Misunderstanding

Yue Buqun turned to look. Only then did he see clearly that the frightened gazes of the farmers were all fixed on Wang Jingyuan. Seeing this, Ning Zhongze helped Linghu Chong up and pulled him aside, signaling for him not to make a sound.

Yue Buqun looked at Wang Jingyuan, who was happily chewing on a wild fruit, his expression complicated. With a sigh, he placed the ruler back on the table and cupped his hands toward the farmers. "A thousand faults, ten thousand faults—they are all due to Yue's poor guidance. I will bear all of your losses myself."

Linghu Chong stared wide-eyed from the side. Master, you weren't like this just now?

Seeing Yue Buqun assume such a posture, the farmers hurriedly waved their hands in fright. "Sect Leader Yue, you misunderstand, you misunderstand..."

"Oh, I remember you now. Aren't you Niu Da, an NPC from the foot of the mountain? I knew I'd seen your name somewhere before. My intuition was right after all—this triggered a hidden storyline."

Hearing Wang Jingyuan "admit" it from the side, Yue Buqun's expression grew three parts more bitter. So it was true. He should have realized it long ago. What kind of proper immortal would be banished to the mortal world?

But now that he had made his decision, many things could no longer be undone.

Yue Buqun continued to bow. "I will bear all of your losses myself!"

Niu Da became even more terrified and immediately said, "A-actually, Hero Wang didn't do anything much. About seven or eight days ago, Hero Wang came down from the mountain and rushed into my house. Without a word, he started chopping firewood. In no time, he'd split all the firewood in our home. We couldn't stop him even if we tried.

"After that, he filled our water vat, then fed the chickens too. Though he killed one of them, Hero Wang paid for it afterward."

Everyone present was stunned upon hearing this. Those were all good deeds, weren't they? Then what did they mean by coming here to demand an explanation?

Only then did Niu Da continue rambling, "At first, it was nothing much. But after Hero Wang left the house, he saw my elderly mother preparing to visit the neighbors, so he supported her as she walked.

"Hero Wang supported her all the way from the east end of the village to the west end, then from the west end back to the east. He went back and forth seven or eight times. My mother suffered a serious illness in her early years and can no longer speak. Even when she suffered, she couldn't say so...

"For the next several days, Hero Wang came down the mountain every evening and did the same thing. Hero Wang had done so much that we should have come to thank him.

"But... but my mother is truly too old. Every day, Hero Wang helped her out of the house for such a walk, and when she returned, she was so exhausted that she could only lie in bed.

"I was truly afraid my mother wouldn't be able to endure it. I had no other choice, so I came up the mountain to seek Sect Leader Yue."

Everyone stared dumbfoundedly at Wang Jingyuan, who did not care in the slightest. Just how idle did someone have to be to do something so... so absurd?

Yue Lingshan did not wish to see Wang Jingyuan punished and was just about to plead for him when she saw Yue Buqun ponder for a moment before speaking. "Jingyuan, what do you think about this matter...?"

Wang Jingyuan casually tossed away the wild fruit he had finished eating. "I'd done it for so many days without triggering any quest reward. I was planning to give up if nothing happened after ten days. Since he's brought it up, I'll stop."

Seeing Wang Jingyuan agree, Yue Buqun also let out a breath of relief. He then said some comforting words to the farmer Niu Da, leaving Niu Da even more embarrassed.

Having achieved the purpose of his trip up the mountain, Niu Da did not linger. He merely left behind a dozen or so eggs and a dried cured chicken before taking his leave down the mountain.

Wang Jingyuan picked up the cured chicken with distaste and examined it, wondering if this did count as a quest reward. The reward was just too shabby, though it made sense. After all, this was a beginner village quest like feeding chickens and chopping firewood.

Since this game was so hardcore, it would be far too unreasonable for an entry-level quest to hand out a divine weapon. Sure enough, if he wanted better rewards, he had to complete more difficult quests. Killing chickens would get him nowhere. If he wanted to strike it rich in one go, he still had to kill people.

With the matter settled, Yue Buqun called the disciples to the dining hall for their meal. Ordinarily, when it came to eating, the disciples would not even put their hands on the table before their master picked up his chopsticks. But Wang Jingyuan was here.

As usual, he took a plate and crammed four or five steamed buns onto it, then sat down at the table and started eating, showing Yue Buqun no respect at all.

He had been like this ever since arriving at Huashan. Yue Buqun had never reprimanded him for it, and since Yue Buqun had no objections, the disciples dared not say a word. Yet Yue Buqun's customary pre-meal lecture had never appeared again. After all, having someone beside him stuffing his face while he spoke was awkward no matter how one looked at it.

Linghu Chong, who had only just come down the mountain, watched in utter astonishment. He secretly guessed at Wang Jingyuan's background, wondering why even his own Master was so wary of him. If it had been him, let alone starting to eat early, even eating in a slightly unseemly manner would have earned him a scolding from his Master.

But if Wang Jingyuan truly came from an extraordinary background...

Linghu Chong frowned as he watched Wang Jingyuan knead an ordinary large steamed bun into a lump and swallow one in just a few bites. He did not touch any other dishes, only kept eating the steamed buns on his plate.

After quickly finishing all the buns on his plate, he left the dining hall on his own. It was as though eating, to him, had nothing to do with flavor or the process itself. He simply ate to fill his stomach and was unwilling to waste any extra effort on it.

That manner did not resemble the conduct of some young master from a wealthy family, raised amid fine clothes and lavish food. It was truly strange.

After all the disciples had finished eating and taken their leave, Yue Buqun returned to the sect leader's residence with Ning Zhongze. After pondering for a moment, he said to her, "About the matter we discussed last night, I want Jingyuan and Lingshan to handle it together."

Ning Zhongze was taken aback. "Didn't we say De Nuo and Lingshan would handle it together? Lingshan lacks experience, while De Nuo is steady and dependable."

Yue Buqun had indeed initially planned to send Lao De Nuo together with Yue Lingshan. First, by chance, he had discovered that the entire Qingcheng Sect had secretly been practicing the Fuwei Escort Agency's Bixie Swordplay. Coupled with Wang Jingyuan having mentioned this swordplay before him, it had caught his attention.

Second, he had long known that Lao De Nuo was a spy sent by the Songshan Sect. He had wanted to give him an opportunity to send word to the Songshan Sect, preferably drawing the Songshan Sect into the grudge between the Qingcheng Sect and the Fuwei Escort Agency. But now that he had an immortal's aid, there was no longer any need to keep Lao De Nuo around.

Though he would not kill him immediately, he would find a way to place him under house arrest on Huashan and deny him any chance to send word out.

However, his wife was a straightforward woman who could not hide her thoughts. Naturally, Yue Buqun would not lay out all his calculations before her. "I have other important matters for De Nuo to handle, so let Jingyuan replace him. Besides, Jingyuan has been on the mountain for some time now. Young people are lively and restless by nature; staying on the mountain too long will make them feel stifled. Letting him go out and gain some experience would be good as well."

Ning Zhongze was somewhat puzzled. Wang Jingyuan had only been on the mountain for half a month. Every day, apart from eating, sleeping, and "going down the mountain to do good deeds," he spent all his remaining time practicing swordsmanship, looking as though he thoroughly enjoyed it. She had never seen any sign that he felt stifled.

But since Yue Buqun said so, he must have his reasons. It was not some major matter, so Ning Zhongze left it at that. Still, she added, "Senior Brother, the Qingcheng Sect is a reputable orthodox sect after all. Would they truly seek trouble with the Fuwei Escort Agency for no reason?"

Yue Buqun nodded. "As far as I know, the Qingcheng Sect and the Fuwei Escort Agency have an old grudge between their ancestors. This time, they likely mean no good. I only hope that our Mount Hua Sect still has enough standing to persuade the Qingcheng Sect to spare others where they can."

Ning Zhongze was somewhat concerned. "What if the Qingcheng Sect does not acknowledge Mount Hua's name?"

Yue Buqun swept his hand through the air. "Then let Lingshan and Jingyuan decide for themselves."