Chapter 225: Come Back Home With Me, Nightcrypt!
The command medallion was a gift from the Song Clan patriarch, and was a guarantee that as long as he didn’t betray the sect, he could do virtually anything he wanted in the sect.
He could even kill people with impunity!
Unfortunately, it was useless when dealing with Song Junwan. It didn’t matter that he was in mid Foundation Establishment, there was no way he was a match for someone like her, a top expert who was on the verge of reaching Core Formation. Of course, Song Junwan didn’t attack him, she merely glared at him for a moment before turning and leaving.
Over the course of the following days, news about Nightcrypt successfully concocting a tier-4 spirit medicine spread throughout the entire Blood Stream Sect. Everyone, prime elders included, heard about the matter.
Even the blood rippers, who were almost always in secluded meditation, caught wind of the name of Nightcrypt. It was the same with the rest of the patriarchs.
The Song Clan patriarch seemed to take him especially seriously, and his attitude determined the attitude of the Song Clan. Of course, the Song Clan was a major force in the Blood Stream Sect, with roots that ran very deep.
Eventually, news about Nightcrypt and his medicine concocting leaked out of the sect to the cultivator clans. Word even reached the Spirit Stream Sect. Hou Yunfei and Bai Xiaochun’s other friends were all struck speechless. Some of them couldn’t help but think of Bai Xiaochun, but the idea that the two of them were connected seemed so preposterous that they quickly dismissed such notions.
Either way, the stories about Nightcrypt caused the other sects to view him as an even more important person in the Blood Stream Sect. Some people even placed him on the same level as Song Que.
Of course, in the Blood Stream Sect, things were different. A lot of people already viewed Song Que as being inferior to Nightcrypt. Not only did Nightcrypt have terrifying battle prowess, he was also brutal, vicious, and had a devilish way of concocting medicine. Few people dared to even approach him.
The fact that a pestilence of diarrhea had struck an entire mountain caused countless hearts to be struck with even more fear than before.
His nickname soon changed from Nightdevil to Plaguedevil. The mere idea of how he would cut people down without even shedding blood was terrifying.
Bai Xiaochun actually enjoyed the change in attitude. Most of the cultivators on Middle Peak were dead set on avoiding him at all costs.
None were willing to provoke him, and although some still resented him, no major issues arose.
As for the Inner Sect disciples, they thought of him as some sort of vicious wild beast. The mere thought of him would cause their legs to go weak, and based on the stories that circulated among them, he was the type of person who could wipe out an entire mountain peak if he wanted.
However, Bai Xiaochun’s life only went smoothly for a few days. Calling upon her authority as the grand elder of Middle Peak, Song Junwan issued a whole series of orders to him. She had him sweep all of the paths on Middle Peak, had him go repair all of the destroyed Immortal’s caves, and told him to do other similar things. She found plenty of ways to control Bai Xiaochun, to the point where he was left scowling on the verge of tears.
“So I slipped up one little time…!” Bai Xiaochun huffed. Just when he was finishing sweeping Middle Peak, he got another order from Song Junwan. He was now to scrub all garbage receptacles on Middle Peak.
“I can’t believe she’s being such a bully! How come she can make a pass at me, but I can’t do the same thing back!?” Bai Xiaochun was brimming with anger. How could he go around scrubbing garbage receptacles, considering his status in the sect? It was at around that moment that a beam of light appeared off in the distance, which circled around and headed toward Bai Xiaochun.
When he looked up, he realized it was the grand elder of Corpse Peak.
“Hey there, Nightcrypt, old boy,” the grand elder said, laughing heartily. Landing near Bai Xiaochun, he walked over and saw the broom in Bai Xiaochun was holding. Eyes glittering, he said, “Being punished? I can’t believe you actually dared to make a pass at Song Junwan!”
Although he was the grand elder of Corpse Peak, he knew that Nightcrypt was an extraordinary person who would likely become a patriarch. He had virtually limitless potential, and was also haughty and arrogant. Therefore, the grand elder had long since come to view him as a cultivator of the same generation as himself.
“Yeah, so what?” Bai Xiaochun replied, glaring and sticking his chin up. “She made a pass at me first!!”
The grand elder looked around carefully, then lowered his voice and said, “Nightcrypt, old boy, you listen to me. Do you know what kind of person Song Junwan is? She’s a damned scorpion, that’s what! Of all the guys who have dared to provoke her over the years, not a single one met a good end. In fact, years ago, when she was in the Qi Condensation stage, I personally witnessed how she dealt with someone who treated her improperly. She gutted him alive….”
“Gutted him alive?!” Bai Xiaochun asked, gasping.
The grand elder looked around furtively for a moment before continuing, “Did you ever hear about Blood Master Situ Hao from Lesser Marsh Peak? A few years ago, he harbored malicious intentions toward Song Junwan. She chased him all the way to Nameless Peak, and almost managed to gut him too!”
“She guts blood masters?!” Bai Xiaochun felt his scalp tingling like mad. He knew that in the Blood Stream Sect, blood masters occupied a very high position, similar to the sect leader. In fact, in some ways, they were even more powerful than the sect leader. The sect leader couldn’t directly issue orders to the cultivators of a mountain peak, but a blood master could!
Furthermore, only by reaching Core Formation and becoming a blood master could someone ever have a chance of becoming a blood ripper! Blood rippers were the most important force in the sect next to the patriarchs!
For various reasons, blood masters were people who could drive countless other members of the sect into madness.
Bai Xiaochun was more nervous than ever. After glancing up at the upper finger, he looked back at the Corpse Peak grand elder and said, “What are you doing here anyway? Trying to scare me?”
“Why would I want to scare you, Nightcrypt, old boy?” he replied, smiling broadly. “I’m just telling you the facts! Hey, we’ve been friends since your days in the Inner Sect, haven’t we? Such good friends…. In fact, I even went to the sect leader and asked if it would be alright to invite you to Corpse Peak to concoct some medicine. If you do, then you won’t have to follow any orders from that ogress Song Junwan, right?
“How about this: take as much time to think it over as you need. Don’t worry, I’ll provide you with all the medicinal ingredients. Actually, they’ve already been prepared. After you’re finished, you’ll have my profound thanks! Oh, right. The Corpse Peak blood master said that if you agree to concoct medicine for us, he’ll give you that emerald zombie you refined as a gift!” The Corpse Peak grand elder slapped his bag of holding and produced a command medallion, which was none other than the device to control the emerald zombie.
Bai Xiaochun looked at it and confirmed that it was the very control device which he had handed over, the one that controlled the emerald zombie. Of course, if he wanted to, he could invalidate the command medallion with a mere thought at any time.
However, the idea of concocting medicine at Corpse Peak to evade the punishments of Song Junwan seemed like a wonderful idea. He didn’t agree right away though. Instead, he put a hesitant expression onto his face.
“You know,” he said with a wince, “whenever I concoct medicine, fellow sect members often suffer….”
“I’ll personally kill anyone who complains,” the grand elder responded immediately. “Nightcrypt, old boy, rest at ease and concoct to your heart’s content! As long as you can make me a tier-4 Inverse Blood Corpse Refining Pill, then anything goes!”
Bai Xiaochun cleared his throat. He was about to continue to play hard to get when suddenly, a cold snort echoed out from the upper finger.
“Nightcrypt, why haven’t you started scrubbing yet!?
“And then there’s you, old fogey. What are you doing off of Corpse Peak!? Why are you always interfering in my business on Middle Peak!” It was none other than Song Junwan. As soon as her voice rang out, Bai Xiaochun grabbed the arm of the Corpse Peak grand elder.
“I agree! When do we leave!?”
“Now!” replied the grand elder, elated. Throwing his head back and laughing uproariously, he unleashed the power of his cultivation base, taking Bai Xiaochun with him as he shot toward Corpse Peak in a beam of light.
At first, Song Junwan’s jaw dropped in shock. But then a strange fire began to rage in her heart, and she flew out to block the path of the Corpse Peak grand elder. “Where do you think you’re going, Nightcrypt!?”
However, it was at that very moment that a blood-colored beam of light shot out from Corpse Peak. It was a middle-aged man with a mane of blood-colored hair, wearing a long, blood-colored robe. Even his skin was the color of blood, and eyes shone with piercing light. Clearly, he had a Foundation Establishment cultivation base, and yet he emanated an energy that was no weaker than that of a prime elder. A single step put him directly in front of Song Junwan.
“Junwan, Junior Brother Nightcrypt is a famous person in the sect. Even the patriarchs like him. It’s fundamentally wrong to force him to do such menial, humiliating tasks. Junior Brother Nighcrypt has agreed to come to Corpse Peak to concoct medicine, so just calm down, we won’t treat him badly!” The man waved his right hand, and Corpse Peak trembled, as though it were resonating with him. At the same time, incredible pressure weighed down in all directions.
“Windcliff, I don’t care if you’re the blood master of Corpse Peak, what gives you the right to interfere in Middle Peak’s affairs!?” Song Junwan’s eyes flickered with killing intent as she stared at the blood-colored figure, who was none other than Blood Master Windcliff from Corpse Peak!
“I’m not a useless piece of crap like Situ Hao! You’re not getting past me!” Windcliff took another step forward to block her path while the grand elder sped along toward Corpse Peak with Bai Xiaochun in tow.
“Nightcrypt, come back home this instant!” Song Junwan shouted lividly.
Seeing that Song Junwan’s path had been obstructed, and knowing that he was now safe, Bai Xiaochun shook his head vigorously and shot back, “I’m not going back, no matter what you say!”
“Are you coming or not!?” she cried, stamping her foot in fury.
“Not!” he retorted with another shake of the head.
“Oh, look at you, Nightcrypt. Think you’re tough stuff now, huh? If you don’t come back this instant, then you can forget about ever coming back!” With that, she turned angrily and headed back toward Middle Peak.
“Fine!” Bai Xiaochun said with an angry snort. “I’m never going back!” Then he turned and headed toward Corpse Peak.
By this point, the grand elder was sweating as he looked first at Bai Xiaochun, and then back at the equally furious Song Junwan.
“You two…?” he said hesitantly, starting to wonder exactly what had gone on between them….
The exchange that had just gone on left the Corpse Peak grand elder, as well as Blood Master Windcliff, blinking in shock. Something about the whole conversation seemed a bit off.
They weren’t the only ones to have such a reaction. Any other cultivator who heard their argument couldn’t shake the feeling that they were hearing a fight between a husband and wife. It was like a husband angrily storming out of the house and the wife cursing him the entire way….
Note from Deathblade: Since I always tend to get confusion when I include the notes from Er Gen, I want to make clear that the following note is from Er Gen, when the chapter was originally released:
Note from Er Gen: This chapter is coming out on Chinese Valentine’s Day. I hope that all Fellow Daoists have someone who will say: “Dear, come back home with me….”