Immortalis

Meat Well 6

It turned out that Nan Lu had truly underestimated the Four Seas Alliance's craving for the Longevity Heart Sutra.

Just three days after he sent the carrier pigeon message, replies arrived from Immeasurable Manor, Jade Pavilion, and Medicine King Mountain. Amidst the polite words, there was only one meaning.

The Longevity Heart Sutra was inherently an Evil Entity that could plunge the world into chaos. Since it originated from the martial world, its fate should naturally be decided by the martial world. Therefore, no matter what, it must not fall into the hands of the Zhaoming Division.

Yang Wujian was not at all surprised by this outcome.

Throughout history, countless emperors had sought immortality, and the incense offerings for seeking gods and enlightenment among the common people had never ceased. Now, with the Longevity Heart Sutra within reach, even if it meant beheading for snatching something from the emperor, these people would surely find reasons to justify themselves.

Next came the discussion on how to descend into the well.

On the day Yang Wujian and Zhou Huai followed the people from Thousand Cliffs Fortress to Immeasurable Manor, the one who greeted them was still not Zhuang Tianyou.

In just a few months, not only had the disciples in the sword manor undergone a complete turnover, with many unfamiliar faces Yang Wujian had never seen before, but even Longyin Sword Zhao Songjiang appeared haggard, with dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept well for half a month.

Yang Wujian couldn't help but feel curious.

What could possibly keep the Immeasurable Seven Swords so busy when the world's number one sword manor was in seclusion every day?

Now, Yang Wujian had restored his male form, still dressed in bright red robes. He didn't avoid people and spoke bluntly, "Yang Wujian, Elder Guanshui of Longevity Palace. Senior Zhao, let's get acquainted again."

Longyin Sword hadn't expected him to be so direct. His face stiffened for a moment, but in the end, he said nothing and turned to lead them into the manor.

Zhou Huai whispered, "Yang Wujian, are you sure about this?"

They were now a combination of the young master of White Rainbow Tower and an elder of Longevity Palace - truly a pair that everyone would want to hunt down.

Yang Wujian scoffed, "Longevity Palace is gone. All I have left is this life - what is there to fear? Young Master, are you scared?"

Zhou Huai also smiled, "In that case, I'm the same. There's nothing to fear. If we really have to fight, just remember to let Xue Qiu escape."

The two followed Longyin Sword straight into the Sword Nurturing Pavilion. The other two factions had already arrived, and both Danyuan Bai and Lei Shuang looked rather displeased upon seeing them.

Yang Wujian thought to himself that all the Four Seas Alliance members were present, yet Nan Lu hadn't shown up at all, only sending some people to accompany him and Zhou Huai. He wondered if Nan Lu still lacked the courage to act as the leader before the Four Seas Alliance.

But regardless, Yang Wujian's goal had been achieved.

They now had the backing of Thousand Cliffs Fortress, so they wouldn't appear too isolated before the Four Seas Alliance. Although Thousand Cliffs Fortress wasn't particularly skilled in martial arts, they had the advantage of numbers and, like the former White Rainbow Tower, possessed vast wealth. Even if the other factions wanted to oppose them, they would have to think twice before taking action.

Seeing that everyone had gathered, Yang Wujian cut straight to the point and said with a smile, "Esteemed seniors, congratulations are in order. After all this time searching for Longevity Palace, it was completely wiped out by the imperial court not long ago. Now, there are only two people from Longevity Palace left in this world - one is me, and the other is the Old Palace Master Guanri whom you previously met at White Rainbow Tower."

As he spoke these words, Yang Wujian wore a smile on his face, but his voice was ice-cold.Thinking of those heads with unclosed eyes, his heart ached with a dull pain. Facing these so-called righteous sects who now couldn't utter a single word, the long-suppressed fury nearly made him lose control.

Yang Wujian sneered, "I must say, after all your years in the martial world, you certainly have sharp eyes. How come I remember when we met the Old Palace Master at White Rainbow Tower, none of you dared to raise a hand against him? Yet when it comes to Longevity Palace, which has secluded itself for over a decade, you're quick to label them as heretics and evil cults. Well, now you've gotten your wish—the Old Palace Master has killed so many people and remains unharmed, while those innocent palace members who spent fifteen years merely gathering herbs and planting vegetables have all been wiped out."

"Yang Wujian, don't you dare slander us!"

At this, Danyuan Bai could no longer contain himself. He slammed the table and shouted, "Fifteen years ago, it wasn't just the Old Palace Master you mentioned who killed people—your ten elders were also complicit, abetting tyranny and aiding evil. They deserved to die!"

Instantly, the atmosphere in Sword Nurturing Pavilion grew tense. Lei Shuang added with a cold laugh, "I see Thousand Cliffs Fortress is just a bunch of fools, actually allying with a remnant of Longevity Palace like you. Truly shameless."

"Then, Sect Leader Dan and Sect Leader Lei, is it shameless to arbitrarily condemn Chang Xiuyun and Yin Quer as evil heretics based on mere conjecture?"

Suddenly, Zhou Huai interjected from the side. Having spent time with Yang Wujian lately, the young master, who was never particularly polite to begin with, had become even more sharp-tongued.

"Bastard! Do you even know what your father did? Who are you to interrupt here?"

As the two sect leaders' faces darkened, disciples from Jade Pavilion and Medicine King Mountain rose one after another, drawing their swords. Just as a fight seemed imminent, Longyin Sword stepped forward to maintain order, saying, "We gathered here to discuss important matters. Everyone, please calm down and focus on the business at hand."

"Important matters..."

Yang Wujian laughed as if he had heard a joke. "Fine, then let's talk about how to find the Longevity Heart Sutra practiced by these so-called evil heretics... That's why you're all here, isn't it? Sorry to say, the thing you're so eager to find is fundamentally disgraceful."

Then, ignoring the others' expressions, he directly revealed the connections between Meteor Star, Howling Whistle, and the Longevity Heart Sutra.

Yang Wujian said with a smile, "The final chapter of the Longevity Heart Sutra was returned to Underground Heaven by Longevity Palace's founding master, Qingzhu Daoist Priest, during the late Northern Xiang era. In other words, the sutra is within those twelve Meat Wells. However, the method of refining Beast Luring Powder from Howling Whistle Flowers was lost when White Dog Village was wiped out. The only person in the world who knows this method now is Guanri, so it's unlikely we can produce more. Fortunately, each sect should have some Beast Luring Powder left. If we cooperate fully, we can find the Longevity Heart Sutra."

At his words, everyone's gaze immediately fell upon Danyuan Bai, the current sect leader of Medicine King Mountain. It stood to reason that Medicine King Mountain, having searched for herbs for years, would have the most Beast Luring Powder.

Danyuan Bai hadn't expected the problem to land in his lap. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and said, "As long as this Evil Entity remains in the world, the martial world will never know peace. In my opinion, it's better to find and destroy it sooner... Medicine King Mountain will naturally offer its full assistance in this matter."

"Sect Leader Dan, such righteousness."

Yang Wujian said this, but inwardly, he found it all utterly laughable.Danyuan Bai was fundamentally a businessman. After White Dog Village was massacred, this Beast Luring Powder became priceless, yet now he was forced to provide it without making any profit. One could imagine the sleepless nights awaiting Patriarch Dan.

"Very well, only one final issue remains."

Yang Wujian said, "What if someone finds the Longevity Heart Sutra and attempts to keep it for themselves?"

"Absurd!"

Danyuan Bai immediately retorted, "Yang Wujian, what kind of place do you take the Four Seas Alliance to be? How could there be such vile individuals?"

At this moment, Zhou Huai, who had remained silent nearby, unexpectedly interjected again: "Even White Rainbow Tower turned out to be the black sheep, and they were all part of the Four Seas Alliance before. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? How can we be sure the other factions are clean?"

Lei Shuang, the master of Jade Pavilion, had always been hot-tempered. Provoked repeatedly by Zhou Huai, her anger surged and killing intent flashed across her face. Had her mastiff still been around, she would likely have set the dog on him already.

She sneered, "Then what do you propose?"

Yang Wujian smiled lightly: "Simple. Each Meat Well must be explored simultaneously by trusted disciples from Immeasurable Manor, Jade Pavilion, Medicine King Mountain, and Thousand Cliffs Fortress. This way, no one can secretly hoard discoveries under the watchful eyes of the other factions."

Hearing this, the attendees exchanged glances, recognizing the cunning nature of Yang Wujian's proposal. It clearly placed everyone in a difficult position—any objection would immediately arouse suspicion. Thus, they all reluctantly agreed and decided that any discoveries from the wells would be brought back to Immeasurable Manor, where the martial arts community would collectively decide the fate of the Longevity Heart Sutra.

With matters settled, Yang Wujian produced a bottle: "This substance is dangerous. I advise everyone not to attempt anything behind my back. Once the Meteor Star possesses someone, they instantly turn rigid—beyond saving."

"Yang Wujian, enough with the empty threats. Just do what needs to be done."

Urged by Longyin Sword nearby, Yang Wujian carefully began distributing the Strange Worms from the bottle into twelve smaller containers.

He had tested this earlier in Yongyi—the Meteor Star only "revived" when exposed to fire or near a Meat Well. Under normal conditions, it remained as inert as petrified sand.

Yang Wujian explained, "Not all beasts that ingest the Meteor Star can enter the wells... I experimented with livestock in Yongyi. Only one dog survived and entered the Meat Well, but it never emerged. I suspect we need the Howling Whistle to lure them out. If we attract enough wild beasts, eventually one will succeed. We must wait two or three hours after the beast enters the well before using the whistle to attempt extraction."

The attendees glanced at each other, seemingly finding the method rather unreliable. Yet the Longevity Heart Sutra was no ordinary martial art to begin with. Seeing Yang Wujian's confident demeanor, they half-doubtfully accepted the Strange Worms. Subsequently, the Howling Whistle Flower pollen was divided into twelve portions and distributed to the twelve teams, who immediately departed for various Meat Wells.

Yang Wujian and Zhou Huai were naturally among them.

The well they selected was Hero's Tomb.

The Four Seas Alliance clearly distrusted the duo, specifically adding extra personnel to their team. During the journey, Zhou Huai, who was keeping watch alongside Yang Wujian in a tree, whispered, "Do you think we'll find it?"

Yang Wujian, lazily chewing on a blade of grass, replied, "Who knows? But this whole performance should be enough to fool those Zhaoming Division folks."Zhou Huai said, "Are you certain they will come to seize it?"

Yang Wujian scoffed, "Of course. Whether they find it or not, they will come... After all, that day at Immeasurable Manor, nearly every sect had spies among their ranks. The news of us searching for the Longevity Heart Sutra must have reached the palace that very night. I only hope these people have enough sense to follow the instructions in Nan Lu's secret letter—prepare a fake sutra containing the first three chapters of the Longevity Heart Sutra's techniques. That should buy us some time."

With two days left until they reached the Hero's Tomb, Zhou Huai thought of all that had happened recently, feeling as though a lifetime had passed. He sighed softly, "If it weren't for the Hero's Tomb, perhaps my father wouldn't have made so many mistakes."

Yang Wujian sensed his lingering sorrow. "Young master, it's only human to try to justify your father's actions. But remember: your father is your father, and you are you. Don't forget that."

Hearing this, Zhou Huai shook his head. "I've already come to terms with it... It's just that, whatever lies beneath the Hero's Tomb, I'd rather not see it."

He cast a meaningful glance at Yang Wujian, who understood immediately and pulled out a peculiar-looking bronze hoop from his robe—about the thickness of a thumb, with a large bell attached.

Earlier, Yang Wujian had told the other eleven teams that wild beasts all looked similar. To distinguish them, any creature that survived after consuming the Meteor Star should wear a collar before entering the cave to avoid confusion.

However, Yang Wujian hadn't mentioned that the bell was more than just a bell—it was a firework-filled hourglass mechanism, hastily crafted by Zhou Huai overnight in Yongyi.

Once fastened around a beast's neck, the mechanism would puncture an inner pouch. As the beast walked toward the Meat Well, the gunpowder would scatter along the path.

Later, when those impatient individuals inevitably brought torches to inspect the cave entrance, even a single spark landing would reduce the Meat Well and whatever lay deep within it to ashes.

Hand the fake Longevity Heart Sutra to the Zhaoming Division, then destroy the real one... From then on, no one would ever covet the Longevity Heart Sutra again.

Thinking of that day when Gu Yun gripped his hand and insisted the Longevity Heart Sutra must never fall into the hands of villains, Yang Wujian smiled, though his voice was cold.

"I only hope Minister Cao enjoys the gift I've prepared for him."