(17)
Inside the East Hall, a loud crashing noise erupted as porcelain vases and teapots were all smashed onto the ground. The table was completely flipped over, with tea water flowing slowly across the floor tiles.
Fang Wenjie ambled in at an unhurried pace, picking up a peach blossom branch from the floor and casually placing it back into the celadon vase on the windowsill. Raising his eyes to look at the person who was still smashing things everywhere, he let out a soft laugh: “Is that necessary? He’s just a new disciple. Whoever he wants to associate with, let him. From now on, simply ignore such ungrateful wretches—why fly into such a rage?”
Hearing his voice, Wu Moxun stopped his actions. Supporting himself against the table with both hands, he slowly brought his breathing back to normal.
After a long moment, he turned his head, a look of sinister coldness at the bottom of his eyes. “He was taught by me! Without my help, he is nothing! Where does he get the nerve to act brazenly in front of me? Does he think he’s so extraordinary just by clinging to a Heavenly Spiritual Root? Does he think I’m inferior to that kind of trash?”
Fang Wenjie let out a sigh and slowly sat down. “Then what do you intend to do?”
“What do I intend to do?” Blue veins bulged on Wu Moxun’s forehead as he said with heavy anger, “I have plenty of ways to deal with him! I will ensure he doesn’t have a single easy day in the inner sect!”
After talking for so long, you still don’t have a solid plan.
Fang Wenjie rested his chin on his hand, looking at him, and asked in a flat voice: “Do you want him dead, or do you just want him to suffer a little?”
Wu Moxun’s expression froze slightly. After a moment, he said coldly: “I want him to know what kind of person he ought to cling to. Someone like that trash isn’t worthy of being compared to me at all! I also want him to kneel and beg for my forgiveness…”
Before he could finish, Fang Wenjie tapped his fingers lightly on the table, interrupting him impatiently: “So you just can’t bring yourself to let him die.”
Wu Moxun was choked up, feeling annoyed despite himself. “What did you actually come here for? Are you here to make me unhappy too?”
He really couldn’t stand staying in this inner sect for another day!
“I came to help you,” Fang Wenjie leaned back in his chair, speaking lazily. “Since you don’t want Jiang Xing to die, why not throw that long-standing mess over to him to handle?”
Hearing this, Wu Moxun’s tightly furrowed brows smoothed out slightly, and he asked in a low voice: “You mean the mess at Tenglong City?”
A snake demon was entrenched in Tenglong City, feeding on humans and committing all kinds of evil. However, there was a century-old rule circulating in the city—the local people revered the snake demon as a deity, believing that as long as they offered sacrifices every year, the snake demon would bless them with thirty years of favorable weather and peace.
The mission to eliminate that snake demon had remained at the sect for many years, and to this day no one had successfully killed it. Leaving aside how dangerous it was to deal with the snake demon itself, the local citizens who protected it were also a major problem.
“This mission is impossible to complete,” Fang Wenjie said coaxingly, like a master guide. “When he fails the mission, I can use it as a pretext to kick him back to the outer sect. At that time, you can deal with him however you want. Once he suffers enough and tastes misery, he will naturally realize that the days he spent following you were much better.”
Wu Moxun listened in enlightenment as Fang Wenjie whispered in his ear, “Didn’t Jiang Xing come looking for you earlier just to enter the inner sect? This proves that besides you, he has no other backing in the sect. Therefore, no matter how you want to play with him, it doesn’t matter.”
Hearing the last sentence, the corner of Wu Moxun’s mouth twitched slightly. “Why say something so disgusting? I’m not a cut-sleeve (homosexual).”
Fang Wenjie paused, then said flatly: “Oh, I thought you were flying into such a rage because you took a liking to him. After all, he really does look quite handsome.”
Teased by him, Wu Moxun’s face turned green then black, showing a colorful spectrum of emotions.
From the very first moment he saw Jiang Xing, he knew this person was very much like him.
That ruthless drive to get stronger by any means necessary, along with that expression of finding everyone eyesores—it was practically identical to his former self. What’s more, even their tastes in drinking were so similar.
This person was trained by his own hands, with every spell taught without reservation. The entire inner sect knew Jiang Xing was his man, which was precisely why Jiang Xing opposing him for the sake of those two wastes made him all the more furious.
“Alright, I’ll go make the arrangements for you.” Fang Wenjie rose to leave. Before stepping out, he looked back at Wu Moxun and warned in a heavy voice, “That Heavenly Spiritual Root is someone the Sect Master thinks highly of. Don’t act recklessly.”
Wu Moxun responded peevishly, “Got it. I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”
“Lacks sincerity. Next time bring me a fine sword from your family, that would be more like it.” Fang Wenjie sneered, pushed the door open, and departed.
The legitimate son of the sword-forging family among the Four Great Families—that was the real reason why Wu Moxun could never be offended.
For Jiang Xing to have a senior brother with such a powerful background backing him, yet still insist on becoming friends with a few ordinary outer sect disciples—he truly was stupid to the extreme.
Inner Sect, Xuanji Peak.
Jiang Xing could clearly feel that the gazes cast toward him by the people around were different from before. He knew this must be due to Wu Moxun’s attitude; other disciples, unwilling to clash with Wu Moxun, could only choose to keep a respectful distance from him.
It didn’t matter.
Ever since he was young, he had long been accustomed to being stared at with scrutinizing eyes. Revenge of this level was completely painless to him.
Pushing open the hall door, all the disciples tacitly avoided him. Jiang Xing, acting as if he saw nothing, walked up to the notice board where missions were posted and took down his assigned mission scroll.
“You arrived so early today?”
Just as he was about to open the scroll to take a look, he heard Fang Wenjie’s calm voice from behind.
Jiang Xing’s movements paused briefly, and he said coldly: “Yes. Is something the matter, Senior Brother?”
Fang Wenjie smiled and shook his head, passing by him on his own to place a new mission scroll on the board, saying in a low voice: “Nothing. If you are setting off today, I wish you a smooth journey.”
He left behind a senseless remark and walked away. Jiang Xing’s brows furrowed as he sensed something amiss. He quickly unrolled the scroll in his palm to inspect it closely, his expression shifting slightly.
Tenglong City? Where is this? There is no such name in the original book.
Eliminating a snake demon didn’t seem to have anything wrong on the surface, but intuition told him this was definitely a trap laid for him by Wu Moxun and Fang Wenjie. They intentionally dispatched him to a high-difficulty mission, wanting him to die during it.
Jiang Xing’s face turned dark as he gripped the scroll tightly.
A short while later, in the North Hall.
The scroll was spread open on a small table. Two heads leaned together, intently examining the written characters on it.
Yan Zhun asked in a small voice, “How do you pronounce this character?”
“Teng, Tenglong City,” Zishu Bai answered him in a low voice.
Tenglong City—Yan Zhun had surprisingly never heard of this place. It was likely a location so remote it couldn’t be any more remote. After all, his family’s winery only opened shops in wealthy cities, never going to places with few people and remote terrain.
Zishu Bai was similarly clueless, but his main reason was that apart from his own hometown and Wuwang Sect, he didn’t know anywhere else.
The two whispered and studied the mission on the scroll. “A snake demon sounds very powerful. It says here that it eats people.”
“I haven’t seen one before. Perhaps it really is very powerful.”
Jiang Xing set down the teacup in his hand and said impatiently, “Have you finished looking?”
Both heads turned toward him at the same time and nodded.
“If you’re done looking, then let’s go.” Jiang Xing tossed the travel bundle to Zishu Bai, briskly instructing him to pack up, “Hurry up and pack the stuff. We should be able to arrive before nightfall.”
Seeing Zishu Bai meekly and obediently accept the bundle to pack their luggage, Yan Zhun blinked his eyes, raised a hand to point at himself, and asked softly with expectant eyes: “This time I don’t have to go?”
“No need. Going will only drag us back,” Jiang Xing said cold-heartedly.
Yan Zhun: “…Makes sense.”
Far from feeling ashamed, he even cheered secretly in his heart, immediately helping them pack their things with enthusiasm.
Like sending off his own child on a long journey, Yan Zhun stuffed a bunch of dry rations into Zishu Bai’s bundle, along with bank notes and travel expenses for the road, wearing a worried expression: “Don’t hold back on spending it, buy whatever you feel like eating. You’re too soft-hearted—don’t give your money away just because a certain someone asks for it, got it?”
Who is ‘a certain someone’? Jiang Xing felt his fists starting to itch a bit.
Zishu Bai smiled helplessly, handed the money back to him, and said warmly: “I will return as quickly as possible. Don’t worry.”
“Alright then…” Just as Yan Zhun was about to take the money back, a hand unceremoniously snatched it out of his palm.
“I’ll accept it on his behalf.”
Jiang Xing gave a perfunctory line, stuffed the money into his pocket, grabbed Zishu Bai, and turned around to leave.
Yan Zhun stood on the spot, watching the two who had walked far away in the blink of an eye outside the door. Zishu Bai was still faintly smiling and waving goodbye to him.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to swear, and waved back at Zishu Bai.
Silly kid, still smiling.
Just what kind of parents raised such a pure and innocent person?
And what kind of family raised someone like Jiang Xing, whose skin is thicker than a city wall?
When they arrived at Tenglong City, the night was already deep. The stars in the sky hung scattered around the crescent moon, and outside the city was so quiet that only the buzzing of mosquitoes could be heard.
It truly was a place so remote it couldn’t be any more remote. They had asked many people along the way before finally finding it.
Standing in front of the city gates, Jiang Xing turned his gaze to Zishu Bai. This man was still strolling along leisurely as if on a spring outing, appearing to be in a very good mood; he had even picked a peony flower along the way to give to him.
He had naturally thrown it away, yet Zishu Bai’s enthusiasm remained unabated, seeming happy as long as he stayed together with him. This idiot didn’t even know that this mission was a trap laid for them by Wu Moxun; if he knew, he probably wouldn’t be in such a good mood.
Even if it was a trap, he had to come.
Such were the rules of Wuwang Sect—inner sect disciples enjoyed many privileges, so they had to work harder than other disciples. Thus, the Sect Master strictly forbade anyone from refusing a mission.
Besides, with Zishu Bai around, Jiang Xing knew they couldn’t possibly die here. Whatever happened, let Zishu Bai’s protagonist halo take care of it.
Thinking up to this point, his heart relaxed slightly as he led Zishu Bai up to the city gate.
Before they could go inside, the two were stopped by the guards at the gate.
“Halt. Pay the entry fee.”
Jiang Xing’s expression froze slightly. He pulled out the money snatched from Yan Zhun from his coat and handed it over, not expecting it would actually come in handy.
The guard, however, stared at them with tightly furrowed brows, making no move to take the money in Jiang Xing’s hand. “You two are cultivators. You must pay with spiritual energy.”
Jiang Xing: “…?”
Are you looking for trouble?
The guard raised his hand and patted the notice posted on the city wall, saying flatly: “It is written clearly right here—this is the City Lord’s order. Any cultivator entering the city must submit a portion of spiritual energy to protect the citizens. We have a magic tool to collect spiritual energy; as long as you touch the magic tool briefly, it won’t harm your body.”
In all the world, Jiang Xing had never heard of such a requirement. What kind of joke was this? This spiritual energy was something he had cultivated through hard work—why should he give it away just because they said so?
Just as Jiang Xing was about to blow his top, Zishu Bai stepped forward in the turn of an eye, placed his hand on the magic tool, and asked politely: “Can I pay his share together with mine?”
“Yes. Go on in.”
Jiang Xing was silent for a moment, swallowing his anger, and walked through the city gate with Zishu Bai.
It was already paid, so what else could he say…
“Can’t you just stop following rules so strictly?” Jiang Xing ultimately couldn’t hold back after all. “They tell you to pay and you just pay? What if they drain your spiritual energy dry?”
Scolded out of nowhere, Zishu Bai said with some confusion: “But they said the spiritual energy is used to protect the citizens.”
Jiang Xing grew even angrier: “How do you know they didn’t lie to you?”
Hearing this, Zishu Bai smiled softly, raised his hand to point ahead, and whispered: “Look.”
Following his finger, Jiang Xing was slightly stunned. The city before his eyes was brightly lit, peaceful, and tranquil. Even though it was late at night, many people were on the street drinking wine and tea, and stalls selling late-night snacks gave off a rich fragrance with swirling steam. The inside and outside of the city were night and day.
Not a single person was afraid of whether a snake demon would appear to eat people.
Was this really Tenglong City?
“Do you believe it now?” Zishu Bai said warmly, “The City Lord must be a very good person. I can feel that the citizens living in this city are all very happy.”
This place was just like his hometown—the citizens lived and worked in peace and contentment, well-fed and well-clothed. Without a kind and upright City Lord, it would be impossible to manage it in such an orderly fashion.
Jiang Xing didn’t believe it.
He said coldly: “That spiritual energy was definitely pocketed by the City Lord for himself. Who knows, maybe the City Lord is the very snake demon we’re supposed to kill.” That was how novels were written.
Zishu Bai hadn’t expected him to say that. Surprised, he smiled and said: “Then shall we make a bet?”
Jiang Xing raised his eyes to look at him: “Bet on what?”
“Let’s bet on whether the City Lord is a good person or a bad person.” Zishu Bai rummaged through his travel bundle, pulled out all his money, and counted it seriously. “Whoever loses has to treat the other to a month’s worth of meals.”
Jiang Xing let out a cold sneer, intending to scold him as childish. But on second thought, he felt it was a good opportunity. Gazing at Zishu Bai with a meaningful look, he opened his mouth eerily: “We won’t bet on meals. If you lose, you have to give me your most precious possession, and I can give you my most precious possession in return.”
He didn’t have any ‘most precious possession’ at all; when the time came, he could just throw any random piece of jewelry to Zishu Bai and call it a family heirloom. As for Zishu Bai, he had way too many good things on him—this idiot possessed heavenly fortune and a vast array of various magic treasures. He was guaranteed to make a profit without losing anything.
Zishu Bai listened naively. After pondering for a moment, he seemed to be thinking about what his most precious possession was.
After a long moment, his eyes flickered as if realizing something, and he agreed in a low voice: “Alright, it’s a deal then.”