Chapter 245

After speaking, Xuanmiao turned and returned to the bow to discuss the next attack with others.

Xue Shao stood motionless at the stern for a long time; Xi Jin whispered, "Young master, if we don't go back to rescue them, won't they think we abandoned them?"

Xue Shao: "... You understand quite well."

He was indeed worried about this, but only for a moment.

Since they are safe now, everything is fine; the ones in danger now are us.

The two talismans in midair burned out, the special fireworks vanished, and the gray talisman paper scattered into ash, slowly drifting down.

A rustling sound came from the forest; everyone turned to look and saw Zhang Weiqin leading the way, hair disheveled, clothes filthy and torn, utterly disheveled;

Behind him, the two others each supported a shoulder, half-carrying, half-dragging; as they stepped out of the forest and saw so many people here—especially Zhang Weiliang standing at the front—their eyes welled with tears, "Senior Brother Weiliang, we've finally found you."

The two junior brothers dropped the people on their shoulders and rushed toward Zhang Weiliang.

Zhang Weiliang immediately sidestepped, face filled with distaste, "How could you get lost? Can you even be counted on to fight enemies or save people? Tell me, what can you even do?"

The two junior brothers hung their heads in shame.

Zhang Weiqin reached out to catch the two men as they collapsed, but his gaze turned to Pan Yun and her two companions; seeing the bloodstains on their Daoist robes yet their flushed, healthy faces, he couldn't help but speculate about their cultivation levels.

Pan Yun stared directly at him.

Zhang Weiqin immediately lowered his eyes and handed the two men over to Zhang Ning and Li Ji, saying, "They fainted from fright inside the forest's Illusory Realm."

Li Ji checked them and confirmed they were merely frightened into unconsciousness; he sighed in relief.

Pan Yun stepped forward and asked, "Are they Jianghu second-generation?"

Li Ji blinked in confusion, "What's a Jianghu second-generation?"

Pan Yun: "Like imperial second-generation—your parents are powerful, influential, renowned heroes?"

Li Ji and Zhang Ning wore expressions of utter disbelief, because her description was uncomfortably accurate.

Pan Yun saw their faces and understood: they really were Jianghu second-generation.

Pan Yun stroked her chin thoughtfully, "Both Daoist second-generation and Jianghu second-generation were sent here. It seems everyone thinks Song Bei's convoy is no threat—is it because Song Bei is weak, or because the people he brought are weak?"

"Or could it possibly be because you're too strong?"

Zhang Ning said, "Senior Li is a second-class expert—he can easily hold off Zhu Zixun. Though I'm not talented, I can still delay Hu Jing and Su Ying. With the vengeful spirits aiding us, even if we can't defeat them like Sanzhu Daozhang, holding them off for one or two days is still possible."

Pan Yun: "How many did your sect send to the island? Which Daoist Priests went?"

Zhang Ning fell silent.

Pan Yun turned to Zhang Weiliang and said, "You tell me."

Zhang Weiliang didn't hide it: "This time, the Jianghu Alliance, the Celestial Master's Mansion, and the imperial court acted together—several thousand people went. Oh, your senior brothers and sisters were among them."

Her suspicion confirmed, Pan Yun asked directly, "When did they depart?"

Zhang Ning hurried to stop him, "Master Zhang, this is confidential."

Zhang Weiliang snapped, "She's from Long Hushan—she personally captured Song Bei. Do you think she'll leak it? Among everyone here, who can beat her?"

Pan Yun: "Thank you for the compliment."

Zhang Weiliang's face darkened, displeased: "I didn't compliment you. Don't get too proud. In terms of talent, Senior Brother is still the greatest. Even if you're strong, you're nowhere near him."

Pan Yun pressed on: "When did they depart?"

"Tonight," Zhang Weiliang said. "Because tonight, people from the island will come to meet them. We plan to reach the island via another sea route, avoiding their group, then take the island and rest while waiting. So we must delay them for one or two days."

Delaying Song Bei meant delaying the island's reinforcements.

Pan Yun nodded: "Then I understand. For the next two days, everyone should gather the dead here. Have you prepared rations?"

Zhang Weiliang fell silent.

"Fine, you haven't," Pan Yun turned to A Xin. "What about you?"

A Xin: "We prepared one day's worth."

Pan Yun: "That's acceptable. Many have died. From now on, the captured pirates' rations are halved. All Japanese pirates get nothing—cleanse your guts. That's settled."

With this, one day's rations would last two days.

To prevent the Qingyi Guards from rebelling out of resentment—even though A Xin swore his family was on the island and they wouldn't flee—Pan Yun didn't believe him.

Because if she were in their place, she'd flee too.

Rather than rely on others, she trusted only herself—so if a chance to escape arose, she'd take it.

So she praised A Xin's promise, then bound them all, saying, "I don't doubt you—I'm doing this so we all feel at ease. I won't worry you'll run, and I'll treat you honestly. Your lives will be easier: your hands and feet are tied, but your hearts will be peaceful."

The Qingyi Guards:...

Song Bei sneered, but he couldn't speak—Pan Yun had stuffed his mouth shut, tightly and completely, leaving no chance for him to utter a word.

The same was done to the other Grey-robed Guards.

Without the vengeful spirits harassing them, spending the night on this narrow path was far more comfortable, and the spiritual lights scattered around were still quite beautiful.

Pan Yun sat with Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He; the three checked each other's injuries, applied ointments, then swallowed a pill and began meditating. Zhang Weiliang sat near the firepit, opening his mouth as if to speak, then closing it again.

Pan Yun found his face too noisy, so she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Speak if you have something to say."

"Can't this be counted as your study-travel assignment? Won't you report your real names?"

Pan Yun: "No."

Zhang Weiliang stared at her skeptically. "What kind of trouble did you get into using this fake name?"

Pan Yun: "You're overthinking. We didn't cause any trouble. And who says using another name disqualifies it as a study-travel assignment?"

She said, "Is my title Sanzhu problematic?"

Seeing Miao Zhen: "I chose the title Si Shui."

Miao He: "I chose Wu Huo."

As a Daoist Priest, having fewer than two or three titles is embarrassing to admit you've cultivated.

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You really think they only changed their name just to switch titles?

Naturally, besides using the name to express their aspirations, it also meant hiding from enemies and leveling up a few alts.

As a Daoist Priest, of course one still wants to make a name for oneself. If this name won't do, just switch to another.

If this name has offended too many enemies, then level up another alt. Once your skills have grown and you can beat anyone who comes seeking revenge, then announce it to the world — all those alts are me.

Of course, some unnecessary alts don't need to be lumped in.

The more Pan Yun thought about it, the more righteous she felt, and said: "Once this is over, I must have the Yaojianghu Alliance, the Celestial Master Residence, and the imperial court stamp and certify it for me."

Zhang Weiliang: …

Seeing them chatting so enthusiastically, Zhang Weiqin took a waterskin and stepped forward to hand it to Zhang Weiliang. "Weiliang, have some water."

Zhang Weiliang frowned, took the waterskin, pulled out the stopper, and drank.

Zhang Weiqin said honestly and earnestly: "Junior Sister Pan, does this mean you've forgiven us?"

The water in Zhang Weiliang's mouth sprayed out as he broke into a violent coughing fit.

Pan Yun glanced at him and said: "Us? I've never been angry with you. Don't worry."

After his coughing subsided a little, Zhang Weiliang said: "You treated me like that — sinking me in mud, scaring me with a female ghost — and you say you weren't angry with me?"

"Didn't I get my revenge on the spot?" Pan Yun said. "Getting angry with an idiot isn't worth it."

Zhang Weiliang sprang up with a "Whoosh," his chest heaving with rage. "Who are you calling an idiot?"

Pan Yun glanced at Zhang Weiqin, then smiled at Zhang Weiliang: "You."

"Knowing the other party harbors ill intentions, yet not thinking to cut your losses in time, still hesitating and clinging to old feelings — if that's not an idiot, what is it?"

Zhang Weiqin nearly failed to maintain his honest, simple smile.

Pan Yun shot him a provocative look — sowing discord, who doesn't know how to do that?

Once he realized Pan Yun had seen through his scheme, Zhang Weiqin quietly withdrew and stopped inserting himself into their conversation.

Zhang Weiliang hugged the waterskin and sat down silently. After a very, very long time, he said: "Everyone says I'm domineering and willful, but I think you're far more domineering and willful than me. When you're willful, you truly don't care whether people live or die."

Pan Yun opened her eyes again. "Isn't the whole point of cultivating the Dao to be willful?"

Zhang Weiliang: "But people can't avoid worldly social obligations."

Pan Yun gave a cold laugh. "It's precisely because of worldly social obligations that you offended me, and that you've fallen to your current state."

"Search your heart and ask yourself: if you had acted willfully, would you have minded me moving into Phoenix Rest Court? Would you have done so many foolish things to stop me from moving into Phoenix Rest Court? Would you have taken one wrong step, then another, led by others to where you are today?"

Pan Yun said: "Because you care about worldly social obligations, weigh pros and cons, and fight for power and profit, one person's Upper Dantian was destroyed, two people's cultivation methods were destroyed, one became an idiot, and another has to endure the pain of bone-mending and lie in bed for three months."

"You're a Daoist Priest, not an official. What worldly social obligations are you trying to keep up with?"

Zhang Weiliang opened his mouth, but couldn't speak.

"Your cultivation has gone completely off course. I think you should start over." Having said that, Pan Yun ignored him, closed her eyes, and regulated her breath.

Zhang Weiliang silently returned to his own campfire and brooded the whole night.

The next day, before dawn, Pan Yun woke everyone up and ordered them to go collect and bury the bones.

These people couldn't be allowed too much rest, too much leisure — idleness leads to trouble.

Pan Yun not only had them collect and bury all the exposed bones, but also had them dig open two large mass graves and rebury the corpses inside.

Because the burials hadn't been properly counted at the time, and a group of unhappy ones might have been buried together, their spirit points appeared this time, strongly demanding the graves be moved.

Since they needed to stall for time anyway, Pan Yun cheerfully agreed.

When the mass graves were dug open, a few spirit points were willing to be buried together, so the people buried them together. All the rest were buried separately — one set of bones, one grave mound. A bit cramped, but absolutely one household per door.

Two days passed. Looking at the woods on both sides, they were densely packed with grave mounds, the vast majority of them new.

Good night.

(End of chapter)