After the other new outer disciples dispersed to report to their assignments, Yang Cheng looked at Jin Ming and said, “Brother Jin, this Ling Xiao seems to have a significant background. Can we afford to mess with him?”
“What’s there to fear? He’s just Old Man Baiyun’s disciple. We’ve got Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable backing us. Why be afraid?” Jin Ming replied.
Li Anle, having recovered from the terrifying illusion, harbored a deep grudge against Ling Xiao and was absolutely unwilling to let him off.
“Anle’s right. This Ling Xiao is too arrogant. We need to knock him down a peg!” Jin Ming nodded.
“If Brother Jin thinks that way, I’ve got a good idea,” Yang Cheng said with a sinister smile.
“What’s the plan?” Jin Ming asked.
“He’s sharing a stone house with Wu Xiang, right? If we get Wu Xiang to slip something into his water, no matter how strong Ling Xiao is, he’ll be at our mercy. Then, Anle, you can take your revenge however you want, as long as you don’t kill or cripple him,” Yang Cheng said coldly.
“Isn’t that a bit too underhanded?” Jin Ming frowned. “Do we, a few senior outer disciples, need to resort to this against a new outer disciple?”
“Brother Jin, a true man doesn’t sweat the small stuff. You’ve seen how arrogant Ling Xiao is. As half-step masters and top ten outer disciples, directly challenging him could make us look like bullies. But if Wu Xiang does it, it’ll be undetectable,” Yang Cheng persuaded.
“Fine, I’ll leave it to you. I’m planning to go into seclusion soon to try breaking through to the Mortal Realm,” Jin Ming said after some thought.
“Brother Jin, you’re so diligent. You’ll probably be the first to enter the inner sect. Don’t forget us when you do,” Li Anle said with a smile.
“Of course,” Jin Ming replied before leaving.
That afternoon, at the Moonlight Sect’s iron mine:
“I can’t agree to this. Brother Ling has been good to me. I won’t do it!” Wu Xiang said, having been called to a secluded spot by Yang Cheng and Li Anle.
Since Li Anle managed the mine, no one would question him summoning someone.
*Thud!*
Li Anle kicked Wu Xiang, cursing, “Useless! Listen up—if you don’t want to keep getting beaten or doing heavy labor, do as we say.”
Yang Cheng squatted beside Wu Xiang, smiling, “What’s there to fear? It’s not poison, just something to temporarily disable his cultivation. We won’t kill him. Put this powder in his water, and I guarantee no one in the outer sect will dare bully you again.”
“No, absolutely not!” Wu Xiang gritted his teeth, standing firm.
Though timid and reserved, he had principles.
“You ungrateful wretch!” Yang Cheng unleashed a flurry of blows on Wu Xiang.
Wu Xiang didn’t fight back, curling up to protect his vitals. He’d endured this before—bear it, and it would pass.
But this time, it wasn’t like before. Yang Cheng and Li Anle attacked with unrestrained ferocity, their strikes heavy and merciless.
Wu Xiang’s face grew paler, his hands gradually stopped shielding, and his body went still.
“Stop!” Yang Cheng halted, checking Wu Xiang’s breath.
“No breathing!”
“No way!” Li Anle gasped, shocked.
Yang Cheng sent true essence to probe Wu Xiang’s condition.
“He’s really dead!”
“What do we do, Brother Yang? He’s just an outer disciple, but a death is hard to explain,” Li Anle said, worried.
“No need to worry. The death of an outer disciple won’t raise eyebrows,” Yang Cheng shook his head. “Entering the Moonlight Sect seems glorious to outsiders, like a carp leaping the dragon gate, and that’s not entirely wrong. But outer disciples are nothing—mostly doing menial tasks. Only inner disciples matter!”
“Brother Heisuo said something similar. One or two outer disciple deaths are no big deal. As long as someone higher up covers for us, the sect won’t investigate,” Li Anle said, recalling Heisuo’s words.
“Exactly. Only by becoming an inner disciple like Brother Heisuo does the carp truly leap the gate. They get the sect’s protection and more resources. Look at us—ordinary outer disciples get just ten low-grade spirit stones and ten spirit pills a month,” Yang Cheng nodded.
Compared to the outside world, this was generous. Low-grade spirit stones were precious, and the ten spirit pills were said to surpass the best pills in the mortal world. Even the Qian Yuan Bone-Swapping Pill, treasured by Master Baiyun, was insignificant among the sect’s pills.
That night, Yang Cheng and Li Anle dumped Wu Xiang’s body deep in the mountains.
…
“Why do I feel so uneasy?” Ling Xiao, cultivating, couldn’t settle his mind.
As usual, Wu Xiang hadn’t returned. Ling Xiao glanced at his empty bed, thinking he should find a way to get Wu Xiang reassigned from the mine. He was a good person.
With that thought, Ling Xiao stepped out of the stone house, intending to enjoy the scenery. But activating his soul-entering state, he witnessed a scene that enraged him.
Yang Cheng and Li Anle tossed Wu Xiang’s body and even kicked it a few times.
“Brother Yang, forget the drug. Let’s deal with Ling Xiao the same way we did Wu Xiang,” Li Anle said with a laugh.
“Don’t touch Ling Xiao yet. We need to clarify his connection to Old Hall Master Yang. That old man’s protective. If we kill Ling Xiao and provoke him to intervene, it’ll be trouble,” Yang Cheng shook his head.
“That kid’s lucky to have Old Hall Master Yang’s attention. Makes me jealous,” Li Anle said.
“Enough. Let’s go before someone sees us,” Yang Cheng said, and the two quickly headed back toward the iron mine.
The dumping site was five or six li from the mine, in a forest teeming with wild beasts, demonic beasts, and even ferocious ones. They believed Wu Xiang’s body would soon vanish.
“Bastards!” Ling Xiao cursed, rushing toward the site. Wu Xiang was a fellow disciple who’d treated him well. He couldn’t let his body be left for beasts to devour.
Using Cloud Dragon God Step to its fullest, Ling Xiao moved so fast he was nearly invisible. If other outer disciples saw, they’d be stunned.
“Brother Wu!” Thanks to his speed, Ling Xiao arrived before any beasts approached Wu Xiang’s body.
“His body’s still warm,” Ling Xiao said, touching him.
He released soul force into Wu Xiang’s body. Even if someone died, if their soul lingered, there was a chance to save them. He hoped to preserve Wu Xiang’s soul.
