Chapter 75: Is It Complete?

The next morning, Fang Cun acted as if nothing had happened. He traveled through the avenues of Willow Lake City and the small paths flanked by willow trees in his exquisite, luxurious yet low-key carriage, arriving at the Academy to begin that day’s cultivation.

However, it seemed he was the only one unchanged.

Both the early morning streets of Willow Lake City and the Academy itself held an air of oppressive tension. People were seen everywhere talking in hushed tones, their faces showing worry, sighs, or an almost detached excitement. Fang Cun didn’t engage them much in conversation, but inwardly he understood. It seemed news of the Human Elixir Refinement from yesterday had completely spread.

Unlike last time, when the Academy and City Governor’s forces had discovered the demonic cultivator’s Human Elixir Refinement and sealed the news, this time secrecy was impossible. After all, when the Human Elixir formed, its light illuminated a ten-mile radius. Too many witnesses saw it, too many Qi Refiners sensed it. Moreover, the scene at the Charity Manor, where Instructor Lingxiu died amid the pursuing crowd, was witnessed by too many Qi Refiners who had rushed there. There was simply no suppressing the news. In just one night, the entire populace of Willow Lake City knew about this matter.

Things had blown up.

Not just because someone succeeded in refining the Human Elixir. Not just because the one exposed as the refiner was actually an Academy Instructor. But also because, despite Instructor Lingxiu falling, that clearly completed Human Elixir had vanished, stolen by someone unknown…

Thus, both the Academy and the City Governor’s office were thrown into panic.

News had certainly reached the higher-ups; the Nine Immortals Sect and the Prefect couldn’t be unaware. Both the Academy and the Prefect’s forces were desperate to give them an explanation. Crucially, they needed to present that refined Human Elixir – sealed as evidence – as part of that explanation. Yet just at this critical moment, the Human Elixir was stolen. This instantly placed both the Academy and the City Governor in an impossible predicament!

Everyone felt a headache just mentioning it.

Surely, the headache for the Academy and the City Governor was ten times worse than anyone could imagine!

…

When Fang Cun arrived at Lan Shuang Pavilion, Master Lan Shuang was absent. In fact, all the Instructors and Elder Mentors of the Academy were probably out then, doing everything they could to find that Human Elixir. At least until it was recovered, the disciples of the White Xiang Academy shouldn’t expect any proper lectures…

But the disciples in the Study Pavilion weren’t idle either. They whispered among themselves, often casting looks filled with awe towards…

…Meng Zhixue!

And not just Meng Zhixue, but also He Zhenzhang!

As the news of the Human Elixir spread, the involvement of the Nanshan Alliance inevitably became common knowledge.

For many disciples, the Nanshan Alliance had always been a peculiar entity, regarded with a mixture of respect… and distance.

Respect, because these individuals, especially the Five Disciples of the Nanshan Alliance, possessed genuinely high cultivation and remarkable talent. They were the elite of the Academy, their superiority undeniable. Distance, however, stemmed from their tendency to insert themselves into everything. Whether it was Demon-Subduing Dispatches or minor disputes and issues between Academy disciples, they always took it upon themselves to intervene. Naturally, most disciples preferred to steer clear!

This feeling was particularly strong before. When the Academy and the City Governor’s forces jointly cleansed the demon nests in the Southern Mountains, the city reverberated with cheers. Yet, at that very moment, Meng Zhixue alone disagreed. She even publicly confronted the Divine General from the City Governor’s side, insisting that the culprit behind the Human Elixir Refinement was still at large. That act made everyone feel rather uncomfortable, even accusing her of deliberately acting differently just to stand out.

Much like the late Immortal Master Fang Chi!

And then yesterday… They actually found the real culprit responsible for the Human Elixir Refinement. This made everyone look at them with newfound respect.

The magnitude of this achievement was indescribable!

The mixed feelings of respect and distance felt by ordinary disciples now tilted significantly more towards respect and esteem!

…

Yet the reactions of Meng Zhixue and He Zhenzhang differed.

He Zhenzhang sat there calmly, reading his book as though nothing had happened.

Having suffered some scrapes the day before, his left arm was bandaged.

Occasionally, turning a page would pull at the wound, causing him to frown slightly. He quickly concealed it, sitting upright and still, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding gazes. Yet every pore was savoring the attention, especially sensing which direction held more female disciples. He subtly adjusted his posture, perfectly presenting a cool and composed profile to that side.

Meng Zhixue, on the other hand, was also reading, but clearly distracted.

Only when Fang Cun entered the Study Pavilion did she seem to snap back. She lightly rose to her feet. Pretending not to see her, Fang Cun sat down beside He Zhenzhang at the back, conveniently blocking the view of some female disciples who had been looking towards He Zhenzhang from across the pavilion.

He Zhenzhang’s expression became awkward, though he couldn’t very well say anything.

Fang Cun took out the “Classic of Spirits” from his book box, preparing for some serious study, when he noticed Meng Zhixue looking directly at him.

He, a diligent Second Young Master, intended to ignore her. But after a slight hesitation, he placed the Classic of Spirits back into the box, slung it on his back, and leisurely walked out. He paused briefly after a few steps, confirming that Meng Zhixue had indeed followed him out. He then walked straight ahead, heading for the Academy gate. A slightly surprised Meng Zhixue trailed behind him until they reached the entrance.

“Where are you going?”

“Since the Instructors won’t be coming back today anyway, why not go out?”

Fang Cun turned back, smiling at her.

“Go out?”

Meng Zhixue seemed unfamiliar with the concept of “skipping class” and looked somewhat taken aback.

Fang Cun smiled without answering, simply waving Xiao Qingliu over with the carriage. He climbed in first. Not long after, Meng Zhixue followed into the carriage, her expression slightly stiff but without fuss.

“Let’s see the scenery!” Fang Cun instructed cheerfully. The carriage drove out of the Academy and onto a country path.

Meng Zhixue seemed preoccupied and spoke little. Fang Cun wasn’t in a rush to talk either. He watched the lush green fields outside the window. The carriage ambled along until reaching a patch of melon fields. Fang Cun then clapped for Xiao Qingliu to stop, hopped out, and wandered through the vines. He found a large, round watermelon that made a dull, hollow thump when tapped. He cradled it back to the carriage, looking thoroughly pleased.

“Is that alright?” Meng Zhixue hesitated slightly. “Farmers struggle for a living. Isn’t it wrong to just take their melons?”

“Others shouldn’t pick them, but I can.” Holding the melon, Fang Cun shook his head carelessly, chuckling.

“Why?”

Meng Zhixue retorted, baffled.

Fang Cun grinned. “Because this farmstead belongs to my family.”

Meng Zhixue was momentarily lost for words.

The carriage continued onwards. Soon, deep within the melon fields near a thatched hut, the farmer watching the melons spotted Xiao Qingliu driving. He instantly guessed who was inside and hurried over to greet them, bowing respectfully. He set up a wooden table and stools, then urgently told his wife to quickly pick a few ripe melons from the field.

“I picked one myself already!” Fang Cun jumped off the carriage and tossed the melon to the farmer. “Chill it in the well for a bit!”

“Yes, yes…” The farmer readily agreed and hurried off.

Fang Cun sat down in the shade, picked up the farmer’s fan, and waved it a few times, smiling. “Fairy Meng, yesterday, you led the prodigies of the Nanshan Alliance to uncover the Human Elixir Refinement and expose the demonic cultivator hiding within the Academy. Your reputation soars throughout the city. This achievement probably surpasses anything the Academy has seen in the last decade. So why do you look so downcast? What’s troubling you?”

Only now did Meng Zhixue sit down opposite Fang Cun and look at him seriously. “Last night, we were tricked by the Devouring Sea Gang to Willow Lake, only to be mocked without knowing how to respond. If not for someone’s guidance, we wouldn’t even have found the Charity Manor…”

She glanced at Fang Cun again. “I merely got lucky. What achievement is that?”

Fang Cun pretended not to catch the hint in her gaze and smiled lightly. “Still, no matter how you see it, the demonic cultivator behind the Human Elixir Refinement has been uncovered. The matter that troubled Fairy Meng has found its resolution. Isn’t that something to put behind you?”

Meng Zhixue fell silent for a moment. “I just never imagined… it would be Instructor Lingxiu.”

“True, no one imagined it…” Fang Cun sighed softly. “But even though no one thought it was her, she was caught red-handed. She admitted, right in front of the Academy Head and the other instructors, that she was the one refining the Human Elixir. Now, aside from that missing Human Elixir still being at large… doesn’t the case of the missing villagers from Elm Coin Town mark the most perfect conclusion?”

Listening to Fang Cun’s sigh, Meng Zhixue suddenly seemed to perceive something.

She gently raised her head, meeting Fang Cun’s eyes. They were sharp and contrasting, his tone teasing yet holding an underlying seriousness.

This made her realize she was answering a very important question.

…

And Fang Cun simply watched Meng Zhixue quietly, awaiting her answer.

Everyone said Meng Zhixue sought to emulate his brother, that the Nanshan Alliance carried the legacy of the Immortal Master…

So now, tell me…

Are you even worthy to emulate him?