17: Chapter 17 Best friends are for betraying, right?

The next day, the sun was high in the sky.

Hehuan Sect, Main Hall.

Wang Yang walked out, supporting his waist with his steps appearing slightly unsteady.

He glanced at the bright sun outside, then looked back toward the sleeping quarters, unable to help but let out a long sigh.

"The ox may be worn out, but the field can never be plowed to exhaustion... the ancients truly did not deceive me."

Although he had the [Unfailing Golden Spear] talent, facing an SS-rank Dao Companion who had just broken through to the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, was full of energy, and was going all out to "repay her husband," Wang Yang expressed: This kind of blessing is truly something an ordinary person can't handle.

He casually opened the System panel.

[Current Points]: 590 points (90 remaining from yesterday + 500 Dual Cultivation reward).

[Dao Companion Status]: Ye Qingcheng (Peak Early Foundation Establishment Stage, stable Realm, happy mood).

Wang Yang nodded with satisfaction.

"Although my body feels hollowed out, these points are really racking up nicely. Moreover, Qingcheng's cultivation has completely stabilized."

"The only regret is that this System is too rigid. It says I'm invincible in a fight, but this 'fighting' isn't included in that invincibility!"

Wang Yang shook his head, walked over to lie down on a grandmaster's chair, and fanned himself with a cattail leaf fan.

"Forget it. Next, let's see how much 'Invincible Range' that girl Xiao Wan can bring back for me."

...

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain in Qingshi Town.

After the turmoil of the past two nights, although Qingshi Town had regained some of its liveliness today, the atmosphere on the streets remained somewhat oppressive.

The townspeople knew nothing of the "Blood Sacrifice of the Whole Town" conspiracy, nor did they know exactly who the red-robed eccentric frozen into an ice sculpture was.

They only knew that a demon had caused trouble that night, and then a white-clothed Saintess had come down from the mountain, slain the demon with a single blade, and saved everyone.

Now, the legend of that "Hehuan Sect White-clothed Saintess" was being praised in every street and alley.

At the west end of town, inside a tavern named "Qingfeng Tower."

The proprietress here was Lin Xiaowan's best friend—Su Qingge.

Ordinarily, she just played the zither and brewed wine, treating people gently. Aside from being excessively beautiful, she was just an ordinary, weak woman in the eyes of the townspeople.

Few knew that she actually came from the Central Continent and bore a heavy past.

At this moment, inside a private room on the second floor of Qingfeng Tower.

A woman dressed in a light green gown sat by the window, her fair hands playing the zither.

*Zheng—*

The zither's notes were low and mournful, permeating with an indelible sorrow.

"Sister Su! Sister Su!"

A boisterous shout broke the artistic Concept of the zither music.

Lin Xiaowan rushed in like a small cannonball, grabbing the teapot on the table and taking a huge gulp without any ladylike grace.

Su Qingge pressed down on the zither strings, looking at the reckless girl before her with a flash of doting helplessness in her eyes.

"Xiao Wan, slow down."

Su Qingge handed over a handkerchief. "I heard you were also hiding in town the past two days? You weren't hurt, were you? I later heard you followed Hall Master Lin to the... Hehuan Sect on the mountain?"

"I'm fine! I'm doing great!"

Lin Xiaowan wiped her mouth and leaned in excitedly toward Su Qingge, saying mysteriously:

"Sister Su, I came today to tell you some wonderful news! I want to invite you to join our Hehuan Sect!"

Hearing this, Su Qingge just shook her head gently, still maintaining the appearance of a fragile zither player.

"Xiao Wan, you know that I only want to live a quiet life here. I don't want to get involved in the cultivation world."

"Oh, Sister Su! Stop pretending!"

Lin Xiaowan grew anxious and leaned into her ear, lowering her voice:

"I saw everything that night! When that bloody light rushed over, you clearly pulled a sword out of your zither! Your Aura was even scarier than that red-robed demon's!"

Su Qingge's eyes narrowed, then she smiled helplessly.

Having mingled with Mortals for so long, her vigilance had actually dropped significantly, allowing this silly girl to see her.

"So what?" Su Qingge said indifferently. "I am used to freedom and cannot bear the constraints of a Sect."

"What if... there's an unlimited supply of Foundation Establishment Stage Medicinal Pills?"

Lin Xiaowan threw out the first bait. "Our Sect can produce Foundation Establishment Stage Medicinal Pills at will! Sister, aren't you tempted?"

Su Qingge's expression remained calm, even carrying a hint of disdain.

"Foundation Establishment Stage Medicinal Pills are good, but they are merely external objects."

She was born into a great Family in the Central Continent; what kind of Spirit Pills or miraculous medicines had she not seen?

Mere Foundation Establishment Stage Medicinal Pills couldn't move her.

Seeing Su Qingge completely unmoved, Lin Xiaowan bit her lip and threw out her ultimate trump card:

"Then... what about a god-level beauty preservation pill! The kind that makes you stay young forever and keeps your appearance from aging!"

*Zheng!*

Su Qingge's fingers trembled violently, and the zither's note turned sharp for an instant.

She looked up, a flicker of movement in her beautiful eyes, but it immediately turned into deep self-mockery and bitterness.

She raised her hand to gently stroke her devastatingly beautiful face, her voice faint:

"Stay young forever? Never age?"

"Xiao Wan, do you know... for a woman who lacks the strength to protect herself, beauty is not a blessing, but a calamity."

"If not for this face, why would my Family be destroyed and I be left wandering here? If not for this face, why would I need to hide in this remote town, afraid to show myself?"

The light in Su Qingge's eyes dimmed. "To me, this Beauty Preservation Pill is nothing more than a longer-lasting curse. I won't go."

Lin Xiaowan was completely dumbfounded.

She hadn't expected that the "Divine-Grade benefit" in her eyes would actually be a "curse" to Sister Su.

Seeing Su Qingge about to serve tea to see her out, Lin Xiaowan scratched her head in desperation.

Suddenly, she thought of something and shouted:

"But... but my Revered Master is very powerful! Especially, especially powerful!"

Su Qingge waved her hand listlessly. "What does his power have to do with me?"

"That red-robed evil Cultivator Li Feiyu from that night was killed with one strike by my Revered Master's Wife! But my Revered Master's Wife said she was only acting on the Sect Master's orders!"

Lin Xiaowan gestured wildly:

"And you don't know, our Sect transformed overnight! Those grand palaces were all conjured by Revered Master with just a wave of his hand!"

"Revered Master's Wife was once the Tianshui Holy Maiden; such a proud person is completely devoted to my Revered Master, saying he is the most incredible powerhouse she has ever seen, with heavenly methods and omnipotence!"

"Revered Master even said that on his territory, even the King of Hell cannot take anyone away!"

Su Qingge's hand, which was about to pick up the tea, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

Creating things with a wave of a hand?

Making the Tianshui Holy Maiden submit?

Heavenly methods, omnipotence?

Su Qingge's breathing became slightly rapid.

She had been lying low in Qingshi Town for three years, painstakingly practicing the zither and sword; for what?

Wasn't it so that one day she could fight her way back to the Central Continent and take revenge on that colossus?

But the enemy's strength left her in despair.

With her own strength, she probably had no hope of revenge even if she reached the Golden Core Stage.

But if...

If there really was a peerless powerhouse living in seclusion, and she could borrow his influence or learn his heavenly methods...

Su Qingge stood up abruptly. At that moment, her fragile temperament vanished, replaced by a piercing Sword Intent.

"Xiao Wan."

Su Qingge stared into Lin Xiaowan's eyes, her tone becoming more serious than ever:

"Is your Sect Master truly that mysterious?"

Lin Xiaowan was startled but still nodded vigorously. "Really! I saw it with my own eyes! Revered Master is like... like a god descended to earth!"

Su Qingge took a deep breath, a flash of determination in her eyes.

For the sake of revenge, she was willing to take a gamble.

Even if it were a dragon's pool or a tiger's den, she had to venture in.

"Fine."

Su Qingge waved her fair hand, putting the ancient zither into her storage ring.

"Since my Eldest Senior Sister has extended such a warm invitation, I will go with you to take a look."

"If your Sect Master is merely a man of hollow reputation..."

A cold light flashed in Su Qingge's eyes. "I will turn around and leave immediately."

"Definitely not hollow! Definitely not hollow!"

Lin Xiaowan cheered. Although the process was a bit convoluted, she had at least managed to persuade her!

...

Half an hour later.

Hehuan Sect mountain gate.

When Su Qingge followed Lin Xiaowan, stepped onto the last stair, and passed through that faint barrier into the Sect's Domain the instant.

*Buzz—*

The spiritual power within her body suddenly became active uncontrollably, as if parched land had met sweet rain.

She looked up, staring at the scene before her in shock:

The barren mountain that looked ordinary from below was now filled with swirling mist, and the Spiritual Qi was so dense it had almost liquefied (Spirit Gathering Array).

And what shocked her most was that on both sides of the plaza, two grand buildings stood tall, exuding an ancient and profound Dao charm (Mission Hall and Pill Refining Room).

That architectural style and Aura were definitely not something Mortal craftsmen could create. Even her Su Family in the Central Continent did not have buildings of this caliber!

"This... this is the Hehuan Sect?"

"Void Creation... Spirit Gathering Array... It truly is not simple."

The slight doubt in Su Qingge's heart vanished instantly, replaced by a flame called "hope" burning in her chest.

Such a foundation might truly be able to help her get revenge!

And on the grandmaster's chair at the entrance of the main hall.

A young man was sitting with his legs crossed, holding a cattail leaf fan, lazily basking in the sun.

Although there wasn't a hint of Spiritual Qi fluctuation on him and he looked like a Mortal.

The moment Su Qingge stepped in, a shuddering sensation born from a Cultivator's intuition told her:

Returning to simplicity!

Unfathomable!

Wang Yang seemed to sense something and slowly opened his eyes.

When he saw the woman behind Lin Xiaowan, holding an ancient zither, her long gown fluttering, looking as beautiful as a fairy from a painting.

The System's notification sound exploded in his mind, extremely abrupt and frantic:

[Ding! Peerless target detected within Domain range!]

[Target]: Su Qingge.

[Identity]: Eldest daughter of the Central Continent Su Family (survivor of a massacre/on the run) / Hidden Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator / Dual Cultivator of Zither and Sword.

[Beauty Score]: 95 (Peerless elegance, ethereal as a fairy).

[Potential]: S (Innate Zither Heart and Sword Gall).

[Current Core Aspiration]: Revenge.

[Current Status]: Shocked by the Sect's foundation, viewing the host as the hope for revenge.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host! An excellent candidate for [Mission One: Spreading the Sect Master's Lineage] has been discovered!]

He looked at the woman in green standing in the sunlight, the fire of revenge burning in her eyes, then looked at Lin Xiaowan beside her, who had a face saying "Revered Master, praise me quickly."

Only one thought remained in his mind:

"This disciple... she really 'sold' her 95-point bestie to me?!"

"Well done!!"