Chapter 140: The Angry Young Man

“Who was messing around here…”

“How dare you, don’t run away…”

When the sounds of joking and singing echoed in the night sky, very soon, Elder Cold Stone’s angry shouts rang out. Next, there was someone flying around and cursing at night, along with the shouts and chases of several stewards. Amidst the laughter and commotion, people scampered around while some still sang that jingle. The quiet night sky was stirred into chaos by these noises.

“Clattering…”

In the old hall on Jade Mirror Peak, a disturbance erupted instantly. Fang Cun looked up and saw Xiao Qingliu, Little Fox Girl, and Yu Qingli had all come into the main hall. Yu Qingli only wore an outer robe, his expression cold and stern as he gazed out of the hall, like frost covered his face. Xiao Qingliu, who was always careless on normal days, now had red eyes.

“Young Master, how dare these idiots…”

Fang Cun was coldly staring into the night sky outside the hall. He did not speak, only wore a deeply gloomy expression.

He could tell it was a bunch of sect disciples making trouble. Yet clearly, they seemed not to know how serious this mischief was.

“Elder Fang… has Elder Fang gone to rest?”

Very soon, outside the hall, there was the sound of robes flapping in the fierce wind, followed by several elders asking nervously.

Fang Cun gave Xiao Qingliu a meaningful look and went to bring them in.

They saw that Green Pine and Cold Stone, along with Young Sect Master Xu, had rushed over. They looked tense and hurried into the hall, bowing their heads to Fang Cun. “Elder Fang, forgive us. These disciples… are just too wild. We truly had no idea they’d dare to mock the Immortal… the Immortal Master this way. We’ve already caught a few. Don’t worry, Elder Fang, we’ll punish them severely and never let them off easily!”

Fang Cun’s gaze lightly swept their nervous faces and finally landed on the disciples being held by stewards behind them. They all hung their heads clearly not caring, especially one who was sneering with his neck stiffened.

Then Fang Cun suddenly smiled and said, “No problem, after all, they’re just kids!”

Young Sect Master Xu grew very uneasy and repeatedly apologized to Fang Cun before pulling those students back and punishing them to wall-facing cultivation.

Once those people had left completely, Xiao Qingliu suddenly said to Fang Cun, “Young Master, I want to kill them!”

Fang Cun sat quietly for a long time before finally waving his hand. “Find out everything!”

Xiao Qingliu bit his lip, turned, and walked into the night.

Yu Qingli stood in the hall the whole time, neither going to rest in the side hall nor speaking.

Fang Cun slowly let out a breath and said, “What do you think should be done?”

Yu Qingli was silent for a while before replying, “You’re a new Shoushan Sect elder, just arrived a few days ago, when your standing is still shaky. And they’re just some foolish disciples who act wild without restraint. So, logically speaking, it wouldn’t be good to handle it too harshly now. From the looks of that sect master and elders, they really didn’t expect it. Sending them straight to wall-facing cultivation is already a heavy punishment!”

Fang Cun nodded. “That’s logical. But in reality?”

Yu Qingli’s look suddenly turned cold and grim, saying darkly, “If it were up to me, I’d make them remember it for life!”

Fang Cun was silent for another moment. “Go and rest.”

…

The Shoushan Sect’s handling of those disciples was indeed severe.

It was said that that night, several stewards caught three disciples and locked them all on the cold cliff to face the wall and reflect. They got only one meal a day. For the Shoushan Sect, which was all but a shell, treated by these elite-family youths as just a temporary step where even the teachers’ names were pointless, a scolding was rare on ordinary days. This kind of heavy punishment hadn’t been seen in a long time.

Fang Cun also did not say much more. The next day, he still strolled around the sect as usual, flipping through some texts and admiring the scenery. Along the way, he naturally encountered many Shoushan Sect disciples. Judging by their attitude, they felt no fear over the few disciples caught to face the wall. Some seemed to admire those students like heroes. When they spotted Fang Cun far off, no one saluted; they just watched him from afar and smiled. Occasionally, he even heard them whispering those lines of “songs”…

“Immortal Master Fang Chi…”

If Fang Cun pretended not to hear, someone would quietly raise their voice a bit, like doing something fun.

If Fang Cun looked back, they burst into loud laughter and scattered fast, shouting, “Don’t get caught for wall-facing!”

“These disciples must be mostly from Lingzhou. Forgetting things so quickly?”

Fang Cun gently shook his head and recalled how his elder brother had revealed that the life force of people across Lingzhou’s three-thousand-mile area was stolen. Because of that, assassins from the Path of Heaven had hunted him for a long time. Had his brother ever imagined that one day, descendants of Lingzhou folks would curse him like this?

Very soon, Xiao Qingliu returned. He had gotten the news swiftly this time.

From his travel-worn look, he hadn’t rested for days.

“Young Master, that person was from the Zhou family in Chenzhou, named Zhou Huai. When he was young, he was a well-known little genius at the Mei County Academy, with top-class talent and knowledge. Sadly, his mother died early, and his father remarried. Since then, his status in the clan plummeted, and he had no hope of inheriting the family business. Without strong support from the family, he gave up himself a bit…”

“When he finished at the academy, he wasn’t picked by the County Sect. His father softened a little in the end and didn’t send him to Nightwatcher Palace. Instead, he entered Shoushan Sect but paid no attention after that, letting him drift. He had an old family servant who treated him well, continuing to support him. Due to unfair treatment, he blamed life and became aloof and violent. Now he’d been in Shoushan Sect for four years and was the top disciple, highly admired by the others, able to command many at a call…”

“It’s said he was close to Qinghe County Mansion and had found a way. Soon, he would join to serve there…”

“In the clan, he fancied a certain young lady from a family. Rumors said they’d pledged themselves. Once he got a position, he’d propose to her!”

“Within the sect, he had friends like…”

…

It was found out in detail. After flipping a few pages, Fang Cun pretty much knew it all.

Then a faint smile curved his lips as he murmured, “So it’s a disgruntled young man?”

He thought carefully for a while, placed the dossier on the table, and said, “Summon Lin Jiyi to the mountain!”

…

Three days later, the structures on Jade Mirror Peak were rebuilt. With one more clean-up, they’d be fit to live in. Fang Cun seemed to have completely forgotten the night’s trouble from days ago and had started his plan to get near these Shoushan Sect disciples.

Shoushan Sect disciples lived separately on Hanjing Peak and Yuxiu Peak. There were study huts, pill workshops, meal halls, Scripture Hall, and Merit Hall nearby. Because the Shoushan Sect had long been almost gone, the Scripture Hall, Merit Hall, and even the teaching platform were nearly abandoned, with no one to tend them. Yet the pill workshops and meal halls were still lively scenes. Every noon, disciples flocked there from all directions.

“Without a campus experience, life isn’t complete. I’ll take you to eat at the hall once!”

Fang Cun led Little Fox, with Yu Qingli following, slowly walking the mountain paths toward Hanjing Peak. Heading along the trail to the meal hall, they met many Shoushan Sect disciples in passing. Seeing Fang Cun from afar, everyone felt shocked.

As they walked up the steps, if any greeted him as their elder, he lightly nodded back. If not, he ignored them entirely.

They went straight to the meal hall. Several stewards noticed and hurried to meet them, carefully arranging seats.

Disciples nearby were stunned that Fang Cun would show up in such a place. Many eyes watched from a distance.

He took one of each dish from the hall’s spread. After tasting a bite with his chopsticks, he put it aside.

Little Fox ate very happily, though. After all, on Jade Mirror Peak lately, Yu Qingli was in charge of meals and knew how to cook, even made them very fine. But while others cooked for looks, taste, and smell, he only cared about “looks.” The dishes were too pretty like artwork that made people not want to touch them, fearing to wreck the beauty.

After one real bite, the flavor… it’d have been better left as art.

“Haha, I’m back…”

A commotion arose nearby. All disciples stood up and scrambled to greet him. Then, on the far mountain path, they saw someone casually strolling down, waving to the approaching crowd like a returning hero.

It was Zhou Huai!

Disciples caught with him before had long since come down. He was the main instigator but was the last off.

“Brother Zhou, how was the peak taste?”

“Haha, very cool!”

“Brother Zhou, have you learned your lesson?”

“Learned? Haha, I sang the tune eighty times a day—how couldn’t I?”

“Brother Zhou, be careful. That Elder Fang is in the meal hall…”

…

After the noise, Fang Cun felt many eyes land on him.

Turning his head, he saw Zhou Huai had entered the hall. His face looked half-smiling, half-mocking and slightly challenging. The disciples around all lit up their eyes, waiting for the show, seemingly eager to know what they’d say to each other…

Fang Cun just turned and gave him a slight nod, like he took the lead to greet him.

The surrounding disciples felt very shocked.

“Haha, hurry with the food, I’m really starved after this time…”

Zhou Huai seemed surprised when Fang Cun nodded at him, but soon laughed loudly. Like a victorious general, he sat down in the meal hall, even choosing a spot closer to Fang Cun on purpose. Then he slammed the table, shouting over and over.

“Quick with the food! Brother Zhou still needs to teach us a new tune after eating…”

Amidst the crowd, a few joined in, laughing and shouting too, even bringing him wine.

The Little Fox beside him sensed the unfriendly stares and couldn’t help baring her teeth, her left fang missing a half.

Fang Cun touched her head and let her keep eating.

Right then, as the food was finally served to Zhou Huai and the loud talk and laughter began, sudden hurried footsteps came from outside the meal hall. Someone rushed in panicked and cried loudly, “Where is Brother Zhou? Brother Zhou, it’s bad, big trouble has happened…”