Gao Yang stepped outside, slipping an arm around Xiao Man's trembling shoulders.
"Let's go. We're going home."
Xiao Man was already half in shock, her body limp as if boneless. She sagged against Gao Yang, letting him drag her away.
As they passed Senior Brother and Twelfth, Gao Yang clasped his hands respectfully. "I'll remember this favor."
Senior Brother smiled his honest, simple smile. He jiggled the purse in his hand. "You won't owe me anything if I keep the silver, right? Then I'll accept it."
Twelfth said nothing.
When Gao Yang was gone, Senior Brother's smile faded. "Are you sure?"
Twelfth hesitated, her eyes cold. "Let's wait and see."
Back in his room, Gao Yang shut the door and his legs gave out beneath him.
"Master!" Xiao Man gasped, rushing forward.
Gao Yang's lips were bloodless, his skin ashen. His whole body spasmed, pain ripping through him so fiercely that he smashed his forehead against the wall to stop himself from screaming.
Both the Seven Fiends and the Seven Fiends' backlash demanded blood as the key. When the Seven Fiends activated, it drew blood from his wounds directly. In just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he'd lost nearly a third of his blood.
If Old Six had lasted any longer, it would have been Gao Yang who collapsed first.
He had hurried away so no one would see him in this pitiful state.
Today's shock was one he wanted burned into everyone's mind.
From now on, no one would dare underestimate him.
Xiao Man rushed to the door. "Master, I'll fetch the Immortal Mistress!"
Gao Yang caught her wrist, struggling to rise.
"No!" he hissed through his teeth, his eyes fierce. "I can hold on."
Tap, tap, tap — footsteps approached outside.
Gao Yang raised a finger to his lips. "Shh."
A new wave of agony struck, forcing him to bite into his own hand to muffle his groan.
The footsteps stopped outside the door.
After a long silence, just when Gao Yang thought the person had gone, the sound came again — fading slowly into the distance.
He waited nearly the time of a stick of incense before carefully opening the door.
Outside sat a small wooden box.
Gao Yang picked it up and opened it. Inside was a single pill.
It gave off a sweet, intoxicating fragrance. Merely inhaling made his depleted blood and Qi stir faintly back to life.
A pill this precious… who had sent it?
Senior Brother? Twelfth?
No. He knew them too well.
Senior Brother might look simple and kind, but he was greedy to the bone — he'd charge for every word spoken. There was no way he'd give a pill for free.
As for Twelfth — she might only be fifteen or sixteen, but anyone who treated her like a normal girl would pay dearly. Even before tonight, Gao Yang had seen how ruthless and sharp-minded she was, an adult in a child's form, utterly indifferent to life and death.
Whoever sent this was offering goodwill. As for why they didn't show themselves, Gao Yang didn't care to guess.
Dinner was near. He couldn't appear weak in front of the others — this pill had come like rain in drought.
Without hesitation, he swallowed it.
He didn't fear poison. With the Immortal Mistress watching, no one in the Azure Mountain Sect could kill him.
Gulp—
A faint metallic tang lingered on his tongue.
The pill dissolved; a wave of heat flooded through his limbs and bones. The pain vanished, replaced by a rush of vitality so potent he couldn't help but groan softly.
Color returned to his cheeks. He could feel new blood coursing through his veins, surging into the parts of him that had gone numb.
The Seven Fiends tattoo along his skin shimmered faintly red. Even the sluggish channels within his body felt cleared and smooth.
This pill was… astonishingly effective.
Gao Yang paced the room twice. Though still faintly weak, he now looked no different from before.
Xiao Man's eyes widened. "Master, you're better?"
Stretching, Gao Yang rolled his shoulders. "You are not to speak of what happened today to anyone."
Xiao Man nodded quickly.
He thought for a moment. "You said you were short on silver, didn't you?"
Her face dimmed. "I'll find a way myself."
Gao Yang said nothing, but plans were already forming in his mind.
When mealtime came, Gao Yang and Xiao Man walked together to the dining hall.
Inside sat Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Twelfth, and an elderly woman who must be Fifth Senior Sister.
Gao Yang greeted them each politely.
Twelfth's face had reverted — half beautiful, half rotted. Strangely, Gao Yang found her more natural that way.
Had he already been changed by this place?
No one spoke. Gao Yang had proven himself; there was no need to curry favor. He quietly took a seat at the end of the table.
Before long, the rest of the disciples arrived.
Laughter boomed from the doorway. A huge, bald man waddled in, voice loud and carefree. "Hahaha! Thirteen, good work! I've hated that blue-skinned Dwarf for ages — well done!"
Just from the voice, Gao Yang knew. He stood and bowed slightly. "Eighth Senior Brother."
The bald man was hairless from head to toe — no brows, no beard, not even lashes — round as a Buddha statue, with great hanging earlobes and a bright grin.
Gao Yang liked him. The man was blunt, open-hearted, and unafraid of offending others.
Eighth Senior Brother clapped Gao Yang on the shoulder — hard.
Though the blow was heavy, Gao Yang's body only dipped slightly.
The man's eyes flickered with surprise, quickly masked beneath laughter. "Good, good! I thought you'd be laid up, but your bones are tougher than I thought."
The words froze the room.
Except for Senior Brother and Twelfth, every face shifted.
Defeating the Dwarf had been shocking enough — everyone knew him as a disgrace, but still a senior.
Not injured? That was something else entirely.
Gao Yang had been in the Azure Mountain Sect less than a week.
This couldn't be explained by talent alone.
Had he already succeeded in Foundation Building, and lied about failure?
Cautious glances turned toward him.
Eighth Senior Brother settled back into his seat, glancing at the empty place beside him. "Where's Sixth? Don't tell me he's too ashamed to show his face?"
Fifth Senior Sister sighed. "Who knows? Send a servant to fetch him. Master's rule says all disciples eat together. Are we supposed to starve waiting for him?"
"I'll go," Eighth said, pushing to his feet. "With that temper, sending a servant is just suicide."
"I'm here."
The door creaked open. The Dwarf stepped inside, face twisted with hate.
He glared at Gao Yang, his eyes burning with a hatred so tangible it felt almost alive.