Translator: CinderTL
In a desolate desert over a million li southwest of Cloudveil City, Spiritual Qi was scarce, vegetation sparse, and wild beasts rare. Few ventured into this remote place, making it an ideal hiding spot.
Song Wen carried Hui Zhen into a mountain cave.
He stowed away the Two-Faced Buddha and casually tossed Hui Zhen onto the ground.
Hui Zhen's spiritual energy was sealed, and his limbs were bound by chains, leaving him curled up on the ground, completely immobile.
To prevent anyone from using Hui Zhen's soul lamp to track him, Song Wen placed the Soul Concealment Jade he had obtained in the Lower Realm on Hui Zhen's person.
"Mi Hai, how dare you kidnap me! Aren't you afraid of my father? Or the Dry Zen Temple?" Hui Zhen demanded, his voice sharp and furious.
"Of course I fear your esteemed father and the Dry Zen Temple. But they'll never find this place," Song Wen replied with a smile.
With a thought, eight Communication Jade Slips floated into the air.
"Which of these jade slips belongs to your esteemed father?"
"Hmph!" Hui Zhen snorted coldly. "Do you think a rogue cultivator like you can fathom the methods of the Dry Zen Temple or my father? I advise you to release me now. Otherwise, when they find you, your death will be certain."
Song Wen waved his hand, sending a surge of energy hurtling through the air.
Snap!
The energy struck Hui Zhen's face with brutal force.
In an instant, skin tore, flesh split, and blood splattered across the ground.
"Which Communication Jade Slip belongs to Du'e?" Song Wen asked again, his voice as cold as frost.
The intense pain immediately made Hui Zhen more cooperative, daring not to harbor any further hidden intentions.
"The third one from the left," he replied.
Song Wen reached out and grabbed one of the jade slips. "This one?"
"Yes!" Hui Zhen answered hastily.
Song Wen collected all the Communication Jade Slips, turned, and walked out of the cave.
"You'd better pray you're worth a thousand Bodhi Spirit Cores. Only then will you have a chance to live. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to uphold justice on behalf of the heavens. Your death would be a blessing for the rogue cultivators of the Qicang Domain."
As he spoke, Song Wen had already exited the cave.
With a wave of his hand, he conjured a fierce wind that swept up stones from the ground, sealing the cave entrance completely.
Then, his figure suddenly accelerated, hurtling away into the distance.
Though Song Wen believed he had made thorough preparations, Hui Zhen's words lingered: "The methods of the Dry Zen Temple and Du'e are beyond your comprehension." It was best to distance himself from Hui Zhen as quickly as possible.
After traveling two thousand li south, Song Wen abruptly transformed into a wooden avatar and flew toward the foot of an earthen hill.
There, another Song Wen stood waiting.
For safety's sake, after leaving Cloudveil City, Song Wen had sent his Cosmic Transformation Body to flee with Hui Zhen.
Meanwhile, he used the Shadow King Gu to extend his divine sense, secretly following them from over two thousand li away.
South City, Cloudveil City.
Song Wen, disguised as a mid-golden core stage monk, traveled through the air.
He deliberately passed by the Brahma Sound Pavilion and found that both Cloudveil City and the pavilion appeared completely normal, showing no signs of anything amiss.
Suddenly, Song Wen noticed the cultivation cave he had previously rented below.
Since his Mi Hai identity was compromised, he naturally couldn't return to the cave he had rented.
He had paid ten years' rent upfront—a staggering seven hundred high-grade spirit stones. Yet he had only occupied it for less than a year.
Song Wen felt a pang of regret.
"Hui Zhen has already cost me over sixteen hundred high-grade spirit stones," he thought bitterly. "If I can't obtain the Bodhi Spirit Core smoothly, I'll make sure Hui Zhen experiences the torturous methods of a corpse cultivator."
Dark thoughts churned within Song Wen's heart.
He found a relatively cheap inn and checked in.
As soon as he entered his room, Du'e's Communication Jade Slip began to vibrate faintly.
Song Wen retrieved it and discovered the message was from Mingcheng!
[Senior Mi Hai, Great Master Du'e asked me to relay this message: Do not harm Hui Zhen. He is working to gather enough Bodhi Spirit Cores. Once he has them, he will trade with you.]
[Young friend Mingcheng, how did Du'e's Communication Jade Slip end up in your hands?] Song Wen replied.
[Senior Mi Hai, you've finally replied!] Mingcheng's voice was tinged with excitement, clearly having sent multiple messages that Song Wen had only just received.
Mingcheng continued, [The Dry Zen Temple maintains extremely strict control over the Bodhi Spirit Cores. Even Great Master Du'e cannot openly leak them. He can only gather them secretly. Unable to divide his attention, he entrusted this task to a junior disciple to contact you, Senior.]
Song Wen was slightly surprised by Du'e's cooperation. It seemed his paternal love truly knew no bounds.
[When can Du'e gather all the Bodhi Spirit Cores?] Song Wen asked.
[This junior cannot say for certain,] Mingcheng replied. [However, Great Master Du'e assured me he would exhaust every means to collect the thousand Bodhi Spirit Cores as quickly as possible. He begs you not to harm Hui Zhen.]
Song Wen couldn't determine the truthfulness of Mingcheng's words, but for now, he had no choice but to wait.
[Young friend Mingcheng, after informing Du'e that I had abducted Hui Zhen, did he not vent his anger on you?] Song Wen asked, curious.
[No, he did not. Great Master Du'e is a man of clear discernment and did not harm this junior in the slightest,] Mingcheng replied. Yet, despite these words, a lingering fear lingered in his tone.
[Then congratulations, young friend.]
Song Wen couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. The more rational Du'e appeared, the more formidable he became.
Two days later, the Communication Jade Slip buzzed with another message.
This time, it was Du'e himself who sent it.
[Are you Mi Hai?]
[I am,] Song Wen replied.
[Is my son in your hands?] Du'e demanded.
Reading this message, Song Wen immediately confirmed one thing: Du'e hadn't found Hui Zhen's location.
[Yes,] Song Wen replied.
[You have quite the audacity to kidnap my son. Aren't you afraid I'll trace your identity and slaughter your entire clan?] Du'e threatened.
Song Wen knew Du'e was being misled.
Du'e likely genuinely believed Hui Zhen had been kidnapped by a rival clan. This was precisely Song Wen's intention—to sow confusion in Du'e's mind.
[Du'e, spare me your threats. If you truly could trace my identity, the message I'd be receiving right now would be news of my clan's annihilation, not your empty threats.]
[Your audacity knows no bounds,] Du'e replied, his voice tinged with resentment.
[Thank you for the compliment. However, I wasn't careful enough when I seized your son and accidentally injured him. His condition is deteriorating rapidly; he likely won't last much longer. Have you gathered the Bodhi Spirit Cores yet?] Song Wen lied.
[I have prepared the thousand four-hundred-year-old Bodhi Spirit Cores,] Du'e replied. [How shall we conduct this exchange?]
(End of the Chapter)
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