Chapter 171: Huge Trouble Brewing

“What exactly is happening?”

“Shoushan Sect made such a grand entrance, so why has no one come to greet them?”

“Hmm… it feels like Shoushan Sect has been left hanging here by the other Five Great Sects…”

Above Qingjiang City, the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. Especially after Young Sect Master Xu’s second call failed to draw the appearance of anyone, the scene shifted. What was supposed to be a grand assembly now seemed like a solo act by Shoushan Sect. The excitement faded, replaced by loneliness. Only moments ago, Shoushan Sect had stirred cheers from countless citizens, but now it appeared utterly deserted…

“Haha, this is enough. After all, we share the river’s lineage. We must preserve some face.”

Meanwhile, inside a tall building at Qingjiang City’s center, several Qi Refiners of notable presence sat facing each other. One elderly man gazed at the lone Dharma Ship hovering in the sky and chuckled, “Send someone to invite Second Young Master Fang from that ship. Once Old Master Fan arrives, we can discuss how to slay the Demon Hound and how much merit to spare for Shoushan Sect!”

The group laughed in unison. “Shoushan Sect wants to rejoin the Six Sects. We understand. That Second Young Master Fang is young. He wants to build his reputation. That, too, we get. But if he truly believes presiding over demon-slaying will earn merit easily, he’s far too naive!”

“The leadership of the Six Great Sects is something Shoushan Sect could never handle!”

“Ha! This incident should surely enlighten the young master. He will think twice before stealing the spotlight again!”

As they spoke, they prepared to dispatch a disciple to relay the message.

But just then, two elderly men emerged from the Dharma Ship.

One was gaunt and tall, draped in a loosely hung black robe. The other had a potbelly, wore flashy gold, and draped himself in silver necklaces. Their aura… wasn’t exactly impressive. Yet, with solemn, stern expressions, they radiated commanding presence. Indeed, anyone who cultivated to the Golden Core could pull off an imposing aura by gathering Magical Power around them. It was sort of a Qi Refiner’s specialty.

Given the delicate atmosphere, the onlookers barely paid the two elders any mind. Each was lost in their own calculations when suddenly, the two elders floated in mid-air and roared in unison: “THE FIVE SECTS, LISTEN!”

Their voices boomed like thunder, instantly flooding into every corner of Great Qingjiang City.

Shocked by the shout, countless people jolted, dropping bowls onto their tables.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Instantly, countless gazes snapped toward them.

“Who are these two… Elder of Shoushan Sect?”

Even the prestigious Qi Refiners from the Five Sects in the nearby tower looked up, confused.

Rumors said two elders remained after the sect’s decline, but few had ever seen them. Most events were attended solely by Young Sect Master Xu himself.

But why were they here now…?

Amid their bafflement, they saw the tall, thin Elder Green Pine, his face grave and voice stern: “Where are the Five Sects of Qingjiang?! As the great sects of Qingjiang, you profit from the Spiritual Veins! You relish the beauty of these landscapes! Your mission is to protect righteousness! Your duty is to safeguard the people! Yet now, demons wreak havoc on this land! This is precisely the moment for us Qi Refiners to unsheathe our swords and dispel the demons to uphold our righteous cause! How dare you hide yourselves?!”

The citizens, while not fully grasping his speech, sensed the fury within, stirring their own indignation.

Immediately, Elder Cold Stone followed up: “I curse your ancestors, Nine Immortals Sect! Leshui Sect! Lingwu Sect! Yun Huan Sect! Duskblade Sect! You are big names in Qingjiang! You have all the best mountains! The purest waters! The finest Spiritual Veins! You get the richest food! The finest wines! The most beautiful women! But the responsibility of a Qi Refiner is to slay demons, protect people! Now those demons are practically frolicking under your noses! Brazenly feasting on humans! This is when we act! We clear the demons! Protect the people! How shameful to just hoard pleasures while refusing to lift a finger!”

Whoosh!

With amplified voices charged by cultivation power, their shouts surged across Great Qingjiang City, triggering waves of shock and confusion.

Citizens might have missed Elder Green Pine’s point, but Elder Cold Stone’s scathing rant immediately struck a chord. Its sheer anger rang perfectly clear…

Okay, they got it!

So the Shoushan Sect’s two elders had come all the way to Qingjiang City… to yell at people?

How fresh! How marvelous! They deserved a cheer!

So, almost instantly, countless excited onlookers cheered wildly below. Even the Elders of the Five Sects up in the pavilion were left dumbfounded by the rant before erupting in fury. Such audacity from Shoushan Sect! Such defiance! Such insolence towards the Five Sects? Their anger flared, nearly boiling over with a need to drag the offenders out and kill them on the spot!

Yet even as their rage soared, the two elders launched into an even fiercer tirade…

……

“Do you know how brutal those demons are?! Do you know how much the people suffer?!”

“Do you know how savage those creatures are?!”

As he spoke, the lean Elder Green Pine flicked one flowing sleeve. A scroll unfurled mid-air. Blood-soaked, harrowing images dotted its surface. While too distant for citizens below to clearly see, Elder Green Pine followed with a wave of his palm. The images instantly magnified, splashing across the empty sky like a macabre mural.

Citizens looked up. Many nearly stopped breathing.

Before their horrified eyes sprawled images of demons ravaging the people. One demon gripped a victim’s legs, ripping them apart. Others circled a fire, human bodies skewered on sticks like roasting meat. Another group featured towering three-zhang demons gleefully tossing naked toddlers high into the air…

The art itself wasn’t sophisticated – even crude. But it screamed with colors: Deep, visceral red shockingly splashed across scenes too wretched to ignore. Qingjiang was a prefectural capital. Demons avoided it. Sure, citizens heard tales of their atrocities. Yet such horrors felt distant, abstract. Now, displayed openly above them through Qi Refiner’s power, the grim reality crashed home with terrifying force.

“Old Master Fan loves the citizens. Their suffering burns him. He demands the demons die! And the Sects swore to kill them! How dare you lie to him?!”

“Esteemed locals! Old Master Fan is a true, living saint devoted to the people! Learning of the demon’s rampage, he urgently summoned Shoushan Sect! He commanded us – no mercy! Eradicate these man-eating beasts! All Six Sects agreed! Made a public vow! Three days hence – we join hands to purge the fiends! Yet Shoushan Sect arrived as promised. The other Five? Vanished! Is this acceptable?! DID YOU FIVE GREAT SECTS TRULY TREAT OLD MASTER FAN’S ORDER AS WORTHLESS?!”

……

An eruption of moral fury – accusations woven through clever rhetoric.

The citizens of Qingjiang City had never seen Qi Refiners ranting like street prophets. The novelty alone drew them. Then came the blood-soaked paintings. Horror prickled their skin. Then came Shoushan Sect’s vow – unyielding opposition to the demons. Respect bloomed instantly. Finally, invoking beloved “Old Master Fan,” known to all as the city’s living sage? A spark set ablaze an instant inferno of indignation! Roars of protest surged across the city:

Demons run rampant, yet you Qi Refiners do nothing?

Six sects agreed to unite! But only Shoushan showed?

How dare you treat good Old Master Fan’s word as garbage?!

“SHAMELESS SCUM OF THE FIVE SECTS!”

“TO HELL WITH YOUR ANCESTORS!”

“VILE LIARS OF THE FIVE SECTS! HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT OLD MASTER FAN?!”

“Wait – which ARE the Five Sects?”

“Nine Immortals, Yun Huan, Shoushan…”

“No! Shoushan is scolding the others! THEY are the good ones!”

……

In the Great Xia Dynasty, sects held unimaginably lofty status – their prestige dwarfing the ordinary citizen’s realm. Academies alone commanded profound respect. But Great Qingjiang City was different. Here, Old Master Fan ruled. He constantly championed the people. This gave Qingjiang folk daring hearts…

Thus, once ignited, their wrath became a torrent! The floodwaters seemed soft and harmless alone, but united – they could overwhelm dikes or smashing palaces!

……

“This is a disaster! How dare Shoushan Sect do this?!”

“Insidious! Treacherous! Are they deliberately ruining our honor to build their own reputation?!”

“How dare those old rogues insult us like this?! They care nothing for peer respect?!”

Inside that high pavilion, the Sect Elders had lounged comfortably moments earlier – savoring Shoushan Sect’s embarrassment. They’d planned to wait until Young Sect Master Xu and Second Master Fang tasted sufficient humiliation before “generously” extending an olive branch. The purpose: Ensure Shoushan Sect stopped making waves and silently complied with the Five Sect’s directives.

Then – the unforeseen explosion! The crowd’s fury unleashed! Waves of hatred targeted the very Elders who wished Shoushan Sect dead!

“This is worse…”

Among the outraged, Elder Xiu of Yun Huan Sect possessed sharp cunning. A terrifying possibility struck him. He shot to his feet: “If we let them rant uncontrolled, the peers isolating won’t be THEM… It will be US!”