After Sheng Jun Chapter 18 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 18 Going All Out (part 2)
Jiang Xingzhi imagined it for a moment, then felt pleasantly surprised. "They'll come to fight over me?"
Zhong Ming swallowed hard. He propped one hand against his forehead, hunching over the table.
His hands itched, incredibly so.
This person was really... quite infuriating.
Jiang Xingzhi had no idea about the other's inner turmoil. He patted Zhong Ming's shoulder. "Don't worry, we're a package deal. Fighting over me means fighting over you too. I'm willing to share glory and disgrace with you."
Zhong Ming didn't want to speak. "No need."
But Jiang Xingzhi was clearly looking forward to the grand spectacle that would follow. Just as Zhong Ming was thinking about how to end this topic, commotion arose outside the Mist Pavilion.
Dozens of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators quickly surrounded the small courtyard. Grand Elder Wan Xing stood at the front of the crowd, hands behind his back as he looked toward the Mist Pavilion.
The thumb he held behind his back was curled, rubbing against the smooth jade thumb ring... Someone had left traces of entry in the forest outside the forbidden area, just last night.
A vicious gleam flashed across his gloomy eyes.
It seemed these two couldn't be allowed to live.
****
Bang! The main door of the Mist Pavilion was forced open by a powerful force. Wan Xing led the four Protectors inside and proceeded directly to the second floor.
The second-floor staircase faced a low couch under a carved window.
As soon as they came up, they saw a pale-faced young man sitting on the couch, with a man beside him warming tea, presenting a leisurely scene of attentive care.
Seeing them storm up aggressively, the young man even nodded and smiled politely.
Wan Xing sneered: Hmph, sitting so comfortably.
"My Yuhua Sect received you with kindness, yet I didn't expect you two would trespass into our sect's forbidden area! Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
Jiang Xingzhi held the hot tea, his jade-like fingers gaining a hint of color from the warm steam, looking particularly pure and innocent. "What forbidden area is the Grand Elder referring to?"
Hmph, still pretending! Wan Xing stepped forward, his aura intimidating. "The forbidden area behind my Yuhua Sect's mountain has always been accessible only to the Sect Master... and myself. This morning, we found traces of intrusion."
"Is that so?" Jiang Xingzhi exclaimed in surprise. "That's truly a case of the thief being in your own house!"
"..." The entire second floor awkwardly fell silent for a moment.
The four Protectors lowered their eyes in embarrassment, while Wan Xing's face burned with anger.
Although he knew the other was trying to shift blame to someone else in the sect, he still felt a guilty conscience at being so precisely implicated.
Wan Xing immediately raised his volume. "My sect is certainly united from top to bottom. It's you two who are suspicious!"
Jiang Xingzhi estimated that it would take about another stick of incense's time before the major sects arrived, so he transmitted to Zhong Ming, "Let's chat with him a bit longer."
"..." Zhong Ming glanced at him sideways. "Mm."
A pair of arms naturally encircled Jiang Xingzhi, holding him in an embrace. Zhong Ming affectionately stroked Jiang Xingzhi's nape and turned to Wan Xing:
"Grand Elder, please don't get excited. My Xingzhi is very fragile and can't handle the slightest shock."
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
Wan Xing had a lump of air stuck in his chest. So after all his questioning, these two were still embracing and pitying themselves!
"Good, good, good." Wan Xing laughed in extreme anger, forcibly lowering his volume, pointing at the supposedly fragile Jiang Xingzhi. "Now tell me, where did you go last night?"
Jiang Xingzhi said, "I did go to the back mountain."
His admission was so straightforward that Wan Xing was momentarily stunned, then his killing intent grew stronger. "What exactly are you plotting?"
"To be honest, I have sleepwalking syndrome. Last night I unintentionally sleepwalked to the back mountain."
"Sleepwalking? Do you take my Yuhua Sect for a bunch of fools!"
Jiang Xingzhi looked at Wan Xing. Yes, and you're the outstanding representative among them.
"How could that be?" he responded. "I am indeed often plagued by nightmares, doing things I don't even know about. If the Grand Elder doesn't believe me, I can find witnesses for you."
Zhong Ming's mind flashed to those unfortunate souls at Qingfeng Pavilion.
Seeing that the other still refused to reveal his purpose, Wan Xing stopped wasting time. The pressure of his Nascent Soul cultivation suddenly crashed down across the entire pavilion—
"If you won't drink the toast, you'll have to drink the forfeit! Take these two away for interrogation!"
Jiang Xingzhi leaned against Zhong Ming, his bangs fluttering from the pressure. He transmitted somewhat uncertainly, "Is the opponent launching some attack?"
Zhong Ming wasn't sure either. "We just need to look pained."
So both of them simultaneously displayed expressions of pain. Just as Jiang Xingzhi was marveling at how Bai Mu was getting better at acting, the arm holding him suddenly tightened.
Zhong Ming held him tightly in his embrace, turning to face the Protector who came to seize them. "Don't touch him."
Jiang Xingzhi was squeezed breathless. "..."
Protector Qian had been holding back against these two for a long time, and now he showed no mercy. Pointing his long sword, he sneered, "Hmph, go be a pair of tragic lovers in the interrogation room!"
Bang—the door of the Mist Pavilion was thrown open again.
Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming were "escorted" in front, with the four Protectors pointing their swords at them. Outside, a crowd of guards swarmed around, escorting the two toward the interrogation room.
From the Mist Pavilion to the interrogation room required crossing most of the front mountain.
After walking a short distance, Jiang Xingzhi suddenly spotted a familiar figure hidden behind a large tree not far away.
Probably using some unique technique, Ping Lan hadn't been noticed by the martial sect's faction. He was looking anxiously in their direction, as if wanting to rush over, yet rationally suppressing his impulse.
Jiang Xingzhi quickly gave him a look: Go, go, go, hide, don't worry about us.
Before he could say more, the escorting party led him around a bend, instantly leaving Ping Lan's line of sight.
Watching their retreating figures, Ping Lan clenched his fist: he couldn't let the Immortal Lord fall into danger. Even if he was alone and without support, he must expose the Grand Elder's crimes!
Ping Lan resolutely turned away, leaving behind a strong, straight back.
...
Jiang Xingzhi didn't know that Ping Lan was already preparing to rescue him. He was being led across the front mountain with Wan Xing's people when a disciple came running toward them.
The corner of his mouth curled slightly upward—by his calculations, the time was just about right.
"Grand Elder, something's happened!" The disciple wore martial sect attire and ran breathlessly to the front of the procession.
Wan Xing raised his hand to stop the advancing group, frowning, "What is it? Don't make such a fuss."
The disciple said, "Many—many major sects are heading in our direction, they're about to reach our mountain gate!"
Wan Xing's pupils contracted. "What are they coming for?"
"I don't know, they're coming in great numbers, it seems like... seems like..."
"Seems like what?"
The disciple recalled what he had just seen, trying to describe that strange sense of déjà vu. "They're rushing forward, competing with each other, each side seems to be secretly competing, yet each displaying a kind of indescribable sense of superiority."
"...What???"
****
Outside Yuhua Sect's mountain gate.
Haosheng Sect, Tianyan Sect, Piaomiao Palace, Chaoyang Mountain, Biyun Valley, Shang Mansion... more than ten world-famous major sects and families were all rushing toward this inconspicuous small sect hidden among the mountains.
Those who came were all sect leaders or presiding elders, with average cultivation levels at Nascent Soul or Out-of-Body.
And at this moment, these prestigious figures were competing in mid-air, openly and secretly jostling against each other.
The Sect Master of Haosheng Sect stepped on the Eight Trigrams pattern through the air, passing the Sect Masters of Tianyan Sect and Biyun Valley, quietly sneering:
Divine Lamp Daren is an elder of his Haosheng Sect, why are these people rushing so fast?
His figure swept past like a gust of wind, even flipping the curtains of Shang Luxing's luxurious carriage.
Shang Luxing looked at the Haosheng Sect Master's leading figure and shook his head with a secret smile: Heh... Brother Jiang has already become a part of his Shang family, your enthusiasm is useless.
The Palace Master of Piaomiao Palace rode a cloud over everyone's heads, overlooking the scene: Oh, everyone's here? Good, today they'll know Divine Lamp's final choice!
A group of people harboring identical thoughts rapidly approached Yuhua Sect.
On Yuhua Sect's front mountain, Wan Xing's group was forced to stop.
From a distance, they could already see a mass of clouds and carriages in the sky, imposing and aggressive, coming with hostility.
Wan Xing was both shocked and afraid. Momentarily ignoring Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming beside him, he waved his hand and shouted, "Quickly raise the mountain protection barrier!"
However, before the barrier could fully rise, "Whoosh------" an Eight Trigrams nail shot through the air, dispersing Yuhua Sect's defense.
The Haosheng Sect Master was at the front, standing in mid-air. "Hand over the sect's treasure immediately!" Their Haosheng Sect's Divine Lamp Daren!
Piaomiao Palace, Chaoyang Mountain, and others followed closely behind, looking at Jiang Xingzhi who was "held captive" by a group of people, immediately becoming furious.
They had treated Divine Lamp Daren with utmost respect, yet this small Yuhua Sect dared to forcibly seize an ancient spiritual remnant!
"We advise you to hand him over now, and you may still atone for your sins!"
Wan Xing had just reached Nascent Soul stage, and being suppressed by the aura of these cross-realm powerhouses above him, he nearly lost his mental stability.
Sect treasure? He hid his right hand behind his back—sure enough, they wanted to snatch his jade thumb ring!
Well, well, these two were actually spies sent by these major sects working together!
Wan Xing suppressed his anger, figuring that even if Jiang Xingzhi had gone to the forbidden area, he couldn't have discovered much. He firmly denied, "What sect treasure? My Yuhua Sect knows nothing about it. Please leave, don't damage the dignity of the major sects!"
Nearby, Jiang Xingzhi secretly nudged Zhong Ming, transmitting, "See, everyone has come to fight over us...me!"
Zhong Ming: "..."
Jiang Xingzhi: "How about that? All these are the territories I've conquered for you!"
Zhong Ming's thin lips moved slightly. "Thank you."
The two didn't care how tense the confrontation around them was growing. While everyone was engaged in their pointed exchange, they secretly conversed with each other, oblivious to others.
Just as they were chatting as if no one else existed, a group of technique sect disciples suddenly rushed out from a fork in the path—
Blue and white disciple robes fluttered in the wind, full of youthful vigor and righteousness. Ping Lan led the charge, holding talismans, with a desperate resolve to fight to the death.
"Grand Elder trespassed into the forbidden area, seized the ancestors' relics, secretly harmed fellow disciples—heaven cannot tolerate it! As the chief disciple of Yuhua Sect's Sect Master, today I will fight to the death to cleanse our sect!"
When this righteous shout rang out, the entire scene fell silent.
The circle of major powerhouses of the three realms gathered overhead: ...
What scene is this now?
Ping Lan charged into the encirclement with solitary courage, only to realize something was amiss. Why were there so many people from major sects around?
After a moment of silence, the scene erupted into chaos:
"Yuhua Sect's Grand Elder actually committed such heartless deeds?"
"Betrayal of trust, disgrace of the three realms!"
"Perfect timing to settle both new and old scores, today we shall carry out heaven's justice!"
……
Wan Xing hadn't expected Ping Lan to disrupt matters at such a time, much less that he knew about him taking the "ancestral relic" jade thumb ring. Shocked and enraged, he lost his composure.
He turned to glance at the fragile Jiang Xingzhi beside him, and evil intentions suddenly arose. He reached out and grabbed him, "Nobody move!"
Wan Xing quickly retreated several steps with Jiang Xingzhi in his grasp, one hand around his neck, shouting at everyone, "Be careful or I'll strangle this weakling!"
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
The crowd from the three realms: "..."
Everyone looked with complicated expressions at Wan Xing who had seized Jiang Xingzhi. Yes, strangle this... weakling.
Shang Luxing stood among the sect leaders, one hand already reaching for the melon seeds in his sleeve. Seeing Zhong Ming's calm face across the way, even displaying an indulgent "have fun" attitude, he knew Jiang Xingzhi was about to astonish everyone again.
Just as his fingertips touched the melon seed shell, he saw Wan Xing suddenly think of something, giving a venomous smile as his hand moved from the person's neck.
Snap! The Moon-Holding Pearl tied around Jiang Xingzhi's neck was yanked off.
Wan Xing held up the crimson Moon-Holding Pearl, threatening loudly, "Everyone leave Yuhua Sect territory, or I'll crush this life-sustaining spirit pearl!"
Plop, the melon seed fell.
Shang Luxing, who had been enjoying the show: What life-sustaining? That's the couple's jade pendant I gave them!
He carefully turned his head, only to meet Zhong Ming's murderous expression.
"..."
Rest in peace.