Chapter 78: Again Giving Me Empty Promises

The Summit!

“Does anyone want to eat? If you want food, come get it yourselves; we won’t wait.”

On the mountain path outside the building, an armored guard was shouting, accompanied by several colleagues carrying food boxes.

Shi Chun, who had been deep in thought in front of Bian Weiying, suddenly snapped awake. He turned, and along with Wu Jinliang, who was beside him, they both jogged over.

They weren’t particularly hungry, but they had never tasted food from the royal capital, much less from this immortal mountain. Naturally, they didn’t want to miss the chance.

Each took a box and asked about the daily meal times. They were told that food would be delivered at the appointed hour, given if desired, and no one would care if it wasn’t. Used food boxes left by the roadside would be collected later.

Bidding farewell to the food deliverers, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang simultaneously opened their food boxes. They sampled and critiqued the food, grinning from ear to ear as if they’d never eaten before.

Bian Weiying, Gan Tangyu, and Xiang Lan’er stared, bewildered, at the two men’s perfectly synchronized actions.

Just after they had scraped their food boxes clean and placed them by the roadside, more armored guards arrived, bringing documents: a copy of the competition rules and prize announcements for each group, and an examination ground atlas for each individual. These were essentially maps, detailing the forms and descriptions of the 'Insect Crystal'.

The rules were straightforward; the main focus was the prize announcement from the Sheng Shenzhou Royal Court. Prizes were awarded to participating sects and individuals, but not to the various provinces below. For the provinces, gaining more 'Xun Gates' was considered the greatest reward.

After the competition results were decided, the top ten sects and all their disciples would receive free passage through all publicly accessible 'Xun Gates' within Sheng Shenzhou for a specified period. It was explicitly stated that this excluded 'Xun Gates' reserved for internal use by the Immortal Court.

The first-place sect would gain permanent free passage through Sheng Shenzhou's 'Xun Gates'.

Second place received 300 years, third place 200 years, fourth to sixth 100 years, and seventh to tenth 50 years.

This was undoubtedly a substantial reward for the various sects, as the fee for a single person to pass through a 'Xun Gate' was not low, and for collective sect activities, it represented a significant expense. The larger the sect and the more disciples it had, the greater the practical benefits it would gain.

For those representing their sects in the competition, their efforts would directly benefit everyone within their entire sect.

As for individual rewards, they were more direct and practical.

All top ten individuals would receive a reward of one million Tan Gold.

Fourth to sixth place would receive an additional two million, totaling three million Tan Gold.

First to third place, in addition to the basic reward, would each receive a set of property deeds for a residence in the Sheng Shenzhou Royal Capital, with the value proportional to their ranking.

Reading this prize announcement, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's eyes gleamed with avarice. Just getting into the top ten meant a million, and the rewards for the top three were even more astonishing. Although the exact value was unknown, it could be inferred by comparing it to the value of the fourth to sixth place prizes.

Shi Chun casually flipped through the examination ground atlas again. After pondering for a moment, he publicly asked Bian Weiying, “Senior Sister, the competition officially begins in three days. Shouldn’t we be distributing the talismans given by the sect now?”

That address of 'Senior Sister' surprised everyone, even Wu Jinliang, who was taken aback by it.

Wu Jinliang knew Shi Chun well enough to understand that such an accommodating tone indicated a shift in the situation.

After a moment of surprise, Bian Weiying realized her own lapse in composure. Since Shi Chun had joined the sect and become a disciple of Elder Ke, he was her peer, and calling her 'Senior Sister' was perfectly appropriate. She immediately replied with a smile, “Junior Brother, you two are always causing trouble and are too rash. For now, the talismans will stay with me. If you behave honestly and listen, I will naturally distribute them to you. If you cause trouble or act recklessly, that might not be the case.”

Shi Chun started to say something more.

Bian Weiying raised a hand to stop him. “We’ll discuss it after the competition begins,” she said.

Fine, Shi Chun had no choice but to postpone the matter. While others studied the competition rules, he nudged Wu Jinliang with his elbow, and the two went together to his room.

As soon as the door closed, Wu Jinliang asked conspiratorially, “What’s up?”

Shi Chun whispered, “Do you want to get revenge on Bai Shuchuan?”

Wu Jinliang immediately gritted his teeth. “Yes, how?”

Shi Chun: “The demonic faction is too cunning, and Bian Weiying is playing with fire. None of them can be trusted. We have to rely on ourselves. How about we split off and go solo once the competition starts?”

Wu Jinliang’s eyes widened. “Go solo? Just the two of us?”

He almost asked if Shi Chun was dreaming.

Shi Chun picked up the map and tapped it. “Don’t you think this place looks a lot like somewhere else?” he asked.

Wu Jinliang: “Where?”

Shi Chun: “This place is sealed. After the competition begins, everyone who enters will be trapped there, and their cultivation levels aren’t high. Doesn’t this situation feel familiar to you?”

Wu Jinliang froze. Now that Shi Chun mentioned it, it did feel familiar. He mumbled, “The Land of Exile?”

Shi Chun nodded. “Exactly. This is our area of expertise. What’s there to be afraid of? They should be afraid of us.

I’ve seen it clearly now: following Bian Weiying and her group will get us nowhere. It’s a suicide mission. We have to break away and go solo. Either we don’t do it at all, or we go big. Don’t you want a house in the royal capital? It’s on the reward list. Robbery is our specialty. Either we don’t rob, or we rob for first place!”

Wu Jinliang looked captivated by Shi Chun’s words, but quickly returned to reality. “My Big Boss, the idea is good, but the situation is different. Those who dare to compete are all High Martial realm cultivators, many of them High Martial Upper Completion, like those five from Bai Shuchuan.”

Shi Chun: “You’re also High Martial. What are you afraid of?”

Wu Jinliang forced a bitter smile. “But you’re not, Chun Tian. My martial prowess alone isn’t enough. The difficulty of getting into the top ten is also clear. Each province sends ten thousand participants, and Sheng Shenzhou has one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, totaling over a million people. Although most might not have ambitions to compete for supremacy, the difficulty is still imaginable.

And if we actually go for first place, we’d offend too many people. Wu Kang Mountain would have something to say. We are Wu Kang Mountain disciples now. If we bring a pile of enemies upon Wu Kang Mountain, they’ll surely tear us apart.”

Shi Chun declared with soaring ambition, “If the blade is dull, sharpen it. If we don’t have enough people, we’ll gather more. Wu Kang Mountain is nothing! They’re so indecisive and calculating when dealing with their own son. With that kind of temperament, they’re only fit to hide at home refining talismans. Do they really think they can suppress the heroes of my East Nine Provinces?

As long as I, Shi Chun, can make a name for myself this time, Wu Kang Mountain, with its limited power, absolutely won’t be able to tear me apart. The higher the rank we seize, the safer we’ll be! Wu Jinliang, if you don’t do it, I’ll do it alone. Do you believe I can still seize first place by myself?”

“You go for first place alone?” Wu Jinliang grumbled inwardly. “You’re just a caterpillar in the Initial Martial realm. Keep dreaming.”

However, after some thought, he sighed and said, “What you said isn’t wrong. That woman Bian Weiying is certainly good at scheming against people, but she’s playing in the wrong place. I really don’t know what Wu Kang Mountain is thinking, having the capital to hide until the end but choosing not to, insisting on being someone else’s pawn in a battleground. How desperate can they be? Following Bian Weiying to compete for supremacy is indeed a suicide mission, especially for the two of us; we’d surely die first. It’s a death game either way, so we might as well die on our own terms, without feeling wronged.”

Clearly, his views on collaborating with Jieyun Mountain aligned with Shi Chun’s.

Shi Chun smiled. Having a reliable accomplice was better than going solo. He immediately clapped Wu Jinliang on the shoulder and said, “In three months, we’ll go to the royal capital together to see our house.”

Wu Jinliang’s large mouth couldn’t help but split into a wide grin. “Chun Tian, you’re dangling another carrot in front of me.”

Of course, he still held a small glimmer of hope in his heart. It seemed that most of the 'carrots' his Big Boss had dangled had come true. If they consistently failed, he wouldn’t have agreed to this, as he would have been dead long ago.

Xiang Lan’er also seemed to enjoy the scenery on the immortal mountain, often strolling along the mountain paths to admire the magnificent views of the royal capital.

A small plum blossom drawing on a stone railing by the roadside caught her eye. She walked closer, casually wiped it away with her finger, and followed the direction indicated by the drawing.

She continued to wipe away plum blossom drawings she saw along the way, finally arriving at a secluded pavilion nestled among trees. Leaning against the railing was a robust man in a yellow shirt, with a menacing face that immediately suggested he was a villain.

Xiang Lan’er walked into the pavilion and looked around. The man in yellow said in a low voice, “Don’t worry, our people are keeping watch nearby.”

Only then did Xiang Lan’er walk to his side, standing parallel to him and looking into the distance.

The man in yellow said, “My name is Sun Shigang, a disciple of Luoyue Valley from Shengzhou. My cultivation is High Martial Upper Completion. I’m the team leader for Luoyue Valley here. Sister Feng assigned me to manage your communication with others. This time, we have a total of twelve groups to assist you. Also, I’ve been instructed by higher-ups to handle something first once we enter the Western Extremity Competition Grounds, and I’ll need your cooperation.”

Xiang Lan’er: “What is it?”

The man in yellow: “You need to find an opportunity to lure Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang away from the group. I need to eliminate Wu Jinliang in front of Shi Chun.”

Xiang Lan’er was startled. She turned back to him. “Why?”

The man in yellow: “If Shi Chun has hidden support behind him, they won’t stand by if something happens to him during the competition. To force their hand and reveal any clues, we need to make it look convincing. Has Wu Kang Mountain allied with Jieyun Mountain?”

Xiang Lan’er, after a slight pause, affirmed with a hum.

The man in yellow: “Later, I’ll bring the Luoyue Valley people to talk to Bian Weiying about this. You need to be with Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. When I see you, I’ll pretend to covet your beauty. When they try to stop me, I’ll use that opportunity to create animosity with them, to justify our later actions. Otherwise, killing Wu Jinliang without reason might arouse suspicion. Once you give the signal, I’ll bring my people over.”

Xiang Lan’er remained silent for a long time this time.

It was only when the man in yellow, somewhat surprised, turned and stared at her that she calmly replied, “Understood.”

Then she turned and left.

The subsequent events unfolded smoothly according to their plan. Xiang Lan’er led Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang out to see a certain wonder in the royal capital. Sun Shigang, along with the Luoyue Valley group, approached Bian Weiying to discuss cooperation, but failed. As they left in disappointment, Sun Shigang noticed Xiang Lan’er’s beauty.

Sun Shigang began to overtly flirt with Xiang Lan’er, yet Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang merely stood by, watching impassively. Sun Shigang had no choice but to escalate his advances, boldly reaching out and wrapping his arm around Xiang Lan’er’s waist.

Then, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang actually ran away.

Yes, they ran. After glancing at Sun Shigang and his retinue, they pretended not to have seen anything, turned their heads, chatted, and walked away, picking up pace as they went.