Chapter 92

Chapter 91. If we lose to those bastards, we're all dead. (1)

The disciples of Huashan, who had been running as if they were about to run out of breath, came to an abrupt stop. Unfortunately, they had just reached the vicinity of the Zhongnan disciples.

Beside the three major disciples, who were gasping for breath, Qingming tilted his head as he looked at Sima Sheng.

"Huh?"

His face was one of complete ignorance. Seeing this, Sima Sheng's eyes narrowed with anger.

"What did you just say?"

"Oh, that."

But instead of answering, Qingming kicked the shins of Zhaogel, who was wobbling beside him.

"Ouch!"

"Trying to die? Can't you run properly?"

"I'm your senior, you know!"

"Oh, I forgot for a moment."

Qingming scratched his head and grinned at Sima Sheng.

"Guess you heard it. Embarrassing, huh?"

"……"

Sima Sheng glared at Qingming with a murderous look.

Sima Sheng was not someone who wouldn't know who the words were directed at. There was no reason for him to fall for such a trick.

"Y-You……"

At that moment, someone gently tugged at Sima Sheng's sleeve. He was about to reprimand them but stopped and turned around.

Jin Jinlong whispered softly.

"Elder, it's not worth it to argue with a child."

"Hmm."

Sima Sheng grunted and nodded.

No matter how angry he was, he was an elder of Zhongnan. The difference in status was too great to argue with a child like this. If word got out that the three major disciples of Huashan and the elder of Zhongnan had a verbal spat, it would be a great disgrace.

Jin Jinlong stepped forward as if to scratch Sima Sheng's itch.

"Who are you?"

"Me? You'll know if you listen."

"……"

Jin Jinlong looked at Qingming with a blank expression.

He had never met anyone who responded to his words in such a manner. It was more than just annoying; it felt like a revelation.

Jin Jinlong laughed and smiled warmly, speaking generously again.

"Perhaps I might know? Why don't you tell me?"

"What's the problem? I'm Qingming."

"Qingming?"

Jin Jinlong's face, which had been gentle, suddenly hardened.

It was a familiar name.

Wasn't Qingming the name of the Huashan disciple who had humiliated Zhongnan at the Galaxy Merchant Guild?

Jin Jinlong narrowed his eyes and looked at Qingming.

'Younger than I thought.'

It was absurd to see.

Thanks to Qingming's treatment of Mr. Huang at the Galaxy Merchant Guild, the guild had almost severed all ties with Zhongnan and started trading with Huashan instead.

Losing all the trade with the ten major merchant guilds of Shanxi to Huashan was a disgrace that Zhongnan didn't want to even mention. As a result, the sect leader was furious, and the elders were in an uproar. And the person who caused this disgrace was a young child whose head was still wet with blood.

"So, you're Daoist Qingming. But from what I see, you don't seem to have learned any manners."

Though his words were a clear reprimand, Qingming rubbed his ears a few times and blew into them.

"Sorry, but I didn't hear you well. Could you come closer and speak louder?"

"……What did you say?"

"Are you hard of hearing? Come closer and speak, I can't hear you."

Jin Jinlong's face hardened.

'What does this brat think he's doing?'

If the story about him being sent flying and bleeding in a match with Lisongbai was true, his martial skills couldn't be that high. What gives him the nerve to stand so defiantly in front of me and spout nonsense?

Unless he's completely out of his mind.

He wanted to draw his sword and cut down this insolent brat right in front of him.

But this was Huashan, not Zhongnan. He couldn't just escalate things. That wasn't his role.

Jin Jinlong gritted his teeth and spoke softly.

"Aren't you one of the three major disciples of Huashan?"

"Yes, I am."

"Zhongnan and Huashan have shared territories for generations. So, I'm like your uncle. Isn't it more respectful for you to come closer instead of me calling you over? If you knew any manners, that is."

"Oh, is that so?"

Qingming smiled.

"Then, how about you say that to the elder of Zhongnan? It seems more respectful for me to call my uncle over than for the elder of Zhongnan to call our sect leader over, doesn't it?"

Jin Jinlong quickly shut his mouth.

He had intended to reprimand Qingming, but it ended up sounding like he was criticizing Sima Sheng.

'I made a mistake.'

No, it wasn't a mistake.

The young brat had guided the conversation this way. Without saying anything himself, he had made Jin Jinlong trip over his own words.

"Y-You……"

At that moment, Sima Sheng, who had been watching the situation, spoke.

"Young brat, you have quite a mouth on you."

"Elder."

"Step back."

Jin Jinlong, who had clenched his lips, glared at Qingming and stepped back without a word.

Sima Sheng curled his lips into a smile.

"I understand your concern for the sect leader, so I won't hold you responsible this time."

"Thank you, Elder."

"But remember this: your rudeness and my rudeness are not the same. Do you know why?"

"……I don't know."

"It's power."

Sima Sheng spoke in a low voice.

"Rudeness only becomes rudeness when someone points it out. If no one points it out, it just passes by. The authority to point it out comes from power. Your rudeness, without power, is just rudeness. My rudeness, with power, is not rudeness."

Qingming frowned.

"Before manners, you should learn to speak more clearly."

"……You're just a madman."

Sima Sheng turned and bowed slightly to Xianzhang.

"I apologize for my rudeness earlier."

"Ah, no, Elder, why are you apologizing?"

"Since the child pointed out my lack of manners, it's no longer rudeness, is it? So, I must apologize."

Xianzhang was at a loss.

The situation where the one who committed the wrong was apologizing, and the one receiving the apology was more uncomfortable.

Sima Sheng smiled and turned to Qingming.

"Young arrogance is easily forgiven. But that arrogance will one day be your downfall. Remember my words."

With that, Sima Sheng turned.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Elder."

Guided by Xianzhang, he led his disciples and started walking again.

In the midst of this, Lisongbai nodded slightly to Qingming.

Qingming returned the nod, and he smiled faintly before walking away.

As the Zhongnan disciples moved away, Zhaogel, pale-faced, spoke up.

"Are you crazy? What were you trying to do?"

"What?"

"That's an elder of Zhongnan! Zhongnan! Zhongnan!"

"Damn it!"

Qingming kicked Zhaogel's shins again, the same spot he had kicked earlier. Zhaogel clutched his shins and rolled on the ground.

"Ouch!"

"Are you saying that as Huashan disciples, we should just stand by and let someone insult our sect leader?"

"Would we like it if we were insulted?"

Yun Zhong stepped forward with a stern face.

"Though I'm angry, the elder is right. Those without power have no right to point out others' rudeness."

"Who said we're powerless?"

"……Huh?"

Qingming turned his head sharply to look at the retreating Zhongnan disciples.

'Those bastards, how dare they.'

It was already annoying enough that the thieves had walked into Huashan on their own, but to dare insult the sect leader?

Even if Qingming didn't think the current sect leader was the true leader, he was still the representative of Huashan. So, Qingming had to protect him.

Insulting the sect leader was the same as insulting Huashan.

Qingming's eyes began to glow with anger.

"I tried to be nice, but these bastards are starting with a bang. Fine, let's see what they've got."

"……No, calm down……"

"Qingming, please. Think before you act."

The three major disciples panicked and grabbed Qingming. They knew best what he might do once he got that look in his eyes.

Then Qingming turned his head sharply.

"Seniors, did you see that?"

"……See what?"

"What those bastards did. They're overstepping their bounds, aren't they? Seniors, are you going to stand for it?"

"……No, we don't want to stand for it. But what can we do……"

"Listen, seniors."

Qingming's eyes burned with determination.

"If we lose to those bastards, we're all dead."

"……"

Yun Zhong and the other three major disciples' faces turned grim.

Qingming's eyes were blazing with fury.

"We can lose to anyone else. We can take a beating and let it slide. But we can't lose to Zhongnan! If I let you see something I can't stand, you'll have to be prepared. If you make someone else cry blood, you'll cry blood too!"

Isn't that what you say in those situations, damn it!

You're using it the wrong way!

You're making us cry blood right now.

"Why aren't you answering?"

Qingming licked his lips with a mad glint in his eyes. It was enough to make one's spine chill.

"Ah, no. We don't want to. But we're not sure……"

"What? Not sure?"

Qingming's eyes, which were already blazing, narrowed as he approached the three major disciples.

"Are you not sure you can win?"

"Well, not exactly……"

"Are you sure you can die?"

"……"

"Go ahead, lose. Go ahead. Fine, let's all die. You die. I die."

"……"

Huazong Zhihui.

An event to strengthen the bond between Huashan and Zhongnan.

But the Huazong Zhihui was turning bloody in the face of one person's anger.

"That young brat……"

Zong Xihan turned his head slightly. Jin Jinlong, walking behind him, asked softly.

"Does he bother you?"

"It's not that he bothers me, but it's absurd. He doesn't know his place."

"Let him be."

Jin Jinlong said in a firm voice.

"Acting without knowing one's place is a privilege of the weak. Only calves that don't know the height of the sky can act recklessly."

"But……"

"There's no need to regret it. Since he acted so arrogantly, he'll surely show up at the Huazong Zhihui. There will be opportunities to punish him."

"I want to see if he can still talk after I tear his mouth open."

Jin Jinlong smiled.

"That's not something a righteous person should say."

"He started it."

"True, true."

Technically, they started it, but Jin Jinlong didn't point that out.

"There's no need to worry."

At that moment, Sima Sheng, who had sent Xianzhang ahead, spoke in a low voice.

"In the end, martial artists speak with their swords. No matter how much they talk, it doesn't change anything."

"Yes, Elder."

"Power is not everything in the martial world. But without power, you can do nothing in the martial world. You must remember this."

"We will."

Sima Sheng narrowed his eyes.

"This Huazong Zhihui will be very interesting. Since they're acting so arrogantly, they must have some confidence. Thoroughly crush that confidence. Understand?"

"Yes! Elder."

Sima Sheng chuckled and nodded.

'What an interesting brat.'

Still, he had to admit, the kid had some guts. Even the elders of Huashan wouldn't speak out of turn out of fear, but this young brat had the nerve to step forward……

Sima Sheng stopped and turned sharply.

His disciples, who were following him, were startled and stopped in unison.

"Elder?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Sima Sheng, who had been glaring fiercely, relaxed his expression and shook his head.

"No, no, nothing."

He waved his hand lightly and turned back.

But his face was now stern.

Qingming had clearly pointed out Sima Sheng's rudeness to the sect leader.

'Did he hear what I said from that distance?'

From a distance where even Sima Sheng couldn't detect Qingming's presence?

'It can't be.'

There must have been some mistake.

'I must be too tense. To think such absurd thoughts.'

Sima Sheng laughed softly and quickened his pace.

But his steps were now a bit heavier than before.