Chapter 340: Got to Do Some Work

His casual remark made many sects realize that their attention had been fixed on Shudao Mountain. But what about Shi Chun, whose presence had been overshadowed by Shudao Mountain?

Many people were also unfamiliar with Li Hongjiu. They knew such a person existed in the Yanbao Sect, but the details about him were vague, a mix of truth and rumor.

Not to mention outsiders, even many disciples within the Yanbao Sect had only heard legends about him, yet in reality, they saw a good-for-nothing who was constantly scolded for being useless and always being punished.

If he were truly that formidable, a treasure even, would he still be constantly punished?

He was probably a direct disciple of the sect leader, his reputation merely embellished.

If even internal disciples couldn't figure him out, how could outsiders easily know the truth?

The Yanbao Sect was also among the top ten major sects, and most sects kept a close eye on it. Their true understanding of Li Hongjiu was vague. They knew he was on the roster as the Yanbao Sect Leader's disciple and the team leader for this trip. However, the actual leader might be Guang Haoyou, and Li Hongjiu was likely just a figurehead.

Yet, this figurehead seemed quite daring. He was a Yanbao Sect Leader's disciple, while she was the daughter of the Shudao Mountain leader. He flirted with her upon meeting and now he was yelling at her in public, making it seem as if Yanbao Sect ranked second and Shudao Mountain third.

The accompanying Yanbao Sect disciples were also bewildered by their martial uncle's outburst. "What's he doing? He didn't even bother with pleasantries. He just yelled at her like that. And he didn't even understand the situation here. You just barged in and did it publicly. That's a bit too forceful."

It was too late to cover their martial uncle's mouth; the words spoken could not be unsaid.

In the past, these Yanbao Sect disciples would have endlessly complained about this martial uncle, or even secretly cursed him. Now that they had witnessed his abilities, they could only lament endlessly. "Can he not be a bit more reliable?"

After yelling at Gu Lianni, Li Hongjiu turned to look at his martial nephews left and right with a boastful raised eyebrow. "You can't say I didn't do proper business this time, can you?"

The group of disciples gritted their teeth, unable to openly instruct him on how to conduct himself.

Yin Tianlu, observing from the side, was also annoyed by Li Hongjiu's foul mouth. Originally, a silver lining in misfortune was that the Liantian Sect group and the Shudao Mountain group were about to leave. He could have continued to secretly seek opportunities by holding onto the Shi Chun lead. Now, this hidden lead on Shi Chun had been dragged out by Li Hongjiu.

But he couldn't say anything now. For now, he could only observe coldly, after all, he had publicly sworn to withdraw from this event.

Furthermore, he hadn't quite recovered from the previous blow, and his mood was somewhat gloomy.

He had originally thought his Jihuo Sect was on the same level as the Liantian Sect, but it turned out that was only what he had thought.

Most people were surprised by the whereabouts of Shi Chun's group and were also observing Gu Lianni's attitude.

What attitude could Gu Lianni possibly have? Given Shudao Mountain's standing in the industry, it was a matter of "a scholar can be killed but not humiliated," let alone that she was the sect leader's daughter.

Instantly, she put her hands on her hips, her eyebrows shot up, and just as she was about to use her words to reclaim her dignity with a frosty expression, a hand reached out from the side, signaling her to stop.

It was none other than Zuo Zisheng, the Liantian Sect leader who had just partnered with them.

Gu Lianni looked at him, unsure of his meaning.

Zuo Zisheng's gaze towards Li Hongjiu was somewhat cautious. Among the thousands of participating sects, if there was anyone who could truly make him wary, it was this man.

As the top sect, they naturally had the broadest and most extensive information gathering. He still remembered the sect's instructions before coming here.

If the legends were true, that he could contend with an Immortal Realm opponent with his High Martial Realm cultivation, that was tantamount to a human fighting an immortal and not losing. What an extraordinary feat that would be.

Moreover, this happened many years ago. It was said that at that time, Li Hongjiu's cultivation had not yet reached the peak of the High Martial Realm.

Although he was from the artifact-forging world, as a cultivator, he still yearned for such prowess.

If it was true, it truly was a legend, rare in the world.

If there was more skepticism about the legends before, then now, as soon as Li Hongjiu appeared, daring to flirt with the Shudao Mountain leader's daughter and then daring to yell at her without a second thought, his confidence was clearly not ordinary!

Seeing this person up close, Zuo Zisheng couldn't help but scrutinize him carefully before politely saying, "Mr. Li has also come to join the fun."

This address was considered giving face to the Yanbao Sect group. Li Hongjiu was the martial uncle of their group; if Zuo Zisheng addressed him as a brother, it would humiliate the Yanbao Sect disciples. This current address subtly conveyed respect for Li Hongjiu.

This was unlike his previous attitude towards other sects, where he would imperiously declare, "If you displease me, I'll just kill you for fun."

As soon as these words were uttered, not to mention other sects, even Gu Lianni was unexpectedly taken aback for a moment. She tilted her head to scrutinize Zuo Zisheng, feeling as if he had become a different person. He hadn't been like this just now; just now he was truly the imperious top disciple of the foremost sect, and she, a woman, found him quite dazzling to behold.

Previously, he dared to declare that he could suppress all sects present with his power, but suddenly he became so humble, which made everyone a little unaccustomed.

Some sects with higher standing and disciples from sects with broader access to information now looked at Li Hongjiu with meaningful gazes.

"Who is this?" Li Hongjiu still didn't recognize him, purely because he hadn't paid attention before. He could tell from his clothes that he was from the Liantian Sect, so he turned to look at a disciple beside him.

Guang Haoyou quickly moved closer and whispered, informing him of Zuo Zisheng's identity and subtly mentioning Gu Lianni's identity, reminding him to be cautious and not to speak carelessly again.

"No matter how strong you are, you can't act recklessly. After all, your strength isn't at the point of being omnipotent or unrivaled."

"Oh, the Liantian Sect. This doesn't concern you. Don't interfere, lest I be accused of bullying the weak. I'm looking for her," Li Hongjiu waved his hand at Zuo Zisheng, signaling him to stand aside, and then pointed at Gu Lianni. "Young lady, I also know your father; I've even poured tea for him. Let's not spoil our good relations, alright? Where is Shi Chun?"

After remembering she was Gu Yanduo's daughter, he indeed became a bit more polite, making Guang Haoyou and the others secretly sigh in relief.

Being ignored publicly, especially in this environment, Zuo Zisheng felt a bit uncomfortable. His mouth twitched slightly. He wanted to remind Li Hongjiu that this was not like the outside world; it was a place where magical artifacts congregated. Everyone had extremely lethal artifacts, and a slightly higher cultivation might not be useful here.

Gu Lianni wasn't afraid of this hot-and-cold fellow. Although she knew some things about Li Hongjiu, she was currently representing her sect's dignity and would not easily back down. How could a sect ranked below Shudao Mountain dare to act so presumptuously?

Moreover, it wasn't a solo fight now. They had already allied with the Liantian Sect. So she calmly stated, "Li Hongjiu, you're too late. Shi Chun has already been killed by me."

The meaning behind her words was very clear: "You want him? Not a chance!"

Upon hearing this, a group of people were astonished. "Dead?"

Yuan Yao, standing nearby, also hadn't expected Gu Lianni to blurt out such a statement. After a slight flicker in his eyes, he quickly added, "If you don't believe it, go ask Yin Tianlu of the Jihuo Sect; he witnessed it himself."

Consequently, everyone's gaze collectively leaped over the crowd to the Jihuo Sect members on the periphery.

What could Yin Tianlu say? His gaze towards Yuan Yao carried a hint of coldness. He realized he had been tricked by that guy.

Saying he saw it would be a lie, and what if other sects later discovered Shi Chun was still alive?

Saying he didn't see it would raise the question of who was lying. Naturally, they would have to argue about whether he saw it or not.

He could only remain silent, saying nothing.

As for what everyone else thought, it was none of his business.

However, someone still asked, "Brother Yin, was Shi Chun really killed?"

Yin Tianlu calmly replied, "As I said, my Jihuo Sect has withdrawn from this event and will not interfere in any way. I know nothing."

By not speaking, everyone could only assume he tacitly agreed.

Li Hongjiu also seemed quite amenable. He turned to look at his martial nephews and spread his hands in a gesture implying, "It's not that I'm not working hard, but the person is already dead."

The martial nephews' gazes turned mournful again. They desperately wanted to tell him, "Martial Uncle, you can't be so lazy."

Guang Haoyou could only lean closer and whisper in his ear, "Martial Uncle, the fact that Shudao Mountain could kill Shi Chun means they possess a secret technique."

Li Hongjiu looked at the expectant gazes of his disciples again. After a brief silence and thought, he turned back to Gu Lianni and asked, "Is the secret technique in your hands?"

Gu Lianni raised her chin and said with a hint of arrogance, "What if it is in my hands?"

She feared nothing now. The most powerful force among all sects was on her side. If the sky fell, there were taller people to hold it up. If the Liantian Sect dared to say they would withdraw, it would surely tarnish the Liantian Sect's reputation.

So Zuo Zisheng, her partner, tightened the corner of his mouth. Knowing the secret technique was in Gu Lianni's hands, and now facing Li Hongjiu, he didn't know whether he should be happy or not.

The gazes of various sects towards Gu Lianni showed greed. She had admitted it herself.

Yin Tianlu, on the periphery, looked towards Zuo Zisheng, and a hint of amusement played on his lips. He found Gu Lianni quite interesting, to pull such a stunt. "He who wears the crown must bear its weight." He wondered what Zuo Zisheng would do now.

Li Hongjiu, however, was straightforward. Cupping his hands over his mouth to form a makeshift megaphone, he quietly said to Gu Lianni, "Give me a copy of the secret technique. It won't hinder you."

Gu Lianni retorted aggressively, "What if I don't give it to you?"

Seeing that the woman had no intention of discussing quietly, Li Hongjiu lowered his hands. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then let's find the divine flames together. If we find them, I won't ask for too much." He then pointed back at the group of disciples behind him. "One divine flame per Yanbao Sect disciple is enough. I promise not to ask for more."

Now that things had come to this, he truly wanted to give these disciples an explanation, lest their gazes make him uncomfortable. After all, he had shown off his skills earlier, so he had to do some work.

These words made many people's expressions quite remarkable. "This isn't asking for too much? He just asked for twenty flames right off the bat, as if they were cabbages!"

But then again, if hundreds of flames had been found in the first half of the time, then taking only twenty in the latter half was indeed not asking for much, depending on who you compared it to.

"Martial Uncle is a good person!" At least for now, the group of Yanbao Sect disciples truly admired their martial uncle. This method of equal distribution was truly excellent; everyone would get a share. This made all the disciples extremely expectant.

Gu Lianni scoffed, "Why should I give them to you?"

Li Hongjiu thought for a moment and looked at the surrounding crowd. He asked, "Are all these people here to cause trouble for your Shudao Mountain?"

Gu Lianni scoffed, "Just like you."

"No, no, no, it's very different," Li Hongjiu waved his hand. "How about this: I won't take it for nothing. Let's cooperate. You can focus on finding the divine flames, and I'll block anyone who tries to cause trouble for you. If I block them, you give it. If I can't, you don't have to. Payment for work, fair and reasonable, what do you say?"

Gu Lianni raised her chin towards the surroundings and said playfully, "You make it sound better than it is. Have you asked them? Can they agree?"

That was a valid point. So Li Hongjiu looked around, and his gaze finally landed on the Liantian Sect. To save trouble, he still needed to target someone high-ranking. It was a matter of "killing the chicken to warn the monkey." He immediately advised, "Liantian Sect, all sects often encounter each other outside, and we all belong to the artifact-forging world. It's better to get along peacefully. Go play somewhere else; don't bully others by relying on your power."

His tone was didactic yet slightly stern, completely like that of an elder.

This time, it was Gu Lianni's turn to show a remarkable expression. She hadn't expected him to target the Liantian Sect first, especially since the Liantian Sect had just partnered with her.