Chapter 40: A Promise
Ye Changsheng was summoned by Luo Lihong.
However, the meeting place was not the main hall of Wuhua Palace, but Luo Lihong’s private palace, Luohua Hall.
He had a bad feeling, suspecting it wasn’t good news.
This premonition intensified upon arriving at Luohua Hall, where only Yin Yu and Luo Lihong were present, no other members of Wuhua Palace.
Furthermore, both women were dressed beautifully.
Luo Lihong wore a white dress with black accents, accentuating her budding, yet restrained, figure, exuding an aloof demeanor.
Yin Yu, on the other hand, was in her elder’s formal attire, her curvaceous figure nearly bursting the front of her clothes, making the outfit appear conspicuously white and oversized.
“Disciple Wuxiao greets Palace Mistress, and Elder Yin Yu.”
“You are dismissed,” Luo Lihong replied, sparing her words.
After the customary pleasantries, Luo Lihong gestured for herself to sit.
Yin Yu remained standing. The very idea of having a cultivation cauldron, someone beneath an Outer Disciple, sit down? It was clearly a setup.
“Don’t be nervous, Wuxiao. This is merely an acknowledgment of your recent excellent performance,” Yin Yu said.
“This disciple dare not.”
“We don’t consider you an outsider, which is why we summoned you today,” Yin Yu continued. “Because you have earned the Palace Mistress’s admiration, this is a show of respect.”
“Thank you for your appreciation, Palace Mistress. Then, this disciple will not stand on ceremony.”
Luo Lihong had been intently observing Ye Changsheng’s face, gauging his reaction.
The subsequent proceedings were entirely managed by Yin Yu.
“Wuxiao, do you know of the White Emperor Sword Sect?”
“This disciple knows. The White Emperor Sword Sect is a prominent force among the righteous sects, but they view our Wuhua Palace as an enemy, and we have clashed several times.”
“Do you know the extent to which the White Emperor Sword Sect is currently obstructing us?”
“This disciple does not know.”
“A few days ago, the White Emperor Sword Sect annihilated a third-rate Demonic Path sect called the Dark Heaven Gate,” Yin Yu said, her face somber. “The Dark Heaven Gate has been a long-term purchaser of Spirit Gathering Pills from our Wuhua Palace, a partner for many years.”
“So, this business transaction is now severed?”
Yin Yu nodded. “Yes. The White Emperor Sword Sect did not choose to confront us directly but instead weakened our influence in this manner. Several sects have already fallen victim to their schemes.”
As the saying goes, disrupting someone’s livelihood is akin to killing their parents, and the White Emperor Sword Sect was indeed doing just that.
Despite being a righteous sect, their methods were also ruthless.
“Do we have no countermeasure? Elder Yin Yu, we cannot allow the White Emperor Sword Sect to act with impunity.”
Yin Yu’s lips suddenly curled upward, as if Ye Changsheng had walked right into a trap they had prepared.
A beautiful smile, yet one that could foretell life or death.
“Yes, we have devised a countermeasure. We will send an undercover operative to infiltrate the White Emperor Sword Sect, gather intelligence, and report back to us.” Yin Yu cocked her chin upward, pointing at Ye Changsheng. “That person will be you, Wuxiao.”
…What?
Ye Changsheng’s mind briefly froze.
Wait, what kind of plot was this?
The ultimate Mission Impossible? Inception within Inception?
He, being chosen to be an undercover operative for a righteous sect???
Excuse me??? .jpg
“Your quick wit, unremarkable appearance, and proficiency in evasion and escape, coupled with your unwavering loyalty to Wuhua Palace, make you the most suitable candidate,” Yin Yu remarked. “I feel as though you were born to be an undercover agent; it would be a waste not to pursue this path.”
Nonsense, I’ve cultivated this persona precisely to infiltrateWuhua Palace for so long.
“Is this truly what you mean?” Ye Changsheng wanted to confirm if they were joking.
However, both Yin Yu and Luo Lihong appeared very serious.
“Yes, rest assured, as long as you complete this mission successfully, our Wuhua Palace will not mistreat you and will provide you with immense support.”
Ye Changsheng began to ponder.
He had already been in Wuhua Palace for three years. If he were sent to the White Emperor Sword Sect as a double agent, when would it ever end?
It was clear they intended to use him as a tool; whether he succeeded or failed, it would ultimately benefit Wuhua Palace.
However, Luo Lihong overlooked one crucial point while calculating her gains, making a serious error.
No one could control Ye Changsheng.
“How immense is the support from Wuhua Palace?”
“Whatever you can imagine,” Yin Yu replied.
“Understood. This disciple will accept this mission, but I have one request.”
“Speak.”
Ye Changsheng looked directly at Luo Lihong, not at Yin Yu, implying that he expected a sufficiently weighty answer from Luo Lihong for what he was about to say.
“Palace Mistress, if the mission is successful, please grant this disciple the position of Elder in Wuhua Palace.”
“…What did you say!” Yin Yu exclaimed in shock.
Throughout history, Wuhua Palace had never accepted male disciples, nor had any man ever held a high position within Wuhua Palace.
Ye Changsheng’s request was akin to a fantasy, utterly absurd in Wuhua Palace!
“Impossible, Wuxiao, as a cultivation cauldron, you should—”
“Yin Yu, you may leave,” Luo Lihong said calmly. “I wish to speak with this
man privately.”
“Palace Mistress, this—”
“?”
Luo Lihong cast Yin Yu a glance, which stunned her into silence.
Biting her lip in frustration, Yin Yu gave Ye Changsheng a profound look before finally exiting Luohua Hall.
Only Ye Changsheng and Luo Lihong remained in the palace, sitting opposite each other.
“The Palace Mistress does not seem surprised,” Ye Changsheng spoke first.
“You are an ambitious man, so this request was within my expectations,” Luo Lihong actually showed a hint of a playful smile. “You are more interesting than other men, and more dangerous.”
“Why does the Palace Mistress think so?”
“I have reviewed your records. Since you joined the palace, you have never made any mistakes, and you have even achieved considerable success.”
“What is so strange about that?”
“You clearly have a complex relationship with Luo Yingying, yet you have never used this connection to your own advantage.”
Luo Lihong narrowed her eyes.
“You possess a high degree of execution ability, leaving no room for error. Behind your actions lies an extremely well-defined plan. Your loyalty is not to Wuhua Palace, but to your plan.”
Impressive, to see that far.
From that moment on, Ye Changsheng was certain that Luo Lihong’s perception was exceptional, and she was also a dangerous opponent.
It was time to proceed with caution.
“Despite being so outstanding, with excellent talent, even surpassing most Inner Disciples, and being impeccable in your conduct—aside from those corrupted eyes of yours—you are almost a perfect man.”
Corrupted eyes are unnecessary, I can’t help my innate appearance!
“I feel a bit embarrassed to be praised so highly by the Palace Mistress.”
“With unlimited potential ahead of you, you would be popular anywhere. Why did you choose Wuhua Palace, where men hold such low status? This is what is most suspicious.”
Luo Lihong stood up and moved closer to Ye Changsheng’s cheek, attempting to gauge if he would show fear.
Ye Changsheng also detected a faint fragrance of peach blossoms, similar to Luo Yingying’s scent. They were indeed sisters.
“Everything has been exposed… I can no longer hide it…” Ye Changsheng sighed.
“Confess honestly, what are you plotting?”
Luo Lihong’s gaze was icy. If Ye Changsheng’s next statement held even the slightest inaccuracy, she would not hesitate to strike and kill him on the spot.
“To be frank, I am actually ill,” Ye Changsheng replied, which elicited a slightly surprised response from Luo Lihong.
“Ill?”
“Yes, my body has a defect. I cannot increase my lifespan by improving my cultivation.”
Each time a cultivator successfully breaks through to a new realm, their lifespan increases.
The higher the realm, the longer they live; they are all ancient turtles.
For instance, Ye Changsheng’s Master, Thousand Snow Immortal Venerable Mo Baizhi, claimed to be seventeen years old, but in reality, she was over seventeen years old plus thousands of months.
Ye Changsheng continued his explanation, “Moreover, ordinary longevity pills cannot cure this strange illness of mine. Therefore, I placed my hopes in Wuhua Palace, the foremost Pill Sect in the world, and chose to come here.”
“Are you speaking nonsense?” Luo Lihong looked incredulous.
“You can investigate my lifespan yourself,” Ye Changsheng responded. “You are now a powerful cultivator in the Integration Stage. You can see through any cultivator below the Integration Stage.”
Luo Lihong placed her hand on Ye Changsheng’s forehead and activated her divine sense to investigate.
Indeed, Ye Changsheng’s lifespan was no different from that of an ordinary person, perhaps even slightly shorter.
Normally, cultivators who reached the Foundation Establishment Realm would gain a lifespan of at least 200 years.
“Palace Mistress, you still seem unconvinced. Do you perhaps think I am also a cultivator in the Integration Stage?”
“No, that is not the case,” Luo Lihong denied with a shake of her head. “To reach the Integration Stage at your age is completely impossible. I am not that foolish.”
“This is why I chose this place, Palace Mistress. Perhaps you are overthinking things. The reason I work so hard is precisely to gain your recognition and legitimately become an Elder, using my contributions to have Wuhua Palace solve my difficult problem.”
“…”
Luo Lihong stared at Ye Changsheng, carefully observing the sincerity in his eyes.
Either he was truly sincere, and she had misjudged him.
Or this man was terrifyingly beyond reason, having achieved perfection in every aspect with no flaws whatsoever.
“I understand. Wuxiao, your request can be granted,” Luo Lihong stated. “Once you become an Elder, Wuhua Palace will certainly be responsible for you. I might even be able to resolve your issue with the Heartbreak Flower.”
Heartbreak Flower.
Ye Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat. This was the closest he had ever been to his goal. He had not taken a wrong step.
“You wish to become an Elder? The difficulty of this mission must be such that it earns the recognition of Wuhua Palace’s higher-ups,” Luo Lihong continued.
“You mean the difficulty will increase?”
“Yes. In addition to infiltrating the White Emperor Sword Sect, you must obtain the Heavenly Extreme Sword Heart of the White Emperor Sword Sect.”
“What is that?”
“In ancient times, after the founding ancestor of the White Emperor Sword Sect ascended, they left behind a supreme treasure for their future disciples,” Luo Lihong explained.
This was a treasure specifically left by the founding ancestor to protect the sect’s future generations.
One could imagine how immense the difficulty of acquiring such an item would be.
“For reference, may I ask the Palace Mistress what the Heavenly Extreme Sword Heart is used for?” Ye Changsheng tentatively inquired.
“It is for Luo Yingying. I want her to comprehend its mysteries,” Luo Lihong replied matter-of-factly. “She needs it. You don’t need to know too much about it.”
“I understand the general idea. The difficulty of such a mission would indeed be recognized by the Elders.”
Luo Lihong gazed intently at Ye Changsheng’s face. “So, what is your answer?”
