Returning from the Immortal World

“You’re not qualified to know who my Master is.” Tang An replied indifferently while still kneeling. “All you need to know is that you must stay here and wait for the Grand Master’s arrangement. I’ll take you to see my Master if he doesn’t want to pick up a sweet hot potato like you.”

Incredulity filled the Saintess’ face. “Your Grand Master… don’t tell me it’s Tang Xiu?”

“Upstairs!”

Standing by the windows on the second floor, Tang Xiu spoke with a tone full of indifference.

Joyous Palace Saintess looked up at his indifferent expression and then glanced at Mo Awu’s group in the courtyard. She hesitated for a while but then finally decided to go upstairs.

“What do you want?”

“You must stay here from this moment on and wait for the arrival of the Buddhist Sect,” Tang Xiu said indifferently. “I hope you can stay honest and follow them if they’re willing to bring you back to China, but you can expect that I’ll spare your life if they’re not willing.”

“I must return to the Joyous Palace.” The Saintess retorted with a slightly indignant tone.

“Can you still go back, huh?” asked Tang Xiu.

She fell into silence. She knew that Tang Xiu was right. Could she still be able to go back? It was Tang An who rescued her when she ran away. Outsiders may not be aware of Tang Xiu’s identity, but Ki Kitagawa knew it clearly. Once that man spread the news that she was related to some Chinese cultivators, it was very likely that the over suspicious Palace Master would hold some bad intentions towards her.

What should I do? Must I stay here and be at their mercy? But where can I go?

Once the victor of the battle between the Joyous Palace and Japan’s authority was determined, it was likely that she would be their first target. Unless she could escape from Japan as quickly as possible, she would be captured by either the Joyous Palace or this Japanese agency.

For a time, she fell in a dilemma.

Tang Xiu turned around again and headed to the sofa in the room. After taking a seat, he added, “I’m sure you’re already aware of what kind of fate you’ll be facing. The Joyous Palace Master sees you as nothing but a furnace, and when the time is ripe, he’ll use you and send you to your death. I always held the belief that everyone must hold their own destiny in their hands. Hence, you gotta choose and think well on the road ahead of you.”

Having said that, his fingers moved and Kuwako quickly appeared in front of him.

While pointing to Kuwako, Tang Xiu indifferently said, “If I’m not mistaken, you should know her too, right?”

The Saintess shot a deep look at Kuwako and silently nodded. Then, she said, “The new Matriarch of House Yamamoto, and the young Master of the Northstar One Blade School. Had it not been for the Palace Master’s command, Kuwako Yamamoto would have been the Northstar One Blade’s Schoolmaster already.”

“That’s all correct, but did you know her 2 years ago?” asked Tang Xiu.

“No.” Gong Wan’er shook her head.

“She was a nobody, but in less than 2 years, she has now become the Head of House Yamamoto and the future Schoolmaster of Northstar One Blade style,” said Tang Xiu with a light smile. “Why do you think she can do these feats while also having her present strength?”

“It was all your merits,” Gong Wan’er replied.

“True. Kuwako was willing to follow me then, so I naturally bestowed her the strength she needed to be a hegemon here. I’ve never been a miser when it comes to my subordinates. Do you… understand what I mean?”

“I understand. But Miyaji once taught me that I must clearly remind myself that no matter what happens, whenever and wherever, I must not lose the falcon until I see the hare,” said Gong Wan’er.

“Is that so?”

Tang Xiu looked for a pen and paper and spent a little over 10 minutes to compile a Buddhist cultivation art. He then took out two jade bottles and placed them in front of Gong Wan’er, lightly saying, “What you see before you are a Buddhist cultivation technique which can take you to ascend to the Buddhist Realm someday if you can also obtain a massive number of cultivation resources to assist you. As for those two jade bottles, each separately contains two Essence Amassing Pills and Blood Seizing Pills.”

Gong Wan’er’s eyes contracted with disbelief in them. She shook her head and said, “That’s just impossible. Miyaji himself once said that it’s impossible to have the complete cultivation technique to ascend to the Buddhist Realm. It’s also the main reason why he has been stranded in the Buddhist Master Stage all this while since he doesn’t have the following cultivation manual and thus, can only do a bit of experiment to create some.”

“It’s all there. You’ll know it after you read it,” said Tang Xiu. “However, I advise you to think clearly before reading it. Once you read and cultivate to the point that you can really ascend to the Buddhist Realm, you’ll have no other choice but to follow me, unless you want to die.”

The woman gritted her teeth. But she eventually reached out to pick up the Buddhist cultivation manual. She spent two hours reading the whole content and slightly trembled afterward. A tempestuous storm flooded her whole being and the shock she felt was extremely hard to describe.

That’s right. She may have an insignificant cultivation level at the present, but she could tell whether this was a genuine or a fake Buddhist cultivation technique, and what stage one could achieve with it.

It was… all true.

Gong Wan’er reluctantly put down the cultivation manual. She now took the two pill bottles and asked, “I’ve heard of the Essence Amassing Pill which is said to be a great elixir in the cultivation world. But it’s also said that the concocting method has been lost, so I didn’t expect you to have it. But… what pill is this Blood Seizing Pill, though? What effect does it bring?”

“The Blood Seizing Pill is the remedy for physique and constitution refinement. I know you have a good cultivation level, but your physique and constitution are awful, which is the chief cause that affects your progress. Taking two Blood Seizing Pills will make your physique stronger by at least two times.”

Gasp…

Gong Wan’er couldn’t help but gasp.

Double the strength?

I indeed lack in the physique and constitution refinement since Miyaji never permits me to practice any secret art or other means to temper my physique. That’s the reason my physical strength is even worse than the other lower disciples of Joyous Palace.

However, even if her physical strength was very poor, it had, nonetheless, reached quite a fearsome degree. Yet, two Blood Seizing Pills could double her physical strength? That was simply a very terrifying effect!

Tang Xiu lifted a leg and placed it atop the other. He lit up a cigarette again and slowly drew the smoke in and out, waiting for Gong Wan’er’s reply. He wanted her to be his subordinate as he had been devising a plan. On the one hand, it was because of her constitution, while the other one was the fact that she could offer some assistance later.

For instance, the campaign to eradicate the Joyous Palace. Another instance was, he could plant a nail in the Buddhist Realm once she ascended there. After he ascended to the Immortal World in the future, it would be inevitable that he would have some dealings with those in the Buddhist Realm, thus planting his agent there was necessary.

Finally, Gong Wan’er glanced at Kuwako, then a firm expression appeared on her face as she seriously said, “I promise you.”

Tang Xiu gave a thumbs up and praised. “Those who understand the situation are smart and outstanding. You bumped into me, that’s the great chance you’ve ever had in your life. Alright, I’ll have a trial set for you and you’ll be qualified to be a disciple of my Tang Sect if you pass it.”

“What trial?” Gong Wan’er seemed to have guessed it, but she still asked.

“I’m going to uproot the Joyous Palace and kill the Palace Master.” Tang Xiu slowly explained, “But this is just merely the first step, whereas the second will be to destroy all the experts under General Fukuda’s flag.”

“Do you have enmity with them or something? What exactly is your purpose for doing this?” asked Gong Wan’er.

Tang Xiu pointed to Kuwako and lightly said, “She needs to be the supreme existence in the whole of Japan. Her every word and deeds will determine the fate, the rise and fall of this country.”

Gong Wan’er couldn’t help but shudder as she was terrified by Tang Xiu’s words and how big his ambition was. He actually wanted to control the whole of Japan?!

“Sect Master.”

Gong Wan’er respectfully bowed to Tang Xiu.

“No. You are not yet qualified to address me that way for now, unless the Joyous Palace and the entire force of General Fukuda have been destroyed.” Tang Xiu shook his head. “Before then, you will call me Boss!”

“Understood, Boss!”

She respectfully replied, but after having spoken that, she hesitated. Then, she asked, “But Boss… do you really want to kill the Joyous Palace Master? Can you…”

Tang Xiu interrupted her. “I don’t have any mortal enmity with the Joyous Palace Master whatsoever. There’s never been any reason for me to kill him, but he’s a Buddhist Sect’s renegade, a remnant. Even if I don’t kill him, those Buddhist Sect people will likely arrive soon and he’s as good as dead already.”

The Buddhist Sect?!!

Gong Wan’er fell into silence. She had long known about the deep enmity between Miyaji and the Buddhist Sect, but little did she expect that the man turned out to be a remnant of the Buddhist Sect’s renegades in China.

Tang Xiu got up and led Kuwako Yamamoto and Gong Yan’er to the first floor of the courtyard. After seeing the kneeling Tang An there, he lightly said, “This is your first disobedience. I don’t want to have a second one!”

“Understood!” Tang An loosened up. She knew that the punishment was now just a thing of the past.

“Anyway, I need to know the situation over there,” added Tang Xiu. “Kuwako, change your appearance again and head over there with your men to inquire about the news.”

“Receiving order!”

Kuwako replied curtly and left the courtyard quickly.

“And you, Tang An. If the battle over there is over already and whoever the victor is, the present situation in the capital will be very fragile and tumultuous even with the slightest disturbance. Kuwako may have changed her looks, but some observant people will likely keep her on tabs. You’re to follow her and take her away immediately should any peculiar circumstances occur.”

“Consider it done,” replied Tang An respectfully.

After Tang An left, Mo Awu strode lightly to Tang Xiu’s side and whispered, “Have you forgotten one thing, Sect Master?”

“Ehh? What is it, though?” asked Tang Xiu.

“If I remember correctly, you seem to have stuffed your cell phone in your interspatial ring before,” said Mo Awu.

Tang Xiu stared blankly for a moment. He suddenly remembered that he was still waiting for the call from the Buddhist Sect people. After taking out the cell phone in his interspatial, he checked it out and only found a short text from Kang Xia:

“Boss, please call back immediately after you read this.”