abcnovels
Chapter 469: Are You Sure?
Chapter 469: Are You Sure?
Chapter 469: Are You Sure?
In the desolate wilderness, where few humans ventured, a sudden cry for help echoed through the air.
Chu Liang's mind immediately flashed with images—a baldie, a mischievous monkey, and a child wearing a stomach apron.[1]
But after a moment, he shook his head. He wasn't Monk Tang, and he certainly wasn't weak. There was no harm in investigating. If someone was truly in danger, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
So, he cautiously made his way toward the source of the sound, extending his divine sense ahead to scout the area.
It wasn't long before he located the source of the cry.
Deep within the Demon Spider Forest, a massive, layered web stretched between the trees. Each strand of spider silk was as thick as a wrist, weaving together to ensnare dozens of towering trees. The web's strands gleamed with a menacing red hue, dotted with eerie black spots, making the sight all the more terrifying.
At the center of the giant web was a colorful butterfly, roughly the size of a palm, with flickers of divine light shimmering around it.
In a desperate human voice, it cried out, "Help..."
The butterfly's voice was hoarse from its relentless cries, but the moment it saw Chu Liang, its tone shifted to one of excitement.
"A young hero of the human race! Please, save me!" it pleaded desperately.
Chu Liang did not look at the butterfly. He looked around carefully as he tried to locate the owner of the spider web.
As he kept his guard up, he asked,"How did you even get caught when the poisonous web is so big?"
"I was being chased by a vicious evil eagle in the sky, and in my panic, I flew straight into this poisonous web!" The butterfly flapped its wings frantically, struggling against the sticky strands.
"And where is the spider that wove this web?" Chu Liang asked again.
"The evil eagle got caught in the web too. The spider wrapped it up and dragged it away, probably to feed on it somewhere else," the butterfly replied anxiously. It flapped its wings weakly, pleading, "Young hero, please save me quickly, or I'll be poisoned to death!"
Chu Liang hesitated. A part of him suspected the butterfly might be a trap, while another part remained on edge, wary of the spider he still hadn't located. He didn't dare step forward recklessly.
After all, to weave such a large poisonous web, the spider must be the Demon Spider King of the area, and its power was certainly formidable. Even with his higher cultivation level, one careless move could leave him vulnerable to its deadly poison. He couldn't afford to take this lightly.
Thus, Chu Liang was extremely cautious.
As someone who had ventured into the martial world for a long time, he couldn't help but remain cautious.
After observing for a moment, he summoned his flying sword. With a few swift strokes, he severed the web surrounding the butterfly, setting it free. Yet the moment the butterfly was released, it fell to the ground.
Its wings were still paralyzed by the poison of the Scarlet Demon Spider, so it couldn't move at all. Chu Liang had no choice but to lift it with his flying sword. After double-checking to make sure all traces of poison were gone, he gently cupped the butterfly in his hand.
"I'll get you out of here," Chu Liang reassured in a low voice as he slowly moved back. "Once the poison wears off, you'll be flying free again."
"Young hero, you must hurry..." the butterfly whispered, its voice faint. "The Scarlet Demon Spider can sense everything through its web. Now that you've cut it, it'll be coming for us!"
"Hmm?" Chu Liang stopped in his tracks upon hearing the butterfly's warning. "It will come after us?"
"Oh no, why did you stop?" The butterfly flapped its wings frantically. "The Scarlet Demon Spider King is the deadliest creature in this place..."
Before it could finish its sentence, a crimson shadow dropped from the sky!
A massive Scarlet Demon Spider, as tall as a person, soared through the air! The cunning Scarlet Demon Spider King had silently circled behind Chu Liang while he was focused ahead, preparing for a sneak attack!
But Chu Liang reacted as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Just before the spider could strike, he whirled around, and a fierce surge of Divine Dragon Fire erupted from his palm!
Boom—
The blazing Divine Dragon Fire instantly incinerated the Scarlet Demon Spider King, reducing it to ashes in the blink of an eye.
Chu Liang had only been careful because he was worried about touching the poison. But now, the Scarlet Demon Spider King brazenly launched a sneak attack instead of fleeing. How could he tolerate such actions?
He had been on high alert, scanning everywhere around him with his divine sense. And so, when he acted, he effortlessly annihilated the spider.
If he couldn't even handle a lesser demon king of this level, he wouldn't deserve to be called one of Mount Shu Sect's prodigies.
...
"Thank you, young hero, for saving my life," the butterfly said gratefully.
After a short while, the poison finally wore off, and the butterfly fluttered up into the air once more.
"It was nothing, no need for thanks," Chu Liang said casually. "Just be careful on your way."
"Your kindness is too great to repay," the butterfly insisted. "I happened to know of a hidden treasure of nature nearby. If you'd like, I can guide you to it if it happens to be something you need."
Chu Liang's eyes lit up at the mention of a treasure. "A treasure, you say?"
"Yes," the butterfly continued, "just a several li from here, hidden behind a waterfall, there's a cave filled with spiritual qi. There is an unclaimed spirit plant growing inside."
"Lead the way," Chu Liang commanded with a wave of his hand.
With that, the butterfly darted ahead, and Chu Liang followed closely behind. Soon, they arrived at the said location.
In front of Chu Liang was a large, beautiful waterfall, its water pouring into a deep pool below like a shining silver curtain. The constant roar of the rushing water filled the air, masking the cave that lay hidden behind it. The butterfly had once been chased by a demonic beast and, in a panic, stumbled upon a narrow crevice that led to this secret cave.
Inside, the butterfly had found a faintly glowing spirit plant that only had a little bit of spiritual qi. It was unknown as to how many years it would take for the plant to fully mature and be ready to harvest but that was why the butterfly had left it untouched.
Chu Liang looked around carefully and sent a clone ahead to check for any danger. Once he was sure it was safe, he dove straight into the waterfall.
Splash—
Upon entering, Chu Liang saw ripples of divine light dancing around. Inside the waterfall was an empty cave, with wide stone walls and a crystal-clear pool resting in the center.
In the center of the pool stood a tall, vibrant plant, its glowing green leaves casting a soft light that filled the entire cave.
It appeared delicate and beautiful.
"Jade Pot Celestial Plant!" Chu Liang exclaimed, instantly recognizing the rare spirit plant.
This plant was a precious water-element treasure that only thrived in areas rich with spiritual qi, taking centuries to mature.
The cascading waterfall and nourishing pool had created the perfect jade-pot-like fengshui[2], allowing this rare plant to grow undisturbed.
Moreover, it hadn't been discovered yet, making it even more precious.
Chu Liang turned to the butterfly and said, "It seems this is exactly the treasure I've been looking for. I should be the one thanking you."
"Young hero, there's no need for such words," the butterfly replied, hovering nearby. "You saved my life, which is far more valuable than this spirit plant."
Chu Liang smiled and nodded. "Let's call it even. We helped each other."
I sincerely hope that all grateful demonic creatures will take this as the standard. If what they have is false gratitude, they'll offer their body, but if it's true gratitude, they'll offer treasures of nature.
Without another word, he flew to the center of the pool, forming a blade with his fingers. With a gentle motion, he carefully sliced off half of the Jade Pot Celestial Plant's stem, taking only part of the plant.
Since the fengshui of the area remained undisturbed, the Jade Pot Celestial Plant would continue to thrive. Spirit plants like this should never be uprooted completely.
He planned to report the location to the Office of Precious Herbs upon returning to Mount Shu.
A hundred years from now, disciples of the sect could come here and harvest this plant.
After carefully harvesting part of the plant, he placed it into a jade box. Just as he was about to put it away, he suddenly heard two soft thuds from behind, followed by a loud shout: "Stop!"
Chu Liang certainly would not stop. He quickly closed the jade box and put it away before turning to look at the people who just stepped inside.
Three cultivators entered the cave. They were two men and one woman.
The young man at the front wore a white robe with cloud patterns. His sword, along with a few enchanted tools, hung from his jade belt.
He looked noble and rich.
Beside him stood a delicate-looking woman with fair skin and striking features.
Behind them was a young man in yellow clothes, dressed simply, appearing like a servant as he closely followed the pair.
From the way they approached with clear ill intentions, it was obvious they had their eyes on the Jade Pot Celestial Plant as well. However, Chu Liang remained calm. In the world of immortality, when a natural treasure was claimed or cultivated by someone, it would be tied with a red string and have a nameplate placed beside it, even if it was left unattended. Taking it afterward would be considered a direct challenge.
But since there was no red string or nameplate around the Jade Pot Celestial Plant, it was clear that it was unclaimed. If these people wanted to take it, they would have to fight for it.
So, Chu Liang cupped his hands and said, "I am a disciple of the Mount Shu Sect. I found this unclaimed spirit plant and harvested part of it. Is there any problem with that?"
This time, he was smarter. He only mentioned Mount Shu, without giving his name, and he didn't mention his esteemed teacher.
The young man in the white robe thought for a moment before saying, "This is the territory of our Red River Sect. My father, Zhao Duanyang, is the sect leader. We cultivate treasures of nature here. Even if you're from Mount Shu, you can't just come into our land and take our spirit plants, can you?"
The truth was that they were just wandering nearby.
When Chu Liang entered the waterfall, a small surge of spiritual qi leaked out, allowing them to sense it and enter the cave, where they saw him harvesting one part of the spirit plant.
Seeing that Chu Liang was young and seemingly alone, they felt tempted to fight for the plant.
To Chu Liang, the Jade Pot Celestial Plant was likely just one of many treasures of nature. But for disciples from small sects like them, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Naturally, greed began to stir in their hearts.
Upon hearing that Chu Liang was a Mount Shu disciple, they felt a bit scared. However, conflicts over treasures of nature between disciples from different sects were common, and sects usually wouldn't get involved. It was an unspoken rule in the world of immortality.
With that in mind, they became even more confident.
However, when Chu Liang heard the words Red River Sect, it reminded him of something that he witnessed yesterday. Though the sect wasn't very big, it was known for having plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
The Red River Sect's leader, Zhao Duanyang, was likely the "Old Zhao" that the woman from yesterday had mentioned. And the young man standing before him must be his son...
After the young man in the white robe finished speaking, he expected several possible responses—perhaps Chu Liang would threaten him with the status of the Mount Shu Sect, ignore him entirely, or even attack outright. However, the reply he received was something he had never expected in his life.
"So, you're the son of the Red River Sect leader Zhao..." Chu Liang asked with a hint of doubt in his tone. "Are you sure?"
1. Referencing Journey to the West. The baldie being the monk, the monkey being the Monkey King Sun Wukong, the child wearing the stomach apron being Red Boy. What usually happens in Journey to the West is that a girl (often a demon in disguise) would shout for help. Monk Tang, driven by his kindness, would send Sun Wukong to help her. However, this usually leads to Monk Tang being captured, as the demons intend to cook and eat him for his flesh is said to grant immortality. ?
2. A jade pot symbolizes purity, refinement, and auspiciousness. If fengshui is like a jade pot, it means that the environment or layout is harmonious, balanced, and brings good fortune. ?