Chapter 32: Who Is The Real Manipulator?

Xiao Wang's death was quick. On the ground, his bleeding body convulsed a few times before it went still. The source of the bleeding was the two-meter-long tree branch that had shot over like a javelin and skewered him right through the center of his chest.

The blood began to pool around Han Xuhan's feet. Stepping aside, he walked over to Zhang Shi and supervisor Lang's unconscious bodies.

The audience was too stunned to react as they watched him check the two wrongdoers for signs of life.

"Alive." Han Xuhan's declaration roused the audience from the stupor they had been thrown in.

But before their shouts of surprise, and questions could come, the wind carried over elder Shen's grave voice.

"Alive, yes, but not for long if treatment isn't provided fast. Bring your best healing medicine in stock, especially the ones good for spiritual injuries."

Those who recovered quickly rushed toward the caravan. Those who stayed were in for another round of shock as they watched Han Xuhan begin ransacking through the garments Zhang Shi and Supervisor Lang had been wearing.

Even elder Shen looked slightly stunned.

There were no keys to be found, but Han Xuhan dug out a thin, rolled-up parchment from a secret pocket on Zhang Shi's waistline.

Hah! Too easy!

The parchment contained a map of the mountain they had just come out of, with an area marked in a corner conspicuously.

The carriage that had left separately on the way must have been hidden in that area along with the spirit stones.

However, Han Xuhan had no way of being certain that this map was not a fake, or a trap. So...

"Elder Shen, I found out where the sect's money is! Please send someone to recover it!"

He handed the elder the map and stood by his side obediently, donning the appearance of a model disciple.

He didn't bring up the matter of the azure medallion. This wasn't the time to start an argument.

Soon, the only healer of the caravan, an old man in his sixties, rushed out of one of the carriages with a pouch and several bottles.

"The medicines you asked for, sir cultivator," he addressed elder Shen with deep respect as he placed the objects on the ground and began to examine Zhang Shi and supervisor Lang.

Elder Shen didn't seem very well-versed in medicine. His instructions were quite basic.

"Check their pulse, physiological reaction, and whatever else that signifies a spiritual injury. Xiao Wang had cast a charming technique on the two of them. His death gave them a backlash through the mental connection he had with them."

While the old man busied himself, elder Shen took a look at each of the bottles and nodded to himself.

"You've got a soul-budding pill...that's quite rare. That'll help regenerate the damaged portion of their souls."

"Master Zhang procured it for his little daughter, sir cultivator. He spent his entire life-savings on it!" The lady who had been in charge of their finances, accused just a while ago of collaborating with the wrongdoers, said in a choked voice.

Elder Shen exhaled, his expression bleak. Han Xuhan suddenly found himself spellbound by the development that took place.

The daughter of Zhang Shi was apparently something akin to an autistic child, six years of age and extremely hostile to anyone outside her family members. She barely had the cognitive capacity to communicate with her parents.

A wandering cultivator had once examined her and told Zhang Shi to buy a Soul-budding pill from a decent sect. It would help stabilize her condition and and even develop her mind.

Zhang Shi had done so without worrying about his future. He had spent all the money he had on the pill.

And now, the entire crowd voted for the pill to be used on Zhang Shi, their trusted leader who had been under the control of an evil cultivator.

Two people opposed the decision. The lady who had revealed the information, and supervisor Lang's wife.

From the feedback of their healer, Zhang Shi would certainly be saved. But supervisor Lang's fate was unknown. And Zhang Shi's daughter had just lost her only chance to grow into a normal person.

So many tragic twists of fate, and all of them led to one man, now lying dead as his fate had taken him where he deserved to be...although, personally, Han Xuhan was of the opinion that Xiao Wang's death should have been a few degrees more painful and slow.

"Why did he do it? We didn't even know Xiao Wang is a cultivator. We trusted him! Master Zhang gave him a good job. Why..."

These were the speculations burning throughout the crowd. Elder Shen answered them in one go.

"Xiao Wang is a rogue cultivator who had stolen a technique from a foreign sect, using which he usually infiltrates small sects and organizations like yours to plunder wealth and advance his cultivation level. Your leaders took him in knowing only half of that. This time, Xiao Wang wanted to rob the entirety of your profit in one go and hide for a while from our sect's radars. Unfortunately for him, one of our disciples was fast enough to stop his schemes."

Elder Shen and Han Xuhan left soon after, leaving a downcast, terrified crowd behind. Before leaving, he assured them that the sect wouldn't punish those who ought not be punished, and the hidden money would be recovered, with their original shares returned to them.

That was perhaps the only good news they'd encounter in a while. It placated most of them.

"You knew beforehand the actual identity of Xiao Wang, huh?" Han Xuhan said as they entered back into the valley.

"He was a careful criminal. But cautiousness isn't enough to win against numbers, power and influence."

"So why did you trick me with this? What was the point?" Han Xuhan said as he took out the azure medallion from his pocket.

"We weren't certain how deep his webs were in that caravan. Nor did we know the specifics of his plan. It would bode ill for the sect's economy if the authorities begin to randomly kill seemingly powerless mortals who have come to trade and do business with us. It is of utmost importance that we show the true faces of these criminals before we punish them. Once Xiao Wang made his move, you saw the results yourself. It went as smoothly as possible. You served as a good bait, disciple."

Han Xuhan wasn't quite convinced by the explanation, but he found an opportunity to exploit here, and there was no need to be stubborn and let go of the chance. Imperceptibly, he pocketed the medallion again.

"Since I've made such a valuable contribution, surely, the sect will issue me a reward, no?"

"...."

Silenced by his disregard of circumstances so dire, elder Shen's disposition seemed to fall into a spiral of gloom.

After a while, Han Xuhan spoke again.

"You know, for someone as crooked as you, elder, you seemed awfully touched by the fate of Zhang Shi's daughter."

Han Xuhan didn't hold back this time.

"What?" Elder Shen glanced at him in surprise.

"That girl? Hah! Disciple, I'm simply not in the best mood because a brat with practically no cultivation managed to walk past my little prank. Had your martial brother Ran not intervened...you'd probably be on a stretcher right now. Xiao Wang didn't have the guts to kill an ex-disciple of our sect, but you can be certain he would've crippled a few of your limbs!

Celestials, what would I not give away to witness that scene!"

"...."

Han Xuhan's expression turned sour, and then it evolved into a look of surprise.

"Wait, what do you mean my martial brother Ran intervened? What did he do?!"

Elder Shen cast a calculating look at his face in the dark.

"If you do not know, ask him when you return."

The rest of the journey was silent. They parted ways in front of the gate of the sect, and Han Xuhan kindly reminded the senile old fart to recover the hidden money as soon as possible.

"I mean, there is obviously nothing I can do even if you renege on your words and backstab me like you did with that expulsion medallion, but I do have high hopes for your fondness of your own dignity. I may lose my four hundred spirit stones, but you'll lose your reputation if you keep playing such sick jokes on young, naive, disciples like me. I believe you can hold yourself back from committing such deeds in future! Please don't disappoint me!"

"...."

Han Xuhan found the look on elder Shen's face to be truly enjoyable. It was an expression he would remember for a long, long time. He was certain elder Shen would remember this volley of insults for decades to come, as well!

Vengeance, when it renders your opposition incapable of responding, is truly the most flavorsome treat!

Shen Ping watched the boy leave in the same direction Mu Ran had.

From behind the gate, a figure walked out and stood beside him. The figure was trembling silently.

"Found that funny, did you?" Shen Ping hissed.

"Ahem, ahem!" the person cloaked in darkness coughed.

"So what's your evaluation? Is this an anomaly we can withstand?"

"You were there. You saw what I saw," Shen Ping said, incensed.

"I was too busy thinking about the fact that someone as greedy as you could hand some unknown mortal girl a Soul-budding pill while no one was looking. So I might have missed some of the details..."

Shen Ping's expression turned murderous. But he sucked in the fury and spoke in a cold tone.

"He probably has the backing of someone powerful to rely on, or even a forbidden technique to massacre opponents above his level, but he's too afraid to resort to either. That means he won't be a problem for now, at least not when it might matter to you, master Zi."

"You're not considering the fact that he has nothing to rely on?" sect master Xuan Zi asked curiously.

"First of all, the boy didn't look surprised to see me appear to save his ass.

Secondly, he was way too calm even when he witnessed a violent murder three feet away from his face. That's not exactly a normal reaction of an ordinary mortal seventeen years of age.

Thirdly, with the level of intelligence he has shown, it is obvious that he would not just dance into a dangerous situation without a plan. I understood that much the day he made a fool of that useless disciple of mine.

But he claims to be unaware of Mu Ran's intervention. If that is true, he set off to procure his money with nothing but the medallion I gave him.

Do you think he trusted me that much?"

Shen Ping laughed mirthlessly and walked off, leaving sect master Xuan Zi behind.