At once, Ye Qiu and Yun Xi turned to Elder Longbrow, curiosity and doubt mingled in their eyes.
“Old thing, what scheme have you cooked up this time?” Ye Qiu asked.
Before Elder Longbrow could speak, Lin Da’niao jumped in excitedly. “Big Brother, you don’t understand. Second Brother’s new plan is absolutely flawless. It will definitely solve the crisis when we leave the mountain.”
Now Ye Qiu was even more curious. “Old thing, spit it out.”
Elder Longbrow chuckled. “All methods return to the same principle. My plan can still be summed up in four words: find someone to take the blame.”
“Only this time, we won’t pin it on Wu Qianfan. We’ll choose another person.”
“Who?” Yun Xi asked.
Elder Longbrow answered, “Wu Hua!”
Wu Hua?
Ye Qiu’s eyes lit up. Right, how could he have forgotten that fellow?
Wu Hua had already been reduced to a cripple and carried away by the Earth Spirit Pearl. More importantly, he was Ye Qiu’s enemy. Making him carry the blame caused not the slightest pang of conscience.
“Wu Hua is the disciple of the Lingshan Holy Monk and the Buddha-son of Great Thunderclap Temple. He has been renowned as a genius since childhood, and he possesses the strength to kill An Ruoxi, Wei Wuji, and the others.”
“So pinning the deaths of all these geniuses on him is perfectly reasonable.”
Elder Longbrow gave a wicked laugh. “Little brat, just picture it. The powerhouses of the Yin-Yang Sect, the Heaven-Mending Sect, the three great holy lands, Beast Emperor Sect, Soul-Severing Gate, and the imperial dynasties of the Central Continent, all descending upon Great Thunderclap Temple together. What a spectacular scene that will be!”
Ye Qiu instantly grasped Elder Longbrow’s intention: simply let their enemies tear one another apart, dog eat dog.
“Xi’er, what do you think of the old thing’s idea? Will it work?” Ye Qiu asked.
Yun Xi replied, “I think it’s feasible.”
“What about you?” Ye Qiu looked up at Little White Fox.
The fox countered, “Ye Changsheng, do you want the truth or a polite lie?”
Tch, playing mysterious with me?
Ye Qiu snorted. “Say it or don’t.”
Seeing his attitude, Little White Fox grew angry again, her voice tinged with grievance and faint resentment. “Ye Changsheng, you’re so gentle with everyone else. Can’t you speak a little more kindly to me?”
Ye Qiu knew the “everyone else” meant Yun Xi. “Xi’er isn’t ‘everyone else’. She’s my woman.”
“I could also…” Little White Fox started, then abruptly shut her mouth, inwardly scolding herself. Are you insane? Why would you even think that?
Ye Qiu noticed she had stopped mid-sentence. “I hate it most when people only say half of what they mean. If you’ve got something to say, say it.”
Little White Fox continued, “The Daoist’s plan will work, but it has one small flaw.”
“What flaw?” Ye Qiu asked.
“The Earth Spirit Pearl made quite a commotion when it carried Wu Hua away. If there are powerhouses outside the Undying Mountain, they will certainly have noticed.”
“Of course, that doesn’t stop us from using the plan.”
“Even if they sensed the pearl taking Wu Hua, we can still push everything onto him.”
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes. “You talked so much and said nothing useful.”
Lin Da’niao laughed. “Wu Hua was already crippled by Big Brother. If he learns he has to carry this black pot as well, he might just kill himself on the spot.”
Elder Longbrow sidled up to Ye Qiu with a shameless grin. “Little brat, isn’t my suggestion brilliant?”
Ye Qiu nodded. “For once you’ve actually been useful.”
“Listen to you. When have I ever not been useful?” Elder Longbrow chuckled. “Little brat, coming up with such a perfect plan cost me a lot of effort and quite a few brain cells. Shouldn’t you reward me a little?”
Ye Qiu knew it. The moment the old thing got close, he was after benefits.
“What do you want?” Ye Qiu asked.
Elder Longbrow said, “Little brat, you see, I obtained a Xuanwu, but the poor thing is lonely. I’d like to find it a playmate. That young Qilin of yours would be perfect.”
Ye Qiu gave a cold laugh. “Opening your mouth and asking for a divine beast straight away. Is your face really that big?”
Elder Longbrow replied without the slightest shame, “When I was small they called me Big Pancake Face.”
Ye Qiu: “…”
“Little brat, hurry and give me that Qilin cub!” Elder Longbrow pressed.
Ye Qiu’s face turned icy. “Forget about divine beasts. But if you fancy experiencing the inside of my Demon-Refining Pot, I can certainly oblige.”
Damn, this kid plays dirty.
Elder Longbrow leapt back in fright, glared at Ye Qiu, and muttered, “Stingy.”
Ye Qiu warned, “Old thing, once we’re out of the mountain and facing those top-tier sect experts, you’d better keep your mouth shut unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“With how shameless you are, I’m genuinely worried they’ll slap you dead in one strike.”
Elder Longbrow gave a cold harrumph. “They’d better not provoke me. Even if it’s a Saint, I’ll curse them all the way back to their seventy-second ancestor.”
“Let’s talk serious business,” Lin Da’niao interrupted. “Second Brother, you’re so good at divination. Hurry and cast a reading. Will we meet danger when we leave?”
“Junior Brother, why don’t you do it?” Elder Longbrow looked at Mo Tianji.
Mo Tianji shook his head. “Senior Brother, you should.”
“Fine, I’ll do one reading.” Elder Longbrow took out three copper coins and tossed them into the air.
Instantly the coins spun above his head, whistling fiercely.
He silently recited an incantation.
A few moments later.
Elder Longbrow extended his right hand. The three coins clacked into his palm, perfectly aligned in a straight line.
“Second Brother, how is it? Will we face danger when we leave?” Lin Da’niao asked eagerly.
Elder Longbrow put the coins away and laughed heartily. “The hexagram shows smooth sailing all the way.”
Ye Qiu’s heart sank. An ominous feeling rose within him.
Lin Da’niao beamed. “Fantastic! I knew it. As long as we pin everything on Wu Hua, we’ll walk out without any trouble.”
Ye Qiu glanced at him and thought, Young man, you are still too naive.
At that very moment, a figure appeared not far away.
Wu Qianfan!
Everyone turned to look at him, mildly curious.
“Aren’t you lot leaving the mountain? Why are you still here?” Wu Qianfan asked.
Elder Longbrow replied politely, “Prince Wu, we were waiting for you. After all, you are the little brat’s servant. Naturally he cannot abandon you when he leaves.”
Wu Qianfan showed no gratitude. “I prefer to travel alone. I do not enjoy company.”
“Ye Changsheng, although I have nominally acknowledged you as master, I am far from convinced. One day I will become your master instead.”
“With that, farewell.”
Having spoken, Wu Qianfan’s figure blurred into an after-image and shot straight out through the spatial rift.
