Chapter 230

Chapter 230: Thousand-Year Water Lotus

"When did I kill your entire family?" Mr. Suan Mei protested with immense grievance.

"You knew the Four Seas Alliance wanted me dead yet still calculated my location for them. Doesn’t that count as aiding my murder?" Fang Lie retorted.

"Fine, fine!" Mr. Suan Mei snapped irritably. "I admit assisting them makes me your killer’s accomplice. But that targeted only you! I never intended harm toward your family!"

"Killing me equates to slaughtering over forty members of my household!" Fang Lie declared gravely.

"Hm?" Mr. Suan Mei paused, then swiftly began finger-calculations.

Moments later, his face paled. "So it’s true. You’ve infuriated the Mo Sect’s Higher-ups—they loathe you yet can’t act directly. But your death would unleash their vengeance upon your kin. Thus, killing you indeed dooms your whole family. Who’d guess a bloodstained scoundrel like you also shelters dozens of orphans?"

"My morals aren’t yours to judge!" Fang Lie coldly snorted. "Attempt to destroy my family, and I’ll eradicate your entire lineage!"

"Bold claims!" Mr. Suan Mei scoffed. "My son trains with East Kunlun—he won’t return for decades! Dare you challenge East Kunlun?"

"I can’t reach East Kunlun yet," Fang Lie countered. "But must I? What of your daughter, disciples, brothers, nephews, nieces? Surely some remain vulnerable…"

"Foolishness!" Mr. Suan Mei spat. "My few kin stay hidden, shielded by my Yi Numerology! You’ll never find them!"

"Then I’ll wait." Fang Lie shrugged. "Incidentally—I’m seventeen."

Mr. Suan Mei froze, trembling as sweat drenched him.

"Seventeen? Already slaying Nascent Souls and battling Wind Tribulation foes?" His voice cracked. "Give you eight years and you’ll surpass me!"

"Overestimating yourself." Fang Lie smirked. "Five years maximum before I slay you. Hide well, old man."

Mr. Suan Mei shuddered. Ordinary Talents he’d eliminate preemptively—but this boy’s undying nature mocked death itself. No execution could halt his growth.

Desperately, the diviner recalculated, sweat pooling as grim certainty solidified. Finally, he groaned: "To cross you means annihilation—whole bloodlines erased. Ruthless! I yield! Spare me!"

"Wise choice." Fang Lie nodded. "First, apologize."

"My fault!" The once-arrogant man bowed hastily. "Forgive my greed-driven calculations!"

"Swear never to divine anything about me again."

"I swear!"

"Good. Now compensate me—one-fifth of Four Seas Alliance’s debt."

"How much?"

"One hundred small spirit pearls."

"What?! I earned two pearls total from them!"

"Irrelevant." Fang Lie stated lightly. "Main culprits pay full, accomplices one-fifth. Fair."

"I’ve barely three pearls to my name!"

"Heh, no problem. If you’re tight on funds, you can use the hairpin on your head to settle the debt. I’ll even refund you a hundred small spirit pearls. How’s that?" Fang Lie said with a grin.

"Not a chance! This is my livelihood!" Mr. Suan Mei snapped.

"Then there’s no choice. They say spending money wards off disaster. If you won’t spend, how can you avoid trouble? The world doesn’t hand out such favors," Fang Lie remarked coolly.

"Well…" Mr. Suan Mei hesitated, then proposed, "How about this? I’ll give you a matured Thousand-Year Water Lotus. Consuming it will boost your cultivation significantly. Deal?"

"Absolutely!" Fang Lie exclaimed. "I’ll never refuse treasures that enhance cultivation—especially a supreme-grade item like this!"

The Thousand-Year Water Lotus was a rare spiritual item that grew only on sea reefs, taking a millennium to mature. Its twelve lotus seeds contained pure Spiritual Energy, directly convertible into Magic.

Consuming all seeds could multiply Fang Lie’s Magic severalfold and expand his Qi Sea to over ten miles.

Though worth far less than a hundred small spirit pearls—barely ten—it was invaluable to Fang Lie. With a mere Hundred Years Lifespan, expanding his Qi Sea by 120,000 miles required hoarding such treasures, even at a loss.

Relieved, Mr. Suan Mei said, "It’s not here—you’ll need to retrieve it yourself."

"Hm?" Fang Lie narrowed his eyes. "You’re not lying, are you?"

"I wouldn’t dare!" Mr. Suan Mei forced a smile. "I found it a century ago when it was nine hundred years old. By now, it’s ripe. Meant to sell it, but I’ll sacrifice it to avoid calamity."

Fang Lei sensed truth in his words. While precious to him, the lotus meant little to a Wind Tribulation Immortal—its boost too meager to matter. It best served low-level Cultivators, barely affecting even Purple Palace realms. Deceiving Fang Lie over this wasn’t worth the consequences.

"Fine, I’ll trust you. Where is it?"

"Head west for 103,000 li to a small reef cluster." Mr. Suan Mei handed him an Animal Skin Map. "I hid it with an illusion formation. This map pierces the illusions and marks the exact spot."

Fang Lie took the map. "I’ll check now. Farewell."

He boarded the Crystal Palace treasure ship at the dock and sailed off.

Watching the ship vanish, Mr. Suan Mei seethed. *Let this brat humiliate me? Never! But his undying nature and future prospects make direct confrontation unwise… A covert strike, then. Ah!*

He dispatched a Flying Sword message, smugly clasping his hands behind his back. "Fang Lie, even if I can’t kill you, I’ll leave you battered and shamed. That’s the price of crossing me!"

Following the map, Fang Lie sailed two days before locating the illusion-veiled reefs—a ten-mile stretch of jagged outcrops and hidden shoals, impassable to large vessels.

Leaving the Crystal Palace anchored offshore, he flew inland. At the cluster’s heart stood a foot-tall white lotus pod, its rich fragrance unmistakable.

Confirming it matched records, Fang Lie eagerly withdrew his Herb Garden to transplant it.

Just as he finished, a roar erupted: "Thief! Drop my treasure!"

Unfazed, Fang Lie secured the lotus, stored his Herb Garden, and turned to face the intruder.