Chapter 255: Intimidation

Chapter 255: Awe

Xie Shu's hand lingered on the scar, followed by a heavy silence, so long that Xiao Wu began to feel uneasy again.

He tried to pull up his collar to cover the scar: "It was a long time ago, nothing serious. I—"

Xie Shu stopped his movement, his fingertip resting on another scar: "Immortal Lord, what about this one?"

"..."

Xiao Wu sighed again: "When I was fourteen, I went out with my martial siblings to hunt demons. We passed by a temple fair in the mortal world and were drawn in by the dazzling lights, so I wandered in and missed the time to return to the mountain gate."

Xie Shu's finger continued downward: "Here?"

Xiao Wu: "At seventeen, a wealthy family's daughter was possessed. I tracked down the cause, and the family head insisted on hosting me. I couldn't refuse, but the wine at the banquet was too strong, and I got drunk on the way back, breaking sect decorum."

Xie Shu traced each scar one by one, his frown deepening.

Such trivial matters—was the Shangling Sect's discipline really this harsh?

The game's setting was three hundred years after Xiao Wu was trapped in Wuwang Palace. By then, both the Shangling Sect and Wuwang Palace had collapsed, fading into legend.

Two fallen sects weren't worth the writers' effort to elaborate on, so Xie Shu knew very little about them, only that they were described as "celestial sanctuaries" and "the foremost immortal sect in the world."

But the conduct of this "foremost sect" was far from what Xie Shu had imagined.

"Alright, no more questions," Xiao Wu said as he fastened his robes again. "These are all things from many years ago. The scars have long faded—they're nothing."

He dismissed it casually and then asked: "Xiao Yu, how has your spellwork been these days?"

Xie Shu offered the prepared excuse: "I can barely grasp a thread of mana, but I can't sustain it. It gathers and then scatters."

Typical of someone with average talent.

Xiao Wu: "Don't lose heart. For a novice cultivator, this is perfectly normal."

Sensing mana was one thing; storing it in the dantian's qi sea was another. This process was called "mana gathering."

For the first attempt, ordinary people might take months or even half a year. Ordinary disciples of the sect usually took three months, while geniuses took one. Anything shorter was an unheard-of speed.

Xie Shu asked with interest: "How long did it take you, Immortal Lord, the first time?"

Xiao Wu hesitated visibly.

He wasn't good at lying. If he didn't want to answer, he would simply fall silent, unable to come up with an evasive response. But revealing the truth might discourage "Song Xiaoyu."

He worried about dampening the boy's motivation.

After a moment, Xiao Wu said calmly: "Cultivation varies from person to person. Everyone progresses at their own pace. Quick gathering doesn't mean faster progress later, and slow gathering doesn't mean poor talent. You've only just begun your cultivation journey—don't dwell on it."

Xie Shu stood with his arms crossed, studying him. Xiao Wu appeared aloof, but his thoughts were easy to read. Xie Shu found it amusing. He had intended to change the subject, but since the writers hadn't scripted this part, he genuinely wanted to know the answer.

The lore described Xiao Wu as a genius unseen in a hundred years in the cultivation world—just how much of a genius was he?

Xie Shu: "Tell me, Immortal Lord. I won't feel inferior."

Xiao Wu: *"...Three days."*

With that, he fell silent, as if achieving rapid spirit gathering too quickly was some sort of crime in front of an ordinary child.

Xie Shu thought to himself, "How terrifying."

While marveling, he also felt a subtle sense of pride.

Just as expected from the genius he’d created.

After sidestepping the topic of cultivation, Xie Shu mentioned the Sword Manual and Sword Control in passing. At Song Xiaoyu's current level, learning these was impossible, but it was natural for a junior’s curiosity about the world of immortal cultivation.

Xie Shu: "I’ve heard the Immortal Lord is an exceptional swordsman. Are there any secrets to it?"

Xiao Wu then shared a few pointers with him. Comparing them to the knowledge in his mind, Xie Shu gained some insight.

He planned to revisit the Sword Manual later, so he stood up and took his leave of Xiao Wu.

But as he picked up the food box, walked to the door, and was about to close the wooden door behind him, he hesitated for the briefest moment.

Something felt wrong.

The previous Palace Lord had planted a circle of trees around the Siyou Pavilion as a warning to his subordinates—inside was the living quarters of his favorite concubine, and off-limits to outsiders. Anyone who accidentally saw something they shouldn’t would face his wrath without mercy.

These trees remained to this day, towering and straight. Xue Sui was currently waiting for him beneath one, while the rest of the patrolling disciples were stationed outside the tree ring, none daring to cross the boundary.

These trees were usually home to many birds and insects, their chirping and rustling never ceasing. A cultivator with sharp senses could even hear ants crawling on blades of grass. But now, it felt as if...

There was a gap in the sound.

Within the circular formation, one tree stood unnaturally silent, as if all the insects and creatures inhabiting it had died.

Xie Shu wasn’t particularly skilled with Xie Chunshan’s sword techniques, but the cultivation level of this body was genuine—his senses were far keener than a mortal’s.

Cultivators were accustomed to such heightened awareness, their brains automatically blocking out excess noise to avoid overwhelming their minds. Unless Xie Chunshan deliberately focused, he wouldn’t notice such a minor discrepancy.

But Xie Shu was different. Having suddenly inherited Xie Chunshan’s cultivation, he was still adjusting—like a severely nearsighted person suddenly given perfect vision. Combined with his innate wariness, he was able to detect it.

Xue Sui, who had been standing under the tree, straightened upon seeing the Palace Lord and dutifully took the food box from Xie Shu’s hands, acting the part of a dutiful attendant. But the Palace Lord showed no intention of leaving, instead standing still, his gaze fixed on something unseen.

After exiting the Siyou Pavilion, Xie Shu picked up the hand warmer and draped a cloak over his shoulders. He shot Xue Sui a cold look, and the attendant’s knees nearly gave out.

"P-Palace Lord?"

Xie Shu: "Don’t you think there’s something wrong with this tree?"

Xue Sui trembled: "Wh-what do you mean?"

Xie Shu: "You don’t hear it?"

Xue Sui was on the verge of kneeling: "H-hear what?"

Xie Shu let his gaze linger meaningfully before withdrawing it.

An extremely subtle technique. Xue Sui was second only to Xie Chunshan in the palace, his cultivation even surpassing Wu Buke’s—yet he hadn’t noticed.

Without answering, Xie Shu began circling the Siyou Pavilion.

Holding the hand warmer, he walked at an unhurried pace, occasionally glancing around like a nobleman on a leisurely outing. Xue Sui broke out in cold sweat. Before long, they stopped beneath another tree.

Xie Shu twitched his fingers slightly.

Something was off about this tree, yet he couldn’t pinpoint why.

Xie Shu was new to the cultivation world, having only grasped half of the foundational techniques and only half-understood spells. As for talismans, elixirs, formations, or poisonous gu worms—he was utterly clueless.

But it didn’t matter. There was someone here who knew enough.

So, all Xue Sui saw was their Palace Lord turning back, his fox-like eyes glinting with icy disdain. He stared at Xue Sui as if looking at a worthless corpse.

"Sovereign Xue," Xue Sui heard Xie Chunshan speak softly, "Now that we’re standing here, you still don’t see the problem? Do I, your Palace Lord, have to teach you?"

"..."

In an instant, cold sweat drenched Xue Sui’s back, a chill crawled up his spine, his hair stood on end, and his heart rate spiked. Almost immediately, a suspicion struck him. He raised his hand like a blade and cleaved the towering tree clean in half. The tree crashed to the ground, its trunk splintering—exposing a hollow, wormlike tunnel in the cross-section.

The tunnel was slender and twisted, running through the entire tree, as if something had burrowed up from the roots and tunneled all the way to the crown.

The moment the tree fell, a pale, finger-length streak shot down from the treetop and dove into the soil.

Xue Sui, already on edge like a leopard whose tail had been yanked, struck with ruthless precision. His curved blade stabbed two inches into the dirt, and when he yanked it back, the tip impaled a long, wriggling worm.

The worm resembled a maggot but was flatter and more elongated, writhing futilely on the blade like a squirming strip of flesh.

An unidentified gu worm.

Xie Shu’s brow twitched slightly.

These men had truly waded through blood and steel. Given Xue Sui’s draw speed, even if Xie Shu had mastered sixty percent of his techniques, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge.

For a split second, a killing intent so sharp it could flay flesh surged forth. Even though Xie Shu wasn’t the target, he instinctively shut his eyes.

The next moment, he forced them back open, fingertips trembling slightly, a thin layer of sweat forming.

Xue Sui knelt on one knee, lifting the blade to carefully remove the worm, then presented it reverently on his palm. "Palace Lord."

Xie Shu glanced down, mildly unsettled, yet his expression remained composed. He gave a soft, humorless chuckle, examining the thing on Xue Sui’s palm with keen interest, as if he’d stumbled upon something amusing.

Lord Wuwang murmured, "Sovereign Xue, how did this thing slip past the patrols and end up in a tree by the Siyou Pavilion, hmm?"

The last syllable lifted, lingering like a blade’s edge.

Xue Sui knelt even lower. "...Palace Lord, the surrounding area is all mud. This thing must have burrowed underground to bypass the perimeter, then climbed up the trunk. The patrols weren’t skilled enough to sense it."

His voice grew quieter as he spoke, and at the end, he dared a furtive glance at his Palace Lord.

Lord Wuwang still held the hand warmer, his amber eyes half-lidded, cold as polished amber, a faint smile playing at his lips as if to say, *Continue. I’m listening.*

Xue Sui’s sweat worsened, trickling down his back in icy trails. He shut his eyes briefly. "This subordinate has failed you. I... will accept punishment."

Xie Shu didn’t respond directly. "You may decide."

He looked up at the moon. Tonight was the fifteenth, and the mountains of Wuwang Palace were drenched in the full moon’s silver light. Countless jagged peaks speared the sky like swords, casting deep shadows between them.

Xie Shu said, "I’ll be admiring the moon at the Hundred-Step Pavilion. Have the maids bring tea and snacks, then summon Wu Buke."

Then, he added with a light laugh, "Tell him I wish to share a toast under the moon—to honor our bond as master and servant."

"..."

Xue Sui kowtowed, forehead striking the ground with a dull *thud*. "As my lord commands."

Here is the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

*

He bowed and retreated, stepping back a full hundred meters before summoning his flying sword and soaring into the sky on swordflight.

The Hundred Paces Pavilion stood atop a high cliff within Wuwang Palace, a solitary structure facing the mountain range. Under the cold moon, with towering peaks rising like walls before it, the scene perfectly captured Wuwang Palace's commanding presence from a game design perspective.

Xie Shu sat amidst the clouds, easily imagining players maneuvering with light-footed techniques between the cliffs if the game were to launch. He sipped his tea while recording the inspiration.

Wu Buke arrived swiftly.

He halted outside the pavilion, bowing respectfully. "Palace Lord."

Xie Shu tapped the opposite seat with his tea whisk. "Sit."

In all of Wuwang Palace, only Wu Buke would dare test him with a *gu*.

Though Xie Shu knew little about *gu* insects, he could roughly deduce the scheme. The poisonous *gu* had suppressed other birds in the tree—nothing more. The approach was subtle; had he not been alert, he wouldn’t have noticed. Wu Buke must have grown suspicious and chosen a cautious way to probe. The *gu* wasn’t lethal, merely for surveillance, so even if discovered, he could claim it was meant to monitor Xiao Wu, supporting Xue Sui’s patrols.

This was just the first step. If Wu Buke truly found something amiss or obtained evidence, his next moves would be far more aggressive.

Against such escalation, Xie Shu had no defense. He had to eliminate the threat at its root.

But killing Wu Buke wasn’t an option. Renowned for his poisonous *gu*, the man was treacherous and held many hidden cards. Rash action would only make things worse.

Thus, intimidation was his only option.

Xie Shu couldn’t wield a sword or cast spells, but with sixty percent mastery of the Wuwang Heart Method, intimidation was enough.

Wu Buke's heart pounded as he took his seat opposite Xie Shu, clasping his hands. "Palace Lord, summoning this old man so late—"

"To admire the moon with you," Xie Shu replied.

"...Admire the moon?"

Wu Buke muttered before quickly agreeing, "The moonlight shines clear tonight—truly fitting."

Xie Shu lounged lazily in his wooden chair, lifting his teacup. "A pity the peaks block the view, leaving only glimpses."

The words were peculiar, heavy with meaning. Xie Shu's gaze swept over the mountains, and Wu Buke, startled, turned to look.

It was now past midnight. The moon had tilted slightly, half-hidden behind a peak.

Xie Shu (also known as Xie Chunshan) sipped his tea and smiled. "The Hundred Paces Pavilion stands high in Wuwang Palace. Yet even here, mountains obstruct my sight. Isn’t that so, Envoy Wu?"

Wu Buke grew uneasy. Xie Chunshan's eyes were cold despite his smile, enough to make anyone's skin crawl.

He nodded in agreement. "As the Palace Lord says."

Then, Xie Chunshan suddenly raised his hand. A wave of energy burst forth, and Wu Buke instinctively flinched before steadying himself.

The force wasn’t aimed at him.

At sixty percent mastery, the Wuwang Heart Method held the power to move mountains and drain seas.

Xie Shu knew no swordplay or spells—but raw power from his cultivation was enough to achieve his goal.

The energy crashed into a corner of the mountain. With a deafening roar, rocks shattered, and the moon reappeared in full view.

Shattering a mountain—the simplest application of brute strength.

Wu Buke stood frozen as dust clouded the sky behind him. He stiffly lifted his gaze to see Xie Chunshan sipping tea, his lips curled in a faint, knowing smile.

"Obstructions to one's sight should be removed. Don't you agree, Envoy Wu?"