GU HE

Xie Tianxiao no longer exerting pressure, Lie Xiong wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked nervously.

 "It's not that I know him; I'm just curious. Who ordered you to bring him back, and how did Gu He end up like this?" 

 Xie Tianxiao waved his hand dismissively, eyeing the unconscious middle-aged man Lie Xiong was holding with interest.

 "I'm not entirely sure myself. A man in a black robe suddenly appeared in our Mulan Valley. He was incredibly strong—a Dou Ancestor. He ordered my brothers and me to find a strange ancient jade and capture some powerful alchemists to bring back. In exchange, he helped us master a technique that can rival a Dou Ancestor, and he promised to help us all break through to the Dou Ancestor level after the task was completed. As for Gu He, I initially wanted to bring him back to the Mulan Valley safely, but he was uncooperative, so... I had to make him more compliant." 

Lie Xiong explained hurriedly, relieved that Xie Tianxiao wasn't immediately hostile. He feared that if Xie Tianxiao had some prior relationship with Gu He, he'd be in serious trouble.

 "I see. You can go, but leave Gu He and your storage ring behind. You don't mind, do you?" 

Xie Tianxiao's gaze shifted from Gu He to Lie Xiong.

 "Uh, no, no objections." 

Lie Xiong hurriedly shook his head. He thought to himself that opposing such a powerful person would be suicidal. He couldn't understand why a Dou Ancestor-level figure would be interested in his storage ring, but he didn't dare question it. Without hesitation, he removed the ring from his finger and handed it over.

 The ring contained all of Lie Xiong's wealth, but his life was far more important than any amount of money.

"Then, I'll take my leave." 

Lie Xiong said respectfully after handing over the ring, quickly flying off in the direction of the Mulan Empire, his speed even greater than before.

 "This guy knows his place." 

Xie Tianxiao glanced at the departing Lie Xiong, murmuring softly.

 After storing Lie Xiong's ring, Xie Tianxiao turned his attention to the floating Gu He, a mocking smile on his face. 

"So, this is the so-called pill King of the Jia Ma Empire? Almost got whisked away without anyone knowing and handed over to the Soul Hall. What a joke."

 Xie Tianxiao didn't originally intend to interfere with Gu He. Back when he was just a reader on Earth, he had always preferred characters like Little Fairy Doctor, Yun Yun, and Ya Fei over Gu He. Now that he was in this world, his disdain for Gu He, who harbored feelings for Yun Yun, only deepened.

 But when Lie Xiong mentioned looking for some ancient jade, Xie Tianxiao suspected the involvement of the Eight Great Clans. And when he heard about the black robe and the need for alchemists, he was certain it was the Soul Hall. Since the Soul Hall was destined to be his enemy, he couldn't let them have their way.

 Most importantly, Gu He was just a mere Dou king. Saving him was no big deal; Xie Tianxiao could crush him with a single finger, so he didn't even consider him a threat.

 However, while he did save Gu He, Xie Tianxiao had no intention of letting him off easily. With a flash Xie Tianxiao appeared on the ground, and with a wave of his hand, he sent the floating Gu He crashing to the ground.

 "Ah!" 

Gu He jolted awake, but after seeing Xie Tianxiao's cold expression above him. His face paled as he scrambled to his feet, panicking, 

"Who... Who are you? Why did you capture me?"

Seeing Gu He's bewildered and panicked state, Xie Tianxiao chuckled softly. With a flick of his sleeve, he said disdainfully, 

"Is that how you treat your saviour? Look around and see where you are."

 "And about Capturing you? What use do you have for me to capture someone like you?"

 Gu He was only a sixth-tier alchemist, and just barely at that. Xie Tianxiao wasn't interested in him at all.

 "What!" 

Gu He was stunned and took a moment to observe his surroundings. He realized he was standing in a deserted area on the border of the Jia Ma Empire, nowhere near the Mulan Empire or Mulan Valley as he had been told.

 "Thank you, sir for saving my life. I, Gu He, will remember this favour and do everything I can to repay you in the future." 

 Gu He, realizing what had happened, took a deep breath and bowed respectfully to Xie Tianxiao, expressing his gratitude.

 He hadn't expected to be so unlucky. After obtaining a fifth-tier alchemical formula, he realized it was missing a key ingredient, so he ventured to the desert on the border of the Jia Ma Empire to find it. Instead, he was intercepted by a Dou emperor from the Mulan Empire who insisted he accompany him to Mulan Valley.

 When his offers of sixth-tier pills and future favours were refused, he was knocked unconscious and captured. He had thought he was doomed, only to be saved by the mysterious figure before him.

 "Sir? Who said you could call me that?" 

Xie Tianxiao sneered.

 He stepped into the air, looking down at Gu He coldly, 

"You should address me as 'lord.' Understood?"

 Gu He was momentarily stunned, not understanding why Xie Tianxiao suddenly turned hostile and demanded to be addressed as "Master." A spark of anger began to rise within him, but when he saw Xie Tianxiao standing on air, he quickly swallowed it down, gritting his teeth, 

"Yes, lord."

"Hmm." 

Satisfied with the respectful tone, Xie Tianxiao nodded approvingly. The feeling of putting someone in their place was truly gratifying.

"So, he's a Dou Ancestor!" Gu He thought, cursing internally. 

"Damn it, where did this Dou Ancestor come from? I didn't even offend him, but he's treating me like this!"

 He had initially thought Xie Tianxiao was a Dou emperor who saved him because of his reputation as a sixth-tier alchemist, hoping to gain his favor. But it turned out he was wrong—the person in front of him was a Dou Ancestor who didn't care about him at all!

"Enough. I don't want to hear about how you were captured by that Mulan Valley elder."

"Leave your storage ring, and you can go." 

 Xie Tianxiao waved his hand dismissively, his voice cold.

 After saving Gu He's life and seeing how ungrateful he was, Xie Tianxiao had no intention of letting him off easily. Demanding his ring was the least he could do.

 As for why he wanted a sixth-tier alchemist's storage ring, well, it was simple: free stuff is still worth taking. Even if he didn't need the resources now, he could always give them to someone else or use them if he ever decided to build his own faction. After all, no one ever complained about having too many cultivation resources.

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END