Starting as a Talisman Master

"Mysterious Yin Valley..."

Lu Chi silently repeated these three words in his heart, his gaze slightly darkening.

Yan Guixuan, the master of Xuan Yin Gu Gu, was notorious in the unaffiliated cultivator community of Dongyue County.

Rumor has it that this person had already reached the Great Perfection of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining several years ago, and was only one step away from the lofty Foundation Establishment Realm.

If such a person were to truly interfere in the internal strife of the Qixia Sect, let alone Qin Su Niang, who had just entered the eighth level of Qi Refining, even he himself would have to think twice before facing him.

Although he possessed a top-grade talisman, a deadly weapon, Yan Guixuan, as the master of a valley, had unfathomable depths of knowledge. How could he not have a trump card to protect himself against Foundation Establishment cultivators?

It should be noted that Ge Jiuzhang, who was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining in the past, was still able to pull out a top-grade thunder talisman to fight for his life.

After weighing the options, Lu Chi still preferred to withdraw as soon as possible.

The current situation is like a raging fire. He just killed Shen Yuanheng and Luo Wenshan on the outskirts of Qingque Mountain. If he stays in Qixia Sect for too long and causes trouble, those two families will follow the clues and come knocking on his door. At that time, they will be angry and will definitely take their anger out on the entire Qixia Sect.

If it really comes to that, you'll be facing more than just one cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

"However..." Lu Chi's thoughts raced, his fingertips lightly moving within his sleeve. "If we could set up a trap or trip up Xuan Yin Valley before we leave, it wouldn't be a bad idea..."

Just as various killing formations and escape routes were churning in his mind, Qin Su Niang, who had been intently observing him, suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled: "Why does Master Lu look so solemn?"

The coldness in her eyes softened into a gentle smile as she said softly, "Although Yan Guixuan is a tough nut to crack, I have already made up my mind about it. I was just telling you all this to vent my frustrations as you were about to leave, not to force you into my scheme."

Lu Chi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and looked up at her in surprise. Yan Guixuan was at the Great Perfection of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, and was by no means easy to deal with.

Qin Suniang suppressed her smile and nodded solemnly: "I dare to guarantee with my life that there is a foolproof plan for this matter. Master Lu can leave with peace of mind."

Seeing that Lu Chi was still pondering, her eyes flickered, and that alluring charm quietly crept up her brows again.

"Master Lu's brows are furrowed so deeply, as if he is worrying and planning for me... Could it be that during these past few months together, he has truly developed feelings for me and fallen in love with me?"

Lu Chi chuckled softly, taking half a step closer. His gaze brazenly swept down her long, slender, fair neck, his voice low and laced with a hint of aggression:

"With such a stunning beauty and such a graceful and charming appearance, how could I, in my prime, not feel a little affection for her? Would I be a heartless blockhead?"

"Since the sect leader has seen through my thoughts, why don't we shed these empty titles of sect leader and guest elder tonight, and go into the red-curtained chamber to properly study the true meaning of the word 'admiration'?"

Qin Su Niang was taken aback. Her captivating peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, her red lips pursed, and although her smile remained, a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.

She remained motionless, still exuding a seductive charm, but her voice was a few decibels lower than before, with a barely perceptible tremor at the end: "You... really... have absolutely no shame."

Lu Chi chuckled inwardly.

As he expected, this beautiful widow, despite her alluring appearance and bold words, turned out to be nothing more than a show-off who was all bark and no bite and only dared to gain an advantage verbally.

However, the fullness and charm of such an adult, coupled with the sudden panic at this moment, does have a captivating and alluring power.

It's unknown what astonishing methods and charm the former sect leader of Qixia Sect, Lin Chengye, used to bring such a prickly and naturally alluring woman into his household.

Despite his admiration, Lu Chi did not actually harbor any romantic or frivolous thoughts towards her.

In reality, deep down, he has a stubborn obsession with cleanliness.

No matter how stunningly beautiful Qin Suniang was, she was still a married woman who was adept at navigating the world of fame and fortune, such as the Moon Shadow Pavilion.

He simply couldn't muster any interest in pursuing such a woman who had been tainted by too much karma and worldly affairs.

The path to immortality is long and arduous. If one day he were to seek a Daoist partner with whom he could cultivate life and death, he would still prefer someone like a flawless, untouched gem, whose primordial yin energy has not yet dissipated.

Lu Chi suppressed his thoughts, knowing when to stop. He took a half-step back, creating a slightly ambiguous distance between them and completely dispelling the aggressive pressure emanating from him.

"Since the sect leader already has a foolproof plan for the Xuan Yin Valley, I, Lu, will not go to any further trouble."

Goodbye.

After Lu Chi finished speaking, he slightly cupped his hands, and with a sway of his body, he quietly disappeared into the night outside the window like a gentle breeze, without making a sound.

The empty room was left with only the flickering candlelight.

Qin Suniang stood alone by the window, gazing at the deep night, her eyes shifting uncertainly.

A moment later, she reached out and tidied her slightly disheveled hair, turned around and walked behind the desk, gently twirling an inconspicuous inkstone.

A moment later, she reached out and tidied her slightly disheveled hair, turned around and walked behind the desk, gently twirling an inconspicuous inkstone.

With a very slight clicking sound, the display cabinet slid open to the sides, revealing a dark secret passage.

Without hesitation, Qin Su Niang stepped inside and arrived at a hidden chamber deep underground.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the stone door to the secret chamber was gently knocked on from the outside.

A trusted female disciple led a mysterious figure draped in a black cloak into the room silently.

The female disciple bowed and withdrew, and the stone door closed again, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

The mysterious man casually removed his cloak, revealing a young man with a handsome face, but with a sickly pale complexion.

If a knowledgeable rogue cultivator were here, he would surely be so shocked that he would gasp in astonishment.

This seemingly frail young cultivator was none other than Yan Guixuan, the Xuan Yin Valley Master whose fearsome reputation shook Dongyue County and whose cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining!

Who would have thought that this culprit, who was rumored to have a blood feud with the Qixia Sect and even "severely injured" the former sect leader Lin Chengye, would now be a guest of honor at Qin Su Niang's table.

It turns out that in this world, there are no eternal enemies; in the final analysis, it all boils down to the word "interests."

Ever since Qin Suniang secretly discovered that Mu Changfeng was colluding with Xuan Yin Valley and intending to usurp the throne with the help of external forces, she took the initiative and secretly made contact with the master of Xuan Yin Valley.

She imitated the methods she used to recruit Lu Chi, and even offered an even more lethal bargaining chip: in addition to the ancient formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill, there were also mature plants of Concentration Fruit and Earth Vein Scrophularia!

For Yan Guixuan, who had been stuck at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining for many years and was eager to break through, this kind of opportunity that directly leads to Foundation Establishment was far more tempting than the ordinary spirit stone income promised by Mu Changfeng.

The two hit it off immediately and even made a solemn vow to each other. Yan Guixuan helped her eliminate dissidents at the grand ceremony and secure her position as sect leader, while Qin Suniang offered him high-level spiritual items to help him break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

This was clearly not the first time the two had met secretly.

Yan Guixuan toyed with the bone ring on his thumb, then casually sat down in the guest seat, a half-smile playing on his pale face.

"Sect Master Qin, these past few days, that old scoundrel Mu Changfeng has sent another secret letter, urging me to make preparations as soon as possible. That old bastard really thinks he's the master of Qixia Sect."

He paused, then looked up at Qin Suniang, who was seated at the head of the table, his gaze slightly cold.

"There's one thing I've never understood. With my secret assistance, killing Mu Changfeng would be a piece of cake. Why go through all this trouble, dragging it out until the sect's grand ceremony half a year from now? A longer night could lead to unforeseen problems. Wouldn't it be cleaner and more efficient to just find a dark and stormy night and kill him?"

Qin Su Niang personally poured him a cup of spiritual tea, her voice gentle and refined, befitting a sect leader who considered the bigger picture.

"Master Yan, you may not know this. Mu Changfeng has been cultivating his influence within the sect for many years, with deep-rooted connections and numerous followers. If we were to suddenly kill him now, it would inevitably cause internal strife within the sect and give others cause for gossip."

"It would be better to save it for the grand ceremony, in front of all the comrades, to expose his crimes of colluding with foreign enemies and plotting to betray the sect, and to execute him justifiably, so as to subdue people's hearts once and for all."

Although she spoke gently, a hint of coldness flashed in Qin Su Niang's lowered eyes, faintly carrying an uncontrollable resentment.

Rightful and legitimate? To subdue people's hearts? Those were just high-sounding words used to appease Yan Guixuan.

The reason she insisted on setting the assassination plot for the sect's grand ceremony a year later was that on that day, she would send out invitations in the name of the Qixia Sect to legitimately invite the Shen and Luo families from the Qingque Mountain market to come up the mountain.

The reason why Lin Chengye, that beast, was able to force himself on her so brazenly was because he had previously sought out a playboy who was familiar with the Luo and Shen families and spent a lot of money to purchase vicious talismans and potent muscle-weakening powder specifically for subduing female cultivators.

If it weren't for those two young masters pushing her along for a few spirit stones, how could she have lost all her spiritual power, become powerless to resist, and become a plaything for those beasts to satisfy their lust?

If Mu Changfeng dies, those hypocritical accomplices from the Shen and Luo families will also pay the price!

She intends to exact revenge on all those she suffered during the grand ceremony, bringing back all her enemies and sending them to their deaths!

As for the inevitable retaliation from the Shen and Luo families afterward...

A cold, mocking glint appeared in Qin Suniang's eyes. So what?

Once she has avenged her great grudge, she will take the resources and provisions she has secretly accumulated and ruthlessly abandon the Qixia Sect, which is riddled with holes, and go to other great immortal cities in the Nine Provinces to start anew.

This seemingly ethereal Qixia Sect, from Lin Chengye to Mu Changfeng, is nothing but a bunch of thieves and prostitutes, utterly repulsive. There's nothing left for her to cherish about this land.