"Hmph! You think whether you go or not is up to you? If you refuse, this Young Master will destroy you right here. Do you really think that because two old geezers from the Star Palace had something to say beforehand, our Extreme Yin Island wouldn't dare make a move?" Wu Chou's tiny eyes glinted with malice as he spoke.
For some reason, although Wu Chou was only playing the villain on Patriarch Ji Yin's orders to pressure Han Li, he genuinely found the man disagreeable.
The aversion was almost instinctive, entirely without reason.
Han Li naturally had no favorable impression of Wu Chou either. Hearing him speak such words, Han Li merely cast him a cold glance before turning to address Patriarch Ji Yin directly:
"I don't know what use the Senior has for my spirit beast, but if the beast's master dies, no one else can tame a beast that has already bonded to a owner — I am well aware of this. Furthermore, I can order the Blood Jade Spider to self-destruct at a critical moment. Surely the Senior wouldn't want to see that happen!"
His words carried a faint note of threat, causing the middle-aged man's expression to shift slightly with a flicker of surprise.
Han Li knew full well that Wu Chou was merely a fox borrowing a tiger's ferocity — Patriarch Ji Yin was the one with true authority here. He had no desire to waste words with Wu Chou.
However, this display only infuriated Wu Chou. A flash of sinister rage crossed his face, and he opened his mouth to hurl some choice insults at Han Li, but Patriarch Ji Yin waved a hand from beside him, cutting him off.
"Good. I like juniors who have backbone. Since this Patriarch wishes to borrow your Blood Jade Spider, naturally I won't send you away empty-handed. Once we reach the Inner Hall, I will—"
Patriarch Ji Yin had just begun to make his offer when his expression suddenly darkened, and his words cut short.
He slowly turned his head, fixing his gaze upon a certain direction off to the side, his eyes brimming with menace.
"Who's eavesdropping over there? Show yourself to this Patriarch at once!" Patriarch Ji Yin's voice was shrill and laced with killing intent, his fury palpable.
Han Li's heart skipped a beat. His first thought was that Xuan Gu had been discovered. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to handle such a scenario.
But when an aged voice drifted over, Han Li was taken aback.
"There's no need for such rage, Brother Wu. I, Qing, simply happened upon the scene by chance — surely you don't intend to actually resort to violence?" A wash of azure light shimmered, and an old man in scholar's robes materialized out of thin air several dozen yards away, gazing at Patriarch Ji Yin and the others with a cheerful smile.
It was none other than "Qing Yi Ju Shi," the scholar who had some acquaintance with Patriarch Ji Yin!
"Fellow Daoist Qing, you were following me!" Patriarch Ji Yin's killing intent froze the moment he recognized the newcomer, and his expression turned exceedingly unpleasant.
"Following? Hardly. I was simply strolling about, and from a distance I saw Fellow Daoist Wu chatting with this young man, so I flew over to say hello. I didn't expect to cause such displeasure. Heh! Had I known, I certainly wouldn't have been so rash." The robed elder let out a dry laugh and offered his explanation with complete nonchalance.
Without waiting for any response from Patriarch Ji Yin — whose face had gone somewhat pale — the old man turned his gaze downward to the Blood Jade Spider, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"So this is the Blood Jade Spider. What a rare spirit beast indeed. According to the analyses of senior cultivators of old, this creature is supposedly one of the ideal spirit beasts for retrieving the Void Heaven Cauldron — its success rate far surpasses that of your Fire Python or Wan Tianming's Gold Silk Silkworms." The Qing Yi Ju Shi shook his head with an air of expertise.
Strolling about? Simply passing by? Then why conceal himself? Hearing such brazen excuses, Patriarch Ji Yin was incensed. And when he saw the old man gaze down at the Blood Jade Spider and blurt out the very secret he had been trying to conceal, his expression grew even more dark.
"So this must be the junior that Brother Wu has been so preoccupied with. I, too, enjoy encouraging bold young men. What do you say — any interest in becoming my disciple? I've never actually taken a student before." The robed elder withdrew his gaze from the Blood Jade Spider, let it roam over Han Li several times, and then made a proposal that left Patriarch Ji Yin's face ashen and Han Li utterly stunned.
"Take me as your disciple?" Han Li blinked, unsure whether he should be pleased or dismayed.
"Fellow Daoist Qing, what is the meaning of this?" Patriarch Ji Yin's face was frost, and wisps of black energy began seeping from his body as he stared at the old man, enunciating each word.
"Ha ha! Just a joke — why so tense, Brother Ji Yin? If I actually took this young man in, I expect you'd fight me to the death. However, I wonder whether Man Huzi would have the same idea if he learned there was a Blood Jade Spider here?" The old man chuckled lightly, a peculiar gleam flashing in his eyes as he delivered the remark with deliberate casualness.
These words from Qing Yi Ju Shi eased Patriarch Ji Yin's expression somewhat, but the mention of Man Huzi immediately brought on a fresh headache.
In accordance with his original plan, Patriarch Ji Yin had intended to keep the Blood Jade Spider a secret, then goad the others into driving the orthodox cultivators out of the Inner Hall — or better yet, let both sides wound each other badly. He would then have the Fire Python stage a failed attempt at retrieving the treasure for all to see. Meanwhile, he would secretly bring Han Li along to use the Blood Jade Spider and claim the treasure for himself. That way, he alone would obtain the Void Heaven Cauldron.