Youth Must Be Seized While Young Chapter Ninety: Splitting into Three Routes

I will go upstairs with Elder Han to discuss our next battle plan. You should rest for a while first. After a pause, Nie Fang turned to Qin Yihan and continued, “Especially you, Xiaohan. Tend to your injuries first.”

Qin Yihan nodded weakly. “I know...”

Nie Fang nodded and, together with Han Aoyu, left the room.

As soon as the two elders were gone, Yao Ting, her hair all in disarray, immediately took out a small vial and handed it to Qin Yihan.

“Junior Sister Xiaohan, there’s still some blood-restoring medicine here. Applying it to your wounds might help.”

Having spent years working with medicinal herbs, Yao Ting also knew how to prepare medicinal liquids, and most of the sect’s remedies were made by her own hands. For this expedition, she had even brought a large supply of healing liquid.

Gratefully, Qin Yihan said, “Thank you, Senior Sister Yao.”

“Come, it’s inconvenient for you to apply it yourself. I’ll help you,” Yao Ting said.

“All right.”

The two rose and walked toward the back of the room, where there was a small inner compartment—just right for something private, like removing one’s clothes to apply medicine.

Meanwhile, the others seated in the center of the room, having been tense and on edge the whole time, now that they were inside the chamber had completely relaxed and sprawled on the floor in all directions, each lost in their own thoughts.

Even Ruan Xiuqi, who had always been cheerful and upbeat, was now staring blankly at the ceiling, eyes empty.

Seeing this, Bai Qingzhou thought for a moment, then walked over and sat beside him, asking softly, “Xiuqi, what are you thinking about?”

At the sound of Bai Qingzhou’s voice, Ruan Xiuqi came back to himself a little and said dazedly, “I’m thinking about the cultivator I just killed.”

“Mm...” Bai Qingzhou answered softly. He could understand Ruan Xiuqi’s feelings now; they must be extremely complicated.

“I keep seeing the look in his eyes right before he died. I can’t shake it,” Ruan Xiuqi said helplessly.

Bai Qingzhou felt the same, and softly replied, “Everyone is like this the first time they kill someone...”

When Bai Qingzhou had first slain that cultivator in the beast forest, he had also sat alone there for a long while before he came back to himself. Not only then, even now he could still remember the dead man’s face.

After a moment of silence, Bai Qingzhou said to Ruan Xiuqi, “You’ll get used to it. There will be many battles ahead. If you don’t kill him, he’ll kill you. It’s normal...”

At that, Ruan Xiuqi gently nodded.

Not long after, Nie Fang and Han Aoyu returned to the room.

But both of their faces had become grim.

Everyone looked on in confusion.

Zhang Zhiyan stepped forward and asked, “Elder, how did the discussion go?”

Nie Fang’s expression was heavy as he sat cross-legged and slowly said, “From here on, the three spirit vessels will separate. Each vessel will carry a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators and go attack a mountain stronghold on its own.”

“Ah? Why would it be like this?”

“Split the forces?”

As soon as those words fell, exclamations erupted among the members of the Azure Yang Sect.

Zhang Zhiyan asked directly, “Why separate? We’ve already penetrated deep alone; if we split up, wouldn’t that simply give the enemy the chance to pick us off one by one?”

Nie Fang sighed helplessly. “Alas... This is an order from the Golden Core ancestor. We can only obey.”

“This...” Zhang Zhiyan stared in bewilderment. “That makes no sense at all!”

Han Aoyu said angrily, “I think so too! We’re already inside the Dragon-Tiger Mountain region, and they still dare split the forces? If we run into a Golden Core expert from Dragon-Tiger Mountain, we won’t be able to handle it at all! I truly cannot understand what that Golden Core ancestor is thinking!”

Her words voiced the thoughts in everyone’s hearts.

At this point, splitting the forces looked no different from walking to one’s death.

If a Golden Core cultivator came personally to attack, a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators would find it very hard to withstand.

The room fell silent.

After a while, Ji Heng spoke up. “Elder Nie, which mountain stronghold will our spirit vessel be attacking?”

Nie Fang replied, “Five hundred li north of here lies a sect called Eagle God Fortress. It is said they have two Foundation Establishment cultivators. That is our target this time.”

“And after we finish attacking Eagle God Fortress? What is the battle plan after that?” Ji Heng asked again.

Nie Fang thought it over and slowly said, “After a successful attack, we will head to Great Face Mountain.”

“Great Face Mountain?”

“Yes. It lies three hundred li northwest of Eagle God Fortress. After the battle, we must go there and rendezvous with the other two spirit vessels.”

“We still have to meet up again?” everyone said in surprise.

Nie Fang answered, “Yes. After each of the three spirit vessels has attacked its assigned stronghold, all of them are to gather at Great Face Mountain.”

“So that’s how it is. I understand now!” Bai Qingzhou exclaimed, struck by inspiration.

Hearing this, everyone turned to look at him.

Ruan Xiuqi asked curiously, “Big Brother Bai, what do you understand?”

“I suspect this is the Golden Core ancestor’s way of maximizing profit,” Bai Qingzhou said.

Nie Fang looked puzzled. “Maximizing profit? How do you mean...”

“When we arrived at Oddwood Sect today, I found it strange that the sect’s disciples didn’t flee. At first I thought Oddwood Sect had the strength to resist us, so they stayed because they weren’t worried about escaping,” Bai Qingzhou said slowly, looking at everyone. “But they didn’t have that strength. In less than half an hour, their mountain gate was taken, and the whole sect was nearly slaughtered to the last person.”

Xie Zhongjian guessed, “Maybe they were too arrogant, so they didn’t run?”

Bai Qingzhou gently shook his head. “No, my guess is that they simply didn’t expect us to attack—or rather, they didn’t react in time at all!”

At this, everyone exchanged glances, each face filled with doubt.

“But we came here with such a grand display. By rights, the spies they planted in the Unfettered Alliance should have discovered us quickly. Why didn’t they notify them?” Xie Zhongjian asked.

“Perhaps they already did discover us, but the message didn’t get back quickly enough. Maybe the news had only just arrived when we got there. After all, we were flying on spirit vessels, and the speed gap between that and the flying artifacts used to send messages is enormous!”

Han Aoyu said thoughtfully, “That does make sense. Flying artifacts are far slower than spirit vessels.”

“No!” Nie Fang suddenly interjected. “When spies encounter this kind of thing, they don’t need to return personally to report. Have you forgotten there are talismans for long-distance communication?”

After thinking for a moment, Han Aoyu cried out, “The Sound-Transmission Talisman!”

Nie Fang nodded slowly. “Yes. The Sound-Transmission Talisman allows communication over long distances. Even if separated by thousands of li, it can instantly send the message back...”

Hearing this, Bai Qingzhou fell into thought again. He had not considered that possibility before.

“But I think what Qingzhou said makes sense. Elder Nie, the Sound-Transmission Talisman you mentioned is an upper-grade mystic talisman, and it isn’t cheap. I don’t think ordinary spies on Dragon-Tiger Mountain would have one. In situations like this, they would have to use flying artifacts and return to report in person,” Han Aoyu said.

Nie Fang nodded. “What you say also makes sense. Even in our own sect, we don’t have Sound-Transmission Talismans...”

“Then if things are as Qingzhou described, that means Dragon-Tiger Mountain simply had no time to react,” Han Aoyu said seriously.

At that, Bai Qingzhou added, “I think that’s exactly it. I’m sure the Golden Core ancestor noticed this too, which is why he ordered us to split into three paths. While Dragon-Tiger Mountain had not yet reacted, we would strike down three sects first, kill their Foundation Establishment cultivators, and weaken their strength!”

“Mm, that makes sense!” Nie Fang said, eyes shining. “That is why he had us gather again after taking the three sects! By then Dragon-Tiger Mountain would certainly have reacted, and if we were still scattered, we’d be courting death.”

Bai Qingzhou nodded slowly. “That’s my guess.”

After hearing Bai Qingzhou’s reasoning, everyone nodded silently, their gazes toward him clearly changing.

It was obvious they had not expected him to notice such a detail.

“Junior Brother, after a year of training in Rogu Square Market, it seems you’ve grown a great deal,” Xie Zhongjian said, patting Bai Qingzhou on the shoulder with emotion.

“It seems that ever since I advanced to the seventh level of Qi Refinement, my mind has become much clearer too...”

“Good!” Nie Fang praised Bai Qingzhou, then swept his gaze across the room and continued, “Whatever the Golden Core ancestor’s strategy may be, we only need to do our own part! The next battle will still be extremely dangerous, so everyone must be especially careful!”

“Yes!” everyone answered solemnly.

At that moment, Ruan Xiuqi suddenly raised his hand and said, “Elder Nie! I have a question.”

“Go ahead,” Nie Fang replied warmly.

“After the next battle, should we learn from the rogue cultivators and take some things on the side?” Ruan Xiuqi asked eagerly.

As soon as those words were spoken, Nie Fang’s expression changed and he immediately said sternly, “How could we do such a thing! We are a righteous sect. How could we learn that bandit-like conduct from rogue cultivators! Never mention this again!”

Seeing him scolded, Ruan Xiuqi immediately closed his mouth and dared not speak further.

Just when everyone thought the matter was over...

Han Aoyu on the side suddenly said, “Elder Nie, I think Xiuqi is right about this...”

“Aoyu, what are you...” Nie Fang looked at Han Aoyu in shock, his expression one of disbelief.

Han Aoyu said calmly, “The sect master is gone, and the sect is already in decline. For this war, the sect has sold off many things and even distributed a great deal of spirit stones to the disciples. The main treasury is already nearly empty. After this battle, the sect will surely continue to wither. If no spirit stones come in, then we truly...”

She did not finish the rest.

At her words, Nie Fang sank into thought. After a while, he said bitterly, “We are an immortal sect, after all. How can we...”

Just then, Bai Qingzhou spoke up. “Elder Nie! Things are different now. The sect is in peril! We can’t keep worrying about so many rules and restraints anymore!”

Nie Fang ignored his tone and only sighed. “Without rules, nothing can be properly ordered...”

“Then do you still remember that day when the beast-meat shop was opened? You were against it too, weren’t you? But the spirit stones it later earned solved the sect’s urgent crisis!” Bai Qingzhou said slowly. “If the sect master were here, I’m sure he would agree too...”

At the mention of Li Yuyun, Nie Fang instantly fell into memories. Soon after, a few tears actually welled up in his eyes...

After a while, he waved his hand sadly. “Enough, enough... Alas, I agree to it.”