Why do these folks from the Jade Spirit Sect get so worked up and start shouting for a fight when they see people from the Xuan Prefecture? Blue-robed Luosai Beard and his fellows felt a little embarrassed deep down.
They probably knew the reason—it was due to their own previous misdeeds.
Earlier, those three were being chased by them.
After escaping, Luosai Beard's group searched all over but couldn't find them.
They thought they wouldn't run into them again but unexpectedly engaged them here.
If you're going to fight, at least pick a fight you can win.
Getting angry only to get yourself killed—what were those three thinking?
Each member of the group pretended not to notice the connection and kept quiet, not wanting to drag other Xuan Prefecture folks into their mess.
Since things had already reached this stage, they felt it was best not to force the two to join them.
After all, the absence of these two wouldn’t make a difference.
"Since that's the case, you two can do as you please."
Blue-robed Luosai Beard cupped his hands and waved to his companions, signaling them to leave.
With the road ahead wide open, each side minded their own business.
Once they left, Shi Chun immediately dropped the act, hopping back to the dirt corner, crouching low to observe the group's direction.
Wu Jinliang quickly started searching the corpses for valuable items.
After picking up three swords from the ground, he too jumped to the dirt corner, waving a sword.
"I’ll make the tags."
They had done such things so many times before that there was no need to explain.
Wu Jinliang knew exactly what to do next.
It's not that the two didn't want to join that group, but they simply couldn't.
If the Xuan Prefecture folks demanded to see the tags on their bracelets for proof, they'd be exposed right away.
The tricky part was the tag couldn't be easily swapped.
The bracelets were tied on so tightly they couldn’t be taken off without cutting off a hand.
Moreover, the material of the bracelet was extraordinary—neither their martial strength nor their weapons could break it.
They had encountered the Jade Spirit Sect group by chance and learned of a sect called the Wandering Mist Mountain Sect even more by happenstance.
There wasn’t enough time to prepare fake tags.
Currently, the best way to join the Xuan Prefecture gang was to make it clear that they had no intention of joining, paving the way for future opportunities.
Shi Chun shot a warning glance back.
"The last sale contract was done too sloppily. If it weren't for my quick thinking, we wouldn’t have gotten away with it. If we keep doing sloppy work, we’ll slip up."
Wu Jinliang retorted, "The sale contract had so many words, and I couldn't ask anyone to write it for me. Given my writing skills, asking me to make it look real was too much."
Shi Chun noted, "This sword isn't easy to forge, is it?"
Wu Jinliang chuckled.
"Both our blades were forged by me. Any complaints about them? Learning from the blacksmiths in Eternal Dawn City wasn't for nothing. As for this..."
He pointed at the sword's guard.
"The pattern here shouldn’t be so tough. If it is, I'll just pry this off and improvise."
Shi Chun advised, "Leave markers along the road."
"You should too."
Wu Jinliang left with those words, slipping into the low groves, avoiding making noise that might be heard by the earlier group.
Shi Chun observed for a while longer.
Once those from Xuan Prefecture left, he quickly slipped out, following their trail...
In the martial arena, Elder Fei Zhengong from the Jade Spirit Sect and his two disciples rose slowly, their gaze on the mirrored scene heavy with concern.
After waiting half the night, their request was finally played.
The mirrored image displayed nothing but two complete corpses, with severed limbs scattered nearby.
An elder from another sect sighed upon witnessing this.
Fearing the worst had come true, it seemed indeed that their sect members were eliminated by those two from Wukang Mountain.
The request this time included not just their injured disciples’ images but also those of the missing ones.
Two images played back-to-back, both showing corpses exposed in the wild.
This meant that the people from the Jade Spirit Sect participating were now all wiped out.
Despite these images, those in the martial arena hardly reacted.
Every fifty counts the scene changed, and people were desensitized, not noticing or remembering unless directly involved.
Even if clothes looked familiar, unless intimately acquainted with the Jade Spirit Sect attire, no one would recall they were from the disciples who faced off with Shi Chun.
There's a presence who did recognize: the overseer at the prime viewing spot.
Gifted with a keen eye, he not only identified the clothes but also recognized the deceased as those who had faced off with Shi Chun.
Looking around the scene, he noticed the dozen or so Domain Lords had gradually left the place.
Two new ones, unaware of prior events, were merely watching for the sake of it.
Since the Domain Lords didn't ask, the overseer kept quiet in the corner.
The lounge sponsored by Young Master Nan was now empty.
The mirrored world was approaching nightfall, losing its appeal.
Young Master Nan was absent, Lan Qiaoyan and her mother had long left, only attendants were left cleaning after their feast.
Only those closely tied to sects present remained vigilant in the arena.
With even those cloaked like Feng Chi now settled into meditation, sect members took turns watching the mirrored image or sitting in meditation to rest.
Elder Ke was suddenly awakened by a prod from his disciple, revealing three strangers standing before him.
Before any inquiry could be made, the leader announced himself, "I am Jade Spirit Sect Elder Fei Zhengong."
Stunned, Elder Ke instantly grasped the situation—people from the sect opposing Shi Chun had found him.
Previously, he hadn’t even heard of the Jade Spirit Sect.
Only later, after others from his region kindly informed him, did he learn of them.
So many sects had informed him he was tired of hearing it.
Elder Ke didn’t understand why others were so concerned with who the troublemakers from the Wukang Mountain had gone against.
Did they have nothing better to do?
He stood, returning the courtesy, "Elder Ke of Wukang Mountain."
"Ah, Elder Ke."
Fei Zhengong offered a slight hand gesture, but behind the smile, there was no warmth.
"I just want to ask, does our Jade Spirit Sect hold any grudges with your sect? Why do your disciples travel so far to ambush our disciples who were already gravely injured? Why finish them off?"
Are they really dead? Elder Ke glanced at his disciples, questioning silently, also showing a hint of blame.
Why wasn't he woken when the scene of Shi Chun appeared?
Both disciples shook their heads, equally clueless.
Seeing this, Elder Ke immediately retorted, "Elder Fei, did you personally witness my disciples kill yours?"
Fei Zhengong replied, "The scene of your disciples halting mine is known to all here. When my disciples reappeared on screen, they were corpses..."
Before Fei Zhengong could finish, Elder Ke cut him off, aggressively demanding, "Did you see my disciples do it with your own eyes?"
He wouldn't let this go, demanding evidence for the accusation.
Fei Zhengong, at a loss, couldn't act impulsively here and left with a huff, clearly signaling that the Jade Spirit Sect wouldn't let this go.
Elder Ke countered immediately with sarcastic overtones, "No need to see you out!"
Local sects of Sheng Prefecture might be tolerable, meeting frequently, but one from the distant Ying Prefecture coming to confront him—Wukang Mountain's dignity couldn't be trampled lightly, especially with many Sheng Prefecture sects watching.
Moreover, did they think the royal support behind Wukang Mountain was just for show?
After confronting even the Local Domain Lord Wei Mo with humility because it's their territory doesn’t mean they must bow to a sect unheard of from Ying Prefecture.
What audacity.
Besides, fights and deaths showed up often in the mirrored image; no sect would confront another for this off-screen.
Why should things be different for Wukang Mountain? Were they easy prey?
Remembering the Domain Lord had already warned him, he simmered with anger.
"Jade Spirit Sect, come collect your dead!"
When the call went out from the armored guards in the center of the arena, there was a ripple of murmurs, questioning if it's that same Jade Spirit Sect...
The night hadn’t fully descended, but a wide expanse of temporary camps was already lit with numerous flickering sandalwood-gold flames.
Shi Chun lay behind a large rock in a mountain hollow, observing from afar.
It was indeed a massive campsite, likely the conglomerate of Xuan Prefecture delegates led by the Primordial Origin Sect, numbering perhaps seven or eight thousand.
The direction he studied was precisely where Luosai Beard and his fellows returned.
He didn’t dare to venture closer, having seen firsthand the camp's structured rotations of sentinels.
As darkness thickened, soft rustling came from behind.
Turning, he saw Wu Jinliang had returned.
Wu Jinliang grinned, first peeking around the stone to check the campsite’s status, then settled beside the rock, revealing the chains on his wrist with tags hanging.
One was originally there, but now one hung on the front and another on the back.
He explained, "Without tools, it's hard to make the chain convincing. Just make do with these temporary tags for now. Let me show you. If they want to check, press the real one and show them the fake."
He casually tossed Shi Chun a newly minted tag.
Holding the finger-length tag, Shi Chun examined it.
One side read: Xuan Prefecture Wandering Mist Mountain One.
The other: Wang Sheng.
Wu Jinliang chuckled, "Isn't the name grand? Full of winning spirit. Clearly, someone destined to succeed—much better than your 'Shi Chun.'"
Shi Chun quickly checked his tag.
One side read: Xuan Prefecture Wandering Mist Mountain Two.
The other: Gao Qiang.
Not debating the name's quality or acknowledging that he's only rank two, Shi Chun didn’t bicker.
Comparing the new tag with the original on the chain, the handwriting's neatness and color difference were blatant—clearly fake.
Yet Shi Chun was satisfied with the result, "Good enough, usable."
As he affixed the tag, Wu Jinliang aided, noting, "Xuan Prefecture participants likely stayed together on the Imperial Capital Immortal Mountain. Among them, someone might recognize members of the Wandering Mist Mountain Sect. Our attire? Obviously false—wearing Wukang Mountain garb and pretending to be from the Wandering Mist Mountain Sect, are we?"
"I want to change, but it's impossible to find fitting clothes, right? Ill-fitting clothes scream fake and they'll scrutinize the tag closely."
Shi Chun smirked, dismissive.
"No big deal. If anyone questions, just eliminate them."
(Chapter End)