Chapter Seventeen: To Drive It Mad, First Enrage It

In the blink of an eye, several more hours slipped by.

During this time, Su Jian made another visit to Gao Zhengde, asking him for a few more small favors.

If his calculations were correct, reinforcements from the Alliance of Righteousness had already arrived in Lingzhou, though for reasons unknown, they had not made a move. So, the first order of business was to have Gao Zhengde spread a little rumor on his behalf.

All that needed to be said was that Su Henli had acquired a priceless treasure from Zhao Qianxue. There was no need to elaborate further—too many words would only lead to mistakes.

For Gao Zhengde, this was a trifling errand. He hesitated briefly but ultimately agreed, for as Su Jian put it, they were now grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

Su Jian knew full well that even if Su Henli grew suspicious, he would never suspect Gao Zhengde. At most, he would assume this was another self-directed, borrowed-knife scheme played out between himself and Zhao Qianxue.

But how Su Henli might react was irrelevant. All that mattered was that the Alliance of Righteousness would believe his words.

In any case, Su Jian had long since made his preparations to escape at a moment’s notice.

...

Now the moon hung high, its light cold and pure.

As was her habit, Zhao Qianxue appeared in his room once more. This time, however, Su Jian had summoned her of his own accord.

He had an uneasy feeling about tonight. Once the Alliance of Righteousness caught wind that the coveted treasure had fallen into Su Henli’s hands, they would hardly sit idly by.

No matter who fell—whether it was Su Henli or the envoys of the Alliance—Su Jian would welcome the outcome.

Just then, a dull thud echoed through the night.

With a heavy heart, Su Jian sharpened his senses and remained calm.

Zhao Qianxue, too, produced a Grand Translocation Talisman, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

In the next instant, a blade flashed, slicing through his door with ruthless efficiency. A burly, bearded man strode in.

Zhao Qianxue murmured softly, “The Blade King...”

This man had long made a name for himself in the cultivation world.

Su Jian’s brow furrowed. The murderous intent was palpable, and even from several yards away, he could smell the stench of alcohol.

What a waste of such a formidable presence—yet in the end, just another coward.

Wrongs have their sources, debts their collectors. Instead of seeking out Su Henli—the true target—this man had come for him. Clearly, his reasoning was not particularly keen.

Anyone could see that after he and Zhao Qianxue had lingered in Lingzhou for so long, there was no way Su Henli would remain inactive. Yet the intruder seemed not to have considered this at all.

“You are Chen Luo’s disciple?” the Blade King asked, expressionless, facing Su Jian directly.

Su Jian raised an eyebrow. Since when had he become so notorious?

He had always kept a low profile and treated others kindly.

If he had to guess... perhaps being handsome was a crime, after all.

Objectively, even if Su Henli was not the primary suspect, surely Zhao Qianxue would be. In the eyes of the Alliance, he was at best an accessory.

Su Jian smiled. “It seems word of my good looks has spread through all the sects. Senior, I must confess, I have no taste for men. But I could recommend someone—my senior sister’s ever-present attendant would suit you nicely.”

The Blade King’s face darkened, his voice cold as death. “Silver-tongued as ever. Tonight, I’ll make sure you die with your eyes wide open. Five years ago, my poor niece passed through the Demon Sect’s Immortal City, and you set your sights on her. She died by your hand—surely you haven’t forgotten?”

He had volunteered for this task himself...

Su Jian scoffed inwardly. Another one doomed by his own verbosity. If you want to kill me, why so many words?

This, it seemed, was a common failing among righteous cultivators.

Moreover, this so-called niece seemed of little importance to him—else, after five years, he would have known his target far better.

Even Zhao Qianxue glanced at Su Jian with suspicion. Such a deed did seem in character.

But Su Jian was truly wronged this time. He sneered coldly, “So this is how the righteous insult others—how clever. With your niece’s looks, even ten lifetimes of cultivation wouldn't make her fit to carry my shoes. What’s more, she dared parade under the Alliance's banner—clearly her brains run in the family.”

Such an insult—no uncle, no aunt could endure it!

The Blade King’s lips twitched in rage. “Sharp-tongued wretch, seeking death!”

Su Jian pressed on, goading him further. “Shameless old cur, if you’d come a moment later, Su Henli would be out of the city with the treasure by now. You’d return empty-handed, with nothing to show for your efforts.”

He was unfazed. Below the Nascent Soul stage, he was invincible.

And when it came to fleeing, he was unmatched.

To drive a man mad, one must first enrage him.

He had long since discovered that in a fit of rage, people’s wits dulled.

To put it charitably, they lost all reason—it amounted to the same.

The Blade King hesitated. He had heard the rumors about Su Henli.

Though he was somewhat skeptical, he found them mostly credible.

Those who are not of our path must surely harbor different intentions.

Su Henli was of the demonic path; from the start, they had never seen him as one of their own.

Previously, Su Henli had tried to curry favor with him, offering bribes and claiming that in five days’ time, he would join the Alliance with proof of his loyalty.

At the time, he hadn’t given it much thought and agreed—after all, whether it was Su Jian, Zhao Qianxue, or Su Henli, all were under his watchful eye and could stir up no trouble.

Though Su Henli too was at the Soul Formation stage, even three of him combined would be no match.

The Blade King was confident. His only reason for coming here first was to vent his gloom; he meant to deal with Su Jian, then settle the score with Su Henli.

But thinking it over, the youth’s words did make some sense.

Still, he insisted, “Then I’ll kill you first, and chase after her later—there’s time enough for both.”

Hardly had the words left his mouth.

Su Jian laughed. “Then go ahead and try—I’d like to see if you’ll have any chance to catch up with Su Henli.”

Just as the Blade King was puzzling over this, he saw the Grand Translocation Talisman appear in Su Jian’s palm.

For a moment, the Blade King was dumbfounded. As a cultivator of over five hundred years, he was familiar with every artifact of the immortal path.

So this was why the youth was so fearless. The Grand Translocation Talisman was priceless—a life-saving treasure at a crucial moment.

Even when facing a Nascent Soul master, its owner could escape in a heartbeat.

The Blade King sneered, “That talisman must have cost a fortune. Even if I can’t harm you now, I can still force you to use it!”

You might dodge the first, but you can't dodge the fifteenth. Once marked by the Alliance, there is nowhere in the world to hide.

Su Jian only smiled more broadly, revealing his hand. “But have you considered that I always meant to use this talisman on you?”

It was a last resort—but clearly, this blockhead had made up his mind to be his enemy, and seemed far less interested in pursuing the treasure.

Here was a man who put his own interests first, those of his sect second, and so gave only the bare minimum of effort—abusing his power for private gain?

Su Jian could only marvel at the sheer expertise.