[Rewrite] A Sect Elder's Journey - Chapter 1

Author's Note: I've made a few changes to the plot from the original. I'll explain my reasoning at the end in an author's note. So lemme know what you think.

Also, I'm taking suggestions for a new title since I'd rather the story not have the same name.


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Mo Duan hummed contentedly, savoring the calming aroma of his Sagebrush Tea while enjoying the view of Verdant Gate City from a pavilion reserved at his favorite teahouse.

As a city built on the doorstep of the dominant cultivation sect in the region, it was quite an impressive sight and made for a good backdrop for a relaxing afternoon.

The air buzzed with activity as mortal craftsmen, wealthy nobles, and even wandering cultivators—who were cultivators unaffiliated with any sects—mingled in the bustling streets below. Long streets of stone wove through the heart of Verdant Gate City, with glowing paper talismans hanging from the eaves of shops and lanterns illuminating the path as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon.

Given its name and the lush area in which it resided, it was unsurprising that the Verdant Valley Sect tended to produce cultivators who favored Wood-based techniques, and this was reflected in the buildings that made up the city. Wooden structures far larger and more elaborate than could be made without the aid of the magical abilities provided by cultivation towered over the streets, their sides covered in flowering vines and beautiful foliage.

While this flora did serve as an appealing decoration, Mo Duan recognized several deadly Spirit Plants that could easily be used to deter any individuals… unwise enough to cause problems within the domain of such a powerful sect. Verdant Gate City was a place that took its security very seriously, providing a safe and harmonious environment where even the weakest of people could conduct business without fear of danger.

The Spirit Plants throughout the city were simply one of the more subtle security measures, while the several cultivators flying through the air above the city atop a variety of Spirit Tools acted as a more visible deterrent. Anyone strong enough to use such artifacts was not someone to be trifled with and helped bolster the power and prestige of the Verdant Valley Sect.

Not to mention the risk that someone may inadvertently offend some powerful individual going about their business, given how many cultivators passed through the area for one reason or another.

Overall, Mo Duan found Verdant Gate City to be a pleasant oasis of calm amidst the turbulent and violent world that existed beyond its walls.

It was definitely a good place for Mo Duan to adjust to his… new circumstances.

“Sir, is there anything that I can help you with?”

Mo Duan was brought out of his musing by the gentle voice of the teahouse attendant, an attractive young woman dressed in a set of elegant robes. She offered him a warm smile as she politely entered his private pavilion, though he could see a glimmer of caution in the young woman’s eyes that Mo Duan couldn’t help but feel exasperated by.

The attendant had introduced herself as Lian Hua several days ago when he first visited the teahouse, and she had been watching him closely ever since for some unknown reason. He’d been worried at first that she might have malicious intentions, but her stares were far too obvious for that to truly be the case.

“I’m quite alright, thank you,” Mo Duan said as he offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Your Sagebrush Tea has a wonderful earthy flavor to it that I haven’t been able to find elsewhere. I’m very glad that I stumbled upon this teahouse.”

Lian Hua’s smile brightened and she bowed slightly before responding. “I’m pleased to hear that, sir. That blend is one of our specialties, crafted from Moonlight Mist Blossoms that we purchase from the Verdant Valleys Sect’s Spirit Gardeners. It’s a fairly low-grade Spirit Plant, but one that has a unique flavor and is popular in the region.”

Mo Duan hummed in appreciation as he took another sip of his tea and studied the young woman in front of him. Her subtle wariness had yet to subside despite him not doing anything threatening, so he decided to simply address the matter head-on.

“What was it that gave me away?” Mo Duan asked curiously as he carefully placed down his tea cup. “I thought that I was doing a good job of acting like a wealthy young noble. Unless you’re secretly a cultivator powerful enough to see through my concealment techniques and sense my true nature, you shouldn’t have been able to notice that I was anything but a mortal.”

His appearance was even altered by a minor illusion that hid the unnaturally perfect skin that came with being a powerful cultivator.

Mo Duan wondered if he would ever get used to being the source of the sharp flash of fear that crossed Lian Hua's face before she masked it with practiced ease.

“Please forgive me, Honored Immortal. I did not intend to cause any insult,” said the young woman as she bowed deeply toward him. “To answer your question… my younger sister is a disciple of the Verdant Valleys Sect and has told me about the cultivator who was recently accepted into the sect as a Guest-Elder a few weeks ago. You began visiting this teahouse around that time, so I couldn’t help but pay closer attention to you…”

Mo Duan nodded in understanding at the explanation. A mysterious and clearly wealthy man who wasn’t wearing the symbols of any notable Clan would naturally draw attention. Such sparse information wouldn’t normally be enough to identify him as a cultivator, but the rumors that she had mentioned were enough to make that connection.

Although the young woman must be fairly perceptive to have connected those dots.

Too perceptive. She is a threat.

Mo Duan grit his teeth as a surge of unnatural paranoia and bloodlust washed over him, threatening to overwhelm his sense of reason. The foreign sensation akin to barbed tendrils writhing beneath his flesh and the barrage of malicious thoughts invading his mind were both becoming distressingly familiar since his arrival in this world.

Something must have shown in his expression, because Lian Hua’s face suddenly drained of blood when she had seemed to have been calming down just a few moments ago.

Or perhaps it was the thick gouges in the wooden tea table that Mo Duan had unknowingly etched with his bare fingers which had alarmed her.

Regardless, he was glad for her silence as he fought away the alien temptation to employ any of the half-dozen methods he could think of to silence her without drawing attention.

After taking several deep breaths, Mo Duan was eventually able to regain control over himself and his mouth twisted into a self-deprecating smile. He had felt guilty at first when he had woken up in another world and seemingly stolen another person’s body and identity, but that guilt had completely disappeared after he finished assimilating their memories.

Not only because the previous owner of this body was a horrible person, but also because they’d left him with a giant sack of shit to deal with.

The least that they could have done was allow him to smoothly inherit all his skills as well, but the fact that some random mortal girl was able to see through his disguise showed that some things were lost in translation.

Damn you, Ruo Xingchen. I never used to believe in an afterlife, but I hope yours is particularly miserable, Mo Duan thought bitterly as he silently cursed his body’s previous owner using their original name.

Turning his attention back to the attendant, Mo Duan saw that she was still frozen in fear like an animal hoping to escape the notice of a terrifying predator. The sight filled him with a mixture of frustration and regret. He hadn’t meant to frighten her, but he could tell that there was little he could do to reassure her. So, it was best that he ended his attempt at relaxing and took his leave.

He could always find a new teahouse to frequent… and there were more important things that required his attention anyway.

“Well, thank you for your discretion and the excellent service," Mo Duan said, standing up and offering a polite nod of his head as he hid his frustration behind the serene mask that cultivators typically seemed to favor. "Please, do not worry about the earlier misunderstanding. In fact, let it be our little secret.”

Before she responded, Mo Duan held out his hand and channeled some Qi into his palm just as his memories instructed. A moment later, a small branch of wood emerged from his hand and rapidly blossomed until a strange fruit formed at its tip. The skin of the fruit was a deep purple shade, and it emitted a soft ethereal glow common to many Spirit Plants.

Mo Duan plucked it from the branch with a deft movement, the branch itself withering away into nothingness immediately after. He then caused the wooden table that he had ruined to regrow over the gouges with a casual wave of his hand before offering the fruit to the young woman.

“This is a Nightshade Plum,” Mo Duan explained, his tone gentle as he attempted to reassure Lian Hua. “Despite its ominous name, it is considered a rare delicacy in the Southern Plains and is well-known for nourishing the meridians of those with weaker cultivations. I imagine that your sister can tell you more about it if you’re interested. Consider it a token of apology for any discomfort that I’ve caused.”

The young woman seemed slightly suspicious at the offer, which was to be expected given that powerful cultivators were not typically known for their generosity. Still, the Nightshade Plum was utterly insignificant to him in value while being something that could change this girl’s life for the better.

While they were typically referred to as mortals, there were very few people in the world who didn’t have at least a trace of spiritual potential within them. Even taking a few steps into the Qi Condensation stage would allow a person to have supernatural stamina and enhanced resilience. Most didn’t have the talent to go much farther than that, but it was still better than nothing.

It was only when a person reached the Foundation Establishment stage that they were no longer considered a mortal.

Mo Duan could sense that the young woman in front of him was at the second level of Qi Condensation and practiced the Jade Breath Cultivation Method, which the Celestial Jade Empire spread freely among its populace. It was unlikely that she would advance much further on her own, but the Nightshade Plum would probably allow her to reach the fourth or even fifth level of Qi Condensation.

An invaluable treasure to her, but a nearly worthless trinket to him that he wouldn’t even spare a glance at if encountered in the wild. Such was the vast disparity between powerful cultivators and a typical mortal in this world.

Mo Duan watched as Lian Hua’s expression shifted from fear to suspicion to sheer gratitude as she accepted the Nightshade Plum with shaking hands and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Honored Immortal. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and look forward to your next visit.”

Mo Duan’s mood brightened at the indication that he may not need to find a new teahouse after all. If there was one good thing about suddenly becoming an exceedingly individual in a world that he didn’t belong to, it was having the means to freely help those around him whenever he pleased.

He very deliberately didn’t think about how this girl reminded him of the daughter he’d left behind in his old world, and how that may have affected his willingness to help her.

“You’re very welcome,” said Mo Duan, his voice carrying a warmth that he rarely felt over this past month. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”

“Of course, Honored Immortal! Have a good day!”

With that last parting exchange, Mo Duan nodded and made his way out of the pavilion and down the winding stone paths that led away from the teahouse. He allowed the illusion concealing him to dissipate as he no longer saw a need to avoid attention to relax in peace, though he did keep the majority of his aura as a cultivator restrained.

Anyone who saw him would now see a handsome man with sharp, yet slightly gaunt features, wild shoulder length hair, and unnaturally green eyes. His robes were of a dark hue and plain enough that they wouldn’t attract much attention, with the only signs of wealth on his body being several pieces of ornate wooden jewelry that subtly radiated Qi.

Mo Duan knew that his expression somewhat displayed his anti-social weariness and he gave off a slight aura of danger to those around him, but he saw no reason to hide this.

Cultivators were expected to be dangerous and he truly wasn’t in the mood to be approached by someone who might inadvertently set him off again. Besides, his position as a Guest-Elder of the strongest sect in the region and his status as a powerful cultivator meant that he could afford to be a bit unfriendly.

Mo Duan wove his way through the crowd and began walking to the eastern portion of the city at an even pace. As he did, Mo Duan couldn’t help but admire some of the more fantastical scenes that he passed along his way.

While he’d still much rather be back home in his familiar penthouse, the magical nature of this world often filled him with wonder.

He trailed behind a luxurious carriage being pulled by several Jade-Furred Stags, their long, twisting antlers and viridescent mane glimmering under the setting sun. Walking to the side of the Spirit Beasts was an armed female cultivator with long, flowing hair of a similar green hue and tiny stubs growing from her forehead.

The carriage and the cultivator likely belonged to a minor Clan who focused on harnessing the essence of the Jade-Furred Stag. There were many Clans from all across the surrounding province sending their youngest members to participate in the upcoming Disciple Selection Ceremony, so it wasn’t surprising to see a Clan who he didn’t recognize.

Farther in the distance, Mo Duan could see several uniformed couriers leaping across a pathway of strategically placed wood platforms constructed on the rooftops. Most of these couriers were mortals who managed to advance further in the Qi Condensation realm than most. They performed supernatural feats of acrobatics to deliver goods across Verdant Gate city at a speed that wouldn’t be possible for a normal person.

As he passed through the market district, he saw everything from a wandering cultivator attempting to sell a strange looking ginseng shaped like a baby to children playing an animated wooden dragon that flew circles around them. An old woman controlled the Spirit Tool from a few feet away with a few lazy waves of her hand while a small fissure opened beneath an overconfident pickpocket and entrapped them, a pair of guards appearing at the thief’s side shortly after.

Mo Duan briefly admired the Qi Technique—which were basically this world’s version of magic spells—for its effectiveness at capturing the thief without injury before turning his attention back to the path ahead as he neared his destination.

Mo Duan’s recently acquired memories made it clear that these kinds of miraculous sights weren’t actually as common as Verdant Gate City made them seem. Many mortals would die before they ever meet someone even capable of using a Qi Technique, while others would live their lives surrounded by scenes like the one Mo Duan was looking at now.

The transition from Verdant Gate City to the Verdant Valleys Sect was a stark one.

The eastern ‘gate’ which led down into the lush valleys that housed the local sect was much different than what one might expect from a typical medieval gate. There were no large metal doors or stone walls that marked the boundary or soldiers standing guard atop long ramparts. Instead, two massive serpentine figures stretched far into the air and intertwined in such a way that the gap between them formed an archway large enough that dozens of caravans would be able to pass through with ease.

Both of these figures were carved entirely from wood, culminating in heads that resembled oriental dragons. These dragons appeared to gaze down upon anyone approaching, their eyes glowing with an eerie azure light that seemed to judge the worth of anyone seeking to enter the Verdant Valley Sect.

Mo Duan knew that this wasn’t far from the truth as he could immediately feel the alien sensation of several dozen Array Formations washing over him the moment he stepped through the archway. Each of these Array Formations were basically intricate patterns of Qi, etched into or constructed from the natural environment, which could perform a variety of different functions from inspecting anything that passed through them to hiding the guards he wasn’t supposed to know about.

Mo Duan’s heart skipped a beat when he sensed the Array Formation responsible for detecting demonic cultivators began to analyze him, but he quickly calmed down once it failed to find anything amiss.

He was glad. He didn’t really want the two wooden dragons to suddenly come to life and rip him to pieces, or for Elder Wu Zhen to come charging in like a bull and punch him to paste.

Once he safely passed through all of the Array Formations, the air shimmered slightly around him and Mo Duan found himself standing atop a long path and looking down upon the Verdant Valleys Sect.

Its name was exceedingly appropriate, as the sect consisted of several interconnected valleys teeming with vibrant greenery and dotted with waterfalls, lakes, and rivers. The valleys stretched farther than even his cultivation-enhanced vision could see, disappearing into mist-shrouded mountains at the far edges.

The density of Qi in the atmosphere was palpable, far richer than the city he had just left behind.

However, the vast majority of these valleys were completely barren of any man-made structures. This wasn’t all that surprising given how few people were talented enough to actually be allowed to join the Verdant Valleys Sect. The city that Mo Duan had just left behind had a population somewhere in the hundreds of thousands, while the sect it supported only had a small fraction of that number in actual members.

They did have many mortals serving it in a variety of capacities so that their cultivators could focus on more important matters, but even then, the sect looked more like a serene, untouched wilderness than the epicenter of societal power for thousands of miles around.

The central valley from which all the others branched like veins from an artery was the most densely populated area of the sect. Mo Duan could see people moving in and out of the massive pagoda that housed Patriarch Songyu and served as the administrative heart, while others moved between the numerous smaller buildings that surrounded it.

A few of the other connected valleys also housed structures of note, each of them belonging to the four most powerful cultivators in the Verdant Valleys Sect and the disciples assigned to learn under them. These Elders each had their own specialities and roles within the sect, and were exalted for the security their presence provided and the knowledge that they so graciously shared with the next generation.

I bet it doesn’t hurt that they probably earn a hundred times more resources doing this than if they were out wandering the world as rogue cultivators, Mo Duan thought with a wry smile. Even if he hadn’t experienced it himself, Ruo Xingchen’s memories were vivid enough that he couldn’t help but feel a hint of bitterness as he looked down upon the sect. Although, managing a bunch of super powered children and overly ambitious kung-fu wizards probably carries its own challenges…

Mo Duan glanced tiredly toward the valley that had been assigned to him as part of his agreement to become a Guest-Elder of the sect and decided he’d spent enough time admiring the scenery.

While he possessed a Spirit Tool that he could use to fly down to his destination, what was the point of having your entire life abruptly uprooted and being saddled with a whole host of problems if you didn’t enjoy the superpowers you got as a consolation prize?

Ignoring the curious glances of the few individuals exiting and entering the Verdant Valleys Sect, Mo Duan stopped hiding his aura and gradually channeled Qi directly from his Golden Core into the rest of his body. He then disappeared from where was standing in a burst of speed that no mortal could hope to see with the naked eye, the crack of him breaking the sound barrier the only evidence he had been there at all.

Mo Duan’s surroundings passed in a blur of green as he raced down the path toward Swift Edge Valley, which was the central administrative area belonging to Patriarch Songyu. He passed by several disciples as he moved, but only those at the Foundation Establishment stage were able to barely perceive his movements.

None of them, including the disciples assigned to guard the valley's entrance, made a single attempt to stop him. Not only because they could sense his aura and knew that doing so would be suicide if he was hostile, but also because a special type of talisman had been sewn into his robes. This talisman emanated a particular type of Qi that verified his identity and had been made using a technique known only to Elder Feng Ke, making it very difficult to counterfeit.

Mo Duan sprinted through Swift Edge Valley without slowing down, his enhanced perception briefly scanning over a training yard where a Hallmaster was instructing a group of younger disciples in the sect’s basic martial arts style. However, he didn’t stop to observe and quickly turned down a path that led toward the valley that he’d been designated after joining the sect.

There was a lone disciple standing guard at the gate marking the entrance to his valley, a young girl in her late teens who was still stuck in the early stages of Qi Condensation. Her eyes widened in shock as Mo Duan slowed down his approach, likely seeming from her perspective as if he suddenly appeared from thin air only a few feet in front of her.

Her initial shock quickly turned into a respectful bow as she recognized him before speaking in a voice tinged with both awe and fear. “Guest-Elder Mo! Welcome back.”

Ruo Xingchen had cared very little about the valley he had been assigned or the disciples within it, but Mo Duan had taken the time to memorize the names of everyone under his charge using his cultivation-enhanced memory.

“Disciple Si Yue, correct?” Mo Duan asked calmly as he approached. He felt a tinge of guilt as the girl tensed even further, likely afraid since he didn’t simply pass her without a word as most cultivators of his rank would have done.

“Y-Yes, Guest-Elder Mo. My name is Si Yue,” she managed to reply, maintaining her bowed posture as if afraid to meet his eyes. “How may I be of service?”

“You may raise your head. Where can I find Disciple Xiao Li?” Mo Duan asked directly, wanting to end the conversation as quickly as possible and allow the poor girl to relax. It made him more than a little uncomfortable just how deeply ingrained the fear of powerful cultivators was in this world, but it existed for good reason given that he could slap her head off with barely any effort.

Justify her fear. Devour her. Feed us.

Mo Duan grit his teeth and decisively pushed away the vile thoughts assaulting his mind, forcing himself not to make a scene like he did in the teahouse.

“Disciple Xiao Li is helping his friends in the Hearthward Valley organize preparations for the Disciple Selection Ceremony, Guest-Elder Mo.”

Mo Duan had assumed as such, but wanted to verify before he wasted any time searching the valley aimlessly for its nominal head disciple. A cultivator of his level should have been able to expand their senses for miles around and find him within moments, but he didn’t trust his control enough to not simultaneously suffocate his disciples under his aura.

He hadn’t been just sulking around and feeling sorry for himself ever since his life was completely turned upside down, or at least, that wasn’t all that he’d done. Once he finally pulled himself together, Mo Duan started thinking about his immediate future and making plans for how he was going to survive in this absurdly dangerous world.

Many of those plans involved managing Tranquil Garden Valley in a way much different from how Ruo Xingchen had been handling things, which was why he needed to speak with Xiao Li.

Mo Duan was about to nod to the girl and walk passed when he noticed a hesitant look in her eyes, as if she wanted to say more but was unsure whether it was her place to do so

“Is there something else that you wish to say, Disciple Si Yue?” Mo Duan prompted, raising a single eyebrow at the girl.

Disciple Si Yue shifted nervously on her feet before responding. “Yes, Guest-Elder Mo. I feel like I should inform you that Elder Yuanlei entered the valley half an hour ago and was seen walking toward your residence.”

Mo Duan immediately froze as a complex mixture of emotions rose up within him.

A distinct trace of dread, because Elder Yuanlei was hands down one of the most intimidating people that he had met in either of his lives. She even made Ruo Xingchen uncomfortable.

A healthy dose of caution, because even if nobody in the Verdant Valleys Sect had known the previous owner of his body well enough to realistically discover that an entirely different soul had taken residence, Elder Yuanlei was as perceptive as she was intimidating.

But the most potent emotion was complete and utter relief, because Elder Yuanlei’s arrival meant that he could finally sate the increasingly demanding darkness threatening to overpower him.

“Thank you, Disciple Si Yue,” said Mo Duan as he reached into the spatial bag tucked into his robes. “Your warning is appreciated.”

After handing the disciple a low-grade Spirit Stone for her efforts and causing Si Yue’s eyes to widen in astonishment, Mo Duan began making his way through the valley in the direction of his residence.

At a sedate pace, of course, so that he could have some time to fully recover from his recent bout of bloodlust…

It was only a few months ago that Tranquil Garden Valley had been completely unoccupied, so it was naturally far less developed in terms of infrastructure and amenities than the rest of the sect. The only sign of human activity was a small village bisected by a long river that ran through the valley, composed of modest wooden structures and simple bridges that connected both halves.

A small training yard was currently under construction, being one of the few basic infrastructure projects that the Verdant Valleys Sect considered mandatory for each valley. Mortal workers were also constructing a larger structure to serve as an administrative hall and were expanding the number of living quarters available in preparation for future growth and the arrival of new disciples.

Mo Duan sincerely doubted that any of these efforts would have seen much use if Tranquil Garden Valley still had the same leader that it did two months ago.

This place had only been assigned to him because it would have been seen as an grave insult for a Guest-Elder to not have a domain within the sect, according to the local culture.

Consequently, the Verdant Valleys Sect chose to gather all of the least important disciples who had been delegated to work alongside the mortal workers after failing to show sufficient talent and dumped them on him. It was a blessing that a callous man with a less than virtuous past being foisted with a bunch of unwanted disciples who he had near complete control over only resulted in him essentially ignoring them.

Mo Duan had memories of Ruo Xingchen doing much worse…

As he moved through the small village on the path toward his residence deeper in the valley, Mo Duan was greeted to the sight of many wide-eyed disciples in plain robes and mortal workers who paused in their construction to watch him pass. He couldn’t help but feel struck by both how weak they all were, with not a single person above the Qi Condensation stage, and the thin thread of optimism that he could see within the fear and respect in their eyes.

Most of them were quite young, as older disciples who were deemed as talentless often left the sect to either start families or seek better opportunities elsewhere.

Those who stayed were the young ones who were either truly dedicated to the path of cultivation no matter how bleak it seemed, those who had yet to give up hope, or those who simply had nowhere to go. To ostensibly be granted a second chance to practice their cultivation without constant menial tasks in a valley thick with Qi and with the guidance of a powerful new Guest-Elder was a great opportunity.

Some had been beginning to wake up after Mo Duan’s predecessor failed to pay them any attention, but the rest were still unnervingly positive.

Mo Duan did his best to ignore the creeping sense of unease that settled in the back of his mind as he continued toward his destination. The expectations being placed on his shoulder by these disciples wasn’t something he needed when he was about to meet with Elder Yuanlei.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long before he’d left the boundaries of the village and spotted a large building with a sloped roof of glossy black tiles and walls made of carefully carved stone. A small garden filled with strange spirit plants surrounded the home, and a koi pond sat off to the side, teeming with brightly colored fish.

His lodgings were quite peaceful, but far more importantly, they were sufficiently far from any disciples and protected by enough Array Formations to effectively maintain his privacy.

A good quality for a person who risked flying into a murderous rage at any moment…

However, that solitude was marred by a suffocating Qi signature from within the structure that practically screamed both impatience and hostility.

Looks like Elder Yuanlei is in an even worse mood than usual, Mo Duan thought wryly to himself, knowing that the Elder could easily prevent those emotions from bleeding into her aura if she felt like it.

That was to be expected though, so Mo Duan didn’t hesitate to enter the building protected by an Array Formation keyed to only himself, Elder Yuanlei, and Patriarch Songyu. The moment he did, Mo Duan was immediately confronted by the sight of Elder Yuanlei’s scowling visage as she sat at the center of a luxuriously furnished living room.

A ceremonial tea set and an assortment of pastries kept fresh by a small formation lay on a table by her side for any guests, but none of them had been touched by Elder Yuanlei.

Knowing her, she likely suspected that he’d poisoned them.

A tense quiet lay between them as Mo Duan took a seat in a chair placed a respectful distance opposite Elder Yuanlei and met her gaze.

For most cultivators, visible aging was a sign that their cultivation had stalled and that they were approaching the ends of their long lifespans, but Mo Duan knew that Elder Yuanlei’s gray hair and wrinkled skin had a different source. According to his research, a demonic cultivator had captured her when she was a mere disciple and subjected her to vile experiments that permanently marred her once beautiful appearance.

Not only by causing her to visibly age to a considerable degree, but also by leaving a gruesome scar that covered the majority of the right side of her face and turning the eye that it surrounded a putrid pus-like yellow.

“How kind of you to finally grace me with your presence, Ruo Xingchen,” said Elder Yuanlei, finally breaking the silence with a tone filled with both loathing and disdain. “It’s unfortunate enough that I’m forced to spend a single moment in your depraved presence, but the least that you could do is be here when I decide to satisfy your nauseating cravings.”

That background was the exact reason why Elder Yuanlei had been chosen to act as his supervisor ever since he joined the Verdant Valleys Sect, and also why she utterly despised him.

“I’d really prefer if you call me Mo Duan. There’s a good reason why we decided that I should avoid using my previous identity when we negotiated our… arrangement,” said Mo Duan, forcing himself to remain calm in the face of Yuanlei’s hostility. “An arrangement which explicitly obligates this sect to satisfy my ‘nauseating cravings’ as you call them, so it’s not as if you are doing me any great favor. If you wish for a prompt meeting, then I suggest you actually notify me in advance instead of expecting me to be available at all times.”

While he didn’t take Yuanlei’s hatred to heart, as it was directed toward a man who no longer existed, he had no intention of sitting back and taking her harsh words like a whipped dog. However… he would need her cooperation for a great many of his plans and couldn’t afford to alienate her further than was already the case.

Despite her atrocious personality, everything that Mo Duan knew pointed to Elder Yuanlei being completely loyal to both Patriarch Songyu and her sect, which was the bedrock of her power. She wouldn’t act against his explicit orders and could make for a potentially useful ally.

Still, it was… a frustrating balance.

“If it were my decision alone, our association with you would only last long enough for us to deliver your soul to Naihe Bridge,” Elder Yuanlei said with a scoff, her pus-colored eye glaring at him with contempt. “And you’re the one who suddenly decided that he would spend his time drinking over-priced tea and gazing off into the distance, rather than obediently remaining isolated like the vermin you are.”

Disrespectful hag! She dares?!

This time, the compulsion to leap across the room and tear out Elder Yuanlei’s throat was almost too powerful to ignore. Especially given that Mo Duan had much less reason to fight against it…

Visions of the old crone dismembered, disemboweled, or otherwise mutilated flashed through Mo Duan’s mind. Moreover, he could feel the moment one of his predecessor’s favored Qi Techniques activated, causing his fingers to involuntarily morph into darkened wood and elongate until they looked like talons. An inhuman sound began to escape his throat, resembling a low, rumbling growl mixed with the creak of an old tree bending in the wind.

The only thing keeping Mo Duan from succumbing to his darker impulses was that he knew with absolute certainty that it would be the death of him if he did. Elder Yuanlei was strong enough to survive him long enough for the rest of the sect to arrive and put him down like an animal.

Elder Yuanlei must have understood this as well, because merely watched him calmly for several tense moments and glanced at his talons with palpable disinterest. Once it became clear that Mo Duan wouldn’t actually attack her, she finally decided to break the silence.

“I thought that you would actually attack me this time. What a shame,” Elder Yuanlei said, a trace of genuine disappointment flashing through the crazy old woman’s eyes before she swiftly masked it. “Since that is the case, I suppose I should feed you before we continue this conversation. You’ll be too irritable to discuss anything of importance otherwise.”

Once she was finished speaking, Elder Yuanlei’s shadow stretched unnaturally to her side and slowly began pushing out an indistinct shape from its depths. After several moments, the shape resolved into the corpse of a middle-aged man with pale, almost translucent skin and a face twisted into an expression of terror. All along his body were several basic preservation talismans, as well as a few more complex talismans preventing the body from losing its internal Qi.

Despite that, the talismans weren’t perfect and Mo Duan could sense the distinct flavor of demonic Qi wafting from the corpse, a clear indication of the man’s previous affiliations.

Something about this corpse’s demonic Qi felt particularly rotted and uncontrolled, which made Mo Duan confident that this man must have killed many innocents and delved deeply into practices that he should have avoided.

It was a… small comfort to know that the corpse was a uniquely bad person given the circumstances.

“Delivered as promised. We’ve even adhered to your recent nonsensical request for your meals to receive a merciful end before we present them to you,” said Elder Yuanlei, her tone one of derision. “His name was Jin Wei, a notorious criminal who my disciples discovered along the border betwe—”

After already holding back the ravenous creature within him so many times in a single day, it was no great surprise that Mo Duan was unable to restrain it any further.

Crimson vines covered in inch-long spines emerged from every part of his torso, flooding the room in demonic Qi so potent that even Elder Yuanlei stopped and tensed warily. These vines streaked across the room with a speed and intensity driven by their insatiable hunger, wrapping around the corpse of Jin Wei so completely that no hint of flesh was visible beneath their coiling grasp.

Mo Duan immediately felt a deep sense of utter satisfaction flow through his connection with the vines as they devoured Jin Wei’s blood and demonic Qi. It was as if a starving beast had finally found sustenance, the relief and euphoria so intense that it threatened to overwhelm his senses. Subsequently, the ever growing bloodlust and violent urges that the vines had been constantly pushing through their connection finally began to subside.

Mo Duan couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief as a lingering sense of tranquility washed over him.

He watched the Veinripper Vines enjoy its meal with a mixture of revulsion and curiosity, the grotesque scene carrying on until there wasn’t a single trace of Jin Wei left, not even a drop of blood or remnant of demonic Qi. The Veinripper Vines writhed through the air for several more moments as if searching for more prey before Mo Duan felt its alien intelligence decide there was none to be found and it slowly retracted back into his body.

The vines disappeared as quickly as they had emerged, leaving no trace of their presence save for the demonic Qi that dissipated only seconds later.

The room returned to its previous state of oppressive silence, the only sound being Mo Duan’s heavy breathing as he regained his composure and returned to his seat. Elder Yuanlei watched him throughout the entire process, her expression unreadable.

After a moment, she finally spoke.

“I’ve seen many strange Cultivation Methods techniques throughout the years, but your Demonic Sublimation Method is definitely one of the more absurd,” said Elder Yuanlei, her voice neutral as she studied him. “What could have ever possessed you to believe that hosting a Demonic Plant within your own body was a wise decision?”

That was a question that Mo Duan had spent much time digging through Ruo Xingchen’s memories trying to answer given that he was the one paying for the consequences of that decision.

Regretfully the man’s reasoning made an unfortunate amount of sense, and he couldn’t blame entirely for the choices he’d made under desperate circumstances.

“The Demonic Sublimation Method allowed me to avoid the consequences of cultivating demonic Qi far longer than most of my peers,” Mo Duan explained, smoothing his robes and pouring a cup of tea for himself as he tried to maintain a semblance of calm. “It’s only now that the Veinripper Vines are developing their own intelligence that it has become an issue. But you should be grateful. That Cultivation Method is the only reason your sect managed to find a demonic cultivator of my level desperate enough to cooperate with you.”

Ruo Xingchen had known from the moment that he chose to take in the Veinripper Vines that they would eventually become a difficult tribulation to overcome, but he simply hadn’t expected to live long enough for that to happen.

When he did start to face the prospect of man-eating Demonic Plant living inside of him gradually becoming more intelligent, he’d failed to find any reasonable way to deal with it other than a complete modification of the Demonic Sublimation Method. This wasn’t something that was easily done, and required both incredibly rare resources and the kind of vast knowledge of cultivation that only a powerful organization could monopolize.

Unfortunately for Ruo Xingchen, he’d made a good deal of enemies in the Scorched Hollow, which was the territory to the north that was controlled by demonic cultivators that bordered the land owned by the Verdant Valleys Sect.

Attempting to join a sect of demonic cultivators there or pledging himself to any other power capable of giving him what he needed was an even greater risk than the Veinripper Vines. Not to mention that recent events had made the Scorched Hollow even more of a chaotic deathtrap than it usually was.

That being the case, Ruo Xingchen had started to consider more creative options for his problem. It was only when those options ran out and he became more desperate than he had ever been that he had turned his attention to the Celestial Jade Empire and its righteous cultivators.

Most such cultivators wouldn’t hesitate to cut Ruo Xingchen down the moment they sensed his demonic Qi, for good reason. However, his research revealed signs that the Verdant Valleys Sect’s status as the main regional bulwark against the Scorched Hallow caused them to develop a more… nuanced perspective on demonic cultivation compared to other sects.

At least, nuanced enough that Ruo Xingchen was somehow able to arrange a clandestine meeting with Patriarch Songyu that didn’t result in him being immediately slaughtered.

The negotiations that followed were… not exactly easy. The risks that came with associating with a demonic cultivator were significant, especially if the Verdant Valleys Sect’s rivals within the empire managed to find out.

However, there were certain tasks that a demonic cultivator as powerful as Ruo Xingchen could do that couldn’t be done by anyone else within the Verdant Valleys Sect. Tasks that had become uniquely valuable in recent times…

If only that was an opinion shared by everyone.

“Hmph. I still think the benefits of your presence here is overstated, but I’ve never known the Patriarch to steer our sect wrong when making such important decisions,” Elder Yuanlei said as she let out a sigh and retrieved two jade slips from a spatial bag tucked into her robes and tossed them in his direction. “Maybe having one tamed rat to sniff out the rest of the infestation will prove to be useful after all.”

Mo Duan once again ignored Yuanlei’s insults and channeled a trace of Qi into the two jade slips after catching them out of the air. The information contained within them immediately flowed into his consciousness and the slips decayed into dust a moment later.

One of them contained reports about an abnormal variety of Jiangshi that were popping up in the eastern portion of the Verdant Valleys Sect’s territory. Jiangshi were essentially a type of undead creature that was a mixture between a zombie and a vampire, which could be created via demonic cultivation.

They were troublesome in great numbers, so it would be best to hunt down whoever was creating them before they could become an actual threat. This was well within the bounds of his agreement with the sect and shouldn’t be too difficult for Mo Duan to deal with.

However, the information within the other slip was far more interesting to his immediate goals.

“Patriarch Songyu has agreed to my proposal?” asked Mo Duan, unable to keep a trace of excitement from slipping into his voice as he studied the information embedded within the second slip.

“For reasons beyond my comprehension, he has,” Elder Yuanlei confirmed as she nodded grimly, as if the decision pained her. “You’ll be allowed to recruit disciples to your valley beyond what we initially agreed was necessary to avoid suspicion. You’ll also be allowed to choose one prospective disciple with a Pure Wood Spirit Root from that list of people registered for the Disciple Selection Ceremony.”

Mo Duan would have let out a cheer of victory if doing so wouldn’t clash with his stoic cultivator persona and result in Elder Yuanlei checking him for possession.

Although he and Ruo Xingchen both recognized that dealing with the evil man-eating plant growing within their body was their top priority, Mo Duan had a vastly different perspective on what the final outcome of that should look like. Consequently, he’d come up with plans that would necessitate a robust powerbase like what he could potentially build in Tranquil Garden Valley and the long term cooperation of someone with a Pure Wood Spirit Root.

He’d had to make certain concessions with Patriarch Songyu to change the details of their agreement, but was confident that it had been worth the sacrifice.

Mo Duan was pulled from his thoughts as Elder Yuanlei stood from her chair and began making her way to the exit. He had little interest in spending any more time in her company than necessary and didn’t bother offering any polite farewells or attempts to prolong the conversation. He expected her to feel the same, which was why he was surprised when Yuanlei paused at the threshold and turned back to look at him with an expression he couldn’t quite decipher.

When she finally spoke, it took everything Mo Duan had to stop himself from tensing.

“There… is something very different about you, Ruo Xingchen,” Elder Yuanlei, her eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to peer into his very soul. When Mo Duan didn’t react to her words after a few seconds, she merely nodded to herself as if confirming some kind of suspicion and continued walking without another word.

Mo Duan was momentarily struck dumb, almost having wished that Elder Yuanlei had offered him some kind of threat or ultimatum instead of leaving him with such an unsettling remark.

At least then he would have known her intentions.

But after several moments, Mo Duan let out a deep sigh and pushed the matter of Elder Yuanlei out of his mind. There was little that he could do about her suspicions at the moment, and dwelling on them would only serve to distract him from more immediate concerns.

Mo Duan stood from his seat and began making his way to his lodging’s washroom. He had many things that needed to be done, such as planning how he would deal with the Jiangshi, speaking with Xiao Li about ideas for the valley, and deciding on the Pure Wood Spirit Root disciple he would choose.

But all of that could wait until after he took a long bath. Even if he’d developed a certain… acceptance of violence that he didn’t have before assimilating Ruo Xingchen’s memories, there was a limit.

Mo Duan didn’t think he’d get anything done until he washed away the phantom sensation of Jin Wei’s blood clinging to his skin.

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Author's Note: The biggest change for anyone who read the original story is obviously some members of the sect leadership already knowing that he's a demonic cultivator.

One problem that I foresaw with the original plotpoint of Mo Duan having the secret of being a demonic cultivator is that this plot point needs to be resolved, and the only options for that are either discovery, or conversion away from being a demonic cultivator without anyone ever knowing.

My plan was to go with the second option, but I worry that it may feel a bit narratively dull, because it means that one of the defining plot points laid out in the beginning of the series had no greater impact than causing the MC to jump through some hoops to gather some resources before entirely fixing it. Having him be discovered would probably offer some narrative drama, but causes a lot of plot problems if not handled carefully.

Also, this has a few benefits such as giving the MC a good reason to be out in the world more often and making the sect seem a bit more competent.

Lemme know what you guys thought of the chapter in general.