Parallel Yet Perpendicular |XICHENG|

04 | ZeWu-jun

Jiang Cheng watched with deeply furrowed brows as the disciples below him matched his frown along with barely suppressed groans.

They were awfully pale, like walking corpses. Except Jiang Cheng could still feel their spiritual energy, although chaotic, which indicated life.

It had taken Jiang Cheng a lot of reasoning to convince his paranoia that his nephew was not one of the faces laid down the makeshift beds. Jin Ling was not there that night in the first place, he told himself multiples of times. He had seen the youth in Yunmeng, laughing about along with two of Lan Sect’s junior disciples.

And he had also not seen those two Lan disciples among the ones who came with Sect Leader Lan to patrol, which had meant that the Lan Sect had promised to not dispatch the junior disciples in their territory, especially those who were in learning.

“You were saying?” Jiang Cheng asked, turning to a senior disciple beside him.

The disciple in gold robes raised his fist again and repeated his last report.

“Answering to Sect Leader Jiang, the culprit was a disciple from QingheNie Sect.”

Jiang Cheng’s fingers loosened their hold, letting the injured disciple’s hand fall from his grasp. He stood properly and faced the senior disciple.

“Request more healers, if possible, from GusuLan Sect. Call over the remaining disciples of your sect from the area, pull off junior disciples, let only the senior disciples stay, and order them to stand guard at the outer part of the area. Senior disciples from YunmengJiang Sect will take over your previous positions.”

Although the leaders had previously agreed to let the senior disciples shoulder the work, a few junior disciples who had wanted experience were still dispatched to patrol around the protective array with the protection of the senior disciples with them. However, the situation at hand was beyond their expectation: Someone from the Nie Sect tampered with the array, therefore earning the attention of night creatures.

Multiple disciples from the Jin Sect who had been stationed at the damaged area were injured. Worse, a few of them were pulled inside the gathered resentful energy while fighting the night creatures. The Lan Sect had gotten a few minor casualties when they had attempted to help as well, but they couldn’t compare to the Jin Sect.

Unprecedented as it was, it would still invoke blame, so Jiang Cheng could only change the original arrangements to prevent further damage to the Jin Sect.

Another headache began to assault his temples.

Jiang Cheng might not have expected to wake up to a good news, but he certainly had also not expected to wake up to a fucking grave news!

With a few elders of the Jin Clan, Sandu unsheathed and balanced Jiang Cheng for a trip to Unclean Realm.

Jiang Cheng didn’t even know what to expect when he arrived. The wolf in sheep’s clothing had already saved himself some trouble by acting his part and letting the others shield for him.

“We will make sure! We will make sure!” said Nie Huaisang as they spoke of catching and punishing the culprit.

The head-shaker Sect Leader seemed close to crying as he assured the people gathered around him over and over again. Sect Leader Lan had to step in to comfort him.

“In addition, GusuLan Sect shall take responsibility of the inner patrol, along with YunmengJiang Sect. LanlingJin Sect have been stationed for the outer patrol.”

Sect Leader Lan’s gaze swept over Jiang Cheng as he spoke, focused expression softening to a smile. Jiang Cheng returned the acknowledgment with a nod of his own.