Chapter 124: Warm and Tender Lips

**The Peak!**

Hearing the news of Shi Chun's death, and considering why his wife and daughter were so interested in the competition, Miao Dingyi fell silent for a moment. He then asked, "Why is the Xuanzhou Prefect so concerned about Shi Chun?"

Nan Gongzi replied, "Well, isn't it because Shi Chun got involved with the Xuanzhou forces? The Su Yuan Sect has already lost two people and nearly half its strength, suffering heavy losses. None of the top-ranked sects from each prefecture were willing to pledge allegiance. If they couldn't get first place, they at least aimed for a top-three finish. Each had gathered a team and rushed to Moon Sea, with an 'all or nothing' attitude. As a result, they suffered heavy losses upon impact.

These past few days, about a third of the top-ranked sects from various prefectures have been lost in Moon Sea, and countless forces from other prefectures have been swallowed by it. Brother Miao, you haven't seen it, but the images in the Skyview Mirror now frequently show a ripple-like scene, where people disappear into Moon Sea and are gone.

Now the Xuanzhou forces have also gathered near Moon Sea, and a major battle is imminent, so the Xuanzhou Prefect is naturally highly concerned." Miao Dingyi chuckled, "Your sister-in-law and the others can't see all these details in the Skyview Mirror. It seems their perspective is limited."

Nan Gongzi waved his hand. "Brother Miao, don't tease me. I just keep in touch with Old Yang's side. He's managing things there, so he understands more of the inside story. Oh, getting back to Shi Chun. Sister-in-law and your daughter might have been following Shi Chun's situation every time they visited. I wanted to tell them, but I wasn't sure how. After thinking it over, it's easier to discuss it between men. That's why I waited here for you, Brother Miao, to let you know. You can tell your sister-in-law and the others yourself, however you see fit." Miao Dingyi found these words quite annoying, knowing that this fellow had misunderstood again. He didn't want to explain much to someone who earned money so easily, so he just nodded and said, "Nan Gongzi, that's thoughtful of you. I understand. It's indeed a pity that he's gone. I even wagered 100,000 gold on him for first place."

Nan Gongzi chuckled, "Brother Miao, you're joking. You only bet on him to support me, didn't you?"

Speaking of Shi Chun's venture, Miao Dingyi noticed Nan Gongzi seemed a bit distressed. He asked, "What's wrong? Has the situation not turned around? With your abilities and background, you should be able to intervene in the situation over in Xiji, right?"

Nan Gongzi sighed. "Brother Miao, don't even mention it. To be frank, we definitely tried, but it seems we stepped into a trap this time. The Royal Court's control over this competition is stricter than anyone imagined. No one's influence works, and no one can intervene. Some of our brothers have already been made an example of."

"Oh?" Miao Dingyi was very surprised. "They've already 'clipped their wings'?" That's truly unusual. He couldn't help but ask further, "With your background, if you're not suitable for setting up schemes, then logically, you should have been informed beforehand, shouldn't you?"

Nan Gongzi gave a wry smile. "Who knows what's going on? My hair's almost turned white from worry. Ah, Brother Miao, let's not talk about this anymore; it just upsets me. Who knows, one day I might even have to come begging at your door. No more talk, no more talk, I'm going in now. You carry on with your business, Brother Miao."

He turned to leave immediately, cupped his hands in farewell, and walked away.

Miao Dingyi lowered the curtain. After a moment of thought, he told the spirit beast outside, "I'm not going home. Take me to Bowang Tower."

The spirit beast immediately pulled the carriage and sped away.

***

At the main exit of the training grounds, Feng Chi, cloaked, emerged alone. She entered the forest outside the grounds and met with the masked person waiting there. Seeing that they were alone, Feng Chi quietly asked, "Is there no way for the higher-ups to intervene again?"

The masked person shook their head. "There was an attempt to intervene, but it failed. The level of control is beyond imagination. The higher-ups feel that this Celestial Rain Meteorite Gathering is somewhat abnormal and might not be as simple as it appears. Shi Chun hasn't emerged from Moon Sea yet, and it's likely he won't. It seems Miss's trip was also in vain; as long as she can return safely, that's what matters. As for the matter of Wukang Mountain's reputation, we'll have to make other arrangements. In short, it seems we might have failed in both objectives of this trip."

Feng Chi sighed. "It can't be helped then. Shi Chun, I truly admired him. It's a pity he's lost."

Inside the training grounds, one of the two disciples accompanying Elder Ke had been replaced by Yin Huixin, an elder from Wukang Mountain. Having received a message and learned that her daughter might not be able to emerge from Moon Sea, Yin Huixin, as a mother, immediately rushed over. Her gaze at the mirror image was filled with anxiety.

Elder Ke also wore a look of helplessness. Of all the participants from Wukang Mountain, only a courtesan who had been temporarily brought in remained. This courtesan, acting like a lone ranger, had completely covered herself and was wandering around aimlessly, eventually reaching the edge of Moon Sea. Initially, no one paid attention to Xiang Lan'er. But after realizing that everyone else had disappeared, they had no choice but to observe her, and what they saw seemed quite abnormal. Her being thoroughly covered was understandable, given that people there had gone mad with killing, and beauty could sometimes be dangerous. Yet, if she had such concerns, she should logically be hiding. Why was she running around everywhere by herself, and even heading towards Moon Sea?

***

The sky was high and the sun was scorching.

Dozens of Xuanzhou forces lay quietly in the shade of a valley, also near Moon Sea. Guan Yingjie and Chao Zhilin, disciples of the Su Yuan Sect, along with the leaders of four other sects, flew up to a cave on the cliff face. These four were newly selected commanders of the large forces after Yan Ji and Guan Wen's demise, and they were also disciples from high-ranking sects in Xuanzhou.

Inside the cave, a map scroll hung on the stone wall, displaying the complete map of Moon Sea. Mulan Qingqing stood with her hands behind her back, facing the map, and only turned around when she heard the footsteps of the others entering.

"Senior Sister." "Miss Mulan." Everyone greeted her.

After the greetings, someone asked, "We've been still for two days. Everyone below is asking, are we going to wait here until the competition ends?"

Mulan Qingqing, not one for pleasantries, pointed to the seven marked spots around Moon Sea. "Prepare to depart. We will divide into seven routes. The seven of us will each lead over a thousand people to these seven points. I called you all here to discuss your respective destinations and related matters."

Someone else asked, "Why are we dispersing our forces?"

Mulan Qingqing explained, "We will divide the area around Moon Sea into seven zones. Each of us will be responsible for monitoring the movements of forces from various prefectures within our assigned zone. Do not engage in conflict. Focus on gathering intelligence about the forces from other prefectures, such as their gains of Insect Extremity Crystals.

According to the information we currently have, almost all the top-ranked sects from various prefectures have gathered a contingent of forces and arrived at Moon Sea, numbering approximately a hundred thousand. They are all desperate individuals. While it would be easy for us to divide and conquer them, our losses would also be unavoidable. If this continues, accumulating over time, we will face significant casualties. Each sect trusts our Su Yuan Sect, and we cannot treat their lives as a game. Frequent fighting would lead to even greater losses for us.

Our previous methods are no longer suitable. From now on, you are to spread the word that our Xuanzhou has already collected 60,000 Insect Extremity Crystals, securing our position as the top-ranked force in the Celestial Rain Meteorite Gathering. We no longer wish to engage in battle. Our current assembly here is solely to investigate who attacked our Xuanzhou forces.

Remember, to deceive others, you must first deceive yourselves. Aside from us, no one is to know the truth about the number of Insect Extremity Crystals we actually possess. Dispersing our forces serves two purposes: first, it facilitates intelligence gathering; second, it reduces the sense of threat among the forces from other prefectures. Let them fight for the other rankings in peace. We only need to observe and monitor the situation. Once they have largely annihilated each other and a victor has emerged, our Xuanzhou forces will then launch a combined assault and decide the outcome in a single battle!"

Her face was as cold as ice, her tone was chilling and undeniable, and her autocratic nature was evident. Yet, this was met with unanimous nods of approval from everyone present.

***

In the darkness, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, riding on Wind Scale, landed on a mountaintop. Shi Chun's right eye ability surveyed the enormous deep pit below, scanning the monsters coiling around within and on its edges. This deep pit was the same one where they first escaped danger. Only now did Wu Jinliang understand why Shi Chun had run back to that cave to take refuge earlier; it was because it was close to here.

"Why are we back here?" Wu Jinliang asked next. He was completely blind, just going wherever Shi Chun led.

Shi Chun asked, "Remember the horn sounds in Moon Sea? We heard them here last time too." Wu Jinliang replied, "Aren't those just the monsters' cries?"

Shi Chun explained, "Through my right eye, most monsters emit a blue light from within. Last time, I saw a monster emitting a red light, and I heard the horn sounds coming from it. Moreover, I observed that the horn sounds could direct the monster horde. If this group of monsters opens an exit passage again, would they be acting under unified command?"

Wu Jinliang suddenly understood. "You mean the one emitting red light could be the leader? If we find the leader and keep an eye on it, and then someone else enters from Moon Sea, we'll have a chance to get out!"

Shi Chun said, "There's no other way. There are too many monsters in this world. We don't know which ones will go out, and they can't all go out. Our best chance is to keep an eye on the leader."

Wu Jinliang said, "It's worth a try. Have you found it yet?"

"Not yet. I want to go down and look again."

"Oh, well, since we're already here, do as you please. I can't see anything anyway."

So Shi Chun again used Wind Scale to envelop both of them. He deliberately pulled out a handful of sandalwood gold to illuminate their path and plunged into the massive deep pit like a shooting star, quickly attracting a large number of monsters in pursuit. Soon, the "woo-woo" horn sounds were heard again. To his disappointment, however, the sounds were not coming from a monster emitting red light. It turned out that those emitting blue light could also produce the same horn sounds.

They circled the deep pit, then lost their way out while being pursued. Once outside, they intentionally attracted more monsters, drawing a massive pursuit force, but still failed to spot any red-glowing monsters. After repeatedly activating his right eye ability, Shi Chun's body couldn't take it anymore. He had to extinguish the light and frantically try to lose his pursuers in the darkness.

***

As soon as the two returned to the bamboo-shoot-shaped cave, Bian Weiying, hearing their movements, immediately called out, "Shi Chun?"

Shi Chun released Wu Jinliang, who had come in with him, and walked over to Bian Weiying, sitting down cross-legged near her. "Oh, we're back."

His body was severely depleted of blood and energy. He took a pill and was about to begin his meditation when a pair of fumbling hands touched his face, then his body. Bian Weiying sat down close to him, leaning against him, and softly said, "I was really scared just now. I never knew I was so afraid of the dark, afraid that you two would leave me and not come back."

Wu Jinliang chuckled, "Senior Sister, you're overthinking it." Shi Chun dismissively said, "No, we wouldn't." Silence fell over the cave.

After a long while, Bian Weiying asked Wu Jinliang again, "Are you truly not interested in women?"

Wu Jinliang chuckled naively, knowing that this senior sister must have heard what he said.

"Oh." Shi Chun, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them, though he still couldn't see anything. He only felt a pair of hands touching him again, and then a person drew closer, so close that he could feel their breath on his face. Then, a pair of warm, soft lips pressed against his, and a restless tongue traced his lips open. His eyes widened in disbelief. His mind was slow to process what was happening. What was going on?

It couldn't possibly be Wu Jinliang kissing him.