Self-Righteous

Changsun Li kept his head bowed, concentrating on "vaccinating" the Mad Saber Sect disciples. Without changing expression, he waved a hand. "All right. Go and come back quickly."

"Yes," Jiang Shuo replied. He exchanged a glance with Sun Daoming, then walked out through the courtyard gate. Sure enough, as soon as they left, two Mad Saber Sect disciples followed them. They claimed they were there to guide and escort the pair, but in truth, they were afraid the two might wander off.

Earlier, the Hundred Flowers Sect had explained the dangers of the epidemic and asked the Mad Saber Sect to choose a secluded spot for the courtyard prepared for them. The Mad Saber Sect had indeed followed their request. Jiang Shuo walked down a corridor and turned a corner. Seeing no one around, he immediately clutched his stomach with both hands and bent over, his features twisted in pain.

"Little brother, what's wrong?" one of the Mad Saber Sect disciples asked in surprise.

"I can't hold it, I can't hold it! My stomach suddenly started acting up. Where's the latrine? Where's the latrine?" Jiang Shuo's acting was exceptionally convincing. He trembled all over, drenched in sweat, his face deathly pale. He shouted and flailed his arms wildly, giving the other man no chance to react. Bent over, he charged deeper into the residence, not forgetting to call back to Sun Daoming, "Junior Brother Sun, wait here for me. I'll be back as soon as I've used the latrine."

"Wait, little brother, wait! The latrine isn't that way!" One of the Mad Saber Sect disciples hurried after him. Jiang Shuo ran so fast that the man had to chase him through several courtyards before catching up. By then, they had reached the depths of the Mad Saber Sect grounds. He grabbed Jiang Shuo and panted, "Come with me. The latrine is this way."

Jiang Shuo pretended to be at his breaking point, making the Mad Saber Sect disciple wrinkle his nose slightly as he led him to the nearest latrine.

"Hold these for me first." Jiang Shuo pulled a cloth pouch from inside his robe and shoved it into the other man's hands. Then he turned, ducked into the latrine, and left him no chance to refuse.

The Mad Saber Sect disciple covered his nose and moved farther away, keeping a close eye on the latrine. After watching for a while, Jiang Shuo still hadn't come out. With nothing better to do, the disciple lowered his head to inspect the things Jiang Shuo had left in his care.

"This... is a sachet? A grown man carrying something like this around? The Hundred Flowers Sect disciples certainly have peculiar tastes..." The disciple mocked him inwardly, then couldn't resist picking up the sachet and turning it over in his palm. A faint fragrance drifted from it. He narrowed his eyes, savoring the scent, when suddenly his head began to spin. By the time he realized something was wrong, the fog in his mind burst apart. Then his vision went black, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Jiang Shuo came out, his back straight and his expression normal. There was no sign he'd had a stomachache. He took back the pouch, glanced around, and dragged the man behind a secluded artificial hill. Then he retraced his steps to find Sun Daoming.

This was the plan they had made beforehand. Sun Daoming had a pouch of Sleeping Powder too. If all had gone as expected, he should have already subdued his man.

When Jiang Shuo reached the courtyard they had just left and was about to go in, he suddenly heard the sounds of a fight. His heart lurched. He crouched by the corner of the wall and cautiously peered around it. For some reason, Sun Daoming had actually engaged the other man in a fight.

Sun Daoming was clearly stronger, but his opponent was no pushover either. For a time, they were evenly matched.

"Take this!" Sun Daoming shouted, driving a straight punch forward with all his might. His fist shot straight in and struck the other man in the chest. The man staggered back several steps, his breath unsteady and blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He was already injured.

A smug smile curled Sun Daoming's lips. He crossed his fists and charged in again. Knowing he was no match, the other man darted his eyes from side to side, then turned and fled.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sun Daoming barked. He quickened his pace and rapidly closed in on his opponent, then swung a heavy punch at the back of his head.

The Mad Saber Sect disciple felt a chilling sensation at the back of his head. Realizing he couldn't dodge, he was about to call for help. Suddenly, a figure leaped out from around the corner ahead. Before he could make out who it was, a heavy punch landed on his chin. His head spun, and he lost consciousness.

Sun Daoming had been putting everything into finishing off his opponent in one blow. An unexpected third party had barged in, forcing him to pull back with a vexed look. He stared at Jiang Shuo, one eyebrow raised, and said angrily, "Hah. He was already doomed, and you showed up at that very moment. You sure know how to swoop in and claim the credit."

"Where's the Sleeping Powder Uncle Changsun gave you?" Jiang Shuo asked, ignoring the sarcasm in Sun Daoming's voice.

"In my robe." Sun Daoming shrugged.

"Why didn't you use it?"

"I could knock him out with my own strength. Why resort to such a despicable trick?" Sun Daoming spread his hands, looking pleased with himself. In his mind, Jiang Shuo had asked for Sleeping Powder simply because his Martial Arts were too weak for him to be confident. To avoid losing face, he had insisted that Sun Daoming use it too. Jiang Shuo's sudden appearance to snatch the credit had only confirmed his suspicions.

"You..." Jiang Shuo was furious at Sun Daoming's smugness, especially since he'd caused a mess and still didn't realize it.

They had used Sleeping Powder not only because it was convenient, but, more importantly, because afterward they could feign ignorance and cover their tracks, keeping the Mad Saber Sect from discovering their intentions. Now Sun Daoming had pulled this stunt, and the man had seen his face. Even if they killed him to silence him, it was bound to stir up hatred between the Mad Saber Sect and the Hundred Flowers Sect.