By the way, this is my Patreon! Please support it! With enough support, I'll upload more chapters each week (I plan to upload seven a day).
There are ten chapters available in advance!
https://patreon.com/Raven_Feather?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
-----------------------------
The small crowd that had gathered erupted in commotion. Most were bored youths who didn't want to sleep—so all knew the infamous "atrophied pearl" of the Qing Clan.
Though rumors had recently circulated that she was an alchemy genius, few believed such ridiculous claims.
Did they truly expect anyone to believe the arrogant Alchemy Hall master had been frantically searching every important location and questioning high-level clan members for a single girl?
They were more inclined to believe the Alchemy Hall master had broken through to Golden Core or ascended. Some madness like that was more believable.
But now the Young Master wasn't only confirming it—he was also adding that she was a sword genius?!
The crowd began murmuring amongst themselves.
"This is madness! I knew Qing Xuanling wasn't the same after her battles in the battle rings—but this is an exaggeration! Isn't this putting her on the same level as Qing Wentian?!"
"Ah, damn—I remember mocking her once…! I hope she doesn't remember me!"
"Tsk, please—it's obviously a lie! The Young Master must have said that for a reason! Do you really think someone as useless as her could be that talented?!"
Murmurs filled with admiration, regret, and even envy reached the Young Master's ears—but he paid them no mind. Such reactions were normal among youths hearing shocking news.
What truly concerned him was Qing Xuanling's official status elevation starting today. He was certain the youths present would spread the news like wildfire throughout the clan.
After that—even the city would know of the Qing Clan's new genius.
Initially, the clan had decided to keep Qing Xuanling's genius hidden as long as possible. But today's events changed that.
'If even while keeping her hidden some bastards dared attack her—then there's no point in continuing to conceal it. Let those damn fools writhe in regret for failing to kill her today!'
The Young Master's black eyes turned deadly. His grip on Qing Chu's neck tightened.
"Qing Chu—this is your last chance to speak. Tell me—which power are you spying for?!"
The Young Master's deep voice silenced everyone immediately. All stared fixedly at Qing Chu, awaiting his answer.
Qing Chu's eyes were glassy—but he still struggled to shake his head. He barely managed to force out words using all his strength. "N-no… I'm n-not!"
The Young Master's face darkened. "You're not?! Heh—rather, you fear those bastards more than me! Let's see if I can change that…"
Water droplets began accumulating around the Young Master from nothingness. Their number rapidly increased—from one to ten, ten to a hundred, a hundred to thousands. All those droplets—glimmering faintly—formed a beautiful scene in the midst of night.
But the Young Master paid no mind to the beauty of his creation and simply waved his free hand. The thousands of droplets flew toward Qing Chu!
However, they didn't move at great speed nor carry immense power. Instead, they seemed to revitalize Qing Chu's skin.
He didn't understand what was happening. Just moments ago he'd been undergoing cruel interrogation—and now he was being healed…?
'Could it be… Could it be the Young Master finally believes me?'
Everyone was equally confused by the Young Master's actions. But the man in question said nothing and simply continued letting the droplets fall upon Qing Chu.
Not long passed before people realized something was wrong.
"His skin… Isn't it too wrinkled? It looks like it's about to crack at any moment…" Qing Linxi observed Qing Chu's prune-like skin with curiosity.
At that moment, Qing Chu's comfort-squinted eyes suddenly flew open as he abruptly felt something sprouting from his skin!
Without warning, thorny vines began growing from every centimeter of Qing Chu's skin!
"Arghhh!"
His scream of agony echoed everywhere—sending chills down spines.
"Now tell me—who were you selling our information to?!" The Young Master's voice cut through Qing Chu's screams. "If you say it—I'll make the pain stop!"
Qing Chu's entire body trembled. The pain was inhuman! He felt the vines growing and tearing apart his insides—sucking his blood!
Yet even worse was the unbearable discomfort. Feeling something slowly germinate within you should count as torture in itself!
Qing Chu's resistance to revealing what he knew gradually crumbled—and ten seconds later, he spilled everything.
"T-the… Mo! Clan…!"
He tried to speak—but the Young Master's iron grip barely allowed him to utter a few words. The Young Master smiled gently when he finally confessed.
"Is that all?"
Qing Chu nodded frantically—hoping the pain would finally vanish.
The Young Master's gentle smile widened. "Good—thank you for telling me. You no longer have to endure this pain."
Qing Chu's eyes filled with gratitude. But then—suddenly—a deep crunching sound resonated. Qing Chu's face stiffened… He… he could no longer feel anything below his neck.
Tears filled his eyes as he glared resentfully at the Young Master. But the Young Master simply tossed his body aside and turned toward the crowd.
"This is what happens to traitors!" His tone was icy. "Pray you're never discovered betraying the clan—or I'll be forced to kill my own relatives! I hate doing this—but believe me when I say I'll do it a thousand times over if necessary!"
With that, the Young Master turned and lifted Qing Xuanling with his Qi. The doctor had already done all he could—the rest depended on the girl herself.
The Young Master nodded to Instructor Huan and the others—and vanished in an instant.
Everyone present felt a chill. They'd never witnessed such cruelty from the Young Master. Normally, he was an approachable person who even enjoyed chatting with mortals. So everyone had thought he wasn't ruthless.
But today everyone learned first impressions could deceive…
Though the lingering fear people felt quickly dissipated. Within five minutes, they were already gossiping about the Young Master's duck-patterned pajamas and Qing Xuanling's revealed talents…
---------------------------
One hour later—in the clan's secret meeting hall.
The Young Master was reading the latest report from the team that investigated Qing Xuanling's blood trail. The other elders listened attentively.
"…In conclusion, the corpses of Qing Xuanling's five attackers were found—two from the Mo Clan and three from the Ink Sword Sect. It's presumed she killed most of them, but their condition suggests the Mo Clan and Ink Sword Sect assassins fought each other—allowing Qing Xuanling to prevail."
"The truth behind all this remains a mystery, as both sides sent a group of assassins who somehow ended up fighting each other. The possibility of an alliance between them that fell apart at the last minute is high, although we still have to wait for Xuanling to awaken to find out what happened. Even so, everything points to bad news for the clan."
The Young Master finished the report and looked at clan head Qing Yunkang.
Qing Yunkang's eyes burned like a furnace as he contained his fury. "It doesn't matter if those bastards are allied or not—from the start they've suspected our clan's hidden strength! They were going to form an alliance against us sooner or later!"
"We can no longer delay this—so let's throw everything overboard and destroy both of them! I won't play their scheming games like those bastards!"
Qing Yunkang's temper wasn't good to begin with—but learning they'd nearly lost one of the current generation's greatest geniuses enraged him completely.
The elders had to stop him from launching a direct attack against the Mo clan and the Ink Sword sect when he heard everything.
Fortunately, the others were more capable of maintaining composure.
First Elder Qing Meipong scolded him mercilessly. "You little bastard—don't drag the entire clan into your foolishness! Even if we annihilate those snakes and bamboo brushes—the clan would be severely damaged! Don't forget other cities' forces also covet the city!"
Qing Chenweng nodded—his eyes clearer than ever. "We cannot afford to fight both simultaneously—but we must begin preparations. I sense they'll move shortly before the secret realm opens."
All the elders discussed what would be done over the next two years—each contributing different viewpoints. The discussion lasted two hours.
Finally, when everyone had finished speaking, the Young Master raised another important point.
"…With all the above resolved—there remains something we haven't discussed." The Young Master smiled. "What shall we do with Qing Xuanling? We've spoken of her before—but her talent is first-tier. She might even be on par with Qing Wentian. However—we have two paths she could take."
Qing Zizhai was the first to speak. "She's an undeniable sword genius. It would be a waste not to foster her combat talent. Best she receive my guidance over the next two years."
Some elders nodded. Indeed—Qing Xuanling's combat talent appeared supreme. However, someone shook their head.
"Don't be so hasty, old sixth." Qing Wangu shook her head. "Though it's true the girl has talent for sword and combat—her alchemical talent is equally impressive. According to my investigation—I suspect she learned pill refinement in less than two months!"
"We'll need an alchemist for the secret realm. If it's her—I'm certain I can make her a grandmaster alchemist within two years—no, she might even take that step!"
The other elders' eyes gleamed. Though a strong fighter sounded tempting—the clan already had several. In contrast—first-tier alchemists who had taken that step were nonexistent.
The best option for the clan was clear. Besides—alchemists typically lived longer than sword cultivators. Wouldn't it be best for the girl to become an alchemist?
Everyone shared similar thoughts.
But Qing Zizhai wouldn't yield. "We cannot forget the girl's own wishes! She clearly isn't someone who wants to remain powerless in combat! She's already demonstrated this through her fighting tendencies these past years—and choosing to go on the mortal village mission instead of staying in the Alchemy Hall to study!"
Qing Wangu and Qing Zizhai—the Fifth and Sixth Elders respectively—became locked in an intense struggle over who should take Qing Xuanling.
The others watched their battle with amusement—having no intention to intervene. Though the other elders also coveted Qing Xuanling's talent—none were as compatible as Qing Wangu or Qing Zizhai.
It was a contest only they two could participate in.
The Young Master observed their struggle for several minutes with a smile—before finally intervening.
"Elders—I know both of you are eager to fully develop Qing Xuanling's talents—but if we continue like this—we'll reach no conclusion…" The Young Master retrieved several papers from his spatial ring and handed them to all the elders. "I recently had a new idea—why not read this before continuing your debate…?"
The hall fell silent. All looked at the Young Master with strange smiles. It wasn't uncommon for him to resolve elder disputes with unique ideas or approaches differing from theirs.
First Elder snorted. "Hmph—you always let us argue like fools before pulling out the solution! As childish as ever! Those duck pajamas suit you well!"
The other elders and clan head froze for a moment—before bursting into loud laughter.
The Young Master's expression froze. "Hey—hey now—my pajamas had nothing to do with this…!"
They bantered briefly before turning to official matters. In the end—all accepted the Young Master's proposal.
He smiled. "Good—then the Hidden University plan will begin preparation immediately. Everything should be ready within a week—so prepare yourselves, elders!"
The meeting concluded after that.