Chapter 226: Who Has Objections

Finally, Shi Chun, Wu Jinliang, and Xiang Lan'er returned to Wukang Mountain as instructed.

They arrived at the foot of the mountain at twilight, with the sky bathed in a magnificent evening glow, and the ruined mountain gate archway looked somewhat desolate. Their reception was far from pleasant, as might be expected. They were dragged up the mountain by furious Wukang Mountain disciples, who pulled their clothes and hair, leaving them in a very dishevelled state. One female disciple seemed to particularly despise Xiang Lan'er, scratching her until she bled, as if she wanted to disfigure her. Xiang Lan'er took a good look, making a mental note. If the junior disciples hadn't lacked the authority, the three might even have been beaten to death on the spot. Disciples from both up and down the mountain were already hanging white mourning banners and performing funeral rites.

"You scoundrels!" Elder Ke let out a furious roar upon seeing the three in front of the sect's main hall.

Wukang Mountain actually had no evidence of the three's guilt. The only suspicious fact was that they and Xia Fuli had all left before the incident and could not be contacted. Faced with public questioning, the three insisted they had been called down the mountain by Elder Xia. They claimed Xia Fuli told them to go to the Sinkhole at the southern foot of the mountain, and though they didn't understand why, they simply followed orders. After waiting a long time for Xia Fuli to appear, they eventually returned. "If there really were any problems, how would we dare to return?"

Yin Huixin, her eyes red from crying, did not refute these statements. Instead, she stared at Shi Chun, her eyes blazing with fury. Shi Chun knew inwardly that this woman had probably already been alerted by the demonic sect. Currently, Shi Chun didn't know what other methods the demonic sect had to ensure their safety on the mountain, apart from this woman.

The interrogation yielded no results, so the three were thrown into a large prison and placed under strict guard. Wukang Mountain indeed had no evidence linking the three to the deaths of the Bian father and son. Moreover, the three were, after all, the first, second, and third place winners of the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Tournament. Killing them without proof would be unjustifiable and would raise questions from higher authorities. Furthermore, most others, apart from Yin Huixin, actually believed Shi Chun and the others' statements. In the eyes of most people at Wukang Mountain, the deaths of the Bian father and son were related to the sects offended at the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Tournament. They believed that if the culprits could track the movements of these three, they likely wouldn't let them off easily. At least for now, they couldn't decide the fate of Shi Chun and the other two. They were still waiting for Bian Que to return, unaware that Bian Que had already died.

Not long after the three were imprisoned, someone took Shi Chun out again. Shi Chun could guess who wanted to see him. As expected, after being escorted into the senior living quarters, where ordinary people were forbidden, he saw Yin Huixin, whose eyes were red and swollen.

"You can leave." After Yin Huixin waved away the escorts, she suddenly reached out and clutched Shi Chun's neck, nearly breaking it. She gritted her teeth in front of Shi Chun's face and demanded, "This is what you call doing your best to keep my son safe?"

Shi Chun, under restraint and unable to resist, had his face turn red from being choked, gurgling and unable to utter a single word. After a long moment, Yin Huixin finally released him. Not giving her a chance to press further, Shi Chun, rubbing his neck and coughing for breath, still staggered to look around, both inside and out. He then swayed closer to her and whispered, "Is it safe to talk here?"

Yin Huixin gritted her teeth and snapped, "Don't think I won't dare to kill you just because you think you can threaten me!"

Shi Chun understood immediately; his guess was confirmed. This woman had indeed been alerted. He said softly, "I already know about your relationship with Xia Fuli, and Xia Fuli's relationship with Bian Weiying."

At these words, Yin Huixin instantly flushed with shame and indignation. Before she could say anything, Shi Chun pressed his hands together, gesturing for her to calm down. "This isn't important, at least not to me," he said. "I have no other intentions. It's not that I didn't want to save your son, but I truly had no way at the time; I was also controlled when the incident happened. I can only say I've done my best. At least I've figured out the whole story behind this matter. The problem lies in your relationship with Xia Fuli and Xia Fuli's relationship with Bian Weiying. Someone wants to manipulate this situation to get rid of Bian Que, Bian Jixiong, and Bian Weikang, and put your daughter, Bian Weiying, in power."

Yin Huixin angrily retorted, "Nonsense! Do you think you can fool me? Bian Weiying doesn't have the secret technique to refine body-fixing talismans; it would be useless for her to take power."

Shi Chun replied, "With the Xun Gate, Linkang City will quickly gather vast amounts of wealth and resources, expanding rapidly. Controlling Bian Weiying means controlling all of this. Also, Bian Que and Bian Jixiong seem to have secretly clashed with someone. The two sides were engaged in a secret confrontation, which forced those people to strike with murderous intent. After killing the Bian grandfather and grandsons and putting Bian Weiying in power, Xia Fuli would then use your private affair with her to threaten you, and Bian Weiying's true parentage to threaten her. In this way, Wukang Mountain could be controlled and used for their purposes."

Yin Huixin, filled with shock and doubt, fell silent on the spot. After some thought, she believed it, her face filling with sorrow as she realized that the cause of this tragedy was likely truly linked to her own impropriety.

Shi Chun continued, "Elder Yin, what has happened has happened. The past causes are no longer important. What I need to tell you now are the consequences. First, Bian Que is not coming back. He is dead."

This news of his death startled Yin Huixin.

Shi Chun continued, "Secondly, you must remember that they cannot threaten you. Though I couldn't help you save your son, I did find a way to eliminate Xia Fuli for you. It wasn't entirely to help you; I just didn't want Xia Fuli to threaten Bian Weiying. A father like that is better off gone. Elder Yin, Xia Fuli is dead. Do you understand what I mean?"

He wasn't afraid Yin Huixin would blame him for her lover's death; he had learned from Xia Fuli himself that their private affair had long since faded.

A flicker of surprise appeared in Yin Huixin's eyes; she naturally understood the meaning of his words. He had already helped her remove her most concerning vulnerability. After her surprise, she asked suspiciously, "What do you actually want? Do you intend to use this to bind Weiying?"

Shi Chun waved his hand. "I don't want anything," he said. "I merely wish to help Bian Weiying. I have no romantic feelings for her; helping her is simply to not betray her affection and to put my own mind at ease. As you know, I cannot remain in Wukang Mountain. Besides, I killed her biological father. We are destined not to be together. After I leave, we likely won't meet again. May we both find peace."

Yin Huixin remained silent, staring blankly at him. She hadn't expected to get such an answer after calling him in. After a long while, she asked again, "Who exactly are you people?"

Shi Chun waved his hand. "Don't use the word 'you all'," he said. "Wu Jinliang and I truly came from the land of exile, and we genuinely didn't expect to be caught up in such a matter. No matter who they are, and whether you believe it or not, I still want to say one thing: I am not with them. I am merely a passerby in Wukang Mountain, and my time here ends now. Once I walk out of this door, I will have said nothing; there's no need to question me further."

Their conversation ended there; there was no need for further idle chat. Afterward, someone came again and escorted Shi Chun back to the prison. The three were not imprisoned together but in separate cells.

Yin Huixin, looking out at the starry sky from her window, remained silent for a very long time. Although still deep in sorrow, Shi Chun had laid bare the truth for her. She knew what she was about to face and how to face it. Her heart was full of grief, yet she was remarkably calm.

Days passed, and Bian Que never appeared. Wukang Mountain gradually realized that something had probably happened to the old Sect Leader as well; otherwise, he wouldn't remain absent with such a major incident occurring in the sect. The shocking changes at Wukang Mountain also alarmed the regional government and the royal court, both of which sent people to inquire personally. After all, the banner left by the culprits explicitly stated "The Foremost Sect of the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Tournament." This clearly indicated dissatisfaction with Wukang Mountain's victory and evidently settled the score for the humiliation suffered at the tournament outside the venue.

But what could those who came to inquire do? Without evidence, whom could they hold accountable? They could only express outrage and condemnation, declaring that once caught, the culprits would be severely punished. Then, sects from Shengzhou raised objections regarding this matter, specifically questioning whether the Xun Gate should still be established at Wukang Mountain. The sect that raised the objection was Jieyun Mountain, the largest sect in Shengzhou. At this juncture, many already suspected that Jieyun Mountain was behind the Wukang Mountain incident, yet they showed no effort to avoid suspicion, displaying such complete confidence.

Before Shengzhou could make a statement on the matter, the royal court spoke first, instructing Jieyun Mountain to prove its own non-involvement in the Wukang Mountain incident. How could they prove that? This immediately put Jieyun Mountain in an awkward position and made them a laughingstock.

The next matter was the succession of Wukang Mountain's Sect Leader, a matter the royal court was also quite concerned about. It wasn't hard to understand why; the royal court and Wukang Mountain had always been deeply connected.

Inside Wukang Mountain's council hall, an envoy sent by the royal court, dignified and exuding official authority, was personally presiding over discussions on this matter, when suddenly someone reported from outside, "Elders, Junior Sister Bian Weiying has returned."

"Let her come over!" Chief Elder Yi Huachun snorted. With both the old Sect Leader and the current Sect Leader gone, he was currently the highest-ranking authority in Wukang Mountain and was temporarily in charge of the sect.

A moment later, Bian Weiying was brought in, completely bewildered. She had been quite excited on her way back, having successfully mastered the "Five Beasts Celestial Soothing Art," and was eager to try it out upon her return. However, as soon as she reached the foot of the mountain, she found a funeral ceremony underway. After understanding what had happened, she felt as if she'd been struck by lightning, utterly stunned. She couldn't even remember how she'd made it back. No one paid attention to her improper demeanor in the hall.

The royal court envoy, seated in the high position, said, "Since the sole heir of the Bian clan has returned, the position of Sect Leader naturally holds no more suspense."

Chief Elder Yi Huachun said, "Without the secret refining technique, and Weiying being so young, it may be difficult for her to gain the respect of the disciples!"

Elder Feng Youzhi said, "The old Sect Leader's fate is unknown. What if he returns? I think it might be inappropriate to decide on a Sect Leader now."

Elder Cui Youfei said, "That makes sense. I think it would be better for the Grand Elder to temporarily take charge for now."

Yin Huixin, dressed in mourning attire, remained perfectly silent. Elder Ke frowned, deep in thought.

The royal court envoy scanned the reactions of the crowd and declared loudly, "The reason Wukang Mountain exists is due to the royal court's commendation, rewarding the Bian clan for their generational heritage. This was to encourage the royal soldiers to accept orders and sacrifice their lives. If outsiders were allowed to meddle, and the royal court remained indifferent, wouldn't that discourage the soldiers? I'm not saying any of you harbor ill intentions. I am here simply to convey the royal court's will to you all: As long as the Bian clan exists, Wukang Mountain exists. If the Bian clan ceases to exist, there will be no need for you all to occupy this place. There is nothing to discuss about this matter. Even if Bian Que were to return, the royal court would not allow him a second choice. According to the rules of succession, only Bian Weiying is qualified. Therefore, Bian Weiying shall inherit the position of Wukang Mountain's Sect Leader. Those who object may follow me to the royal court to present your grievances. If there are no objections, the position of Sect Leader is hereby decided. Does anyone object?"