Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 591 - Headache

Though they didn’t see the beginning, they could discern that a larger story was unfolding, judging from the conversation among the crowd.

“He has quite the ambition!” Mu Tianli’s eyes flashed with surprise when the Memory Talisman ended.

“Sect master, our Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s reputation will plummet after what he did. Many people will now view our pills with suspicion,” Elder He said, his voice laced with a trace of anger.

Everyone would know that the pills produced by the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion now contained poison, and who would buy pills from them in the future? It wouldn’t take long before the news spread throughout the Treasure City, and merchants from distant lands would think twice about buying their pills now.

The cultivators in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion alone couldn’t support the entire Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Merchants flocked to Treasure City to buy pills before transporting the pills to various cities.

“This incident will undoubtedly strike a blow to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s market, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Mu Tianli said after briefly pondering, seeing the good in this incident.

“Sect master, why would you say that? If the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion loses our pill market, we will quickly find ourselves in dire straits,” Elder He said; his resolve remained firm, but it wasn’t directed at Liu Wuxie. It was true that this development was unfavorable to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, and no one would dare to buy pills from them once the news spread.

“We can’t hide that our pills are tainted any longer. Our reputation can still be salvaged. It would’ve been even more unfavorable to us if this news had been exposed later. Since he dared to expose it, he must have a way to resolve it, or he would become the sect’s sinner,” Mu Tianli said. Since their last meeting, he had stopped considering Liu Wuxie a junior.

He could see the confidence in Liu Wuxie’s eyes and that aura of authority that couldn’t be feigned. This meant Liu Wuxie had many secrets, things even beyond his understanding.

Liu Wuxie was like a double-edged sword. If used wisely, he could benefit the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, but if mishandled, he could spell disaster for the sect.

Elder He fell silent, acknowledging Mu Tianli’s reasoning. If they had allowed the tainted pills to reveal themselves, the consequences would have been catastrophic to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, and it would have been too late for them to remedy the situation. Since it was revealed early, they could still try to save the situation before the pills caused too much damage.

“Sect master, are you implying he revealed it on purpose?” Elder He probed cautiously.

“He’s shrewd, and even I can’t predict his next move,” Mu Tianli replied. Elder He wasn’t an outsider. But other elders would be shocked if they were to hear Mu Tianli’s words.

Elder He was an elder who had watched Mu Tianli grow up and had been his closest aide.

“What will we do if his shop opens? His pills will surely outsell ours, especially since his prices will be one-third lower,” Elder He said, expressing concern. The sect had no authority to limit the disciple’s ability to earn resources.

Every pill refined by Bi Gongyu had a record, not to mention that the Heavenly Dao Society had already gained its footing in the pill market. The Heavenly Dao Society could generate substantial resources daily through the sales of Spirit Restoration Pills. The resources would then be used to purchase more pills to refine into pills, forming a healthy cycle.

This meant that Liu Wuxie’s Heavenly Dao Society could still operate smoothly without the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. After all, Bi Gongyu would spend his personal time refining pills for the Heavenly Dao Society, aside from the daily tasks given by the sect. The income he generated through his personal time was entirely independent of the sect.

"He’s nothing but trouble," Mu Tianli muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration. He never would have imagined that the sect’s very inheritance could be jeopardized by a single disciple. It sounded unbelievable, almost absurd—but it was an undeniable truth.

Even if the Lesser Blade Association had grown strong, they couldn’t pose a threat to the sect because their pills were sold through the black market, yielding meager resources. Spiritual talismans weren’t their forte, and their production relied on the few spiritualists they had captured.

Human trafficking and brothels would never be a long-term solution, with a risk of being wiped out at any time.

On the contrary, Liu Wuxie’s Heavenly Dao Society was like a hedgehog, making infiltration nearly impossible with everything intricately linked.

“We can just force him to disband the Heavenly Dao Society if there’s no other choice,” Elder He said assertively. If Liu Wuxie were forced to disband the Heavenly Dao Society, it would no longer threaten the sect’s foundation.

“It will only worsen matters to disband the Heavenly Dao Society. Don’t forget that we still need him to clean the mess,” Mu Tianli said, shaking his head. He dismissed Elder He’s radical idea.

Since the sect could accommodate the Lan Ling Gang and Lesser Blade Association, why not the Heavenly Dao Society? It has also been a rule since ancient times that true disciples had the right to establish their own factions to build influence for the future.

Consider Mu Tianli’s rise—a true disciple who once formed the influential Mu Xiu Gang. The current sect leaders were part of the faction he established, and their loyalty had cemented his place as sect master.

“What should we do then? If we allow him to continue his antics, the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion will lose all our market,” Elder He said, visibly frustrated. Liu Wuxie’s emergence had shattered the centuries of balance in the sect.

“The sect has been stagnant for too long, and reformation is imperative. If we continue to be stagnant, we will be eliminated sooner or later,” Mu Tianli replied, taking a deep breath.

All his efforts through the years had only prevented the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion from declining, but this wasn’t a long-term solution. If they couldn’t find new paths and rely on their past glory, they would be left behind and replaced sooner or later. After all, the other sects had been developing their industries and had grown stronger while they remained stagnant.

“Easier said than done. Reformation isn’t that simple, and the slightest mistake can lead the entire sect into chaos.” Elder He knew of the sect’s historical prominence as the head of the ten major sects.

But now? They had fallen to the sixth or seventh position. If they couldn’t obtain any results on the upcoming Ten Grand Ceremony, they might even drop even further in ranking.

Mu Tianli tapped his finger on the jade table as the hall fell into a momentary silence, contemplating their next steps. He needed a solution that would benefit the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion while preventing the Heavenly Dao Society from expanding further.

As a sect master, he naturally didn’t wish to see the Heavenly Dao Society develop so fast that it would endanger its foundation. This meant he would need a suitable form of suppression to slow down the Heavenly Dao Society’s development.

“Elder He, leave immediately for the Treasure City with my message to negotiate with him,” Mu Tianli said after pondering for five minutes.

......

Liu Wuxie spent the entire night contemplating the Heavenly Dao Society’s development. He also knew that the Heavenly Dao Society had expanded too rapidly, and the sect would get rid of him if he threatened it, even if he were a prodigy.

This was why he had to find a way to maintain the sect’s favor while also being nurtured by them. It was easier said than done, but Elder He’s arrival brought a sly smile to his face.

He had guessed that there were eyes from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion in the black market, but he didn’t expect the sect master’s action to be so swift.

He invited Elder He into the room. He had initially expected Elder Tian Xing to make a visit, but it looked like Elder Tian Xing wasn’t comparable to Elder He in terms of status in the sect master’s heart.

Tian Xing was the Law-Enforcement Hall’s elder, and someone like him was more suitable as a friend than a confidant. This was because shady dealings had to be done occasionally, which wasn’t suitable for someone like Tian Xing.

Elder He examined Liu Wuxue for a full minute upon entering the room.

Upon learning that Elder He had come under the sect master’s orders, Liu Wuxie was inwardly shocked.

“Liu Wuxie, you’re truly audacious, accusing the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s pills of being toxic. Now that everyone has begun to withdraw their orders, do you think you can bear the responsibility for it?” Elder He suddenly slammed his palm on the table, his attitude taking a sudden shift to aggression. He even attempted to pin the blame on Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie didn’t flinch. "Elder He, if that’s your attitude, you’re welcome to leave. It’s evident enough to everyone whether the pills are toxic or not. There’s nothing left for us to discuss," he replied coolly, dismissing the elder without hesitation. If Elder He thought intimidation would work on him, he’d clearly miscalculated.

Any other disciple might have been awed by a visit from Elder He. After all, he was the sect master’s confidant, a man whose status was just shy of the grand elders’. Liu Wuxie, however, had heard tales of this reclusive figure from Elder Tian Xing—a mysterious man who only appeared on direct orders from the sect master.

For a brief moment, Elder He was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Liu Wuxie to hold such a resolute stance, nor had he anticipated that his aura, at the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm, would fail to intimidate this young disciple.

Liu Wuxie had even asked him to leave, and Elder He regretted it now as he recalled Mu Tianli’s repeated warning not to treat Liu Wuxie like an ordinary person. He had miscalculated, and his position transitioned from being in control to being disadvantaged.

"What sort of attitude is this?" Elder He huffed, though he kept his seat, his tone softening. "If there were issues with the pills, you should have reported them to the sect privately, not announced it publicly. Do you understand the harm you've done to the sect's reputation?"

A smile crept on Liu Wuxie’s lips because Elder He was nothing more than a paper tiger who had crumbled with a gentle poke.

“Elder He, I believe you’re here to discuss a potential deal with me. We’re not fools, so let’s stop beating around the bush. If this matter isn’t resolved quickly, the influence might spiral out of my control,” Liu Wuxie said with a shrug as he threw the problem back to Elder He. He wasn’t the one that would suffer if this matter was delayed.

Elder He narrowed his eyes because he realized he had severely underestimated Liu Wuxie. It was as though the latter had seen straight through him. Liu Wuxie even shoved the problem back to him, laying all his cards bare on the table.

If this issue remained unresolved, Elder He couldn’t explain it to the sect master. He was visiting under the sect master’s direct orders, and the sect master had even given his bottom line.

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion could accept whatever outcome if the bottom line wasn’t crossed. If the line was crossed, they could only sacrifice Liu Wuxie to protect the sect’s interest.

Liu Wuxie was aware of that; thus, he didn’t make any absolute statements but sought a balance instead. He had to ensure the sect’s interest and the Heavenly Dao Society’s stable development, none of which was an easy task.

“The sect’s bottom line is that your Heavenly Dao Society can’t operate your shops. The sect’s pill market is off-limits to any disciples,” Elder He finally gave the conditions for collaboration.