A Contest Between Sect Heirs

"Absolutely badass! That little darling from the Enforcement Hall!"

Xi Bazì beamed, dancing with delight. Sweet Potato Boy, meanwhile, clutched his crotch, his face deathly pale with pain.

"Sweet Potato Boy, you've always been hard, haven't you? You must have hurt her foot..." Xi Bazì gloated. "Hurry up and get moving. What, can't your little bird fly anymore?"

"Go!"

Sweet Potato Boy gritted his teeth and forced out the word, abruptly picking up speed in the air. Xi Bazì stopped smiling too and hurried toward Flower Ravine Creek Valley.

At that moment, the creek burbled through Flower Ravine Creek Valley, with brocades of flowers lining both banks all along its course. Beneath a flower pavilion, Su He played the flute while Zhou Dekai stood tall and graceful, singing aloud, drawing bees and butterflies into a dance around them. They truly made a fine pair, a jade tree beside a beauty.

"Thirteenth Sect Heir..."

Xi Bazì shouted from far away. Sweet Potato Boy had flown until his face and neck were red and he was gasping for breath, yet his hands still kept straying toward his crotch.

"Junior brothers, what's so urgent?"

His white robes whiter than snow, Zhou Dekai approached them with easy grace.

"Elder Mu is going to be beheaded!"

"In the Enforcement Hall's prison!"

Xi Bazì and Sweet Potato Boy spoke in unison.

"Don't rush. Tell me slowly!"

"Oh, come on, how can we not rush? Look, Sweet Potato Boy's so anxious his balls hurt..."

"Lin Chuan ambushed Elder Mu, and Elder Mu killed him instead. He's been thrown into prison, and he'll soon be sentenced and beheaded!"

At this critical juncture, Xi Bazì grew tongue-tied, while Sweet Potato Boy became articulate instead.

"He killed a fellow elder? That really is a capital offense!"

"Oh, Thirteenth Sect Heir, hurry back and save him! We'll explain on the way..."

Zhou Dekai did indeed have some friendship with Mu Bai, but he also knew about Lin Chuan's relationship with the Eldest Sect Heir, Zhou Detai. Saving him would probably not be so easy.

"Thirteenth Sect Heir?"

Xi Bazì looked at Zhou Dekai hopefully, afraid the Sect Heir would heartlessly ignore this matter of life and death.

"All right. I'll go back and give it a try."

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Dekai finally agreed, making Xi Bazì and Sweet Potato Boy heave long sighs of relief.

"My wife, I'll return to the sect for a few days. Once this is settled, I'll come back to keep you company."

Zhou Dekai held Su He's hands, reluctant to part even for a few days.

"Father's illness was only cured thanks to Elder Mu. I ought to repay that great kindness. Now that Elder Mu is in trouble, sorry for the trouble, my husband, but please repay his kindness on my behalf..."

Su He understood what was right and promptly urged Zhou Dekai to set out. Zhou Dekai then returned to the sect with Xi Bazì and Sweet Potato Boy.

While Xi Bazì and Sweet Potato Boy were fetching Zhou Dekai, Zhou Detai also sent someone to the Enforcement Hall to urge Xiong Ji to carry out the execution immediately.

"Hall Master Xiong, the Eldest Sect Heir rarely troubles you with anything. Please do him this favor, and anything you need later will be easy to discuss..."

"I've already imprisoned Elder Mu, and he has truthfully confessed his crime. Still, giving him some time to bid his family farewell is only human."

"He's a mere commoner from the wilderness. Where would we even go to notify his family?"

"That's not right, Elder Yang. He's an elder, after all, personally appointed by the Sect Master. Even if he's to be beheaded, we must report it to the Sect Master first!"

"The Sect Master is contemplating the Supreme Great Dao. How could he spare the attention for such a petty fellow? Better to execute him first. The Eldest Sect Heir will naturally give the Sect Master an explanation afterward."

"You have a point, Elder Yang. But if those two hundred-odd family members of his make a scene at Spirit Command Hall, neither of us can bear the responsibility. Why not give them a few days to say goodbye?"

"Where did he get two hundred-odd family members?"

"Elder Qing Mao's widows and children, of course. That was personally decreed by the Sect Master. With so many people, there's much to say. Seeing them all will take at least three to five days..."

"Well... Hall Master Xiong, whether it's three days or five, you know what the Eldest Sect Heir wants. Just make sure nothing goes wrong!"

"Of course. Rest assured, Elder Yang!"

"Farewell!"

After Elder Yang left, Xiong Ji sank heavily back onto his couch, feeling immense pressure. In the contest for Heir to the Sect, the Eldest Sect Heir had the strongest support. If he offended the Eldest Sect Heir over this, he feared retaliation once the latter succeeded to the position.

"I'll buy him three to five days for now. If nothing changes, there truly is nothing more I can do..."

If genuinely just people existed in this world, most could only be so provided their own interests remained untouched. Being able to give one's conscience some consideration in everything was already no easy feat.

Over the next few days, the two hundred-odd people of Qing Mao Residence took turns visiting the Enforcement Hall's prison in groups of ten to bid Mu Bai farewell. Every one of them brought their acting skills to the utmost, weeping floods of tears. Day and night, their cries to heaven and earth filled the prison, tormenting the jailers and other prisoners until they nearly went mad.

Though Mu Bai wore a grave expression, he was no longer worried inside. When the cart reached the mountain, a road would appear; as long as he was not dead, there was hope. Mu Bai decided to wait and watch how things developed, taking the opportunity to get to know all two hundred-odd members of Qing Mao Residence one by one.

"So Elder Qing Mao had seventy-eight wives and concubines. Truly remarkable..."

When he met Seventy-Eighth Lady, Zhou Dekai arrived at Zhou Detai's residence.

"Thirteenth Brother, what brings you to your eldest brother's residence?"

Zhou Detai dismissed those attending him and led Zhou Dekai into a secret chamber.

"Eldest Brother, I've come to plead with you over Elder Mu."

"Oh? What's your relationship with him?"

"I've met Elder Mu a few times. He's humble and knows how to conduct himself, and he truly is someone useful. Besides, Elder Mu has done me a kindness..."

"Was he the one who recommended an Alchemist to Zhou Deqi?"

"That was at my request. Elder Mu himself was unwilling to attach himself to the Third Sect Heir, so he recommended Wang Chong instead."

"In that case, he doesn't really deserve death. But we still need to give an account over Lin Chuan, or many people will feel bitterly disappointed." Zhou Detai looked troubled and pondered briefly. "Have him observe mourning for Lin Chuan for three years, then. He'll also bear the future living expenses of everyone in Lin Chuan's household!"

Covering the living expenses of Lin Chuan's entire household was a minor matter, but making Mu Bai observe mourning for Lin Chuan for three years was probably impossible.

"I'm willing to offer a million Soul Crystals to compensate his widows and orphaned children!"

Even as one of the Sect Heirs, a million Soul Crystals was no small sum to Zhou Dekai, especially since he was generous and indifferent to material things by nature, and had little saved.

"Never mind. He's only a second-level Miscellaneous Master elder to begin with, hardly worth mentioning. Since you're pleading for him, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, Eldest Brother!"

"There's no need for that between us. I feel terribly guilty about having you work at Zhou Deqi's side. Since you've come to ask me, how could I refuse?" Zhou Detai gently patted Zhou Deqi's shoulder and said with a sigh, "Once I inherit the position of Sect Master, I certainly won't treat you poorly!"

"I'll do everything in my power to help you inherit that position, Eldest Brother, and lead our sect to rise in Eastern Ridge!"

"Hahaha! Good, good!"

As it turned out, Zhou Detai had once saved Zhou Dekai's life, and Zhou Dekai served him to repay that kindness. Zhou Detai had planted him as a hidden piece beside the Third Sect Heir, Zhou Deqi. Few knew of this; he was merely waiting for the critical moment to deal Zhou Deqi a fatal blow. Such methods showed that the contest for Heir to the Sect among the Spirit Taming Sect's three Sect Heirs was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. To Zhou Detai, Zhou Dekai still had great use, so he naturally agreed to Zhou Dekai's request. Thus, Mu Bai ultimately managed to keep his life.