Chapter 167: Too Low-Level

“In front of the people of Qingjiang and the esteemed elders and Sect Leaders present, this junior shall speak candidly!”

Amidst the stunned crowd, Fang Cun seemed to speak with increasingly fervor: “Since childhood, taught by my elder brother, I understood the importance of respecting people and honoring seniors. But to be honest, with a genius like my brother as the standard, how many cultivators in this world could meet my standards?”

“Only senior Master Fan, only this great sage of our Qingjiang City…”

“Seeing the whole from just a part, Master Fan’s countless daily acts of benevolence aside, today even a small matter shows his heart for the people and his commitment to righteousness. This time, when Old Master Fan summoned the Six Great Sects to discuss hunting demons and monsters, our Shoushan Sect originally felt isolated and weak, fearing we were no match for such evils. But with a senior like Master Fan backing us, what demon in all under heaven cannot be vanquished? What kind of vile creature dares to stir trouble here in our Qingjiang?”

As he spoke, he turned and bowed towards the heavens and earth, almost as if saluting the common people below. Instantly capturing everyone’s attention, his expression turned grave: “Just moments ago in the courtyard, Master Fan told us: that ‘Ghost Official’ and ‘Demon Hound’ – one overt, one covert – wreak havoc on Qingjiang, tormenting the people, greatly disturbing his venerable self. Now, our Shoushan Sect wishes to share Master Fan’s burdens and the worries of Qingjiang’s people! We swear here, whatever the cost, we shall slay these two scourges!”

He whirled sharply and bowed towards the five Sect Leaders: “Might I ask the esteemed Sect Leaders, what do you think?”

…

“Huh?”

At this moment, whether it was the five Sect Leaders standing aside, Young Sect Master Xu, the people below, the silently kneeling Chief Wardens and Divine Generals, or even Old Master Fan and his old servant… all were dumbfounded by these words…

What was happening? Why was he suddenly so impassioned?

It wasn’t until Fang Cun finished his impassioned speech and turned his searching gaze towards them that the five Sect Leaders snapped back to reality.

Then, looking at Second Young Master Fang’s utterly earnest face, they felt awkwardness wash over them.

Right then, the gaze of everyone assembled converged on them like massive mountains pressing down.

Looking around at each other uncertainly, the five Sect Leaders had no choice but to raise their hands in an awkward salute. “This… is naturally proper!”

“Excellent!”

Hearing this, Fang Cun replied instantly, his voice sharp: “In the Xiaotaichuan Crow Mountain area, the Demon Hound runs rampant, devouring the people, its demonic qi reaching the heavens! Our Shoushan Sect could bear it no longer; we wished to eradicate it immediately! To return peace to our Qingjiang people, to restore clarity to heaven and earth! Yet the Demon Hound threat is immense, and the Shoushan Sect alone cannot succeed. Now that we have the promise of the Five Great Sects, that Demon Hound is as good as dead!”

As he spoke, he bowed first towards Old Master Fan beside him, then towards the people below, shouting: “Fellow villagers and elders! Bear witness here! Within seven days, our Shoushan Sect will hang the head of that Demon Hound above Qingjiang City, to avenge the afflicted people!”

Hearing his words, the crowd below froze for a moment. Then a wave of excited shouts erupted.

“Chop the Demon Hound! Protect the people!”

“Hunting demons and monsters! The Shoushan Sect shows the true spirit of immortals!”

“Thank you, Second Young Master Fang of Willow Lake, for standing up for us common folk!”

“…”

Boundless voices, filled with gratitude and emotion, surged like a tidal wave threatening to crash against the sky itself.

Seeing this scene, the five Sect Leaders felt choked, their humiliation ineffable.

Just what was happening?

Hadn’t Old Master Fan already assigned these tasks to the Six Great Sects? Why was it said again?

They thought deeper: among the three tasks, only one was relatively manageable. Gathering for drinks in Qingjiang City was actually meant for the Six Great Sects to discuss privately, to coordinate: who would take the lead against the Demon Hound, who would assist, how to plan the attack, how to divide the merit afterward… Yet before they could finalize plans, the Divine Queen’s appearance had interrupted everything!

Now, Fang Cun’s speech had completely upended their plans.

This was a task for the Six Sects together! How did it suddenly sound like he was the leader?

As for Old Master Fan… his outer robes weren’t yet fastened, his hair fluttering helplessly in the night breeze. He was genuinely bewildered. Just moments ago, he had come out full of righteous fervor, winning gratitude from the people. Yet in a flash, he seemed like an outsider now. Above all, what puzzled him most: why had Second Young Master Fang, who moments ago seemed ready to argue with him, changed so abruptly?

This praise… it was almost embarrassing…

Could something have happened during his meeting with the Divine King?

Before he could figure it out, Fang Cun turned to him: “Senior, are things acceptable?”

Old Master Fan snapped back to reality, his expression turning solemn as he nodded: “The intent is noble…”

“My thanks, Senior!”

Fang Cun bowed as if receiving affirmation, then turned to the five Sect Leaders, his tone serious: “First, with Master Fan’s command, secondly with the people of Qingjiang as our witnesses, how could we Qi Refiners from the County Sects dare be lax or delay in the duty of cutting down demons? Every day the Demon Hound lives means untold suffering for the people! So this junior presumes to set it: Three days from now, we gather before Qingjiang City. Together with the experts of the County Sects, we shall go to Xiaotaichuan Crow Mountain to slay this Demon Hound! Esteemed seniors, there are no issues with this, I trust?”

The five Sect Leaders, desperately wishing to blend into the background and be forgotten, were once more pinned under the innumerable gazes of the crowd.

Countless questions burned in their minds, and agreeing felt deeply reluctant.

But confronted by the hopeful stares of the multitude, how could questions be voiced? After all, he had proclaimed that every day the Demon Hound lived brought more suffering; to object now… wouldn’t any subsequent suffering be blamed on them?

Their faces flushed with awkward discomfort. Unable to refuse outright, unwilling to agree quickly, they could only nod vaguely.

“Good!”

Seeing their nods, Fang Cun stated firmly: “There can be no delay. This junior returns immediately to the sect to muster our forces!”

With those final words, he bowed deeply once more to the people below, triggering another wave of admiring cheers.

“So… it’s decided?”

The expressions on the faces of the few Sect Leaders were twisted, their minds filled with immense unease.

They stole glances at Old Master Fan, only to find the venerable gentleman himself seemed unsure.

Meanwhile, Fang Cun remained expressionless. He bowed first to Master Fan, then to the five Sect Leaders. Offering no additional words, he turned and ascended the Dharma Ship. Amidst countless interwoven gazes, cloud vapor surged, and the hill-sized vessel slowly set sail…

What remained on the scene was a bewildered Old Master Fan and five bewildered Sect Leaders, along with a sea of cheering, excited citizens.

…

“This… Second Young Master Fang… was that a bit too…”

Only once the Dharma Ship had sailed a hundred meters did Young Sect Master Xu on board manage to react. His expression seemed torn between weeping and laughter, his belly full of words he dared not utter, left suppressed within.

“Too what?”

Fang Cun, however, had returned to calm, smiling as he looked over.

“Too… too reckless, wasn’t it?”

Young Sect Master Xu hesitantly uttered the word “reckless,” sneaking a peek at Fang Cun. Seeing no displeasure, he hurriedly continued: “I truly hadn’t expected you to settle the matter so abruptly. That Demon Hound is no common mountain goblin! Seeing how seriously Master Fan regards it shows how troublesome it must be! Especially since it has already gathered numerous mountain fiends around Crow Mountain, becoming a near-fatal threat to Qingjiang County! Even the Nine Immortals Sect might hesitate to guarantee its destruction…”

Hearing Young Sect Master Xu, Fang Cun laughed: “I understand perfectly!”

That Demon Hound acted lawlessly and without restraint. If it were easy to deal with, the Qi Refiners of Wuhe County would surely have killed it long ago. Its continued existence, growing ever more savage, proved it possessed formidable power. Likely a major demon, perhaps matching Golden Core higher stages or nearing even Nascent Soul! And with its horde of serpent, fox, ghost, and other spirits it commanded – how strong might its forces be?

Conservatively, at least thrice the strength of Shoushan Sect. To stretch, perhaps closing in on the Nine Immortals Sect itself!

Facing such a vexing foe, with Shoushan Sect’s still-fragile foundations and only a few people… it wasn’t remotely prepared to challenge it. Truthfully, according to Young Sect Master Xu’s thinking, forget taking the lead – for such a demon, Shoushan Sect should be content if, when the Five Great Sects went to slay it, they weren’t excluded, could follow to earn some merit, and feel like they’d participated… That would already be excellent…

“You understand… yet you still made such a declaration?”

Young Sect Master Xu dared show no reproach, straining to make his complaint sound gentle.

“Wasn’t it precisely for the sake of Shoushan Sect?”

Fang Cun looked at him directly, still smiling. “Do you think I didn’t know what the five Sect Leaders were arranging when they called for drinks today? Had this phoenix incident not distracted things, the Six Great Sects would likely have finalized how to handle these three tasks and how to divide the merit! But I know one thing for sure: if that happened, Shoushan Sect would have gotten no decent share of the benefits…”

“We weren’t even qualified for good morsels…”

Young Sect Master Xu’s face contorted bitterly. “Even if we retrieved the Treasure Body Method… just look at Shoushan Sect’s current state…”

Fang Cun’s smile remained undimmed: “For Shoushan Sect to rejoin the Six Sects, we need great achievement, great reputation, the people’s will behind us – only then will it come naturally. If we merely follow the other Five Sects, content with scraps and leftovers… forget this year, even after three years, six years, nine years… success would still be unlikely! Only by leading a major undertaking, securing great merit, is there hope!”

Young Sect Master Xu stiffened slightly, nodding faintly: “The Elder speaks rightly!”

But he sighed quietly, his face revealing a rare hint of self-mockery: “Leading the charge is easy. Yet the Five Great Sects hardly obey so readily! Even offering them the benefits, they exert minimal effort hunting demons. For our Shoushan Sect to claim this renown today, without them openly refusing or even mocking us on the spot… that was solely thanks to the face of Second Young Master Fang…”

“I know!”

Fang Cun acknowledged the validity of the statement, replying confidently: “Obtaining the reputation… that’s actually enough.”

Young Sect Master Xu looked at him, puzzled.

Fang Cun chuckled softly: “Whether it’s that Old Master Fan or the Five Sects… they all grasp the importance of reputation…”

“As for me… I believe their little tricks for seizing reputations… are truly too low-level!”