Chapter 67: Additional Mission |
In the canyon river channel, about two zhang wide, the river water suddenly churned as if startled, and two heads emerged from the water one after another.
A soaking wet Wu Jinliang shouted, "Chuntian, there's something in the water!"
Shi Chun didn't need his reminder; he had already leaped from the water onto the cliff face, clinging to the stone wall and craning his neck to look.
Not only was there something in the water, but there were also people on the shore, two rows of them occupying both sides of the river channel, watching them like they were fools.
Almost all of them were wearing Chestnut-colored Uniforms, making it clear they were all from Wukang Mountain.
Wu Jinliang, who had followed him up the cliff face, looked up and was also Speechless.
In the Land of Exile, where everyone's Cultivation Level didn't differ much, one could at least Fight Desperately to break out.
Here, there was no life to fight for, only losing one's life.
With a Splash! in the water, the heads of two Giant Pythons also emerged, their greedy eyes fixed on the two small figures on the stone wall, their massive bodies churning darkly beneath the water.
In this situation, the two, dripping wet on the stone wall, felt a bit numb.
This was hardly a good opportunity to Escape; they both realized they might have misunderstood something.
"The Sect Master is still waiting for a report," someone issued a Command.
Immediately, a group of Wukang Mountain Disciples of the High Martial Realm leaped down.
Seeing the Fierce Enemy Situation, and knowing that A Wise Man Knows When to Retreat, Shi Chun shouted, "Let's Talk Things Over!"
With you already caught, who would talk things over with you? What were you doing before? You made everyone rush around, and now someone kicked you into the water.
Before he was fully submerged, he was grabbed by the ankle, yanked out, and directly thrown onto the shore.
Wu Jinliang fared no better, being held down by the neck and dragged up.
After they were brought ashore, they were surrounded and subjected to Punching and Kicking to Vent Anger, immediately bleeding from their noses and mouths, Severely Bruised Face, and their clothes were ruined. After they were beaten into a Head in Hands, Curled Up posture, their Cultivation Level was Sealed, and they were escorted away like two miserable wretches.
The crowd then Dispersed.
A sudden Escape Event, which ended just as quickly, thus concluded.
On the cliff, almost all of the sect's High-Level Officials were present. Gazing into the Distance from above, they all wanted to see what kind of people these two Audacious individuals were, and why they would think the dignified Wukang Mountain Sect was a place Outsiders could freely come and go from.
In fact, they were a little worried. If these two had truly Escaped, Wukang Mountain would have become a Laughing Stock.
Seeing the Delivery Team Return from below the mountain, the High-Level Officials Breathed A Sigh Of Relief, knowing they must have been arrested. If they had waited any longer for news, some of the High-Level Officials present would probably have personally participated in the arrest.
Pang Tiansheng, the Steward of the Discipline Hall, was Gnashing Teeth with Hatred, holding a Carrying Pole and wanting to hit someone, but he had no Qualification to step forward.
He had just been scolded by the Sect Master, scolded a "dog's blood showering head" (狗血喷头).
The moment the people were handed to him, they ran away. Who else would be scolded but him? The closer one was to the Insider, the harsher the scolding.
It truly made him Unable to Hold One's Head High in front of everyone. Naturally, he hated Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, preparing to give them a good beating back at the Discipline Hall.
Soon, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, beaten to an unrecognizable state, were brought before the High-Level Officials.
The two coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood in front of everyone, indeed having suffered Internal Injuries.
Bian Weiying, seeing this from the crowd, couldn't help but be Surprised and Suspicious. They really Escaped? Did she misjudge them?
Elder Xia Fuli kept his lips tightly pressed.
"Reporting to the Sect Master, both fugitives from the Discipline Hall have been Arrested!" The Wukang Mountain Disciple Leading the Team Cup Hands in Salute and Reported Back.
Bian Jixiong, with his hands behind his back, paced to the two arrested men and examined them.
Immediately, someone grabbed Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's hair and yanked it back, exposing their faces for the Sect Master's appreciation.
The High-Level Officials observed that these two were indeed unusual, not because of their In a Sorry Plight appearance, but because they were very dark-skinned.
Under normal circumstances, Bian Jixiong would not even have been interested in glancing at such Scum. But at this moment, he still asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why did you two escape?"
It was a completely incomprehensible question.
With their Cultivation Level and Strength, and Unfamiliar with the place, how dared they Treat as Nothing the Internal and External Alert Forces of Wukang Mountain?
Shi Chun, unable to move easily, glanced at the crowd and saw Elder Xia Fuli's expression, realizing that this matter might have taken an unexpected Hitch. He blurted out, "You want to Harass to Death, so of course we have to escape."
These words made everyone even more curious.
Wu Jinliang also looked at Shi Chun, wondering What Scheme is This Chuntian was playing now.
Bian Jixiong asked, "Who said they wanted to Harass to Death?"
"Cough cough!" Shi Chun coughed up some more bloody froth, then said loudly, "Forcing us to Labor is one thing, but you won't even let us wear Shoes and Socks, deliberately forcing us to run around the mountain Barefoot.
If this isn't trying to Harass to Death, what is it?"
Wu Jinliang, hearing this, immediately became Toughness, and followed up by shouting Arrogantly, "Yes, and they deliberately threw Pebbles on the ground to bruise our feet. If this isn't trying to Harass to Death, what is it?"
Everyone Uniformly looked at their feet; they were indeed Barefoot.
Whether they lost them during their escape was something that needed confirmation. Bian Jixiong shouted, "Pang Tiansheng!"
"Ah, here."
Pang Tiansheng's obese figure immediately squeezed out from the crowd, with a somewhat weak expression, like a mouse seeing a cat.
Bian Jixiong asked in a deep voice, "Not giving them shoes and making them work Barefoot, is that true?"
Pang Tiansheng looked pained.
He wanted to say that when Elder Xia Fuli handed the men over, they weren't wearing shoes, but he glanced at Elder Xia Fuli, who was present, and couldn't say anything. The key was, even if he said it, it wouldn't hold up.
Elder Xia Fuli didn't give them shoes, but did he tell you not to give them shoes?
Furthermore, if he dared to Accuse Elder Xia Fuli at this moment, Elder Xia Fuli wouldn't suffer much, but his Sect Master Teacher would only get more Anger and deal with him even worse. It was better to Grit Teeth and admit it.
So he said weakly, "Shoes, forgotten."
They really made them work Barefoot without shoes? Many people Looked at Each Other in Dismay.
Of course, many people also understood, knowing that this Fatso had a good relationship with Wei Bian.
Bian Jixiong's face darkened by three points and he asked Wu Jinliang again, "Who deliberately threw stones to bruise you? Point them out."
Although Wu Jinliang had been beaten to an Unhuman Appearance, he still said righteously, "I don't know anyone from Wukang Mountain, so how would I know?"
It was enough to understand the gist of it.
Bian Jixiong did not pursue the matter further. What if he found the person who harassed them? There's a Reason for Everything, and as Sect Master, he found it Difficult to Handle.
Since the Victim was unknown, he decided to Gracefully Back Down.
He turned and greeted the High-Level Officials, then departed.
Before leaving, Elder Xia Fuli specifically instructed that Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang be taken down to Treat Injuries.
When they reached the entrance of the Discipline Hall, Pang Tiansheng, still carrying his Carrying Pole, wanted to teach Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang a lesson.
But unexpectedly, the men were not handed over to his Discipline Hall. After passing the Discipline Hall entrance, they were sent to the Prison instead.
He then received a Punishment Notice: the Sect Master had personally ordered the Confiscate as Penalty of three months of his Monthly Allowance.
He was so angry he smashed his Carrying Pole.
Who had he provoked? It seemed he hadn't done much. He took his anger out on Duan You and Zou Xingbao, scolding them severely and punishing them by making them complete Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's Water-carrying Task first.
Anle Inn. An Inn Worker knocked on Xiang Lan'er's Room Door.
Seeing Bian Weikang also there, he asked if she wanted the room cleaned, giving Xiang Lan'er a Hint. Xiang Lan'er then sent the Inn Worker away, and also sent Bian Weikang away.
Soon, Feng Chi, cloaked, arrived. There was no need for pretense between her and Xiang Lan'er.
Upon meeting, she immediately informed in a Low Voice, "Young Lady, the Higher-ups just sent word; they've given us some Additional Missions."
Xiang Lan'er frowned slightly, "Things aren't settled here yet.
Didn't they tell us to focus solely on Wukang Mountain and not bother with anything else?"
Feng Chi smiled, "That's only for you, Young Lady. For anyone else, the Higher-ups would just tell them to follow instructions, not reveal the Behind-the-scenes Details.
Regarding the Land of Exile, the Higher-ups recently dug Deep into the Background of Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang and discovered some new information.
The relationship between Shi Chun and Far-Gazing Tower shouldn't be as simple as Shi Chun unilaterally pursuing Lan Qiaoyan's daughter.
According to the investigation, before they left the Living Prison, they were Accused of Theft in the city at the entrance of Far-Gazing Tower, and were immediately Arrested by the City Guards. When the incident occurred, Wu Jinliang shouted 'Mother' at Far-Gazing Tower, shouting for Mother to Help!.
Then, some interesting things were discovered. After the two were Arrested by the City Guards, Lan Qiaoyan also went into the Inner City of Zhixu City once.
Later, the two people, who were thought to be sure to Lose One's Life, came out alive, while the one who Accused them of Theft Disappeared instead."
Xiang Lan'er said in surprise, "Lan Qiaoyan is Wu Jinliang's Mother? Lan Qiaoyan saved them?"
Feng Chi: "It's unlikely to be his biological Mother.
This is the most interesting part. Some say Wu Jinliang had long recognized Lan Qiaoyan as his Godmother, but Lan Qiaoyan denies it.
Yet, she allows Shi Chun to interact with her daughter. The Living Prison is not like other places; Far-Gazing Tower in the Living Prison does not interfere with the City Guards, but Lan Qiaoyan seems to have Broke the Rule for these two.
She didn't enter the Inner City early, nor did she enter late. She just happened to enter the Inner City after the two were arrested.
Then, the two people, whom Others said were sure to Lose One's Life, came out alive. Can this be a coincidence?
The Higher-ups also found that in the Far-Gazing Tower in Zhaotian City, those two subordinates of Shi Chun from East Nine Plains were also recommended into Far-Gazing Tower by Lan Qiaoyan.
The Higher-ups also found that Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang left the Living Prison with Far-Gazing Tower's Delivery Team. Judging by the time, with their Cultivation Level, they couldn't have reached Zhaotian City in such a short time.
They must have been directly transported to Zhaotian City by the Far-Gazing Tower Delivery Team, and Lan Qiaoyan's daughter had just been transferred to Far-Gazing Tower in Zhaotian City before this."
Xiang Lan'er mused, "If that's the case, the relationship between these two and Lan Qiaoyan is indeed extraordinary."
Feng Chi: "Lan Qiaoyan's Husband Holds a High Position in Far-Gazing Tower.
The Higher-ups are very interested in the relationship between these two and Far-Gazing Tower. The Higher-ups say that the value of Far-Gazing Tower far exceeds Wukang Mountain.
The Higher-ups' intention is that, regardless of whether Shi Chun is a Rogue Devil or from which Lineage, both of them are worth developing. Therefore, it's very necessary to continue to ascertain their purpose for coming to Wukang Mountain, and this will not have much impact on your plan to Take Over Wukang Mountain, Young Lady."
(End of Chapter)