Chapter 45

For a moment, the crowd fell silent, and many of the women's faces showed signs of displeasure. Some even muttered, "Pfft! So what if the gods have powerful weapons!" However, disturbing someone while they were recovering was a serious offense, and no one dared to cause trouble in the Two Poles Hall.

The group of women reluctantly dispersed, and as they left, many of them greeted Hengyi. Some of those who hadn't managed to get close earlier rushed in, saying, "Junior Brother Hengyi, my name is... remember me next time!" Then, under the murderous glare of Hu Baijie, they quickly ran out.

Before long, everyone had left, and the room returned to its former quiet.

Hengyi saw that Hu Baijie's face was cold and stern, and she was staring at him intently. After a while, he touched his hair in confusion. "Baijie, are you still angry? They're all gone now."

"I see you were enjoying it. If I hadn't said anything, you would have kept admiring the beauty of those women, right?"

"I was confused and didn't know who to answer. I don't know any of them..." Hengyi's troubled expression made Hu Baijie's anger turn to amusement, and she chuckled. "Forget it! I knew you were a bit silly. Don't think they're good people. They were all after Xu Wenfeng at first, but suddenly they turned their attention to you!"

"I didn't sense any ill will... I don't think it's right to say someone isn't a good person without a reason..."

Hu Baijie was at a loss, torn between laughing and crying. Thinking of Hengyi's earnest nature and his complete lack of understanding of romantic subtleties, she realized that getting angry with him was just self-inflicted suffering. She hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, I'm wrong! How did Xu Wenfeng advise you?"

Hengyi recalled what Xu Wenfeng had said about how men should speak and nodded. "I forgot for a moment, but I'll remember from now on!" Just as he agreed, he thought it wouldn't be easy to change his ways and softly added, "I think I need more time to adapt."

Hu Baijie turned her body, resting her head on her arm, and gazed at Hengyi quietly. Her mind was a whirl of emotions. She had been drawn to Hengyi's performance on the platform during the cultivation exam, which led her to take on the task. Later, she found Hengyi to be so different, almost like a monster, incomprehensible and annoying. Now, she suddenly found his strange personality endearing and interesting.

Even after joining the Peak Sect, Hengyi remained as outstanding as ever. He had become famous on the Eight Elephant Mountain in just one night. Although he was called a mad genius, it was far from the truth. She knew Hengyi's character too well; he was not arrogant or aggressive but rather earnest and peculiar.

"Are you still not feeling well?" Hu Baijie, lost in her thoughts, saw Hengyi staring at her silently with a strange look, and assumed he was still uncomfortable.

"...No." Hu Baijie sighed inwardly. Hengyi was such a dolt. She had been looking at him, and he mistook it for a plea for help. What could she say?

What could she say... 'When will you finally understand—'

In the past, she would have wanted to punch him. Now, she could only sigh in frustration, unsure if she had become accustomed to it or if she was just too numb from being angry.

Just then, an elder from the Two Poles Hall entered, checked their pulses, and saw that they had recovered significantly. He then said to Hengyi, "I've already discussed this matter with the elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain. You don't need to worry about it."

Hengyi's eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up. "Thank you, Elder, for upholding justice. I want to know if the elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain has promised to be fair in the future?"

"That's right. You should also understand the elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain. At the time, his disciples were many, and he didn't witness the incident. What could he do to take your side? Besides, seeing his disciples injured by you, he couldn't help but be angry!"

"I believe the facts were clear. We were only two, how could we have been the ones to provoke and attack first?" Hengyi felt it was unjust and didn't understand the principle of saving face.

"If someone else said this, it might be different, but with this incident spreading, other disciples might find it hard to distinguish the truth! How many people know your character and behavior when you first arrived? They only heard that you, from the Lake Sea Sect, volunteered to fight against many and won easily. What do you think?"

The elder from the Two Poles Hall was clearly prepared. Seeing Hengyi's silent contemplation, he realized his words were effective and added, "In fact, you did fight and win against dozens of people alone. How could others think? Even without the injuries, the value of the magical artifacts you destroyed is heart-wrenching!"

Hengyi felt guilty but had no choice. When he used the chaotic slashing technique, he couldn't control much. Avoiding fatal injuries was already his limit, and he hadn't expected the light swords from his soul-bound wrist guard to be so destructive. "Elder, you are right."

The elder from the Two Poles Hall nodded slightly and took out a packet of pills from his pocket, handing it to Hengyi. "The elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain has also punished those who started the trouble. These are to compensate you. Let's put this matter to rest and not mention it again."

"Compensation is unnecessary. Since the elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain has promised to be fair in the future, that's enough." Hengyi politely refused, and the elder from the Two Poles Hall, though inwardly amused, maintained a serious expression. "It's a token of goodwill, and it's also to help you recover faster. If you refuse, others might think you are petty and harbor a grudge!"

"I will go to the Northern Elephant Mountain to thank them for the medicine another day." Hengyi accepted the pills, feeling that the matter should be resolved face-to-face.

The elder from the Two Poles Hall's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly said, "There's no need to go to the Northern Elephant Mountain. If others find out, they might say the elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain is favoring disciples from other mountains. I understand your gratitude."

"Yes, I will follow your instructions." Hengyi felt there was no need to hide this, but he agreed to avoid causing unnecessary trouble. "But I still need to go to the Northern Elephant Mountain. Those who spoke falsely must be confronted!"

The elder from the Two Poles Hall looked wooden, having never encountered such a... peculiar person. He quickly said, "There's no need to go. They have already apologized and repented, and the elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain has punished them to spend two hours in the Black Wind Cave."

"That's great if they can reform and stop bullying their fellow disciples!" Hengyi smiled sincerely, feeling relieved.

Hu Baijie, listening from the side, thought Hengyi was naive. Both were elders; what could the elder from the Two Poles Hall do? Could he beat up the elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain?

At most, he could argue and secure some compensation for his disciples. The elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain wouldn't change his ways just because of a few words.

The elder from the Two Poles Hall was clearly comforting Hengyi, and the pills might have come from his own stash.

Even if Hengyi found out in the future, he would only be grateful for the elder's concern and effort. By then, even if he still harbored resentment towards the elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain, it wouldn't be as intense as it was now.

Hu Baijie couldn't help but admire the elder from the Two Poles Hall. He truly handled these matters with ease and skill.

"Hengyi, go to the Two Poles Hall and get two Heat Pills for me. Hu Baijie is recovering more slowly than you."

Hengyi quickly left, and Hu Baijie guessed that the elder from the Two Poles Hall was sending him away. Otherwise, he could have gotten the pills from nearby.

Sure enough, once Hengyi left, the elder from the Two Poles Hall smiled at her. "The elder from the Northern Elephant Mountain is known for being protective. As one of his disciples, he will definitely protect you. When you return, seek an audience with him and apologize on Hengyi's behalf. He will be pleased to know you respect him as your master. He understands what happened last night, but since you couldn't prove it and Hengyi, a disciple of the Two Poles Hall, injured his disciples, he had to punish you both. Apologizing will make him stop holding a grudge against Hengyi, and he will feel indebted to you, offering more protection and preventing others from causing trouble."

"Thank you, Elder, for your guidance. I will follow your advice. Hengyi was impulsive last night, but he is earnest and not arrogant."

"I haven't encountered a disciple with such a troublesome personality in a long time!" The elder from the Two Poles Hall chuckled and kindly advised Hu Baijie to rest well. As he left, he met Hengyi returning and instructed him on how to feed Hu Baijie the Heat Pills before departing.

At the peak of the Peak Sect, in the Peak Hall.

Chen Zizai woke up early in the morning and immediately encountered his father, who was furious.

He greeted his father calmly, "Good morning, Father."

"You've been running around since you were ten, and in the past six years, you've been home for less than twenty days! You come back and immediately cause trouble—how long do you plan to act so irresponsibly?" Looking at Chen Zizai, Xu Tianfeng felt his anger rise. "You negotiated with the Sect Master, saying you would stop running around from today, but you demanded to return as my illegitimate son. Was that you?"

"Father, you already know the answer. Since the Sect Master agreed, he must have told you. Anyway, you have many children, and illegitimate children keep appearing. One more wouldn't be strange, and no one would suspect anything! I've been away from the Peak Sect for years, and few people remember me. Now, I want to return and make a name for myself without relying on my status or reputation. Father, you should be proud of my ambition. Why are you so angry?" Chen Zizai looked innocent, but his tone was filled with sarcasm, making Xu Tianfeng's chest heave with anger, wanting to slap him but fearing he would run away, leaving him unable to explain to the Sect Master.

"Xu Zizai! You're not a child anymore. How long do you plan to play this silly game?"

"My name is Chen Zizai. The Sect Master agreed that I could use my mother's surname until I turn eighteen! How long, you ask? Alright—"

Chen Zizai's expression changed, and he said coldly, "Until you die! Ever since you accidentally killed my mother, I decided to make your life miserable! I am tormenting you, deliberately angering you! This is my revenge, and the price you must pay for your mistake!"

"It was an accident!" Xu Tianfeng shouted in anger.

"My mother is dead, and you can't bring her back. That's a fact!" Chen Zizai said coldly. "You said the universe is about results, not accidents. Don't talk to me about accidents!"