Chapter 42
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Chapter 42: Envy, Jealousy, and Hatred
Wang Chen gazed up at the night sky.
Beneath the luminous moon, streaks of light surged from the north, swiftly darting toward the southwest.
A few of these streaks were particularly striking!
He instantly realized—the inner sect disciples and the Purple Palace master had been deployed.
Smoke billowed from the borders of the outer sect, with beams of light from various Wei Halls signaling distress; the higher-ups of Yunyang Sect could not remain passive.
Yet, the enemy’s assault had been so abrupt, causing a considerable delay.
He couldn’t help but wonder how many low-level cultivators, like Wang Chen, had been drafted into the Night Patrol Team only to be used as mere cannon fodder!
Wang Chen’s heart remained unperturbed.
He took a lengthy detour to evade potential ambushes or attacks on the rural paths and arrived at Wei Hall B Ten via a smaller trail.
By now, dawn was nearly breaking.
The sight at Wei Hall B Ten left Wang Chen in awe.
The robust fortress was ablaze with light and teeming with activity, as bustling as a marketplace.
A throng of cultivators surrounded the hall, predominantly dressed as spiritual plant farmers.
Many were aiding the elderly and carrying the young, their faces etched with fear and unease.
There were also spirited young cultivators clutching weapons, vigilantly scanning their surroundings, prepared to engage in combat at any instant.
Wang Chen was permitted to enter the hall without hindrance after presenting his identity token, owing to his attire as a night watcher.
However, the interior was even more tumultuous.
Numerous cultivators were seated or reclined; some were tending to their own wounds while others were being treated.
The air was thick with furious curses, agonized moans, and fervent disputes.
This place had unmistakably transformed into a battlefield hospital.
A potent smell of blood permeated the air!
Wang Chen glanced around and noticed Yao Mingjie and his team leader in the corner of the training ground, alongside team member Guo Ping!
Both appeared to be unscathed.
Yao Mingjie was smeared with bloodstains, his complexion exceedingly pallid.
Guo Ping was conversing with him.
“Senior Brother Yao, Senior Brother Guo!”
Wang Chen approached and bowed to them, declaring, “I’ve returned.”
He had no desire to be expelled from Yunyang Sect or branded a deserter; he had to rejoin his team.
Both Yao Mingjie and Guo Ping were momentarily stunned.
Guo Ping reacted swiftly, his face lighting up with a delighted smile. "Wang Chen, are you alright?" he asked.
Wang Chen responded with a wry smile, "I managed to escape by sheer luck. Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother."
Though the deputy team leader appeared genuinely concerned and was visibly pleased at Wang Chen’s safe return,
Wang Chen could never forget
Guo Ping’s reaction during the attack on the Night Patrol Team.
His wariness of Guo Ping never diminished!
He masked his turbulent emotions with a bitter smile, ensuring nothing seemed amiss to the other.
Yao Mingjie, expressionless, remarked, "It’s good that you’re back."
His words were brief, his tone icy.
Yet, Wang Chen’s regard for this Team Leader far surpassed that of the warmly enthusiastic Guo Ping!
"Are you okay?"
Just then, an agitated voice erupted nearby, "How come you’re completely unharmed?"
Wang Chen turned to see a young cultivator shouting at him in fury, "So many seniors and juniors are dead, and you, a mere fourth realm of Qi Training cultivator, are perfectly fine! How is that fair?"
The young cultivator’s face was contorted with rage, his frenzied demeanor reminiscent of a wild beast.
All eyes in the vicinity turned toward them.
As the focus of the outburst, Wang Chen felt the weight of the strange gazes directed at him:
surprise, confusion, and even a hint of schadenfreude…
At that moment, Wang Chen recognized the furious individual; he was a fellow teammate.
He, too, had survived.
But his right arm was missing, a bandage tightly wrapped around the wound.
Wang Chen could understand his teammate’s agitation and resentment.
When a cultivator’s body is maimed, their journey of cultivation is severely hindered, if not entirely cut short.
Losing an arm is catastrophic; even the loss of a single finger would be a significant blow.
To regenerate a severed limb,
one would need the spellcasting of a Golden Core true master or the consumption of specialized elixirs.
Neither option
was within the reach of a low-level cultivator!
In short, this person’s future was bleak.
It was only natural for him to lose control of his emotions.
But while Wang Chen understood his feelings,
he had no intention of becoming a target for his wrath.
Moreover, the arm-less cultivator’s accusations were laced with deep-seated malice!
He ignored his teammate, Shi Lezhi, and retrieved the storage bag marked with the vertical eye emblem from his sleeve.
He presented it to Yao Mingjie, saying, “Senior Brother Yao, this is what I obtained after defeating a thief.”
Yao Mingjie gave Wang Chen a penetrating look and took the storage bag, asking, “You haven’t opened it, have you?”
Wang Chen replied, “No, I haven’t.”
“You’re clever.”
Yao Mingjie weighed the storage bag in his hand and remarked, “Items from evil cultivators and demon cultivators are the most dangerous to handle. They often set up sinister and toxic restrictions in their storage bags.”
“The ones who attacked us were the gray-eyed thieves, and they rarely carry anything of value!”
He suddenly inquired, “Was it you who used that Dust Smoke Talisman?”
Wang Chen nodded.
The Dust Smoke Talisman functioned much like a smoke bomb, highly effective for disorienting enemies.
Wang Chen had acquired the talisman during his looting.
It had, in fact, saved his life.
“You’ve done well.”
Yao Mingjie said, “I will report your accomplishments, but this storage bag must be handed over.”
Though he didn’t mention it, Wang Chen’s Dust Smoke Talisman had also been of great help to him.
The onlookers immediately cast envious and jealous glances at Wang Chen.
This mere fourth realm of Qi Training cultivator had managed to defeat a bandit and secure tangible proof of his valor.
He was sure to earn hundreds of contribution points!
Wang Chen responded without hesitation, “No problem, thank you, Senior Brother!”
If he had to choose someone trustworthy among these people,
he would undoubtedly choose Yao Mingjie!
Wang Chen trusted that this Team Leader would neither embezzle his storage bag nor claim credit for his achievements.
After all, there were so many witnesses!
Yao Mingjie then turned to the arm-less cultivator, his eyes filled with scorn, “Given that you’ve lost an arm, I’ll pretend you said nothing earlier.”
The arm-less cultivator’s eyelids twitched several times.
The peculiar stares from those around him made him wish he could vanish into the ground.
The young cultivator hung his head in despair, his courage and fury utterly extinguished,
his spirit crushed like a frostbitten eggplant.
Wang Chen felt that the psychological blow he had suffered far outweighed the physical one!
What remained was little more than a walking corpse.
Dawn broke.
Two Cangqing-colored falcons landed on the watchtower.
Yao Mingjie was summoned away by someone.
He returned shortly and informed Guo Ping, “The higher-ups have issued a decree: all new teams are to be disbanded, and the veterans are to return to their original units.”
He then told Wang Chen, “You may go home now; the mission is over!”
Just like that?
To be honest, Wang Chen could scarcely believe it.
Recalling the events of the previous night, it felt as though he had been in a dream!
At that moment, the sun peeked over the horizon, casting its radiant morning light over Wei Hall B Ten,
draping the fortress in a crimson glow.
