The Death of Zhao Lan

The cutting room was as busy as ever, but today, the atmosphere seemed especially oppressive.

Pang Tong, who should have been making his rounds, seemed to be absent today. After asking around, Bai Yu finally found him in a room behind the cutting room.

The standard smile on Pang Tong's face had vanished today. The room was simply furnished, containing nothing but a jar of wine and two cups on the table.

"Senior Brother Pang, what is this?"

Seeing Pang Tong like this, Bai Yu frowned. He knew full well that something must have happened here. Otherwise, Pang Tong, who was always so optimistic, would never be acting this way.

"You're here?"

"Sit."

Hearing Bai Yu's words, Pang Tong nodded, then took out another wine cup and invited Bai Yu to sit.

After filling all three cups, Pang Tong picked up his own and lightly clinked it against the cup in front of Bai Yu. Then he turned his gaze to the empty cup beside them and lightly tapped it as well.

"Zhao Lan is dead. I called you here today to have a drink, and to send him on his way."

Draining his cup in one gulp, Pang Tong spoke calmly.

Bai Yu was utterly stunned, as though he could not believe it was true.

Zhao Lan—the man whose smile looked somewhat ferocious and whose temperament was rather blunt—was dead!

Didn't he have someone backing him?

Why had there been no news of this at all?

"Surprised?"

"This sort of thing is already commonplace in the Heavenly Demon Sect. No need to react like that. You'll get used to it eventually."

Seeing Bai Yu's reaction, Pang Tong smiled and spoke casually.

"Senior Brother, wasn't Senior Brother Zhao the overseer of the mountain expedition team?"

"Something happened to him, and the sect does nothing?"

A bitter smile appeared on Bai Yu's face. By all rights, given Zhao Lan's status, this should not have happened.

No matter how heartless the Heavenly Demon Sect was, it could not possibly remain unmoved when one of its overseers died.

"Heh. If Zhao Lan had died while leading a team, then no matter who the killer was, the sect would never let them off."

"But he died outside."

"The sect's rules state that when you leave for training or venture into the mountains in search of treasure, life and death are your own responsibility. The Heavenly Demon Sect is not your nanny. This is merely a platform that provides resources. Your own life is something you must cherish yourself."

Pang Tong spoke slowly.

Cultivation was like this. At all times, relying on yourself and the foundation you had accumulated was what mattered most. The sect could not stand guard over you every moment of every day.

"Then how did Senior Brother Zhao die?"

Bai Yu asked slowly.

"He went home to visit his family and was ambushed."

"That fellow always said he didn't care, but in the end, he still sneaked back. If he had told us beforehand, perhaps things would not have ended this way."

Pang Tong let out a sigh.

He, Zhao Lan, and Zhao Mingzhu had entered the Heavenly Demon Sect during the same period. They had all started as menial servants before awakening their spiritual roots and becoming ordinary disciples.

Zhao Mingzhu was the sort of person who had been lucky enough to obtain an immortal opportunity in old age and defy fate to change his life. Pang Tong himself had been an orphan wandering the streets since childhood. Neither of them had anything tying them down.

Only Zhao Lan was different. He was a member of the Wu Shu Kingdom's royal family, an abandoned child whose identity had been usurped. He cultivated diligently so that one day, he could return to the Wu Shu Kingdom and clear the name of his branch of the family.

This was originally a matter for mortals. As an immortal cultivator, he should have forgotten such things long ago. Yet Zhao Lan had still acted impulsively.

"The Wu Shu Kingdom is backed by the Iron Sword Sect. Though it is only a small sect, it still has experts stationed within."

"Besides, these so-called righteous sects and the Heavenly Demon Sect are like fire and water, utterly incompatible. Zhao Lan went there like that—how could nothing happen?"

Pang Tong said regretfully.

In a demonic sect, it was difficult to find even a few good friends who shared your interests. This was especially true on Gu Refining Peak. Those Gu Masters were practically all shut-ins; if there was no event going on, it was difficult even to see them.

Thus, Zhao Lan's death had dealt Pang Tong a heavy blow.

"The Iron Sword Sect?"

At the mention of that name, Bai Yu thought of the four people he had encountered on Ashen Sorrow Mountain. He had not expected Zhao Lan's death to be connected to them as well.

"Senior Brother, you didn't call me here just to drink and tell me a story, did you?"

Seeing Pang Tong's expression, and recalling how he had voluntarily spoken of the three men's past, Bai Yu knew that Pang Tong had not summoned him merely for a drink.

"You're too clever. Sometimes I don't like talking to people smarter than me. It makes me feel like I have no presence."

Pang Tong smiled and teased him.

"I want to make a trip to the Wu Shu Kingdom. With Zhao Lan's strength, even if he went there alone, the Iron Sword Sect could never have kept him there unless they dispatched Golden Core-level cultivators."

"But he was besieged and killed. I suspect Zhao Lan was very likely betrayed."

"So I want to investigate."

"What if we find something?"

"Then it'll be simple. If Wu Shu Kingdom has provoked us, its current royal authority need not continue to exist. I may not be able to wipe out the Iron Sword Sect, but can't I destroy some tiny country that doesn't even qualify as a dynasty?"

"Letting Wu Shu Kingdom's royal family be buried with him would count as consoling Brother Zhao's spirit in heaven."

Pang Tong leaned back and said casually.

Within the territory governed by the Three Mountains and Four Sects, there were many sects like the Iron Sword Sect, but even more countless small countries. Behind each of them stood cultivation sects in support.

Some dynasties even had cultivators specifically stationed to guard them.

If not for Zhao Lan, Pang Tong would never have known a tiny country like Wu Shu Kingdom even existed.

Now that Zhao Lan had died in the place he had once left behind, then as his good friend, if he wanted to avenge him, he would have to make the journey.

"Interested in coming with me? Always bottling yourself up in the sect to cultivate isn't a good habit."

Pang Tong suggested.

Hearing this, Bai Yu nodded without the slightest hesitation.

Ever since coming to this world, he had never gone out to see it. This was the perfect chance to broaden his horizons.

Besides, Zhao Lan had taken good care of him. The favor of gifting him a grotto-heaven alone was not something a single Human-Faced Mushroom could repay.

Now that Zhao Lan was dead and Pang Tong had such intentions, Bai Yu had no choice but to make this trip.

"Hahaha, I knew you'd agree."

"Rest easy, Junior Brother. I'll make proper preparations for this trip. Nothing will go wrong."

Pang Tong laughed loudly, but Bai Yu precisely caught the fleeting killing intent in his eyes.

"Damn it, you dead fatso, have you been drinking?"

"Don't you know how busy I am?"

"You called me here to drink in broad daylight?"

An exceedingly impatient voice rang out. Zhao Mingzhu came over while cursing under his breath, then rolled his eyes at the sight before him.

"I thought you weren't coming."

Pang Tong curled his lip and teased.

"Pah, you think I wanted to come?"

"My life was going just fine, and you lot just had to go looking for trouble."

"What a nuisance!"

Zhao Mingzhu plopped down beside Bai Yu. Looking at the wine cups on the table, his old face twitched.

"Who has such nerve that they dare slap the Heavenly Demon Sect in the face?"

"As one of the sect's pillars, I have an obligation to clean them up."