Volume 5 Chapter 85
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Volume 5 Chapter 85: In the Midst of Scolding, the Old Friends Are No Longer the Same
After seven years of continuous battles, the chaos of "Beast Madness" in the entire cultivation world finally began to calm down.
Years ago, when Jiuhua was born, the cultivation world suddenly had many cultivators infected by "Beast Madness." Under the ruthless actions of these crazed Beast Madness cultivators, the Shenzhou Continent fell into unprecedented chaos, and countless ordinary people were brutally killed. In battles with the Beast Madness cultivators, the cultivators of the Righteous Alliance also suffered heavy losses.
According to investigations of the bodies of the Beast Madness cultivators, they were all from small sects and cultivators who were afraid of the disaster and chose to hide away. These cultivators were not very strong and joining the Righteous Alliance only added to the confusion. So, facing the terrifying disaster, they could only find a hidden place to hide.
However, the disaster was something no one could escape. These cultivators not only could not avoid the destruction, but were also captured by unknown individuals and forced to become infected with "Beast Madness," further escalating the disaster.
Yet, the number of captured hidden cultivators was limited, and since they weren’t very strong to begin with, Xu Qingfan’s team encountered thirty cultivators with Condensed Core Stage during this battle, which was quite rare after seven years of fighting. Although this disaster was extremely destructive, after seven years of hard battles, the Beast Madness cultivators in the cultivation world gradually became fewer.
The main purpose of Xu Qingfan’s team in this mission was to sweep away the remaining Beast Madness cultivators near the prosperous Middle-earth and Southern Wasteland.
After seven years of fighting, Xu Qingfan had matured a lot. Although he knew that the number of Beast Madness cultivators was not as large as it once was and that those in Condensed Core Stage were still very tricky, he was cautious because several teams that had come here to investigate had gone missing without reason. He repeatedly reminded his team to eliminate any Beast Madness cultivators below the Condensed Core Stage, but to report immediately if they encountered any above that stage.
In fact, Xu Qingfan’s previous worries proved to be correct; a large number of Condensed Core Stage Beast Madness cultivators were surprisingly gathered here. It seemed that the previous three teams had been wiped out by these Beast Madness cultivators.
Because of this, Xu Qingfan was very angry. He had always worried that the eight cultivators who did not listen to him would act rashly, but he did not expect that in the end, it was those he knew and trusted who disobeyed his orders.
In this battle, a total of seven teammates died, marking the third biggest loss for Xu Qingfan over seven years of fighting.
"The event has passed, but seven of my teammates died at the hands of those Beast Madness cultivators. I just want to know why I asked you to spread out and search for escaping Beast Madness cultivators in this area without engaging in battle, yet it ended up as a chaotic fight with them?"
Hearing Xu Qingfan gently ask these words, the twenty-two people in front of him, whether they were older cultivators from various factions or new stars from recent years, felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
The eight cultivators who had always been disrespectful to Xu Qingfan were still gleeful, but when Xu Qingfan’s calm and deep gaze passed over them, they felt a sudden tremor inside, and quickly wiped the smiles off their faces. After a moment, they realized that as seniors, how could they be so afraid of this young boy? But looking at Xu Qingfan’s silent yet stern expression and recalling the many legends about him over the years, they dared not show their smiles anymore and bowed their heads, waiting for a reprimand like everyone else.
"What’s wrong? No one is speaking? Don’t tell me that these Beast Madness cultivators ambushed you. As far as I know, they don’t have that kind of intelligence."
Seeing the crowd before him too afraid to look up while only Jin Qinghan watched him with a worried expression, Xu Qingfan’s frown deepened, and he slowly asked again.
Finally, someone spoke up.
"It was me…" Xu Xiurong hesitated for a moment, then took a slow step forward and said softly, her voice trembling, unsure if it was from fear or guilt.
Upon hearing Xu Xiurong’s admission, Xu Qingfan was slightly taken aback. He had expected the chaos to be caused by the careless Lv Qingshang, or the seemingly silent but hot-tempered Shang Nianyao, or perhaps other unfamiliar faces, but never imagined it would be the usually meticulous Xu Xiurong.
"What happened?" Xu Qingfan slowly inhaled and exhaled, as if to suppress his anger, then asked calmly.
Xu Xiurong felt a shiver run through her body when she heard Xu Qingfan speak with what seemed to be great anger. She raised her head and stole a glance at him, trying to find the gentle and elegant person she once knew, but sadly, he seemed like a completely different person now.
Noticing Xu Qingfan’s strict and cold gaze, Xu Xiurong quickly lowered her head, feeling a wave of sadness in her heart, not because of a mistake or scolding, but because of the changes in Xu Qingfan after the disaster.
Except for the five members of Jiuhua, the others were newcomers to the team. Over the years, everyone had acted separately, and they had little contact with each other. They had only heard rumors about one another. Xu Xiurong always believed that the rumors about Xu Qingfan were made up by people with bad intentions, since Xu Qingfan had been so remarkable over the years, it was only natural for him to be envied, but Xu Qingfan’s appearance now seemed different from what she had imagined.
"I was originally chasing a few Beast Madness cultivators below the Condensed Core Stage, but when I reached this valley, I suddenly encountered a Condensed Core Stage Beast Madness cultivator. I thought I could handle it, so I didn’t notify anyone else, but then more and more Condensed Core Stage Beast Madness cultivators kept appearing…"
Hearing Xu Xiurong’s slightly trembling voice recount her actions, Xu Qingfan understood. Xu Xiurong was well-liked, and even though she had not been with the team for long, she had already won everyone’s favor. After sending out a signal for help, the others probably rushed in to rescue her, without thinking much about it.
With a slight sigh, Xu Qingfan thought the woman before him was too shy, even wanting to avoid troubling others during battle. However, such seemingly kind behavior was absolutely forbidden in his team. In this team, obeying orders was the most important rule. Xu Qingfan had relaxed this rule before, but the cost had been the loss of fifteen Jiuhua elders, including some he knew well.
Yet, Xu Xiurong’s gentle appearance made Xu Qingfan’s heart soften, but after a moment, he regained his firmness.
"First of all, I had already reminded you to immediately notify others if you encounter a Condensed Core Stage Beast Madness cultivator, and not to engage in battle. Have you forgotten all of this? Secondly, haven’t you noticed that Beast Madness cultivators of the same level often gather together during battles over the years?" In the end, Xu Qingfan did not scold her but spoke slowly with a sigh, "Although you are part of my team, you are also an elder from Qingxu, and I do not have the authority to punish you, but I will report your actions to Elder Qinglingzi for him to handle."
Xu Xiurong’s face turned slightly pale upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, but she still nodded and stepped back.
After finishing his comments about Xu Xiurong’s situation, Xu Qingfan looked at the others, and his tone became cold again as he slowly said, "From now on, if you find yourself in a similar situation, no matter who is surrounded, you must not act recklessly. You should wait for others to discuss the situation, to assess the enemy’s strength, and either strike together or retreat quickly. Remember this; this is the last time I will say it."
Earlier, Xu Qingfan’s reprimand had made Lv Ziqing quite unhappy. His team had suffered heavy losses in the last battle, so the sect leaders of the Righteous Alliance decided to merge his team with Xu Qingfan’s. Although Lv Ziqing thought that he and Xu Qingfan were somewhat familiar due to their limited interactions over the years, he did not oppose this merge. He did not expect to face such harsh criticism from Xu Qingfan on their first mission together. Especially since Xu Xiurong, whom he had always taken care of, was the one being reprimanded. Anger brewed within him, and now, unable to hold back, he stepped forward and said, "Are you saying that we should just watch Martial Sister Xu get killed by those Beast Madness cultivators?"
"Yes," Xu Qingfan replied slowly after a moment of silence.
Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, everyone except Jiuhua and his four companions changed their expressions.
"What did you say?"
In that moment, Lv Ziqing forgot about his earlier friendship with Xu Qingfan. He pointed at Xu Qingfan and shouted in anger, his eyes wide open. Xu Qingfan’s two words shattered the beliefs he had been holding onto.
The Xu Qingfan in front of him felt so strange now.
