Chapter 148: Delaying Time

At this moment, Miao Zhen and Miao He had locked themselves in their room, rummaging through chests until they pulled out a wooden box, bowed to it, then opened it and took out a carved wooden mountain god, Master Pan.

They placed the mountain god reverently on the table, bowed again and again, then took out talismans and wrote four large characters on them: "Great Disaster, Come Quickly."

Then they formed hand seals and chanted incantations, setting the talisman alight before Master Pan until it burned to ash.

When they finished, Miao Zhen's face had turned pale.

Her cultivation base was too weak; she could send only one message.

Miao He hurriedly wiped her sweat, worriedly asking: "Will Grand Master and the others receive the message this way?"

"If Grand Master said it would work, then it should work."

Miao He's small face wrinkled in distress: "What if Dai Yong dies? Will the Academy arrest Little Master Shu and make her pay with her life?"

Miao Zhen pressed her lips together: "I don't think we can rely only on this message. We must go down the mountain to find Master Chen and have him send a letter to Mount Sanqing. If this doesn't reach them, that one might. Even if they want Little Master Shu to pay, they won't dare act immediately."

She said: "We split up. You go down the mountain right away to find Master Chen. I'll find Big Brother. Little Master Shu said he's our stronghold."

Miao He immediately nodded and stood up: "I'm going now."

Both turned to look at the black cat crouching nearby and asked: "Little Black, which of us are you coming with?"

Pan Xiaohei glanced at them, then turned and leapt out the window, running off—he wouldn't follow them. He'd go straight to Pan Yun.

Miao Zhen watched it run away and said: "It's definitely going to Little Master Shu. Good. It'll tell her our plan. Let's split up now."

Miao He agreed and immediately stepped outside—it was already dark.

Yet she kept walking outward.

The Academy had a night curfew; no one could leave after dark. Miao He hid behind a tree for a long while, confirmed she couldn't force her way past the gate, then began walking along the wall.

During this time, Pan Yun had taken them wandering everywhere; she remembered a small gate nearby that led into the Great Shangqing Palace, unguarded.

Even if it was locked, she could climb over the wall.

Under the dim moonlight, Miao He found the small gate. Seeing the heavy lock, she stepped back, summoned her lightness skill, leapt onto the wall, and in a few bounds landed inside the Great Shangqing Palace.

She crept cautiously until she reached the main gate of the Great Shangqing Palace.

The gate was shut, but no one was there.

Miao He exhaled, hurried forward, glanced nervously left and right, then strained to lift the gate bar—only to find it wouldn't budge.

She froze, spread her legs, sank her qi into her dantian, gathered spiritual power in her hands, and pushed upward—but could only lift it slightly.

Her face turned crimson, yet she couldn't move it an inch.

A voice suddenly spoke: "Don't waste your strength. This gate bar usually requires two adults to lift. How could you possibly move it?"

Miao He jumped at the sudden voice. The bar clattered down. She trembled, looked around, saw no one, and asked shakily: "Who's there? Come out—I'm not afraid of you."

From the shadows beside the wall, a man stepped forward, amused as he looked at the little fatty: "It's dark. Why are you going down the mountain? Did someone bully you?"

He hadn't mentioned "bully" yet, but now that he had, Miao He's sense of grievance surged. Tears welled in her voice: "They're bullying my Little Master Shu! I'm going down to find my Master and Grand Master to demand justice. Brother, please help me open the gate?"

The young man stepped forward, effortlessly lifted the gate bar, and asked: "Even if I open it for you, you still can't leave. From here to the mountain gate is a long corridor. Do you know why no one guards this gate? Because patrols walk the corridor, and at the Dismounting Pavilion, guards stand watch. How will you get past them?"

Miao He froze: "So heavily guarded?"

"Yes, extremely," the young man said, planting the bar upright. "But I can take you out without passing the corridor. First, tell me: who is your Little Master Shu? And who is bullying her?"

"My Little Master Shu is just my Little Master Shu. She's being bullied by our sect's rivals—they're jealous of our sect, jealous of her, so they torment her. I don't know who's behind it, and my Little Master Shu didn't tell me, but I know the surname is Zhang."

"Zhang?" The young man gave a sly smile. "What sect are you from? That's impressive if Zhang's people are jealous of you."

"We're from Mount Sanqing's Sanqing Temple."

The young man's smile froze. He slammed the gate bar back into place, his face stern: "Sanqing Temple where Zhang Li is?"

Miao He stepped back two paces, wary: "Y-you—who are you? Listen, my Master and Fourth Uncle are terrifying. My Grand Master is the strongest. My Second Uncle is an official. If you dare hurt me, they'll avenge me!"

The young man: "Good. You know how to use your connections. But your words are poorly chosen."

He sized her up: "You're Miao He?"

He slapped his own forehead: "I'm an idiot. You said your Second Uncle is an official. Only two people on Mount Sanqing have disciples. You can't be anyone's student but Tao Ji's."

He grabbed Miao He, ignored her kicking legs, and flew back into the Academy: "Stop struggling, or I'll drop you. I'm a classmate and close friend of your Master and Fourth Uncle. We're going to save your Little Master Shu. Do you know where they are?"

Miao He instantly went still, ignoring the rushing wind, and shouted: "Tai Su Courtyard! They're in Tai Su Courtyard!" Tai Su Courtyard was close to the Great Shangqing Palace, but he was flying the wrong way. He didn't care—he landed on a rooftop, tucked Miao He under his arm, ran a few steps, then changed direction and flew again.

Soon, he rose and fell, flying into the Academy and landing near the entrance of Tai Su Courtyard.

He carried Miao He straight inside.

The crowd around Tai Su Courtyard had dispersed. They'd wanted to watch, but Lin Jingle and Zhang Ziwang's reputations held them back—no one dared stay after dark under their gaze.

So now Tai Su Courtyard was much quieter.

Only a few Tai Su students involved in the treatment remained, along with the Academy's senior teachers.

Xue Taixu and the others had also received word and arrived, now sitting together in the ward, watching four patients lying on four beds.

One ward, four beds—all occupied.

Cui Huai, Nong Zhiyi, and Dai Yong lay pale as ghosts. Only Pan Yun, on the innermost bed, had a flushed, healthy complexion, steady breathing. Without even taking her pulse, the elders in the room could tell by her face and breath alone that she was perfectly well.

Even Xue Taixu couldn't help turning to Lou Tong: "Lou Shimei, are you certain she suffered internal injury?"

Lou Tong: "I'm certain."

!. ead

Pan Yun coughed, weakly saying: "Master Xue, I really am injured. Otherwise, I'd have demanded justice tonight. Cui Huai is a talent from Yushan County, and all of Yushan County belongs to our Sanqing Sect. We send out only a few each year—we can't let him be bullied without justice."

Xue Taixu turned to Lin Jingle and the others: "She does look seriously injured. Fine. Let her stay in Tai Su Courtyard for a few days to recover."

Zhang Ziwang nodded. Lin Jingle said nothing. In that moment, they reached an unspoken agreement.

Pan Yun lowered her eyes, pondering why they'd tacitly allowed this.

She understood Lou Tong and Xue Taixu. Though they'd never said it, it was clear they favored Sanqing Sect. She guessed her senior siblings had good ties with them.

But she didn't understand Zhang Ziwang and the others.

Even Zhang Zifang, who'd rushed over, hadn't objected.

Did they want her to delay time—to let Wang Feiyin come as her protector?

Pan Yun immediately thought of Zhang Liuzhen, lying in bed. Was this about him?

The young man carried Miao He up the stairs. Zhang Zifang, sitting by the door, heard footsteps and turned. Seeing them, his expression changed: "Li Wenying? What are you doing here?"

"Can't I come?" Li Wenying set Miao He down, stepped inside, glanced around, and exclaimed: "Everyone's here? What's so important that it drew so many?"

Zhang Ziwang nodded: "Li Shidi, you've come just in time. Check if this child's dantian can still be saved."

Pan Yun turned to look. Miao He had already dashed past everyone to her bedside, eyes red: "Little Master Shu, where are you hurt?"

Pan Yun coughed, half-raising herself: "It's nothing. Just a bit of internal injury."

She pulled Miao He to sit beside her.

Miao He tried to help her lie down and take her pulse, but Pan Yun pulled her onto the bed, leaned her head on Miao He's lap, and now had a full view of the room.

Miao He regained her senses, studied Pan Yun's face closely, confirmed her flush was healthy, not feverish, and relaxed. She secretly felt Pan Yun's pulse, then quietly let go of her hand, sat back, and curiously watched the group by the door.

The two disciples sat side by side, watching the spectacle.

Li Wenying examined Nong Zhiyi's dantian, shook his head: "Beyond saving. Who did this? Brutal technique."

Zhang Ziwang looked at Pan Yun.

Li Wenying glanced at the child nestled against Miao He, then calmly corrected himself: "Decisive technique. What did he do to you?"

Pan Yun panted, feigning weakness: "Brother, I didn't mean to. I was terrified—I didn't even realize I'd struck his dantian. He was only surrounding and killing one classmate."

Li Wenying murmured: "Surrounding and killing? When did our Academy become so wild?"

Zhang Ziwang stood: "Since all four are severely injured, let them stay in Tai Su Courtyard for treatment. We'll interrogate them once they wake."

No one objected.

Pan Yun raised her hand, whispering softly: "Master Lou, I don't want to share a room with them. I'm a girl, and they tried to kill me. I'm afraid they'll retaliate—and it'll ruin my reputation."

Master Lou said: "Then move to the next room. Relocate Cui Huai too."

Pan Yun exhaled in relief: "Thank you, Master Lou."

(End of Chapter)