Pregnant with the Immortal Venerable's Child After Divorce - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: He Missed the One He Looked Down Upon the Most…

“Wen Suchen, do you admit your crime?” The authoritative voice spread throughout the hall. If one listened closely, they could detect a hint of choked emotion and disappointment in the tone.

Wen Suchen knelt on the ground with his head bowed. He wasn’t wearing his disciple robes, but a simple white garment. His hair was still meticulously neat, and his handsome face remained expressionless.

He did not speak, seemingly acquiescing.

Around him, there were scattered whispers of discussion.

They were exclaiming, chuckling, and lamenting. They were all enjoying the show. After days of back-and-forth negotiations, almost no one stood up to speak for him, as if everyone had silently agreed to the matter.

Only the woman standing beside Wen Tianren couldn’t bear it and pleaded, “Master, Junior Brother has been with the sect for many years. You know his nature best. He has always been steady, his heart as clear as a mirror, and he hates evil. He has never made a mistake all these years. With Junior Brother’s character, it is impossible for him to collude with evil forces. I know this matter is serious, but there are many doubts. To expel him from the sect due to a temporary, unclear transgression would be demoralizing. If it is later proven that Junior Brother was wronged, it would also damage Master’s reputation!”

Her words were powerful, and the last sentence directly hit Wen Tianren’s weak spot. He immediately frowned: “Do you think I, your Master, can bear to do this? But this unfilial disciple refuses to utter a single word. Even if I want to protect him, what can I do?”

The woman lowered her eyes, intending to persuade him further, but Wen Tianren raised his hand and pressed down on her shoulder: “I know you share a deep sibling bond; that is good. But rules are rules.”

After speaking, he waved his hand, signaling the woman to step back. Only then did he look at Wen Suchen kneeling on the ground and sighed heavily, “Wen Suchen, you colluded with the Demonic Dao, going against the principles of the Sect. Considering the many contributions you have made to the Sect, I will be lenient today and not pursue this further. From this day forward, you are expelled from the Mingxin Sect and are no longer a disciple under my Mingxin Sect!”

As he finished, he raised a hand and conjured a spell. A streak of light shot towards Wen Suchen’s waist, and the waist token symbolizing his status as a Mingxin Sect disciple instantly shattered into pieces.

Wen Suchen looked at the fragments without responding. His only visible emotion was his face, which was several shades paler than usual.

He bent over and heavily kowtowed three times to the ground.

Wen Tianren’s eyes flickered upon seeing this, as if he sensed his grievance or felt a pang of reluctance. He sighed softly, and his tone softened a bit: “After all, we were Master and disciple. If you have any unfulfilled wishes, speak them.”

Wen Suchen finally raised his head to look at him. There was a brief moment of hesitation in his eyes, but it quickly vanished. Just as he was about to shake his head, he heard a crisp voice cut in: “Will you give him anything he wants?”

The voice was familiar to both of them. Almost the instant he heard it, Wen Tianren frowned. Upon seeing the person emerge from behind the main hall, his brows furrowed even tighter.

“Bawling in the hall, what decency is this!” Wen Tianren reprimanded.

Yan Zhuo had been hiding in the corner watching, already about to explode with anger. As soon as Wen Tianren expelled the person from the sect, he immediately and impatiently jumped out.

He was wearing his own clothes at the moment, and because he had rushed over in a hurry, his collar was slightly loose and his belt was a bit crooked, making him look indeed somewhat sloppy.

He didn’t care. He casually adjusted his clothes with a raised hand and looked at Wen Tianren: “You haven’t answered me yet!”

Wen Tianren frowned and didn’t reply.

If the question had been asked by Wen Suchen, he would have nodded without hesitation. He knew Wen Suchen too well and knew he wouldn’t ask for any valuable assets from the sect. But his son was different. Given Yan Zhuo’s fiercely protective nature, if he dared to nod, Yan Zhuo would dare to demand half of the sect’s foundation.

But Yan Zhuo didn’t seem to wait for his answer. Seeing his silence, he immediately pursued the question: “My youngest senior brother has been in the sect for so long. Forget the things in the sect’s warehouse, you aren’t planning to secretly pocket the things in his private vault, are you!”

With that accusation, Wen Tianren’s face darkened, but due to the large crowd present, he only “hmphed”: “Of course not!”

Yan Zhuo continued: “You’re his Master, after all. Your disciple did nothing wrong, but you drove him away for your reputation. You at least have to compensate him, right?”

Those words were unpleasant to hear. Wen Tianren’s face instantly turned green. He angrily retorted, “Yan Zhuo! Do you know what you are saying?”

Yan Zhuo raised his chin, looking at him provocatively: “I do. I didn’t say anything wrong. Did my youngest senior brother kill or commit arson? Just because he developed some demonic energy, you treat him as if he committed some heinous crime. What? Have none of you ever been tainted by demonic energy or never been to the Cleansing Spring?”

Wen Tianren angrily said, “How can those two things be compared? You are just being deliberately contrary!!”

“Who is being deliberately contrary?” Yan Zhuo countered. “These people are just jealous of his prowess, so they are sowing discord. It’s bad enough that you don’t speak up for him, but you even want to expel him from the sect. You and these people are birds of a feather!”

This statement implicated everyone present, and immediately, someone expressed dissatisfaction: “It is an established fact that he is deeply tainted by demonic energy and difficult to purge. Who knows where this demonic energy originated? You, a mere yellow-mouthed child, know nothing and are just twisting the truth!”

“I am twisting the truth?” Yan Zhuo’s gaze fell upon the speaker, sweeping over the crowd from his vantage point, his chin slightly raised. “Is there anyone here who has been unjustly bullied by him? Stand forward now. If you can speak of it, I will stab him with a sword for you. If he has killed any of your family or friends, and if it can be proven that the person was an innocent victim, I will kill him for you.”

The hall fell silent.

Seeing this, Yan Zhuo sneered, then pulled out a bottle from his Cosmic Ring: “Then, has anyone personally witnessed him doing evil? Stand forward and say when, where, what he did, and who he harmed. If you can say it, I will give him this Marrow Cleansing Pill.”

The Marrow Cleansing Pill, as its name suggests, can cleanse the marrow and refine the meridians. A single pill can broaden the meridians and improve the spiritual root. It is an extremely rare and precious medicine, yet Yan Zhuo held a whole bottle of it.

Instantly, some people in the hall became eager to move. However, Wen Suchen was known for his integrity and lack of bias. Although his actions were sometimes emotionless and unyielding, they truly had nothing to do with evil-doing. To truly get that pill, unless…

Yan Zhuo looked at their flickering gazes and pulled out another bottle, identical to the first: “If anyone makes a false accusation, don’t blame me for being impolite. This bottle contains the Void Spirit Pill. One pill will guarantee the complete destruction of one’s cultivation.”

The crowd abruptly quieted down. Only a very few people were still discussing in low voices: “How does he possess such sinister and poisonous things? Truly, a leopard cannot change its spots.”

Wen Suchen heard this remark as well. He wanted to speak to stop Yan Zhuo, but the thought that Yan Zhuo was defending him made his heart feel like vines were constantly creeping out, itching unbearably. So, the words of deterrence twisted and turned on his tongue, and he finally did not speak them, only gazing intently at Yan Zhuo.

Yan Zhuo wasn’t angry about the remark. In fact, he was quite pleased, feeling that the insult was aimed at Wen Tianren.

Only Wen Tianren cared about his reputation; Yan Zhuo couldn’t care less. He smiled and said, “So, apart from the demonic energy issue, no one can say what he did wrong?”

A moment later, a young man stood out and said, “He deducted our monthly stipends. Our lineage receives less each month than everyone else.”

Yan Zhuo was surprised to hear this claim and was somewhat speechless: “Which month was less distributed? Tell me, and I will go to the Enforcement Hall to argue on your behalf.”

The disciple frowned upon hearing this: “What does this have to do with the Enforcement Hall? It is clearly his insatiable greed and abuse of power for personal gain.”

Yan Zhuo was immediately amused: “You mean my youngest senior brother risked being expelled from the sect just to covet a few stalks of your spirit grass? Are there still disciples who don’t know that I manage both Fragrant Array Peak and Lush Bloom Peak? If he wanted anything, couldn’t he just ask me directly?”

The disciple’s expression was ugly upon hearing this: “Then he shouldn’t condone you misusing sect resources.”

Yan Zhuo looked at him as if he were looking at a pig: “You’re right. Since that’s the case, then from now on, all disciples’ monthly stipends will be issued as normal. Mingxin Sect disciples will no longer have priority purchase rights or discounts for the items in the Spirit Plant Garden. If you want them, you’ll have to buy them at the auction house. That’s fair.”

Upon hearing this, the disciples from the other lineages immediately became dissatisfied.

The Mingxin Sect was blessed with excellent land, and the spirit plants grown there were of better quality than those from other places. Even if they didn’t need the spirit herbs they received, selling them would fetch prices two-tenths higher than items of the same grade. As disciples, they could purchase items at a 50 to 80 percent discount. In the past, some bold individuals even resold them, but that stopped after one person was expelled. Now, such a fuss would mean they would lose everything.

So, someone spoke to the complaining disciple: “Your Master offended the Youngest Martial Uncle. Why implicate us? Those are the Youngest Martial Uncle’s things; he can give them to whomever he likes!”

Someone else directed their words at Wen Tianren: “Sect Master Ancestor, can the rules of the sect be changed by the Youngest Martial Uncle just like that?”

Wen Tianren felt a throbbing headache from being questioned.

The Mingxin Sect did not have such a rule.

The Mingxin Sect mainly focused on swordsmanship. Although it had other cultivation methods, few specialized in growing spirit plants. In the past, the sect’s monthly stipends were spiritual stones, elixirs, and low-grade spirit herbs grown by some outer disciples. If they wanted better spirit plants, they had to buy them from the Pill Refinery Valley and the pill cultivators, and discounts depended on personal connections.

Most importantly, Lush Bloom Peak was never part of the Mingxin Sect’s property.

Wen Tianren hesitated, but Yan Zhuo didn’t give him a chance to think for long. He said directly, “If you don’t explain, I will.” After saying that, he waited for less than two breaths before turning to the disciples and pointing out one person, Pei Hua, whom he had met in Spirit Creek Town before. “You explain it to him.”

Pei Hua hadn’t expected the foolish thing he blurted out in the spur of the moment to come back to hit him like a boomerang today. He immediately felt extremely miserable. He looked to his Master for help, but his Master was talking to someone nearby and didn’t see him. He could only force himself to explain: “I… I heard the Youngest Martial Uncle say that Lush Bloom Peak was the Sect Master’s wife’s dowry. After her passing, it belongs to the Youngest Martial Uncle, and has nothing to do with the Mingxin Sect.”

The disciple who had just spoken instantly turned pale upon hearing this, and seeing Yan Zhuo cover his mouth and laugh, he grew anxious: “What about Fragrant Array Peak?”

Yan Zhuo didn’t answer and looked at Pei Hua.

Pei Hua had no choice but to continue explaining: “It’s… it’s the sect’s, but the spirit herbs are… are all grown by the Youngest Martial Uncle.”

After he finished, he heard Yan Zhuo sneer: “Don’t worry. Those things grown on Fragrant Array Peak are considered my gift to the Mingxin Sect. If you have the ability to maintain them, that’s your skill.”

Ultimately, the reason the Mingxin Sect’s spirit herbs were better than those of other sects was because he had Pear Blossom (Lihua). Transporting soil and water was easy for him, while a typical sect wouldn’t bother with such effort for low-grade spirit herbs.

Yan Zhuo turned to Wen Tianren again, “What do you say?”

Wen Tianren was so angry that his temples were throbbing. He endured and endured, trying not to lash out, and looked at the smug Yan Zhuo: “What exactly do you want to say?”

Yan Zhuo said, “Fen Xue Peak, that’s where my Senior Brother and I live. Give that place to him.”

Wen Tianren hadn’t expected this was what he wanted. He was so angry he laughed: “If he can take it with him.”

Yan Zhuo immediately nodded: “You said it. Everyone here heard it. No takebacks.” As he spoke, he walked to Wen Suchen’s side and helped him up. “Stop kneeling. Let’s go.”

Wen Suchen was momentarily bewildered: “We?”

He had a faint guess, but even he felt it was absurd, and it was instantly dismissed.

But the next moment, Yan Zhuo spoke his absurd thought aloud: “I am leaving the Mingxin Sect with you.”

The entire hall erupted in an uproar. Those with softer hearts immediately stepped forward to dissuade him: “Youngest Martial Uncle, don’t be rash. Quitting the sect is no joke.”

Yan Zhuo glanced at the person, took off his own waist token, and without waiting for Wen Tianren to act, he tossed the token into the air. Before the crowd could react, he drew Zui Xiu (Drunken Sleeve) from Wen Suchen’s waist and slashed at the token.

The broken token fell in response, one piece landing by Yan Zhuo’s feet, and the other flying toward Wen Tianren.

Wen Tianren hadn’t expected him to be so resolute. A sudden ominous feeling arose in him. He frowned, but his voice softened somewhat: “Little Zhuo, Father knows you and Suchen have been together for many years, and your relationship is stronger than gold. You did well, Father won’t…”

“Stop talking like that.” Yan Zhuo frowned at him. “I don’t want to bring up old scores with you today. Either you let us go, or, there are so many people here, I think they would be willing to hear my story.”

Wen Tianren instantly shut up. He gritted his teeth, wanting to say something, but was afraid of provoking Yan Zhuo. After hesitating for a long time, he could only give a look to the few disciples next to him.

The three disciples looked worriedly at Yan Zhuo, seemingly ignoring his gaze.

Only then did Yan Zhuo pull Wen Suchen and continue to walk out.

But within a few steps, someone lacking sense spoke up to stop them: “He can leave, but he must leave Zui Xiu behind!”

Yan Zhuo was astonished by this remark and looked at the speaker: “Do you know what you are saying?”

That was Wen Suchen’s Natal Sword. Asking a sword cultivator to leave his Natal Sword? How was that different from chopping off his limbs?

No, that was wrong. Chopped limbs could be reattached with rare elixirs, but losing one’s Natal Sword was far more serious.

The person also knew the absurdity of the matter, but still insisted stubbornly: “Wen Suchen’s cultivation was not high back then. His ability to acquire Zui Xiu was entirely thanks to the Mingxin Sect’s care. Now that he is leaving, he naturally must leave it behind.”

After all, that was the Zui Xiu sword, the world’s number one sword, whose materials no one knew for certain. Who wouldn’t want it?

Yan Zhuo glanced at the person and found that he wasn’t even a disciple of the Mingxin Sect. He smiled lightly and looked at Wen Tianren again: “What do you say?”

Wen Tianren kept quiet.

He also didn’t know the origin of Zui Xiu, only that Yan Zhuiyun left it for Wen Suchen before she died. However, the outside world consistently rumored that he had given it, so he naturally couldn’t expose himself and ruin his image.

Yan Zhuo didn’t make things difficult for him. He simply raised his hand and tapped Zui Xiu’s sword body. Soon, a small, palm-sized figure appeared with a “poof” sound next to his face.

The figure was short-limbed, all black, and looked extremely similar to Pear Blossom (Lihua). However, while Pear Blossom’s round face had a smiling expression, its face was an O^O. But its voice was also soft and gentle. Upon seeing Yan Zhuo, it immediately flew over and called out softly, “Little Zhuo, Little Zhuo.”

Wen Suchen had almost never revealed his Sword Spirit’s appearance in public, but most people assumed Zui Xiu’s Sword Spirit should be as mature and steady as he was. They hadn’t expected it to be such a… adorable little dumpling.

Yan Zhuo smiled, patting Zui Xiu’s head, and said, “Tell these people what kind of family foundation is required to be qualified to raise you.”

Zui Xiu blinked, then glanced at the massive crowd, and immediately said, “I need Sen Luo Skin and Immaculate Immortal Iron for my sheath, Undetermined Wood for my bed, I need to eat ten Fusang Fruits a day, and supplement with ten Rebirth Pills a month.”

The crowd was astonished.

These were all items that were difficult to purchase, even with money.

Even Wen Suchen couldn’t afford to raise it like this. In fact, Zui Xiu ate everything. When hungry, it would just reach into Wen Suchen’s Cosmic Ring and eat whatever it found.

But others didn’t know that. It was boasting, so it said whatever it wanted.

However, some people, thinking they could worry about it later once they got their hands on it, stubbornly insisted: “That’s a small matter.”

Yan Zhuo didn’t bother to expose them. He nodded and said, “Then you try. As long as someone can coax him away, Zui Xiu is yours. But let me warn you first, Zui Xiu has a bad temper. You are responsible for any accidental injury.”

As he spoke, he patted Zui Xiu’s head, signaling it to go over.

The people immediately rushed forward upon hearing this. Some merely tried to coax it with words, while others directly used spells.

Then they were stabbed right through by Zui Xiu.

Although they shared the same origin, Zui Xiu was different from Pear Blossom. Pear Blossom had always followed him, tending to the flowers and plants. It had barely fought a battle, let alone seen bl00d, and its temper was excellent. But Zui Xiu had genuinely followed Wen Suchen everywhere. The sentient beings it had killed probably piled up would not be enough to fill Fen Xue Peak. How could a sword like that have a good temper? It was only obedient in front of him and Wen Suchen.

Moreover, as a Sword Spirit, Zui Xiu’s swordsmanship inherited Wen Suchen’s. Although small, it was extremely nimble, and its attacks were fast and ruthless. After only a short while outside, several people with decent cultivation were already lying on the ground. Even their magical artifacts were slashed into pieces by Zui Xiu, scaring away those who had been coveting it moments ago.

But Zui Xiu didn’t stop. It chased the person who first proposed taking it, attacking him all over the place.

That person was somewhat famous, and his cultivation wasn’t low. He could initially withstand a few moves, but when he couldn’t beat it, he could only flee.

The scene was so chaotic that Wen Tianren’s face turned green, but he didn’t dare to scold Yan Zhuo. He could only reprimand Wen Suchen: “Unfilial disciple! Stop it now!”

Wen Suchen subconsciously wanted to call Zui Xiu back, but Yan Zhuo spoke first: “He is no longer your disciple!” Then, he shouted at Zui Xiu, “Chop off his limbs!”

Zui Xiu said “Oh,” and its attacks indeed became even more vicious.

Wen Tianren also noticed the subtlety of the situation and looked at Yan Zhuo in disbelief: “You can command Zui Xiu.”

“Yes, I can.” Yan Zhuo looked at him smugly. “Surprised, aren’t you? It’s my spiritual treasure.”

“Impossible!” Wen Tianren frowned. “Zhuiyun never mentioned it!”

“Why should she tell you? I am her son, not yours,” Yan Zhuo said. “When the spiritual treasure awakened back then, you were the one unwilling to come back. You were only thinking of your new, exceptionally talented disciple. Now you personally expel this disciple, whom you obtained by abandoning your wife and child, from the sect. You’ve been scheming and maneuvering for so many years; are you having a great time?”

Then, Yan Zhuo suddenly paused and then gave a very light laugh: “Mother always said you ruined me. You only thought she hated you. You still don’t know, do you? It’s not that my root bones are poor; my spiritual root was completely destroyed. Wen Tianren, if it weren’t for your cleverness back then, you could have had an exceptionally talented child.”

But Wen Tianren was too greedy.

Those medicines back then might have been somewhat useful to an ordinary child, but Yan Zhuo wasn’t ordinary. Yan Zhuo was a rare genius.

The moon wanes when it’s full; water overflows when it’s full. What was a precious medicine to others became poison to him.

A fleeting distortion appeared on Wen Tianren’s face, but he quickly recovered, even forcing a smile: “Little Zhuo, I did that for Suchen back then.”

He didn’t mention his own actions at all, only focusing on Wen Suchen, the person Yan Zhuo cared about most now, and talking about his sacrifice.

But Yan Zhuo just looked at him coldly: “I am not like Mother. She trusted you too much, which is why she was calculated by you. I won’t be, and Senior Brother won’t be either.”

In fact, he could have intervened earlier. With his mother’s matter hanging over Wen Tianren, Wen Tianren would definitely have found a way to protect Wen Suchen. But Yan Zhuo was unwilling.

He deliberately endured until Wen Suchen was expelled because he didn’t want to see Wen Suchen be manipulated by Wen Tianren anymore due to that laughable sense of gratitude. As long as Wen Suchen remained in the Mingxin Sect for one day, he would never be able to put down that burden.

Moreover, he understood Wen Tianren. That man was probably still harboring the thought that even after leaving the Mingxin Sect, Wen Suchen would remember his kindness, remember him as a Master who was better than a real father, and continue to slave away for him.

Wen Suchen was indeed that kind of person.

Unfortunately, he miscalculated Yan Zhuo, the son he looked down upon the most.

The Zui Xiu sword, stained with bl00d, returned. It shook itself a few feet away from the two of them, shedding the bl00d that hadn’t quite adhered to it, and then obediently returned to its sheath.

Only then did Yan Zhuo pull Wen Suchen to leave. This time, no one dared to stop them again.

Along the way, Yan Zhuo kept talking to Wen Suchen: “He is just taking advantage of your honesty. Have you cultivated all these years just to suffer this humiliation today? You are the number one in the world. Can’t you be a little more assertive?”

Wen Suchen followed behind him, his head bowed, saying nothing, like a child who had done wrong. Only the smile that stubbornly refused to leave the corner of his mouth revealed his mood at this moment.

When the two returned to Fen Xue Peak, Qi Ranyin was already waiting there, looking dirty all over. Seeing Yan Zhuo return, he immediately rolled his eyes dramatically.

Yan Zhuo pulled out a memory stone from his robe and tossed it to him: “First-person perspective. Isn’t that better than watching from a dark corner?”

Qi Ranyin’s expression improved slightly, and he said, “I’ve done what you asked. What do we do next?”

Yan Zhuo took out a palm-sized seed from his robe and handed it to Qi Ranyin: “Go find a spot on Lush Bloom Peak and bury it. Pear Blossom will go help you in a moment.” Then he told Wen Suchen to go dismantle the teleportation array on the island.

Qi Ranyin didn’t move. It was his first time seeing such a large seed, and he curiously asked, “What is this for?”

Yan Zhuo didn’t answer. Instead, he took another similar seed, found a clear patch of ground, planted it, and then took out a gourd and began pouring water onto it.

The seed, after being watered, grew at an extremely fast rate, quickly turning into a massive vine that began to spread outwards, like a giant octopus, coiling around the entire Fen Xue Peak.

Qi Ranyin was shocked and roughly guessed what Yan Zhuo was planning. He immediately took Pear Blossom and went to Lush Bloom Peak, following suit.

After the two islands were tightly bound, Yan Zhuo took out a horn from his Cosmic Ring and blew into it.

As a long blast of the horn sounded, the immortal cranes that usually transported disciples between the various peaks gathered toward Fen Xue Peak. Among them were a few particularly large ones that were already halfway to the Ascension Realm. They usually cultivated diligently in their caves and didn’t show themselves, but were now summoned.

Yan Zhuo negotiated with them, offering spiritual fruits in exchange for their help in dragging the two mountains away.

Wen Suchen could have done this himself, but it would have consumed a lot of spiritual power. For these immortal cranes, it was just physical labor. If one couldn’t do it, ten would. If ten couldn’t, a hundred would. They could certainly drag it away. Since the spiritual fruits Yan Zhuo grew were large, delicious, and he was very generous, they readily agreed.

A moment later, the disciples of the various sects heard a loud noise. Fen Xue Peak was severed with a single sword strike, and a flock of large and small immortal cranes, like they usually helped drag luggage, picked up the vines and slowly flew away, dragging the enormous mountain peak with them.