The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 141 Elder Xuantian’s Ambition

The headmaster nodded slightly, then changed the subject and asked, "How is the Green Forest Flower Demon now? You were able to escape, could it be that it has already—"

"I killed him," Lin Xiao answered without hesitation, a hint of pride in his tone. He knew that the Sect Master was very considerate of him, so he decided not to hide it anymore.

"Excellent!" A hint of appreciation flashed in the Sect Leader's eyes as he praised loudly, "Very good! Lin Jiao and Ye Xuan are fine now and will be able to wake up tomorrow. With a little rest, they'll be back to normal."

The headmaster paused for a moment, then said, "You may leave now."

Lin Xiao hesitated for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and asked tentatively, "Master, I have another question for you. The sweeping monk at the Sutra Pagoda has been hard to find lately. I wonder if he's gone somewhere else?"

Upon hearing this, the headmaster's expression changed slightly, and he waved his hand and said, "This matter has nothing to do with you, so don't ask too much. Go away." After that, he closed his eyes, sat down cross-legged, and began to meditate to recover his strength.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao had no choice but to give up, bowed silently, and turned to leave.

He stood at the door of the hall, pondered for a moment, and then decided to go back to the back mountain to get the old ginseng he got from the ancient forest to nourish Lin Jiao and Ye Xuan.

So he quietly disappeared into the night and headed towards the back mountain.

...

At the same time, Elder Xuantian rushed all the way to the Chanyi Hall.

His movements were as fast as lightning, his black robe rustling in the wind, and in a moment he had reached the depths of the Chanyi Hall. He stood in front of Elder Chanxin's Zen temple and was about to enter when he was interrupted by a shout.

"Who's there?" In the side room, Zheng Ziyi suddenly woke up, stood up and asked in a stern voice.

Elder Xuantian restrained his breath and responded kindly, "Ziyi, it's me. Leave this tonight to me. You can go back and rest first."

Zheng Ziyi recognized the elder and quickly bowed. He hesitated and said, "Elder Xuantian, what instructions does the Sect Master have?"

At this time, a deep voice came from the Zen room: "Ziyi, listen to Elder Xuantian's words, you should go back to your own Zen temple tonight, there is no need for you to worry about this place."

"Yes, Elder Chanxin!" Zheng Ziyi said no more, respectfully saluted Chanwu and Elder Xuantian, then turned and left.

After Zheng Ziyi left completely, Elder Xuantian pushed the door open and walked straight into Elder Chanxin's meditation room.

The candlelight in the room was dim. Elder Chanxin sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed, as if he had already known Elder Xuantian's intention.

Elder Xuantian stepped into the meditation room, bowed slightly, and called softly, "Senior Brother."

In the dimly lit room, Elder Chanxin reclined on the bed, his once pale complexion now tinged with an unnatural redness. Seeing this, Elder Xuantian's eyes flickered with heartache, his voice choking with sobs, "It's truly hard on you... If only we had been more decisive back then—"

"Don't bring up the past anymore," Elder Chanxin interrupted with a wave of his hand. His eyes were gentle but tinged with a hint of sadness. Then he changed the subject and asked calmly, "What brings you here tonight? What's the matter?"

Elder Xuantian took a deep breath, regained his composure, and said calmly, "Today, two of the Sect Master's direct disciples—Lin Jiao and Ye Xuan—were both seriously injured. Although they have recovered after the Sect Master's personal treatment, I sense that this incident has expended a great deal of his energy. I suspect this incident has destabilized his realm, and he is currently at most at the beginning of the Dingsi realm."

"Really?" Elder Chanxin's eyes flashed with a complex light upon hearing this. Joy and pain intertwined, he was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "It's a pity that I couldn't survive the thunder tribulation back then, and my realm fell to the sixth level of Jiayin. Now my strength is far less than before, so I'm afraid it's difficult for me to help you."

Elder Xuantian stepped forward, held Elder Chanxin's hand, and whispered comfortingly: "Brother, don't worry too much. You just need to recuperate slowly, and lead the Chanyi Hall to provide support when necessary. Leave the rest to me." His tone was firm, as if he had a perfect plan.

After hearing this, Elder Chanxin's eyes turned red, tears welled up in his eyes, and he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll do my best."

At this moment, Elder Xuantian leaned over to Elder Chanxin's ear and whispered, "I've sent Zhang Ning to the Ancient Forest to contact the Shadow Monkey King. Now we just have to wait for the right time."

"Shadow Monkey King?" Elder Chanxin's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, his tone filled with shock and hesitation. "You've even managed to contact it? This is far too risky—"

Elder Xuantian sneered, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's. "That's fine. Just wait until Lin Jiao and Ye Xuan leave the Feng Shui Academy, and Lin Xiao will be left alone. By then, I can use all the forces inside and outside the academy."

Elder Chanxin frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "How should the other elders respond?"

A fierce look flashed in Elder Xuantian's eyes, and he whispered in his ear, detailing his plan. Elder Chanxin nodded silently, his gaze growing more determined, as if he had already made up his mind.

...

The next morning, morning light streamed into the treatment center through the window lattices, and the air was filled with the fragrance of herbs.

Lin Xiao was busy in the medicine room. The medicinal soup in the copper pot was boiling with hot steam. He opened the lid and threw a few precious old mountain ginseng into it without hesitation.

Seeing this, the disciple beside him exclaimed in amazement, "Brother Lin, you are really generous! So much old mountain ginseng, and using it in a medicinal soup like this, it's simply extravagant."

"I just hope they can recover as soon as possible. Nothing else matters." Lin Xiao smiled indifferently, holding a fan, carefully controlling the heat, his eyes revealing determination and concern.

Time slipped by quietly, and it was already noon. Lin Jiao and Ye Xuan still lay quietly on the bed, their faces as pale as paper, showing no signs of waking up.

Lin Xiao sat by the bed, patiently wiping Lin Jiao's lips with a wet cloth to keep them moist. His expression was focused and gentle, as if she was the only one in the world.

Suddenly, Lin Jiao's eyelashes trembled slightly, and then she slowly opened her eyes. What came into view was Lin Xiao's face that was so close to her.

When their eyes met, her cheeks flushed and she called out softly, "Brother Lin Xiao...what's wrong with me?"

"You're awake! How do you feel?"

Lin Xiao's eyes flashed with surprise. He immediately helped her up and replied carefully, "You and Senior Brother Ye Xuan were attacked by the Cuilin Tree Demon and were unconscious for a day and a night. You're all fine now. The Sect Master personally treated you. You just need to rest well."

“I feel okay, but I have no energy at all.”

Lin Jiao turned her head and saw Ye Xuan still sleeping beside her, and she felt a little relieved.

Lin Xiao then brought the boiled medicine soup, gently helped Lin Jiao up, and fed her the medicine spoonful by spoonful.

"It's so bitter..." Lin Jiao frowned, with a hint of coquettishness in her tone.

"Good medicine tastes bitter, but I have added several roots of old mountain ginseng." Lin Xiao responded with a chuckle and scooped up the medicine soup skillfully.

"How long have we been unconscious? When will Senior Brother Ye Xuan wake up?" Lin Jiao's face was slightly flushed, and her tone was full of concern.

"It'll only be one day and one night." Lin Xiao explained in a gentle voice, "Senior Brother Ye Xuan's physical condition is a little weak, so he will probably wake up soon."

Just as he finished speaking, there was a slight movement on Ye Xuan's bed. Lin Xiao and Lin Jiao's eyes lit up and they looked in Ye Xuan's direction...