I'll Slaughter My Way to Immortality on the Bones of Betrayers - Chapter 41:

Chapter 41: If My Enemy Suffers, I Feel Good

One step, two steps, three steps…

Lu Hengge had only taken three steps when Lu Sheng grew anxious and called out, “Lu Hengge, even if you don’t consider our past, at least remember your relationship with Liu’er! She was the junior sister you doted on for over a decade!”

Lu Hengge didn’t have a dog-like junior sister.

But he didn’t say that out loud.

The reason he was walking so slowly was partly to let the poison torment Qiu Liu a bit longer, and partly because he wanted to squeeze some benefits out of Lu Sheng.

If he remembered correctly, Lu Sheng should have a stalk of Sky Sweet Grass.

That herb was quite useful to him.

“Elder Lu, although I’m a fellow disciple of Qiu Liu, I don’t have any cultivation now. Treating someone is mentally exhausting. You should at least offer me something in return,” Lu Hengge said plainly.

“You poisoned Liu’er,” Lu Sheng snapped without thinking.

Lu Hengge smiled, “Then show me proof.”

There was no proof.

Besides, if Qiu Liu hadn’t gone to the wooden hut, nothing would have happened.

In the end, she had only herself to blame.

Lu Sheng hadn’t expected Lu Hengge to become so greedy, acting just like a worldly man. But for Qiu Liu’s sake, she still asked, “What do you want?”

“Sky Sweet Grass, a Fireflame Rabbit, and three pieces of Enlightenment Tea Leaf.”

Lu Hengge originally only wanted the Sky Sweet Grass, but once he opened his mouth, he added more on impulse.

But when it came to rare treasures, who would say no to more?

Definitely the more the better!

Lu Sheng’s face darkened. “You’re extorting me!”

All three items were extraordinarily precious. Sky Sweet Grass was a main ingredient for crafting Breakthrough Pills. With Lu Hengge’s alchemy skills, he could refine a perfect-quality pill that could forcibly elevate a cultivator’s realm. It was a rare treasure.

Lu Sheng had obtained it by chance from a secret realm during an outing.

No one else knew.

Not even her beloved Ye Feng or Qiu Liu.

Yet Lu Hengge asked for it by name.

The Fireflame Rabbit was a special spirit beast extremely sensitive to rare fire elements, making it a favorite companion of alchemists. But its survival rate was abysmal—only two or three out of ten thousand survived infancy. On top of that, it required daily feeding with high-purity spirit stones, making it a money-burning beast.

Only top-tier sects could afford to raise even one adult Fireflame Rabbit.

If the first two items were painful to give, the third one—the Enlightenment Tea Leaf—was absolutely out of the question!

It grew on the Enlightenment Tree.

One hundred years to sprout.

Three hundred years to branch.

Eight hundred years to leaf.

To brew a single pot of Enlightenment Tea required nearly a millennium of waiting.

And even that wasn’t the hardest part—the competition was.

Not only Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Realm cultivators fought for it, even Divine Ascension Realm experts would battle to the death. When the Enlightenment Tree matured, countless powerful cultivators would go mad over it, while weaker ones hoped to scavenge some leftover fragments.

Lu Sheng had managed to wrangle three leaves from the sect master.

If she gave them to Lu Hengge, what would she be left with?

Those three leaves might be her only hope of breaking through to the Divine Ascension Realm.

“Forget it then. It’s not like I’m forcing you,” Lu Hengge shrugged.

Then he continued following the execution guards toward Sword Prison.

This time, Lu Sheng held it in for a long while.

After Lu Hengge walked ten or so steps, she finally gritted her teeth and growled, “You can have the Sky Sweet Grass and the Fireflame Rabbit. But only one leaf of the Enlightenment Tea! If that’s not enough for you, I’ll find another alchemist. I refuse to believe you’re the only one who can cure Liu’er!”

Lu Hengge stopped and smiled.

Success.

He never intended to ask for all three leaves.

After all, Lu Sheng only had three in total.

No matter how much she loved Qiu Liu, there was no way she’d give up her own chance to break through for her.

Getting just one leaf was already a huge gain.

Still, Lu Hengge needed to keep up the act.

He paused as if struggling, then reluctantly turned back. “One leaf, fine. For old times’ sake, let’s call it a friendly discount.”

He stepped in front of Lu Sheng and extended his right hand.

She instantly understood.

He wanted to receive the goods first.

Lu Sheng took a deep breath and swiped across her storage ring. A stalk of deep blue herb and a very ordinary-looking tea leaf appeared in Lu Hengge’s palm. “The Fireflame Rabbit is alive. I can’t keep it in the storage ring. I’ll head back to my cave and get it for you.”

With a flick of his hand, Lu Hengge stashed the items away in his storage ring. “Forget ‘later.’ Get it now. I know where Qiu Liu’s cave is—you don’t need to guide me.”

Lu Sheng clenched her fists tight.

A few breaths later, she sighed in defeat. “I’ll get it now.”

With that, she vanished on the spot.

Lu Hengge was satisfied.

With the Sky Sweet Grass, his chances of breaking through to the Golden Core Realm rose by at least 50%. Based on his talent alone, it would’ve been easy. But due to the complications from the demonic Qi, the difficulty increased greatly. The Breakthrough Pill would help ensure success.

The Enlightenment Tea Leaf was similar in effect to the Meditation Mat, both tools for entering enlightenment.

The difference was, the mat might trigger it once in ten thousand tries, but the tea would always succeed and fully immerse the drinker—usually reserved for major breakthroughs.

The Fireflame Rabbit was relatively minor.

Lu Hengge was poor and couldn’t afford to raise such a gold-eating beast.

But in his past life, Lu Sheng had gifted it to Ye Feng. That rabbit had helped Ye Feng uncover many treasures. Based on the principle that his enemy’s loss was his gain, Lu Hengge would rather roast and eat it than let Ye Feng have it.

He strolled leisurely forward.

He knew Qingyun Peak like the back of his hand.

He had lived there for more than twenty years. Every tree and blade of grass was familiar.

Before long, he arrived outside a cave dwelling.

Birds chirped, spirit beasts frolicked.

Qiu Liu’s dwelling had the best environment in the entire Qingyun Peak. Back then, Lu Hengge had personally set up numerous Spirit-Gathering Formations to make this a spiritual haven.

With a light tap of his finger, the cave door slowly opened.

No surprise—he had built this place himself.

Everything here felt like his own backyard. He could come and go as he pleased.

He stepped inside.

Lu Hengge was a little surprised.

He thought Ye Feng would be guarding Qiu Liu’s bedside.

But no.

Only Qiu Liu lay alone on the bed, her face darkened by poison, unconscious.

“Junior sister,” Lu Hengge said softly.

“Your senior brother is here to send you off.”