Chapter 14: This Demon is Not Easy to Kill

Inside the main hall of Sanqing Palace,

The disciples waited in anxiety and agitation for the elders to arrive.

The incident at Yujing Peak was a major affair, far greater than the previous incident at the back mountain training grounds.

If the cat demon were to escape Sanqing Mountain, the reputation of Sanqing Palace would be tarnished in the outside world. For a prestigious sect to allow a sealed demon to escape its gates and harm the common people—no one could bear the weight of such a crime.

Ke Dasheng was currently arranging personnel to strictly monitor every move of the cat demon on Yujing Peak.

Shortly after, Luo Ling entered the hall, wounded.

Seeing this, Elder Taiqing hurried forward to examine her injuries and said with some disbelief, "The demonic poison is spreading. Have the Ice Pavilion apply more Thousand-Year Lingzhi Ointment; it can dispel demonic toxins."

The Ice Pavilion was Sanqing Palace's specialized medical unit, capable of integrated treatment for physical injuries, demonic wounds, and internal injuries.

"Elder, we have lost five disciples," Luo Ling reported, somewhat dejectedly.

Elder Taiqing patted Luo Ling on the shoulder. "It is alright. We must wait to see what the Sect Leader decides. This matter can only be resolved by requesting the Buddha's Dust."

A short while later,

Daoist Yuxu emerged from the rear hall and took his seat.

"Greetings, Sect Leader," the crowd bowed in unison.

Looking at the injured disciples in the hall and the uncertain expressions of the assembly, Daoist Yuxu felt immense pain in his heart. His predecessor had not been like this; he had many capable subordinates, but now...

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, the cat demon escaped because the incantations carved into the cave dwelling had weathered away," Ke Dasheng reported. "I returned to prepare to request the Buddha's Dust to subdue the demon, but by the time I arrived, it was too late; the cat demon had already left the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Yuxu let out a long sigh. "Sigh, the cat demon's level is actually quite low. The only trouble is its many lives. Back when I was the Eldest Senior Brother of Sanqing Palace, I fought until I was exhausted and only managed to extinguish four of its lives."

Recalling this memory, Yuxu truly admired his younger self; he had truly risked his life.

Having finished, Daoist Yuxu looked at the empty seat beside him and asked, "By the way, why has Elder Fan not arrived?"

"He's here, he's here!" An Zhi's voice appeared at the entrance of the hall, causing Luo Ling and Ke Dasheng's eyes to widen. Luo Ling grew even more infuriated—why had Fan Jin brought Shen Anzhi again?

An Zhi was seen supporting Fan Jin as they slowly walked into the hall.

"Ah, getting old makes climbing up to this Sanqing Hall quite a struggle," Fan Jin said, walking slowly toward his seat with the help of a cane.

An Zhi met Luo Ling's gaze and could clearly sense the anger in the other woman's eyes.

"Junior Brother, the cat demon has escaped. How do you think we should handle this?" Daoist Yuxu asked with humility.

In truth, Fan Jin felt somewhat frustrated and indignant. Yuxu was the Sect Leader of Sanqing Palace; why was he asking him what to do?

"Senior Brother, you are the Sect Leader. Furthermore, forty years ago, you were the one who sealed this cat demon. I suggest that you personally take action to eliminate it quickly, lest it causes unnecessary trouble after escaping the mountain," Elder Taiqing offered his solution.

After hearing this, Fan Jin's expression darkened as he looked up at An Zhi, who was standing by the main door at the bottom of the hall, lost in thought.

Daoist Yuxu had been cultivating recently. The spiritual energy he had painstakingly gathered would be difficult to recover if it were scattered in battle. Thus, he said, "I have only thirty days left before I can emerge from seclusion. I cannot afford to have my gathered spiritual energy dispersed."

This was indeed a headache. If the Sect Leader took action at this critical juncture, his recent cultivation efforts would be in vain.

"Senior Brother Fan, what do you think?" Elder Taiqing asked.

After a moment of contemplation, Fan Jin said, "Let the young people handle this. Through this incident, they can be tempered, and more importantly, we can discover talent. We can see who is capable and who is not; it can serve as a test."

These words resonated deeply with Daoist Yuxu. He nodded immediately and said, "Dasheng, you are the Eldest Senior Brother. When I subdued the cat demon, I was also the Eldest Senior Brother in my twenties. You must lead the youth to win glory for our sect!"

"Right, we can't expect people like us, with unsteady legs, to be relied upon every time a problem arises," Fan Jin added.

Unexpectedly, today's meeting placed all the pressure on the Eldest Senior Brother, Ke Dasheng.

However, the elders' words were not without merit. The gap between the old and new generations of Sanqing Palace disciples had become prominent. If they did not train a batch of ambitious and idealistic young people, what would the future of Sanqing be?

...

And so, following the decision of the elders, the matter was entrusted to the youth. If they reached a point where things became uncontrollable, the elders would step in to resolve it.

While the task carried pressure, it was also a good thing for the young disciples. Ke Dasheng, in particular, felt a surge of excitement. The time had indeed come to prove his ability; otherwise, how could he compete for the position of Elder after Fan Jin's passing?

"Dasheng, come," Daoist Yuxu waved his Buddhist sleeve, and the Buddha's Dust in his hand slowly flew toward Ke Dasheng.

This was the Yuxu Buddha's Dust, the treasure that guarded Sanqing Palace. Its power was immense, capable of shaking even powerful Demon Sovereigns with extraordinary sorcery.

Seeing the Yuxu Buddha's Dust in his hands, Ke Dasheng knelt on one knee with great excitement. "Dasheng will certainly not fail the expectations of the Sect Leader and all the Elders." With that, he led the group out of the hall.

An Zhi was also somewhat excited. After glancing at Fan Jin up in the high hall, she read his expression; it seemed Fan Jin would be staying at Sanqing Palace for the rest of the day. Carrying her own little schemes, she slowly exited the hall.

Although she did not currently possess the Yuhua Sword, An Zhi did not want to miss the chance to see the wider world, so she followed behind the disciples in front.

On the small path, the disciples marched toward Yujing Peak with hurried steps, light steel swords on their backs. Some faces bore excitement, while others showed worry; An Zhi, however, felt mostly trepidation.

Ke Dasheng seemed to spot a very familiar figure running ahead.

"An Zhi!" Ke Dasheng called out to Shen Anzhi. "Go back quickly, it's dangerous."

An Zhi's heart began to thud. "I... I just want to go. It has nothing to do with you."

"The cat demon's sorcery is very strong. We have already lost five disciples; this is no joke. You don't even have spiritual energy," Ke Dasheng urged, still unable to set his mind at ease regarding the junior sister he favored.

An Zhi was determined. "Whether I go or not is none of your business. Please, from now on, let's act as if we don't know each other."

An Zhi did not want to mention or think about the shameless days she had shared with Ke Dasheng.

Coincidentally,

As the two were exchanging words, Luo Ling appeared behind them. Seeing them meet again, Luo Ling's anger flared, and she approached them with fury.

"Ke Dasheng, what is the meaning of this? Are you trying to play both sides?" Luo Ling asked without any concealment.

Ke Dasheng was startled by her words. "What do you mean by that? I am telling An Zhi to go back; it is dangerous over there."

This made Luo Ling even more incensed. "You protect her like that? You certainly didn't say that in bed!"

Ke Dasheng was embarrassed. He looked around helplessly, but fortunately, there was no one else around.

"Shen Anzhi, as a registered disciple, what are you running around for?" Luo Ling directed her attack straight at An Zhi. "By rights, you aren't even qualified to enter the main hall. I don't know how old man Fan is disciplining you, but registered disciples are not allowed to wander aimlessly. It seems I really must speak to Uncle Fan; I've noticed he's been too lenient with you lately."

Having said that, Luo Ling still seemed unsatisfied. "Look at you—no talent, no ability. Aside from having a pretty face to flirt around with, I think you should just go back to the blessed land and continue chopping wood. Leave the demon hunting to us."

"Junior Sister!" Ke Dasheng could no longer listen, signaling Luo Ling to stop.

Luo Ling immediately shot Ke Dasheng a terrifying glare.

"There is business to attend to today, otherwise, I would give you a proper lesson," she said, before walking forward with her long whip in hand.

"Go back quickly," Ke Dasheng whispered a final instruction before following after her.

As she walked, Luo Ling felt something was off. If An Zhi wanted to go, fine—she could just use the cat demon's hand to kill her, and it would be no problem. She turned back to An Zhi and said, "Forget it. If I make things difficult for you, you'll just say your Senior Sister is narrow-minded. Consider this an opportunity for training; just follow the brothers and sisters." With that, Luo Ling turned and quickly caught up with the main group.

Facing Luo Ling's humiliation, although An Zhi had reached her limit, she knew now was not the time to turn against her. She had to wait until she had the strength to confront her.

"I will definitely make you all look at me with new eyes, hmph!" An Zhi said through gritted teeth before following. She wanted to see exactly how formidable this cat demon truly was...

(End of Chapter)