Chapter 204: Greater Fish

At the entrance of the Disciplinary Hall, someone saw the two returning from afar, heading their way. They turned and ran into the courtyard, shouting loudly, "Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang are back! Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang are back!"

Dozens of people, tall and short, fat and thin, immediately rushed out of their rooms. Pang Tiansheng, plump and greasy, emerged and scolded, "What's all that senseless shouting about?"

The messenger reiterated to him, "Fat Martial Uncle, Martial Uncle Chun and Martial Uncle Wu are back."

There was no denying that Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang held quite high seniority in Wukang Mountain. As Elder Ke's disciples, they were of the same generation as Pang Tiansheng.

Pang Tiansheng said, "Everyone knows they're back. Why are you shouting?"

The messenger replied, "No, it's that they're coming this way, towards our Disciplinary Hall."

Pang Tiansheng rebuked, "What nonsense are you spouting? They..." Before he could finish, his gaze fixed on the main entrance, and he froze. Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang strolled in, Wu Jinliang's large saber conspicuously slung over his shoulder.

Wu Jinliang's saber was something no one in the Disciplinary Hall had ever seen. The last time they were brought to the mountain, their weapons had been left at the inn.

The sight of the saber sent chills down Pang Tiansheng's spine; it looked truly terrifying.

The last time the two had beaten him, their strength was still limited. This time, he heard they had both broken through to the High Martial realm and had come with their weapons. If they were to fight now, wouldn't he be beaten to death?

Their tendency to erupt into violence at any moment was impossible to guard against, and it had left a deep impression on him.

He was somewhat bewildered. How could two individuals who had accomplished such great deeds come here? And stay here? That seemed impossible. To reminisce? They surely didn't have fond memories of the Disciplinary Hall. He could only think of one possibility: they were here to settle scores with him. His legs suddenly felt weak.

"Martial Uncle Chun, Martial Uncle Wu.""Martial Uncle Wu, Martial Uncle Chun.""Junior Martial Brother Chun, Junior Martial Brother Wu..."Even those of the same generation, whose smiles were usually unseen, now beamed at the two triumphant returnees.

Their smiles were filled with admiration and envy. To them, what had happened to Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang was like a legendary tale they could only fantasize about day after day: defeating all the heroes under heaven one day, then returning like heroes, earning the respect and admiration of the entire sect.

The self-indulgent scenarios they imagined had actually been brought to life in reality by two individuals far less significant than themselves.

Beyond envy, they also admired the courage of the two to make this legendary story a reality.

Fighting to the death against top experts among the elite disciples of the Suyuan Sect, and leading thousands of people from Xuanzhou in circles—those who lived their routine lives day after day truly found it hard to imagine such people appearing in their midst.

Such stories were supposed to happen only to extraordinary talents in the vast cultivation world. How could they appear among people right next to them? Yet, it had truly happened, right before their eyes.

Upon seeing the familiar faces they hadn't seen in a long time, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang also smiled. Their gaze swept over the crowd, and their eyes immediately landed on the conspicuously plump Pang Tiansheng, who was forcing a smile, as well as the square-faced Zou Xingbao, the horse-faced Duan You, and many other familiar faces they had once known.

*Thud!* Wu Jinliang's heavy saber struck the ground. "Are we still staying in our old rooms? They haven't been taken, have they?"

The crowd exchanged glances. When no one replied for a long time, Wu Jinliang barked, "Fat Senior Brother, what's the meaning of this? I'm asking you, which room are we staying in?"

Pang Tiansheng genuinely found it hard to move. He braced himself and asked, "You're still staying here?"

Wu Jinliang replied, "Otherwise, where?"

"Alright," Pang Tiansheng said, turning his head to shout, "The heroes of Wukang Mountain are back! Why aren't you helping clear out my room?"

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were stunned, both surprised and understanding.

The scene immediately became a flurry of activity, and in no time, the best room was prepared.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang made themselves at home. They deserved the best room in the Disciplinary Hall, didn't they?

After the two settled in, a group of fellow disciples immediately gathered around them, eager for stories about the Heavenly Meteor Shower Convention.

Wu Jinliang, a master of eloquent storytelling and boastful talk, slapped his thigh and began, vowing to leave Wukang Mountain with a legendary tale that would endure for ages.

Pang Tiansheng had no interest in listening. After settling the two individuals who had made his heart tremble, he immediately ran to find the Sect Leader, his master.

Upon arriving, he couldn't get an audience right away. After Bian Jixiong and others returned, they immediately held a meeting with the sect's senior officials to inform them of the situation and discuss the next steps.

There was no other choice. Elder Wu Handong's veiled threats from Jieyun Mountain still echoed in their ears. How could they not take them seriously? They weren't Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang.

Inside the council hall, the elders were all in a somber mood. Only the disciples below them, who didn't have to worry about the sect's future, were cheering for the first-place victory.

They no longer even had the mind to pursue Bian Weiying for her defiant actions, nor was it suitable to do so openly. What reason could they give for holding her accountable, when she had returned having achieved great merit for the sect? Privately, while still in the capital, Bian Jixiong had already given Bian Weiying a thorough dressing-down. Faced with her sophistry, he had even lost control and slapped her. Even Yin Huixin, far from protecting her, had scolded her daughter for her foolishness. Bian Weiying, however, had not told Shi Chun or the others about this.

It was almost evening by the time the discussion finally concluded.

Seeing his master emerge and walk away, Pang Tiansheng immediately chased after him, nagging like a shadow: "Master, it's not appropriate for Shi Chun and them to keep staying in my Disciplinary Hall, is it?"

Hearing this, Bian Jixiong paused. Previously consumed by greater worries, he only remembered this minor detail now that it was brought up. However, upon reflection, he genuinely didn't know which department would be suitable for Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. They weren't official Wukang Mountain disciples, and it wouldn't be appropriate for them to be involved in matters concerning the sect's internal affairs and secrets. After some thought, he asked, "Do they have any complaints about staying in the Disciplinary Hall?"

Pang Tiansheng replied, "I haven't heard any complaints for now, but Master, those two have a problem with me, they hold a grudge. Something might happen if they stay in the Disciplinary Hall!"

"What could possibly happen?" Bian Jixiong resumed walking. "You're overthinking it. Let them stay there for now."

Pang Tiansheng grew anxious and pressed on, "Master, I heard they dared to kill people indiscriminately even in front of the Royal Court's forces, let alone in the Disciplinary Hall..."

Bian Jixiong cut him off, "Enough. Just avoid them." He had more pressing matters to attend to and no time to waste on this nonsense.

Pang Tiansheng, who had stopped, stood speechless and bewildered. After a while, he turned around dejectedly, dragging his heavy footsteps back.

On his way, he was stopped again. "Fat Martial Uncle, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you. Martial Uncle Bian Weiying is looking for you; she wants you to go see her."

Alright, Pang Tiansheng turned and headed towards Bian Weiying.

Bian Weiying didn't stand on ceremony with him. She directly issued an order, "Senior Martial Brother Pang, I hear Shi Chun and them are still in your Disciplinary Hall. Starting tomorrow, it's business as usual: have them fetch water for me."

"What? Still have them fetch water?" Pang Tiansheng jumped, waving his hands frantically. "No, no, that won't do! They are heroes now, only temporarily staying in the Disciplinary Hall. How can we make them do chores? If I suggest that, they'll surely beat me to death. By the way, Junior Martial Sister, my situation is very dangerous. You can't just stand by and do nothing..."

He rattled off his worries.

Bian Weiying saw how useless and spineless he was, so she simply used him as an excuse and personally went to the Disciplinary Hall to help her fat Senior Martial Brother out.

Given their past camaraderie, Shi Chun naturally had to show respect and promised not to beat Pang Tiansheng anymore. However, some requests could not be entertained. Making them do chores like fetching water was absolutely unacceptable. Shi Chun knew perfectly well what this woman liked to do when no one was around behind the scenes. This wasn't about fetching water; it was clearly about tempting him. He didn't like having his willpower constantly tested; it was very uncomfortable. If Pang Tiansheng dared to make them do chores again, they would beat him just the same.

Bian Weiying glared at him in annoyance and left, pondering about getting a pair of parent-child talismans later, giving one to Shi Chun for easy communication.

In the forbidden area of the sect, a white-robed elder sat cross-legged, still as a stone statue. He was the previous Sect Leader, Bian Que. Not far behind him, Bian Jixiong knelt, and after reporting the relevant situation, he sighed, "What do we do now? We can't kill them, and Jieyun Mountain might strike at any moment."

The white-robed Bian Que said, "Judging by the results of the Heavenly Meteor Shower Convention, it's unbelievably perverse. I don't believe such results could be achieved without the interference of demonic cultivators. This demonic sect seems even more rampant than we imagined, daring to act so brazenly. We haven't moved against them before because we wanted to uncover the spy hidden on the mountain, and determine who the person Shi Chun is looking for really is. To this day, there's no clue; they are too deeply hidden. Since things have come to this, we can't keep that child Wei Kang locked up indefinitely. He is the future of the Bian family and Wukang Mountain; we can't let him be ruined. Prepare to act. Once we've captured Shi Chun and them, we'll see if we can pry information from him to expose the spy, striving to eliminate all these demonic cultivators with malicious intentions!"

Bian Jixiong worried, "These demonic disciples are likely more than just the few apparent individuals. If they have a powerful force behind them, Wukang Mountain alone might not be able to handle it. Father, we must make more preparations."

The white-robed Bian Que responded, "How could Wukang Mountain dare to oppose the demonic sect alone? Naturally, I will contact the Royal Court to intervene in this matter. Once the Royal Court makes a move, their momentum will be like thunder. Even if Jieyun Mountain had a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly. If they were mistaken for accomplices of the demonic sect, no one could protect them."

Bian Jixiong's eyes lit up. "Father, your wisdom is profound! This resolves our predicament instantly, and we no longer need to account for anything to the offended factions."

The dark cloud that had been lingering in his mind finally dispersed, and his mood brightened considerably.

Deep into the night, those who had been pestering Shi Chun and the others for stories finally dispersed, each returning to their rooms to rest.

Wu Jinliang stood under the eaves, looking at the night sky, then hopped onto the roof to gaze at the brilliant lights of Wukang Mountain. A look of deep thought and contemplation settled on his brow.

After returning to the room and closing the door, he saw Shi Chun sitting cross-legged in meditation. He immediately moved closer and sat down beside him, whispering, "Chuntian, why did we even come back here? They won't give us cultivation resources or any benefits. In the capital, with Young Master Nan's support, we should have seized the chance to force Bian Jixiong to let us leave the sect. If Wukang Mountain now refuses to let us go, are we supposed to betray our master and sect? That's a major taboo in the cultivation world; no faction would tolerate such behavior."

Shi Chun replied, "Don't worry, if I want to leave, I have ways to do so at any time. Before I go, I need to get all the benefits I'm owed. I can't have come here for nothing."

Wu Jinliang asked, "What? Are you still thinking about the secret method for crafting the Immobilization Talisman? Isn't that thing useless once you leave Wukang Mountain?"

Shi Chun said, "Have you forgotten how my cultivation broke through? There might be a bigger fish hidden here. How could I be content without coming back to confirm it?"

Wu Jinliang suddenly understood, realizing his intention.