Chapter 131: How Come You're Still Not Dead

The Apex!

The sky was their canopy, the earth their mat. One lay on a stone, the other lay on top of the first. One remained passive, while the other had initiated to their absolute limit and now needed the first to take the lead. They remained motionless in that position, letting the starry sky shift around them, perhaps with countless thoughts swirling in their minds. It wasn't until the sky began to lighten that Shi Chun murmured someone might see them. Bian Weiying lunged at him, kissed him with a hint of annoyance, and then got up.

When the two returned to the gully cave, the other two were strolling outside, waiting for them. They had been fretting all night, worried something might have happened, yet also reluctant to interrupt what might be a good thing, unsure whether they should go search. Wu Jinliang looked at the returning pair, his knowing smirks highly suggestive, almost lewd, conveying everything without a single word.

Xiang Lan'er seemed to just then notice that Bian Weiying's clothes were amiss. She asked in surprise, "Weiying, are those Shi Chun's clothes you're wearing?"

Shi Chun quickly interjected, "Don't overthink it, I'm wearing Wu Jinliang's clothes."

Bian Weiying had already reverted to her usual composed self. She calmly stated, "Something happened earlier, so I had to ask the two junior disciples to help me cover up."

Wu Jinliang was inwardly impressed by her perfectly nonchalant demeanor.

Xiang Lan'er, however, wouldn't let it go. "What were you doing? You didn't come back all night!" Shi Chun playfully countered, "What did you *want* us to be doing?" Bian Weiying walked over to Xiang Lan'er, linked arms with her, and said, "We were out dealing with something. Don't listen to their nonsense."

Xiang Lan'er remained skeptical. Meanwhile, Shi Chun had already changed the subject. "Jinliang, the place where I was in seclusion before, it shouldn't be far from here, right?"

Wu Jinliang thought for a moment and replied, "No, it's very close."

Shi Chun said, "I left in a hurry then, I think I left something behind. Let's go back and take a look."

"Okay," Wu Jinliang replied cooperatively. Shi Chun told the two women, "We'll be back soon."

This bait worked perfectly. Xiang Lan'er, sensing something suspicious about the men, immediately said, "Since it's not far and very close, it won't hurt for me to go along, right? If you don't let me go, it just proves you're up to no good."

Shi Chun shrugged. "I don't care, as long as Jinliang is willing to take you."

Xiang Lan'er immediately shot a look at Wu Jinliang, her gaze commanding respect without needing anger. Bian Weiying was surprised by her reaction; she had been quite reserved before.

Wu Jinliang quickly conceded. "Willing? Of course, I'm willing! It would be my honor to escort the beautiful Xiang Lan'er."

Bian Weiying said, "If it's very close, I'll go take a look too."

What else could they do? They couldn't show favoritism, so the group set off.

The group located the canyon, and by the time they landed, the sky was already bright. Standing at the cliff edge, Shi Chun's expression darkened as he suddenly remembered that someone, with an itching hand, had collapsed the opposite cliff face, effectively burying their previously dug cave deep under the rubble.

Seeing the piled-up debris in the canyon, Wu Jinliang, the culprit, looked embarrassed. To be honest, when the two of them left this place before, they never imagined they would ever return.

Xiang Lan'er asked, "Is this where you were in seclusion before?"

The landslide was extensive. Shi Chun looked at Wu Jinliang and asked, "What now?"

Wu Jinliang stuck his knife into the ground. "Easy," he said. "I brought this upon myself, so I'll move it." With that, he jumped down and began clearing the jumbled rocks and rubble below.

Xiang Lan'er asked, "What exactly happened?"

Shi Chun watched the activity below. "We dug a cave down there for seclusion. This guy, being restless before he left, collapsed the cliff face." He couldn't just stand there watching, so he jumped down to help as well.

Xiang Lan'er and Bian Weiying exchanged a glance, surprised that they had proactively come to do manual labor, and then they also jumped down to help.

As night fell, the number of people at the training ground suddenly increased. In the prime viewing stands, seventy to eighty regional lords from Sheng Shen Continent had arrived one after another. These influential figures had clearly increased their attention on the Heavenly Meteor Shower Competition. This was because the strongest forces from various states had mostly gathered in the Moon Sea to battle it out. The outcome was unpredictable, and it concerned the reputation and interests of each state, so how could they not pay attention?

Chi Rang, the regional lord of Xuanzhou, arrived relatively late. After finding an empty seat, he simply watched indifferently. This was related to the performance of Xuanzhou's forces in the West Pole. As for his attention on Shi Chun, he had already dropped it, assuming Shi Chun had died in the Moon Sea and wasn't worth his continued focus.

Throughout the training ground, no one was paying attention to whether Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were alive or dead anymore. Even Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter, who were socializing in the stands, had to face the revealed truth. Miao Dingyi had indeed told his wife and daughter that Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang had perished in the Moon Sea. Were they sad? Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter didn't feel sad, just a sense of regret; after all, they had known each other.

In Lan Qiaoyan's words, based on her understanding of Shi Chun, she actually admired his character and his abilities. She had thought he could go further, but unexpectedly, as soon as he was released from prison, he stepped into the pit of Wukang Mountain. It was truly a pity; perhaps this was the result of being overambitious and impractical. Miao Yilan also felt that Shi Chun was indeed a bit too ambitious and unrealistic. If he had agreed to join Bowang Tower, wouldn't his life be stable now? Why would he have to end up buried in the Moon Sea? She heard that when he died there, there wasn't even anyone to collect his body.

Today, Miao Yilan had also been pressured by her mother to make an effort to dress up. A young master introduced by Lan Qiaoyan's friend had arrived: Gong Shaoci. He was a handsome and elegant man, gentle and polite with others, and impeccably dressed. One could tell at a glance that he had been steeped in good upbringing for a long time. His family background was indeed extraordinary: he was the grandson of the Right Vice-Marquis of Huobu Continent, one of the Four Great Continents.

What is a Right Vice-Marquis? Below the thrones of the Four Great Continents, there are Left and Right Vice-Marquises, who serve as the throne's most trusted aides. In terms of rank and status, they are at least two levels higher than the regional lords. Of course, Bowang Tower, as the largest trading house in the cultivation world and an official merchant directly under the Heavenly Court, also has people in charge with high status. Although Miao Dingyi is a level below, as one of Bowang Tower's Six Pivots, Miao Yilan's family background, for a woman of marriageable age, is quite respectable. And the area Miao Dingyi managed at Bowang Tower happened to be the entire Huobu Continent. However, in terms of power, the Miao family certainly couldn't compare to the Gong family. Relatively speaking, it was considered a suitable match in terms of family status.

At this moment, Miao Yilan and Gong Shaoci, arranged by the adults, were chatting alone in a pavilion. Miao Yilan naturally knew her family's intentions; though she carried herself gracefully, she was also somewhat shy. Gong Shaoci chatted and laughed gently. Since he had come to this appointment, he had naturally already learned about the woman's family background. It was the first meeting between the two. Not far away, Lan Qiaoyan, who kept secretly observing them, was smiling, her expression having a hint of a mother-in-law approving a son-in-law. She was satisfied with Gong Shaoci in all aspects. If it had been Shi Chun, she would never have agreed, let alone arranged the match. Miao Dingyi knew his daughter was meeting the man today, but he still didn't come over.

Inside the training ground, Elder Yin Huixin looked utterly shocked, practically glued to the scrying mirror's image. Those around her tried to console her, their words implying that her daughter would not be returning. Any other sect, given this situation, would surely have given up spending more money on searching. Wukang Mountain had also given up, but a mother was different; she wouldn't easily give up. Yin Huixin, however, continued to watch, spending her own funds to keep the surveillance active.

Perhaps it was true that what you persistently seek will eventually reveal itself. The sudden appearance of Bian Weiying in the mirrored image caught the three from Wukang Mountain off guard. After confirming it was her daughter, Bian Weiying, Yin Huixin sprang to her feet, her eyes red, fighting back tears. She murmured, "Weiying is alive, Old Ke, Weiying is alive." Elder Ke had also stood up, nodding. "I see her. What are they doing moving stones? Ah, Xiang Lan'er, Shi Chun, and Wu Jinliang are all there. How did they end up together again?"

"Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang!" someone in the training ground exclaimed. "Doesn't that canyon look familiar?"

"Familiar? Isn't this the place where we first knew them? The place where Shi Chun drew his knife and killed people."

"How did those two guys go back there again? And it looks like there are two more beauties with them!"

"Why are they moving stones? Are they planning to build a nest with their beauties, in pairs?"

The entire training ground erupted in a clamor, like suddenly boiling water. Chi Rang, the regional lord of Xuanzhou in the prime viewing stands, was stunned for a moment, then chuckled, "Those two guys were in the Moon Sea for so long, and they're still alive! They didn't die." On the other side, Wei Mo, the regional lord of Shengzhou, frowned again, his expression instantly displeased. He was puzzled why they were still alive. Could it be true that "bad things never die"? He was one of the rare ones who actually wished for his own contestants to die.

In another part of the stands, Young Master Nan, who was chatting with friends, turned his head upon hearing the commotion in the training ground. After seeing Shi Chun clearly in the mirror image, he let out a strange yell on the spot, "Damn it, why isn't he dead yet?!" After saying it, he quickly looked around in panic, realizing he had spoken out of turn.

His friend across from him was surprised. "Young Master Nan, what do you mean? Do you have a grudge against this fellow? Our brothers can help you deal with him later."

Young Master Nan waved his hand. "No, no, he's my superior. Don't mess with him." He couldn't really explain the specific reasons. It was genuinely a bitter pill to swallow. Earlier, he had specifically told Miao Dingyi that Shi Chun had died, and as a result, Miao's daughter was now meeting someone else for a marriage arrangement. He knew exactly who the suitor was. This was his venue; nothing happening here could escape his eyes, let alone someone of such distinguished family background. Well then, now Shi Chun was alive again, and he had come back to life right in front of Miao Dingyi's daughter and her suitor. He truly wished he could slap himself. Was he even acting like a decent human being? His gaze searched around for Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter.

Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter were naturally startled by the commotion in the training ground. Seeing the person in the mirror, Miao Yilan couldn't help but stand up. This truly felt like a pleasant surprise. She gave a slight bow to Gong Shaoci, gesturing for him to wait, then quickly walked away to find her mother nearby. "Mother, Shi Chun is alive!"

Lan Qiaoyan nodded with a wry smile. She wasn't blind, so she had naturally seen it, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise and amusement, "To stay in the Moon Sea for several days and still come out alive is truly rare. I knew this fellow wouldn't die so easily!"

Gong Shaoci, stepping out of the pavilion, saw the mother and daughter's focused attention and heard the names repeatedly mentioned in the training ground. He waved over the friend accompanying him and asked, "Who is this Shi Chun?" His friend immediately rattled off an introduction.

Young Master Nan, hiding in a corner, watched the reactions of the mother and daughter, then Gong Shaoci's reaction. He couldn't help but turn and bang his head against a pillar. He had always prided himself on being shrewd in his dealings, but now he realized he had wronged too many people. The one he felt most sorry for was Shi Chun, who was still in the West Pole, and the one he was most ashamed to face was Miao Dingyi.