Chapter 16

The next morning, after finishing breakfast and chatting for a while, everyone went to the Heavenly Earth Gate. When Moxiang and his party arrived, the guards of the Heavenly Earth Gate looked at them with wary eyes. Mai lightly dismounted from his horse and approached the guard, who was on high alert, and said,

"We come from the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. We have matters to discuss with the Gate Master. Please inform him."

One of the guards then ran inside. After about a quarter of an hour, he returned with another middle-aged man. The middle-aged man bowed respectfully to Moxiang and his party and said,

"The Gate Master says there is nothing to talk about with your sect and asks you to leave."

Mai then said,

"Then, do you not care if the heads of your 300 disciples imprisoned in the dungeon fall off?"

"Are you here to threaten us?"

"No. We have come to discuss a few things. First, let us meet the Gate Master."

"Please wait."

After about half an hour, the middle-aged man returned and said,

"Please come in."

Moxiang dismounted and walked in, and the rest had no choice but to follow. Moxiang's voice could be heard from behind, instructing,

"Stay here and take care of the horses."

Moxiang and his party left ten warriors at the gate and followed the middle-aged man inside. By the time they arrived, two large tables and six chairs were set up in the spacious courtyard. Despite the tables being wide enough to accommodate more than ten chairs, the number of chairs was limited to allow only three people to sit on each side, subtly revealing the intention to identify the leader of the opposite side.

No one was sitting on the chairs on the other side, and about a hundred experts stood with swords at their waists, indicating that the Gate Master had not yet arrived. Moxiang sat in the middle chair and waited for the Gate Master to appear.

After another quarter of an hour, the Gate Master arrived, followed by a young man with a large, thick saber. As expected, he was a tall man over six feet with a sturdy build and sharp eyes. He seemed surprised to see a young, seemingly weak scholar sitting casually in the middle chair. Before sitting down, the Gate Master, Jin Yang, observed Moxiang's party. Most of the guards were in their forties and looked quite young, and he noticed the withered hand of the thin hunchback on the left, which emitted a dark blue luster, making him increasingly nervous. When he saw the woman standing behind Moxiang, whose hand was so white and beautiful that it was almost transparent, he was inwardly shocked.

'These are the top elites of the Demon Sect. The withered, twisted hand of the hunchback must belong to the 13th-ranking Outer General, Gouluxuemaguo Yuguangpai. And the woman behind the scholar, who exudes a rare beauty, must be Xue Yaobi, the Right Outer General, who has mastered the Lesser Demon Art to its peak and can make people laugh and die with her qin music. I've heard that it's rare to see even one of them in a lifetime, and now both are here... If the rumors are true, these two alone could destroy our sect.'

At this moment, a young man in his mid-thirties, dressed in clean, high-quality clothes, appeared. The sword at his waist indicated that he was not from the Heavenly Earth Gate. He sat in the empty chair to the right of the Gate Master and said arrogantly,

"What brings the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect here?"

The hunchback, Yuguangpai, sneered and said,

"You have no right to speak here. We came from the main temple to speak with the Gate Master, not with you."

The young man glared at the hunchback. When his gaze met the hunchback's hand, he was momentarily speechless. Finally, he regained his composure and said,

"Are you not Gouluxuemaguo Yuguangpai?"

"Since you know, why ask?"

"I can't understand why a high-ranking official of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect would come to such a remote place."

The hunchback replied calmly,

"There are even higher-ranking officials here than me, so there's no reason I can't come."

Hearing this, the young man finally regained his composure and carefully examined the Demon Sect members. There were not many high-ranking experts from the Demon Sect known to the public. So far, only the Outer General Gouluxuemaguo Yuguangpai and his subordinates, the Left Outer General Tianzhen'e and the Right Outer General Xue Yaobi, were the highest-ranking experts known to the public. Seeing two of them here, and that Xue Yaobi was not even seated, he could not fathom the situation.

'Why would such high-ranking experts come to such a remote place? Judging from the intense demonic aura emanating from the figures standing behind, they are not ordinary experts. Even half of the people standing there could turn this small sect into ashes. Including our people from the alliance... But the young man sitting in the middle is a mystery. I can't sense any demonic aura from him. I can't even believe he is a martial artist. Could he be the core figure of the Demon Sect, Hemu Shang? I've heard that Hemu Shang is the brain of the Demon Sect...'

While he was lost in thought, Xue Yaobi spoke in a gentle tone,

"Gate Master Jin Yang of the Great Power Dao Sect, we have come to negotiate with your sect. Our sect wishes to enter into a conditional non-aggression pact with your sect."

The young man sitting to the right said,

"Gate Master, don't be deceived. They are trying to take over your sect through deceit."

Xue Yaobi cast a cold glance at the young man.

"This is a matter between the Heavenly Earth Gate and our sect. Whether to enter into the pact is a decision for the Gate Master of the Heavenly Earth Gate, not for the head of the Wu Lin Alliance, Long Tianyi. Gate Master, if this pact is signed, we will certainly return the 300 prisoners held by your sect. Here is the agreement."

Jin Yang, having nothing to lose, began to read the agreement.

"1. This agreement remains valid until either party wishes to terminate it or the leader of the opposing sect changes. If the leader changes, a new agreement must be drafted and negotiated.

2. The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect and the Heavenly Earth Gate must not invade each other's territories. If an accidental invasion occurs, it should be resolved through mutual discussion rather than force. Additionally, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect must not invade within 20 li of the Heavenly Earth Gate.

3. If it becomes necessary to violate this agreement due to unavoidable circumstances, the party must notify the other party one month in advance. However, the Heavenly Earth Gate is not required to notify if all orthodox sects jointly invade the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. In such a case, the agreement remains valid, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect can attack the invading disciples of the Heavenly Earth Gate but not the Heavenly Earth Gate itself.

4. If a conflict occurs between the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect and an orthodox sect within 200 li of the Heavenly Earth Gate, and the Heavenly Earth Gate requests mediation, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect must refrain from using force and must not use force for one month from the request.

5. If a force threatening the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect exists within 20 li of the Heavenly Earth Gate, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect must not attack without the permission of the Heavenly Earth Gate.

6. The Heavenly Earth Gate is not obligated to assist the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect in conflicts with other sects. However, if the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect requests assistance, it must help. If it cannot help, it must notify the Heavenly Earth Gate within one month of receiving the request.

7. The above six points must be observed as long as the agreement is valid."

After carefully reading the agreement, Jin Yang passed it to a middle-aged man in his early forties sitting to his left.

"I see many clauses that are disadvantageous to the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. I want to know your true intentions."

"Our true intentions are as follows. The first clause is to ensure that while we trust you, Gate Master Jin Yang, we cannot trust your successor. The same applies to your sect. Our Sect Master will also transfer all authority to the Young Sect Master within 20 years. You cannot trust the Young Sect Master either, can you?"

"That's true."

"The incident this time could have been resolved through mutual discussion, but your sect attacked our secret branch without proper investigation."

"That's... There were many suspicious points, and we judged it to be a bandit hideout and attacked. The disciples who attacked went missing, and only three returned a week ago. We learned from them that they had a conflict with your sect."

"This incident is being handled with the approval of our Sect Master. We hope to avoid conflicts with your sect. If you refuse, we will have no choice but to destroy your sect. Please consider this carefully."

Jin Yang glanced at the head of the Wu Lin Alliance, Long Tianyi, and said,

"I accept the seven points of this agreement."

Moxiang, who had been silent, signed and stamped the agreement in front of him.

"Then, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect and the Heavenly Earth Gate have entered into a conditional non-aggression pact. Please stamp and return the agreement."

After Jin Yang signed and stamped the agreement and handed it to Moxiang, Moxiang also signed and stamped his copy and handed it over. When the exchange was complete, Xue Yaobi said,

"Please sign and stamp the agreement you have received. The agreement will be kept separately by each sect and will have infinite value as long as it is valid."

Jin Yang and the others were shocked when they saw the signature on the agreement. Long Tianyi looked up at Moxiang in disbelief. The signature read:

"Deputy Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, Moxiang"

'It's unbelievable that the Deputy Sect Master of the Demon Sect, who commands 20,000 elite experts and leads 100,000 evil sects, would come to such a small sect...'

While Jin Yang was thinking this, Long Tianyi had a different thought.

'The appointment of a new Deputy Sect Master in the Demon Sect is significant information. If he is the real Deputy Sect Master, he must have surpassed the Extreme Demon level. I must contact the alliance quickly.'

While they were each thinking, Moxiang had already signed and stamped his copy of the agreement and handed it to Xue Yaobi. Then, after casually looking around, Moxiang suddenly stood up. Everyone tensed up when Moxiang suddenly stood up. Moxiang then shouted towards the shallow earthen wall on the right side of the building,

"Hey, come out. I'll buy you something delicious."

A mischievous child's face appeared from behind the wall.

"I won't fall for it, you despicable guy."

Suddenly, Jin Yang and the middle-aged man sitting to his left turned red, and the surrounding experts of the Heavenly Earth Gate struggled to suppress their laughter. Despite everyone's concerns, Moxiang laughed and said,

"Ha ha, you said it was so delicious that even if one of us died while eating, we wouldn't notice..."

"Don't talk nonsense! I'll tell my grandfather and have you killed."

"You said you'd see what happens later, and all you can do is find your grandfather, brat?"

"I'm not a brat. I'll... I'll kill you myself later."

Hearing this, Moxiang revealed a mocking expression.

"Hmph! Later? When?"

The child hesitated for a while.

"In ten years, we'll see."

"Ha! In ten years."

At the same time, Moxiang's figure seemed to move slightly, and in an instant, he was back in his place, holding the child. The surrounding people were shocked by the speed of Moxiang's movement. He had grabbed the child, who was five paces away, in an instant and returned. Moxiang pretended to be angry and said to the child,

"Say you're sorry to Grandpa and promise not to do it again."

"I won't! I can't! Let me go, you guy."

Moxiang laughed derisively. His tone was clearly mocking.

"Hmph! Then I'll make you say it! Beg nicely!"

The child stubbornly shook his head.

"No! I can't! Let me go, you guy!"

"Bad kid! I'll make you scream and tremble in fear."

"Hmph! I knew you would."

The child stubbornly closed his mouth, and Moxiang, pretending to be angry, instantly sealed 64 of the child's acupoints. As he touched various parts of the child's body, the sound of bones cracking could be heard. At first, everyone found it amusing, thinking it was a playful interaction, but as the situation progressed, Jin Yang and the middle-aged man sitting to his left became increasingly tense and eventually intervened.

"How can you do this?"

Before anyone could react, Xue Yaobi had already grabbed Jin Yang's hand and stopped him. Jin Yang tried to shake her off but could not. He was sweating and watching his grandson, who was gritting his teeth in pain, with a pained expression. He tried to rush over, but his scream was stifled, and his body could not move. He realized that the beautiful woman was an expert far beyond his reach.

'How can you torture a child like this after just signing the agreement... How can you perform the bone-crushing torture on a child... You are not human.'

Tears of blood streamed down his face. He was helpless. His subordinates, seeing their Gate Master, Deputy Gate Master, and the Deputy Gate Master's son captured, could not draw their swords and could only watch in silence. Long Tianyi, the head of the Wu Lin Alliance, was also paralyzed by the intimidating presence of Gouluxuemaguo Yuguangpai, who was standing a pace in front of him.

"Quickly scream, you brat. If you don't scream, I'll break your bones this time."

Moxiang continued to threaten the child with various curses, and the child, determined not to yield, endured Moxiang's torture without opening his mouth. After about half an hour, the child's complexion gradually returned, and the sound of bones cracking had long stopped. Another quarter of an hour later, the child regained consciousness. All the pain was over. Moxiang then spoke in a gentle voice,

"I will guide your inner energy. Practice your breathing technique."

Moxiang placed his hand on the child's head and helped him practice. The people present were bewildered by his method.

'This is strange. To help with breathing practice, one should place the palm on the back and infuse inner energy. Why is he placing his hand on the head?'

As time passed, the child's face became more peaceful. After about half an hour of practice, Moxiang removed his hand and helped the child stand up.

"You were very brave to endure it. This is a gift from me to commemorate the signing of the agreement. The cultivation technique you just learned is the Void Spirit Technique of the Xianmen Sect. It is a lost technique in the orthodox sects that calms the mind and prevents all evil from entering. You must practice this technique for one hour each day and not learn any other cultivation techniques. If your inner energy is not pure, the inner strength built through the Void Spirit Technique will not be effective. The advantage of this technique is that while it builds inner strength slowly, it shows great progress once you reach a certain level. I have altered your bone structure to a state similar to a complete transformation, which will help you learn martial arts faster. Over time, you will naturally experience the real benefits. This method is highly effective but extremely painful, beyond human endurance. If you scream even once, your inner energy will scatter, and all your efforts will be in vain, and you will never be able to use this method again. I am proud of your endurance."

Moxiang patted the child's head and then scanned the still bewildered crowd, bowing to Jin Yang.

"Goodbye... This child will become the greatest expert to lead the Heavenly Earth Gate in the future. Please take good care of him."

He smiled at the child and said softly,

"Brat! Next time we meet, I hope to see better skills, not such clumsy moves."

Then he shouted,

"Let's go."

Everyone followed Moxiang, and Xue Yaobi bowed to Jin Yang.

"Congratulations on your grandson's achievement. The technique he received is the Precious Bone Shrinking Sinew Demon Technique, a highly advanced technique that can only be performed at the Extreme Demon level. All the young people in our sect wish to receive this technique, but very few actually do. It seems the Deputy Sect Master favors your grandson. During the process, any shock to the child could be harmful, so he acted quickly. Please forgive us. The disciples of the Heavenly Earth Gate imprisoned in the dungeon will be escorted safely by our disciples. Goodbye."

Xue Yaobi used her light body technique to instantly move to where the horses were waiting. The people of the Heavenly Earth Gate marveled at her swift technique.

"Truly an amazing light body technique."

"I've heard that Xue Yaobi is a cruel and vicious woman, but today I realize how unreliable rumors can be."