Chapter 453: Si Wuyaâs Aim
âHold it in. Donât get angry.â Lu Zhou took a deep breath and felt much calmer. Perhaps, it had been some time since he had transmigrated here. In the beginning, he had to assume Ji Tiandaoâs identity and act like him to protect himself. However, as time went by, he discovered he was being affected by Ji Tiandaoâs memory.
He looked at the prices on the menu. There was nothing he could afford to buy at the moment, hence, he resumed meditating on the Heavenly Writing scrolls.
Lu Zhou went out of the eastern pavilion, as he always did, to move his body.
âMaster, master, masterâŠâ Little Yuanâer called out as she ran over.
Lu Zhou scowled slightly and said, âDo you think that I have a hearing problem?â
âUh⊠Iâd neverâŠâ Little Yuanâer lowered her head obediently.
âWhat is it?â Lu Zhou inquired. He placed his hands on his back, and his expression was blank as always.
âSeventh Senior Brother wants to see you⊠He says that he has some things he wants to talk to you about,â Little Yuanâer said immediately.
âThat rascal didnât change. After suffering so much, heâs finally willing to open up and reveal what he knows?â
The smarter the person, the more arrogant he was. If one wanted to make an intelligent submit, one would have to defeat him in his area of expertise. Lu Zhou was, naturally, aware of this. âIâd like to know what information he has for me.â
âYes, master.â Little Yuanâer turned around and went to the Cave of Reflection.
Shortly after, Little Yuanâer brought Si Wuya to the eastern pavilion.
When Si Wuya arrived at the eastern pavilion, he saw his master standing at the top of the steps with a calm expression on his face. He bowed immediately before he fell to his knees. âThis unfilial rascal, Si Wuya, offers his greetings.â
Lu Zhou watched him kneel and said, âRise to your feet and speak.â
When Si Wuya stood up, Lu Zhou noticed that Si Wuya did not seem to be in a good state. Si Wuya was paler than normal, his hair was disheveled, and the dark circles around his eyes were prominent. âIs this rascal still obsessed over the mathematical questions?â Finally, he asked, âYou canât solve those problems?â
âIâm ashamed⊠I⊠I didnât expect them to be so profound.â Indeed, Si Wuya felt embarrassed.
Lu Zhou thought to himself, âIâd be surprised if you could answer them.â In the end, he only said, âWhat business do you have with me? Have you finally thought things through?â
Si Wuya lifted his robes ceremoniously and kneeled again. He did not answer right away. Instead, he kowtowed loudly three times to Lu Zhou. Then, he replied, âI have.â
Lu Zhou glanced outside the eastern pavilion and said, âInside.â
There were many things that should not reach the ears of the others.
Lu Zhou turned around and entered his room. Si Wuya got to his feet and followed suit.
Little Yuanâer bowed and said with a giggle, âIâll keep watch, master. I wonât let anyone disturb you.â
Si Wuya saw the words on the wall again. âThe bright moon shines over the sea; from far away we share this moment togetherâ.
He scowled. Those words made him feel uneasy. The words nearly penetrated the paper. Clearly, they had been written with a forceful hand. Without consistent practice over the course of eight to ten years, the writer could not have achieved this. However, this was not the time to be paying attention to that.
Lu Zhou sat down on the main chair and stroked his beard as he patiently waited for Si Wuya to speak up. âYouâre the one who came looking for me. I have nothing much to say to you.â
Si Wuya kneeled again and said, âCongratulations on attaining the Nine-leaf stage, Master.â
Lu Zhou frowned slightly as he stared at Si Wuya. âIs that all?â In other words, he had expected Si Wuya to speak about something else.
Si Wuya prostrated himself and could not help but speak with a shaky voice, âI⊠I can explain!â
âSure, you can f*cking explain.â Lu Zhou would have loved to leap into rage and openly curse Si Wuya. However, since he was Si Wuyaâs master, he needed to maintain his composure. He continued staring at Si Wuya silently for a moment before he said, âLetâs hear it.â
Si Wuya straightened his back and said, âDo you remember why Second Senior Brother chose to leave?â
âBecause I wanted to kill him?â Lu Zhou remembered how Yu Shangrong answered this question. âWas I going to kill you too?â
Si Wuya shook his head and said, âYou werenât.â
âThen whatâs your f*cking explanation?!â Lu Zhou was still looking at Si Wuya with a composed expression despite his internal monologue.
Si Wuya said with a trembling voice, âYou wanted to kill Second Senior Brother and Eldest Senior BrotherâŠâ
Lu Zhou frowned, but something stirred within him.
âWhy did I want to kill them?â
Si Wuya knew this part of his masterâs memories was sealed inside the crystal. Hence, he said, âYou wanted longevity and to attain the Nine-leaf stage.â
This answer was exactly the same as what Yu Shangrong had alluded to. This proved Si Wuya was not lying.
âCan I gain longevity by killing them?â Lu Zhouâs expression was stern. This was not a joke after all. It was a shame that he could not locate the memory crystal. Otherwise, he would not have to rely on others for answers.
Si Wuya glanced at the Four Treasures of the study on the table.
Lu Zhou understood what he meant. He waved his hand and gestured for him to help himself.
Si Wuya stood up, walked over to the table, picked up the brush, and listed the cultivation techniques of the Evil Sky Pavilion disciples on the paper.
Ci Yuanâer, Supreme Purity Jade Slip.
Si Wuya, Great Compassion Poem.
Zhao Yue, Brilliant Jade Technique.
Mingshi Yin, Bluewood Technique.
Duanmu Sheng, Divine One Technique.
Si Wuya placed the brush on the table after he finished writing. He lifted the paper and said, âAll these cultivation methods are related to longevity.â
The Supreme Purity Jade Slip could grant longevity, the Great Compassion Poem could reverse Yin and Yang, the Brilliant Jade Technique could preserve youth, the Bluewood Technique was like the evergreen trees, and the Divine One Technique could grant life as long as the heavens and the earth.
The descriptions of the cultivation methods were slightly exaggerated, to begin with. For example, âlongevity and life as long as the heavens and the earthâ.
Lu Zhou understood the effects of these cultivation methods better than anyone else. When they were listed in this manner, it became clear. However, a thought appeared in his mind. He frowned. âIs it possible that Ji Tiandao selected his disciples to gain longevity in life?â
What about the rest of his disciples?
Si Wuya continued, âSixth Senior Sister Ye Tianxin is a fairfolk. The books have written that the fairfolk has Cheng Huang, which is able to grant the rider 2,000 years of life. Second Senior Brother Yu Shangrong, a Nobleman, has a short lifespan.â Then, he placed the paper on the table.
âOld Eighthâs Nine Tribulations Thunderblast. With every progressive tribulation he overcomes, his insides will burn, and he would lose 50 years of life.â At this moment, Si Wuyaâs voice had turned incredibly soft. Then, he kneeled on the ground and cupped his fists at Lu Zhou. After that, he no longer spoke.
Realization dawned on Lu Zhou at this moment. If he still could not understand, he would have lived for so long in vain.
He chuckled and sneered at Si Wuya as he said, âYouâre saying that Iâm treating all of you as experiments so that I can prolong my life and attain the Nine-leaf stage?â
Si Wuya prostrated himself, flattened his palms on the floor, and touched the back of his hands with his forehead. This was equivalent to him confirming Lu Zhouâs words.
Lu Zhouâs expression was indifferent, but his heart skipped a beat. Well, technically, that was all Ji Tiandaoâs doing. Whether it was about shortening or extending his life, this was all part of the effort to understand longevity. So this must also be the reason Si Wuya persuaded Zhu Honggong to run away from the Evil Sky Pavilion as well.
âIs this what Yu Zhenghai thinks as well?â Lu Zhou asked.
âIâve promised Eldest Senior Brother that I wonât reveal his secrets. Do forgive me, master,â Si Wuya replied.
âSo youâre saying Iâve treated all of you horrendously?â Lu Zhou asked. He, naturally, did not believe everything Si Wuya said. If it was true, why were all the rascals still alive? Things were much more complicated than he had imagined.
âI dare not!â Si Wuya remained prostrate on the floor.
âIâll ask you again. Why did you leave the Evil Sky Pavilion?â Lu Zhouâs voice was stern and laced with warning. His instinct told him Si Wuya was withholding information.