Chapter 75: One Breath to Become a Woman (1)
Huang Qi regained consciousness for the first time, and the scene that met his eyes was the prosperous streets of the HongHua Sect.
“It seems I’ve dreamed again!”
Huang Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart immediately felt empty, because he knew what that meant.
“Forget it, my identity has already been exposed with a very high probability. I don’t have many days left to live, so why bother about gender? I’m a dying person, and as long as I can save my father, it’s worth it.”
Huang Qi then gave a self-deprecating smile and began to observe his surroundings, finding that this dream was exceptionally real. He could even see a small mosquito flying in the air clearly. At this moment, his body was with several fellow sisters shopping. Not only could he not see his feet below, but he could also look forward and see adults at eye level.
“It seems the timeline in the dream is many years later.”
Huang Qi deduced this, after all, the last time he entered the dream, his body was still a four or five-year-old little loli.
Huang Qi’s body… to be precise, Hong Ling Fairy was walking with several sisters, remaining silent and extremely aloof.
Although Su Qingying next to her was also a cold beauty, she would occasionally make a venomous remark, making the sisters tremble with anger.
Huang Qi finally understood clearly that Su Qingying was fake aloof but truly venomous, while Hong Ling Fairy was truly aloof.
Thus, the few Immortals walked and talked, their conversations ranging from food, clothing, housing, and transportation to private topics of women, without any taboos.
Huang Qi felt a little embarrassed listening, but unfortunately, he couldn’t leave.
“Did you hear? That cultivator who refuses to leave is going to get the boot.”
At this moment, the discussion from two male disciples on the roadside reached Hong Ling Fairy’s ears, and Huang Qi naturally shared it.
“Which cultivator who refuses to leave? Lin Mengqi?”
“Nonsense, besides Deacon Hu’s disciple, how many other cultivators who refuse to leave are there in the HongHua Sect?”
“You’re talking about Huang Qi? Is it true or false? He has Deacon Hu looking out for him, so how could he be forced to leave so easily?”
“This time it’s different. Elder Wu personally went to chase him away.”
“That’s truly gratifying! Why should someone who failed to break through still be allowed to stay in the HongHua Sect for so long? Is it fair to those disciples who were expelled?”
“Who told him to have a good Master? He didn’t hesitate to give him a room to live in.”
“Then Huang Qi isn’t Deacon Hu’s illegitimate son, is he? Otherwise, why would he care so much?”
“Who knows? Stop talking nonsense, hurry up if you want to watch the show.”
…
After saying this, the two disciples hurried towards the main gate.
Huang Qi’s heart trembled upon hearing this. It seemed that in the “dream,” today was the day he would be expelled from the sect.
“Sisters, since there’s nothing to do, why don’t we go and watch the excitement?”
Miao Xiang weakly requested.
The sisters immediately agreed and walked towards the main gate.
Huang Qi, however, did not want to. Being expelled from the HongHua Sect was the darkest day of his life, and he didn’t even dare to recall it under normal circumstances.
Huang Qi wanted to control his feet to leave, but this was Hong Ling Fairy’s memory, and his body was not under his control at all.
Thus, the few Immortals quickly arrived at the main gate of the HongHua Sect. At this time, it was already crowded, but they were not here to see off any important figures, but to laugh at Huang Qi, the cultivator fixated on staying.
“I didn’t expect to experience it once in reality and then again in a dream.”
Huang Qi couldn’t bear to watch, but unfortunately, he couldn’t control Hong Ling Fairy’s eyes.
Not long after, Huang Qi saw himself again. In the dream, he was already a twenty-five-year-old young man. His face no longer had the confident smile from ten years ago, only deep inferiority. Coupled with the worn-out coarse cloth clothes he was wearing, he looked like a beggar asking for food at the HongHua Sect.
“I never thought I looked so pathetic back then!”
Huang Qi felt increasingly distressed.
At this moment, a slender middle-aged man accompanied the Huang Qi in the dream. He had a pale, beardless face, a square face, and a slightly hooked nose. This was Deacon Hu Bing.
And at this moment, behind the master and disciple, Elder Wu, followed by four or five disciples, as if escorting prisoners.
“Master, I’m leaving then.”
Upon reaching the gate, the Huang Qi in the dream weakly bid farewell to his master, his eyes completely avoiding the people around him who were laughing at him.
“Go, be careful on the way, remember to wear the attunement charm. Don’t give up after returning, and remember what Master taught you.”
Hu Bing admonished him carefully.
“Yes, Master! I’ll come back to see you when I have time.”
The Huang Qi in the dream was filled with reluctance.
“Hmm!”
Hu Bing nodded with satisfaction.
“Then I’m leaving, take care.”
The Huang Qi in the dream bid farewell once more, then walked out of the main gate, looking back three times, appearing extremely nostalgic.
As the person involved, Huang Qi naturally understood his inner thoughts at this moment. Returning home after leaving the HongHua Sect would be impossible to explain to his parents, and he was very afraid of seeing the disappointed expressions on their faces.
“Hurry up and go, what are you dragging your feet for? Do you want me to kick you out?”
Elder Wu urged him inhumanely from behind.
The Huang Qi in the dream showed a trace of anger but still quickened his pace and left the HongHua Sect, because he knew he had no capital to argue.
Huang Qi looked at his lonely back, his heart filled with extreme bitterness.
“Haha, this tenant who refuses to leave is finally gone, truly gratifying.”
“Yes, a place to live in the HongHua Sect costs tens of thousands of taels of silver. Others spend the savings of several generations to get it, so why should he be allowed to live there for so many years for free?”
“Hu Bing, as a deacon of the HongHua Sect, openly violated sect rules by harboring Huang Qi. Isn’t there anyone to manage this?”
…
Many onlookers who came to watch the excitement were adding insult to injury, constantly mocking him.
“I think he’s quite pitiful.”
At this moment, Miao Xiang beside him said faintly.
“Yes, looking at his clothes, you can tell his family is poor. If he goes back like this, he will probably never be able to turn his life around.”
Ruan Lingyu also agreed.
“What can be done about that? The rules of the HongHua Sect are like this. If you don’t meet the requirements, you have to leave, otherwise, won’t our place become a refugee camp?”
Yun Fei seemed very rational.
Huang Qi certainly understood this principle, so he never hated the HongHua Sect. That’s why he had risked his life to drive away those fiends and heretics before.
As everyone wanted to disperse, Elder Wu did not intend to let it go.
“Deacon Hu, that scoundrel is gone, is it your turn now?”
Elder Wu said with a displeased tone.
“Me? You want to drive me away too?”
Hu Bing was already in a bad mood, and now that he was being provoked, his face turned completely gloomy.
Huang Qi’s heart suddenly tightened. He didn’t expect that his matter would implicate his master.
“Shouldn’t I? The rules of the HongHua Sect clearly state that unauthorized personnel are not allowed to stay, but you? As a deacon, you knowingly violated the rules and kept that expelled good-for-nothing at home for ten years. This is a serious violation of the HongHua Sect rules. What qualifications do you have to be a deacon?”
Elder Wu said aggressively.
“I’m a good-for-nothing? You’re the good-for-nothing! You old good-for-nothing!”
Huang Qi endured no longer and cursed inwardly.
“Elder Wu, I must remind you that that house is my private property. I can let anyone live there if I want to.”
Hu Bing sneered.
“Indeed, the house is your private property, but you are a deacon of the HongHua Sect and must abide by the sect rules. If you violate them, you will be kicked out.”
Elder Wu said with a ferocious expression, as if Huang Qi’s house was his own.
“Heh, whether I leave or not, you don’t get to decide, do you?”
Hu Bing said with a noncommittal smile.
“If I don’t get to decide, then does the Sect Leader get to decide? To tell you the truth, letting you leave was his personal instruction. If you don’t believe me, you can go and ask him.”
Elder Wu said with a mocking expression.
Huang Qi’s heart sank halfway upon hearing this. He knew that even if the surnamed Wu was arrogant, he wouldn’t lie in front of everyone. That could only mean that letting his master leave was indeed approved by Sect Leader Qin.
“If I had known it would harm Master, why did I stubbornly stay in the HongHua Sect?”
At this moment, Huang Qi regretted it to the extreme.
Hu Bing looked around and found that no one stood up to speak for him. A look of contempt appeared on his face, and he said, “Fine, I’m leaving. I haven’t wanted to stay in this dirty sect for a long time.”
“What? He, a deacon, is actually scolding the HongHua Sect as dirty?”
“He violated the sect rules himself, and now he’s biting back. This is too shameless.”
“Truly, what kind of master, what kind of disciple. That Huang Qi’s scoundrelliness must have been learned from him!”
…
The onlookers chattered and accused Hu Bing incessantly.
“Deacon Hu, what did you say? Say it again?”
At this moment, a voice like rolling thunder sounded, echoing throughout the HongHua Sect.
Before the voice had even finished, a figure had already appeared in front of Hu Bing. Who else could it be but Qin Quan? As the Sect Leader, he absolutely would not allow anyone to insult the HongHua Sect, not even a deacon within the sect.
“You didn’t hear clearly? Then I’ll say it again, this is a dirty sect!”
Hu Bing confronted him, showing no fear.
“Master, what’s wrong? Why is he so extreme?”
Huang Qi couldn’t figure it out.
“Considering your dedicated service to the HongHua Sect over the years, I’ll give you a chance to explain and convince me! Otherwise, I guarantee that today you will lose not only your position as a deacon.”
Qin Quan, who had an immortal bearing, had an extremely cold expression. It was clear that Hu Bing had touched his bottom line.
“Since Sect Leader Qin wants to listen, then I’ll say it. I’ve held it in for ten years anyway, and I’m suffocating.”
Hu Bing let out a long sigh and slowly said, “Ten years ago, my disciple Huang Qi was clearly cultivating smoothly, but before preparing to break through to the Yuan core, the spiritual energy in his body inexplicably disappeared, causing him to be unable to accumulate enough True Qi, and ultimately he failed. Why do you think this happened?”
The people around looked at each other in dismay, thinking that failure to break through was normal? The HongHua Sect had many ordinary disciples who experienced this matter every year.
Huang Qi also didn’t understand why his master was bringing this up again. He was too embarrassed to recall it himself, thinking, “Can you leave me a little dignity?”
“This shows that your good-for-nothing disciple has limited talent. Why do you even need to ask?”
Elder Wu mocked without thinking.
“Is that so? But when Huang Qi entered the sect, it was Elder Ruan who personally tested him. Everyone knows how strict he has always been, so disciples who were qualified by him all became cultivators, without exception.”
Hu Bing reminded them loudly.
Upon hearing this, the crowd finally felt that something was not simple, and they looked at each other.
“It’s true. After Huang Qi failed, my grandfather was still wondering what happened. He said that although this disciple wasn’t a genius, he had medium talent, and there was no reason for him to fail.”
Ruan Lingyu, who was nearby, confirmed this.
“So, not only I thought so!”
Huang Qi was extremely touched upon hearing Ruan Lingyu’s words. After failing to break through, he also felt very strange, but to avoid being mocked, he kept it to himself and didn’t complain. He never expected that he wasn’t the only one who had this thought.
“Then why do you say it happened?”
Elder Wu asked with a half-smile.
“Because someone poisoned him!”
Hu Bing explained through gritted teeth.
“Wh… what?”
Huang Qi’s mind went blank with a bang.
