This was the first time Chen Gensheng had ever set foot in the main hall of the Heavenly Threshold True Sect. The chore disciple who led the way only hoped to deliver this "god of plague" to the destination as quickly as possible so he could make a clean getaway.

  Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was entirely different from the dilapidated and destitute air outside. The floor was paved with solid slabs of warm jade, and the hall was filled with an exotic, mind-calming incense. From bronze braziers in the four corners, green smoke curled upward, forming the shapes of cranes and qilin that lingered long without dispersing.

  Upon the main seat, a wide jade couch, reclined a woman. She was a beautiful young matron dressed in a loose-fitting embroidered gown, lazily using a jade hairpin to tease a snow-white little beast resting on her lap. The beast was strange; it looked neither like a cat nor a fox, and its golden vertical pupils gave the entering Chen Gensheng a lethargic glance before closing again.

  The beautiful woman also raised her head. Her face featured eyebrows like distant mountains, skin whiter than snow, and lips that were red without the need for rouge. Her raven hair fell like a waterfall, covering half the jade couch. Her entire being exuded a charm that was indolent to the very bone. The presence of such a woman in the filth-ridden Heavenly Threshold True Sect was even more jarring than Chen Gensheng’s ugly face.

  Through the vision of the Void-Gazing Eye, however, he saw her shrouded in a mist so thick it could not be dissolved; his vision could not pierce it, and everything within remained invisible.

  "Elder Chen." She spoke, her voice soft and slightly raspy. "I am Zhaoqing Yue, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Threshold True Sect."

  "After you entered the mountain gate, I went into seclusion and did not manage the affairs of the sect. Today marks our first meeting." Her gaze circled Chen Gensheng’s ugly face, dropped to the massive black coffin on his back, and finally rested on the six arms hanging quietly at his sides.

  The woman sat up a bit straighter. The white beast on her lap hummed in dissatisfaction and shifted to a more comfortable position. "Does Elder Chen know why I summoned you today?"

  The thoughts in Chen Gensheng’s mind all revolved around how to survive, how to eliminate enemies, and how to seize benefits—filled with pragmatic calculation. As for speculating on the human heart, it was something he was neither good at nor fond of. If he had the time for such guesswork, he would rather spend it planning how to find better items for his corpse-wasps to improve their diet.

  Seeing him like this, the woman let out a light laugh. She propped her chin on one hand, and her enchanting eyes landed directly on Chen Gensheng’s face.

  "My sect is like a sieve; rumors can enter even through closed doors. Others say that when you went out with Zhang Cuizhan, you were a handsome youth. Why is it that upon your return, you have changed your face?"

  The softness in her voice faded ever so slightly. "Where is he?"

  No expression could be squeezed from Chen Gensheng’s hideous face. "Reporting to the Sect Master, Elder Zhang and I encountered the Jade Tripod Sect traitor, Xiao Bai, in the Star-Fall Gorge. That man was treacherous, and the two of us were no match. After a desperate fight, Elder Zhang fell in battle to cover my escape. I fortunately kept my life, but I ended up in this state—neither human nor ghost."

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Having heard this, the woman remained noncommittal, merely using the jade hairpin to comb the beast’s white fur in a distracted manner. The hall fell silent. The chore disciple wished he could shrink into a grain of dust and roll out through a crack in the door.

  "The Jade Tripod Sect..." The woman sighed faintly, as if worrying about something. "That is truly a formidable great sect. Its disciples are all arrogant and look down on everyone. A small sect like ours cannot easily afford to offend them."

  Her gaze returned to Chen Gensheng. "Forget it. A man’s death is like a lamp going out; there is no point in pursuing it further."

  She slowly sat up from the jade couch. Her loose palace attire slipped down a fraction with her movement, revealing a stretch of snow-white, fragrant shoulder. "I summoned you today for another matter. In two months, it will be the once-in-a-century Ascension Assembly."

  "In the territory of Qingzhou, led by the Jade Tripod Sect and including the Golden Rainbow Valley, Hundred Beast Mountain, Azure Cloud Sect, and Myriad Law Pavilion, the five great sects will jointly host a grand event. Cultivators from the Middle Province are invited to watch—ostensibly as guests, but in reality, it's for each sect to show off their newly recruited, prized disciples."

  She reached out with her other hand, picked up a green jade slip from the small table beside her, and tossed it over casually.

  "Our Heavenly Threshold True Sect may not be much, but after all, we have served as their watchdog for so many years. It wouldn't be right to be absent from such an occasion. The great sects send inner disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage to maintain appearances. But here, those at Foundation Establishment are already Elders. You shall go on behalf of our sect."

  This errand sounded like nothing but trouble. Mixing with the elite disciples of the five great sects, with his appearance and the coffin on his back, it would be a miracle if he weren't attacked as some demonic heretic.

  "Unwilling?" The woman’s voice grew several degrees colder.

  "I accept the command," Chen Gensheng bowed.

  The indolent smile returned to the woman’s face, her expression remaining careless. She walked toward Chen Gensheng. At some point, her embroidered gown had slipped to the floor, creating a scenery of allure that was truly hard to describe. A semi-transparent bodice propped up two high silhouettes; the hazy view made them seem even harder to fathom.

  Even a "foul insect" like Chen Gensheng couldn't help but take a few extra glances, his gaze lingering for a moment.

  "I see there are still two cakes left in my pastry shop. I wonder if you are willing to help me eat them?"

  Everything about this woman felt wrong. "The Sect Master has a broad heart, far beyond that of ordinary women. I do not dare raise my head to look too much, lest I be impolite."

  Hearing this, the woman covered her mouth and laughed out loud, her body swaying slightly like a branch of flowers trembling in the wind. "You truly won't eat these cakes?"

  "I dare not." He bowed even lower. "This body of mine is a tattered thing that rolled around in filthy mires; I fear I would soil the Sect Master's grounds. The matter of the Ascension Assembly you entrusted to me concerns the sect's face; I dare not be distracted. New fodder has been obtained for the Spirit Plant Garden, and I must return to tend to it, lest I delay the feeding of my spirit insects."

  The woman turned and walked back to the jade couch, reclining lazily once more. She scooped up the white beast and began to stroke it. "Go then. I also know that your little disciple ran away. Everyone has their own ambitions; there is no need to force it. On this path of cultivation, masters and disciples turning against each other and fathers and sons killing one another are commonplace."

  A drop of sweat formed. "I take my leave."

  Chen Gensheng felt as if he had been granted a great amnesty. Bowing, he backed out of the hall step by step. It wasn't until his back touched the cool air outside the hall that he realized a layer of fine, cold sweat had broken out on the back of his Ethereal Dao-Body.

  The chore disciple was still waiting outside. Seeing him come out, his face looked worse than if he were crying. "Elder... Elder Chen, you..."

  "Begone."