Chapter 189: South Wu Yu

At this point, no one cared about the taboo of men and women touching. Several nearby hands quickly reached out to steady him, preventing him from crashing to the ground.

The people supporting him only felt a gust of wind, and a figure was already standing before them.

It was Ji Qinghe. He immediately reached out to grasp Mulan Qingqing's wrist, checking her pulse and internal injuries. After understanding her symptoms a little, he frowned again.

Previously, he thought her injuries were due to her fight with Shi Chun, but now he found the biggest problem was a blockage in her vital energy channels, as if she had shut herself off.

"She's taken it too hard," Ji Qinghe sighed, releasing her hand. He could understand why; even he found it hard to accept what he saw in the mirror, let alone the person directly involved.

He waved his hand, signaling to a disciple beside him, "It's not a big problem. Take her to our lodging first, and then we'll tend to her."

His gaze then fell on Guan Yingjie, who was being carried over. Seeing his broken leg, he sighed again.

As soon as Guan Yingjie saw him, he cried out in anguish, "Elder, we've been tricked!"

"Tricked?" Ji Qinghe looked puzzled. "Tricked? By whom?"

"Someone calling himself Wang Sheng, who impersonated a Youxia Mountain disciple, played us for fools. Elder, the full details..." The pale Guan Yingjie glanced at the surrounding crowd, finding some things difficult to say. "Please allow this disciple to report in detail after we return."

With Ji Qinghe's experience, he naturally understood that some things were not suitable for public disclosure. He immediately had a carriage brought over and swiftly had them leave the scene.

After seeing them off, Wan Daoxuan and the others sighed one after another, as if waking from a dream.

Their morale was still good. As the saying goes, when the sky falls, the tall ones bear the brunt. Based solely on Mulan Qingqing's declaration that Wang Sheng was her fiancé, they could completely shift the blame, and their sect wouldn't hold them responsible for their failure.

Yet, there was still some resentment, truly deep resentment, at being played for fools.

"Who was that person exactly? We were led around in circles, and even now, we don't know his name. It's ridiculous."

"We'll find out. With so many Insect Extreme Crystals, we'll know soon enough."

"I just can't understand it. Could she have mistaken her own fiancé?"

"I think the fiancé part must be true. Again, an ordinary person wouldn't be worthy of her. Given her family background, the husband chosen for her would certainly not be common. Wang Sheng's strength indeed matches the description of a fiancé."

"But when Wang Sheng attacked, he really tried to kill her. Who treats their fiancée like that?"

"Mulan didn't hold back either when she attacked Wang Sheng; she also went for the kill."

Listening to Tang Zhen and Li Shanshan's chatter, Wan Daoxuan sighed to the heavens, "Heaven knows what's going on."

The heavy gates of the barbican creaked open. The regional lords standing on the city wall watched as the people inside the city began to leave.

For the disciples participating from various sects, walking through this gate largely marked the end of the Heavenly Meteor Shower Gathering. All that remained was the matter of rankings.

Alternatively, what remained were the concerns of the regional lords: preventing manipulation, injustice, or interference with the rankings. These were matters beyond the control of the various sects; they could only leave it to fate.

Thus, a group of regional lords were already gathered here.

While the regional lords stood with their dignified bearing, Young Master Nan didn't bother with such formalities. He propped himself against the parapet, then vaulted over, directly leaping down. His target was clear: he darted straight towards Shi Chun and the three others who were emerging.

Ignoring all others who were leaving, he weaved and darted through the crowd, calling out "Excuse me, excuse me" along the way. Finally, he blocked Shi Chun and the three others, cheerfully cupping his hands in greeting. "Senior Brother... bah, no, what an excellent surname! It's naturally suited for taking advantage, truly remarkable. Brother Chun, Brother Wu, Miss Bian, Miss Xiang, this humble one is Nan Wuyu. My respects to you all."

"Where did this fellow come from?" Shi Chun and the three couldn't help but size him up.

The middle-aged man's luxurious brocade robes looked loose on him, and the laziness in his brow was hard to dispel, even with his current look of eager curiosity. He sported a pair of small mustaches.

He wasn't bad-looking, but his complexion was terrible. His face was a dark, purplish-brown, greasy, and seemed to have a deathly pallor with a reddish glow, a sign of extreme exhaustion. It was clear he hadn't rested properly in a long time and was forcing himself to stay alert, appearing disheveled and down-and-out.

Even though Shi Chun and his companions had limited exposure since leaving the place of exile, compared to people from the outside world, they could tell that this person was not doing well in life.

It was impossible for a normal person to go so long without rest; one had to be truly down on their luck to end up like this.

Although Shi Chun was puzzled, he remained polite, unsure of the man's background: "So it's Brother Nan. Have we met before?"

Young Master Nan cheerfully waved his hand. "No, no, we haven't. But now we have, haven't we? This humble one has admired you all for a long time!"

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang instinctively exchanged a glance, finding this disheveled fellow too hypocritical. They had only recently been released from exile and hadn't made a name for themselves; they were so poor that not even a ghost would know who they were. "Admired for a long time," my foot.

If they weren't in the royal capital, a place known to harbor hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and thus extra cautious as newcomers, Wu Jinliang would have long since drawn his broadsword and shooed him away. Why stand there bothering them?

Shi Chun probed, "Brother Nan, is there something you need by blocking our path?"

"Need something?" Young Master Nan's eyes widened suddenly, looking startled. He waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "You exaggerate, you exaggerate. How could I presume to instruct you?"

Immediately, he forced a fawning smile. "I just wanted to ask, Brother Chun, how many Insect Extreme Crystals did you acquire this trip, and under whose name were they registered?"

Shi Chun and the three others exchanged another glance. They wanted to ask, "Who are you? We're strangers, and you just show up and start digging into our affairs? Is that appropriate?"

Looking around, they noticed that most people who had left the barbican were gone. Only a few scattered individuals passed by, and occasionally someone still emerged from the Xun Gate exit.

However, some people were turning back. Bai Shuchuan, who had already left, had surprisingly returned with two fellow disciples.

Upon returning to Shi Chun and the others, Bai Shuchuan, having learned his lesson, skipped questioning Shi Chun this time. "Bian Weiying, are you sure you want me to expose everything?"

As he spoke, he couldn't resist glancing at Xiang Lan'er again.

Ultimately, he hadn't given up hope. If they truly fell out and things were handled formally, this beauty might be forever beyond his reach. He still wanted to try and see if he could gain control.

Bian Weiying frowned, unsure how to respond. Should she directly say, "We've already acquired a large number of Insect Extreme Crystals, and we're not afraid of you exposing anything"?

Her current concern was what trouble a public confrontation between the two factions would bring to Wukang Mountain. The issue of desertion had already been resolved by Shi Chun in another way.

Young Master Nan had previously seen Bai Shuchuan pointing fingers at Shi Chun. Now, he couldn't help but confirm, "Brother Chun, is this your friend?"

Shi Chun calmly replied, "He's too high-ranking for me to associate with."

Bai Shuchuan already found Young Master Nan to be in the way. Seeing his shabby appearance and hearing him address Shi Chun as "brother"—someone of Shi Chun's caliber—he could easily guess the man's low status. He casually waved the man aside, "None of your business. Get out of the way!"

Young Master Nan, who had taken two steps back, looked somewhat stunned, as if thinking, "I didn't provoke you."

He mentally reviewed all the prominent sects in Sheng Province and couldn't think of any disciple who would be so arrogant towards him. He sized up Bai Shuchuan, let out a soft "heh," and wore a puzzled expression.

He then turned to Shi Chun and asked, "Brother Chun, he's truly not your friend? Then I'm going to be impolite, alright?"

Shi Chun was also surprised, and quite curious to see how impolite this person dared to be towards Bai Shuchuan. His reaction mirrored Wu Jinliang's.

The two of them almost simultaneously shook their heads in agreement.

Bai Shuchuan also found it amusing, detecting a hint of threat in the downtrodden man's words. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Heh heh..." But before he finished laughing, he saw the man suddenly step forward, his hand moving like a phantom.

*Slap!* A crisp, loud smack echoed, and Bai Shuchuan instantly tumbled to the ground with a resounding thud.

He seemed to be dazed from the fall. His face quickly swelled, and two molar teeth lay in the puddle of blood spat from his mouth.

Clearly, that slap was not light.

"..." Shi Chun and the other two were instantly dumbfounded. A single move from an expert reveals their true skill.

This wasn't a sneak attack; it was done openly, and he had even given a warning beforehand. Bai Shuchuan was too stunned to even dodge in time, which made the display of power quite astonishing.

The problem was that this level of strength was completely at odds with the man's haggard appearance.

The two brothers were instantly alarmed, having now experienced firsthand the hidden talents within the royal capital.

Bai Shuchuan shook his head groggily on the ground, struggling a few times but unable to stand. His two accompanying disciples were also startled by Young Master Nan's skill. They didn't dare to intervene directly, only venturing to help Bai Shuchuan up.

"What's going on?" a voice boomed.

The group turned around to see several figures dressed in snow-white robes approaching. Leading them was an old man with graying temples and an ethereal demeanor, none other than Wu Handong, the Chief Elder of Jieyun Mountain, accompanied by Elder Lin and other disciples from their sect.

Having heard that the participants were released from the training grounds, representatives from various sects rushed to meet them. They hadn't expected to arrive and witness from a distance one of their disciples being struck down. As elders of their sect, it was only natural for them to intervene.

Then, a few more figures appeared behind them, whom Shi Chun and the others recognized: Bian Jixiong, the sect leader of Wukang Mountain, and his companions.

Further in the distance, under the lamplight, shadows flickered. The scene of various sects reuniting with their disciples was far livelier than at the barbican gate.

Seeing Wu Handong and the others arrive, the Jieyun Mountain disciples immediately felt emboldened. Supporting the dazed Bai Shuchuan, they went to meet them. One of them pointed at Young Master Nan and exclaimed, "Grand Elder, he struck Senior Brother Bai! You must seek justice for Senior Brother Bai!"

An Elder from Jieyun Mountain has arrived? Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were secretly alarmed. They instinctively moved a few steps to the side, clearly demarcating themselves from Young Master Nan to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

It wasn't that they were disloyal; they simply weren't truly acquainted with this person named Nan.

Wu Handong immediately flashed before Young Master Nan. After sizing him up and seeing his shabby, haggard appearance, the inherent human tendency to judge social status emerged. He sternly reprimanded, "Where did this arrogant ruffian come from, daring to cause trouble here!"

He didn't recognize Young Master Nan, and Young Master Nan, after examining him, didn't recognize him either.

Although Jieyun Mountain was the foremost sect in Sheng Province, Sheng Province had over a hundred such "foremost sects." Young Master Nan truly couldn't keep track of all those he hadn't interacted with.

The two of them normally had no reason to interact, so they didn't know each other.

"Barking without asking for context—excellent!" Young Master Nan nodded cheerfully, a mirthless smile on his face. He then turned his head, staring at the figures on the city wall. "You all saw it; it's not that I'm disrespecting you, but someone is going too far! I'm stating this clearly: no matter which sect he's from, if this old fossil doesn't apologize properly to me today, he shouldn't dream of leaving the royal capital alive. I mean it!"