Chapter 27: Pay Your Debt With Your Life

Guigu, Hall of the Divine Healer.

“Master, Master, something terrible has happened!”

A disciple of the Hall of the Divine Healer tumbled and scrambled into the hall.

At the center of the grand chamber, a young man with a face as gentle as warm jade sat high in the chief seat. On either side, elders with snow-white hair and beards were seated.

“What happened? Why are you in such a panic? Where is your decorum?”

It was the young man speaking, his gaze tinged with anger and a gloom shadowing his brows, exuding an air of authority.

“Master Ning, Young Lord, the Young Lord has returned! He found out we were withholding elixirs from the Hall of the God of War. Now, he’s leading ten thousand disciples of the Hall of the God of War, marching straight toward us!”

The words sent the entire hall into an uproar.

“We’re finished, just as I expected—this matter was bound to blow up sooner or later!”

“Indeed, who is Ling Xiao? The greatest genius Guigu has seen in thousands of years! Even the founder might not match his monstrous talent. Now that we’ve provoked him, our Hall of the Divine Healer is doomed to pay dearly!”

“I always said we shouldn’t skim off the Hall of the God of War’s elixirs, but you wouldn’t listen. Now, we’re reaping the whirlwind!”

...

Watching the elders lament like a group of distressed women, Ning Xuanyuan—already furious—slammed the table and roared,

“Silence! Fools, what are you shrieking about? It’s only Ling Xiao! We’re all disciples of Guigu—does he think he can overturn the heavens? Look at your cowardly faces, you’ve utterly disgraced the Hall of the Divine Healer!”

“Can you blame us? Ling Xiao is bloodthirsty—everyone in Guigu knows it. Offend him, and at best you’ll be seriously injured; at worst, dead. We’re all alchemists here—who could possibly stand against him?”

“Hmph!”

Ning Xuanyuan shot to his feet, hands clasped behind his back, radiating a pressure that made it hard for everyone to breathe.

“If Ling Xiao comes, I will be the one to face him! Back then, if he hadn’t gotten lucky and bested me by a move or two, the Hall of the God of War wouldn’t be his to command, nor would he be Young Lord of Guigu! For the past three years, I have continually consumed elixirs, my power has soared, and now I’ve reached the sixth level of Martial Sage! Even if Ling Xiao arrives, so what? If he dares act wildly, I’ll make sure he never leaves!”

“—!”

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

“Heavens, Master Ning has reached the sixth level of Martial Sage! That’s terrifying!”

“The fifth level is enough for the Dragon Corps to appoint you as a major general. If that’s so, does it mean the Hall of the Divine Healer will produce a major general?”

“If that’s true, we really have nothing to fear from Ling Xiao!”

No sooner had the words fallen than the heavy sandalwood doors of the Hall of the Divine Healer were blown apart by an overwhelming divine power.

Bang—

The doors splintered into wood chips, scattering everywhere, some shards flying into the hall and stinging faces.

Then came a thunderous, earth-shattering shout.

“Ning Xuanyuan, get out here!”

Ning Xuanyuan sneered.

“Ling Xiao, do you really think I fear you? Disciples of the Hall of the Divine Healer, follow me!”

He strode forward, his followers at his side. The doors were ruined, the walls half-collapsed. Peering outside, many felt their legs turn to jelly on the spot.

Ten thousand disciples of the Hall of the God of War stood in awe-inspiring formation, Ling Xiao at their head, proudly upright, a murderous aura filling the air, making everyone tremble and draining any confidence they’d just built.

Ning Xuanyuan narrowed his eyes, jealousy and envy burning within.

Men dare not dream, and none can compare to the Young Lord. With such elegance and wild spirit, who would not yearn to be him?

Yet Ning Xuanyuan, for all his envy, still retained a sliver of reason.

Hands behind his back, he glanced at Ling Xiao and said calmly,

“Ling Xiao, you’ve only been gone a few days, but your temper seems to have grown!”

Ling Xiao stood silently for three seconds, then suddenly struck out—a slap, swift and unexpected. No one saw it coming, not even Ning Xuanyuan.

The force of the slap crashed through the air and landed on Ning Xuanyuan’s face.

Smack!

The loud slap echoed, and the hall fell silent for a long moment.

Ning Xuanyuan clenched his fists, bones creaking, teeth grinding as he said,

“Ling Xiao! You’ve gone too far!”

“I intend to bully you—what will you do about it?”

“I am the Young Lord of Guigu; you are merely a hall master. If you fail to kneel before me, a slap is lenient!”

Ling Xiao reversed his hand and struck again, swelling Ning Xuanyuan’s other cheek.

These two slaps sent the disciples of the Hall of the God of War into a frenzy—after days of humiliation, their grievances were finally avenged.

Ling Xiao’s domineering presence shone like starlight, causing the eyes of his followers to blaze with adoration and fervor.

“Ling Xiao! Ling Xiao! I’ll kill you!”

Ning Xuanyuan roared, stamping his foot, unleashing powerful energy that split the ground, a wave of force rushing straight for Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao snorted coldly, stomping with greater force, crushing Ning Xuanyuan’s power and widening the fissure, forcing it back toward Ning Xuanyuan’s face.

“What?”

Bang!

Ning Xuanyuan was knocked backward by the immense force, his chest heaving.

In a single move, Ning Xuanyuan, at the sixth level of Martial Sage, was defeated!

His face was a mask of stunned disbelief.

“Ling Xiao, your strength has increased again? How is that possible? Two months ago, you’d just reached the fifth level of Martial Sage!”

Ling Xiao ignored him, striding into the Hall of the Divine Healer, shoving past Ning Xuanyuan, and seating himself in the chief seat.

Outside, ten thousand disciples of the Hall of the God of War surrounded the hall.

“Anyone who fails to kneel before the Young Lord will be deemed a traitor and executed without mercy!”

The thunderous cries of slaughter sent the disciples of the Hall of the Divine Healer trembling—they dared not remain standing, and all knelt in terror.

Within moments, only Ning Xuanyuan remained upright in the hall.

Ling Xiao sat in Ning Xuanyuan’s chair, resting his face on one hand, tapping the armrest with the other, his gaze icy.

Ning Xuanyuan gritted his teeth.

“I am the hall master. According to Guigu rules, since you have not yet become the valley master, I am not required to kneel before you!”

Ling Xiao said coldly,

“I’m not here to argue with you. How many elixirs have you taken from me? Give me a number.”

Ning Xuanyuan’s jaw locked, but he said nothing.

Ling Xiao’s eyes flickered. Two disciples of the Hall of the God of War leaped into the courtyard, swinging their blades.

With two screams, two disciples of the Hall of the Divine Healer dropped dead, blood spilling across the floor, the rest recoiling in terror.

“Ning Xuanyuan, I’ll ask you again: how many elixirs have you taken from the Hall of the God of War?”

A bead of cold sweat broke out on Ning Xuanyuan’s brow. Ling Xiao’s gaze was razor-sharp, suffused with an overwhelming aura that made even breathing difficult.