Chapter 491: Paralyzed From the Neck Down, Plus a Slanted Mouth and Crooked Eyes

“What’s in it for me?” Qi Suian asked right off the bat.

Shi Hanwen tried to “appeal to reason and emotion” as he negotiated with Qi Suian, trying to get him to hand over his “ancestral” Spiritual Technique.

“This is to ensure your safety. If people from other sects were to find out, you would know no peace. In the worst-case scenario, you would lose your life,” Shi Hanwen said in a grave, heartfelt tone.

‘So he’s not giving me anything.’

Qi Suian’s expression darkened. ‘Maybe I should just kill him later,’ he thought.

He wasn’t going to wait around for the man to make his life a living hell.

‘But on second thought, killing him would be letting him off too easily. I should just paralyze him from the neck down.’

Shi Hanwen might seem illustrious now, but he had offended many people—not just within the sect, but countless more outside it.

If Qi Suian were to paralyze him, one could only imagine the life he’d lead.

As the Sect Leader, Xu Ziyang could keep him alive and prevent others from tormenting him to death, but that was the limit.

However, once he lost his strength and status, even Xu Ziyang couldn’t protect him forever.

A worthless cripple might receive some attention for a time, but he would inevitably be cast aside and forgotten.

For Shi Hanwen, that would be a fate far more painful than death.

“Stone Peak Master, you are truly a master schemer.”

“But aren’t you afraid that I’m not the only branch of my family?” Qi Suian snarked.

Of course, he was just making this up on the spot. Otherwise, a clan that could pass down two such Spiritual Techniques would be a considerable power in its own right, even if it couldn’t compare to the Yanghuang Sect.

“Didn’t you say you’re the only one left in your family?” Shi Hanwen asked. He had considered this possibility before and had asked Qi Suian directly, who had sworn that he was all alone.

“That’s right. I only said I’m the only one left in my immediate family. I didn’t say anything about other branches,” Qi Suian replied slowly.

‘Once a family splits off, it’s not the same family anymore.’

This made Shi Hanwen’s expression sink. He had calculated every possibility, but he had never expected Qi Suian’s words to have such a loophole.

This meant the situation was becoming increasingly complicated.

‘If this conversation continues,’ he thought, ‘the only way to secure full ownership of these two Spiritual Techniques will be to wipe out their entire clan.’

‘But the problem is, where are they?’

“Relax, my branch is the only one left.”

“Since the techniques have been given to the Yanghuang Sect, I have no intention of taking them back. You can change the names as you see fit, and I won’t breathe a word of it to anyone.”

“As for Zuo Fan, you can handle that yourselves. I won’t interfere.” Qi Suian had noticed Shi Hanwen’s dark thoughts and spoke up to placate him.

‘All I want now is for Shi Hanwen to get the hell out, so I can ambush him on his way back and paralyze him.’

‘I was originally going to let him keep his ability to speak, but after that attitude, it would be a real shame not to leave him a twisted, drooling mess. It’s what his scheming deserves.’

When Qi Suian said this, Shi Hanwen grew suspicious.

He couldn’t tell which of Qi Suian’s statements were true and which were lies.

However, since Qi Suian had made his position clear, there was no need to investigate further.

After all, his objective had been achieved.

“It’s good that you understand the difficult position our Yanghuang Sect is in. We’re doing this for your own good,” Shi Hanwen said, acting as if he had done Qi Suian a massive favor.

Qi Suian was speechless. He recalled using the exact same kind of language to gaslight a protagonist-type character in the past.

For some fool to try and use it on him now… it was a complete perversion of the natural order.

“Is there anything else, Stone Peak Master? I still have to prepare ingredients for tomorrow. Why don’t you see yourself out?” Qi Suian was already eager to send him away.

‘If this guy doesn’t leave now, I won’t be able to hold back,’ Qi Suian thought. He was ready to break the man’s limbs right then and there, then control him into leaving and erase his memory.

‘It’s a bit more trouble, but it would be so damn satisfying.’

Shi Hanwen picked up on Qi Suian’s desire to be rid of him, so he nodded with a smile. “In that case, I won’t disturb you any further.”

He understood, of course, that Qi Suian was resentful and no longer wished to see him.

But Shi Hanwen didn’t care. The man was just a commoner. The Yanghuang Sect had already been more than generous; with any other sect, he might not have even kept his life.

So what if he was resentful? It wasn’t as if the man could move heaven and earth.

With that, he stood and left, preparing to return to Azure Flame Peak to plan his next move.

In his eyes, Qi Suian was easy to deal with, but Zuo Fan wouldn’t be so easily fooled.

Once Zuo Fan matured, he would, at minimum, become a Peak Master of equal standing. If this situation wasn’t handled properly, it would easily create a deep-seated rift.

That would be a tremendous loss for the Yanghuang Sect.

“Take care, Stone Peak Master. Come and visit anytime.” Qi Suian genuinely wished that the man, even when paralyzed and unconscious, could still come back for a visit.

‘When that happens, I’ll be sure to feed him some shit-flavored chocolate.’

“Of course, I will.” Shi Hanwen returned the platitude and left Qi Suian’s Tang’s Candy Shop.

He traveled simply, without a carriage or even a horse, preferring to go on foot.

After all, as the Peak Master of Azure Flame Peak, his power was among the greatest in the world. He could run faster and with more stamina than any horse.

A carriage would be even slower, and as a Peak Master, he valued efficiency above all.

On the road back to Azure Flame Peak, Shi Hanwen suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his head.

The good news was, he didn’t pass out. The bad news was, he had completely lost all sensation from the neck down.

Furthermore, his Spiritual Power shattered and began to rapidly dissipate from his body.

It all happened so quickly that before he could even react, he stumbled and collapsed, unable to get up.

“Hhhh…” When he tried to speak, he couldn’t form a single word, only a hoarse, guttural sound.

The only thing he could still move was his eyelids. His mouth hung open, unable to close, and his face was stiff and unresponsive.

The sensation was unbearable. He could only lie there, limp and powerless on the ground.

He could smell the earthy scent of the soil and feel the absurd sensation of his cheek pressed against the cold ground.

Shi Hanwen had no idea what had just happened. One moment he was walking along, and the next, he was reduced to this horrifying state.

Unfortunately, this was a deserted stretch of road. He worried he might not last long.

Once his Spiritual Power was gone, his physical prowess would plummet. He could die right here from thirst, hunger, or exposure.

Fortunately, his fears were not realized. A disciple from Azure Flame Peak, out on a mission, happened to pass by and spotted Shi Hanwen lying on the ground.

The disciple had a sharp eye and noticed the man’s high-quality robes. Even without seeing his face, he knew this was no ordinary person.

When he turned him over, he was met with the sight of Shi Hanwen’s crooked, slack-jawed face.

“Stone Peak Master!!!” The disciple was stunned. He never would have imagined the proud and powerful Shi Hanwen in such a state.

“Hhhh… hhhh…” Shi Hanwen tried desperately to speak, but his body refused to obey his will.

In the end, he could only produce that same rasping noise.

Seeing this, the disciple wasted no time, hoisting Shi Hanwen onto his back and rushing up the mountain. A doctor was summoned shortly after.

Shi Hanwen was laid out in the main hall, where an elderly doctor was taking his pulse.

“His Spiritual Power is chaotic, and his vital energy is out of balance.”

“And yet, his body is perfectly strong and healthy. This…” The old doctor was completely baffled as he checked the pulse.

Logically, a man like Shi Hanwen should never exhibit such symptoms; it defied all of the doctor’s expectations.

After a long moment of thought, the old doctor could only say, “I am powerless to help with this.”

“The person who did this possesses strength that far surpasses Stone Peak Master’s. They must be at least on par with the Sect Leader.”

“Moreover, the Spiritual Technique they used was exceptionally cruel. There isn’t a single visible injury on Stone Peak Master, yet he has been left paralyzed.”

“This was likely done not to kill, but for the sake of revenge—a psychological attack.”

“Stone Peak Master should reflect on whether he has recently offended some reclusive expert.” The old doctor shook his head and wrote out a prescription. “Go fill this. It will make Stone Peak Master a little more comfortable.”

As for a cure… if he had that kind of ability, he would be the Sect Leader of the Yanghuang Sect, not Xu Ziyang.

Hearing this, Shi Hanwen’s eyes bulged, his gaze filled with utter disbelief.

‘My condition is actually this serious? This is completely absurd.’

“Right, remember to summon the Sect Leader and the family. This is no small matter.”

“Stone Peak Master’s condition is poor. He could go at any moment,” the old doctor added before taking his leave.

He was not optimistic about Shi Hanwen’s chances.

Once he said this, panic began to spread among the onlookers.

—————–

“You want to leave with me?” Zuo Fan asked, looking at the faint Yang Flame Spirit. This was one of the most powerful types of spirits in the Red Flame Spirit Realm, but as it had only just been born, it was exceptionally weak.

Compared to the Yanghuang Sect Leader’s Yang Flame Spirit, the difference was like that between heaven and earth.

When Zuo Fan found it, the spirit seemed to be attracted to something on him.

He suspected it was either the Pure Yang Wuji Heart Method or the Innate Li Fire Sword Technique, both of which Qi Suian had given him.

After all, those were the only two Spiritual Techniques he possessed that had such a unique origin; the rest were not even worth mentioning.

The Yang Flame Spirit floated gently, confirming his suspicion.

“Alright! As long as I have a bite to eat, so will you!” Zuo Fan would never refuse such an offer.

A Yang Flame Spirit was the ultimate goal for practically everyone in the Yanghuang Sect.

However, aside from the Sect Leader, no one else had ever earned the acknowledgment of a Yang Flame Spirit. Most couldn’t even find one in the Red Flame Spirit Realm.

So what reason did he have to refuse?

After he spoke, the Yang Flame Spirit turned into a streak of fire and merged into the space between his eyebrows.

He felt a searing heat at first, but it gradually subsided.

‘It’s gone? But… I can use the Yang Flame Spirit’s flames now.’

‘And I can amplify them with my Spiritual Power, making the yang and fire aspects of my Pure Yang Wuji Heart Method and Innate Li Fire Sword Technique even stronger.’

‘It’s even accelerating the conversion of my Spiritual Power into yang-fire.’

‘As expected of a top-tier Fire Spirit. This initial fusion alone has already granted me such a remarkable boost in power.’

‘And this is only the beginning.’