Chapter 99: Joining the Group

Upon hearing they were all from Xuanzhou, it became clear there was a genuine misunderstanding, and the group's hostility eased.

However, Shi Chun wasn't buying it. He pointed at the blue-shirted bearded man and said, "Hey, don't talk nonsense. We've never met. Who among you can prove we are Youxia Mountain disciples? Who can prove it?" He gestured in a circle, clearly implying that anyone who could should step forward. If anyone did step forward, they would immediately take the people under their feet hostage and continue with their plan.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what this meant. With them denying they were Youxia Mountain disciples, the blue-shirted bearded man instantly became the center of attention. The man was left dumbfounded. He had spoken with good intentions, so how had he ended up spouting nonsense in public? This wasn't how things were supposed to work, was it? Especially under Guan Wen's cold stare, his heart pounded with anxiety, realizing he might have run into some unreliable people.

"Friend," one of the others chimed in, "that's unfair of you. You can't just lie with a straight face, can you? We were there yesterday too."

"Yes, I was there too." "Several of us were there."

Fortunately, the companions who had been with the blue-shirted bearded man yesterday didn't remain silent and stepped forward to accuse. With the group speaking up, the man regained his composure, somewhat exasperatedly saying, "We're not disputing which sect's disciples you are; the royal court has already made a definitive judgment. Brothers, just show everyone the nameplates on your wristbands."

That's right, reveal the nameplates, and everything would be clear. However, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang hemmed and hawed, dragging their feet and refusing to comply.

Seeing that no one at the scene recognized them as Youxia Mountain disciples, Wu Jinliang immediately stomped on the person under his foot and said, "One thing at a time. What's happening now has nothing to do with which sect we belong to. Everything comes down to reason. Just ask them if ambushing us was right or wrong."

Who cared if it was right or wrong? Right now, everyone's most concerned about whether the two of them were from Xuanzhou and if they were Youxia Mountain disciples.

The person pinned to the ground shouted again, "There really was no ambush! We were just setting up a hidden outpost here, and we just happened to run into you!"

Guan Wen's tone also became impolite. "If you want to talk reason, you need to see who you're talking reason with. What, is your identity unpresentable, or is your esteemed sect an unpresentable one?"

These words displeased the "two Youxia Mountain disciples." After exchanging a glance, Wu Jinliang, as if provoked, angrily rolled up his right sleeve and revealed his wrist. It was bare; there was nothing there—no nameplate, not even a wristband. Everyone gasped, their gazes landing on nothing, their eyes almost popping out.

Just as they suspected they were being fooled, Wu Jinliang made a show of realizing his mistake. He plunged his large saber into the ground, then pulled back his left sleeve with his right hand, revealing a wristband with a small, dangling, swaying tag. He had first shown his right hand to let everyone see that he wasn't wearing a wristband there, intending to show that he only had one on his left wrist.

Seeing Wu Jinliang had already gone ahead, Shi Chun also took the hint from Guan Wen and rolled up his sleeve. The hand rolling up his sleeve covered the real nameplate, revealing the one Wu Jinliang had fabricated. At the same time, he observed the still-dim sky, guessing that the color difference of the fake plate shouldn't be too noticeable.

Having created such a situation, the Xuanzhou forces couldn't approach for a closer inspection. Their courage was such that they either didn't do something, or if they did, they acted boldly.

Due to the distance and the dim light, the group strained their eyes to see. A moment later, someone read out the characters on the swaying nameplate.

"Xuanzhou, Youxia Mountain, disciple two... Gao Qiang." "Xuanzhou, Youxia Mountain, disciple one... Wang Sheng."

Hearing this, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang didn't intend for them to look for long. They smoothly lowered their sleeves, continuing to guard their surroundings. The blue-shirted bearded man looked as if he had been vindicated, gesturing to the crowd with open hands, seemingly saying, "See? What did I tell you? I was right, weren't I? They are Youxia Mountain disciples, our fellow Xuanzhou cultivators."

But everyone was still very confused. If they were, why hide their identity?

Seeing them still looking half-asleep and not understanding, Wu Jinliang had to once again stomp on the person under his foot. This time, his reminder was clearer: "This matter has nothing to do with our sect; it's purely our own affair." It was clearly meant to say, "If there's any trouble, come to us."

If they still didn't understand, they would be fools. Everyone suddenly grasped the situation, a little exasperated. It turned out they had realized they injured fellow Xuanzhou people. In the inter-continental competition, this could be a big or small issue, and they were afraid of implicating their sect afterward, which was why they had been so reluctant to reveal their identity as Youxia Mountain disciples. After Guan Wen understood, he also felt the urge to roll his eyes.

For those who had witnessed Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's exaggerated strength yesterday, they absolutely did not want a situation where the current problem was solved by force. Would they join the fight, or hide? So the blue-shirted bearded man immediately said to Guan Wen, "Brother Guan, these two Youxia Mountain brothers are incredibly strong. Yesterday, three people from Yingzhou were there, and even with a dozen of us surrounding them, they still managed to escape. But once they fell into the hands of these two brothers, they were cut down in just a few moves!"

This was said for Guan Wen's benefit, but also for everyone else, to calm them down and remind them not to think they were invulnerable just because they had more people. It depended on who they were up against, and these two were masters. At these words, most people secretly shivered. Were these two really that strong? Looking at the people pinned under their feet, the signs were already clear. And looking at the large saber in Wu Jinliang's hand, it was indeed extraordinary; ordinary people certainly wouldn't be worthy of it. Against masters, everyone easily kept their calm, and the aggressive emotions from relying on superior numbers immediately dissipated.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, who had constantly been assessing the situation and adjusting their response, were not content with the calm. Wu Jinliang swung the saber in his hand, suddenly pointing it at the blue-shirted bearded man, and angrily declared, "I was wondering why we got into such a strange fight! Damn it, so attacking those three guys was your doing? Why did you lie and not tell us then?!"

Shi Chun also said coldly, "Your group stole something, but you made us clean up your mess, and you talk about being fellow Xuanzhou people? Isn't what you did utterly unethical?"

These words made yesterday's group quite embarrassed; some looked at their toes, others touched their noses. At the time, they hadn't expected to run into them again, thinking that keeping quiet about it would be enough. The surrounding group naturally also understood the implied story of culpability from this side.

Guan Wen understood as well and decided, "Alright, since we're all from Xuanzhou, let's not be too petty. Release the people under your feet. We won't pursue this any further. It was just a misunderstanding, and the matter is closed."

Shi Chun looked around and said, "With so many of you glaring menacingly at us, can I really trust what you say?" Shi Chun raised an eyebrow slightly. "Do you think a promise made publicly by a Su Yuan Sect disciple is trustworthy? Do you think you'll break your word?"

"Good," Guan Wen replied. The people under their feet were released first. Wu Jinliang followed suit. The two people who got up, as if they had narrowly escaped death, quickly ran back to their own side.

After a short while, Guan Wen spoke again: "Are you two also looking for Insect Core Crystals?"

"You're not interested in these," Guan Wen continued. "You're looking for someone."

Shi Chun asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Guan Wen replied, "An enemy."

Shi Chun pressed, "What kind of grudge?"

Guan Wen explained, "Your junior brother and junior sister are..." He was trying to tell them why only the two of them were seen there.

Wu Jinliang immediately let out a mournful wail in cooperation: "Oh, my poor junior sister! My beautiful, flower-like junior sister! Not only was she murdered by a villain, but she was also defiled by him! This is a blood feud that cannot be shared under the same sky!"

Hearing this, the crowd was slightly moved, and also worried: could it have been someone from their own side? They really couldn't deny it. Separated from the rules, the dark side of human nature could easily erupt, and anything was possible.

Shi Chun also had this concern and tentatively asked, "Do you know who the enemy is?"

Just as Guan Wen was about to make something up, Wu Jinliang quickly blurted out the answer: "A disciple of Jieyun Mountain from Shengzhou, a beast named 'Lan Shanluo'!" He said this through gritted teeth. If they dared to call him a big idiot, then he dared to ruin their reputation.

Guan Wen was speechless on the spot, realizing that this fellow was still so insistent on being respected. But since the other party had already said it, what could Guan Wen do? He could only remain silent and implicitly agree.

Guan Wen, hearing this, was momentarily thoughtful. He then said loudly, "The Western Pole is vast. How long will it take for just the two of you to find them by running around like this? Join us! We have over a thousand people. The probability of finding this Baichuan is much higher for us than for you. As long as you are willing to contribute to Xuanzhou's victory, then your vendetta will be our vendetta. I will spread the word of this Baichuan's evil deeds to all our comrades. Once he's discovered, everyone will be authorized to kill him, and we will pursue him to the very end, never letting him go!"

He admired these two Youxia Mountain disciples greatly. Not only were they strong, but they were also fearless when surrounded by so many people, and they were fellow Xuanzhou cultivators. Naturally, the more such talents they had, the better it was for their victory. Furthermore, a resolution had been decided in a meeting last night for him to personally lead a team to the "Western Pole Moon Sea," and the more skilled experts he had at his disposal, the better.

"Oh, such good news!" Wu Jinliang's eyes immediately lit up. Seeing that the other party couldn't get the villain's name right, he quickly clarified, "The villain's name is Baichuan. Bai as in 'white', Chuan as in 'river'—Baichuan. A disciple of Jieyun Mountain from Shengzhou!"

Guan Wen was speechless again. It was as if this fellow truly wanted Lan Shanluo dead!

"You Youxia Mountain disciples, your resourcefulness and the audacity of your actions today, we Xuanzhou cultivators, everyone here, will remember," Guan Wen added. The crowd nodded in agreement.

Wu Jinliang immediately moved closer to Guan Wen and tugged at his sleeve, "Senior Brother, he's right. This place is vast. How long will it take for just the two of us to find him? We've been searching for so long and haven't found him. We absolutely cannot let him escape back to Shengzhou. If he does, without proof or evidence, it will be hard for us to get revenge."

Guan Wen was actually a little surprised. This group was much easier to deal with than he had imagined, and he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, saving him a lot of strategizing. However, outwardly, he still maintained a very solemn expression. After pondering for a good while, he finally looked at Shi Chun and casually said, "Alright, we'll join you."