22: Chapter 22: Murdering a Fellow Disciple!

"Then I wonder what exactly Junior Brother wants Senior Martial Brother to promise? After all, these are the only things Senior Martial Brother can promise; I cannot commit to anything more. And even if I did, Junior Brother probably wouldn't believe me easily, right?"

Senior Martial Brother Lin took a deep breath and spoke in a questioning tone.

"Actually, it's nothing much. I just want the Cultivation Technique I mentioned earlier, the 'Great Evolution Art.' I hope Senior Brother can grant this. As long as Senior Brother agrees, I will tell you the information I know. As for whether Senior Brother is willing to believe it, that is your own business and has nothing to do with me. Senior Brother, what do you think?"

Zhao Changsheng asked with a smile.

"Very well. As long as Junior Brother tells me the news, and as long as it is of sufficient value to me, I can guarantee that I will present this 'Great Evolution Art' with both hands, without any deception. If Junior Brother does not believe me, I can also swear a heart demon oath."

Senior Martial Brother Lin seemed to have no other choice and made the promise directly.

"Then I'll have to trouble Senior Brother to swear the oath first. Only then can I feel at ease telling you the news. I believe that once Senior Brother learns of this matter, you will certainly be greatly shocked and, at the same time, very grateful to me."

Zhao Changsheng's tone was filled with confidence.

"Please, Junior Brother, speak!"

Senior Martial Brother Lin was also a bit surprised by Zhao Changsheng's confident words. He hurriedly followed up with questions, his attitude becoming much more polite than before, and he also swore a heart demon oath!

"Senior Brother, did you plant a few moles before leaving that Thousand Bamboo Sect?"

Seeing that Senior Martial Brother Lin had finished swearing the heart demon oath, Zhao Changsheng did not directly reveal the news but instead asked another question.

Upon hearing this question, Senior Martial Brother Lin felt a sense of unease, and his expression turned somewhat unsightly. However, he still nodded and admitted it.

"That's right, I did indeed plant a few moles so that I could receive news from within the sect at any time. Could it be that something happened to those moles?"

"Exactly. In fact, Senior Brother should think about it carefully. Now that their Sect Leader has become a Core Formation Stage Cultivator, would the moles you arranged still remain loyal to you? They have long since betrayed you and are planning to use you as a tribute to completely gain that Sect Leader's trust."

"This is the news I wanted to tell you. How is it? It's good news, isn't it? It should satisfy Senior Brother, right? In other words, they have actually been secretly plotting how to capture you. So, Senior Brother must be more careful from now on. You must pay close attention to the messages they send and must not be careless in the slightest."

Zhao Changsheng revealed the news he knew, but upon hearing it, Senior Martial Brother Lin's expression became extremely complex and unsightly.

"Is this news that Junior Brother learned, or is it purely a guess?"

Senior Martial Brother Lin was still unwilling to believe the news Zhao Changsheng shared, so he asked again. He had sufficient confidence in the moles he had arranged, believing that since they had followed him for many years, they would never betray him.

"Naturally, this is news I obtained myself. As for where it came from, that is none of Senior Brother's business. In any case, I have told you the news, and I hope Senior Brother can keep his promise."

After saying this, Zhao Changsheng reached out his hand to demand what he wanted.

"No, I must be certain that this news is true; there must be sufficient evidence. Otherwise, this sect-protecting cultivation technique absolutely cannot be given away lightly. I hope Junior Brother can forgive me."

Faced with Zhao Changsheng's demand, Senior Martial Brother Lin directly shook his head and refused, completely disregarding the heart demon oath he had just taken. Moreover, he spoke with such conviction and righteousness, showing no sign of guilt whatsoever, which made Zhao Changsheng unable to help but laugh.

"As expected, I knew it. I knew Senior Brother wouldn't hand over this Cultivation Technique so easily. This is fine, though. This way, I can feel at ease and won't have any more feelings of guilt."

"What do you mean by that? You should be very aware of the consequences of murdering a fellow sect member. Furthermore, your cultivation is far inferior to mine. Thinking you can kill me is pure delusion."

As soon as Zhao Changsheng finished speaking, Senior Martial Brother Lin's face changed instantly, and he blurted out.

"Senior Brother, why do you think I played along and rambled on with so much nonsense for so long? Was it just to chat with you? You don't really think I was just chatting and telling you this news, do you? Are you joking?"

Zhao Changsheng's words made Senior Martial Brother Lin's expression even more unsightly. He was about to make a move when he discovered that he couldn't mobilize even a shred of the True Essence Mana in his body.

"Don't bother trying to mobilize the True Essence Mana in your body to resist; you can't even move right now, so there's no way you can offer any resistance. For the sake of being fellow sect members, I can let you finish your last words. Once you're done, I'll send you on your way. Of course, time is limited; the time it takes for me to finish this cup of tea is all you have. If you haven't spoken your last words by then, I'll still send you on your way. Senior Martial Brother Lin, don't blame me for being heartless. It's because you have what I need, and I already showed enough sincerity in wanting to exchange for it, but you just happened to not believe me, thinking I was deceiving you, or perhaps you simply didn't want to exchange with me at all."

"It doesn't matter; none of it matters. For me, these were preparations made long ago."

At this point, Zhao Changsheng picked up the tea beside him and drank it leisurely.

Meanwhile, Senior Martial Brother Lin found that he didn't even have the strength to curse anymore. His entire body was completely devoid of strength. Forget mobilizing True Essence Mana; he couldn't even move a finger. Even the blood in his body was flowing very slowly, as if it were about to stop. In an instant, the terror and dread that emerged on Senior Martial Brother Lin's face were beyond imagination.

"What kind of poison is this?"

Senior Martial Brother Lin asked his question with difficulty, for he had never heard of such a strange and terrifying poison.

"Senior Martial Brother Lin, I can't tell you that. You should choose different last words."

Zhao Changsheng shook his head and refused directly.

"I hope that one day, you can return the position of Sect Leader of the Thousand Bamboo Sect to our lineage—that is, take a disciple on my behalf and pass on the mantle of this lineage. I wonder if Junior Brother can agree to this?"

Realizing that his end was near, Senior Martial Brother Lin gave a bitter smile and spoke his final words and wish.

"That is naturally no problem at all; I can promise you that."

Zhao Changsheng nodded and agreed directly without any hesitation.