Sima Zhao was currently riding the crest of a wave—at least, in his own mind.
Although a large crowd had gathered below, not a single person dared to step forward to stop him. This exhilarating sensation filled him with immense pleasure.
He felt immensely proud of himself.
As a disciple of an elder in the Law Enforcement Hall, he was accustomed to roaming the sect with no one daring to provoke him.
...
Ye Qingtao frowned slightly.
He looked at Sima Zhao, who stood before him with hands on his hips and chest puffed out like a proud rooster, and felt a slight surge of irritation.
Ye Qingtao understood that this fellow had come specifically for him, yet he could not recall having done anything wrong.
*I stay cooped up here day in and day out, unable to go anywhere or even accomplish anything; how could I possibly commit any wrongdoing?*
However, having guarded this place for so many years and remained safe and sound, Ye Qingtao naturally had his methods. A brief moment of reflection made everything clear.
Sima Zhao had visited a few times in the past. Being from the Law Enforcement Hall, he had acted arrogant and looked down on everyone. Seeing that attitude, Ye Qingtao had allowed a trace of dissatisfaction to show on his face.
So because of this tiny, petty grudge, the man was holding a grudge against him?
Ye Qingtao almost wanted to laugh. What a remarkably small-minded person.
He spoke up once again, "If nothing's the matter, aren't your legs tired from running all this way for nothing?"
Sima Zhao gave a dry chuckle and said in a muffled voice, "Respected Tower Guard Senior Brother, did you really think I'd say there's nothing the matter? I regret to inform you that your collusion with the Demonic Path and your acceptance of their legacy cultivation have been discovered. We have already reported this to the Sect Master, and the Sect Master has issued an order: your tower is to be confiscated, you are to be confined to the Cliff of Reflection for a hundred years, and thereafter you are to be expelled from the sect. How does that sound to you? Comfortable enough?"
At first, Ye Qingtao was slightly stunned, and then he burst out laughing.
*Me, colluding with the Demonic Path? Since when did I know anything about that?*
This was clearly a trumped-up charge to frame him. To fabricate a charge over such a petty grievance was truly absurd. And the Sect Master, having been misled by these misunderstandings, was instantly moving to expel him and hit him with a whole package of punishments.
*Fine. To be honest, I didn't want this damned miserable job anymore anyway. It's boring to death, so I'll let you have your way.*
In truth, Ye Qingtao knew very well in his heart that this couldn't simply be about such a minor grudge; there was almost certainly someone else pulling strings behind the scenes, eager to get their hands on this tower. But there was clearly no use asking about it.
So what if there was? Since you people want this tower so badly, I'll gladly hand it over to you.
*I'd love to see which of you can possibly keep those demons inside under control once I'm no longer guarding them.*
What the Divine Son did not know was that the fiends inside the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda were utterly ferocious and would never willingly surrender their treasures to outsiders—not even if it cost them their lives. Ye Qingtao had been here for so long and had gained absolutely nothing, left with nothing but endless solitude and boredom.
Therefore, the Divine Son's efforts would not only be entirely in white, but would also trigger a catastrophe as colossal as the one caused by the sect's founding master, bringing utter devastation to the entire Qingyun Sect.
Ye Qingtao said calmly, "Very well. First, take off my Demon-Warding Jade Pendant; that is the rule."
Only those wearing the Demon-Warding Jade Pendant could be considered Demon Suppressors—this was the admonition left by the founding master. Once worn, one had to keep a firm grip on the pagoda and was not permitted to lay it aside barring exceptional circumstances. To speak his true mind, Ye Qingtao had long grown sick of it.
Sima Zhao was more than eager. He immediately reached out, unhooked the pendant hanging from Ye Qingtao's waist, tossed it over to another man, and said, "You, take watch temporarily."
That man nodded heavily.
Following that, Ye Qingtao handed the pagoda over to him. Feeling a sudden sense of utter relief, he stood up and said, "Lead the way."
In truth, he had nothing left to say to the Sect Master Su Yanran. The woman had subjected him to a century of mind-numbing boredom akin to serving a prison sentence, and his patience had worn thin long ago.
Sima Zhao looked Ye Qingtao up and down, and said with a lukewarm tone, "I honestly don't understand how someone with cultivation like yours managed to guard the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda for over a hundred years."
Sima Zhao's cultivation was higher than Ye Qingtao's, yet even he did not believe he could guard this place for fifty years, let alone a full century. He found it deeply baffling.
In truth, he was probing Ye Qingtao. If the man hadn't colluded with the Demonic Path and lived in peace with the demons, none of this would make sense.
Ye Qingtao smiled faintly. "Who knows?"
Ye Qingtao had never revealed to a single soul that he possessed the Ancient Heavenly Yang Physique; otherwise, wouldn't he have been treated like the flesh of Tang Monk? He had never even exposed it in front of those demons.
In this world, it was always best to keep a low profile.
Realizing he could extract nothing more, Sima Zhao had no choice but to lead him back the way they came.
............
As they flew along, Sima Zhao was already daydreaming about the wonderful life awaiting him. By taking down Ye Qingtao, wouldn't he completely turn his fortunes around?
Ordinarily, Sima Zhao was nothing more than an ordinary disciple with no real power in his hands—at best, he merely borrowed the tiger's might to intimidate others. But now that he had accomplished such a task for the Divine Son, his master would surely grant him a position with actual authority, right?
Perhaps, once his master won the favor of the Divine Son and soared to even greater heights, he himself could step into the position of head of the Law Enforcement Hall!
At the mere thought of this, Sima Zhao became so excited his face flushed red, and he nearly lost his footing on his flying sword.
However, he still harbored a lingering doubt regarding Ye Qingtao's lack of resistance. Why hadn't Ye Qingtao put up even the slightest fight? It didn't seem logical at all!
After all, if Ye Qingtao really had colluded with the demons, he shouldn't have been willing to surrender the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda so easily, given that it provided a continuous stream of cultivation empowerment.
So why had he obediently followed him without a fuss?
Sima Zhao couldn't figure it out.
Since he couldn't puzzle it out, he simply stopped trying. There was no point in overthinking Ye Qingtao's behavior; as long as he himself was comfortable, that was all that mattered.
............
Before long, the group arrived at the Law Enforcement Hall with Ye Qingtao in tow.
First of all, Ye Qingtao could certainly no longer wear his current attire; these were the garments of a Demon Suppressor, passed down through generations, and he now had to change into a different set.
In truth, Ye Qingtao had never really liked these clothes anyway. So many people had worn them before, making it feel like some sort of uniform.
Moments later, Jiang Zhenhe personally handed him a set of fresh garments—a brand-new white robe that looked crisp and proper.
Afterward, Jiang Zhenhe and Sima Zhao exchanged glances. Jiang Zhenhe chuckled and said to Ye Qingtao, "You rascal, you actually did a pretty decent job all these years, and I quite appreciate you. How on earth could you have been foolish enough to collude with the Demonic Path? Still, it doesn't matter; the Sect Master is benevolent and merciful, and has no intention of executing you. You are merely sentenced to a hundred years of confinement at the Cliff of Reflection, after which your freedom will be restored. As for me, I am also a benevolent soul—after all, we belong to the same sect, and I couldn't bear to take your life, so I can only have you confined there for now. You really ought to thank me!"
With that, he put on a hypocritical sigh and added, "Sigh, why on earth did you have to go and collude with the Demonic Path? I simply can't understand it."
This pretentious display left even Sima Zhao inwardly stunned. His master was truly a master of acting; that performance was flawless!
As for Ye Qingtao standing right there, he felt nothing but a wave of nausea.
He keenly sensed that this fellow was definitely the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. After all, he normally never provoked anyone, and given this excessively abnormal attitude, it had to be him.
However, things floating on the surface were rarely the whole truth; there was likely someone else even further behind the scenes.
Ye Qingtao's mind worked quickly. He figured that if he simply waited to see who ultimately ended up with the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, that person would likely be the mastermind.
............
Inside a room, Ye Qingtao changed into the brand-new robes and looked himself up and down in the mirror.
He had to admit that wearing brand-new, first-hand clothes felt quite comfortable. The long robe was crisp and made his figure appear slender and tall.
No sooner had he finished changing than Sima Zhao's voice echoed from outside the door, "Hurry up! We still have to head to the Cliff of Reflection."
*The emperor isn't anxious, but the eunuch certainly is,* Ye Qingtao thought to himself, though he kept his expression completely neutral as he pushed the door open and stepped out.
The two of them took to their flying swords, followed closely by a dozen fully armed disciples, as if they feared Ye Qingtao might attempt to escape halfway.
Ye Qingtao glanced back, a chill slowly rising in his heart.
He had worked conscientiously for the sect for so many years, yet now, upon a single word from another, the Sect Master had practically handed down a death sentence.
Still, he had nothing more to say. Sometimes people were simply like that—trust could collapse in a single instant, and he couldn't be bothered to ponder human nature any further.
Besides, the Sect Master was a woman; reasoning with women was largely a lost cause anyway.
Along the path toward the Cliff of Reflection, Sima Zhao chuckled incessantly. "Tower Guard Senior Brother, to be honest, the Cliff of Reflection isn't bad at all. The scenery is secluded and completely devoid of people. While it sounds like you're being exiled, viewed from another angle, you won't have anyone disturbing you, meaning you'll finally have some peace and quiet, right? Besides, now that you're rid of the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, you've also gotten rid of a mountain of worries, haven't you? Many people would love to be unburdened like this, but they don't even have the opportunity!"
He was merely mocking him outright. Who in their right mind would ever *want* to be locked up in solitary confinement on the Cliff of Reflection?
Faced with the mockery, Ye Qingtao replied with a faint smile, "Put that way, I suppose I really am quite fortunate."
"You bet! You have no idea—back when I made a mistake, my cultivation was forcibly dropped by a whole major realm by the sect, and it was agonizing. But look at you? Not a single hair harmed. You really ought to thank my master!"
Sima Zhao mimicked Jiang Zhenhe's hypocritical act, wearing a look of crocodile tears that even made him want to laugh.
Right now, he found it immensely amusing to mock Ye Qingtao, who was walking along so leisurely and cheerfully as if he didn't even know he'd been backstabbed. He simply didn't know what to say about him.
Meanwhile, Ye Qingtao merely smiled faintly at these remarks, speaking with an air of carefree detachment, "Right, I am truly grateful to him."
*How could I not be grateful? I was already sick to death of that miserable, mind-numbing chore, but because it was an order from the Sect Master, no one else had the authority to relieve me of it. Now that I've regained my freedom, isn't this wonderful?*
However, their blatant framing still left Ye Qingtao feeling somewhat displeased. But let's just wait and see who would be laughing at whom in the end.
............
As the two chatted back and forth, they finally arrived at their destination.
The Cliff of Reflection was a vast mountain precipice. Because people practically never came here, the air was exceptionally fresh and the spiritual energy pure, virtually devoid of any impurities.
Ye Qingtao took a deep breath, feeling it was quite nice, and said, "There's nothing else here. You may as well head back."
"Very well, then I'll be off. If you find it uncomfortable staying here later on, you can always submit a request to the Sect Master to have you locked up in the Law Enforcement Hall's dungeons instead. You can just take turns swapping between the two places."
With that, Sima Zhao added with a grin, "Don't get me wrong, wouldn't that offer a bit of novelty? Whenever you get tired of one place, you just switch to another."
Ye Qingtao almost laughed out loud, but managed to say, "Alright, you go on ahead."
He could hardly wait to see how utterly miserable this fellow would be when the time came. Having schemed to take the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda out of his hands, no one else possessed the capability to suppress what was inside. He wanted to see how this person would cry when that day arrived.
Sima Zhao was simply being used as someone else's spear. When the myriad demons finally broke out of their cages, the Sect Master would undoubtedly be the first to deal with him—and in a particularly horrific manner at that. *Ha, by then it'll be too late for him to even shed tears.*
Fortunately, this scenic and secluded spot was located quite far from the center of the sect, belonging to a remote place of exile. When the sect descended into complete chaos, his current location would be the most peaceful sanctuary, far removed from all right and wrong.
............
Once Sima Zhao had departed, Ye Qingtao looked around the surroundings. The mountain cliff was quite spacious, giving him plenty of room to build a small wooden cabin to live in.
With a wave of his hand, an axe instantly flew out from his Storage Bag, and he began leisurely chopping wood.
............
After flying out of the perimeter of the Cliff of Reflection, Sima Zhao directed his divine sense toward a mechanism hidden somewhere on the cliffside. With a series of crisp *clack-clack-clack* sounds, a confinement array was instantly activated.
Moments later, a golden barrier of light sealed the Cliff of Reflection completely from top to bottom and all around, preventing even a mosquito from escaping. With a hearty laugh, he departed.
Anyone locked inside the Cliff of Reflection would normally be sealed firmly within the barrier. However, what Sima Zhao was entirely unaware of was that Ye Qingtao's Ancient Heavenly Yang Physique possessed other wondrous utilities, allowing him to pass through barriers of all kinds completely undetected.
............
Before long, Sima Zhao returned to Jiang Zhenhe, brimming with high spirits. "Master, he has already been locked away on the Cliff of Reflection. He was completely obedient and didn't put up a shred of resistance—he must have known that resisting would be utterly useless!"
Jiang Zhenhe stroked his beard and smiled. "Naturally. That brat can be considered somewhat clever. Not resisting and not trying to argue with logic—that's just wonderful. Here, take this top-grade Heavenly Heart Pill first. In the future, once your master wins the heavy favor of the Divine Son and rises to great heights, the position of head of the Law Enforcement Hall will be yours. Keep up the good work!"
With that, he patted Sima Zhao on the shoulder, wearing the expression of someone placing immense trust in his subordinate.
Overwhelmed with ecstatic joy, Sima Zhao hurriedly said, "Thank you, Master! Many thanks, Master!"
He had been an ordinary disciple for many years. Although Jiang Zhenhe usually ordered him around whenever tasks arose, they rarely came with any rewards.
This time, however, was an absolute exception! Siding with the Divine Son represented a massive turning point in his destiny! He could already picture just how high he would climb in the future!
After offering a few more words of encouragement, Jiang Zhenhe left the area to seek out the Divine Son.
Following a mountain path, Jiang Zhenhe arrived at the Divine Son's residence—an extravagant and colossal palace constructed from various exquisite gemstones that gleamed dazzlingly under the sunlight.
The Divine Son was named Li Bashan. Gifted with extraordinary talent since childhood and possessing the strength to lift a tripod, he was the person with the highest natural talent in the entire sect. Because of this, the Sect Master generally allowed him to do as he pleased, leaving him free to focus entirely on his cultivation.
However, Li Bashan was not satisfied. He wanted to acquire the treasures of the Demonic Path!
Doing so would elevate his overall strength by yet another massive tier!
If the Sect Master were to find out, she would certainly never allow it. Yet his desire for it was simply too strong!
Even the founding master of the sect back then hadn't been able to subdue those fiends alone, and had even had to summon numerous Daoist friends to assist him—which meant their power was plain for all to see. Regardless of whether it was their legacy teachings or their treasures, they were bound to be unimaginably powerful!
When faced with immense temptation, human beings inevitably found it difficult to exercise restraint.
"Has everything been taken care of?"
Seated inside a room fitted with soundproofing arrays, Li Bashan looked at Jiang Zhenhe and spoke in a low voice.
"Yes, Divine Son. The task you entrusted to us was handled impeccably. That fellow surnamed Ye has already surrendered the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda and is now securely locked away on the Cliff of Reflection."
Jiang Zhenhe spared no effort in praising his own competence, his face wreathed in smiles.
Sure enough, he saw a satisfied smile appear on the Divine Son's face. The Divine Son then handed him a bottle of pills and said, "Inside are one thousand Agate Divine Pills, which can instantly replenish one's internal spiritual energy. Once I acquire the good stuff, there will be further rewards."
"My deepest thanks to the Divine Son!"
Jiang Zhenhe dropped to his knees and kowtowed three times.
At that moment, Li Bashan asked again, "By the way, you probably didn't handle this matter personally, did you? Whoever carried it out was certainly efficient. They deserve a heavy reward!"
Jiang Zhenhe cupped his fists and said, "It was Sima Zhao. I used him as a pawn to get the job done, and I have already rewarded him."