"Chu Liang!"0
Lu Xun dashed over and glared at Chu Liang. As the current caretaker of the child, he felt a deep sense of responsibility. If anything happened to the child, he knew he would be held accountable.0
"Oh no!" Chu Liang panicked as he glanced over at the Baize youngling. While stroking its head, he scolded, "How can you push the Alchemy Master's great-grandson…I mean use such force on him with your horns? He is still a kid!"0
There was a sense of tranquility and honesty in the Baize youngling's large innocent eyes. It let out a couple "hreoohhh" and seemed to be saying that it was also a kid.0
"Senior Brother Lu, look at how things turned out!" Chu Liang exclaimed, opening his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I did not expect this at all!"0
With a wave of his sleeves, Lu Xun shouted angrily, "You don't have to put on an act. If something happens to Lingtong, you should take full responsibility!"0
"Why do you say that?" Chu Liang retorted with an innocent expression. "Everyone saw it. He hurled a stone at the Baize youngling, which provoked the Baize youngling to attack him. This has nothing to do with me."0
"True," Shang Ziliang, who stood nearby, hastily nodded in agreement, indicating that everyone had witnessed the incident.0
"If you never taught Lingtong to do such a thing, he wouldn't have done that." Lu Xun paid no heed to Chu Liang's eloquence.0
"It isn't his first time doing such a thing, right? Everyone knew that he has been behaving this way for fun," Chu Liang declared boldly, as though reasoning was on his side.0
"That's true." Shang Ziliang nodded again as an indication that everyone knew about this.0
"Senior Brother Lu, aren't you going to check on him? What if he is stuck on a tree? He is still a child." Chu Liang stared at the direction where Chen Lingtong had flew away with a hint of smile on his face.0
"Yeah." Shang Ziliang chimed in, supporting Chu Liang, "There's a cliff over there. It wouldn't be good if he fell off."0
"I heard him scream earlier. Why isn't he making a sound now?" asked Chu Liang.0
"Good lord… If something happens, the Alchemy Master will be really upset," Shang Ziliang added.0
"But the Alchemy Master can't do anything to the Baize youngling so he will most likely punish the caretaker," said Chu Liang.0
"Well, this is really unnecessary trouble," Shang Ziliang said as he shook his head.0
…0
The two of them kept bantering back and forth, their exchange resembling that of comedy duos working together. As they continued, Lu Xun's face darkened. He couldn't be bothered to argue with these two any longer, so he flew away with a wave of his sleeves.0
He continued flying for several zhang until he spotted Chen Lingtong hanging from a tree, just as Chu Liang and Shang Ziliang had predicted. Chen Lingtong was frozen in disbelief as he clung to the branches.0
Since this kid had gained self-awareness, he had never received such a treatment. At this moment, his initial reaction wasn't to complain about the pain, but rather to question why the Baize youngling would dare to attack him.0
"I was just hitting it with a stone, so how would it dare to attack me?" Chen Lingtong muttered to himself, baffled by the unexpected turn of events.0
It wasn't until Lu Xun gently lowered him from the tree that Chen Lingtong's wail pierced the air, his voice trembling with pain as he cried out, "It hurts so bad!"0
Lu Xun carefully examined Lingtong's entire body. Fortunately, this mischievous youngster had already attained the Body Refinement Realm. His physique was significantly sturdier than that of other children, and he had only broken a few bones.0
If other seven-year-old kids were to endure such a fierce attack from the Baize youngling, there was a high likelihood that they would not have survived.0
"Don't cry. I'll take you back to get treated," Lu Xun said soothingly, offering reassurance to Chen Lingtong.0
Lu Xun had no choice but to stabilize Chen Lingtong's qi and blood with his foundational qi. Then, he leaped up and swiftly carried Chen Lingtong back to the Hall of Alchemy.0
But Chen Lingtong wouldn't heed Lu Xun's words. When Lu Xun asked him not to cry, he wailed even more uncontrollably. The pain and the feeling of being bullied flooded over him all at once, especially after he regained consciousness.0
In the Hall of Alchemy, Seventh Senior Brother Liu Qin and Eighth Senior Brother Xu Wen were both present. As soon as they saw Chen Lingtong so severely injured, they were immediately alarmed and panicked.0
If the Alchemy Master saw this, he would have surely reprimanded and punished the disciples caring for Lingtong.0
The three scrambled around in panic, hastily administering medicine and treating Chen Lingtong's wounds. They carefully set his bones and provided pain relief, promoting blood circulation and dispersing blood clots. Given the Hall of Alchemy's specialization in such matters, they were naturally efficient in handling external injuries. After working tirelessly, Chen Lingtong's injuries were mostly healed within less than an hour.0
But even as his physical wounds healed, the emotional trauma Chen Lingtong experienced lingered like a shadow.0
Chen Lingtong continued to wail inconsolably. "I'm going to tell my great-grandfather to beat that Baize youngling to death! How dare it knock me off and cause such pain! Boohoo—" His cries echoed with indignation and anguish.0
As soon as Chen Lingtong made his threat, the three disciples of the Alchemy Master fell silent for a moment.0
While you may be pampered and loved on Mount Shu, there are varying levels of adoration. Compared to the Baize, which holds the potential to protect Mount Shu for the next few thousand years, even the Alchemy Master can't win, not to mention his great-grandson.0
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Xun spoke up. "Lingtong... The Baize youngling is not the one at fault here. The true wrongdoer is the one who taught you to throw stones at spirit beasts! That person named Chu Liang is the real villain!"1
The moment Lu Xun uttered those words, Liu Qin's face flushed with embarrassment.0
Chen Lingtong stomped his feet in frustration and cried out, "Then I'll tell my great-grandfather to beat Chu Liang up! I'm so angry!"0
"Lingtong, please don't tell your great-grandfather about this. We'll seek revenge for you, alright?" Liu Qin hastily said.0
If Chen Lingtong were to cry and complain to the Alchemy Master, those responsible for his care would undoubtedly face punishment.0
"You'll help me take revenge?" Chen Lingtong's eyes lit up with a mischievous spark as he shouted, "You must give him a good beating!"0
"Of course." Liu Qin said.0
"Seventh Senior Brother, Chu Liang's teacher is Di Nufeng..." Xu Wen reminded Liu Qin with a hint of concern.0
"This…" Upon being reminded of this, Liu Qin hesitated.0
But Chen Lingtong started wailing again. "If you don't dare to do it, I will tell my great-grandfather!"0
"What's there to worry about? Di Nufeng is not on Mount Shu now," Lu Xun declared, his tone tinged with sinister intentions. "We can take advantage of this opportunity to go to Silver Sword Peak and teach that fella a lesson. If Di Nufeng wants us to take responsibility later on, we'll just ask our teacher to deal with it. We're standing up for Lingtong. If our esteemed teacher finds out about it, the situation will be better than it is now."5
When Liu Qin heard this, he agreed.0
If Chen Lingtong were to cry and report the incident to the Alchemy Master now, they would undoubtedly face punishment. However, if they stand up for him and then have him tell the story to their teacher while laughing, their teacher would likely protect them.0
As for Di Nufeng, their esteemed teacher would surely have his ways of handling her. No matter how highly ranked she was, could she be of higher status than the Guardian Elder?0
Moreover, the strained relationship between the Alchemy Master and Di Nufeng was widely known among many people at Mount Shu Sect. Considering this, they suddenly felt less anxious about the potential consequences of their actions.0
The biggest task ahead of them was to stand up for Chen Lingtong!0
They might even be praised by their teacher.0
"When your injuries heal tomorrow, we'll go see that scoundrel from Silver Sword Peak!" Lu Xun declared decisively.0
At the same time, he harbored another thought.0
If he could stir up some internal conflict and cause a bit of trouble for Chu Liang... It would indeed be a brilliant move.0
…0
Achoo!0
Chu Liang sneezed, rubbing his nose, wondering why he had been the subject of conversations for many people recently.0
After teaching the Alchemy Master's great-grandson a lesson, he felt a bit uneasy as he knew that there was a possibility of retaliation. With his teacher absent, he wouldn't have much room to resist.0
The Alchemy Master wouldn't dirty his own hands in retaliation. However, those core disciples of his were all older than Chu Liang by twenty or thirty years. They were disciples who had participated in the previous Mount Shu Summit or even the one before the last one.0
Such disciples who had participated in the previous few Mount Shu Summit had usually reached the fifth or sixth realm and were busy searching for resources outside. They spent very little time on Mount Shu and maintained a very low profile.0
The Alchemy Master's disciples were the exception. By relying on the Hall of Alchemy, they didn't have to venture out to fight for resources. As long as they serve by the Alchemy Master's side, they wouldn't lack any treasures of nature. Therefore, they would spend a lot of time on Mount Shu.0
Chu Liang pondered whether he should hide out in Azure Fall Peak for a while. With Daoist Yan's close relationship with his teacher, she wouldn't leave him be. Besides, he would have the opportunity to spend more time with Senior Sister Jiang.0
Upon returning to his cabin, he suddenly found a letter delivered by a white crane.0
As he retrieved and examined the letter, he realized it was from the Great Astral Sect, and the sender was someone he hadn't heard from in a long time—Yun Chaoxian.0
I wonder what's the major event.0
Among the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten, there were demonic beasts and flying creatures specialized in delivering letters. However, if it wasn't for something important, it would be unnecessary for them to make such a trip to send a letter.0
Chu Liang opened the letter and furrowed his brows immediately.0
It turned out that Yun Chaoxian mentioned in the letter that someone from the Great Astral Sect wanted to mess with Chu Liang.0
This matter stemmed from some time ago in Black Whale Mountain, where Chu Liang had killed a white ape. The dying white ape had sent out a white beam of light, and Chu Liang had suspected it was a distress signal. Now, it seemed his guess was correct.0
He hadn't expected that the white ape was actually a demonic beast that had followed the cultivation of the Great Astral Sect.0
The senior whom the white ape followed had passed away many years ago, but that person has a junior brother, who knew the white ape. This junior brother was named Zhang Juque.0
Zhang Juque was also a famous martial arts grandmaster within the Great Astral Sect. Known for his fiery temperament and hatred for evil, he held the title of "Strongest Sixth-Realm Cultivator" in the cultivation world.1
Despite being a genius and once flourishing greatly, Zhang Juque couldn't break through to the seventh realm and was stuck within the Earth Gate. Nevertheless, his understanding of martial arts had reached an unparalleled level, allowing him to even hold his ground against some seventh-realm cultivators.2
He was always considered the strongest among those in the sixth realm.0
The information provided by the white ape included scenes of Chu Liang and his Golden-Furred Hound defeating it, as well as its accusations of Chu Liang invading its cave and stealing its spirit plants.1
Chu Liang was depicted as an unforgivable bandit, not only plundering treasures but also ruthlessly killing the ape to cover his tracks.0
Upon receiving this information, Zhang Juque was furious. After confirming Chu Liang's identity, he was ready to come to Mount Shu to teach this utterly sinful cultivator a lesson.0
Fortunately, Yun Chaoxian coincidentally received this information and promptly advised Zhang Juque. He mentioned his friendship with Chu Liang and portrayed him as a brave and loyal cultivator who didn't seem like someone who would commit such an evil act. Yun Chaoxian suggested to Zhang Juque that there might be some misunderstanding.0
However, when Zhang Juque asked if he could vouch for Chu Liang, Yun Chaoxian hesitated because he didn't understand the situation either. So he quickly wrote to inform Chu Liang, urging him to reply and explain the situation.0
If Chu Liang couldn't explain clearly, Zhang Juque would come to Mount Shu to kill him.0
This martial arts grandmaster had spent many years hunting demons and evil spirits, and he was highly respected in the cultivation world. If Chu Liang had truly done something wrong, the Mount Shu Sect might not be able to protect him.0
As Chu Liang stared at the letter, he also read between the lines of Yun Chaoxian's message. It subtly hinted at Chu Liang, suggesting, "If you really did something wrong, run now."0
After pondering over the letter for a while, Chu Liang picked up a writing brush and wrote a reply.0
"Brother Chaoxian, seeing your letter feels as though I am seeing you in person.0
"I have received your letter, and I appreciate your concern. Regarding the matter of the white ape, there are indeed many twists and turns. If convenient, please have your senior come to Mount Shu, and I will explain everything in person. If there are any lies, your senior can punish me on the spot."
"Chu Liang!"0
Lu Xun dashed over and glared at Chu Liang. As the current caretaker of the child, he felt a deep sense of responsibility. If anything happened to the child, he knew he would be held accountable.0
"Oh no!" Chu Liang panicked as he glanced over at the Baize youngling. While stroking its head, he scolded, "How can you push the Alchemy Master's great-grandson…I mean use such force on him with your horns? He is still a kid!"0
There was a sense of tranquility and honesty in the Baize youngling's large innocent eyes. It let out a couple "hreoohhh" and seemed to be saying that it was also a kid.0
"Senior Brother Lu, look at how things turned out!" Chu Liang exclaimed, opening his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I did not expect this at all!"0
With a wave of his sleeves, Lu Xun shouted angrily, "You don't have to put on an act. If something happens to Lingtong, you should take full responsibility!"0
"Why do you say that?" Chu Liang retorted with an innocent expression. "Everyone saw it. He hurled a stone at the Baize youngling, which provoked the Baize youngling to attack him. This has nothing to do with me."0
"True," Shang Ziliang, who stood nearby, hastily nodded in agreement, indicating that everyone had witnessed the incident.0
"If you never taught Lingtong to do such a thing, he wouldn't have done that." Lu Xun paid no heed to Chu Liang's eloquence.0
"It isn't his first time doing such a thing, right? Everyone knew that he has been behaving this way for fun," Chu Liang declared boldly, as though reasoning was on his side.0
"That's true." Shang Ziliang nodded again as an indication that everyone knew about this.0
"Senior Brother Lu, aren't you going to check on him? What if he is stuck on a tree? He is still a child." Chu Liang stared at the direction where Chen Lingtong had flew away with a hint of smile on his face.0
"Yeah." Shang Ziliang chimed in, supporting Chu Liang, "There's a cliff over there. It wouldn't be good if he fell off."0
"I heard him scream earlier. Why isn't he making a sound now?" asked Chu Liang.0
"Good lord… If something happens, the Alchemy Master will be really upset," Shang Ziliang added.0
"But the Alchemy Master can't do anything to the Baize youngling so he will most likely punish the caretaker," said Chu Liang.0
"Well, this is really unnecessary trouble," Shang Ziliang said as he shook his head.0
…0
The two of them kept bantering back and forth, their exchange resembling that of comedy duos working together. As they continued, Lu Xun's face darkened. He couldn't be bothered to argue with these two any longer, so he flew away with a wave of his sleeves.0
He continued flying for several zhang until he spotted Chen Lingtong hanging from a tree, just as Chu Liang and Shang Ziliang had predicted. Chen Lingtong was frozen in disbelief as he clung to the branches.0
Since this kid had gained self-awareness, he had never received such a treatment. At this moment, his initial reaction wasn't to complain about the pain, but rather to question why the Baize youngling would dare to attack him.0
"I was just hitting it with a stone, so how would it dare to attack me?" Chen Lingtong muttered to himself, baffled by the unexpected turn of events.0
It wasn't until Lu Xun gently lowered him from the tree that Chen Lingtong's wail pierced the air, his voice trembling with pain as he cried out, "It hurts so bad!"0
Lu Xun carefully examined Lingtong's entire body. Fortunately, this mischievous youngster had already attained the Body Refinement Realm. His physique was significantly sturdier than that of other children, and he had only broken a few bones.0
If other seven-year-old kids were to endure such a fierce attack from the Baize youngling, there was a high likelihood that they would not have survived.0
"Don't cry. I'll take you back to get treated," Lu Xun said soothingly, offering reassurance to Chen Lingtong.0
Lu Xun had no choice but to stabilize Chen Lingtong's qi and blood with his foundational qi. Then, he leaped up and swiftly carried Chen Lingtong back to the Hall of Alchemy.0
But Chen Lingtong wouldn't heed Lu Xun's words. When Lu Xun asked him not to cry, he wailed even more uncontrollably. The pain and the feeling of being bullied flooded over him all at once, especially after he regained consciousness.0
In the Hall of Alchemy, Seventh Senior Brother Liu Qin and Eighth Senior Brother Xu Wen were both present. As soon as they saw Chen Lingtong so severely injured, they were immediately alarmed and panicked.0
If the Alchemy Master saw this, he would have surely reprimanded and punished the disciples caring for Lingtong.0
The three scrambled around in panic, hastily administering medicine and treating Chen Lingtong's wounds. They carefully set his bones and provided pain relief, promoting blood circulation and dispersing blood clots. Given the Hall of Alchemy's specialization in such matters, they were naturally efficient in handling external injuries. After working tirelessly, Chen Lingtong's injuries were mostly healed within less than an hour.0
But even as his physical wounds healed, the emotional trauma Chen Lingtong experienced lingered like a shadow.0
Chen Lingtong continued to wail inconsolably. "I'm going to tell my great-grandfather to beat that Baize youngling to death! How dare it knock me off and cause such pain! Boohoo—" His cries echoed with indignation and anguish.0
As soon as Chen Lingtong made his threat, the three disciples of the Alchemy Master fell silent for a moment.0
While you may be pampered and loved on Mount Shu, there are varying levels of adoration. Compared to the Baize, which holds the potential to protect Mount Shu for the next few thousand years, even the Alchemy Master can't win, not to mention his great-grandson.0
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Xun spoke up. "Lingtong... The Baize youngling is not the one at fault here. The true wrongdoer is the one who taught you to throw stones at spirit beasts! That person named Chu Liang is the real villain!"1
The moment Lu Xun uttered those words, Liu Qin's face flushed with embarrassment.0
Chen Lingtong stomped his feet in frustration and cried out, "Then I'll tell my great-grandfather to beat Chu Liang up! I'm so angry!"0
"Lingtong, please don't tell your great-grandfather about this. We'll seek revenge for you, alright?" Liu Qin hastily said.0
If Chen Lingtong were to cry and complain to the Alchemy Master, those responsible for his care would undoubtedly face punishment.0
"You'll help me take revenge?" Chen Lingtong's eyes lit up with a mischievous spark as he shouted, "You must give him a good beating!"0
"Of course." Liu Qin said.0
"Seventh Senior Brother, Chu Liang's teacher is Di Nufeng..." Xu Wen reminded Liu Qin with a hint of concern.0
"This…" Upon being reminded of this, Liu Qin hesitated.0
But Chen Lingtong started wailing again. "If you don't dare to do it, I will tell my great-grandfather!"0
"What's there to worry about? Di Nufeng is not on Mount Shu now," Lu Xun declared, his tone tinged with sinister intentions. "We can take advantage of this opportunity to go to Silver Sword Peak and teach that fella a lesson. If Di Nufeng wants us to take responsibility later on, we'll just ask our teacher to deal with it. We're standing up for Lingtong. If our esteemed teacher finds out about it, the situation will be better than it is now."5
When Liu Qin heard this, he agreed.0
If Chen Lingtong were to cry and report the incident to the Alchemy Master now, they would undoubtedly face punishment. However, if they stand up for him and then have him tell the story to their teacher while laughing, their teacher would likely protect them.0
As for Di Nufeng, their esteemed teacher would surely have his ways of handling her. No matter how highly ranked she was, could she be of higher status than the Guardian Elder?0
Moreover, the strained relationship between the Alchemy Master and Di Nufeng was widely known among many people at Mount Shu Sect. Considering this, they suddenly felt less anxious about the potential consequences of their actions.0
The biggest task ahead of them was to stand up for Chen Lingtong!0
They might even be praised by their teacher.0
"When your injuries heal tomorrow, we'll go see that scoundrel from Silver Sword Peak!" Lu Xun declared decisively.0
At the same time, he harbored another thought.0
If he could stir up some internal conflict and cause a bit of trouble for Chu Liang... It would indeed be a brilliant move.0
…0
Achoo!0
Chu Liang sneezed, rubbing his nose, wondering why he had been the subject of conversations for many people recently.0
After teaching the Alchemy Master's great-grandson a lesson, he felt a bit uneasy as he knew that there was a possibility of retaliation. With his teacher absent, he wouldn't have much room to resist.0
The Alchemy Master wouldn't dirty his own hands in retaliation. However, those core disciples of his were all older than Chu Liang by twenty or thirty years. They were disciples who had participated in the previous Mount Shu Summit or even the one before the last one.0
Such disciples who had participated in the previous few Mount Shu Summit had usually reached the fifth or sixth realm and were busy searching for resources outside. They spent very little time on Mount Shu and maintained a very low profile.0
The Alchemy Master's disciples were the exception. By relying on the Hall of Alchemy, they didn't have to venture out to fight for resources. As long as they serve by the Alchemy Master's side, they wouldn't lack any treasures of nature. Therefore, they would spend a lot of time on Mount Shu.0
Chu Liang pondered whether he should hide out in Azure Fall Peak for a while. With Daoist Yan's close relationship with his teacher, she wouldn't leave him be. Besides, he would have the opportunity to spend more time with Senior Sister Jiang.0
Upon returning to his cabin, he suddenly found a letter delivered by a white crane.0
As he retrieved and examined the letter, he realized it was from the Great Astral Sect, and the sender was someone he hadn't heard from in a long time—Yun Chaoxian.0
I wonder what's the major event.0
Among the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten, there were demonic beasts and flying creatures specialized in delivering letters. However, if it wasn't for something important, it would be unnecessary for them to make such a trip to send a letter.0
Chu Liang opened the letter and furrowed his brows immediately.0
It turned out that Yun Chaoxian mentioned in the letter that someone from the Great Astral Sect wanted to mess with Chu Liang.0
This matter stemmed from some time ago in Black Whale Mountain, where Chu Liang had killed a white ape. The dying white ape had sent out a white beam of light, and Chu Liang had suspected it was a distress signal. Now, it seemed his guess was correct.0
He hadn't expected that the white ape was actually a demonic beast that had followed the cultivation of the Great Astral Sect.0
The senior whom the white ape followed had passed away many years ago, but that person has a junior brother, who knew the white ape. This junior brother was named Zhang Juque.0
Zhang Juque was also a famous martial arts grandmaster within the Great Astral Sect. Known for his fiery temperament and hatred for evil, he held the title of "Strongest Sixth-Realm Cultivator" in the cultivation world.1
Despite being a genius and once flourishing greatly, Zhang Juque couldn't break through to the seventh realm and was stuck within the Earth Gate. Nevertheless, his understanding of martial arts had reached an unparalleled level, allowing him to even hold his ground against some seventh-realm cultivators.2
He was always considered the strongest among those in the sixth realm.0
The information provided by the white ape included scenes of Chu Liang and his Golden-Furred Hound defeating it, as well as its accusations of Chu Liang invading its cave and stealing its spirit plants.1
Chu Liang was depicted as an unforgivable bandit, not only plundering treasures but also ruthlessly killing the ape to cover his tracks.0
Upon receiving this information, Zhang Juque was furious. After confirming Chu Liang's identity, he was ready to come to Mount Shu to teach this utterly sinful cultivator a lesson.0
Fortunately, Yun Chaoxian coincidentally received this information and promptly advised Zhang Juque. He mentioned his friendship with Chu Liang and portrayed him as a brave and loyal cultivator who didn't seem like someone who would commit such an evil act. Yun Chaoxian suggested to Zhang Juque that there might be some misunderstanding.0
However, when Zhang Juque asked if he could vouch for Chu Liang, Yun Chaoxian hesitated because he didn't understand the situation either. So he quickly wrote to inform Chu Liang, urging him to reply and explain the situation.0
If Chu Liang couldn't explain clearly, Zhang Juque would come to Mount Shu to kill him.0
This martial arts grandmaster had spent many years hunting demons and evil spirits, and he was highly respected in the cultivation world. If Chu Liang had truly done something wrong, the Mount Shu Sect might not be able to protect him.0
As Chu Liang stared at the letter, he also read between the lines of Yun Chaoxian's message. It subtly hinted at Chu Liang, suggesting, "If you really did something wrong, run now."0
After pondering over the letter for a while, Chu Liang picked up a writing brush and wrote a reply.0
"Brother Chaoxian, seeing your letter feels as though I am seeing you in person.0
"I have received your letter, and I appreciate your concern. Regarding the matter of the white ape, there are indeed many twists and turns. If convenient, please have your senior come to Mount Shu, and I will explain everything in person. If there are any lies, your senior can punish me on the spot."
