"..."

What in the fuck is wrong with this guy? Xuan wondered, baffled. I’ve never seen someone so messed up in the head.

He saw his fellow friend as nothing but an expendable resource, something that could aid Xuan to get stronger. The fight could’ve been stopped way before anything got too out of hand.

It even made him think of Foyan as the victim. However, it was too late to reminisce, and instead, he had to focus on the situation at hand.

Xuan narrowed his eyes.

"What makes you think I would want to replace him?"

"Well, you don’t expect me to let you leave after you killed a Head Monk, do you?" Chen Shun chuckled, rising from his seat. He approached Xuan, stopping right before him.

"I asked out of courtesy, but I’ve already made my decision. You will be the second Head Monk, taking Foyan’s place. You will learn alchemy, and you shall learn all his techniques to replace him."

A deathly pressure enveloped Xuan, far more oppressive than anything he had ever felt before. Even with his giant strength increase, he felt like an ant in front of this Spirit Lord.

He was suddenly reminded of Ning Linhua’s words. Most cultivators were arrogant and greedy, and Chen Shun just so happened to be the perfect example of that.

Even so...

"So you intend to keep me as a prisoner here?" Xuan asked coldly.

Chen Shun smiled. "I don’t like the word prisoner. It’s very crass. The term I would refer to you as would be a successor. Once you fulfill your role, you’re free to go."

Xuan’s curiosity perked up. "My role? What is that exactly?"

"I’m glad you asked." Chen Shun puffed his chest childishly. "You see, the Head Monks of the Grand Jade Temple from the Lower Heavens will descend within the next two weeks. I need you to fill the shoes of Foyan. It’s as simple as that."

Xuan didn’t need a lie detector test to see that Chen Shun was bullshitting him. Moreover, he spotted Huizhen subtly shaking his head in Xuan’s direction, as if telling him that this entire scenario was a sham.

However, he didn’t have much of a choice at the moment. He was confident in outrunning a Spirit Grandmaster. However, when it came to someone a realm beyond that, he wasn’t keen on playing with his life.

So for the time being, Xuan would play along, and when an opportunity presented itself, he would either kill Chen Shun, or outright run away.

Therefore, Xuan nodded, earning a look of pity from Huizhen and a livid expression from Chen Shun.

"You’ve made the right decision," Chen Shun said warmly, patting his shoulder, to which Xuan didn’t react in the slightest.

Soon after, Chen Shun vanished. But not even a few moments later, he came back, holding a shabby notebook.

He tossed it over to Xuan, who caught it, holding it firmly. On the cover, there was only a single word, ’Alchemy.’

"There are 20 pill recipes, 20 potion recipes, as well as 10 poison recipes. There’s also some beginner and intermediate-level alchemy knowledge that I want you to learn by the time the Head Monks arrive," Chen Shun stated, causing Xuan’s brows to twitch.

"I’ve never touched alchemy in my life. How am I supposed to learn all that in a few weeks?" Xuan complained, drawing a sneer from Chen Shun.

"Just follow the recipe. Alchemy isn’t hard. When everything’s already written down, all I’m hearing from you are excuses."

Xuan grumbled in irritation. "Sure. I’ll give it a go. Anything more you want to spring on me out of nowhere?"

Chen Shun chuckled, pointing at Huizhen. "Huizhen here will be your mentor from now on. He’ll teach you how to be the perfect Head Monk, and since he’s a tad gifted at alchemy, he will help you with that as well. And if you have any questions, ask him directly."

Turning around, he flashed a slight smirk.

"That’s it for now. I’ll be watching you, so don’t even try to escape. Also, don’t worry about young Xue Hanbi. She’ll be healed by the time the Head Monks arrive. I made sure Foyan, at the very least, didn’t bring any weak poisons."

With another chuckle, he went back to his seat and leisurely sat down.

As for Xuan, he clenched his fist in anger. Chen Shun went as far as to plan the kind of poison that Xue Hanbi would be hit with. It was simply despicable, and if Xuan were a little stronger, he wouldn’t hesitate to torture this man-child for all that he had done.

But... I’m going to feed his arrogance back to him. Giving me these resources will be his biggest mistake, Xuan thought, and without another word, made his way out of the main hall. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

However, he soon heard footsteps behind him. He didn’t turn around since he knew exactly who those footsteps belonged to.

"So, Huizhen... what kind of shit sect am I involved in?" Xuan asked, continuing to walk.

After a brief moment of silence, Huizhen sighed. "You don’t have it as bad. All the other disciples who were chosen by Chen Shun had to eat a Demonic Blood Parasite in front of him. Then, they would undergo six months of torture training disguised as discipline."

Xuan caught onto the hint, his expression darkening. "How old were you?"

"Foyan and I were ten," Huizhen replied blankly. "We were chosen among 48 other disciples. Me for my genius abilities, and Foyan for his alchemy skills. And... yes, I wasn’t spared from the Demonic Blood Parasite. It’s dormant in my Dantian, and if I ever have thoughts of betraying the Grand Jade Temple, the parasite would explode and cripple me instantly."

Fucking hell... Xuan clicked his tongue. "So all this Grand Jade Temple stuff is a front? What are you, some kind of Demonic Faction in disguise?"

"I can’t tell you that." Huizhen shook his head, his expression grim. "But I just want you to know that if you don’t figure something out by the time the Head Monks arrive, they’re going to..."

A single trickle of blood ran down Huizhen’s nose, causing him to halt his words.

Xuan didn’t push further either. Instead, he looked ahead as he neared a tall red building, surrounded by eight monks, all of whom moved aside when they spotted Huizhen.

It was none other than the pavilion which housed all the alchemy equipment.

"Chen Shun mentioned you know a little bit about alchemy," Xuan said, approaching the wooden door of the pavilion, then finally turning his head back toward Huizhen.

"I’ll be in your care."