Chapter 24: Yellow Crane Temple's Reaction

Night fell over Xuanzhen Temple.

Li Yinsheng descended, using the Wind-Gathering Skill to carry his four hostages. The captives crashed onto the ground.

He himself, however, stood firmly upon a Flying Sword that gleamed with a biting, cold light, having been enlarged to six or seven feet in length.

As an Upper Grade Magical Artifact, the Cold Bright Sword was naturally capable of Flying in the Sky. With this Magical Artifact in hand, Li Yinsheng had finally escaped the awkwardness of having to blow himself upward with the wind every time he wanted to fly.

He stepped off the Magic Sword. The weapon shrank back to its normal size and returned to his grasp.

Li Yinsheng turned the Upper Grade Flying Sword over and over in his hands, unable to put it down. He hadn't realized how exhilarating it was until he finally used an Upper Grade Magical Artifact.

When it came to Flying in the Sky, the speed of an Upper Grade Flying Sword was something the Wind-Gathering Skill couldn't match even if its speed were doubled. Yet, the Magical Power consumption was less than forty percent of the Wind-Gathering Skill, and it was far more effortless and smooth to control.

While in the air, he had enthusiastically performed several highly difficult maneuvers. Unfortunately, this was absolute torture for the people he was dragging along with the Wind-Gathering Skill; they had vomited multiple times mid-flight.

As for Magical Combat...

A Lower Grade Magical Artifact like the Cold Leaf Sword couldn't even begin to compare with an Upper Grade Magical Artifact.

Having played with it enough, Li Yinsheng put the Cold Bright Sword away and looked down at the four people who had taken a hard fall on the ground. They were tightly bound by several thick hemp ropes.

Meng Yu had already sealed their Cultivation and meridians. Their range of motion was severely restricted; they couldn't even stand up and walk. At most, they could only twist their necks and speak. But just to be safe, Li Yinsheng had tied them up anyway.

"Everyone, although Xuanzhen Temple still has a few intact guest rooms that logically should be cleaned up for your temporary stay," Li Yinsheng said, looking down at them, "you stole people's Spirit Charm and even tried to resist when caught. Your sins are grave. If you have any sense of shame left, staying in a guest room would surely subject you to the torture of your own conscience, right?"

The four of them froze for a moment, then nodded profusely.

"Yes, yes, yes, Senior. We are unworthy of staying in the guest rooms."

"Senior's words make perfect sense. Our sins are grave. How could we possibly defile the guest rooms?"

"We won't stay in the guest rooms. We won't stay in the guest rooms..."

Li Yinsheng nodded. "In that case, the Daoist Temple still has a woodshed. Please stay there temporarily."

The four of them were stunned.

The gloomy male Cultivator couldn't help but ask, "Senior, how can there be a woodshed in the Daoist Temple? With the Burning Wind Skill, one can start a fire without kindling. There's no need for firewood at all."

Li Yinsheng remained expressionless.

He thought to himself, "Why is there a woodshed? Because when I first entered the temple, I didn't know any Magic! If I hadn't chopped wood and started fires, I would have had to live the life of a primitive caveman, eating raw meat and drinking blood!

"I converted another room into that woodshed!"

Out loud, he snapped, "Why are you asking so many questions!"

With a flick of his sleeve, a strong gust of wind swept the four people up, tossed them into the adjacent woodshed, and subsequently slammed the door shut.

The four people thrown into the woodshed were battered and bruised from the fall, taking quite a while to catch their breath.

The gloomy Cultivator was the first to recover, struggling to climb up. He tried to lean against the wall but bumped the wound on his back, shivering from the pain. He could only press his uninjured back shoulder against the wall, a vicious look on his face as he spoke.

"Bastard! A junior ten years younger than me actually dared to humiliate us like this! I'll remember this debt. Sooner or later, one day..."

"Sooner or later, one day you'll be taking it to your grave." The charming Female Cultivator had also caught her breath. Lying flat on the ground, she rolled her eyes.

"Junior Sister Mei, you..." The gloomy male Cultivator choked on his words, his expression growing even uglier.

"Me what? He's ten years younger than you, yet his Cultivation is already unfathomable. I'm afraid he's no weaker than the Stewards in our temple," the charming Female Cultivator said, rolling her eyes even harder. "Are you still delusional enough to hope for revenge?"

The gloomy male Cultivator remained silent for a long moment before spitting viciously. "Damn Xuanzhen Temple! Haven't they already declined? Where did a monster like him come from! That brat has always lived as a recluse and never engaged in Magical Combat with anyone. Every time he went into the Hundred Thousand Mountains to search for Spirit Medicine, he only ever sold ordinary goods. He didn't look the least bit like someone with profound Cultivation!"

The charming Female Cultivator shifted her weight, finding a more comfortable position on the ground, and said, "He was just biding his time before. Now, he probably feels that his divine skill has achieved Great Success and doesn't want to hide anymore.

"Or perhaps he feels that Xuanzhen Temple is about to be disbanded, and he can't afford to hide any longer."

"Hmph... Great Success in his divine skill? Bah!" the gloomy male Cultivator said coldly. "When the experts from our temple come to save us, we'll cripple him!"

"Stop dreaming. Do you think the precepts of the Zhengyang Dharma Vein are just scrap paper?" The charming Female Cultivator shook her head. "At most, a Steward skilled in Magical Combat will come, teach him a lesson, and rescue us."

"That's it?" another Female Cultivator asked.

"What else could happen? With his Cultivation, if he goes to the Dharma Vein to file a complaint, they will definitely take it seriously. If the Dharma Vein actually conducts a thorough investigation, that would be a catastrophic problem..." The charming Female Cultivator sighed. "The temple probably doesn't want to blow this out of proportion."

"Then... at the very least, they have to get our Qiankun Bags back, right?" the other Female Cultivator said.

"Of course," the gloomy male Cultivator said with certainty. "If we can't even get back our stolen Qiankun Bags, where will Yellow Crane Temple put its face?"

Meanwhile, inside the main hall of the Yellow Crane Temple.

"I'm asking you! Where is our Yellow Crane Temple supposed to put its face!"

A booming reprimand crashed down like a tidal wave, leaving Yang, who was kneeling at the front of the hall, trembling uncontrollably in fear. Far ahead of him stood a tall elderly man with snow-white hair and beard but a ruddy complexion. Every shout he uttered shook the internal organs like rolling thunder.

"You practice the Yellow Crane Temple's Superior Cultivation Technique, cultivate Superior Magic, and even possess an Upper Grade Magical Artifact bestowed by your master! Yet, you lost to some wet-behind-the-ears brat from Xuanzhen Temple?

"Tell me, where is this Temple Master supposed to put the face of our Yellow Crane Temple!"

"Forgive me, Temple Master! Forgive me!" Yang groveled on the floor. "It's not that your disciple didn't try his best, but that man's Cultivation was truly unfathomable. I exchanged barely two or three moves with him before he snatched away my Magical Artifact..."

"You still dare to make excuses! How long has it been since your master bestowed the Cold Bright Sword upon you?" the Temple Master raged, growing even more furious. "If you had diligently refined your Magical Artifact daily and formed a deep enough connection with it, how could it have been so easily snatched away and its mark erased?"

"Disciple... Disciple... I did refine it diligently. It's just that his Magical Power was too profound..." Yang swallowed his bitter grievance.

He genuinely believed he had refined the Magical Artifact incredibly well, but the Temple Master was stubbornly insisting that he had been lazy and negligent. How was he supposed to prove his innocence? The Magical Artifact already belonged to someone else now!

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, calm down..."

From the left side of the hall, an elderly man who appeared to be in his sixties or seventies—tall, thin, but full of vigorous energy—stepped forward and stood beside the Temple Master.

"That brat from Xuanzhen Temple hid his strength too deeply. Yang must have been caught off guard and lost due to underestimating his opponent, not because he was lazy in his Cultivation or lacked skill..."

"Master, I didn't underestimate him..." Yang blurted out.

He felt truly wronged. Did his master think he would have won if he hadn't underestimated the guy?

"Shut up, you wretched disciple!" The tall, thin old man glared fiercely at his apprentice.

He thought, "I know you didn't underestimate him, but can't you hear that I'm trying to plead for leniency and make excuses for you, you idiot?"

"Enough," the Temple Master shook his head. "For your master's sake, I'll temporarily suspend the punishment for your disgraceful display. Go to the Spring Rain Hall and heal your wounds."

"Thank you, Temple Master! Thank you, Temple Master..."

Yang offered his profuse thanks and hurriedly scrambled away. Watching the junior stumble and crawl away in such a pathetic state, the Temple Master let out a heavy snort, his anger still unappeased.

"Senior Brother," the tall, thin old man asked, "how do you plan to handle this matter? This could be a major or minor issue, but the crucial point is that we cannot let him go to the Dharma Vein to file a complaint against us!"

"Handle it? Hmph. Naturally, we need to teach that brat a lesson first. Give him a good beating, threaten him a bit, and then, while he's completely flustered, offer some gentle pacification and toss him a bit of casual compensation..." The Temple Master stroked his beard. "This kind of inexperienced, hot-headed youth might have decent talent and know how to bide his time, but his temperament is ultimately immature.

"Hit him with an unexpected combination of the stick and the carrot, use threats and promises of gain, reason with him, and play on his emotions. It naturally won't be hard to shut him up.

"As for the future... since this kid has achieved such Cultivation at such a young age, it's best not to form a lasting grudge.

"Once this matter dies down, wait a couple of years. We can find a few excuses to bestow some favors upon him to resolve the enmity. Getting him to turn his hatred into friendship and converting him from an enemy into an ally for our Yellow Crane Temple shouldn't be difficult..."

The tall, thin old man nodded. "That is an excellent plan. It's just a pity about the Spirit Gathering Array at the Spiritual Eye. It most likely can't be saved. We had to hire an Array Master from the Seven Stars Temple to set it up back then."

"No matter. At least we can retrieve the materials and recoup fifty to sixty percent of the cost," the Temple Master shook his head. "Plus, factoring in the Spirit Charm we've harvested over the years, we've still made quite a profit."

"Mhm..." The tall, thin old man nodded. Promptly, he asked again, "However, who does Senior Brother plan to send to teach that brat a lesson? Judging from my useless disciple's injuries, this kid's Cultivation is truly not bad."

"Junior Brother Lu from the Demon Suppression Hall, of course. That's exactly what he's in charge of," the Temple Master replied.

"This... Junior Brother Lu is indeed quite skilled at Magical Combat, but he is clumsy with words and has a fiery temper. Are you sure he can properly handle the 'stick and carrot' strategy, displaying might while offering pacification?" The tall, thin old man asked, "What if he only shows might and forgets the pacification, pushing the kid to the brink? What if he goes to the Dharma Vein to complain then?"

"This..." The Temple Master also began to hesitate.

"Why don't I go personally instead?" the tall, thin old man offered.

"You'll go, Junior Brother?" The Temple Master shook his head. "No, no, no. Why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken?"

"It doesn't matter. Having reached this age, although this old man still has quite a few years left, my body has already started to decline, and my Cultivation will hardly advance another inch. I might as well do a bit more for the temple while I'm still hale and hearty." The tall, thin old man smiled. "Besides, I was the one who bestowed the Cold Bright Sword upon that useless disciple of mine. Now that it's been snatched away, it's best that I personally retrieve it."

"Very well. Since you insist on going, Junior Brother, I'll trouble you with this task." The Temple Master nodded.

Meanwhile, at Xuanzhen Temple, outside Mu Xiaoyu's bedroom.

Li Yinsheng walked slowly to the door and asked, "Junior Sister? May I come in?"

"Senior Brother?" Mu Xiaoyu's voice rang out from inside the room. "What are you doing here so late? Are you looking to ask me for snacks?"

A few breaths later, her voice suddenly turned panicked. "Wait! It's not that late yet. Senior Brother, you didn't come to make me do extra training all night, did you!"

Along with her terrified shout, a series of CLANG CLATTER CRASH noises echoed from within the room.

"Heh..." Li Yinsheng shook his head and laughed softly. "I said you could rest today, so naturally, I won't make you do extra training.

"I came this time to give you this month's... allowance."