Chapter 23: The Sect Leader Takes the Cubs to Do Bad Things

At the end of the year, the heads of various sects and some of Wen Tingshu’s old acquaintances from before he lived alone on Hengxue Mountain sent letters over.

Zhongli Yun gathered them and handed them to Wen Tingshu. Unfortunately, there was no letter from a certain demonic sect leader among them. Otherwise, he definitely would have delivered it immediately.

After Zhongli Yun left, Wen Tingshu opened the letters.

When cultivators sent letters, the envelope was only a carrier. There might not necessarily be writing inside. After opening it, words could unfurl and float in midair, or it could directly be a segment of the sender’s original voice transmission.

Everyone in the cultivation world knew that Wen Tingshu did not like listening to voice transmissions, nor did he like flashy void subtitles. He preferred black words on white paper, so the various sect heads had no choice but to practice brush calligraphy diligently.

The first letter was from an old friend from several hundred years ago, Jia Liance. Unlike Wen Tingshu, whose realm was unfathomable, Jia Liance’s cultivation had become stuck at the Golden Core stage and never advanced again. He spent his life as a carefree rogue cultivator.

Jia Liance was also one of the first people to cultivate after spiritual qi recovered. He was only ten years younger than Wen Tingshu. His hometown was on the western side of the cultivation continent, separated from the Hengxue Sect by the mortal realm. He was naturally lazy and unwilling to spend the effort crossing the mortal realm. Therefore, ever since Wen Tingshu guarded Hengxue Mountain and could no longer leave, the two had not met for several hundred years and only exchanged letters.

In the letter, Jia Liance felt that he had grown old and had begun to like reminiscing about the past. He often thought of how lively the Wen and Jia families had been five hundred years ago. The blue sea had turned into mulberry fields, old friends had all departed, and life was unpredictable. Who could have imagined that even Xie Tongchen would be gone?

Now, in the cultivation world, the only person who could reminisce about those years with him was Wen Tingshu.

So he decided to spare no effort, cross Yongzhou City, and come to Hengxue Mountain to meet his old friend. Along the way, he might stop and go, taking a year or half a year, so he sent a letter in advance to inform him.

[Year by year, we push forward the years; I long to meet the companion of my travels, now even more withered than I.]

Wen Tingshu looked at the two lines of poetry Jia Liance had copied and fell silent.

It was one thing for Jia Liance to lament that he had grown old. Why did he have to drag in Wen Tingshu, who had traveled with him in youth, and say he was even older?

Was he old?

Wen Tingshu saw himself lowering his head to read the letter, and the white hair hanging by his temples.

“…”

He understood Jia Liance’s loneliness.

After experiencing three lively months with Lanshe by his side, Hengxue Mountain had once again returned to silence. There were no three meals, no four seasons, only waiting for someone who did not know when he would return.

A friend coming from afar was also something Wen Tingshu was happy about. He asked Zhongli Yun to send people to wait at Lingshan Inn in Yongzhou City.

The second letter came from an elder of the Xie family who had not asked about worldly matters for many years. In the letter, he questioned whether Wen Tingshu intended to let the Fuguang Sect go and collude with the demonic sect. He vaguely knew that the reason Xie Tongchen had chased Meng Fuguang relentlessly back then had something to do with Wen Tingshu.

In other words, Xie Tongchen had become entangled with Meng Fuguang endlessly in order to help his brother, and had died without even a corpse. Had he died for nothing?!

Wen Tingshu closed his eyes.

Brother Xie had died without a corpse. In the early years, Wen Tingshu had also continuously sent puppets to search around Xiling Mountain, but the puppets’ spiritual power was truly too low, and they had found no clues.

This letter was sent privately to him by the Xie family elder. There was no flame family crest of the Xie family on it, indicating that this was only his personal condemnation, not the Xie family’s position.

Facing the Xie family elder’s questioning, Wen Tingshu had no words to respond.

But Lanshe had never seen Meng Fuguang since birth, and had nothing to do with the grudges of the previous generation.

He was biased toward Lanshe and felt guilty toward Brother Xie.

Wen Tingshu could only instruct Zhongli Yun to send generous New Year gifts to the Xie family.

***

When Shi Wumi learned that Wowo and Nangnang had been born at late Golden Core, he instantly understood why the Great Elder was so fixated on looking toward the future.

This future was truly worth anticipating!

The little cubs should cultivate properly and help uncle take revenge in the future.

“The two saint children’s yuan cores share the same origin. They split into two and are completely identical. This point must be properly used.”

People looked at people with the naked eye. Cultivators looked at yuan cores with their yuan cores. Powerful cultivators did not rely on watching all directions and listening everywhere, but used their yuan cores to sense the surrounding yuan cores. The stronger the cultivation, the wider the range.

But what if there were two yuan cores that were exactly the same?

Then the enemy would think there was only one opponent nearby. At that time, one could openly attract attention while the other attacked from the shadows. Victory would be guaranteed in every battle.

Meng Baixu said, “Shi Wumi, you’re talking about the Attached Form Technique, right? Let one cub secretly attach to the other, the two yuan cores overlapping and merging into one. But this method has been lost. There are only scattered records.”

A method of attacking from behind was very demonic. He liked it.

Shi Wumi said, “Sect Leader, don’t be anxious. This subordinate remembers it and can teach the two saint children. Where are they?”

Meng Baixu said, “Oh. They’re playing marbles in the sandpit.”

Meng Wowo and Meng Nangnang had an extremely large sandpit. In the pit were nine round, glowing beads. The two little cubs sat one meter apart, pushing the beads back and forth.

“Wu.”

A marble rolled to Meng Nangnang’s feet. Meng Nangnang bent down, his round belly pressing against the sand, and pushed the marble. It rolled back to his older brother.

Shi Wumi looked.

What kind of marbles were those? They were clearly nine Heavenly Thunder Pearls!

With the Nine Stars arrayed, they could effortlessly suck dry the spiritual power of cultivators below Golden Core. A great killing weapon had become the saint children’s marbles just like that.

Shi Wumi asked, “The Heavenly Thunder Pearls are being used as marbles for them to play with?”

They were the demonic sect. Shouldn’t they be using those pearls for their most evil purpose?

Meng Baixu was baffled. “It’s fine. If they break them, they break them. I took a lot from Wen Tingshu.”

It was clearly showing off.

Shi Wumi had a lot to say about rolling away with all of someone else’s family property.

“Wen Tingshu is still generous.”

Unlike the Qingyun Sword Sect he had infiltrated. That ex-husband had actually screamed himself hoarse questioning him, “You took the entire Qingyun Sword Sect and didn’t even leave me a chicken? Why didn’t you simply take me away too?”

Look. A stingy man even fussed over a chicken.

At the time, Shi Wumi had only remembered that the Fuguang Sect’s pillar, the Sect Leader, had fallen, and their future days would be difficult. Seeing that flock of chickens was adorable, he wanted to bring them back for the little Sect Leader to eat.

Meng Baixu hooked the corner of his mouth. Shizun was naturally very generous to him.

“Next time, if you want anything, I’ll ask Wen Tingshu whether he has it.”

Shi Wumi said, “Thank you, Sect Leader!”

Meng Baixu and Shi Wumi began teaching Wowo and Nangnang the Attached Form Technique.

Meng Wowo had known how to listen carefully since childhood. When Shi Wumi explained, he earnestly lifted his head and absorbed the knowledge right away.

Meng Baixu said, “Wowo studies more attentively. Let him attach to Nangnang.”

The most crucial step was overlapping the two cubs’ yuan cores. Meng Wowo followed every step methodically, neither missing nor rushing any part. He aligned accurately. Meng Nangnang, on the other hand, was a little like a leaky ladle.

Shi Wumi said, “Sect Leader’s words are absolutely right.”

This was the first time the two one-and-a-half-year-old cubs were learning a technique. Meng Baixu kept watching from the side, coaxing them now and then.

“Baby is so amazing. Don’t move. Hold on a little longer.”

“Once you learn it, Uncle Shi Wumi will take you to catch wild rabbits.”

Shi Wumi said, “Tonight, I’ll give you cornmeal buns and little steamed buns! You can eat whatever you want!”

At the mention of food, a thread of sparkling drool flowed from the corner of Meng Nangnang’s mouth. While drooling and meditating, he saw the qiankun pouch hanging from Daddy’s waist and softly begged, “Baby wants to eat premade little steamed buns!”

Hearing this, Meng Wowo also looked at Daddy. Uncle Shi Wumi said they could eat whatever they wanted. Could they eat the little steamed buns inside the pouch?

Meng Baixu said, “They’re all gone. There are none left.”

The two little cubs pitifully pouted. Meng Wowo could still sit still, but Meng Nangnang fell backward onto the ground in one go.

Meng Baixu: “…”

Greedy little thing.

Shi Wumi asked, “What premade little steamed buns?”

Meng Baixu said, “Steamed buns Wen Tingshu made for me two years ago. They’re unhealthy for little babies.”

Shi Wumi said, “Eating them once in a while doesn’t matter.”

Meng Baixu bit his lip.

But this sect leader did not have many left. And it was not one cub, but two. Eating them once meant two steamed buns were gone.

No wonder mortal families with two sons could not afford to raise them.

It was not that he did not want to give them any. It was that the little cubs simply could not understand the difference. He could eat Wen Tingshu’s love for his disciple in them. Could Wowo and Nangnang eat fatherly love from them?

Wen Tingshu had not put fatherly love in them at all.

These two cubs had never eaten them before, so they coveted them. Once they ate them, they would understand that they were no different from what Auntie Mingyue made.

Eating them blindly would be a reckless waste of heavenly treasures.

“How about this? Tomorrow, I’ll take you to learn how to do bad things. If you do well, I’ll reward you with one steamed bun.”

Meng Nangnang rolled up from the ground. What was doing bad things?

Meng Wowo did not understand either. What was doing bad things?

The next day, Meng Baixu brought the pair of newly fledged cubs out of Guiye City for the first time, stepping onto the road of training.

A kind person would be bullied. They had to be villains.

Inside the Fuguang Sect, everyone was uncles, aunties, and grandpas, so naturally they could not do bad things to them. They had to go outside and find unlucky cultivators to gain experience from.

He did not go too far, only taking the cubs to lie in ambush on the must-pass road for cultivators heading east into the mortal realm.

The Hengxue Sect was in the eastern part of the continent, so the atmosphere in the east was a little better. Guiye City was in the west, so robbery and plundering were more common there.

Meng Baixu chose a slope platform. It was flat, open, and breezy, one of the best resting places before cultivators entered the mortal realm.

Recently, it was said that a group of rogue cultivator bandits had appeared here, calling themselves the “Blood Fiend Sect.” They blocked roads to rob wealth and killed people to steal cores, becoming notorious on the list of evildoers.

The list of evildoers was an authoritative ranking Meng Baixu had long yearned for. He did not know who compiled it, but they had actually failed to rank this sect leader first.

They must have been intimidated by the Fuguang Sect’s obscene might and did not dare write it.

Hmph. It seemed he had not done enough bad things.

Today, he would bring his two cubs to do bad things together. Soon, all three father and sons would have names on the list.

Wowo and Nangnang would be on the list of evildoers at one and a half years old. Their futures were limitless.

Meng Baixu crossed his arms and watched the two cubs squeeze close together, lying on the ground in ambush like two little white mushrooms. He kicked some fallen leaves.

“No need to be this careful. Stand up.”

One father at the Transformation stage and two children at Golden Core. Their strength was enough to rampage under heaven. They could do bad things openly.

Meng Wowo shook his head.

Daddy, if we stand up, the rabbits will run away, oh!

Meng Nangnang said, “Shh!”

Meng Baixu: “…”

Did they think he was taking them to catch rabbits like Shi Wumi?

Forget it, forget it. Once this sect leader demonstrated murder and treasure-snatching, they would understand.

They were here!

In the forest, a horse leisurely passed by. Sitting on the horse’s back was a Golden Core cultivator. Although his clothes were plain, they were not ordinary. More importantly, the sword in his hand would cost at least thirty thousand spirit stones to buy.

Bang—

The horse’s front hooves sank into an array. A sudden change arose. More than ten masked evil cultivators suddenly appeared around him. They were precisely the group of bandits who committed all kinds of evil.

These evil cultivators had varying levels of cultivation. The unlucky Golden Core cultivator was like someone surrounded by jackals and wolves. After a while, all his possessions had been stripped away, and he muttered curses under his breath.

“Wasn’t Wen Tingshu supposed to be presiding over the righteous path and intimidating all evildoers under heaven…”

This person was Jia Liance, who was on his way to Hengxue Mountain to visit his old friend. He handed over spirit stones and treasures to delay time, but in truth, one hand had already reached into his belt and was about to pull out the Sea-Breaking Whip.

If cultivation was not enough, magic tools would make up for it.

He had lived for five hundred years. How could he not have a divine-grade magic tool?

Those dozen or so tyrants were only focused on dividing the property. They coveted that good sword, thinking of hanging it in the Fuguang Sect’s auction to sell.

It happened faster than words could describe. A dazzling white light like nine-heaven mystic lightning descended to the world, striking straight at the tyrants.

Jia Liance blinked. Wait, he had not even acted yet.

He blinked again. The scene before him made him suddenly startled.

Heaven and earth froze over. Those dozen tyrants still maintained their pleased expressions while dividing money, but from head to toe, they had been frozen into icicles. They were already dead.

East Wind Dance Divine Sword!

Who was acting?

Jia Liance looked around and only saw a flash of white robes vanishing into smoke and dust.

Wasn’t this sword part of Wen Tingshu’s collection? Could Wen Tingshu have sent someone to protect him along the way?

At least he had a heart.

Jia Liance sat down where he was to rest. He had to wait for the ice sculptures struck by the East Wind Dance Divine Sword to melt before he could retrieve his belongings from the tyrants’ corpses.

Meng Baixu returned to the two little cubs in high spirits.

“Did you see that?”

Meng Wowo and Meng Nangnang nodded, their baby fat cheeks gently wobbling.

They saw, oh. Those bad uncle people turned into wooden men.

Meng Baixu said, “This is called the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Doing bad things ourselves is too tiring. We only need to kill bad people and impersonate them by taking credit for their evil deeds.”

As for the treasures they had robbed, Meng Baixu would not go take them. Taking them from corpses was dirty.

The little cubs nodded, not fully understanding but deeply impressed.

Daddy is so amazing.

Meng Baixu said, “From now on, the Blood Fiend Sect is the three of us.”

Wen Tingshu spent several hundred years establishing the Hengxue Sect. This sect leader only needed to snap his fingers and already had another sect.

Meng Baixu said, “This is how we do bad things. Understand?”

Wowo and Nangnang said, “Under—stand—”

Meng Baixu said, “Once we kill all the opponents on the evildoers list, we will be the number one demons under heaven.”

Just hearing it would make people tremble in fear.

Wowo and Nangnang said, “Kill them all, oh!”