Chapter 17: Qi-less and Questionable Choices

The sun hung high in the sky, partially obscured by drifting clouds, casting intermittent shadows over the Hidden Dragon Sect. The world had already stirred to life, bustling with activity.

"Agh—"

Xu Mo groaned as he attempted to move his stiff shoulders and neck. The worst, however, was his folded leg, which had gone completely numb. It felt like a dead weight, unresponsive and tingling as if thousands of ants were crawling all over it. Slowly, he straightened his leg, wincing as the sensation began to subside. He collapsed back onto the bed, feeling utterly drained.

Just as he was rotating his stiff neck, the locket around his neck glowed, and a deep voice emanated from it.

[Sorry, the Sect Master told me to send these to you, but I forgot. Should I send them, or will you come here and take them yourself?]

Xu Mo hurriedly grabbed the locket, only for it to suck away the minuscule amount of Qi he had left. "Can you please come here and pick me up, Elder? I have something I need to tell the Sect Master... And please, come without alerting anyone," he said, all in one breath.

He fell back onto the bed, strength abandoning his body. Will this even work? he wondered. After all, he was just a newly elected true successor who had done nothing for the sect. His audacious demand—seven months of not cultivating but instead discarding Qi—was bound to raise eyebrows. Xu Mo massaged his temples, anxiety gnawing at him.

...

"What happened to you? Did someone hurt you?" Elder Long Bai appeared beside his bed, his composure slipping as he examined Xu Mo from head to toe.

"...Elder... you're... here. I wanted... to meet the... Sect Master," Xu Mo managed to say, gasping for air.

Long Bai hesitated for a moment before deciding to take Xu Mo to the Sect Master. As the head elder, he wasn’t just for show. Though he often acted easygoing, it was merely a facade to lull others into lowering their guard. With a swift motion, Elder Long scooped Xu Mo up in a princess carry and vanished from the room.

[Xu Mo's POV]

I found myself back in the grand hall, but this time, the Sect Master sat on his throne, looking down at me from several steps above.

"Long Bai said you have something to tell me," the Sect Master stated.

Before I could respond, I felt a surge of Qi filling my body, strengthening me. I glanced at the Sect Master, who nodded. It was clear he was the source.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Sect Master, there’s no one else here except us, right?" I asked, feeling a lump in my throat. After all my efforts to waste his Qi, I was back to square one. But I shook my head and focused on the task at hand.

The Sect Master raised an eyebrow but soon relaxed. "Yes."

I looked around cautiously. The Qi here was denser and purer than in the outer sect.

"I had a dream," I began, pausing to gauge the Sect Master’s reaction. His lazy, uninterested posture shifted as he sat up straight, leaning slightly forward—a clear sign of curiosity.

"There was an entity in the dream who spoke to me, but I couldn’t understand the language. When I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, a set of strange instructions appeared in my mind."

I decided to mix truth with lies. Given my past experiences with betrayal, I never let my guard down, not even around my Master.

"And?" the Sect Master’s voice echoed through the empty hall.

"According to the instructions, I need to empty all the Qi from my body and bring myself close to death."

"What?!" The Sect Master’s eyes bulged as if they might pop out of their sockets. But he quickly regained his composure, not wanting to appear flustered in front of a junior. He looked at me with those innocent eyes of mine, which seemed to believe he was omniscient and should know what the dream symbolized.

"What does your heart tell you?" the Sect Master asked, throwing the question back at me. I had expected this, but a small part of me still hoped for guidance.

"My heart... tells me to believe the instructions, while my brain tells me to cultivate normally."

"Do you wish to hear my thoughts?"

"Uh... that’s why I wanted to meet you, Sect Master."

The Sect Master was momentarily taken aback, his posture faltering. He had assumed I, like everyone else, would flatter him and not point out his mistakes directly. It seemed he had grown accustomed to constant praise.

"Hmm... I have a suggestion, but it’s up to you to follow it or not. You can try the method from your dream. It’s just Qi. If Elder Long or I sense that you’re in danger, we’ll intervene. Your talent is enough to make up for the lost time during this Qi disposal training. However, you can no longer stay in the outer sect."

I contemplated his words. Now that I thought about it, I had been overthinking. My talent was sufficient to bridge the gap created by weakening myself instead of growing stronger.

But if a disciple suddenly disappeared from the male residence without explanation...

Although not many people knew me, there were still some neighbors who did.

"Sect Master," I began, but when I glanced at him, I shrank back.

"Are you going to go against my decision again?" The Sect Master smiled, but in the dim light of the hall, it looked eerily creepy.

"N-no, never... I just wanted to say that a new disciple disappearing without reason might raise concerns. So, I have a plan."

I spoke slowly, pausing occasionally to ensure the Sect Master followed along without confusion.

"It’s a good plan. But why go through all that trouble? I’m the Sect Master of the Hidden Dragon Sect. I can do whatever I want."

Cough—

The Sect Master’s imposing demeanor deflated like a balloon.

"Fine. I’ll inform the Disciplinary Hall."

"And... is there anything that can block Qi from entering or accumulating back in my body?" I asked hurriedly. This was crucial. After midnight, the Qi absorbed by the locket had replenished by morning. It seemed the body absorbed Qi automatically, even for mortals. That’s why many mortals fell ill when Qi left their bodies and recovered when it returned. But the absorption rate was slow and depended on one’s talent.

The Sect Master’s creepy smile returned. "Leave that to me."