Green Hibiscus was in high spirits.
"White Owl, killing that guy was actually a good deed."
"That fellow, showing up in a Cloud Knight uniform claiming he wanted to join our sect, talking all nonsensical."
"If he had won the duel, I really wouldn't have dared to immediately trust him."
Glancing at the headless corpse on the ground, Green Hibiscus waved a hand.
"Purple Chrysanthemum, Blue Peach, find a place to dispose of this Cloud Knight."
Leon raised a hand to stop them.
"I'm good at this. Let me handle it."
"Oh? You're good at it? How so?"
Leon took out a bottle of pitch-black liquid, opened the cap, and dripped it onto the corpse's surface.
A bizarre scene unfolded: the corpse, upon contact with the black liquid, melted like ice plunged into magma, quickly dissolving.
In mere seconds, it was reduced to a puddle of water.
Green Hibiscus gasped.
A liquid that could dissolve even the body of a long-lived species?
Impressive, brother!
The more they looked at Leon, the more pleased they became.
"Good, good, good, good! You're truly a rare talent!"
"We were worried that our preaching in Exalting Sanctum for days might have already caught the attention of the hounds…"
"Now, with your corpse-disposal trick, killing someone leaves no loose ends."
"So, consider this your first task for the organization. You're proactive, and I'll report this to the higher-ups as is."
Leon: "Does this mean I'll get the method of immortality?"
Green Hibiscus flashed a smile.
"Don't rush. What you want will be given to you soon…"
"To avoid prying eyes, we'll split up for now. Take this jade token and wait for news. We'll meet up elsewhere later."
Green Hibiscus quickly left with their group.
They weren't blind to the impatience on Leon's face.
But that was fine—the more impatient, the more genuine it seemed.
No one could easily resist a fatal temptation; that kind of expression couldn't be faked.
For immortality, for the pursuit of power, a guy who'd kill without a second thought showed immense desire.
The greater the desire, the easier to control.
Leon saw through what Green Hibiscus was thinking as clearly as a mirror.
I'm just acting for you, silly child.
Guess why even the Masked Fools don't dare to show off their acting skills in front of me?
Leon curled his lips, accurately tossing the large blade back into Da Chun's scabbard at his waist.
Then, with a gust of wind, he manipulated Da Chun's limbs to leave the area.
The whole "slashing off Da Chun's head" was just an illusion Green Hibiscus and the others saw.
When it came to poisoning these people, Leon had countless methods.
In reality, Da Chun had only been knocked out with an elbow to prevent him from making unwanted noise.
Taking Da Chun to another secluded spot far from the crime scene courtyard, Leon finally woke him up.
"Slept well, Big Dumb… Da Chun?"
Da Chun, seeing the face in his line of sight, blinked in confusion a few times before coming to his senses.
He nearly jumped up.
"I fell asleep?!"
"Yup."
"How did I fall asleep?" Da Chun looked around, even more confused to find they weren't in the courtyard.
Leon: "Because I wanted you to fall asleep."
Da Chun: "…"
As his consciousness cleared, he formed a guess.
Leon assumed he'd figured out the reason for what just happened, feeling a slight pang of guilt.
So you're not dumb after all. Sorry, Big Dumb… ahem, Da Chun.
"Brother, did you kill them all?"
"???"
Leon's eye twitched.
My bad. I shouldn't have had any expectations.
Forget it. You're still Big Dumb Spring.
"Don't ask. Just go back to the Seat of Divine Foresight and report to General Jing Yuan that I've successfully infiltrated the Medicine King's Secret Transmission."
"Curiosity kills the cat, brother. Just tell me…"
"They thought I attacked and killed you, then I said I could handle your body. That's it."
"That simple?"
"Kidding. Actually, you're poisoned with my secret toxin. In ten breaths, you'll see your great-grandma."
Leon grinned, eyes squinting.
"For real, brother? I never got to see my great-grandma one last time before she passed. It's always been a regret!"
Da Chun's face lit up with excitement.
Leon's smile froze.
How did this oddball become a Cloud Knight?
If he'd met a truly ruthless guy, the illusion Green Hibiscus and the others saw wouldn't have been an illusion.
"After seeing your great-grandma, hurry up and do your job. Farewell."
Leon flicked his sleeve, sending a whiff of hallucinogenic fragrance into the guy's face, then walked off.
Da Chun hugged a tree trunk, collapsing in tears.
"Wuwuwuwu… Great-Grandma, Great-Grandma!"
"I've failed you!"
"I shouldn't have told Great-Grandpa about you and Uncle doing fitness exercises! Then Great-Grandpa wouldn't have fallen to Mara, nor would he have accidentally…"
Leon: "…"
See?
This is a long-lived species.
Living too long makes it easy to lose self-control and emotional regulation.
They gradually forget what joy is, their threshold for it growing higher and higher, craving more extreme stimuli.
To put it bluntly, taboo nonsense is child's play by comparison.
Don't believe it?
This matter is even recorded among the short-lived species' Third Brother.
That day, the giant lizard finally recalled the fear of being dominated…
This is part of why most Sky Haven Clan members don't wish to live past five hundred years.
Life loses its spark, so why cling to it?
Better to depart gracefully, surrounded by others, without regrets.
His thoughts wandered far.
Next, Leon quietly waited for contact from the Medicine King's Secret Transmission.
It didn't take long.
Less than half a system hour.
Leon headed to the rendezvous point specified by Green Hibiscus.
"You're here, White Owl. The higher-ups heard about you and are very impressed. There's an important task next, so you'd better perform well."
Green Hibiscus handed over a letter, not forgetting to dangle a carrot.
"If you pull it off, you'll immediately get what you desire—the divine medicine to step onto the path of immortality!"
Greed flashed across Leon's face as he licked his lips.
"Good. Whatever the task, I'll complete it."
Green Hibiscus nodded, satisfied.
"With that attitude, you're set. The higher-ups, considering you're new, won't put too much pressure on you."
"Even if you don't succeed, we're confident in cleaning up any mess. Go all out."
"Just don't leave traces, got it?"
Leon grinned, a hint of bloodlust and eeriness in his smile.
"Of course… I've got plenty more of that liquid…"
"Hahaha, I knew I didn't misjudge you!"
Green Hibiscus patted Leon's shoulder, then handed over a short dagger glinting with cold light.
"You're new to the sect and haven't yet shown the Medicine King's visage. A handy, concealable weapon is crucial."
Leon casually took it, read the instructions and coordinates in the letter, and turned to leave.
"Wait—" Green Hibiscus called out.
"What?"
"Aren't you curious why we'd pick a newbie like you for this?"
"Isn't it because I'm strong and skilled?" Leon smirked.
"You're an interesting one… Go on, we're waiting for your good news."
…
While Leon took action, Stelle and the others weren't idle for long either.
After a brief rest, they set off to find Tingyun.