Inside the Punishment Court, Pang Tiansheng had also been carried onto a stone mill for emergency first aid; he had already passed out.

The patrolling disciples aiding in the treatment were a bit puzzled. With so many people under the command of this Sect Master's disciple, how could they have been beaten by two at the Initial Martial level? Looking around the empty surroundings and then at the faces behind the window, they began to understand something.

Duan You and Zou Xingbao, behind the window, patted each other's arms in a relieved gesture.

Last time, they were punished because of Shi Chun and his companion. This time they had wanted to deal with them, but having witnessed this scene, they let go of the thought. Why bother with these two fools who even dared to hit the person in charge of the Punishment Court and the Sect Master's disciple?

Outside the Punishment Court, Bian Weiyin had arrived looking for Shi Chun. She was well informed and knew that Shi Chun and his companion were to be released from prison today.

As the saying goes, timing is better than early arrival. She had just arrived when the fight had ended, and she witnessed Shi Chun and his companion being carried away.

The first time she resigned as City Lord and went up the mountain, she intended to make contact with this person, but instead, she encountered the two escaping and being captured, resulting in no interaction. Now, on her second attempt to meet, she encountered them fighting and getting caught again. What was going on?

She actually wanted to visit them in prison, but the Sect was guarding against her, worried she might harm Shi Chun and his companion. They didn't allow her to visit the prison.

Not understanding the situation, she asked inside only to learn what had happened and found it somewhat suspicious. She asked why they hadn't helped Pang Tiansheng.

Someone replied, "It's not that we didn't want to help, but Master Pang said we were not allowed to leave the room without permission."

Hearing this, Bian Weiyin immediately knew that Pang Tiansheng was unpopular.

Half a day later, those who had been beaten in the prison gradually recovered under the effects of the medicine. Wu Jinliang moved his body and winced, saying, "Chun Tian, were we too reckless?"

Shi Chun had recovered quickly and had been able to speak for a while already. "Are you scared?"

Wu Jinliang chuckled, "Scared of him? If he didn't have so many helpers, I could take on ten of him by myself."

Shi Chun said, "Remember, after we get out, go to the Punishment Court, and at the first chance, beat him again. If there's an excuse, use it; if not, create one!"

"Ah, that doesn't seem right, does it?" Wu Jinliang cried and laughed. Even he thought it was absurd.

Shi Chun said, "Didn't you see he wanted to deal with us? In such a situation, as long as we can endure, he will keep making us suffer in various ways. Falling into their hands will be very tough. But if we can't endure, he'll have to. It's better to face short-term pain than long-term agony. It's worth taking a beating a few more times because they dare not kill us."

"The reasoning makes sense, but I wish I had your recovery ability..." Wu Jinliang sighed. Being beaten like this was quite uncomfortable. He now found it difficult even to stand up, one of his eyes swollen to a slit.

They were locked up for several more days, and when released, they wore new clothes, only to be sent back to the Punishment Court once again.

There was no choice; there really wasn't an appropriate place for them to stay in the mountain.

Fate would have it; the person in charge of the Punishment Court was still Pang Tiansheng, and Wukang Mountain couldn't dismiss him over such a trivial matter.

The resentment in Pang Tiansheng's eyes was apparent, and this time he had learned his lesson, calling a few more people to his side. However, trouble brewed as soon as he began to speak.

"First, go and carry thirty loads of water this morning..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Wu Jinliang pounced forward with a roar and threw his fists.

So fierce? Shi Chun was momentarily stunned; he hadn't expected Wu Jinliang to attack as soon as the other party opened his mouth. What could he do but quickly rush out to join the fight?

Pang Tiansheng dodged one attack but not another and crashed to the ground, Shi Chun and his companion circling around for another vicious beating.

The onlookers were shocked. Were these two men crazy? Should they help out? When Pang Tiansheng called for them, he hadn't meant for help in a fight; they understood he didn't want to appear weak in front of them, maintaining the dignity of a Sect Master's disciple.

One stepped back to keep a distance, and the rest scattered.

"Thirty loads my ass, while others carry twenty; you're trying to mess with us..." Wu Jinliang cursed while striking, releasing the anger from the previous beating.

Then the others realized why the fight had started again and found that these two really were hot-tempered.

Shi Chun, who had thrown himself into the fray without understanding why, now grasped Wu Jinliang's reason for attacking before the man could finish his sentence. It was the first time he knew the big guy was so sensitive about numbers.

"Help, someone help..." Pang Tiansheng was wailing again.

Thus, a group of patrolling disciples was startled into action. Although it wasn't their shift last time, they had been instructed verbally and immediately rushed to save the victim, flipping Shi Chun and his companion to the ground, and it ended in another beating.

With their new clothes torn and old wounds still unhealed complemented by new injuries, the two were carried off again, bleeding and bound for the grand prison.

"Grandfather will beat you every time I see you..." Wu Jinliang, his face bruised and swollen, still howled insults into the Punishment Court.

His wildness truly caught the attention of those within the Punishment Court.

A loud slap silenced him.

Outside the Punishment Court, Bian Weiyin, who had just arrived, was stunned. Again?

She had come knowing the two were to be released from prison today, and they had finished fighting once more?

Is this really as preposterous as it seemed?

She began to doubt her own decision, wondering if it was reliable to work with such a person.

She stood at the doorway in silence for a long time, sorting out her thoughts.

After the patrolling disciples had settled the injured Pang Tiansheng and left, she came back to her senses and nodded to them as a gesture of acknowledgment.

Looking back at the direction of the prison, she realized she had no chance of getting in; they were guarding against her as if she were a thief.

After much contemplation, she felt that things couldn't go on like this. Thus, she entered the Punishment Court and walked into Pang Tiansheng's room, waving off the useless bunch who hadn't cared whether Pang died during the incident but acted as good Samaritans afterward.

Upon seeing her, Pang Tiansheng's voice quivered with a cry, "Junior Sister."

"Brother Pang, don't get agitated," Bian Weiyin hurriedly soothed him and then inquired about the incident. She couldn't believe that a fight had broken out at their first greeting. Did they really think Wukang Mountain was some moral high ground where people couldn't be made to disappear?

She couldn't fathom the audacity of those two outsiders, repeatedly causing trouble on Wukang Mountain.

Thinking of her father's intent to motivate Bian Weikang and wondering what his reaction might be to such recurring incidents made her almost laugh.

After understanding the situation, she suggested to Pang Tiansheng, "Brother Pang, I've moved back to the mountain. Could you arrange for their water-fetching duties to be transferred to my place once they're released from the prison? Would that be possible?"

The sullen Pang Tiansheng's eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement, his bloodied mouth breaking into a wide grin, "Junior Sister is thoughtful indeed. I appreciate it. Don't worry; I'll make the arrangements!"

Bian Weiyin was somewhat speechless, realizing he might have misunderstood her intention, but she didn't elaborate further. After advising him to heal properly, she left.

Soon enough, Elder Xia Fuli came upon hearing the news, sent by the Sect Master.

The Sect Master wouldn't trouble himself to come here for such a trifling matter. The plan to motivate Bian Weikang through Shi Chun had also been proposed by this Elder, so it was best to have someone in the know handle the situation. The resolution had to be thorough, for what was the meaning of constant brawling on the mountain, especially when his disciples were the targets? The Sect Master couldn't afford to lose face like that.

Seeing the pitiable state of Pang Tiansheng, Xia Fuli was speechless — how could someone get beaten up like this so frequently on his own turf?

But he had no choice; the man had limited abilities and poor cultivation aptitude. Truth be told, he wasn't suited for cultivation, but the Sect Master owed a debt of gratitude to his parents, and after his family was destroyed due to the Sect Master, leaving him an orphan, the Sect Master had taken him onto the mountain.

Xia Fuli remembered when the boy first arrived, and the Sect Master asked who would take him as a disciple. Everyone refused because of his poor aptitude, until the Sect Master had to take him in personally.

As it turned out, everyone's initial assessment was correct; some people simply cannot learn certain things no matter how hard they're pushed. Despite abundant cultivation resources, his cultivation could not break through to High Martial.

His current position was a testament to the Sect Master's extra care.

After speaking with Pang Tiansheng and other witnesses to confirm the details of the incident, Xia Fuli hastily went to the prison to question the two about their intentions.

Wu Jinliang, with a bruised face, muttered indistinctly, "Everyone else carries twenty loads of water in the morning, but they make us carry thirty. Isn't this deliberate harassment?"

Xia Fuli angrily retorted, "It was because you caused trouble last time. The Sect decreed heavier punishment on you, not because he intended to harass you!"

Was it a misunderstanding? Shi Chun and the other were silent.

Then Xia Fuli unleashed a barrage of fierce threats. He had no patience for reason with such people and made it clear to them that if they caused any more trouble, they'd be killed!

Xiang Laner, secluded in her small courtyard, became distressed because of this.

An inside informant from Wukang Mountain confided to her again, frustrated, saying that Shi Chun and the other were clearly not afraid of trouble, confident that the Demon Path would find a way to rescue them. But if they continued like this, it would be unplayable — they all might get dragged down with them. The informant felt helpless, and since the lady here couldn't handle it well either, he would have to report his concerns without proper authorization!

In special circumstances, they had the privilege of elevating their reports, and Xiang Laner couldn't stop it.

She too was unsure how to address those two; ever since they arrived at Wukang Mountain, their movements in and out of prison were as if they lived there, not to mention being beaten like dead dogs — what were they after?

A few days later, Xiang Laner received news to go down the mountain, using the pretext of purchasing goods.

Upon arriving in Lankang City and entering a clothing store, she met with Feng Chi.

Inside a changing room, Xiang Laner asked, "What's so urgent that you couldn't just send a message, requiring me to come down the mountain to meet?"

Feng Chi replied with a grave expression, "Miss, Nightingale has used his existing channels to report above his authority about the situation on the mountain."

Xiang Laner nodded, "I'm aware of this. He notified me in advance, and I let him be. Is there a problem?"

Feng Chi said, "He's blown the matter out of proportion. After reporting the repeated chaos caused by Shi Chun on the mountain and drawing his own conclusion, he suspects that other forces of the Demon Path might have inferred our plan and deliberately sent Shi Chun to sabotage it. His report has attracted high-level attention from above."

Xiang Laner scoffed, "Does the upper management not have brains? If they really wanted to sabotage, would they need to go through such elaborate schemes?"

Feng Chi clarified, "That's not important. What's important is that those two have indeed gone too far on the mountain. Even I find their behavior too outrageous, what with escaping and assaulting people. Two outsiders making trouble by consistently targeting the Sect Master's disciples is unheard of, and it's causing Nightingale to be too afraid to release them from prison, posing a threat to our plan.

Nightingale seems to have reached his limit and is determined to remove this stumbling block. He emphasized the threat in his report to the higher-ups, claiming it was the most significant threat he has encountered since going undercover!

He has been undercover for many years on Wukang Mountain, so the upper management must respect his opinion and feelings. Therefore, they've decided to inform you that there will soon be a major event in Shengshen Continent. They plan to reassign both you and those two troublemakers temporarily, moving you from Wukang Mountain to address some issues before allowing you to return!"

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