Tu Junyi was an elder of Gengsang Cave, a cultivator who had already reached the peak of the Golden Core stage. After the Battle of Zhuoshui, he was reassigned to Meigou Valley on the western side of Wulong Mountain to guard against any westward expansion from the Zhanglong Sect. He also served as the chief authority of Gengsang Cave in the entire Wulong Mountain region.

A huge incident had just shaken Wulong Mountain. Lu Yuanlang, all on his own, had turned the place upside down. Tu Junyi received the news early that morning. He didn’t even have time to rally the Badong cultivators. And he went up the mountain himself, arriving just now.

From the look of things, Lu Yuanlang still intended to fight. Tu Junyi couldn’t help but laugh. “Lu, my young friend,” he said, “you’ve already broken so many rules and caused such an uproar. Instead of repenting, you’re doubling down? Do you really think this old man doesn’t exist?”

“Elder Tu,” Lu Yuanlang replied calmly, “whether you’re here to watch the fun or just to take in the scenery, that’s none of my concern. But perhaps you could enlighten me. Exactly which rule have I broken?”

Tu Junyi raised his brows. “You mean you don’t know, or are you just pretending? Wulong Mountain has long been designated as a boundary mountain by all the sects. No one is allowed to ascend without cause. A few Qi Refinement disciples going up for sect business is one thing, but you? You marched in with great fanfare, captured every cultivator on the mountain, and killed so many people besides. And you still think you’ve broken no rule?”

He was a seasoned Golden Core cultivator, his strength far above Lu Yuanlang’s. The moment Tu Junyi stepped in to intervene, Lu Yuanlang knew the interrogation had to stop. Truth be told, he’d already killed enough people and wrung out all the answers he needed. Now, the real question was how to get out of this mess alive. All that talk about avenging his fallen comrades and demanding that Tu Junyi stay out of his way; that was just a bluff, a way to retreat while pretending to advance.

“Boundary mountain?” Lu Yuanlang echoed, feigning confusion.

Tu Junyi let out a short, incredulous laugh. “Are you toying with me, boy?”

Lu Yuanlang replied with a calm face, “I’ve been in seclusion for many years, Elder Tu. I truly don’t know what you mean by a boundary mountain. Perhaps you could enlighten me?”

Several streaks of light suddenly descended onto Ghostdream Cliff. One was Elder Bai of the Zhanglong Sect, another was Lou Zhenwu, an inner disciple of the Dongyang Sect, and the third was Jian Shao of the Pingdu Eight Formations Gate. All of them Golden Core cultivators.

What was truly unusual, though, was seeing Elder Bai, who should’ve been Gengsang Cave’s bitter rival, standing shoulder to shoulder with Tu Junyi for once, united in berating Lu Yuanlang without holding back.

After all, though Wulong Mountain had officially been designated a “boundary mountain,” everyone still tacitly regarded it as part of the Zhanglong Sect’s sphere of influence. The cultivators who lived here might be outlaws and bandits, but they were still potential allies. People the Zhanglong Sect could win over. Thanks to Lu Yuanlang’s rampage, not only might war flare up again between Gengsang Cave and the Zhanglong Sect, but even the local rogue cultivators of Wulong Mountain might start harboring resentment.

After scolding Lu Yuanlang, Tu Junyi turned his ire on the others. Jian Shao joined in as they questioned the Zhanglong, Dongyang, and Tianmu sects in turn. “Are you planning to tear up the agreement?” Tu demanded. Even Dongfang Yuying, an inner disciple of the Qingyu Sect who had just arrived, was dragged into the argument. “Can your sect guarantee this?” they asked him sharply.

Though he was the youngest among them and the weakest in cultivation, Dongfang Yuying was the sect master’s son, and his words carried real weight. He met their gazes without flinching and said coolly, “The Qingyu Sect stands by its word. But the truth hasn’t been established yet. Elder Tu, Brother Jian, please have some patience. Let’s wait for the Tianmu Mountain to arrive and clarify what really happened. If this matter is indeed Brother Lu’s responsibility, he will answer for it. But if it isn’t, we can’t force guilt upon him.”

Then, the elders and inner disciples representing each sect scattered around the area. Some sat down, some stood idly, some strolled about. All waiting patiently for the person from Tianmu Mountain, who shared responsibility for this place.

Lu Yuanlang found a quiet spot and sat down, his face blank, eyes gazing off toward the mountains beyond. You couldn't tell what was running through his mind.

Meanwhile, Yun Ao and Li Busan had helped Liu Xiaolou up and leaned him against the cliff wall to rest. Liu took out a Heart-Nourishing Pill, swallowed it, and quietly focused on healing. Lu Yuanlang’s blow hadn’t been fatal, otherwise he would’ve been gone already. As the medicine’s energy spread through his body and gathered at the wound, the suffocating pressure in his chest slowly eased.

When Liu Xiaolou noticed Li Busan about to approach his master, Dragon Mountain Wanderer, he immediately grabbed his arm and shook his head. Now wasn’t the time. Things were delicate enough already. Drawing the attention of those Golden Core cultivators would only make things worse. Better to let Dragon Mountain Wanderer stay hidden among the crowd.

Still, with dozens of Wulong Mountain cultivators paralyzed and their meridians sealed, the small movements of the three didn’t go unnoticed.

Lou Zhenwu immediately got to his feet and strolled over. Tilting his head slightly, he gave a sidelong glance. Liu Xiaolou couldn’t avoid him, so he forced himself up and cupped his hands in greeting. “Brother Lou…” he said, hesitating for a moment before finishing the salute.

The Dongyang Sect and the Su family of Shenwu Manor were said to have old ties. Liu Xiaolou wasn’t exactly sure what kind, though. Four years ago, Lou Zhenwu, Su Zhenjiu, and Han Wuwang had together visited his former father-in-law, Su Zhi, hoping to have the Su family smooth things over between them and the Qingyu Sect. Liu Xiaolou had been present in the Gualu Hall of Shenwu Manor then, and remembered how Lou Zhenwu, clearly against his own will, had admitted fault for not recruiting him back in the day, even saying with a forced smile, “It was my mistake; I failed to recognize a true gem,” or something like that.

At that banquet, Liu Xiaolou had followed Su Xi’s lead and called him “Senior Brother Lou.” But now, since he’d been cast out of the Su family, that title no longer felt right.

Lou Zhenwu, who had clearly heard the news, smiled. “So it’s true then, my virtuous brother. I heard you’ve left the Su family. Have you gone back to Wulong Mountain now?”

Liu Xiaolou gave a weary smile. “Nowhere else to go, so I just came back.”

Lou Zhenwu immediately began asking about what had happened earlier, and Liu Xiaolou answered everything honestly. As for Wei Hongqing’s whereabouts, he replied firmly, “To be frank, Brother Lou, yes, I was quite close to Wei Hongqing years ago. And not just me, plenty of others were too. But ever since he got in with Tianmu Mountain, he’s rarely had contact with anyone here. Later I married into the Su family and seldom returned myself. Under those circumstances, who could possibly know where he is now?”

Then he pulled Li Busan closer and went on, sounding both indignant and aggrieved: “This kid only joined the mountain after Wei Hongqing left. He’s just at the second level of Qi Refinement. Barely seen anything of the wider world! Yet that Lu dragged him out to be beaten and killed. Truly, disaster fell from the sky while we sat quietly in the mountains! If Brother Yun hadn’t stepped in when he did, the boy would’ve already died at Lu’s hands. Brother Lou, I beg you... please see justice done!”

Liu Xiaolou grabbed Yun Ao’s sleeve and added, “Brother Lou, this man here is also from Shenwu Mountain. Yun Ao, the direct heir of the White Cloud Manor’s Yun family. The Yuns and the Sus have been close for generations. Even he nearly fell victim to Lu’s cruelty! If he’d died on Wulong Mountain, how could I ever face the Su family again? Brother Yun, this is Lou Zhenwu, the fifth ranked inner disciple of the Dongyang Sect, famed for his cultivation and sharp insight.”

Yun Ao hurriedly bowed. “Brother Lou!” he said breathlessly. He was still shaken from what had just happened. Now that he’d caught his breath, embarrassment and anger surged up again, and he immediately began cursing Lu Yuanlang for his behavior.

Lou Zhenwu tried to calm him down with a few kind words, but he didn’t dare promise to “set things right.” He knew perfectly well that nothing about this situation was going to be simple.

Elder Bai of the Zhanglong Sect came over to join them. Before the Battle of Zhuoshui, Liu Xiaolou and Green Bamboo had accidentally captured a cultivator from Gengsang Cave on Xingde Mountain. Someone plotting to assassinate Zhanglong’s inner disciples, including Zang Qianli. When they brought the body back, Elder Bai himself had been the one to receive it. So, in a way, this meeting was fate.

Elder Bai was furious. And far more willing to speak up than Lou Zhenwu. But whether his words would make any difference was another matter. After all, the Zhanglong Sect had been greatly weakened. To keep things together now, they had to rely on help from Qingyu Sect, Dongyang Sect, and even Tianmu Mountain. The politics behind it all were... delicate, to say the least.

Before long, people from Gengsang Cave, the Pingdu Eight Formations Sect, Zhanglong Mountain, the Dongyang Sect, and the Qingyu Sect all started arriving one after another. More and more cultivators gathered around Ghostdream Cliff, until the place was packed.

Among those who came from Gengsang Cave was someone who actually recognized Liu Xiaolou. It was the same Steward Xin who had received Liu’s letter of accusation earlier. When he saw Liu again, he came over warmly, partly to offer some comfort, partly to find out what had really happened.

All of a sudden, Liu Xiaolou became the center of attention. Even Dongfang Yuying from the Qingyu Sect came over to speak with him. “So, you’re the son-in-law of the Su family from the Danxia Sect?” he asked. “I’ve heard about you. But how come you left them later on? Madam Su isn’t known for divorcing lightly. Was it a real separation, or just for show?”

The question was a bit rude, but given that Dongfang Yuying was the sect master’s son, it couldn’t really be taken as an insult, just unfiltered curiosity. So Liu Xiaolou humored him, taking out the divorce letter and handing it over for him to see.

Dongfang Yuying let out a light whistle. “Would you look at that… I never thought this could really happen…”