Chapter 94: What Is the Punishment?

Chapter 94: What Is the Punishment?

“The fierce bandits of the Devouring Sea Gang were wiped out in a single night by the joint efforts of the City Governor and the Academy…”

“The scoundrels of the Black Water Fort, filled with evil, were all killed, not a single one left alive…”

“Heavens! First the demon den, now the bandit scourge. Truly, the City Governor protects the people, utterly just…”

The next morning, astonishing news spread like wildfire through the streets and alleys of Willow Lake City.

All the citizens of Willow Lake City passed the news along, their joy and surprise immense.

Although many had seen the towering flames to the southeast the previous night, and faintly heard the roars and screams from that direction, guessing part of the truth, they hadn’t dared believe it fully. It wasn’t until the city gates opened the next day, and they witnessed the ashes of the Black Water Fort bandit camp burnt flat in the reed marshes south of the city, along with bandit corpses piled like a small hill, that they finally believed.

The Devouring Sea Gang, notorious for robbery, extortion, and committing every evil imaginable, had truly been eradicated by the City Governor and the Academy…

The vicious criminals who had cast a shadow over the heads of Willow Lake City’s citizens for decades were actually all killed?

Such significant news naturally deserved to be shared far and wide. Countless citizens spread the word, and groups even poured out of the city to see for themselves. Many clan elders and local gentry, deeply grateful and even moved to tears, pooled their money to commission the finest plaque. With drums and gongs clanging, they carried it to the entrance of the City Guard Office. A sea of people knelt en masse. With trembling hands, they presented the plaque bearing the four characters: “Eliminating Harm for the People”.

This wave of elation didn’t just sweep through Willow Lake City; even Second Young Master Fang, from within his deep estate’s gates, was jolted awake by the commotion.

News of the Devouring Sea Gang’s fall entering the Fang Family brought more joy there than in the streets. Every maid and servant in the Fang household vividly remembered how, when the eldest son had perished, the Devouring Sea Gang was the first to leap out, threatening the Fangs. Terrified and panicked back then, they truly thought the prestigious Fang Manor, known for the master’s kindness to servants, ample wages, and the respect it commanded, would collapse. Later, the Second Young Master entered the Academy and intimidated those villains. But a shadow of that threat lingered, persistent and unsettling.

Now, suddenly, the Devouring Sea Gang was obliterated overnight.

The Fang Family’s greatest threat vanished just like that. Who else would dare scheme against the Fangs now? Hmph!

Old Steward Huang had firecrackers set off bright and early at the front gate. Master Fang and his wife appeared very calm, as if utterly unconcerned. But after shooing the maids out of their room, muffled sobs were heard coming from inside…

All sorts of noisy excitement, joy and relieved cursing spread through the manor, temporarily overturning its usual decorum.

How could the Second Young Master Fang possibly sleep?

The day before, he’d been playing blindman’s buff with the maids in the garden until late, only crawling into bed around midnight. He’d barely slept a few hours when the ruckus outside startled him from his sweet dreams. Grumbling with distinct morning grumpiness, he sat up lazily. Xiao Qingliu hadn’t yet arrived to report the details, but judging by the sounds from the street, he knew exactly what had happened…

“Ding-ling…”

A pleasant, clear chime sounded. Fang Cun summoned the Celestial Merit Record. His mood brightened noticeably.

Erasing the bandit scourge, protecting the populace: Bestowed Merit: 10,000!

“Bring water, a wash basin! This Young Master wants to wash his face, he needs to get to Academy hurry!”

He called out lazily, waiting for the maids outside to come in and attend to him.

But that group of mischievous girls, perhaps emboldened by the fact that Second Young Master Fang had teased them a little yesterday, had gotten quite audacious. They weren’t dutifully waiting outside his door; he had no idea where they’d wandered off to. He waited for quite a while before the door finally creaked open. The Little Fox Girl struggled in, lugging a large copper basin that seemed even bigger than her. She swayed unsteadily, almost tripping as she slowly made her way into the room.

“You’re so clumsy, how even manage being a monster?” Fang Cun commented from a distance.

He raised his hand in slight exasperation, a surge of cultivation power emanating to steady the dangerously tilting basin. He watched the Little Fox Girl with amused resignation.

The Little Fox Girl, red-faced with effort, finally managed to put the heavy basin down. Her perky ears trembled a little as she sighed in relief. She picked up a towel and brought it over to hand to Fang Cun. When she lifted her head and got a good look at him, she froze. Her eyes widened, staring at him as if stunned, even her tail stood straight up behind her.

“You’re still young, don’t get bewitched by a man’s good looks!” Fang Cun said matter-of-factly.

He took the towel and playfully tugged her ear before walking over to the basin to wash his face.

The Little Fox Girl kept staring at him, dazed, until she suddenly stammered, “Young… Young Master! Your… your hair…”

“Hm?”

Fang Cun sensed something was wrong. He pulled the hair from his temples forward and saw strands of stark white intermixed in his once jet-black hair. Frowning slightly, he reached for the bronze mirror beside him. Holding it up before himself, he saw that overnight, numerous white strands had appeared in his hair—easily over a hundred. Though thin and scattered throughout the black, they were startlingly noticeable.

“So, even using that method, is it still impossible to completely escape the burden of Sin?” Fang Cun thought silently.

He glanced at the startled Little Fox Girl without changing expression and said casually, “Come here, help me pluck them out.”

The Celestial Merit Record had indeed been generous. Although the chieftain of Black Water Fort, Lao Chao, had escaped, and several of its Guardians and Helmsmen were also unaccounted for, it had still awarded him the full 10,000 Merit. It seemed that in its perception, the symbol of the bandit scourge was the black fort itself standing south of the city. Once the fort was burnt to ashes, no longer a gathering point for villains, his task of ‘eradicating the bandit scourge’ was considered complete.

But correspondingly, within the bandit fort during that night of carnage… those who committed crimes but perhaps didn’t deserve death yet died all the same…

That burden weighed upon him, manifesting as these white hairs.

“Young Master, I’m back from seeing the commotion…”

Just as he was thinking, Xiao Qingliu burst in excitedly. His gaze landed on Fang Cun’s hair, and he stopped short for a moment, surprise flickering across his face.

“Report what you saw…”

Fang Cun didn’t like people staring and cut him off with a faint smile, speaking casually.

Xiao Qingliu paused, seeing that his Young Master didn’t seem troubled by the white hairs. Reassured, he quickly gathered his thoughts and spoke earnestly: “Last night, I stood watch nearby. At some point, the aura of the Human Elixir must have accidentally leaked from the fort. In the blink of an eye, forces from all directions—Great Qi Refiners from both the righteous Dao and the underworld—descended. I thought Lao Chao would cave then, but surprisingly, the Devouring Sea Gang had some backbone. They set fire to the fort and tried to charge out in a frenzied escape. Too bad for them, though…” Xiao Qingliu shook his head, “Way too many people outside!”

“Long story short, the entire fort was wiped out overnight. I’ve never seen Academy Instructors and Disciples, nor those gentle-faced noble clan elders, strike so viciously. Even the cooks in the bandit camp were hunted down and every cook chopped down…”

“…”

“…”

Fang Cun interrupted this time, still smiling lightly. “Who exactly did you see make a move?”

“Ah, too many to list! Master Zhong and Master Cang were the fiercest by far. The Academy Head and City Governor seemed to have struck too. Then there were numerous Instructors…”

“The only pity,” Xiao Qingliu suddenly lowered his voice, leaning in slightly, “is that a few escaped after all. Neither Lao Chao nor the Human Elixir were found. When they were tallying the bandits’ corpses at the end, I saw the Academy Head and the City Governor… their expressions were very dark. They even argued a bit.”

“…”

As expected, two old foxes… Fang Cun thought silently to himself.

He combed his hair neatly again, ensuring Lord and Lady Fang wouldn’t see his white threads, then went to the main hall. He shared breakfast with his parents before heading out. He shouldered his book satchel, boarded the carriage, and rode across Willow Lake City towards the Academy.

All along the way, groups of citizens gathered, chattering excitedly about the Devouring Sea Gang.

Arriving at the Academy, he found the atmosphere similarly buzzing with excited discussions. People talked not only about the Devouring Sea Gang but also praised the heroic deeds of the Nanshan Alliance and the dozen or so Academy Disciples who had participated in the annihilation of Black Water Fort. Previously, talk of the Nanshan Alliance often carried tones of indifference, even alienation. Now, however, disciples wished aloud they could have been part of it.

Furthermore, the Instructors, notably scarce in the Academy recently, had all returned. Yet, their expressions contrasted sharply with the elated mood of the citizens and other students. A layer of worry hung over their faces, making them seem incapable of sharing the general joy.

Fang Cun naturally understood: this stemmed from Lao Chao’s escape with the Human Elixir.

For ordinary students and citizens, the destruction of Black Water Fort was celebratory cause, a righteous act of ‘protecting the people’ by the City Governor and Academy. But for the Academy and City Governor, who urgently needed to recover the Human Elixir and resolve this case, eliminating the fort was merely punitive, perhaps silencing witnesses. For the core issue, it offered little help…

In fact, with Lao Chao and the Elixir vanished, finding them might be even harder.

Fang Cun arrived at the Study Pavilion, sat for a while, then found an excuse to wander through the Academy grounds.

As he walked, his expression gradually darkened.

Seemingly wrestling internally with weighty indecision, he finally hardened his resolve. Walking purposefully towards the rear of the Academy, he entered the Waterfall Courtyard. Behind it lay secluded abodes and meditation caves. Close to a clear spring, one abode stood with three large willow trees planted before its entrance.

Master Lan Shuang had returned. He sat quietly beneath the willow trees outside his dwelling, holding a book scroll. Seeing Fang Cun approach, he gently set the scroll aside and smiled warmly towards him. “Helping the Academy Head and City Governor these past days kept me busier than usual, leaving little time even for you students. Especially you,” his tone turned more serious but kind, “Your load is heavier already, time is tight. How fares your studies?”

Fang Cun sat beside him. “Even without your direct supervision, Master, I dare not slack in the slightest. Your cultivation notes – I’ve thoroughly studied them. I’ve revised the Seven Classics diligently and continued focused study on foundational principles.”

“Very good.” Master Lan Shuang nodded approvingly. “Busy outside, my foremost worry was your progress. I will soon examine you. Indeed,” he lowered his voice slightly, “representatives from the County Sects are already requesting student Dossiers. Yours is under my hand, mostly filled with top-tier remarks. That said,” he smiled meaningfully, “you truly must maintain effort and depth, so I can back those remarks with substance.”

His tone softened back into guidance. “Now, regarding the exercises I assigned… have you encountered difficulties requiring clarification?”

Fang Cun paused for a moment, then nodded slowly. “There are indeed difficult points, Master. I seek your wisdom.”

“Oh?” Master Lan Shuang placed his scroll decisively aside. “Speak plainly.”

Fang Cun stood. He faced his master formally, executed a deep, respectful bow, and met Master Lan Shuang’s eyes directly. His voice, though steady, held weight:

“Please teach me, Master. What is the punishment… for one who refines the Human Elixir?”