The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

He Qing felt a buzzing in his brain.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed what was happening to him.

Just a moment ago, he was standing in his study, and the next he was on this island.

Looking around, he saw the sea on three sides, with only a small path between the cliffs leading to the top, where magnificent palaces and pavilions stood.

"Could this… be paradise?" He Qing murmured to himself.

"Are you illiterate?"

A flicker of murderous intent flashed in He Qing's eyes. Normally, such a playful remark would have been enough to make the woman's head blossom.

However, while He Qing sometimes acted boldly, he wasn't reckless.

Knowing he was on someone else's territory, he thought it inappropriate to fall out before understanding the situation.

So, He Qing restrained himself, suppressed the murderous intent in his heart, and cupped his fist in salute. "My name is Li Mu."

He Qing was being careful, not giving his real name.

Mainly because he knew how bad his reputation was. He wasn't sure if the people here had heard about what happened outside. If they found out he was Yama Xiao, the wanted criminal on the Imperial City Guard's list, they might immediately turn hostile.

"My name is Han Pingping, and this is my senior brother, Jin Shengwen," the woman generously introduced. "We are both fifteenth-generation disciples of the Azure Lotus Sword Sect."

Although He Qing had already seen the words on the stone wall, he was still shocked to hear them admit they were disciples of the Azure Lotus Sword Sect.

But soon, He Qing thought of something, and his expression changed slightly. "Miss Han, are you making fun of Li?"

"Brother Li, why do you say that?" Jin Shengwen asked.

"As far as I know, the Azure Lotus Sword Sect had already reached its fifteenth generation sixty years ago. If you two are fifteenth-generation disciples, wouldn't you be at least sixty years old?"

Han Pingping smiled mysteriously upon hearing this. "There are no calendars in the mountains, and one doesn't know the year when the cold ends. Earlier, Brother Li asked if this was paradise, and you weren't entirely wrong."

He Qing's eyes lit up.

—Immortality.

From emperors and generals to common people, no one could remain unmoved by these two words.

Otherwise, people wouldn't constantly sail out to sea in search of mythical mountains or seek prescriptions and refine elixirs.

Unfortunately, it always ended in vain, with no one able to find immortality.

He Qing didn't know if Han Pingping and Jin Shengwen had achieved what countless people dreamed of.

But if they weren't lying, just the fact that they hadn't aged in over sixty years would be enough to make others envious.

Jin Shengwen and Han Pingping noticed the look of envy on He Qing's face and quickly exchanged a glance in private.

Little did they know that their small actions couldn't escape the eyes of a fiend like He Qing.

Instinct told He Qing that the matter of immortality wasn't as simple as it seemed. These two weren't telling him the whole truth, or at least, they weren't telling him everything.

However, He Qing remained calm and didn't immediately press them.

Then, Jin Shengwen cupped his fist again. "Brother Li has come at the right time. Today is our master's one hundred and twentieth birthday. A banquet has been prepared on the mountain. Brother Li can come with us. It's rare to have a new guest, and our master will surely be very happy. However…"

"Before the banquet, I have a request," He Qing said.

"Is it about what you were discussing earlier?" He Qing asked.

"That's right. Our master likes to listen to music. Since Brother Li possesses a jade flute, you must be proficient in music. Could you perform a piece for my master? If successful, I will certainly reward you handsomely."

"What reward?" He Qing asked directly.

Jin Shengwen was stunned for a moment, then chuckled. "Brother Li is indeed straightforward. Very well, I won't beat around the bush. My reward for Brother Li is the method of immortality."

"Brother Jin is truly generous. One song can be exchanged for immortality. I'm afraid the world will flock here," He Qing said calmly.

"Everything has its destined connection. Brother Li hearing us speak in the middle of the night is fate, coinciding with my master's birthday is fate, possessing the jade flute is also fate. Things in this world are like this. What seems simple is only because fate has arrived. Conversely, it is unattainable."

"That makes sense. It seems I have no choice but to attend this birthday banquet," He Qing said. "May I ask for your master's name?"

"Oh, my master… is Qin Buyu, the fourteenth-generation leader of the Azure Lotus Sword Sect, known as the Sword King of the Eastern Sea," Jin Shengwen said with a smile.

He Qing fell into a brief silence upon hearing this. Some names were like that; even if they were from sixty years ago, they still resonated like thunder!

He Qing himself was considered quite arrogant, but he couldn't be arrogant at all in front of this number one martial artist from sixty years ago. Moreover, the Azure Lotus Sword Sect had more than just the Sword King of the Eastern Sea. If they wanted to harm him, He Qing would almost certainly die.

But since he was already here, he might as well stay and see what these two were up to.

So, he didn't hesitate. "I have long admired your master's great reputation. I only regret that I was born five or sixty years too late and couldn't witness the Sword King of the Eastern Sea's divine power with my own eyes. Who would have thought that I could fulfill my long-cherished wish tonight? It is truly my good fortune. Please lead the way, Brother Jin."

"Easy, easy." Seeing He Qing agree, Jin Shengwen was overjoyed and immediately led Han Pingping ahead.

The three climbed up the steps.

Han Pingping and Jin Shengwen occasionally turned their heads to tell He Qing interesting stories about the sect, and the atmosphere along the way was quite harmonious.

But for some reason, the unease in He Qing's heart grew stronger and stronger.

He first looked up at the palaces and pavilions in front of him, which were almost within reach, and then looked back at the black sea behind him.

He felt like he had forgotten something, and after taking two more steps, he suddenly stopped.

Although Jin Shengwen and Han Pingping were leading the way, they had been paying attention to He Qing's movements.

Seeing him stop, Jin Shengwen immediately asked with concern, "What's wrong, Brother Li? Is there anything else you want to ask? Let's wait until we're at the banquet. Don't waste time."

"It won't waste time. I only have one question," He Qing said, looking into Jin Shengwen's eyes. "Those people in your Azure Lotus Sword Sect who have attained immortality, from the sect leader and protectors to the disciples and servants, can they no longer leave this place?"

"What are you saying, Brother Li?" Jin Shengwen said as if he had heard something funny. "This is a treasure land of immortals. We simply don't want to leave, it's not that we can't. Once Brother Li joins us at the banquet and tastes the immortal wine and peaches, I'm afraid even if I chase you away, you won't want to leave."

"If you can also make my master happy and have him accept you as a closed-door disciple, then you can learn the Azure Lotus Sword Sect's peerless martial arts. This is something that all martial artists dream of."

"What if I don't go?" He Qing said, holding the jade flute.

Jin Shengwen sighed upon hearing this. "Breaking a promise is not the act of a gentleman. To gentlemen, we naturally serve with a banquet, but to villains…"

The second half of his sentence suddenly became sinister, as he said, word by word, "We can only entertain them with a sword formation!"