Chapter 396: Spare Their Lives

The question left the Ming Shan Sect group unsure how to respond; they wanted to ask if he was joking, wondering if such a significant decision was within their purview to comment on.

If we could make such major decisions ourselves, what would we need you, the leader, for?

This wasn't a joke or a taunt; they genuinely felt this way. Among themselves, they might not truly obey anyone, but regarding Shi Chun, they had already tacitly agreed that major decisions should be made by him, which also put their own minds at ease.

Along the way, facts would place everyone in their rightful positions, determined by results and ability.

Moreover, was this for real? Could such a monstrous figure, their sworn enemy, who had finally fallen into their hands, truly be released?

They couldn't understand Shi Chun's thoughts, but Wu Jinliang did.

Wu Jinliang knew immediately upon hearing it that these words weren't meant for others, but specifically for him, Wu Jinliang, even though they were ostensibly addressed to everyone.

His spirits lifted, his eyes widened, and as he moved next to Tong Mingshan, he cheered with his arm raised high, "No, don't let him go! Kill him!"

The Ming Shan Sect group uniformly looked at him, not because they thought there was anything wrong with his words, but because his tone was off. They didn't know where his anger and fervor came from; this emotion seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

This also made Li Hongjiu feel a bit awkward. He forcefully turned his head to look at Wu Jinliang, who was clenching his fist and raising his arm. The man who had been giggling at him earlier now acted as if he had a vendetta.

Using Tong Mingshan's body as a shield, Wu Jinliang poked Tong Mingshan's lower back with his other hand, repeatedly reminding and hinting.

Tong Mingshan wasn't foolish; combining this with Shi Chun's question, he immediately understood the meaning and promptly responded, "He cannot be released!"

Shi Chun first took out a piece of ice sheep and took a breath. He then adopted an expression of deep distress and said, "Why go to such extremes! As the saying goes, 'from blows and wounds, friendship grows.' I deeply admire Mister and wish to abandon past grievances to forge a bond of brotherhood forever. I implore everyone, seeing how diligently I have served you all, to please grant me this favor?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hongjiu turned his head to stare at him again, his face showing a sense of innocence—the kind of innocence that comes from being inexplicably saved. Earlier, he had clearly been desperate for them to let him go, but now he really wanted to ask, "Is this for real?"

If it was a trick, there was no need for it.

The key was that he couldn't find a reason for Shi Chun to spare his life, nor did it seem he could offer them anything. As a ruthless killer from the land of exile with no moral compass, he wouldn't believe it himself if they claimed they would release him without any benefit.

Yet he truly couldn't think of what benefit he could offer the other party. Could it be that they wanted him to guarantee their escape?

After much thought, if they weren't just toying with him, this seemed to be the only reason: how to leave the Divine Fire Domain alive.

Without assistance, this would be an insurmountable hurdle for their group.

Realizing this, he immediately felt much more at ease. He figured he wouldn't die, as he was adaptable and not overly rigid. As long as they had a request, it would be easy to deal with, and he would surely survive.

Meanwhile, Wu Jinliang's mouth twitched repeatedly. He considered himself the one who understood Shi Chun the most, but the current Shi Chun felt so unfamiliar. Not understanding what Shi Chun wanted to do was one thing, but the key was that Shi Chun was constantly using elaborate language, not just feigning refinement as before, and such words seemed somewhat familiar.

It wasn't hard to recall where it was familiar from, as it was uncommon.

He recalled having seen it in a book Shi Chun frequently read, a book that told the story of the master of "Wuyong Palace," or rather, an interpretation of their legend. It was said that the master particularly enjoyed becoming sworn brothers with others back then.

"Wuyong Palace" was an entity detached from the cultivation world, a place of peace and detachment. Its master and companion had long vanished, enjoying their freedom. The current empress hailed from Wuyong Palace, and although she claimed her actions had nothing to do with the palace, her behavior still drew criticism towards Wuyong Palace to some extent.

Although he recalled the origin of Shi Chun's similar words, he still couldn't figure out what Shi Chun intended to do, but this didn't hinder his cooperation.

He burst into laughter, as if he had heard the greatest joke, looking up at the sky and roaring: "Face? What is face worth? Shi Chun, is your face more important, or everyone's lives?!" He forcefully waved his finger, pointing at the Ming Shan Sect group, then at Li Hongjiu, who was bundled like a zongzi, and roared, "He was hunting us down! How could we possibly let him go?!"

All right, even if the Ming Shan Sect group was slow to react, they were, after all, once elite disciples from various sects. When had "Wu Hehe" ever dared to speak to their leader like this? His current state was unlike his usual self, almost like a stranger.

Everyone understood: this fellow was putting on a charade with their leader.

Shi Chun, having been rejected, looked eagerly at Tong Mingshan again, cupping his hands in a pleading manner: "Sect Master, it's rare for me to ask a favor of you. How about you grant me this one favor this time?"

Li Hongjiu, who could only move his head and neck, blinked repeatedly, trying to take in everyone's reactions.

If Tong Mingshan still didn't know how to cooperate, then he wouldn't have been worthy of being a sect leader at the Heaven's Rain Meteorite Convention in the first place. This time, his expression and reaction immediately followed suit. He said in a deep voice, "Shi Chun, this isn't about granting a favor. Wu Jinliang is right. Don't you know he was hunting us down? How could we possibly leave such a future threat?"

"Exactly, he cannot be released.""Right, we absolutely cannot spare him.""Sect Master, if he's released, there will be endless trouble later."

The Ming Shan Sect group began talking over each other, all expressing great indignation, as if they wished to tear Li Hongjiu into pieces.

"Alas," Shi Chun sighed, lowering his head dejectedly. He slowly turned to face the "iron zongzi," lamenting: "Mister Li, I deeply admire you, and I truly wished to forge a bond of brotherhood with you. But you and I both understand that reality is reality, and what they say also makes sense. I am powerless now."

Li Hongjiu blinked repeatedly again, his expression quite remarkable. What he wanted to say was: "Do you think the various sects don't know how your group came to be? During the Heaven's Rain Meteorite Convention, these were all people you terribly exploited, causing them to be expelled from their sects, and then you were the one who bailed them out of prison.

"So, do you think the various sects are deaf and blind, unaware that you are the true leader of this group?"

The problem was, with your capabilities, if you claim to be subservient to them, who would believe it? "Do I, Li Hongjiu, look that foolish?"

Though he knew it clearly in his heart, his thoughts could only remain there. It wasn't convenient for him to expose them and cause them to lose face now.

Unexpectedly, Shi Chun suddenly turned and walked away, as if giving up. With his back to everyone, he waved his hand and said, "Never mind. Whether he lives or dies, you all decide for yourselves."

Li Hongjiu turned his head to watch him go, when suddenly his eyes flashed. He saw Wu Jinliang wave his hand and pull out an absurdly large saber, dragging it along the ground with a clatter as he approached. The ominous intent was obvious.

"Alas," Li Hongjiu couldn't help but sigh. He wanted to shout, "Can you stop playing games? Can't you just say directly what you want? I've already shown how understanding I am. Is there anything that can't be said directly? Do you really need to scare me like this?"

When Wu Jinliang reached him, he suddenly raised the saber with one hand, then gripped it with both hands, and with a whistling, wind-cutting force, fiercely swung it towards Li Hongjiu's head.

Xiao Sheng, who was holding the ice sheep and serving Li Hongjiu nearby, quickly pulled back his hand to avoid it.

Li Hongjiu believed the saber wouldn't hit his head and really wanted to close his eyes and ignore it.

However, after a moment's thought, he decided: "Never mind. When under another's roof, one must bow one's head. I might as well cooperate with them. What if I'm wrong?"

He immediately shouted, "Wait!"

Shi Chun also suddenly turned around, waved his hand, and yelled, "Spare him!"

Whoosh, the strong wind forced Li Hongjiu's eyes shut, his hair flew wildly, and the blade of the saber stopped just before his forehead.

When the wind ceased, Li Hongjiu slowly opened his eyes and looked around, muttering inwardly, "It stopped just in time. Why go to such great lengths?"

He became even more certain in his heart.

Shi Chun rushed back, pushed away the overhead saber, and half-leaned on the "iron zongzi," facing Li Hongjiu directly. He said, "Mister, do you have any last words? Feel free to say whatever you wish. I will definitely convey your message, and I will not fail to deliver on anything I can do. If I speak a single lie, may I be struck by lightning!"

"Struck by lightning?" Li Hongjiu couldn't help but blink again.

After holding it in for a moment, he adjusted his lips, blew away the stray hairs clinging to his eyelashes, and then, with an incredibly sincere expression, asked, "Can I just not die?"

"Hmm?" Shi Chun tilted his head slightly. "What kind of last words are those?"

All right, Li Hongjiu then put on an earnest expression and said, "Senior Brother, no, Brother Chun, after our first formal encounter, my admiration for you, Brother Chun, became unstoppable. I've been constantly thinking of it, sighing to the heavens and shaking my head at the ground, wishing I could become sworn brothers with you, Brother Chun."

Every single member of the Ming Shan Sect group stared at him as if petrified.

Shi Chun was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but ask, "Then why were you still hunting me down?"

Li Hongjiu again assumed a pained expression and said, "It was just a matter of unfortunate timing; we each served our own masters. As for why I pursued you, Brother Chun, with your wisdom, you must surely know in your heart. I swear to Heaven, I never truly intended to hunt you down, Brother Chun. I merely wanted to capture you all alive so that I could both account for myself to my superiors and ensure your safety, protecting you from harm by others."

As he spoke, he strained to look left and right, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "You all saw how hostile the various sects were towards you. I was forced to resort to this desperate measure, to pursue you so relentlessly. You can all understand, even with half a brain, that I wanted to find the secret method for the Divine Fire. How could I possibly directly kill you? You've all misunderstood."

His gaze returned to Shi Chun's face, and he said with utmost sincerity, "If I speak a single lie, may I be struck by lightning and die a terrible death!"

After speaking, he again blew air from his lips, clearing the stray hairs that kept clinging to his eyelashes.

That was quite a proficient venomous oath. In Shi Chun's mind, the image of the man before him controlling lightning resurfaced. At the same time, he recalled how he himself had been struck by lightning but was unharmed and even gained cultivation.

Then again, if it weren't for this, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to spare the other party's life. Wasn't there enough trouble already?

Of course, he also realized that his earlier oath had been problematic, and he wondered if the other party's retaliatory "venomous oath" was intentional.

In any case, there was no point in one brother criticizing the other. He simply dismissed the matter, reaching out gently to brush away Li Hongjiu's troublesome stray hairs. He sighed, "Each serves his own master; that's understandable. If it weren't for this situation, I would certainly have sworn you as my elder brother, Mister. Alas..."

Li Hongjiu nodded repeatedly, interrupting him: "There's a chance, there's a chance, there definitely is. Can't we just put this matter behind us? I, Li, am a few years older, so I'll boldly call you 'younger brother.' My brother, since we brothers appreciate each other so much, what words are difficult to say? What grievances cannot be resolved by talking? There's truly no need to harm each other; you would regret it for a lifetime."

Shi Chun sighed, "Brother Jiu, the key is that this matter isn't solely up to me. You've seen their attitude."

Li Hongjiu nodded his head like a pecking chicken. "I understand, I understand, of course I do. Don't you think I, your elder brother, understand this much? Help me talk to them. My words still carry some weight with the Yan Bao Sect. As long as I'm alive, when the exit opens, I can find a way to help you all escape smoothly."