Chapter 206: Left Peak Master Gets Tricked
A big question mark appeared in Zuo Yunshan’s mind.
His expression was blank for a moment, but he quickly reacted, wanting to deny it outright.
After all, it was just a slip of the tongue. Who would take it seriously?
But in the next second, he saw Dao Xuan Zhenren holding up a conspicuous spirit-recording stone.
As everyone knew, spirit-recording stones never lied.
Zuo Yunshan’s eyelids twitched, and he felt as if he had swallowed a fly.
He had to brace himself and say, “Mu Sanniang’s deviation from the righteous path is not a trivial matter. It cannot be changed overnight. I hope the Sect Master will reconsider.”
The people of Shang Xuan Peak were just hot-tempered and difficult, not complete fools.
As Zuo Yunshan, who was in charge of punishment, he immediately avoided talking about his earlier slip of the tongue and only emphasized Mu Sanniang’s mistakes.
His words finally revealed a tip of the iceberg regarding Mu Sanniang’s situation.
Chen An heard this, his expression changed slightly, but he remained calm and did not rush to speak.
He knew that it was not yet his turn to speak.
As expected, in the next moment, Dao Xuan Zhenren’s voice boomed, “Peak Master Zuo is right. However, this unruly disciple of mine has always been stubborn. You have seen his actions these past few days. If I don’t let him try, I fear his cultivation will never advance again in this lifetime.”
“Therefore, I ask Peak Master Zuo to do me a favor and gamble with me on his behalf, to extinguish his last glimmer of hope.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren’s words were cleverly phrased.
He did not let Zuo Yunshan derail the conversation but forcefully steered it back.
Moreover, he shifted the focus of the matter.
After all, as Zuo Yunshan said, even Golden Core cultivators could not ascend Tianshan Mountain. So, what was wrong with letting a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like Chen An try?
If you refused even this small request, wouldn’t it be obvious that you were opposing the Sect Master?
Furthermore, according to Dao Xuan Zhenren’s intention, this gamble involved not only whether Mu Sanniang could be released early but also had the potential to become a lifelong inner demon for Chen An.
Therefore, for all intents and purposes, Zuo Yunshan had no reason to refuse.
Zuo Yunshan understood this point clearly, which made him feel even more stifled.
He regretted it now, deeply regretted it.
He regretted why he had to be so glib late at night and thought of coming here to vent.
He then remembered the bold claims he had made to his disciples a few days ago, and his expression became even more grim.
Zuo Yunshan’s face darkened, and he tried to save face by saying, “Regardless, I believe we should inform the other four peak masters before making a decision.”
However, he did not expect Dao Xuan Zhenren to quickly pick up where he left off.
He stroked his beard and smiled, “Peak Master Zuo is indeed meticulous and thoughtful. However, just now, I have already sent a divine sense to the other four peak masters. I assume they will receive a reply soon.”
As if to confirm his words, a divine sense from Dan Xuan Peak arrived leisurely.
“My Dan Xuan Peak has no objection. We are willing to be witnesses to the wager.”
It was a slightly aged male voice, the Peak Master of Dan Xuan Peak.
With the Dan Xuan Peak taking the lead, the other three peaks quickly responded.
As if they had discussed it beforehand, they all gave a very brief two-word reply.
“Seconded.”
All this happened very quickly, as if everyone had already prepared and were just waiting for Zuo Yunshan to speak.
This made the Shang Xuan Peak Master’s eyes widen, his brows furrowed into a small mountain, and he felt a sense of powerlessness.
He forced himself to calm down, thought for a moment, pointed at the young man kneeling in the snow, and said in a deep voice, “Let him try. That’s naturally no problem.”
Zuo Yunshan’s tone changed as he said this, and his voice suddenly became much louder.
“But a mistake is a mistake, and deviation from the righteous path is deviation from the righteous path. If he wants to save his sister and leave the mountain, he must take Mu Sanniang with him and leave my Tai Xuan Sect to fend for yourselves!”
After saying this, Zuo Yunshan’s eyes revealed a hint of triumph.
He thought to himself, since you cherish this disciple so much, you won’t really let your disciple be implicated for the sake of a useless person who can only improve by cultivating demonic arts, will you?
Only Chen An himself could not help but raise his head and move his lips, wanting to agree directly.
If there was a possibility, he of course wanted to remain in the sect.
But if he had to choose between his sister and the sect, he would choose his sister without hesitation.
Because without Mu Sanniang, there would be no Chen An today!
So when Zuo Yunshan made his final condition, Chen An became a little anxious for the first time.
He was afraid that Dao Xuan Zhenren might actually back down because of this.
Fortunately, his Master clearly understood him well.
Without any hesitation, Dao Xuan Zhenren waved his sleeve and directly lifted the young man from the snow, bringing him to his side.
At the same time, he quickly replied, “Good, then it shall be as Peak Master Zuo said!”
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
This time, it was Zuo Yunshan’s turn to be stunned. He really did not expect Dao Xuan Zhenren to agree to such a condition.
He stared blankly for a while before his expression turned grim again. He just kept looking at the Master and disciple, feeling very unpleasant.
He always felt that he had been tricked.
Was this whole charade of a bitter scheme performed for him?
Even though it was a snowy day, Zuo Yunshan felt his head getting hot. He took a deep breath to cool himself down.
Then he heard Dao Xuan Zhenren continue from the front, “Peak Master Zuo needn’t worry too much. After all, with my unruly disciple’s cultivation, how could he possibly climb Tianshan Mountain?”
“It’s just giving him an opportunity to face reality.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren’s words successfully made Zuo Yunshan’s expression look a little better.
However, he did not want to see the Master and disciple anymore, so he snorted coldly and turned to leave on his sword.
Dao Xuan Zhenren stood in place without saying a word, only smiling and watching him depart.
After Zuo Yunshan left, his expression turned serious.
The man turned around, looked at the young man’s frost-bitten fingers, and sighed.
He transmitted, “Your sister’s matter is extremely complicated and involves many factors, not just the issue of cultivating demonic arts. You should go and prepare immediately and come back to me tomorrow. I will explain everything to you then.”
Chen An listened silently, a warmth surging in his heart.
He knew that this was the best outcome he could have achieved after Mu Sanniang’s incident.
He did not offer too many words of gratitude. He only knelt on one knee and performed the禮 of a disciple.
Dao Xuan Zhenren seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled.
He said slowly, “You don’t need to do this. After all, letting you take your sister away from the mountain was my original intention.”
“The Tai Xuan Sect has been a bit unsettled recently…”
Dao Xuan Zhenren’s words made Chen An’s expression falter.
The man then waved his hand without further explanation, “Alright, you should hurry up and prepare.”
Chen An lowered his eyes, asked no further questions, just nodded, and then got up and returned to his Cave Mansion.
Behind him, Dao Xuan Zhenren gazed in the direction of the Nether Prison and murmured to himself.
“Gu Mo, what exactly are you plotting…”
“My Lord? What Lord?”
Just as Dao Xuan Zhenren was frowning and deducing, a divine sense broke his contemplation.
It was the Peak Master of Dan Xuan Peak.
His tone was tinged with a hint of curiosity.
“I’m curious, have you never considered the possibility of failure in the ascent?”
Failure?
Upon hearing this, Dao Xuan Zhenren thought of the little boy’s stubbornness when they first met, and he smiled silently.
(End of Chapter)
