Chapter 64.2 Chang Wu
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As they continued along the path, Zhongnan Peak appeared relatively normal during the daytime, lacking the unsettling atmosphere. Before they approached closer, they heard cries of distress. Four individuals stood in front of the hall, with three dressed in Yunxiao robes, while the remaining one, a young man in green attire, lay knocked down on the ground.
The leader among the three youths wore a sneering expression. “You think you can meet our Peak Master? Ha! You can’t even enter the gate.”
The young man on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, angrily raised his head. “Your actions go against the rules of Yunxiao!”
The young leader bent down, his face filled with playful mockery. “What rules did we break? Yunxiao prohibits internal conflicts, but what kind of fellow disciple are you? I’m merely driving away an outsider who disturbed our Peak Master. What right do you have to accuse me?”
The young man on the ground gritted his teeth and attempted to struggle, but he was quickly subdued, with someone stomping on his hands.
Filled with rage, he spat out blood and shouted, “You’re going too far with your bullying! Chang Wu left a written IOU in my shop, but now you refuse to acknowledge it! I demand justice, even if it costs me my life! Help! Help!”
The young leader smirked and pointed a finger, silently casting a spell that rendered the young man speechless and helpless.
One of the people behind him spoke, “Throw him out. If he keeps causing trouble here and the Peak Master finds out, we won’t get away unscathed.”
The young leader frowned, his expression sinister. “How unfortunate! I thought he would be sensible enough to leave the mountain. Never expected him to end up here with the Peak Master. Thankfully, we arrived in time.” The thought of the situation made his resentment grow, and he grabbed the young man by his collar. “Go back and tell your barely alive father to forget about this matter, or else I’ll kill you.”
The young man couldn’t speak, but his hands trembled, and fear was clearly written in his eyes.
Another person behind them spoke, “Let’s leave it at that for now.”
The young leader nodded solemnly, “Hmm.”
These three individuals were usually followers of Chang Wu. With a Senior Brother at the Foundation Establishment Stage backing them, they were accustomed to bullying the weak and fearing the strong. This time, their Senior Brother Chang Wu was in seclusion, leaving them to handle the miscellaneous tasks. Originally, they were supposed to pay this young man fifty spiritual stones, but they had squandered it on indulgences and couldn’t come up with a solution, so they resorted to using force. Moreover, their Senior Brother Chang Wu rarely bothered to investigate such matters. They had expected that a mortal like this young man would be scared off and run away, but to their surprise, he had the audacity to enter the main hall while eluding them. Fortunately, they arrived in time.
The young man seethed with anger, his teeth trembling. His ancestors were also disciples of Yunxiao, but subsequent generations didn’t have the qualifications to enter Yunxiao. Instead, they resided in Xianxiang, a subdistrict at the foot of Yunxiao Mountain, where most people were in a similar situation, collecting and selling small items to make a living.
Unexpectedly, he encountered the scum of Yunxiao this time. Due to his ancestral connection, the young man had always held admiration for Yunxiao, despite lacking spiritual roots. However, there are all kinds of people in the world, and now he felt both angry and aggrieved.
The three disciples didn’t dare to kill within the mountain. They intended to intimidate the young man with force and throw him away. The young man struggled helplessly, hoping to encounter kind-hearted people along the way.
As luck would have it, a turning point arrived. The young man’s eyes brightened, and he struggled with all his might.
“Help! Help me!”
The leader menacingly lifted the young man by his collar, “What are you up to again? Don’t you want to live?!” The two individuals behind him stood frozen, unable to make a move.
The air froze in an instant. The leader stared blankly as he raised his head, and through the branches of a tree, he saw two figures standing before them. Their strength was unfathomable, and the aura they exuded was something he had never witnessed in Outer Peaks. The leader was filled with extreme fear, and his grip loosened, causing the young man in his hands to fall to the ground.
Trembling, the leader stammered, “S-Senior.”
Chen Xu looked at him with utmost coldness. As the Peak Master of Wenqing Peak, he abhorred disciples like him who violated the Sect’s rules and regulations.
Pei Jing merely smiled and walked towards the young man, who was now lying on the ground, clutching his buttocks and groaning. Pei Jing lowered his head.
“A mortal?”
The young man rubbed his sore buttocks and suddenly heard a melodious voice. He looked up and met a pair of smiling, pitch-black eyes. Instantly, his whole being froze in astonishment, and a refreshing breeze seemed to flow through his organs, bringing clarity and enlightenment. The restrictive spell on his body vanished, and the pain dissipated. He felt as if he had been awakened by someone’s guidance. After snapping out of his daze, he nodded vigorously, “Y-Yes, Immortal. I am a mortal. Please, you must intervene for me. I am from a humble family in Xianxiang, and a few days ago…”
The young man recounted the whole story in a detailed manner.
The three disciples from Zhongnan Peak stood pale-faced on the side, itching to tear his mouth apart.
Pei Jing’s expression became inexplicable. “Look at us, Yunxiao is so poor that we can’t even produce ten spiritual stones. Did you squander them all?”
Chen Xu grew furious, but Pei Jing’s remark managed to amuse him. “You should ask yourself that question.”
Now, the three disciples felt completely defeated, and they knelt down.
“We beg your forgiveness, Senior. We will never dare to do such things again.”
They couldn’t figure out the identity of the person before them. They assumed he must be a Senior Brother from Inner Peaks or perhaps an Elder. Regardless, they knew they were no match for him.
Pei Jing smiled and plucked a nearby branch, using its icy and sharp tip to lift the head of the disciple kneeling in front. He asked, in a light and ethereal tone, “What is Yunxiao’s second rule?” Although his words sounded gentle, the branch acted like a sword, emitting a chilling aura that froze the disciple’s very marrow. It seemed that if he couldn’t provide the correct answer, the branch would pierce through his throat.
Sweat trickled down the disciple’s temples as he swallowed hard. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he trembled as he spoke, “The second rule is, one must not… must not… use strength to bully the weak and harm the innocent.”
He answered correctly. Pei Jing withdrew the branch, but a few leaves fell from it. Carried by the wind, one of the leaves grazed the disciple’s face, leaving a gruesome trail of blood.
Chen Xu’s face darkened.
Pei Jing: “You are a disciple of Zhongnan Peak. I won’t punish you myself. There are people who will take care of that.” He let the branch in his hand fall to the ground, planting it firmly into the earth, resembling a sword.
The three disciples were trembling, their bodies drenched in sweat.
Chen Xu let out a sigh and handed a token to the young man on the ground. “Go to the disciplinary hall of Zhongnan Peak. Whatever they did to you, now it’s your turn to seek revenge. As for the money owed to you, let them handle it.”
The young man was overjoyed. “Yes!” Finally, he could vent his anger, while the other three could only grit their teeth, filled with resentment.
After watching the four of them leave, Pei Jing said, “If I didn’t mishear earlier, that young man mentioned Chang Wu. Chang Wu of Zhongnan Peak. It sounds somewhat familiar to me.” Chen Xu pondered for a moment and responded, “Last time, the Master of Zhongnan Peak mentioned a disciple who suffered the heaviest injuries from Mingyu’s bite. It must be him.”
Pei Jing: “Seems like it.”
Chen Xu: “With such henchmen, this Chang Wu is likely no good person.”
Their arrival surprised the Master of Zhongnan Peak since it was quite sudden. Speaking softly, the Peak Master said, “After receiving instructions from Senior Brother, I’ve been investigating the main hall these past few days, inspecting room after room, but I haven’t discovered anything amiss.”
Pei Jing then asked, “If you were imparting teachings and guiding your disciples, where would you have them stay?”
The Peak Master furrowed her brow, “I wouldn’t have my disciples stay when I impart teachings. However, during my seclusion, I do allow the disciples to reside here and assist with the internal affairs of the peak.”
“Who was the last one?”
“It was my senior disciple, Chang Wu.”
Chang Wu again. Pei Jing nodded and said, “Take me to the place where he stays in the main hall.” The Master of Zhongnan Peak had many doubts, but since Pei Jing remained silent, she didn’t dare to ask questions. She led Pei Jing to Guiyuan Hall, where the disciples resided.
The Guiyuan Hall was located at the forefront of the main hall, near the entrance. Outside the windows, there were floating clouds in the sea of mist, and from inside, one could hear the sound of a waterfall. Being farther away somehow had a calming and concentrating effect on people. The furnishings inside were neatly arranged, with a bed, a desk, an incense burner, and a bookshelf. Pei Jing searched diligently, examining every inch of the floor, but found nothing suspicious. They continued searching other halls with the Peak Master until nightfall, but they gained nothing.
Before leaving, the worried expression on the face of the Peak Master prompted them to ask, “Senior Brother, did you notice anything amiss in my hall?”
Pei Jing rolled up his sleeves and replied, “You don’t need to search anymore. These past few days, pay attention to the disciples who frequently enter and exit the Queyue Forest. Then, inform me.”
“Understood.”
After searching for a while, Chen Xu became frustrated and asked, “What are you suspecting?”
Pei Jing glanced at the murky yellow moon in the sky and said, “The main hall of the Peak Master is not so easily accessible. It is protected by formations. That disciple called Mingyu, being a mere Qi Gathering disciple, is on par with an ordinary person. It would be good enough if he can even enter, let alone meet the Peak Master or even recuperate as her disciple. From what I see, that disciple might have been locked inside before.”
“But you haven’t found anything concrete.”
“If I haven’t found anything, then I haven’t found anything.”
As they stepped out of the hall, beneath the radiant moonlight, a young child dressed in thin green clothes shivered in the wind, holding his arms. Upon seeing them come out, their eyes lit up, and he quickly ran over.
Chen Xu was taken aback.
Pei Jing was also unsure of what he was about to do.
The young man in the green clothes blushed, his eyes shining like the stars in the sky.
Chen Xu furrowed his brow and asked, “What are you doing here?”
The young man was a bit shy and replied, “I… I was waiting here for you.”
Pei Jing laughed and asked, “Why were you waiting for us?”
The young man smiled shyly and said, “Just to… to say thank you. After I say it, I’ll leave.” He put down his scratching hand, quickly knelt on the ground, bowed, and then stood up earnestly. “Thank you.” With a face still flushed, he hurriedly ran down the mountain.
Chen Xu was puzzled and said, “This…”
Pei Jing smirked and said, “Well, at least he’s polite.”
However, if this foolish kid waited here until night, it would be difficult for him to descend the mountain. Although Yunxiao had no evil spirits, the situation on Zhongnan Peak was uncertain aside from these matters. Summoning a cloud crane, Pei Jing caught up to the young man. Standing on the crane, they called out to him, “Come up.”
The young man became so excited that he was about to faint. However, he still managed to sit up, his hands trembling nervously.
Pei Jing asked him, “Did you go through all this trouble to come to Zhongnan Peak just to ask for those fifty spiritual stones?”
The young man in the green robe nodded, “Yes. Those spiritual stones were our family’s means of sustenance for half a year.”
The families living in Xianxiang were all descended from cultivators, which resulted in their bloodlines being mixed with various types of spiritual roots. Moreover, they chose to reside in Xianxiang precisely for the spiritual energy emitted by Yunxiao, hoping that their future generations would have better aptitude to enter Yunxiao once again. Therefore, the things they consumed were only obtainable with spiritual stones—spiritual herbs and objects.
Pei Jing laughed. “Well, it’s quite unusual. Selling something for fifty spiritual stones.”
The young man in the green robe scratched his head, unable to recall clearly. “It seemed to be a mask, I think.”
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