Chapter 438: Confrontation
Translated by: La0o9
Proofreader: Arya
After so many times of probing, he finally found out Qi Yan’s proposal!
In that split second, Gu Qing Shan’s mind paced back and forth rapidly.
He was recalling every detail he found out before.
An airs.h.i.+p full of resources that went past as he returned to the sect.
They were resources to be exchanged for the Grand Elder’s life-saving pill.
This was a world where resources can’t be replenished…
Not to mention, since Guang Yang sect’s most powerful fighting power was almost completely at their mercy, it’s not abnormal for Rakshasa Peak to hold ill will towards Guang Yang sect.
Under such a situation, Qi Yan wanted to become the infamous Rakshasa’s Daughter’s Dao companion.
This was no different from playing with fire.
However!
Although he was merciless and self-absorbed, Qi Yan wasn’t stupid.
That’s right, he was a skirt chaser, but after so many years of doing so, he has never once made a mistake because of his skirt chasing.
He was even cautious of a stunning beauty like Chu Liu, just because she was an expert formation user.
He wasn’t just smart, he was also paranoid and careful.
Why would such a person take such a large risk and invite outsiders in?
Unless his situation was already so bad that he had no other choice…
It was already a few breaths since the time Gu Qing Shan started thinking.
Seeing how silent Qi Yan was, the two Hallmasters thought that he was still stubborn like always.
They couldn’t hold back their anger anymore.
Zhao Wu Chui’s fists were clenched tightly.
Even Ye Ying Mei’s eyes became cold.
All of a sudden, Qi Yan sighed.
He stood up, folding his hands behind his back as he paced around the platform.
“Ying Mei sis, old Zhao, do you think I’m a fool?” he asked.
The two Virtualized cultivators were stunned.
They were talking about Rakshasa Peak, how did it suddenly come to be about you?
Fool—-
They slowly calmed down.
“That’s right, although you’re normally cold and sharp-tongued, doing crazy antics…” Zhao Wu Chui muttered.
Ye Ying Mei also couldn’t help but nod.
From what they’ve seen up until now, Qi Yan certainly doesn’t act like a fool very often.
In fact he’s a very smart person, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to reach Virtualized realm.
If that’s the case, why does he need to do that?
The two Virtualized realm cultivators were thinking the same thing.
Their anger slowly went down as they thought about this.
“Qi Yan, tell me honestly, why do you have to court Rakshasa’s Daughter” Ye Ying Mei asked.
Gu Qing Shan went silent for a few seconds more, quickly arranging everything that he has known so far.
They were trying to win over his disciple ‘Gu Qing Shan’.
Since this act was hidden in a very normal gifting ceremony for their junior, even Gu Qing Shan didn’t think too much of it.
But Zhao Wu Chui went and purposefully explained himself to Qi Yan later on.
A Virtualized realm Martial cultivator purposefully explaining things to his enemy. This was very redundant.
This gave him a hint that something was up.
Both Ye Ying Mei and Zhao Wu Chui held some kind of thoughts towards ‘Gu Qing Shan’.
Some kind of thought…
There’s too little information to conclude.
Then let’s change the perspective.
When did their att.i.tude towards ‘Gu Qing Shan’ change?
——right, it was when I told them the student acceptance ceremony hasn’t been conducted yet.
Since it hasn’t been conducted, Gu Qing Shan still isn’t Qi Yan’s official disciple.
But it’ll happen sooner or later.
‘Gu Qing Shan’ will become Qi Yan’s disciple sooner or later.
And there’s no way Qi Yan would give away something that belongs to him, that’s too abnormal.
If that’s the case then——
There’s only one situation where Zhao Wu Chui can formally get ‘Gu Qing Shan’.
Qi Yan must die.
That’s right, this is the only possible answer.
From Qi Yan’s supposed end, you can take a guess at Qi Ruo Ya’s situation.
w.a.n.g Hong Dao still hasn’t shown up after so long.
What is he doing?
It was all clear.
Gu Qing Shan felt a chill down his spine.
a.s.suming his deduction was true, he thought back and managed to find a lot of hints and clues from their exchanges earlier.
The two Hallmasters are afraid of Rakshasa’s Daughter.
They didn’t mention a word about the sect master Qi Ruo Ya’s tribulation.
The Grand Elder w.a.n.g Hong Dao was absent at the sect meeting.
No one knows where w.a.n.g Hong Dao is currently.
Aside from that, there was another important hint: the monthly supplied spirit stones will be delayed.
Could it be this was the reason for everything?
Gu Qing Shan recalled the airs.h.i.+p that contained all the resources.
Thought after thought connected in Gu Qing Shan’s mind, quickly forming a deduction.
A few more breaths pa.s.sed.
Zhao Wu Chui couldn’t help but ask: “Qi Yan, Hallmaster Ye is asking, why don’t you answer her”
Gu Qing Shan abruptly answered: “Because I think that my father will probably not make it through this tribulation”
Such a bombsh.e.l.l statement caused both the Virtualized realm cultivators to be stunned, almost attacking him.
“Why?” Zhao Wu Chui asked.
He lowered his gaze, trying his best to hide his killing intent.
“Truthfully, he’s been wounded for a long time without being able to recover, facing the tribulation isn’t at all a.s.sured” Gu Qing Shan replied.
Ye Ying Mei and Zhao Wu Chui exchanged looks.
Seems like Qi Yan doesn’t know the truth.
They were able to loosen up a bit.
“Qi Yan, I wouldn’t believe that you’d tell me such a secret” Zhao Wu Chui replied.
Ye Ying Mei also shook her head.
“Because that’s not important, the most important thing is whether or not we’ll survive” Gu Qing Shan declared such an inexplicable thing.
Both Ye Ying Mei and Zhao Wu Chui appeared a bit confused as they heard that.
“We?”
Ye Ying Mei muttered.
Zhao Wu Chui couldn’t help but refute: “What do you mean by that? Have you gone crazy Qi Yan? Nothing you’re saying makes any sense”
Gu Qing Shan abruptly exploded in anger, das.h.i.+ng straight in front of Zhao Wu Chui and pointed him straight in the chest.
He furiously roared: “Zhao Wu Chui! We’re all about to die, being eaten by the realm demon means we won’t even be able to reincarnate! And you’re still trying to act like you don’t know anything!”
This struck deep into Zhao Wu Chui’s mind.
He was stunned.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about at all” he muttered weakly.
He isn’t exactly clear what he was talking about.
But Qi Yan isn’t a person to joke about his own life and death.
Ye Ying Mei spoke in a low voice: “Qi Yan, speak clearly”
Gu Qing Shan coldly laughed: “How long do you think we have to live?”
“Stop speaking nonsense, we’re living just fine” Zhao Wu Chui answered.
——–we are, but you’re about to die.
Zhao Wu Chui added that in his mind.
But Qi Yan continued: “My father is about to die, Guang Yang sect has nothing but a wounded Cryptic realm cultivator, which is your master, w.a.n.g Hong Dao”
“How would such a Guang Yang sect stop Rakshasa Peak’s attack?”
Zhao Wu Chui’s expression dimmed, saying: “That’s why we’re hoping that you won’t mess with—–”
“Mess with? You’re still saying that I’m messing with them!?”
Gu Qing Shan began to laugh loudly, as if he was hearing the funniest thing in the world.
“What are you laughing about?” Zhao Wu Chui asked.
“To Rakshasa Peak who has 3 Cryptic realm cultivators, if they wanted to kill us, do you think ‘not messing’ with them is enough?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
Zhao Wu Chui was unable to respond to that.
Ye Ying Mei tried following up for him: “At least we still have Grand Elder w.a.n.g Hong Dao, Rakshasa Peak wouldn’t…”
But Ye Ying Mei stopped too.
She was also feeling how powerless she was.
Grand Elder w.a.n.g Hong Dao required Rakshasa Peak’s pills every day to survive.
They don’t even need to do anything, as soon as they refuse to trade the pills for resources, they’re free to wait until the strongest fighting power in Guang Yang sect slowly dies off.
The two of them fell silent.
That’s right, this was the real situation they were in.
This was the true situation that the three Hallmasters can’t help but face outside of their small in-fighting.
Gu Qing Shan looked at the two of them, a bit more a.s.sured.
Only when he makes the situation seem this serious will he be able to make the two Hallmasters listen to him seriously.
If they keep going back and forth with the sect’s inner matters, they’ll just be looking at a clown and wait until w.a.n.g Hong Dao returns to kill him.
After a while, Zhao Wu Chui spoke up: “Is this the real reason why you tried to mess with this generation’s Rakshasa’s Daughter?”
He was still using the word “mess with”, as if insisting that all this was brought about because of Qi Yan.
Gu Qing Shan’s expression became grim as he got closer to Zhao Wu Chui.
“What?” Zhao Wu Chui felt a bit uncomfortable.
Gu Qing Shan laughed.
“Old Zhao, tell me the truth, how much resources are there left in the sect that we can use to exchange for pills with Rakshasa Peak?”
“Of course we still have a lot——” Zhao Wu Chui instantly replied.
Gu Qing Shan cut him off: “Stop! I don’t need to hear any falsehood right now, this is related to our life and death, I hope that we can all be straight forward”
“If you do, I’ll also be straight forward and tell you about the hope of survival I found”
The two Hallmasters looked at him.
“A hope of survival?” Ye Ying Mei thought for a bit and spoke, “Qi Yan—–”
Gu Qing Shan held his hand up to cut her off, saying: “Rakshasa Peak has 3 Cryptic realm cultivators, do you really think they’ll bother with our life and death? Their resources are barely enough for the three of them to use”
“People like us would only threaten their standing if we manage to advance another step further, even if not, we’d be taking up their valuable resources, if you were them, what would you do?”
Gu Qing Shan then smiled bitterly to Ye Ying Mei, saying: “Ying Mei sis, I’m afraid our sect’s three formation users will even have it better than we do”
Ye Ying Mei tried refuting but couldn’t manage to utter a word.
That’s right, what Qi Yan said was the real situation.
Countless sects that died all ended up exactly the same.
Gu Qing Shan leaned forward, staring at Zhao Wu Chui and said: “Old Zhao, I ask you again, tell me just how much usable resource is left in the sect?”
He continued: “Tell me the truth, then I’ll tell you what our only hope of survival is”
Zhao Wu Chui looked straight at Gu Qing Shan and only responded after a while: “I remember that you weren’t at the sect for the past while”
“That is true” Gu Qing Shan answered.
“Many people left with you, but none of them returned” Ye Ying Mei added.
“Where did you go?” Zhao Wu Chui asked.
“Old Zhao, answer my question first then I’ll answer yours” Gu Qing Shan replied.
“What if you’re lying?”
“Then there are two of you, both of which are stronger than me”
Hearing that, Zhao Wu Chui lowered his head.
Time almost seemed to freeze at this moment.
After a very long pause.
Zhao Wu Chui struggled to open his mouth and spat out an answer.
“There are… only enough resources left to exchange for one pill”
Ye Ying Mei’s expression changed.
She yelled out: “Old Zhao! How! I remember you telling me there should be at least enough for a few years!”
Zhao Wu Chui lowered his head again, not saying anything else.
Gu Qing Shan stayed silent.
Seems like Guang Yang sect’s situation is even worse than I thought.
But thanks to that, there’s a chance to overturn my own situation now.
This was the first time ever since he arrived in this world that he’s felt a bit a.s.sured.
—–a.s.sured of his survival.
Gu Qing Shan asked in a low voice: “Old Zhao, w.a.n.g Hong Dao must’ve made you say that in order to ease everyone’s minds didn’t he?”
Zhao Wu Chui remained silent, but nodded very slightly.
Ye Ying Mei’s face became pale.
Seemingly recalling something, she gritted her teeth: “He fooled even me…”
“w.a.n.g Hong Dao needs those pills to survive, if he wanted to keep living, he had to monopolize all available resources, until there’s nothing left in the sect” Gu Qing Shan.
He sighed: “The two of you probably already knew this but didn’t want to admit it to yourselves”
The two of them fell silent.
This was everyone’s common flaw, before despair and reality slaps them in the face, they want to keep their delusion that everything is still ok.
While looking at them, Gu Qing Shan’s mind moved a bit.
Or perhaps they weren’t deluded at all.
Perhaps w.a.n.g Hong Dao had used some sort of method to force them to not retaliate.
Which means, if I’m unable to persuade them after this, everything will come crumbling down.
It’s time to show my true mettle.
Sure enough, Zhao Wu Chui then raised his head, staring at him: “I’ve been very straight forward”
“You did” Gu Qing Shan replied.
“Truthfully, I’m already in despair. That’s why I’m risking everything to tell you about this, otherwise once master finds out that I revealed his secret, I’m not going to get off easy” Zhao Wu Chui said.
“That is true” Gu Qing Shan agreed.
“So, Hallmaster Qi, can you show us your sincerity now?” Zhao Wu Chui asked.
Gu Qing Shan stared at Zhao Wu Chui.
Zhao Wu Chui stared back at him.
Holding a hint of antic.i.p.ation in his eyes, Zhao Wu Chui’s entire body tensed up.
Since I let someone like Qi Yan know about the true situation of the sect, master will definitely not forgive me.
If Qi Yan acts like he always does and jokes around, I’ll kill him even if I have to risk my life.
“I really do have a solution” Gu Qing Shan said.
Before he went on, he looked around cautiously.
Seeing that Zhao Wu Chui smiled bitterly: “Don’t worry, all the formations are turned on this time around”
Which means, sometimes not all of them are running.
It’s truly shocking how impoverished their sect has become.
Gu Qing Shan went in front of the two, lowered his voice and said the most shocking thing today.
“Truthfully… I found a new world