Chapter 128: Knowing the Face, But Not the Heart

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Ye Yiming frowned as he surveyed the area. “A group of Nether-Creatures must have appeared here recently and were dealt with by someone else. It should be safe for now.”

With that, he added, as if to himself, “I’ve been to the Aqueous Manor more than ten times. Aside from disciples fighting amongst themselves over Spirit Liquid, there has never been any other danger. It seems something is truly wrong this year.”

Qin Haoxuan remained silent. His immortal seedling felt somewhat withered from the lack of spiritual energy. Seeing several rockeries nearby that were three or four zhang high and could provide temporary cover, he said to Ye Yiming, “Senior Brother Ye, let’s go over there first and meditate to recover some of our spiritual power.”

As they were discussing this, they suddenly heard the sound of light footsteps.

The two of them quickly hid among the rockeries. Although the footsteps sounded like they belonged to a Taichu Sect disciple, they did not fully trust their own sect members. After all, the Aqueous Manor was a place without rules. If you died here, no one would know how it happened. Thus, a minority of disciples who were normally restrained by the sect’s rules would engage in murder and robbery here. Such incidents were common in previous years, and this year would surely be no different.

The footsteps belonged to a male disciple wearing a brown sect robe. Hiding and observing him, even Qin Haoxuan couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

The senior brother had sharp eyebrows and star-like eyes, with a handsome and dashing appearance. A faint smile always played on his lips. His tall, graceful figure moved with the gait of a dragon and the stride of a tiger, exuding an air of casual confidence, as if the dangers of the Aqueous Manor meant nothing to him.

The brown sect robe he wore was a clear indication of his strength at the Twentieth-Leaf of the Spirit Sprout Realm, the maximum allowed for entry.

Seeing this person, Ye Yiming thought to himself, It’s him?

The man’s name was Wu Yi. Just as his name suggested—meaning “martial righteousness”—he had an excellent reputation among the low- and mid-level disciples of the Taichu Sect. He was also a full seed. In the ten years since he had joined the sect, he had helped and mentored no fewer than a hundred junior disciples, earning him the moniker “Loyal and Righteous.” Because of his handsome looks, good aptitude, warm-hearted nature, and excellent character, Wu Yi was well-known and well-liked.

If not for the existence of the special seeds, with his reputation and character, Wu Yi would have been a strong contender for the position of Sect Master in a few decades. At the very least, he would have been qualified to compete for a position as a Hall Master.

He stood in the courtyard for a moment, listening intently and sending out his spiritual energy to probe the area. He quickly discovered Qin Haoxuan and Ye Yiming’s hiding place. He walked over with confident strides and stood outside the rockeries, bowing with his hands clasped. “To the two junior brothers in the rocks, my name is Wu Yi. I will not attack you. I have a matter for which I need your help, and I hope you will show yourselves.”

Qin Haoxuan was taken aback and cast a questioning look at Ye Yiming. Ye Yiming pondered for a moment before saying, “This person has a good reputation and often helps junior disciples. He shouldn’t be a bad person. If he wanted to attack us, he would have just charged in instead of calling out.”

“Mm, then let’s go out and see how we can help him,” Qin Haoxuan said. After making their decision, they emerged.

Before stepping out, Ye Yiming subtly straightened his clothes and rubbed his face, putting on an energetic and vigorous appearance.

Qin Haoxuan quickly understood and followed his lead, making himself look more spirited and feigning an expression of being at his peak. This was to prevent others from looking down on them and to make any potential assailant think twice before attacking.

After composing themselves, they walked down from the rockery and stood before Wu Yi, looking full of vigor.

Qin Haoxuan had also heard of Wu Yi’s reputation for being righteous and warm-hearted. Now, seeing him up close, his favorable impression deepened.

A faint smile was always on his face, and his eyes shone brightly. His high-bridged nose and slightly upturned lips, which formed a kind smile, all combined perfectly to give him a unique and approachable air. What surprised Qin Haoxuan even more was the humble and courteous aura he exuded.

To think that such a person existed in the four great halls of the Taichu Sect.

“Ye Yiming of the Nature Hall. May I ask how we can be of assistance, Senior Brother Wu?” He introduced himself first.

Wu Yi smiled warmly. “I have long heard of Senior Brother Ye’s great name. It is a shame you are always so busy with your cultivation that we have never had the chance to meet. I feel quite ashamed to be asking for your help on our very first meeting.”

These polite words surprised Qin Haoxuan. Usually, whenever he stated he was from the Nature Hall, disciples from the other four halls would show looks of disdain. Someone like Wu Yi, who didn’t even bat an eye and offered a string of pleasantries, was a rare breed indeed. It seemed he was truly a good person.

“The situation is this,” Wu Yi began to explain. “In a courtyard over there, I discovered a place with a great deal of Spirit Liquid. From the books I’ve read, I am certain it has never been discovered before. However, the liquid is protected by a ward, and I cannot retrieve it.” He continued, “After studying it carefully, I found that the ward was set by a high-level cultivator. It’s very strange; if it is not broken in a single blow, any attack will cause it to teleport the entire area away. This manor is too vast; it would be impossible to find it again.”

“A ward set by a high-level cultivator? Then why didn’t he take the liquid himself?” Ye Yiming muttered to himself, frowning slightly. He then asked Wu Yi, “If even an expert of your caliber cannot break the ward, Senior Brother Wu, I’m not sure how the two of us can help.”

Wu Yi said, “My master once taught me a formation called the Force-Gathering Array. It requires exactly twenty-four people to activate. It can rapidly restore everyone’s spiritual energy to its peak and then combine all of our power into a single, overwhelming strike. I have already found some other disciples to help, but we are still short two people. With you, Senior Brother Ye, and this junior brother, we will have just enough to activate the array.”

Ye Yiming thought for a moment, then said to Qin Haoxuan, “Senior Brother Wu has a reputation for being chivalrous and often helps junior disciples. Now that he needs our help, we should assist him.”

Qin Haoxuan replied, “If Senior Brother Ye thinks it’s alright, then it’s alright.” At the same time, he looked at Wu Yi with some surprise. In this place of mutual suspicion and scheming, that he could rally so many people to his cause showed that he must have done many good deeds in the past.

Hearing that they were willing to help, Wu Yi was overjoyed. “I am deeply grateful for your assistance. Please rest assured, after we obtain the Spirit Liquid, I will not take it all for myself. I will certainly share it with everyone.”

Ye Yiming smiled. “In that case, please lead the way, Senior Brother Wu.”

Wu Yi led them through a series of winding paths to the courtyard with the Spirit Liquid. The place was extremely secluded. If not for Wu Yi, they would never have found it.

In the center of the courtyard was a strangely shaped rock. A faint red light shimmered on its surface, and inside, a milky-white mass of Spirit Liquid, about half a bowl’s worth, could be seen.

Seeing so much Spirit Liquid, Ye Yiming was ecstatic. It was exceedingly rare; usually one only found a drop or two at a time. This much would be enough to refine a Lifespan Pill that could surely extend Master Xuanji’s life. But alas, he had not discovered it, and the ward was clearly powerful.

When they arrived, they found that, just as Wu Yi had said, more than twenty people were already gathered there. They greeted the newcomers with joyful smiles.

“Senior Brother Wu is so righteous; a single call from him brings a hundred responses! It’s truly admirable that he could gather so many people here.”

“Indeed! If I had to choose the most trustworthy person in the entire manor, it would be Senior Brother Wu!”

“That’s right! When he asked for my help, I came immediately. If it were anyone else, I’d be worried they were trying to trick me.”

…

Wu Yi smiled faintly and bowed to the crowd. “Thank you all for your trust. Time is short, let us begin.”

He had the twenty-four of them form a circle, holding hands, around the warded rock. He then took out a number of spirit stones and yellow talismans inscribed with strange characters, arranging them according to the formation’s requirements. He then stood at the eye of the array and began to activate it.

Strange characters floated up from the ground, and the dozen or so spirit stones began to glow with a green light, linking everyone together. A phantom image of the Force-Gathering Array formed above the ward.

Like a giant spirit-gathering formation, the array began to rapidly draw in the surrounding spiritual energy, replenishing everyone’s reserves.

As the pure, gentle energy flowed into their bodies, Qin Haoxuan and Ye Yiming felt their spirits lift. The speed was not as fast as consuming Qi-Circulating Powder, but it was much faster than meditating on their own. Their nearly empty dantians began to fill, and their withered seedlings gradually revived.

The other cultivators also felt their depleted energy stores being replenished, and comfortable smiles appeared on their faces.

Senior Brother Wu is truly generous, they all thought.

However, this wonderful feeling did not last long. While Qin Haoxuan and Ye Yiming’s reserves were still not full, some of the other disciples who had not expended much energy could no longer take it. Their dantians and meridians were overflowing. Veins bulged on their skin.

“Senior Brother Wu, why haven’t you activated the attack yet? Any longer and my dantian is going to explode!” one disciple cried out in agony. He tried to pull his hands back but found they were fused to the disciples on either side of him.

Just then, they saw the kind, gentle smile on Wu Yi’s face slowly twist into a sinister, cruel grin. His expression became savage, a complete departure from his usual approachable image. Even the warm aura around him turned chillingly cold.

“Ah! An array within an array!” a Seventeenth-Leaf cultivator screamed. Beneath the Force-Gathering Array, he saw another layer of light shimmering, combining with the first to form a completely different formation.