Chapter 82

Qinghaofeng, one of the five peaks of Qinglingshan that start with the character "Qing."

The mountain lord is Wu Hao, who oversees the Punishment Hall, making him one of the few powerful figures on Qinglingshan.

At the top of Qinghaofeng, the headquarters of the Punishment Hall is a magnificent complex of pavilions and palaces. The place is filled with dazzling light and numerous restrictions, and in terms of strict security, it ranks among the top three of all the mountains.

On the western side of the mountain top, there is a very elegant building. Inside the innermost room, Wu Hai knelt on the ground, trembling all over, not daring to lift his head even a bit.

"You heartless scoundrel! You're not even a tenth of your elder brother. How could I have given birth to a useless person like you? Although that jade pendant isn't very valuable, it was one of your mother's keepsakes, and you actually gave it away so easily!" A middle-aged man in a brocade robe scolded him angrily and crushed the jade pendant in his right hand into powder.

Wu Hao, the head of the Punishment Hall, was visibly furious. His face was stern, and his anger made him even more intimidating. Wu Hai, who had grown up under his father's strict discipline, could only kneel and beg for mercy in such a situation.

It turned out that Wu Hai had bribed Luo Xuyu with the jade pendant his father had given him. Afraid his father would find out and scold him, he had used a fake one. Although the fake was a high-quality magical artifact, it was exposed today.

"Luo Xuyu, is it? I'll have a good talk with him." Wu Hao swept his sleeve and left, leaving Wu Hai to breathe a sigh of relief.

...

Lingguanfeng.

In front of a house on the eastern side, the mountain lord of Lingguanfeng, Du Zuye, carefully accompanied the Great Elder Qing Lei.

Great Elder Qing Lei was an old cultivator with white hair and beard. Although his appearance was ordinary, his presence was even more intimidating than that of Wu Hao from the Punishment Hall.

"I hope this boy takes it easy. Rushing ahead recklessly won't end well." Great Elder Qing Lei's words were filled with concern.

"Master, don't worry. Junior Brother Zhang has a high-quality spiritual body and has achieved the Great Perfection of the Qi Condensation Realm. The innate barrier is nothing to him." Du Zuye quickly reassured him.

"Hmph, this boy is arrogant and conceited, looking down on everyone. It might be good for him to be taught a lesson, to know his place. It will greatly benefit his future cultivation." Although Great Elder Qing Lei snorted, there was a smile on his face. Then his expression darkened: "However, whoever touches my Long'er will not be left alone, even if they have been on the Mienqiu Platform."

"The Great Elder's thoughts align with mine." Zhang Hao and Luo Xuyu approached from not far away.

"Due to the sect rules, we can't openly do anything to him, but we can make his life difficult." Luo Xuyu said, clapping his hands.

Du Zuye muttered to himself: This matter even involves the head of the Punishment Hall, it's really making a mountain out of a molehill. Then he became a bit worried about the boy. After all, Bai Li was his close friend, and the boy was his recent pride. It's all Zhang Long'ao's fault, that arrogant fool. He couldn't help but curse in his heart.

Before Zhang Long'ao joined the sect, Du Zuye was one of Qing Lei's more favored disciples. But once Zhang Long'ao arrived, he stole all the attention and favor, leaving Du Zuye and the other disciples marginalized, becoming almost irrelevant in their master's eyes. Zhang Long'ao was not a humble person either, looking down on his senior brothers, which had already caused Du Zuye a lot of resentment. When he heard about Zhang Long'ao's setback, he was actually quite pleased.

If the master is swayed by these two rascals, he might really go after that Chu boy. Du Zuye knew his master's protective nature all too well. These three are all important figures in Qinglingshan. If it's known that they deliberately made things difficult for a junior disciple, the consequences would be significant.

He could only laugh bitterly in his heart and then harden his resolve to speak up.

...

"Who made this decision?" Bai Li's face showed anger. No one should be able to order the disciples of the Earth Fire Department to go to the front lines without his approval.

Everyone knew that the alchemy, weapon-making, farming, and cooking departments were all part of the logistics and production. Sending them to the front lines would put them in much greater danger.

The person from the Punishment Hall ignored his anger and said, "Great Elder Qing Lei and Hall Master Zhang Hao personally nominated it. Please inform Instructor Bai as soon as possible to avoid missing the deadline and causing problems at the front lines."

Bai Li was about to say more, but Zhang He pulled him aside and said, "Please rest assured, we will inform him immediately."

"That's good. I'm just a messenger. If you have any complaints, you can take them to the Elders' Council. There's no need to take it out on me. Goodbye." The Punishment Hall official said coldly and then left.

"Instructor Bai, you don't need to be so upset. Since the Great Elder has spoken, unless the Sect Master intervenes, you will be seen as defying the Elders' Council and the Punishment Hall." Zhang He consoled him.

"Hmph! A few elders and a junior making things difficult for someone, how shameful." Bai Li slammed his palm on the redwood table, shattering it, his face alternating between red and white.

To have the Sect Master intervene? The Sect Master has been in seclusion for decades, trying to break through the Yuan Ying stage and condense the golden body of the spirit. The possibility of that happening is almost zero. In other words, the decision is final, unless...

"Don't be angry, I'll go and talk to them." Zhang He patted Bai Li's shoulder and walked out the door.

...

"Oh? No problem. Since it's an order from the sect, I will go as soon as possible. It's an honor to serve the sect." Chu He listened to what Zhang He said and replied calmly.

He just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. He thought it would be a few months later, after the Mienqiu Platform incident had died down. He also didn't expect the old man to be so protective, personally getting involved without fear of criticism.

Old man, you're ruthless, I admit defeat! Chu He could only accept it. Otherwise, it would be a crime of defying the sect's orders, which would mean his end. When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

"Only through hardship can one become a leader." Zhang He, seeing his calm expression, didn't know what to say and patted Chu He's shoulder again.

"Zhang Officer, don't worry, I'm fine. It's just a bit of training, which is the most suitable for a new disciple like me." Chu He smiled.

"Good, I'm glad you understand." Zhang He said and left. There was nothing else to say. If they really sent an alchemist to the front lines for training, the decision-maker must be out of their mind.

"It seems I can't stay in Qinglingshan anymore. The sect is just like the outside world, where the one with the biggest fist gets to speak. It's just not as obvious and brutal. I thought Qinglingshan was a utopia, sigh..." Chu He thought to himself, canceling his alchemy plans for the day and heading back. He still had to say goodbye to Gu Han and the others.

"Tap tap!" The little guy, connected to Chu He's mind, sensed his slight unease and asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just a change of place." Chu He patted the little guy, who was rubbing against him.