Chapter 66: Escaped

Perfect!

Even a fool would know what to do. It seemed these two punished laborers were also people arranged by Elder Xia. Having found two more pieces of leverage within Wukang Mountain, Shi Chun and the other man smiled, nodded in agreement, and each picked up a carrying pole before heading down the mountain.

As they watched them go, Zou Xingbao suddenly asked Duan You, who was beside him, "They seemed quite happy to be punished with work. Did I see that wrong?"

Duan You replied, "Happy or not, the work still needs to be done. These two are truly impulsive, daring to even kill Wei Bian. Being punished at the disciplinary office is considered light."

Zou Xingbao chuckled, "Light? It's just that Wei Bian and his group were at fault first, so there was nothing they could do, right? Just watch. On the surface, being punished here seems light, but secretly, they're definitely in for it. Fatty Martial Uncle was by the Sect Leader's side back then, and Wei Bian was by Elder Yin's side. The two had a good relationship. It would be strange if Fatty Martial Uncle let them off easy. Didn't you notice they weren't even given shoes?"

Duan You patted his shoulder, found a stool to sit on, and, watching the two men going up and down the mountainside, said, "Forget it, it's none of our business. The fact that Fatty Martial Uncle lets us idle around is already showing us enough care."

Zou Xingbao scoffed, "The care is because we've been at the disciplinary office for a long time and have gotten close to him. Ultimately, our backgrounds aren't strong enough. If only we had someone influential to speak up for us, even small matters wouldn't have resulted in us being punished for all these years."

The path on the mountainside was indeed much narrower than the main road at the front. Those going up or down had to turn sideways to pass each other. Everyone carrying poles up and down the mountain seemed to be in a hurry, bustling along. Shi Chun and the other man appeared somewhat out of place.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, grassy vegetation began to appear ahead, lush and vibrant, refreshing to the eyes. A stone slab path wound its way deeper into the mountain forest. The two followed the path, not only observing the laborers carrying loads back and forth but also scanning their surroundings for any guards. Other laborers on the road noticed their bare feet, looking at them with curiosity and surprise.

Being confined to such a place, whether they had shoes or not was irrelevant to Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. Having just come from a place of exile, they had long been accustomed to going barefoot. Besides, they didn't need any dignity now. They thought Wukang Mountain was deliberately making things difficult for them by not giving them shoes. Little did they know that Elder Xia had truly forgotten about it. Elder Xia was accustomed to making major decisions and didn't pay much attention to small details; he would just walk off with his hands behind his back, not noticing if anyone behind him was wearing shoes.

At first, the two thought carrying twenty loads of water in one morning would be an easy task, at least for cultivators like them. It wasn't until they had walked for a while that they realized it wasn't as easy as they had imagined, as the distance was quite far. No wonder all the water-carrying laborers along the way were in such a hurry. The reason everyone had to travel so far to fetch water was not for physical punishment, but because there were specific requirements for the water source. For example, after a heavy rain the previous night, the water quality in ordinary sources would become turbid, but not in the water source guarded by a special group of Wukang Mountain disciples.

Upon arriving at the water source and looking around, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang found it quite strange that Wukang Mountain didn't place its sect facilities near the water source. Following suit, they filled their buckets like the other laborers and then carried them back. According to Wu Jinliang, now was the time to find an opportunity to escape. Shi Chun, however, said there was no rush. Since they had finally made it here, they should take the opportunity while fetching water to explore Wukang Mountain's environment, preparing for the future. Wu Jinliang thought it made sense, so the two trudged along, huffing and puffing, and returned to the mountain.

Zou Xingbao and Duan You, who were waiting at the mountain road intersection, saw them arrive, waved them over to follow, and at a certain junction, each took one of them away. Along the way, Shi Chun was instructed to remember his route and destination. From then on, barring any changes, the water jars at that destination would be theirs to fill daily.

In a courtyard within a pavilion, ten water jars were placed in various corners. Zou Xingbao led Shi Chun and pointed out the location of each jar. Shi Chun nodded, indicating he had noted them, muttering to himself, "Aren't they afraid of someone poisoning the water?" When Shi Chun asked Zou Xingbao where this place was, Zou Xingbao refused to tell him, admonishing him not to inquire because he was not a disciple of the sect.

As they left, a Wukang Mountain disciple from the courtyard handed a silver token to Shi Chun. Shi Chun didn't understand its meaning. Zou Xingbao explained that one token was given for each load of water, and collecting twenty tokens from this courtyard to give to Fatty Martial Uncle Pang Tiansheng would signify the completion of the morning's water-carrying task.

When they walked back to the intersection leading down the mountain, Wu Jinliang was already there, waiting. This time, Zou Xingbao and Duan You still didn't go down the mountain, telling Shi Chun and the other man to continue. They said their pace was too slow and they wouldn't be able to complete the morning's water-carrying task at that rate. As they descended the mountain, Shi Chun and the other man asked each other if they had discovered anything. Finding that neither had been allowed to inquire, they immediately lost all interest in staying and resolved to escape.

By the cliffside, Bian Weiying's skirt fluttered in the wind. After watching the two men descend the mountain and confirming their identities, a playful smile touched her lips, and she turned to leave. She went directly to the sect's main council hall.

Inside the hall, a group of sect leaders were holding a meeting. Yin Huixin was also present. Suddenly, a disciple guarding outside came to report, "Sect Leader, Bian Weiying, the City Lord of Linkang City, requests an audience."

Bian Jixiong, standing at the head, frowned. The other high-ranking sect members exchanged questioning glances, their reactions showing a mixture of confusion and surprise; even Yin Huixin was clearly taken aback. After a brief silence, Bian Jixiong said in a deep voice, "Let her in."

The disciple immediately withdrew. A moment later, Bian Weiying swiftly entered. After taking her place, she bowed to everyone, "Sect Leader, Elders."

Bian Jixiong asked, "Don't you know we are in a meeting? What matter is so urgent that it must interrupt us at this moment?"

Bian Weiying cupped her hands and declared loudly, "This disciple wishes to resign from the position of City Lord of Linkang City."

Her words immediately caused a stir of surprise and confusion. For Wukang Mountain, the position of City Lord of Linkang City was one of the few desirable roles, sought after by many but obtained by few. To put it bluntly, if Bian Weiying weren't the Sect Leader's daughter, she might not even have secured that position. And now she wanted to resign?

Bian Jixiong looked at Yin Huixin, only to find his wife equally astonished and clearly unaware. He frowned deeply and asked, "Reason?"

Bian Weiying replied, "To avoid suspicion! Although the sect has made a decision regarding last night's events, rumors are still spreading. While the matter originated with Wei Bian, this disciple also bears an undeniable responsibility. Therefore, I request to resign, wishing to return to the mountain and focus on cultivation. I ask for the Sect Leader's approval."

Xia Fuli spoke up, "Weiying, there's no need for this. What task can be done without gossip? If everyone acted this way, then no one would get anything done."

"Exactly. If you find anyone spreading false rumors, report them, and the sect will handle it."

"The matter has already been settled. As long as your conscience is clear, that's enough."

The high-ranking sect members, to varying degrees, offered words of comfort. Bian Jixiong also said, "Don't make a hasty decision. Go back and calm down for a few days, and speak to us again once you've thought it through clearly."

However, Bian Weiying insisted publicly, "Sect Leader, this disciple has thought about it extremely clearly. These past years, being bogged down by trivial matters has hindered my cultivation. How can one balance gains and losses? After much deliberation, I have decided to return to my original aspirations and cultivate diligently on the mountain. This is also to avoid suspicion, lest anyone say the Sect Leader is protecting his daughter. This disciple wishes to take the blame and resign. I ask for the Sect Leader's and all Elders' permission!"

Seeing that she genuinely no longer wished to be the City Lord, the Elders exchanged glances. At first, they had thought she was just putting on a show. After a flicker in his eyes, Bian Jixiong slowly asked, "Have you truly thought this through?" As Sect Leader, his greatest fear was disciples accusing him of unfairness. With his daughter offering herself as a convenient solution, he didn't dislike it; on the contrary, he found it quite comfortable.

Bian Weiying replied, "Perfectly clear."

Bian Jixiong took a deep breath. "Very well then. For this matter, I shall make an autocratic decision just this once and grant your request! It is good for you to return to the mountain; from now on, focusing wholeheartedly on your cultivation will also be beneficial." His gaze swept over the others. "Everyone, since the position of City Lord of Linkang City has become vacant, let us discuss it today and see who is suitable to take over as City Lord."

Yin Huixin intently watched her daughter's expression and reaction.

Down the mountain, on the stone slab path in the forest, Wu Jinliang, who had been looking around, finally found an opportunity where no one was visible ahead or behind them at a bend. He whispered urgently, "Chun!" Shi Chun had already seen it without needing to be told and quickly responded, "Go!" The two immediately, along with their carrying poles, darted into the dense forest beside them, tossing the buckets and poles into a puddle. They crouched low, using the terrain and trees for cover, and swiftly fled through the mountains.

However, they hadn't fled far when they heard a series of sharp "caw" sounds from the trees. Startled, the two looked up. They saw a blue-plumed crow-sparrow perched on a branch, staring at them and cawing loudly while flapping its wings. If it had just been one bird cawing, it would have been fine, but everywhere they went, the blue-plumed crow-sparrows in the trees joined in, cawing loudly while watching them. They even flapped their wings and flew into the air, following the fleeing duo.

The two men's expressions instantly changed dramatically. They had occasionally seen these birds on the trees along the water-carrying path before, originally thinking they were just ordinary forest birds. Now, it was clear that things were not so simple. No wonder Wukang Mountain dared not assign guards to watch them. The two picked up stones from the ground and threw them, knocking down a few birds, but it was useless. The birds were not scared off and continued to caw and follow them relentlessly.

"Chun, what's going on?" Wu Jinliang exclaimed.

"No matter what's going on, it's too late now," Shi Chun shouted, pointing ahead. "I saw a river over there from the mountain."

The two immediately ignored the birds and desperately rushed towards the river. The water-carriers in the mountains were alarmed. One after another, they dropped their carrying poles and leapt onto trees, watching the direction the flock of birds was pursuing. That scene startled Duan You and Zou Xingbao, who were sitting idly at the mountain road intersection. Seeing this, they exchanged glances, and their faces suddenly changed in unison. "It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it?" The two instantly felt afraid and quickly ran down the mountain to confirm. On the mountain, a group of enforcement disciples had already flashed to the cliffside to peer down. After spotting the direction the flock of birds was pursuing, their leader waved a hand, and the group instantly swooped down the mountain, chasing after them...

Inside the council hall, after a period of intense contention, the new City Lord of Linkang City had just been decided when a disciple suddenly ran in from outside, reporting loudly, "Sect Leader, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang have escaped while being punished with water-carrying duties!"

Bian Jixiong paused, wanting to ask if those two fellows had gone mad. He immediately bellowed, "Why are you not pursuing them quickly?!"

The disciple replied, "The enforcement disciples have already gone after them upon hearing the news."

Among the Elders, some found it amusing. "I really don't know what those two fellows were thinking," one said. "As prisoners of Wukang Mountain, how could they possibly believe they could easily escape right under Wukang Mountain's nose?"

Others had serious expressions, reminding everyone, "Those who dare to escape must have something to rely on. We must not be careless. More personnel should be sent to apprehend them!"

Bian Jixiong agreed, ordering, "Issue the command! Send more teams and apprehend them with full force!"

Elder Xia Fuli's expression had already darkened, looking quite displeased.