Chapter 24: The Elixir Treasury
After learning that Xiao Chenlan was the young master of the Xiao family who had been pursuing Qing Wu Gui, Qu Yi had several thoughts flash through his mind, but he quickly calmed down. Now was not the time to kill Xiao Chenlan right away.
In this Xiaozu Mountain, it was easy for Qu Yi to enter, but to leave, he needed to go through a series of approvals. If he killed Xiao Chenlan now, the people of the Xiao family would immediately realize that a spy had infiltrated their headquarters, and Xiao Jicang would be the first suspect—this would greatly hinder Qu Yi’s future actions.
Since Qu Yi wanted to take revenge on the Xiao family, he couldn’t give them a chance to retaliate. He needed to destroy their foundation, which required careful planning within Xiaozu Mountain, waiting for the right moment to eliminate the entire Xiao family at once.
Thus, Qu Yi stayed by Xiao Jicang’s side, smiling as he watched Xiao Chenlan and Xiao Chentan.
“Xiao Tianshi, you’ve returned so quickly. Didn’t you stay in the Destruction Mountains any longer? This is a lucrative job,” Xiao Chenlan said jokingly upon seeing Qu Yi.
In the eyes of the Xiao family, working at the Spirit Mineral Treasury was a lucrative job because it offered opportunities to go outside, earning respect from others and substantial wealth.
Hearing this, Qu Yi knew Xiao Chenlan was probing him. He immediately replied with a smile, “Young master, I won’t slack off in the slightest. I’ll carry out my duties diligently and return on time.”
Xiao Chenlan showed slight displeasure. He had intended to let Qu Yi reveal some mistakes so he could report to the family and replace him with someone from his own faction assigned to the Spirit Mineral Treasury. But with Qu Yi’s response, he couldn’t press further.
“Xiao Jicang, didn’t I tell you? Go get me a piece of Fireheart Dark Gold ore. I need it urgently,” Xiao Chenlan said, abandoning Qu Yi and directing his anger at Xiao Jicang.
As the young master and a master at the Diversion Stage, Xiao Chenlan saw no need to be polite with Xiao Jicang, who was only at the Mid-Yuan Ying Stage.
A flash of anger crossed Xiao Jicang’s eyes, but he quickly smiled and said, “Young master, do you have the family authorization? Without the family’s approval, I can’t give you the ore.”
This was indeed the Xiao family’s rule—anyone who wanted to carry out a task had to apply to the family. After the family recorded it, they would give them an authorization, which would be taken back once the task was completed.
Hearing this, Xiao Chenlan tightened his face and, slightly angered, took out the authorization.
The token was circular, dark red, with the character “Xiao” on it. Seeing that the token was correct, Xiao Jicang immediately smiled and said, “Young master, please wait a moment. I’ll go get the Fireheart Dark Gold ore and give it to you.” Before Xiao Jicang could move, Xiao Jitan beside him quickly said, “Xiao Jicang, there’s no need for you to run back and forth. Bring out the Patterned Heart ore I want as well.” Immediately afterward, Xiao Jitan also took out a Xiao family token. Xiao Jicang replied affirmatively and flew straight to the Spirit Mineral Cave, with Qu Yi following closely behind. Qu Yi took all the ores, and without him accompanying, Xiao Jicang couldn’t deliver the ores needed by the two young masters of the Xiao family. They entered a cave numbered 067 together. “Master, these ores that these two want can only be given up by you,” Xiao Jicang said with a smile. Qu Yi smiled and promptly brought out the Fireheart Dark Gold ore and the Patterned Heart ore, then asked curiously, “Xiao Jicang, since these two young masters came in person to get the ores, what do they want?” Xiao Jicang looked at Qu Yi in surprise before saying, “In a year, our Xiao family’s annual competition will begin. These young masters all want to defeat the others and secure a good position in the struggle to become the family’s heir.” Upon hearing this, Qu Yi immediately understood—these six young masters of the Xiao family were constantly fighting among themselves for the right to inherit the family. With such an important family event approaching, how could they miss this opportunity? Winning against the other five would automatically give them the best position in the race for inheritance. After a brief moment of thought, Qu Yi’s eyes lit up; he already had an idea. Isn’t this the perfect chance for him? During the Xiao family’s annual competition, all the important figures and strong members of the family would gather—this was his best opportunity to eliminate the Xiao family. Soon, Xiao Jicang came out carrying the Fireheart Dark Gold ore and the Patterned Heart ore, handing them to Xiao Chenlan and Xiao Chentan respectively. The two took the ores without saying much more and flew away from the Spirit Mineral Cave to refine their own magical artifacts, aiming to stand out during the family competition. After seeing them leave, Qu Yi turned to Xiao Jicang and said with a smile, “Xiao Jicang, take me to the Medicine Pill Repository.” Hearing Qu Yi’s words, Xiao Jicang felt a strange tremor in his heart. He guessed that Qu Yi must have some other plan in mind. If Qu Yi also plundered the Xiao family’s medicine pill repository, the family’s future would indeed face great difficulties.
Qu Yi chuckled and sent a look, signaling Xiao Jicang to quickly take him to the pill repository. Although Qu Yi knew where the pill repository was, he didn’t want to appear there in person, so he wanted Xiao Jicang to use the Dimension Ball to enter it. After hesitating for a while, Xiao Jicang felt his soul stretch and twist again, causing intense pain, forcing him to fly away from the spirit ore repository and head toward the central part of Mount Xiaozu. Meanwhile, Qu Yi had already entered the Dimension Ball and followed Xiao Jicang as they flew up Mount Xiaozu. In a short while, Xiao Jicang reached the mountain’s center, where there was a cave entrance about a kilometer wide—the entrance to the pill repository. The person in charge of the pill repository was named Xiao Jiling, who was at the late Yuan Ying stage of cultivation; he was already at the cave entrance. “Hehe, Brother Jicang, since you’re not in the spirit ore repository, how did you end up here in my pill repository?” Xiao Jiling, with his delicate and lively appearance, said cheerfully. Xiao Jicang laughed and replied, “I’m not here to see you. With so many pills stored here and me not being able to taste even one, it’s really painful. I’m going to the mountain top to report some matters. Just now, Young Masters Xiao Chenlan and Xiao Chentan took some ore, and I need to report on that. Thinking of you being all alone here in the pill repository, I came by to check on you. But don’t get too emotional, okay?” It turned out that Xiao Jicang and Xiao Jiling had a good relationship and were joking with each other. Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiling immediately understood. He also knew that a major competition within the Xiao family was approaching, and the young masters naturally needed to prepare to stand out during it. “I see. It seems my pill repository won’t be spared either. Those young masters will surely come to take some pills as well,” Xiao Jiling said with a smile. Xiao Jicang nodded and then said, “Jiling, I’m going to the family’s internal affairs hall first. When I return, I’ll come to you for a drink. I’ve been longing for that Morning Pearl Bamboo Wine you cherish.” Xiao Jiling laughed heartily, clearly proud of his prized Morning Pearl Bamboo Wine. Xiao Jicang quickly flew up to the mountain top, while a speck of dust fell from him and headed straight for the pill repository. Xiao Jiling glanced up into the air and then flew into the pill repository with a proud smile. This pill repository was also a huge cave, with new caves carved into the walls every mile. These caves were equipped with arrays to seal the pills in various porcelain jars, preventing the spiritual energy from dissipating.
Since this pill repository was located in Xiaozu Mountain, which in turn had a mountain protection formation, the people of the Xiao family were quite confident about its safety. Therefore, like the spirit mineral repository, it was also overseen by just one person, while ten members of the Xiao family at the Yuan Ying stage went outside to collect medicinal materials. Usually, only Xiao Jiling was in the pill repository. At this moment, Xiao Jiling went deep into the cave, where there was a hollow space that served as his cultivation area. As soon as he entered the hollow and activated the spirit gathering array there, ready to begin cultivating, Qu Yi suddenly appeared. Before Xiao Jiling could react, Qu Yi knocked him unconscious with a palm strike. Without a doubt, Qu Yi had the Artifact God plant a soul shackle on Xiao Jiling, taking control of the person in charge of the Xiao family’s pill repository. Of course, Qu Yi carried out this ambush only after the Artifact God’s spiritual sense sensed that no one from the Xiao family’s spiritual senses covered the pill repository, allowing him to act suddenly. Originally, Xiaozu Mountain was the headquarters of the Xiao family, and usually no one from the family dared to use their spiritual senses to search the mountain, as it would be considered an infringement on other family members. Even the clan leader and the ancestors of the Xiao family did not constantly monitor the mountain with their spiritual senses; they would only conduct thorough searches occasionally after cultivation. Thus, Qu Yi could act in the pill repository with little risk of being discovered. After a while, Xiao Jiling regained consciousness and sadly realized that his soul was now under someone else’s control. Qu Yi emerged from the Dimension Ball and looked at Xiao Jiling joyfully, saying, “Xiao Jiling, from today onward, you belong to me, and this Xiao family’s pill repository is mine as well.” Just as Xiao Jiling wanted to curse loudly, he felt extreme pain in his soul—any attempt to resist Qu Yi caused his soul to feel as if it might break apart. At that moment, Xiao Jiling understood that he had indeed been controlled by Qu Yi. “What exactly do you want by infiltrating our Xiao family?” Xiao Jiling asked anxiously, his face filled with worry. Qu Yi smiled, sat down on the ground, and said, “Xiao Jiling, don’t worry. I won’t kill you. I still need to stay in your Xiao family for a while. Oh, first bring me your precious Chenzhu Bamboo Wine; I’d like to taste it.” How could Qu Yi reveal his purpose of coming to the Xiao family? Anyway, with a year left before the major competition within the Xiao family, he planned to wait here for a year before taking action.
Xiao Jiling’s eyes darkened as she intuited that the Xiao family was about to face tremendous trouble this time. Reluctantly, she took out her treasured Chenzhu Bamboo Wine.