lin.
Gao Lin had been a steward on Li Fire Peak for many years. Although he was now crippled, he was still Elder Huoyun’s first disciple, and his words carried weight. Furthermore, Gao Lin was one of the few people who knew about the grudge between Xu Yang, Liu Qingyuan, and the Song Family—and he was also aware of Xu Yang’s true talent.
’It might sound arrogant, but as long as Gao Lin wasn’t a fool, he would know who the most rational choice was between him, Liu Qingyuan, and the Song Family.’
"He Song is Liu Qingyuan’s disciple. Now that Master has left, Liu Qingyuan can’t sit still."
Gao Lin sneered. "You did well to refuse. Don’t be afraid of them trying to cause more trouble. It’s not up to an Elder from Tianquan Peak to decide what the disciples of my Li Fire Peak do. If they come again, go straight to the Peak Master. What our Peak Master hates most is outsiders meddling in the affairs of Li Fire Peak.
Even the Sect Leader needs the Peak Master’s approval to do anything on Li Fire Peak. A mere Liu Qingyuan doesn’t have the right to throw his weight around here."
Gao Lin’s words put Xu Yang much more at ease.
He was actually worried that Liu Qingyuan or Song Yushao would come to kill him personally. If Elder Huoyun had been around, he would have used this opportunity to trap and kill some of Liu Qingyuan’s or the Song Family’s people.
’You all have too much time on your hands.’ Xu Yang returned to his courtyard and began to gather his things.
His Night Clothes and the Jade Water Saber!
He had originally planned on waiting until he broke through to the Celestial Essence Realm before slowly settling his scores with the Song Family and Liu Qingyuan. But now, it seemed that was just waiting to be slaughtered. He had to give these people something to do, lest they spend all day with nothing better to do than plot his murder.
’You probably don’t understand the saying: the barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes.’ A murderous light erupted in Xu Yang’s eyes.
’It’s not me who should be afraid of you. It’s you who should be afraid of me!’
The Song Family!
One of the ten great families of Cyan Yang City, their businesses were everywhere, and their clan was numerous.
As for Liu Qingyuan’s Liu Family, although they had a shallower foundation, they still had over a dozen members and numerous shops.
Back in the Yunling Mountain Range, he had discussed the two families with Gao Lin and learned a great deal of useful information.
...
The night was black as ink!
Liu’s Pharmacy!
Liu Xunfeng was going over the day’s ledger, the beads of his abacus CLACKING as he tallied the accounts.
His Liu Family had been rural farmers, with generations of ancestors who did nothing but toil in the fields. Fortunately, the heavens had blessed them. Decades ago, his Liu Family produced a Martial Dao genius who successfully passed the Dragon Ascension trials and joined the Purple Sun Sect. He eventually broke through to the Celestial Essence Realm, becoming one of the four great Elders of the Purple Sun Sect’s Tianquan Peak.
That person was his father, Liu Qingyuan.
Although Liu Xunfeng himself was born with little talent, having a father who was a Purple Sun Sect Elder meant any business he started in Cyan Yang City was bound to flourish. Families great and small all competed to curry favor with him.
Liu’s Pharmacy was one such business his father had helped him set up.
He didn’t know the first thing about alchemy, but it didn’t matter. He had a quota for elixirs from the Purple Sun Sect; all he had to do was restock on time every month.
He didn’t even have to restock them himself. When the time came, his father, Liu Qingyuan, would simply arrange for a disciple to deliver the elixirs. Over the last ten-odd years, Liu’s Pharmacy had gradually built its reputation and was now raking in a fortune daily.
"Three hundred thirty taels!"
Finishing the last entry, Liu Xunfeng let a smile creep onto his face. Today’s net profit was three hundred and thirty taels, a bit more than yesterday.
’Three hundred thirty a day... that’s nearly ten thousand taels a month, and a hundred and twenty thousand a year.’
Liu Xunfeng closed the ledger with satisfaction. He was about to stand, blow out the candle, and go find the new concubine he’d married just a few days ago to spend a passionate night expanding the Liu Family line, when a terrifying sensation suddenly assaulted his senses.