Chapter 153 – Already Have One

  Han Lian looked over at Luo Feng as she finished striking a training pillar that had been placed in her residence. It showed a significant amount of cracks and chipping, despite being made from extremely hard metal refined from ores found in the mines.

  She wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve before shrugging her shoulders.

  “Sister Bai has entered secluded cultivation. She told me that she likely won’t emerge until the Tranquil Mountain Sect’s group departs.” Han Lian said casually, unaware of the storm those words would cause.

  “What, she’s entering seclusion now?” Luo Feng’s voice cracked with disbelief as he felt as though the whole world was crumbling around him.

  “Yes. Why?” Han Lian replied. She was slightly taken aback by her Junior Brother’s reaction to the news.

  What did it matter to him if Bai Xuelian stayed inside her residence for the next week or so? They were only here to improve relations between their Sects and experience the outside world while Elder Wen refined pills.

  With the talented Jun De and the brazen Zhao Wuxian still interacting with the Ironvein Quarry Sect, that task would still be more than accomplished, in her opinion.

  Luo Feng’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He forced a smile onto his face, though his teeth were grinding together beneath it.

  “It doesn’t matter at all. I just hadn’t expected her to enter seclusion while in our Sect. It doesn’t seem very appropriate, especially when there are those who wish to see her.”

  Luo Feng wasn’t aware of what Han Lian’s response was, or even if he said anything in parting, when he suddenly left. All that mattered was that his time with Bai Xuelian was nearing its end, and he hadn’t made any progress at all!

  ‘No! This can’t happen now. If she leaves the Sect without seeing me again, everything I’ve done will be wasted!’

  Luo Feng finally had something that could tempt Jun De to step aside, or even attract Bai Xuelian’s attention to him. But it didn’t matter what the Exchange Slate gave him if she wasn’t here to receive it!

  He practically flew down the winding stone path that led toward the guest courtyard, his grey Disciple robes whipping around him as he rushed. Disciples turned to stare at him as he passed, but Luo Feng didn’t notice. His thoughts were focused on a single thing.

  ‘Jun De!’

  Luo Feng had to rush his plan to get Jun De to agree to step aside and not interfere in his and Bai Xuelian’s relationship. Then, he could go and see her, to confess his feelings and demonstrate to her that she was perfect for him.

  By the time he reached Jun De’s residence, his expression had shifted to a mixture of panic and fury. He didn’t hesitate to rush up to the door and slam his fist against it with a thunderous crack that echoed off the stone walls around him.

  “Jun De! We need to talk, now!” Luo Feng shouted.

  Jun De had been sitting quietly in his residence, reclining on a wooden chair with his feet up on a table. He was enjoying a cup of tea, along with a collection of snacks that Lin Yue had thoughtfully given to him before he had left the Tranquil Mountain.

  He nearly spilled the contents of his cup when a loud, impatient pounding sounded out at his door. Jun De quickly rose and placed the cup onto the table while quietly cursing. It was clear to him who it was, as Luo Feng’s distinctive voice managed to carry through the wards.

  Pushing open the door, he found Luo Feng standing outside as expected, his hair and clothing dishevelled, while his eyes were bloodshot, and his face was twisted with rage.

  “What do you want, Luo Feng?” Jun De said without an ounce of politeness. He didn’t want anything to do with Luo Feng and his obsession with Bai Xuelian.

  Without waiting for permission, and against all propriety, Luo Feng shoved his way past Jun De to enter the residence. He spun around to confront Jun De just as the latter closed the door in order to spare the rest of the Sect from the noise of whatever was going to happen next.

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  Jun De wasn’t overly concerned about Luo Feng. His cultivation was much lower than his, and Lou Feng’s status in the Sect meant that he wouldn’t want to risk his position by offending the much more powerful Tranquil Mountain Sect.

  “You have to tell Bai Xuelian that you are no longer interested in her!” Luo Feng barked out, and Jun De was so surprised by the young man’s new, forceful approach that he froze for a moment.

  “Tell her that you want nothing to do with her from now on, that she should forget you and look for someone more suited to her! Someone like me!” Luo Feng explained, his chest heaving as his emotions raged.

  Jun De’s surprise wore off after a moment, and he let out a small, exasperated chuckle.

  “You came to tell me that? Senior Sister Bai has her own mind, and even if I said everything you wanted me to, do you really think it would change how she feels?” Jun De shook his head slowly before returning to his wooden chair and picking his cup of tea back up to take a sip.

  Luo Feng’s jaw tightened at Jun De’s clear dismissal, and he didn’t hesitate to retrieve a small jade box from his storage ring.

  He flipped open the lid to reveal the contents: a pill that shimmered with a rainbow light. The spiritual energy in Jun De’s residence responded, while a strong medicinal smell permeated the air.

  Luo Feng smirked as Jun De lifted his eyebrow in surprise at what Luo Feng had in his hand.

  “Do you know what this is, Jun De? It’s a Foundation Establishment Pill! One that is of Superior Quality! If you agree to my terms, if you break Bai Xuelian’s heart and leave her to me, I will give this pill to you.”

  He held the pill out toward Jun De as though it were the most valuable thing in the world. He was certain that he had finally found leverage over Jun De, who always seemed to be so calm and in control.

  Jun De studied the pill for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, beyond all expectation, he shook his head!

  “Sorry, I already have one.”

  Luo Feng froze, and the confidence drained from his face.

  “You…what?” Luo Feng stammered.

  Jun De’s tone remained calm and patient, as though he were explaining something to a child.

  “A Foundation Establishment Pill. I received one from an inheritance site several years ago, one that is of higher quality than the one you have in your hand. So whatever game you are playing, I’m afraid you have wasted your efforts.” Jun De said, leaning back in his chair and sipping his tea again.

  Luo Feng stood there in stunned silence, his mouth half open, while the box containing the pill trembled in his palm as though it might slip from his grasp. His face twisted with disbelief and barely-contained fury.

  “You’re lying. A Foundation Establishment Pill isn’t something that just anyone can receive, even in the Tranquil Mountain Sect. I could believe it if you were on the verge of a breakthrough like Bai Xuelian, but you are only in the 9th Level of Qi Condensation! You should craft a better lie than just happening to pick it up at an inheritance site!” Luo Feng hissed, and his voice cracked with rage.

  He knew all about lying to conceal his items, using the excuse of finding things in an inheritance site. Did Jun De think he could use the same trick on him!?

  Jun De didn’t reply; he simply sighed and held his hand outward. With a flip of his hand, a small jade box appeared on his palm from the storage ring on his finger. He popped the lid open with his thumb and tilted it slightly so that Luo Feng could see its contents.

  There, unmistakably, was a single pill with a rainbow sheen that glowed with a stronger spiritual energy than the pill Luo Feng held.

  “Vice Sect Master Mu Yanyu gave this one back to me before I came here.” Jun De said casually. He adjusted the box slightly so that it caught the light better before returning it to his storage ring.

  “She had been holding onto it since I was only in the 3rd Level of Qi Condensation at the time. When she saw that I was now in the 9th Level, she insisted that I take it back. She didn’t want to delay me in case she entered secluded cultivation.”

  The words Jun De spoke were calm and factual, without the faintest hint of boasting, which somehow made it even worse for Luo Feng.

  Luo Feng’s composure was shattered.

  “Why!? Why do you have everything!?” Luo Feng shouted.

  “Looks, talent, and rich with pills! You have Bai Xuelian’s attention, and you are admired by everyone, even my Senior Sister! If it hadn’t been for my good fortune, I would still be stuck in the mines!” The bitterness in Luo Feng’s voice was clear.

  Jun De was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

  “You shouldn’t compare yourself to me.”

  Luo Feng’s eyes went wide.

  “What did you say?”

  “You clearly have your own strengths. You have already reached the 6th Level of Qi Condensation, which is no small feat for your age. And I doubt you reached that level alone, which means someone or something is supporting you, right? That’s your own kind of good fortune.”

  Luo Feng’s lips trembled; the accusation cut closer to the truth than he wanted to admit. Jun De didn’t know about the Onyx Exchange Slate, but it was clear that Luo Feng had access to resources that most people didn’t, even compared to a personal Disciple of the Sect Master.

  “As for Bai Xuelian, no matter what you or I do, she’s devoted to her cultivation. You can forget that nonsense about us being Dao Companions; she was just using me as a shield to keep you away from her.”

  Jun De let out another sigh and shook his head.

  “She told me that her heart belongs to the Dao, and she won’t let anything interfere with her progress. So it looks like we are both in the same boat, Luo Feng. She has no interest in either of us.”

  For a long moment, Luo Feng just stood there as his rage and humiliation warred inside him. Then, without another word, he turned and stormed out of Jun De’s residence.

  Jun De watched him go before leaning back in his chair and replacing his feet on the table.