Chapter 123: The Moral Decay of the Age

The next day, at the Outer Court’s Taisui Hall, Duan Ling sat at the head of the table, his brows knitted into a tight knot.

A disciple hurried in and said, "Hall Master, the Head of the Xuanwu Branch is outside and wishes to see you."

Huang Zhen?!

Duan Ling’s heart skipped a beat, but he replied with an expressionless face, "Let him in."

Moments later, Huang Zhen strode in with heavy, deliberate steps. Duan Ling offered a slight smile, stood up, and said, "Uncle Master Huang, your arrival is a great honor. Please forgive me for not welcoming you sooner."

As the head of the Xuanwu Branch, this man possessed not only extraordinary strength but also immense seniority. He was one of the few remaining masters from the older generation.

"No need for formalities," Huang Zhen waved his hand, sat down on his own accord, and said coolly, "I have come to speak with you regarding Yuan Feizhang."

At the mention of that name, a sharp glint flashed in Duan Ling’s eyes. "Yuan Feizhang failed?"

Huang Zhen replied calmly, "He is dead."

Duan Ling feigned anger. "Who would have the audacity to kill a deacon of my Four Absolutes Sect?"

Huang Zhen stared directly into Duan Ling’s eyes. "Who killed him is not important. What matters is why he died."

A chill ran through Duan Ling. "Does Uncle Master know why he died?"

Huang Zhen smiled faintly. "I do not know. I merely 'happened' to discover his corpse, and thus I was quite curious."

Duan Ling said in a low voice, "What would it take to satisfy your curiosity, Uncle Master?"

Huang Zhen sipped his tea and replied, "If there were fifty thousand taels of silver, I think I would return to my tea and alchemy, and my curiosity would be quite quelled."

Duan Ling did not hesitate. "Very well. But I wish to see his body."

"No problem!" Huang Zhen set down his cup and chuckled. "I have already sent men to 'deliver' it."

Duan Ling took a deep breath. "The silver notes will be in your hands by this afternoon."

"In that case, I shall take my leave." Huang Zhen stood up and walked toward the exit, but he paused suddenly. "Oh, and that disciple of mine..."

Duan Ling nodded. "Rest assured, Uncle Master."

"Good." Huang Zhen walked out of the Four Absolutes Hall with his hands behind his back. Once he was gone, Duan Ling’s face grew so dark it seemed as though ink were dripping from it.

***

Floating Cloud Mountain, Crouching Ox Ridge.

Ever since the affair with Yuan Feizhang, Yang Xing had kept a low profile, spending most of his time cultivating within his courtyard. In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

On this day, an Outer Court deacon came to visit. She was a middle-aged woman named Du Xing, possessing a gentle demeanor and the faint, elegant marks of time at the corners of her eyes.

Yang Xing gestured. "Please, Uncle Master Du, take a seat."

"You are too polite, Nephew," Du Xing said, seating herself. She asked, "How many days has Wu Dali been missing?"

"Three days," Yang Xing replied.

"Were there any abnormalities before he disappeared?"

"None."

"Did he have any enemies, or had he been in conflict with anyone recently?"

"None."

After a few brief questions, Du Xing nodded slightly and rose. "Very well, I have the situation. I shall not disturb you further." With that, she left.

In the following days, no one else came to inquire about the matter. Both Yuan Feizhang and Wu Dali were officially listed as missing, having simply vanished. Yang Xing knew that the matter had been suppressed. After all, if the deaths of such men were thoroughly investigated, it would likely pull up roots and soil alike, leading to an uncontrollable fallout.

During this time, aside from practicing martial arts, Yang Xing spent his time pondering what Wu Dali had said. The reason the "hole" could not be plugged was largely due to the revocation of the usage rights for Floating Cloud Mountain. The game of "passing the parcel" could no longer continue. This was not a sect belonging to one person; if problems arose, many would be held accountable. With such a massive deficit in medicinal ingredients, who could shoulder that responsibility?

Yang Xing stopped dwelling on it. His priority was to ensure that no problems occurred during his tenure, lest he become a scapegoat for others.

On this day, after handing the new batch of Red Angelica to the transport team, Yang Xing visited the Four Absolutes Sect’s Scripture Repository. Having reached the Dan-Jin stage, he had achieved a major breakthrough, which meant he could now practice light-body techniques. However, such techniques were extremely taxing on one’s internal energy, so he had waited until his own had stabilized.

On the second floor, rows of shelves held various martial arts manuals. *Drifting Snow Piercing Clouds*, *Cloud Dragon’s Three Turns*, *Crossing the River on a Reed*, *Golden Goose Skill*... there were even two superior-grade techniques: *Seven-Star Evasion* and *Treading Snow Without a Trace*.

However, these superior techniques were not only expensive to copy, but they also consumed vast amounts of energy, making them unsuitable for anyone below the mid-stage of Dan-Jin. Ordinary light-body techniques all had their own pros and cons: some were fast but lacked agility, while others were agile but slow. Those that balanced both required immense energy expenditure.

Just then, a voice sounded nearby. "Brother, would you like to buy some Four Absolutes Pills?"

Yang Xing looked up to see a petite woman with above-average looks. She batted her eyes and said, "The Four Absolutes Pills I have are one hundred and eighty taels a bottle—twenty taels cheaper than the Alchemy Hall, and absolutely genuine."

Ever since the news broke that the usage rights for Floating Cloud Mountain were expiring, the price of Four Absolutes Pills had soared. This led many disciples to hoard them, further driving up the price in a vicious cycle. Now they cost two hundred taels a bottle, and "scalpers" had appeared throughout the sect.

"Not interested," Yang Xing shook his head.

The woman quickly added, "Brother, perhaps you look down on standard pills? I have premium ones for eleven hundred taels each. The Alchemy Hall has already raised their price to twelve hundred."

Yang Xing remained expressionless. "No need."

The woman gritted her teeth. "If you buy a large quantity, I can satisfy any other requests you might have." As she spoke, she puffed out her chest.

"I have no interest." Yang Xing ignored her and turned away.

After a few failed attempts at pestering him, the woman gave up and sought another target. Yang Xing continued his search, ultimately choosing *Cloud Dragon’s Three Turns*, a relatively well-rounded technique. It allowed for three consecutive leaps, each faster than the last, though with increased energy consumption. At its peak, it could create three afterimages, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the false.

As he left, he saw the woman who had been selling pills walking away, laughing and chatting with another male disciple. It was clear a shady deal had been struck.

"Morality declines daily..." Yang Xing sighed and took the manual to the registration desk.

"Eight hundred taels," the deacon said.

Yang Xing handed over the silver and obtained the *Cloud Dragon’s Three Turns*. He did not return to Floating Cloud Mountain immediately but instead headed toward the Tianyuan Building.