Chapter 231 | You Said You Only Wanted to Die

Feng Weilan's blade point rested against the throat of the youth in red, the icy edge glinting under the sunlight.

The youth's Adam's apple bobbed as a drop of cold sweat slid down his neck.

"I'll ask one last time," Feng Weilan's voice was even colder than the blade. "Why were you lurking suspiciously near the Five Elements Dao Sect's residence?"

"I—I'm here to find someone!" The youth in red raised both hands, his voice trembling. "I'm Liu Qingyang of the Water Moon Sect! I'm here for Li Nanzhu, Duan Xianxing, and Zhu Yinxi! We've been through life-and-death situations together!"

Feng Weilan's blade paused slightly.

He had indeed heard Duan Xianxing mention this name before—during their training in the Forest of Demonic Beasts, Liu Qingyang of the Water Moon Sect had helped them a great deal.

"So it's you." Feng Weilan sheathed his blade, finally recalling that he had seen this youth in red on the first day of the matches, though his focus at the time had been on the members of the Sword Heart Sect.

No wonder the youth looked somewhat familiar.

The commotion outside had long since alerted others, and Zhu Yinxi was the first to arrive.

He was visibly startled upon seeing Liu Qingyang. "How are you..."

"Brother Zhu, save me!" Liu Qingyang dodged behind Zhu Yinxi in a flash. "This fellow daoist almost hacked me down like a thief!"

Feng Weilan let out a cold snort but said nothing more.

After all, since Duan Xianxing ended his seclusion, he had frequently talked about this loyal Fellow Daoist Liu in front of them.

Zhu Yinxi shook his head helplessly and led Liu Qingyang inside.

As soon as Duan Xianxing saw who it was, he jumped up from his chair. "Qingyang! What are you doing here?"

Li Nanzhu also stood up in surprise. "Senior Brother Liu!"

"Brother Duan! Junior Sister Li! I finally get to see you!" As he spoke, he gave Duan Xianxing a bear hug.

Zhu Yinxi shook his head with a sigh and poured tea for everyone.

Once the excitement settled, Liu Qingyang finally relaxed. He flopped into a chair and began to pour out his grievances. "My old man is simply unreasonable! Ever since I returned from the Forest of Demonic Beasts, he locked me in the sect for over half a year, saying my cultivation wasn't high enough and I wasn't allowed to leave!"

Li Nanzhu and the others exchanged glances. They all understood that Sect Leader Liu was doing this for the sake of the Water Moon Sect. After all, the two main rivals were top-tier sects with two late-stage Soul Transformation cultivators. There was no way he would let the Water Moon Sect get dragged into such a mess.

Naturally, Liu Qingyang, who shared a deep bond with them, had been placed under house arrest.

Liu Qingyang gulped down a large mouthful of tea, caught his breath, and continued.

"I finally waited until the Sect Competition, and he still wouldn't let me come find you!"

He shook his head in frustration.

"I took advantage of the crowds and the chaos of the competition to sneak out. I just reached the vicinity of your residence when I was caught by this..." He stole a glance at Feng Weilan. "Caught by this fellow daoist. Isn't your Five Elements Dao Sect's security a bit too strict?"

Duan Xianxing burst into laughter. "Sixth Senior Brother's perception is the sharpest among us! Last time, someone at the Golden Core stage tried to eavesdrop, and he detected them from three miles away!"

Li Nanzhu couldn't help but smile. "And your hair... why is it red now?"

"I dyed it!" Liu Qingyang stroked his hair proudly. "The old man said he'd break my legs if he ever saw green hair again, so I just dyed it red to spite him!"

Everyone laughed at his words, and even the corners of Feng Weilan's mouth twitched upward slightly.

After some small talk, Li Nanzhu's expression turned serious. "Senior Brother Liu, back in the Forest of Demonic Beasts, that evil cultivator's bone flute..."

"It's right here!" Liu Qingyang pulled a black jade box from his robes and lowered his voice mysteriously. "I've been keeping it on me, waiting for a chance to discuss with you all how to handle it."

He carefully opened the box. Inside lay a deathly white bone flute, its surface covered in eerie runes. Even through the seal, one could feel its chilling aura.

"You didn't give it to your father?"

The others were surprised to see the bone flute still in Liu Qingyang's possession.

"My old man hasn't even seen it," Liu Qingyang curled his lip. "I'd rather stay far away from him. Last time I went home with green hair, he almost kicked me out of the sect."

At this point, Liu Qingyang suddenly shivered, as if recalling an unpleasant memory. "Not to mention, the old man treats me like a cat treats a mouse!" He stomped his foot, gritting his teeth. "Even if I wanted to catch him and ask for clarity, I'd have to find him first!"

Li Nanzhu almost laughed out loud.

The way this father and son interacted was exactly like a rebellious teenager and a frustrated parent in modern society—wait, she suddenly realized that by modern standards, wasn't Liu Qingyang essentially a minor at his age?

Suisui tilted its head, its soul fire flickering as if it were also pondering this cultivation world version of adolescent rebellion.

On the other side, Zhu Yinxi carefully took the bone flute. The evil energy radiating from it made everyone else feel a wave of discomfort.

"I will hand this over to Master to deal with."

Liu Qingyang breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. This thing is incredibly sinister. Every time I sleep with it near me, I have nightmares."

He pulled a jade slip from his sleeve. "This is the intelligence I've gathered on the various sects. It should be much more detailed than what you can get elsewhere! However..."

Liu Qingyang gave a cheeky grin. "I can't give you our Water Moon Sect's info. That's a secret."

Mu Wenyan took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes. "It even has records of the characteristic techniques of each sect?"

"Of course!" Liu Qingyang tilted his head proudly. "After all, no matter who they are, everyone relies on our Water Moon Sect to refine their tools."

"But that's not the main reason..." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Actually, it's not much of a secret. The direct disciples of several sects should each have a copy of this data."

"What!" Duan Xianxing nearly jumped. "Why doesn't our Five Elements Dao Sect have one!"

"For goodness' sake, lower your voice!" Liu Qingyang rushed over and clamped a hand over Duan Xianxing's mouth. "This is actually a tacit understanding among the Eight Sects. It's just providing some information that can be figured out with enough study beforehand. This way, we can avoid casualties caused by the opponent's killing moves."

"That is true." Mu Wenyan nodded. "But is it really alright for you to give this to us?"

Seeing Mu Wenyan speak, Duan Xianxing quieted down. Liu Qingyang scratched his head sheepishly. "Your Five Elements Dao Sect is one of the Eight Sects anyway, so giving it to you isn't exactly a violation. Besides..."

He looked around mysteriously. "I heard that for this competition, the Sword Heart Sect has secretly allied with at least four other sects specifically to target your Five Elements Dao Sect."

Feng Qingping sneered. "As expected."

"That's not all," Liu Qingyang continued. "They even tampered with the drawing lots device to arrange the toughest opponents for you. However..." He laughed gloatingly. "They didn't expect you to be so strong. You won every match in the first round!"

"This news is truly timely!" Duan Xianxing threw an arm around Liu Qingyang's shoulder. "In critical moments, you're still the most reliable, Qingyang!"

Even Suisui let out a happy clack-clack.

"Oh, and this is for Suisui!" He pulled out a jar of special candied fruit. "It's Suisui's favorite. I specifically had someone make it and saved it just for you!"