Chapter 143: Utterly Deserved

“What… what happened?”

“Great Senior Disciple Zhou Huai… What’s wrong with Great Senior Disciple Zhou Huai?”

“His primary acupoints are shattered, his Internal Breath dispersed… ruined!”

“How many major meridians ruined?”

“…All of them!”

Watching Zhou Huai go limp on the ground, covered in blood, countless people felt a chill run through their bodies at that moment. Even the Elders, Green Pine and Cold Stone, felt strangely alarmed. They stared intently at Zhou Huai for a long while, sensing the loss of cultivation power within him, before finally confirming something. After just a few words, their faces turned deathly pale.

The surrounding Shoushan Sect disciples looked at the blood-drenched Zhou Huai. The sight was shocking to them, even unbelievable.

Even though they had sensed Fang Cun’s strength seemed superior to Zhou Huai’s, they hadn’t thought the gap was that vast. At this moment, they simply couldn’t comprehend how Great Senior Disciple Zhou Huai could be forced to his knees in an instant, his very vessels rupturing?

Only the two Elders, their eyes sharper than the other disciples, eventually saw the reason.

Fang Cun hadn’t used any divine technique or magic art in this strike. Relying solely on his tremendous speed and ruthless eye, his first palm strike toward Zhou Huai’s chest could have heavily injured him. Yet, Fang Cun didn’t do it. Instead, he yielded two moves to Zhou Huai.

The first palm strike didn’t harm Zhou Huai.

The second palm, even as Zhou Huai gathered his magical power, was just a feint, pushing him back.

It was within this yielding and feigning, while Zhou Huai was consumed by fury and wildly agitating all his cultivation power, that Fang Cun suddenly brought his palm down onto the crown of Zhou Huai’s head. His immense cultivation power surged forth, brutally crashing into Zhou Huai’s primary meridians…

Assailed by a colossal palm from above and ravaged by his internally recklessly surging power, Zhou Huai’s entire network of meridians instantly gave way.

His primary acupoints exploded; his meridians were destroyed!

Most crucially, it had truly been within three moves!

……

“T-this…”

The group of Shoushan Sect disciples hadn’t seen the events as clearly as the Elders. They had no idea Fang Cun’s ability to reduce Zhou Huai to this state within three moves relied less on raw power and more on exploiting Zhou Huai’s own unstable cultivation power. Even the blood mist was largely conjured by Zhou Huai’s own uncontrollably raging energy. All they saw was Zhou Huai’s pitiful condition…

A few disciples who had once been confined alongside Zhou Huai as punishment, and who had even deliberately mumbled that mocking rhyme when they saw Fang Cun around the sect on ordinary days, were so terrified their legs gave out. Several slumped to the ground weakly, one even wetting his pants.

“Help him down first.”

Amidst the deathly silence, a soft sigh sounded. The Young Sect Master Xu stepped out from the crowd.

Prompted by him, several nearby Stewards finally snapped into action. They hurried forward, lifted the blood-soaked Zhou Huai, and prepared to take him to the Alchemy Workshop to stop his bleeding. By now, Zhou Huai was completely limp, unable to even stand.

“Was that…”

Young Sect Master Xu turned towards Fang Cun, hesitating slightly before murmuring quietly, “…was that a bit too harsh?”

Fang Cun’s expression was icy as he replied flatly, “I gave him a chance…”

Young Sect Master Xu instantly fell silent. He knew Fang Cun truly had given Zhou Huai chances.

Not only had Zhou Huai initiated the challenge, but even during the exchange, Fang Cun had given away two moves – one empty-handed stance and one feint. They seemed like opportunities for Zhou Huai. Yet, consumed by rage, Zhou Huai lost control, only growing more savage. The final decisive strike had completely crippled him. It had happened too fast, too abruptly, leaving not even them time to intervene…

But thinking more deeply… were those truly opportunities?

It felt more like every step Zhou Huai took was seen through, and he was simply lured in to deliver himself…

“Ai…”

Looking at Fang Cun’s detached face, Young Sect Master Xu sensed the tightly suppressed fury within him. He seemed to want to offer some consolation, but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to speak. In the end, he just sighed softly and said quietly, “After all… he was barely twenty years old…”

Some disciples in the surroundings also cast similar furtive glances towards Fang Cun.

Though they couldn’t grasp the subtle techniques involved, just seeing Zhou Huai’s fate suggested the punishment was indeed excessive…

Hearing Young Sect Master Xu’s words and sensing those hesitant, fearful glances that wanted to look but didn’t dare meet his own, Fang Cun suddenly turned his gaze towards the crowd. He answered with deliberate seriousness, “My elder brother… he was only twenty-nine when he died.”

Then he swept his gaze around, meeting every disciple who peeped at him with the unspoken accusation that his strike was too heavy. “And,” he said coldly, “when he did the things you deemed mere self-serving acts… he was younger than most of you are now!”

……

These words struck deep into everyone’s heart like an ice pick. No one uttered another sound.

Every Shoushan Sect disciple who met Fang Cun’s eyes felt their hearts shudder with a mixture of fear and guilt. They dropped their heads hurriedly.

None dared to meet his gaze during this moment.

Young Sect Master Xu froze completely. For the longest time, he remained utterly silent.

Fang Cun slowly rose to his feet. His expression was cold as he scanned the surrounding disciples, his face impassive. “You harbor contempt for the world, disrespect everything, enjoying all that was earned by the struggles of others, yet feeling no reverence for them,” he stated. “You even smear, defile, and curse those people, believing that just because the dead cannot refute you, your actions are justified? Tell me… why should you feel so utterly deserved?”

Not a single Shoushan Sect disciple dared make a sound. This was utterly different from times before, when they had deliberately snickered at Fang Cun or purposefully muttered that rhyme behind his back. Each of his words now felt like a massive rock crashing onto their skulls. They dared not dodge, dared not raise a hand to block them. They could only endure, letting those rocks land, bashing their heads lower and lower…

Fang Cun’s expression only grew colder, as if covered in a layer of frost. Even the Little Fox Girl nearby bent her little head low along with the other disciples, her tails trembling slightly, as though she too had committed some grave sin…

“I don’t know what life was like for you in the Shoushan Sect before, but I can see it. You are all unruly people,” Fang Cun spoke icily. “But I want you to remember this: I, Fang the Second, did not come to the Shoushan Sect as a disciple seeking a Master. I came to be an Elder here. Do not try to provoke me.”

He swept a chilling gaze over everyone. “In terms of status,” he stated, “I am higher than you!”

“In terms of power,” he continued, “I am greater than you!”

“In terms of fame,” he added, “I am more renowned than you!”

“In terms of talent… Hmph!” He didn’t need to elaborate.

“Even in terms of wealth and family background,” he concluded, “I overshadow you by far…”

“And I,” his voice hardened, “am not a man of generosity. So do not test my limits. My words, you will heed. What I wish to do, you will not obstruct. You may feel resentment towards me, but remember this above all: never let me hear it.”

“……”

The air hung heavy with silence. Not a soul dared utter a word. Regardless of whether they were truly convinced in their hearts, at this moment, they had to listen docilely.

It wasn’t just the disciples. Even the head cook in the dining hall had unconsciously stiffened his spine.

“Since I am here now,” Fang Cun declared, looking at their subdued expressions with a hint of satisfaction, nodding faintly, “the easy life you enjoyed before is finished!”

His tone slightly less severe, he continued, “In the few days I’ve been in the Shoushan Sect, I have reviewed your Dossier records. It is utterly disgraceful. Among the Six Great Sects of Qingjiang Prefecture, the disciples of the Five Sects all strive to establish Merit. They are revered as minor immortals by the common folk, praised in song, admired and followed. Yet, you disciples of Shoushan Sect have let your very Ledger of Merits become so neglected it’s been eaten by moths! Even something modest like going downhill to redeem a woman from a brothel can earn one or two Merits. Yet, in these past twenty or thirty years… have you truly done nothing? Absolutely nothing?”

The disciples felt a flicker of surprise internally, but dared not voice it: ‘We haven’t even been in the mountain that long…’

Over to the side, Young Sect Master Xu and the two Elders couldn’t help but flush, standing a little straighter.

“Since I have come to the Shoushan Sect, stop dreaming of returning to your former easy ways!”

Fang Cun’s cold gaze swept over those around him. “Starting tomorrow,” he commanded, “you will also venture down the mountain frequently. You will build achievements and foster virtue. You will also shake off this sluggish state. Each day, you will attend lectures at the Lecture Boulder. If anyone is unwilling to come… they can roll out with your Great Senior Disciple!”

A hushed murmur rippled through the crowd of disciples. They exchanged bewildered glances.

Build merit? Foster virtue? Attend lectures? Hear scriptures?

Even Young Sect Master Xu and the two Elders on the side felt a jolt of panic, seemingly wanting to say something yet holding back.

But Fang Cun had already frowned sharply at that moment, suddenly barking, “Did you hear that clearly?!”

The disciples felt their hearts constrict, quickly bowing their heads. “Yes…”

Young Sect Master Xu and the two Elders immediately swallowed their words, not daring to speak.

Fang Cun observed the disciples, looking as thoroughly cowed as drenched quail. He knew his display of authority here had likely taken effect, and he felt quite inwardly satisfied. He deliberately gave a final “humph” as punctuation. Turning, he spotted the Little Fox Girl standing quietly off to one side, head lowered like all the other disciples listening to the reprimand. He gave a soft cough to catch her attention, then extended his hand to lead her away.

“Elder Fang…” Elder Cold Stone reacted as Fang Cun was about to leave, hesitating.

Fang Cun paused slightly, looking back at him. “Dismiss the disciples. Later, send the Shoushan Sect’s Divine Nether Scriptures to my hall.”

Elder Cold Stone was momentarily stunned but replied instinctively, “Yes!”

Elder Green Pine suddenly recalled something, hastily adding, “Elder Fang, what about the Merit…”

“The Ledger of Merits?” Fang Cun cut in. “It can be replaced with a new one.”

Elder Green Pine immediately responded, “Understood!”

After issuing these two instructions, Fang Cun finally turned again to walk towards Jade Mirror Peak.

Young Sect Master Xu hurriedly spoke up from behind, hesitant. “Fang…”

“Oh, yes,” Fang Cun turned back to look at him suddenly. “You… come with me.”

Young Sect Master Xu startled, quickly lowering his head, replying submissively, “Yes…”