Feng Chi: "Clearly, a direct confession is futile, so he wants to force his way into becoming your man."

Xia Fuli: "Initially, he probably never thought of confessing to you, but upon hearing Wukang Mountain's condition, that you could become his woman, he couldn't hold back any longer. He confessed to you first, and after you rejected him, he immediately settled for the second option, accepting Wukang Mountain's terms. In any case, he was determined to have you."

Both of them spoke until Xiang Laner's head was buzzing. She knew her beauty was not a small temptation for men, but if you said that Shi Chun might like her, she always felt something was off about him, and thus she reminded Sister Feng, "Sister Feng, have you forgotten that he likes Miao Yilan, that he was pursuing Miao Yilan before?"

Feng Chi: "As he said himself, in the Land of Exile where he hadn't seen true beauty, Miao Yilan naturally appeared the most beautiful to him. Now that he has come to the outside world and seen you, there's naturally a comparison. I've seen Miao Yilan myself, indeed, she's not as beautiful as you, Miss."

Xiang Laner hesitated for a moment, then revealed another concern, "It's not just that, I even suspect that he and Bian Weiyin are having an affair."

She was only suspicious of this and hadn't reported it, nor had she mentioned it before.

"What?" Xia Fuli's expression changed dramatically, "Are you sure?"

Xiang Laner hesitantly said, "He denied it himself, I can't be sure yet."

Xia Fuli frowned deeply.

Feng Chi also frowned and turned to ask him, "Can you find a way to confirm it?"

Xia Fuli: "I'll try."

Feng Chi: "Then you go first."

Seeing that the two had more to discuss, Xia Fuli got up and left immediately.

Once sure of his departure, Feng Chi sat down again, "Miss, this matter must definitely be reported."

Xiang Laner: "You really believe his nonsense?"

Feng Chi: "If he doesn't truly like you, then how do you explain his request for 'Nightingale'?"

Xiang Laner, grasping at straws, said, "Could it be that he already knows Nightingale's identity, knows that 'Nightingale' is one of our people?"

Feng Chi retorted, "Is it appropriate for you to force such a reason?"

"..." Xiang Laner fell silent, her mind suddenly in turmoil, her emotions fluctuating wildly, and she quietly asked herself, does he truly like me?

Feng Chi: "Miss, about your last report, that he isn't from the Demon Path, the higher-ups are very interested and intend to have him join us. His confession this time, eliminating the doubts of him seeking someone on Wukang Mountain, undoubtedly corroborates your earlier judgment—he really isn't from the Demon Path. Once the higher-ups officially decide to absorb him, you might have to be mentally prepared."

Xiang Laner remained silent for a moment, then said lightly, "What kind of mental preparation? Are you asking me to sacrifice my personal charm to pull him in?"

Feng Chi slowly said, "At Wukang Mountain, the higher-ups have invested a lot and are not going to give up easily. But they consider Shi Chun's value greater, and increasingly so, and I don't know what decision the higher-ups will make."

Soon, they reported the news to the authorities.

However, some matters require decision-making bases, meaning they need time.

Subsequently, just as Shi Chun had anticipated, Elder Xia still hadn't given an answer regarding making Xiang Laner his woman.

In the following days, Shi Chun didn't seek out Xiang Laner, but gradually, people started looking for him.

They were all his old acquaintances, and also acquaintances of Wu Jinliang, brothers from the Land of Exile in the East Nine Plain.

The reason they came was simple, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang had become famous. Not long out of the Land of Exile, they had gained a house in the capital and a million in prize money. Meanwhile, many brothers from the East Nine Plain were struggling just to find a stable job, and those with stable jobs barely made a few hundred Sandalwood Gold a month.

When they heard of the spectacular tales of Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, they came flocking to join them.

Not to mention the others, even Dong and Da Shitou, who now worked at Bowan Building, were tempted, almost ready to ditch their lousy jobs to chase a brighter future with the Master.

Fortunately, Bowan Building had its advantages, one being exposure to the world, and second, their information network was far stronger than those who acted on mere hearsay; they knew well that Shi Chun's current situation was actually quite awkward. Though it seemed he was greatly celebrated, his future was not secure.

Those who came with enthusiasm were met with a cold reality.

Shi Chun did not meet any, not only did he not meet with them himself, but he also forbade Wu Jinliang from meeting them.

Not meeting was one thing, but many didn't have much savings. Making the journey wasn't just a matter of effort but also cost, and some brothers approached Shi Chun to borrow money, thinking with their wealth, lending two or three thousand should be feasible.

Yet, they still faced a cold rejection. Shi Chun wouldn't lend, nor would he allow Wu Jinliang to lend.

Can I really fend for myself then? But Lankang City is not exactly bustling with opportunities, making it difficult to find work. However, Lankang City is under the jurisdiction of Wukang Mountain, so I was hoping the Master could help me find something to do.

Shi Chun heartlessly rejected them, clearly wanting nothing more to do with these people, apparently eager to sever all ties with his past.

"Shi Chun, Wu Jinliang, two heartless and ungrateful beasts! When we brothers risked our lives for you, what did you promise them?"

"What shared fortune and shared hardships—it's all bullshit!"

"Without us risking our lives for you, could you have established a foothold in East Nine Plain, could you have succeeded as you have today?"

"Now that they've achieved success and renown, they look down on us, the lowly ones. They've used us up and have no need for us anymore."

"Lowly? If it weren't for us 'lowly' ones scrimping every bit to feed them, those two dogs would've starved to death long ago."

"If only we knew we were raising ingrates, we should've slaughtered them all in one go."

"Be careful, everyone. They're powerful and wealthy now, and very capable fighters. They could kill us effortlessly."

"Then let them come. If they dare, let them kill all of us who once fought alongside them. I'd like to see how they could still wear the golden badge of honorable men!"

"What are we afraid of? We're dying anyway. Let him put us out of our misery!"

When it comes to making a scene, these old brothers of East Nine Plain have a knack for it. Jealousy drives people crazy, and they won't give even the slightest advantage nor would they even show their faces, which seemed to have enraged them.

They cursed in Lankang City, made a scene along the streets, walking and cursing, strangely enough Wukang Mountain did not intervene, allowing these people to tarnish the reputation of the two from Shi Chun.

Many onlookers whispered among themselves, mentioning that the top two competitors of the Sky Rain Meteor Conference were truly heartless and ruthless.

Standing at the corner, Feng Chi watched this scene coldly. She had checked on the situation in Life Prison East Nine Plain before, knowing that if it were not for Shi Chun, most would still be struggling to survive in the Land of Exile, not having the luxury to curse well-fed and drunk here.

These people were not only cursing in the city but also at the foot of Wukang Mountain, casting spells and shouting loudly. The less they were controlled, the fiercer they cursed.

Standing at the edge of the mountain, one could faintly hear the swearing from below, and many Wukang Mountain disciples quietly whispered among themselves.

Shi Chun stood silently by the pavilion at the cliff edge, expressionless.

Originally unwilling to listen, it was Wu Jinliang who insisted on bringing him here.

Listening to the infuriating curses, Wu Jinliang paced back and forth, scratching his head, grimacing, and finally stopped behind Shi Chun, "Listen, Chun Tian, why don't we just meet them? We're here anyway, and after all, they're our brothers in life and death. It really seems excessive not to see them. They're actually still afraid of us. If we show up and intimidate them, this will all blow over."

Shi Chun coldly said, "No!"

"Why not?" Wu Jinliang looked around and whispered, "I don't get it. You can keep Chu Jingtang and others on standby, but you can't accept your own brothers? A little money would be enough for them. They know our backgrounds and are easier to command in a pinch."

Now that the conversation had reached this point, Shi Chun's tight lips relaxed slightly and he slowly said, "Since we've already left the Land of Exile alive, there's no need to make them risk their lives anymore. As bad as it is, it's still a million times better than the Land of Exile. We're always one step from falling, there's no need to drag them down too.

Don't you know them? In the face of danger, they would betray us without a second thought. This place isn't the Land of Exile, it's too complicated. You and I have learned a lot, we can't play around like in the past.

We've already made enough enemies. If we ignore them and leave them be, they can live well. But once relationships become entangled, do you believe that they won't immediately be targeted? This isn't the Land of Exile, nor is it East Nine Plain, and we simply don't have the power to protect them here. Let them curse, just let them be."

Wu Jinliang stood still, gazing at Shi Chun, finally understanding the Master's difficult decisions and why Wukang Mountain chose not to drive them away when asked.

But listening to the incessant curses echoing from below, hearing the unbearable words, his lips tightened again and again, eventually, he irritably swung his sleeves and left, "Ah, I'm leaving, I don't want to listen anymore. It's annoying. I'm going back."

He hadn't been gone long when the figure of Xiang Laner walked leisurely towards the pavilion.

Under normal circumstances, on Wukang Mountain, she would not openly spend time alone with Shi Chun in front of everyone. However, after waiting several days without this man, who supposedly liked her, coming to find her, she had to come look for him herself.

Watching the solitary figure in the pavilion, her expression was complicated. The verification news validated by Xia Fuli had reached her, confirming that Bian Weiyin was still pure, enough to prove that she misunderstood the relationship between Shi Chun and Bian Weiyin.

Does this guy really like her?

Whether it's real or not isn't important anymore. Once the information from Xia Fuli's verification reached those above, they immediately ordered her to carry out the verification, not to reject Shi Chun, and to keep him hooked by using his feelings for her to stabilize the current situation—and that meant playing both sides.

That is, whether Shi Chun genuinely likes her can't just be lip service; it would be seen in how far he would go for Xiang Laner.

As for how to keep him hooked, from a young age, she was sent to the brothel to cultivate the art of keeping men on the line. If she couldn't even manage that, then all the training would have been in vain.

The intention from above was simple. Weikang was still to take over Wukang Mountain. So naturally, Shi Chun would have to leave Wukang Mountain. Xiang Laner ideally would be Weikang's woman on one side and Shi Chun's on the other, first leading Shi Chun into their Demon Path before anything else.

As for the legitimacy of Shi Chun's identity, the Demon Path wouldn't easily trust anyone and had its protective measures. Once Shi Chun was deeply embroiled, and Wukang Mountain subtly came under their control, whether Xiang Laner would continue being with the two men, choose one, or discard both, would no longer be an issue.

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