Chapter 188: Disciple of Youxia Mountain

The mood of the entire Xuanzhou contingent was low. To be precise, not everyone felt this way; it was primarily the elite Xuanzhou forces associated with Mulan Qingqing who were dejected and downcast.

The mob walking ahead of them, however, displayed arrogant and conceited expressions. They frequently glanced back at the elite forces queuing behind, many of them secretly suppressing laughter.

There was a time when they wouldn't have dared to impede the elite forces, always deferring to them and staying behind.

Now, those same elite forces had lost their accustomed position of precedence and were actually queuing obediently behind the mob.

Even Mulan Qingqing, though at the front of her own group, found herself queuing behind them. The sheer satisfaction of having Mulan Qingqing herself obediently line up behind them was beyond words.

The mob remained utterly arrogant, but dared not take their taunts too far.

Chu Jingting and his companions, who had been the first to cut their chains, immediately scanned the area for Wang Sheng and his group. After several rounds of searching, they didn't find them, but instead spotted Lao Changtai and others from the Ziyun Sect, who had been on the same "pirate ship" and returned ahead of them.

The members of the six sects who had been waiting there immediately converged on them to offer greetings upon their return.

Noticing the mob's arrogance and Mulan Qingqing's dejected expression—like an eggplant withered by frost—Lao Changtai couldn't help but purse his lips and quietly ask, "What happened?"

"What else? They suffered a major loss. Wang Sheng, our so-called leader, hit them hard..." Chu Jingting whispered, giving a brief account of the gambling match.

Lao Changtai and the others were a mix of delight and surprise upon hearing this; they hadn't expected Mulan Qingqing to be outmatched by Wang Sheng in a duel.

Someone, incredulous, whispered, "No way, could she have intentionally thrown the fight? After all, Wang Sheng has leverage over her."

Someone immediately whispered back, "Absolutely not. If a master hadn't secretly intervened, Mulan would have been killed by Wang Sheng. Look at Guan Yingjie, who was carried back — he's crippled, his legs severed by Wang Sheng. That's not how one 'throws' a fight."

"Alright," Chu Jingting waved his hand, changing the subject. He then asked suspiciously, "Where is Wang Sheng? He and his junior sister returned earlier, riding the Wind Scale beast. They should have arrived already. Where are they?"

"They haven't returned," someone replied. "We've been waiting here, watching the entrance. If they came back, we would have seen them." Another added, "Indeed, with so many of us, it's impossible for them to have passed unnoticed."

Chu Jingting let out an exclamation of surprise. "That doesn't make sense. How could they not have arrived yet, especially riding a Wind Scale beast? Could something have happened on the way?"

At this, not only Chu Jingting but also his companions exchanged worried glances, their expressions changing. What kind of incident could possibly halt a Wind Scale beast flying rapidly at high altitude? At least, it would be difficult for anyone below the Human Immortal realm to achieve that.

They instinctively thought of the master who had secretly helped Mulan Qingqing escape danger.

The more they pondered, the more alarmed and worried they became. Chu Jingting abruptly shifted his tone, saying gravely, "Don't just stand there blankly. Go search! Look through the crowds and ask around."

The group immediately dispersed, fanning out to search the surroundings and the crowds gathered in corners, asking everyone if they had seen Wang Sheng and the others from Youxia Mountain.

Suddenly, a startled shout erupted from a crowd in a corner: "Brother Chu, over here, quickly!"

The emotion carried in that cry was hard to define; it was a mix of fright and a chilling sense of unease.

The guards stationed along the inner city walls looked over, and seeing no disturbance or continued commotion, they did not intervene.

However, that cry was indeed unusual, even startling Mulan Qingqing and her group, who had just entered behind them. Yet, they only glanced over briefly, too deeply immersed in their own feelings of loss to care about anything else.

Chu Jingting and his companions were equally puzzled by the situation and the strange, unprecedented tone of the shout. They rushed towards the source.

The crowd parted, revealing Fang Zicheng, the Beiting Sect's leader, standing guard in front of five young men in gray robes, his face utterly pale.

The scene was bizarre: Fang Zicheng appeared utterly terrified, as if he'd lost his soul, while the five young men in gray also seemed greatly startled, huddled together like small, trembling quails, their eyes betraying a nervous "why."

Lao Changtai clapped Fang Zicheng on the shoulder. "Brother Fang, why the commotion? What's wrong?"

Fang Zicheng first looked at his approaching companions, his face not only pale but also reflecting utter despair in his eyes. He then raised a trembling hand to point at the five young men in gray, his voice equally shaky, "They... they... they said... they said... they said..."

He struggled to form a complete sentence, as if too profoundly shocked to even articulate the words.

What on earth? Many who had rushed over at the sound exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend the situation.

As Wang Sheng's associates, his companions were also startled by the situation. Had their worst fears come true? Had something genuinely happened to their "boss," Wang Sheng, en route?

What about the Insect Extremity Crystals?

Everyone's hearts gradually sank.

Seeing Fang Zicheng's disoriented state, Chu Jingting couldn't help but grasp his arm, squeezing it until it hurt, and demanded, "Explain yourself clearly. What happened?"

The pain seemed to bring Fang Zicheng back to his senses slightly. With a bitter expression, he finally spoke coherently: "They say they are disciples of Youxia Mountain."

"What do you mean?" Chu Jingting asked, his brow furrowed in suspicion. Not only he, but the others present also failed to grasp his meaning.

Fang Zicheng looked at their confused reactions, a feeling of utter despair washing over him. Finally, he added weakly, "They claim to be Youxia Mountain disciples, and they say there's no one named Wang Sheng or Gao Qiang, nor any junior sister Feng Meimei, from Youxia Mountain."

That explanation was clear enough. The group slowly grasped the implications, and one by one, they gaped in astonishment, as if their souls had been startled out of them. "Fake?"

One party had to be fake: either these five individuals standing before them or the three who hadn't arrived yet.

Anyone with a modicum of logical reasoning could likely deduce the truth.

Recalling the vast quantity of Insect Extremity Crystals carried away by Wang Sheng and his companions, those who came to their senses gasped, finally understanding the depth of Fang Zicheng's terror.

Yet, they still couldn't believe it.

Some even found it impossible to accept, especially Chu Jingting, Wang Sheng's chief accomplice. His face flushed beet red, then alternated between red and white before turning ashen. He roughly pulled Fang Zicheng aside and personally confronted the five young men in gray, demanding, "How do you prove you are from Youxia Mountain?"

One of the young men timidly extended his index finger, weakly pointing at the armored guards performing their duties in front of the Xun Gate. He dared not speak, but his meaning was clear: it was simple, verifiable with a quick check.

Chu Jingting was rendered speechless. Very well, he thought, dismissing that point. Still unwilling to concede, he pressed another point of doubt: "No! Out of ten thousand participants, we gathered seven thousand. With so many of us, how could not a single person recognize you?"

"Even if we hadn't met before the conference, everyone stayed together on the immortal mountain before departure. Surely, your neighbors to the front, back, left, and right would have seen you?"

His implication was clear: how could it be that no one among over seven thousand people had encountered someone from Youxia Mountain? How dared Wang Sheng so openly impersonate a Youxia Mountain disciple? Logically, such an act should have been easily exposed.

Little did he know, even if exposed, what then? Since Wang Sheng and his group dared to commit such an act, they were not afraid of exposure and undoubtedly possessed the ability to manage the complex aftermath.

The young man weakly pointed to some members of various sects gathered around them. "Our neighbors from the immortal mountain are all right here."

What? The group looked left and right at these so-called neighbors, their eyes nearly bulging in disbelief. They noticed that these neighbors, once pointed out, also appeared timid, afraid of trouble, and fearful of getting involved.

It was immediately apparent that these were disciples from very small sects, unaccustomed to suddenly being surrounded by so many large ones. The situation was startling, and they were all visibly frightened, unsure of what predicament they had been drawn into.

Chu Jingting, his mouth dry, still pressed for details: "How could it be such a coincidence that your neighbors from the immortal mountain are all gathered together here again?"

The young man, with downcast eyes, carefully explained, "We had agreed on the immortal mountain to stick together. Once inside the Western Extremity, we stayed in the same area, not far from each other, relying on one another, and exited together after the conference."

This explained the coincidence; they had essentially remained together the entire time.

Chu Jingting glanced at the thick city wall, feeling a desperate urge to smash his head against it. After a deep breath, he decided he no longer wanted to speak or ask anything further. He then dragged the five supposed Youxia Mountain disciples to the armored guards to verify their identities.

The outcome was a cruel reality: these five were indeed genuine Youxia Mountain disciples.

A sect was only permitted to have five entrants; it was impossible for there to be additional members.

Observing the timid demeanor of the genuine Youxia Mountain disciples and then recalling the outrageous actions of Wang Sheng and his group, a simple comparison revealed they could not possibly be from the same sect. Their temperament and conduct were worlds apart, clearly not "hatched from the same nest."

How audacious! How could they have dared?

Contemplating his own complicity in Wang Sheng's actions, Chu Jingting truly despaired. Suddenly, he let out a raw howl towards the sky, "Wang Sheng, damn your ancestors!"

Lao Changtai dropped to his knees, his legs genuinely giving way. It was over; he didn't know how he would face his sect. He was utterly doomed!

Suddenly, someone cursed Wang Sheng. Mulan Qingqing and her group looked over upon hearing the outburst. Seeing it was one of Wang Sheng's close cronies, they were somewhat puzzled.

What did it mean to curse her fiancé in front of Mulan Qingqing? Wan Daoxuan was perplexed, so he personally stepped forward to investigate.

In truth, some matters are best left misunderstood. Knowing too much can indeed be quite frightening, and Wan Daoxuan panicked on the spot.

However, he was relatively fine; he had merely been deceived, unlike Chu Jingting and the others, who were accomplices.

But he couldn't grasp it. How could this be fake? That was Mulan Qingqing's fiancé! How could Mulan Qingqing possibly mistake her own man? This was utterly preposterous!

This matter absolutely needed clarification. He immediately brought the five Youxia Mountain disciples to Mulan Qingqing and explained the situation.

By this point, the five Youxia Mountain disciples, having been dragged back and forth, likely understood what was happening. They wondered what misfortune they had incurred; they had hidden well and emerged safely, so why had they been impersonated?

With no enmity, why impersonate a minor sect like ours, of all people? Are we the kind who can get entangled with these major factions? Wouldn't it have been better to impersonate a powerful sect?

They couldn't comprehend what their impersonators had been thinking.

Mulan Qingqing, having grasped the situation, was stunned. She too wanted to know what Wang Sheng and his companions had been thinking.

Looking back, the names Wang Sheng and Gao Qiang were clearly arbitrarily chosen.

Impersonating Youxia Mountain disciples, even using fake names, and not bothering to change their clothes—how audacious was that?

The impersonation method was simply too crude!

Wan Daoxuan and the others repeatedly asked Mulan Qingqing, "Isn't he your fiancé?"

Mulan Qingqing stood there in a daze, silent and unmoving, as if she couldn't hear anything.

Later, the gates of the inner city opened.

The guards' shouts rang out, "Participants exiting the Western Extremity may now leave!"

Mulan Qingqing herself was unaware of how she exited the inner city. Among the blurry figures moving before her, she recognized familiar faces who had come to greet them: Elder Ji Qinghe and two fellow disciples. Mulan Qingqing's pupils abruptly contracted.

Elder Ji Qinghe's brows furrowed slightly. He saw that her appearance and complexion were extremely abnormal; what was with her yellowish, pallid face? Was it due to an injury?

"Pfft..."

Suddenly, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from Mulan Qingqing's mouth. Then, with her eyes closed, she collapsed lifelessly.

"Mulan!"

"Miss Mulan!"

Cries of alarm rose from all sides.