Chapter 261: Divide and Feast

Chapter 261: Divide and Feast

In Dan Bai’s mind, a true sword cultivator should be free-spirited, cold-blooded, and aloof.

Just like how the Sword Pavilion Patriarch had stood before her earlier,

shattering an illusion with a single sword and taking that Yaochi hag’s head.

Not like the creepy uncle he was now—groping around the corpses of Yuling and Yuquan with a weird pervy grin on his face.

Yuquan had a decent figure and regularly took Beautifying Pills, maintaining the appearance of a woman in her twenties.

Yuling, though? Her old skin sagged loose—no texture at all.

Of course, Chen Huaian wasn’t actually trying to get handsy with two dead bodies. He wasn’t that desperate.

He was doing what every gamer was born to do—looting.

When you’re playing a big world ARPG like this one—

and especially when NPCs drop loot—

anyone who

doesn’t

loot is probably fresh out of rehab.

“D*mn it, what a pair of broke *sses!”

Chen Huaian stared at the loot he’d just picked up:

a few hundred spirit crystals, three average-looking spiritual weapons, and some random pills.

That was it.

They were elders from a Holy Land, for crying out loud!

Shouldn’t they be carrying tens of thousands of crystals, hundreds of spirit weapons, and a whole stash of top-tier pills?!

He’d seen better on dead Sword Pavilion disciples.

Absolutely shameful.

Dan Bai took half a step back.

She thought she just heard the Sword Pavilion Patriarch… curse?

As a righteous cultivator, shouldn’t he show some respect to the dead?

She wanted to remind him.

But remembering what kind of people Yuling and Yuquan were,

she kept her mouth shut.

“Senior Chen, thank you again for saving my life,” she said with a graceful bow.

“I still need to find a way to rescue my mother. Once I succeed, I’ll definitely come back to repay your kindness.”

She turned to leave Jiangchi City.

It wasn’t that she was ungrateful—

she just felt like a burden.

She didn’t have the nerve to stick around or ask the Patriarch for more help.

He’d already saved her life.

Asking him to help save her mother too? That would be pushing her luck.

Not to mention…

Yaochi Holy Land had Ascension-level old monsters.

She didn’t want to drag her savior into that mess.

Just as she lifted her foot—

A cold voice rang out behind her.

“Hold it!”

“Senior?” Dan Bai turned, confused—

only to see a large hand grab her shoulder.

“Didn’t I say,” Chen Huaian said,

“you and I are fated.”

What, he was going to let this duck fly away

after it already landed on his plate

?

No chance.

With a flick of his sleeve, he activated his power and dragged Dan Bai directly into his small world.

And just like that, both Chen Huaian and Dan Bai vanished.

The crowd of mortals surged forward—

rushing to loot Yuling and Yuquan’s corpses.

“I heard… if you eat an immortal’s flesh, you can live longer.

Just cutting off a piece isn’t a big deal, right?”

“Is this really an immortal? Skin’s still tight after thousands of years!”

“Hurry, search them! Maybe they’ve got treasures left!”

“I got the immortal’s robe! Haha, I got her clothes!”

…

The rogue cultivators nearby exchanged looks and shivered.

They had watched the Sword Pavilion Patriarch loot the bodies—

whatever was worth taking, he had already taken.

But they honestly hadn’t expected the mortals to go this nuts.

“Elders of Yaochi act no different than demon cultivators.

They were ready to slaughter a whole city just to force Dan Bai out.

And even after she revealed herself, they still wanted to kill everyone to silence the witnesses.

Ending up like this—

ripped apart by mortals?

I’d say they got what they deserved.”

“…Hey, you think that stuff about the Central Continent Secret Realm—what the Sword Pavilion disciple said—could it be true?

That it was actually the Holy Lands who killed the elite disciples?”

Hiss—!

The crowd fell silent again.

Before this incident, they had always believed Holy Lands were untouchable.

Their people were righteous, upright—role models for every cultivator in the Cangyun Realm.

But after what happened today…

Yaochi’s image had shattered.

Those two elders had been arrogant.

Eerie.

There wasn’t a shred of righteousness in their actions.

Ironically, it was the Sword Pavilion Patriarch who looked more like the real righteous cultivator.

…Aside from looting corpses, that is.

“Whether it’s true or not, it’s not for us rogue cultivators to judge.”

“Yeah, but if we run into sect disciples, maybe we can drop a few hints.

Let them decide what to believe…”

“Well said, Brother Li. As for me, I’ve decided—

if I ever run into people from the Holy Lands again, I’m walking the other way.”

…

…

“This is Dan Bai, daughter of Danyun.”

Chen Huaian pushed the girl toward the Sword Pavilion crowd.

Immediately, the disciples lit up like wolves spotting a lamb.

“Worthy of being the Patriarch. So efficient! You already found her?”

Even Su Qinian’s usually gloomy face broke into a rare smile.

With Dan Bai, they might actually be able to refine the Hunyuan Heaven-Mending Pill.

At least the crisis facing their three personal disciples could be solved.

Dan Bai blinked in surprise.

She’d heard of the Sword Pavilion—

but this was her first time seeing the place.

More importantly…

Had the Patriarch not saved her by coincidence?

Had he been looking for her all along?!

Aside from knowing the recipe and how to refine the pill,

she was just a regular alchemist.

So that could only mean—

Chen Huaian’s goal was the Hunyuan Heaven-Mending Pill.

Why did it feel like she’d just escaped one wolf’s den only to fall into another?

That thought made her shrink back slightly.

She looked at Chen Huaian with puppy-dog eyes.

“Senior… why did you bring me here?

I—I don’t know anything… I’m dumb…”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to repay me?” Chen Huaian raised an eyebrow.

“Then help me refine the Hunyuan Heaven-Mending Pill.”

He led her into the hall and pointed toward the unconscious figures on the bed—

the three Sword Pavilion personal disciples, and the Lingxi Valley Master, Yun Baiyu.

He introduced them one by one.

“You don’t have to worry.

Yes, I brought you here to refine the pill,

but it’s not for some shady purpose.

It’s to save lives.”

“…So Senior also knows what Yaochi and Fanjing are up to?”

Dan Bai’s heart clenched when she saw the tortured states of the three disciples.

Her reason for becoming an alchemist had always been to save lives.

If the Sword Pavilion opposed the Holy Lands—

then she had no reason not to help.

“I know the gist of it,” Chen Huaian nodded.

“You said your mother was taken by Yaochi?

That means we have a common enemy.

Why not join forces?”

“Junior is willing to offer what little help I can.” Dan Bai bowed deeply.

Saving her mother had always seemed like an impossible task.

But now, with the Sword Pavilion and Chen Huaian backing her—

maybe there was hope.

No need to be stubborn.

She raised her head, brows slightly furrowed in hesitation.

“To be honest…

I’ve known how to refine the Hunyuan Heaven-Mending Pill since I was a child.

I’ve memorized the recipe.

But the ingredients are extremely rare.

I don’t have any on me.

We’ll have to rely on you all to gather them.”

“Leave the materials to me.

You just focus on refining the pill.”

Chen Huaian shot Elder Liu a glance—

a silent signal to assist Dan Bai.

Sword Pavilion might be poor,

but thanks to Elder Liu’s work, the herb garden was thriving.

It likely had at least some of the required materials.

There wasn’t a moment to lose.

Organizing the herbs alone would take time.

And with the three personal disciples barely hanging on—

not to mention Yun Baiyu’s worsening condition…

Chen Huaian sighed,

his gaze falling briefly on the still figure of the Valley Master.

She didn’t have much time left.