Chapter 79: Eagle Eyes and Wolf Glance

There are, in fact, notable differences between those who grew up in the Land of Exile and those who were raised elsewhere.

Sun and Xiang had overestimated the two individuals by attempting to apply outside moral standards to them; a significant discrepancy was bound to arise.

However, Sun and Xiang genuinely couldn't fathom how such people existed. Their female companion was being harassed right before their eyes. As men, it was one thing not to bravely intervene, but they should have at least shouted to stop it. The absolute least they could have done was not pretend they didn't see anything and walk away.

Even if they were cowards, this was the Immortal Mountain in the Royal Capital, protected by Immortal Court guards. With such a secure environment, could they truly not even utter a single word?

They had initially planned to seize the opportunity and settle the score as soon as Shi and Wu spoke up. Yet, the outcome was entirely unforeseen, even beyond their understanding.

What now? He's already embracing her!

In that frozen moment, Sun and Xiang suddenly turned to look at each other. Xiang Lan'er reacted quickly; *smack*, she delivered a resounding slap, jarring Sun Shigang.

Meanwhile, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's moral compass had not entirely vanished. There was a reason for their hasty departure: they wanted to immediately inform Bian Weiying to come out and help.

Bian Weiying had allied with Jiexun Mountain, the leading sect of Shengzhou. Against the formidable forces of Luoyue Valley, if they didn't act now, when would they?

No words were necessary; a glance exchanged between them was enough for them to know what to do.

The slap was indeed loud enough to startle Bian Weiying out of the house. Shi Chun, who had just returned, immediately pointed in that direction and exclaimed, "Senior Sister, that man just publicly embraced your sister-in-law by force!"

Wu Jinliang nodded emphatically, appearing utterly indignant. "That's absolutely outrageous," he declared.

Their reporting was one thing, but they also seemed to relish the escalating drama.

In this situation, Bian Weiying instantly erupted. She bellowed, "Stop!"

On the other side, Sun Shigang, who had been slapped, had already seized Xiang Lan'er's wrist and was pointing at her nose, humiliating her.

Bian Weiying darted over. Gan Tangyu, who had peered out from inside the house, also swiftly followed. Both parties immediately began to argue and confront each other.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, however, remained hidden under the eaves, clearly intending to watch the spectacle from a safe distance.

The two had already equated the competition grounds of the conference to the Land of Exile. They were acutely aware of the risks involved in rashly provoking powerful adversaries there.

They had already decided to break away and operate independently as soon as they entered the West Pole arena. There was no point getting entangled with powerful enemies before the competition even began; how would they then escape? Jiexun Mountain was already here; they could let Jiexun Mountain deal with the confrontation.

They also hoped Jiexun Mountain would severely punish those scoundrels from Luoyue Valley. It was simply outrageous that they dared to bully a woman right in front of them, showing such blatant disregard.

"They dared to provoke even this demoness," Wu Jinliang whispered. "Do you think the people behind her will tear them to shreds later?"

Shi Chun replied, "Jinliang, lust is a double-edged sword. Let this be a warning to you."

Wu Jinliang retorted, "What does that have to do with me..."

Before his words had even finished, Sun Shigang suddenly vaulted over the people in front of him, turned, and angrily pointed at the two under the eaves, shouting, "It was you, wasn't it? You like to stir up trouble, eh? Alright, just you wait!"

He was desperate; things had already devolved to this point. He had to lash out wildly, even if he couldn't find a proper target.

Under Bian Weiying's threat to summon the Immortal Mountain guards, he delivered his final words, waved his hand, and led the Luoyue Valley group away ignominiously.

What was happening? This time, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were the ones left stunned under the eaves, their eyes wide with disbelief, perfectly conveying their inner incredulity. They had thought they were being low-key, hiding far away, and keeping out of trouble. How could they still be implicated? Where could they find justice?

The feeling of disaster striking from above was almost audibly thudding in their minds.

"Forget it," Bian Weiying said. "Luoyue Valley is not weak. The guards took Sun Shigang, but there are still four others. It's not wise to provoke such a powerful enemy right now, and you did slap him..."

The returning Bian Weiying was comforting Xiang Lan'er.

Xiang Lan'er, however, couldn't care less about that. What she truly cared about was the attitude of those two scoundrels, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. They had actually abandoned her and fled! What on earth? Were they even men?

Did they know they were part of a group? That was impossible; she herself had only recently learned Sun Shigang's identity.

Did they realize it was an act? No, she quickly found her own answer: those two must have known she practiced the demonic arts...

Furthermore, since she typically adopted the persona of a wronged, docile woman, it was difficult for her to publicly reprimand her benefactors. She could only swallow the words that had risen to her lips.

To her surprise, Bian Weiying couldn't let it go. After ascending the steps, she sneered at the two of them. "Watching your companion being humiliated without a care—you two men are quite impressive."

The two, still reeling from the unexpected calamity, snapped back to reality. Wu Jinliang asked, puzzled, "Senior Sister, what do you mean, 'without a care'? Didn't we come to get you?"

Bian Weiying retorted, "Couldn't you have stopped them?"

Shi Chun replied, "Senior Sister, if you hadn't agreed, would we have dared to rashly offend another sect? You just warned us about being impetuous and causing trouble, even threatening us with the talisman allocation to make us behave. Senior Sister, you said that not long ago—have you forgotten? What else could we do besides come and ask you to take charge?"

Wu Jinliang immediately nodded. "Exactly," he added, "it's a very difficult situation for us."

The logic was sound, and Bian Weiying found herself speechless.

Xiang Lan'er also had an epiphany and believed them. "So that's how it was," she thought.

Nevertheless, Bian Weiying still managed to save face. "How come you two are never this obedient back at the sect?" she quipped.

With that, she turned and entered the house.

Wu Jinliang shrugged helplessly at Xiang Lan'er, conveying that there was no reasoning with Bian Weiying.

Before long, the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Conference arrived as scheduled, creating a stir in the Royal Capital. Yet, only a select few had the opportunity to witness it firsthand.

A colossal drill ground, encircled by mountains and originally used for the Celestial Court's troop assembly and training, was temporarily repurposed for the conference. A massive throng of people surged in, among them Elder Ke and two disciples from Wukang Mountain.

It was rumored that to allow direct observation of the competition in the Northern Desolate West Pole from within the drill ground, the Royal Court had employed two rare treasures: the "Ultimate Mountain and River Map" and the "Overlooking Heaven Mirror." When activated together, these two artifacts could project scenes from another realm. How they functioned in conjunction remained largely unknown, but it was said that merely using them for three months would incur immense expenses.

Presumably, with too many people wanting to watch from inside the drill ground, the Royal Court couldn't accommodate everyone. Thus, each participating sect was limited to three entrants.

Miao Dingyi arrived with his wife and daughter. Lan Qiaoyan and Miao Yilan were exceptionally well-dressed today. Instead of joining the noisy crowd entering the drill ground, their family proceeded directly to a hillside beside it, which offered a superior viewing vantage.

"Oh, Qiaoyan, this must be your daughter; she's grown so much prettier!"

"Jingfen, your family has three beauties as lovely as flowers."

Within the pavilions, food and drink were abundant, and noble figures were everywhere. Upon entering, they immediately recognized many acquaintances, and the family continuously exchanged polite greetings.

As Miao Dingyi mingled and socialized, his gaze occasionally drifted towards the adjacent hillside.

Inside the venue, a different commotion suddenly arose. People turned to look, observing a group of elegantly dressed men and women entering. The middle-aged man leading them wore his expensive clothes with a loose, casual air, his face reflecting a lazy indifference, and he sported a currently fashionable small mustache.

The reactions of the crowd immediately revealed this man's unusual status. Many greeted him as "Young Master Nan," though he appeared far from young. He casually waved back in acknowledgement.

Some took him very seriously, while others paid him little mind. Occasionally, there were even those who needed to bow and scrape, proactively approaching Young Master Nan to greet him.

Upon seeing Miao Dingyi, Young Master Nan smiled and waved in greeting. "Brother Miao," he said, "this must be your wife and niece, correct?"

Lan Qiaoyan recognized him as the individual who manipulated the gambling odds behind the scenes during the conference, forcing her husband to contribute a hundred thousand gold. She promptly gestured for her daughter to join her in greeting him.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the two women, Young Master Nan noticed Miao Dingyi's persistent, subtle glances toward the pavilions on the adjacent hillside. He chuckled and said, "It's still early over there. Even if some people are coming, they won't arrive so soon."

The adjacent hillside offered the best viewing vantage, reserved for certain influential individuals who might arrive. In any case, none of the nobles or important figures on their side were privileged enough to access it.

Realizing he had been too obvious, Miao Dingyi chuckled. "Go accompany your friends, then," he said.

"See you later," Young Master Nan said, bowing slightly. "I'll go say hello first. Sister-in-law, you two chat." As he departed, he gave Miao Yilan an extra nod.

Once most people in the drill ground had taken their seats, a light screen abruptly appeared in the air, resembling a reflection in a mirror. The display showed numerous participants heading towards the Xun Gate. The scene transitioned periodically, always depicting similar passages through Xun Gates, indicating that multiple gates were simultaneously processing attendees.

Initially, a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the drill ground. Most people were witnessing such a miraculous artifact for the very first time in their lives.

Elder Ke, seated on the steps, watched the screen intently, hoping to spot someone from Wukang Mountain within the display.

Even Lan Qiaoyan and Miao Yilan, within the hillside pavilions, instinctively fixed their gaze and began searching.

Many members from various sects did the same, yet the probability of finding their fellow disciples in such a vast crowd was exceedingly low.

At this moment, Shi Chun and the others had already entered the Xun Gate passage, following closely behind Bian Weiying, and consequently, behind the entire Jiexun Mountain group.

Jiexun Mountain had already amassed a large contingent. Shi Chun observed their numbers, estimating perhaps hundreds. From the commotion as they gathered and set off, it was clear that the forces from Shengzhou had formed numerous factions.

After exiting the passage, they were greeted by a sky ablaze with evening clouds. Nearby, there was a sea of people, while in the distance stretched endless desolation. This desolate scenery felt incredibly familiar to Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. They instinctively exchanged glances, truly feeling as if they had returned home.