Watching Zhou Guican and Li Fucheng depart together, Chen Yuanzhou turned to Cheng Qingheng beside him and asked, "Deputy Leader, this Zhou Guican is also a troublesome character. Should I have someone keep an eye on him first?" But Cheng Qingheng's thoughts were already elsewhere, because he had finally remembered who this straw-hat-wearing youth before him was!
"Third Brother, you personally keep watch over him here. I'll be right back."
With these words, Cheng Qingheng vanished from the spot.
'Hmm?
The deputy leader reacted so strongly? Did we hook a big fish?' Chen Yuanzhou thought curiously.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea passed, just as Chen Yuanzhou was about to follow Zhou Guican and Li Fucheng into a tavern, he saw Cheng Qingheng suddenly appear before him - accompanied by a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.
"Gang Leader!?"
Chen Yuanzhou was shocked. In his memory, their gang leader had always been as elusive as a divine dragon - many members hadn't even seen his true face after years in the gang. Even he himself had only met the leader three times before.
Never did he expect to see him appear so suddenly today. After a moment, Cheng Qingheng turned back to Chen Yuanzhou and the others: "Stand down."
"Yes."
Without another word, Chen Yuanzhou and the others obeyed Cheng Qingheng's retreat order, quickly dispersing into the crowd. After a while, Yellow Gang Leader Shen Lingwan spoke: "It's indeed the Third Young Master of the Bloodflame Sect's leader. I spoke with him at last year's Lion Campaign Assembly - I couldn't possibly mistake him."
"But what would the Third Young Master be doing in our small territory? No one sent us any word. Our boys nearly caused a huge disaster."
Cheng Qingheng said with lingering fear. Shen Lingwan pondered for a moment before replying: "Perhaps someone has begun to distrust us and wants to use the Third Young Master's hand to eliminate us."
"What!?"
Cheng Qingheng was greatly shocked.
"Could that matter have been exposed? But we clearly..."
Halfway through his words, Cheng Qingheng noticed Shen Lingwan's sharp glance and immediately shut his mouth.
"However, this Third Young Master doesn't seem intent on opposing us. Otherwise he wouldn't have done all those foolish things as described in your report. He's likely subtly reminding us of his presence... or perhaps implying something else."
"Then... should I make contact with this Third Young Master?"
"No need. Since he chose this method to alert us, it means he doesn't wish to meet us directly. Wait for him to approach us first. In any case, speed up our plans in Yangchong County. As for the Third Young Master... assign some clever men to protect him. We absolutely cannot let anything happen to him in our territory."
"Understood. I'll make arrangements immediately."
Having said this, Cheng Qingheng quickly turned and left. Watching Li Fucheng laughing heartily in the tavern, Shen Lingwan fell deep into thought. 'Where exactly did we slip up...
Could there be a traitor? It seems we must investigate thoroughly.' With this thought, Shen Lingwan instantly vanished from the spot as if he'd never been there. ......
That night, Li Fucheng was lying in bed studying the "Book of Eight Palaces and Four Rivers" when Tang Tingshuang asked from beside him: "Senior Brother, you've been reading this every night for several days now. Is this book really that interesting?"
"It's not about being interesting - it's incredibly profound. When we meet Brother Wang again, I must properly thank him. Perhaps when Third Uncle spoke of meeting noble people during travels, he meant people like Brother Wang."
Seeing the sparkling excitement in Li Fucheng's eyes, Tang Tingshuang couldn't help covering her mouth to laugh.
"But ever since meeting that Senior Brother Wang, our luck really does seem to have turned around. We traveled all the way to Falling Sunset Town without incident, and today when we helped those people we didn't get into trouble - instead we befriended a warrior."
"Exactly!"
Li Fucheng nodded repeatedly.
"Once we establish ourselves here and have some decent accomplishments to our name, we must visit the Heart Returning Sect to properly thank Brother Wang." ......
"Achoo!"
Jiang Beiran sneezed while refining pills in the back mountains. 'Really, why do people keep talking about how handsome I am behind my back lately?' With this mental sigh, Jiang Beiran continued controlling the blue-purple flames beneath the alchemy furnace.
During his daily "mountain patrol" today, he'd triggered the [Alchemy]+1 prompt five times in succession, giving him a sudden epiphany. He'd immediately rushed to this "secret base" behind the Blue Heart Hall. Stabilizing the formed flames, Jiang Beiran took out various materials from his Universe Ring and tossed them into the furnace.
He continued refining until dawn. Smelling the herbal fragrance emanating from the furnace, Jiang Beiran nodded in satisfaction.
"Dang~" "Dang~" "Dang~" Suddenly, a series of deep bell chimes resonated across all the peaks of the Heart Returning Sect.
'Hmm?
The assembly bell - what happened? Never mind, not my concern.' Jiang Beiran had already applied for secluded cultivation.
During this period, unless it concerned the sect's life-or-death survival, he wasn't required to participate in anything. For now, successfully refining this batch of [Insect Gu Pills] was his top priority. ...... Meanwhile, shortly after the bell rang, all the young disciples of Heart Returning Sect gathered at Lotus Flower Peak, forming orderly rows.
Just as the disciples were speculating about why they'd been summoned today, they suddenly noticed five figures ascending the stone platform led by the Incense Master.
"So it's Senior Brother Wu and the others returning. Judging by this arrangement, our sect must have performed well this year."
"Who's Senior Brother Wu?"
"You don't know Senior Brother Wu? You must be new. The King of Hell's Dart - Wu Qingce. Over the past two years..."
"Oh! So he's that King of Hell's Dart! I've heard of his reputation. When I went down the mountain a few months ago, even the storytellers were talking about him. They say anyone he wants dead can't escape even if they hide among ten thousand people, because their name has already been recorded by the King of Hell himself."
"At least you know something."
"Senior Brother, do you know who that senior sister standing next to Wu Qingce is?"
The senior brother immediately smacked the back of his head.
"Ouch! Why'd you hit me?"
"Your eyes were about to fall out of your head."
After glancing at the surrounding looks, he whispered: "I'll tell you more after this ends. Be quiet now."
"Yes..." ......
Amidst the murmurs, Incense Master Wu Qiufang stepped forward on the platform and announced: "In this year's JB District Sect Martial Arts Tournament, five disciples from our Heart Returning Sect performed exceptionally, achieving outstanding results. Chaotic Star Hall disciple Wu Qingce even took first place!"
"Wow!"
All the disciples below couldn't help exclaiming in surprise. The JB District Sect Martial Arts Tournament was an annual grand event that all major sects placed great importance on - after all, it concerned reputation, and reputation meant recruitment. As Jiang Beiran would say, this competition was JB District's "imperial examinations."
Whichever sect's disciple won the championship was equivalent to achieving "top scholar" status, bringing the sect limitless benefits.
(End of Chapter)