Mountain and sea lantern

Chapter 665 Who's in Charge?

Tong Mingshan also spoke some truths. Twenty years is not a short time. The fact that Mingshan Sect has survived to this day despite losing cultivation resources is thanks to Young Master Nan's maintenance.

The head of the gang is in jail, and the second-in-command has also gone missing. The cultivation resources they have consumed during this period are not a small amount; the losses are enormous.

Two years ago, An Wuzhi's cultivation had already broken through to the Upper Earth Immortal realm. Tong Mingshan and Zhu Xiangxin were not far from breaking through to the Upper Earth Immortal realm either. With the support of the power of the many divine fires in their bodies, all three of them had the possibility of reaching the Heavenly Immortal realm within a hundred years.

This was a closely guarded secret among the three; if the secret of absorbing a dozen or so divine flames were to get out, it would definitely cause trouble.

As for the other members of the Mingshan Sect, apart from Duan Xiangmei, who had a lower starting point and relatively average talent for cultivation, the others have all broken through to the Human Immortal realm with the support of ample cultivation resources over the past twenty years.

All these abundant resources were provided by Young Master Nan; he truly provided them with ample cultivation resources.

Tong Mingshan's words implied that he was speaking up for Young Master Nan, mainly referring to the incident where Young Master Nan helped the Eastern Victory Court capture Shi Chun, suggesting that the other party did not want to do so and was forced to do so.

Of course, overall, Tong Mingshan's attitude was still skewed towards Shi Chun's side. He was the one who benefited the most from the Divine Fire Domain. When everyone felt that the distribution of the Divine Fire was unfair, Tong Mingshan was able to absorb twenty-six Divine Fires, far ahead of everyone else, which was the result of Shi Chun's strong support.

Upon hearing this, Shi Chun simply nodded, indicating that he understood.

After twenty years, regardless of whether the Mingshan Sect has disbanded or not, his return this time is to help everyone get back on track.

Especially Tong Mingshan, An Wuzhi, and Zhu Xiangxin, who not only absorbed many secrets of divine fire, but also cultivated the cultivation techniques of ancient powerful beings, how could he easily give them up?

Nine cultivation techniques were brought out from the Earth Core Tower of the Divine Fire Domain, six of which were fire-based techniques, so they could only benefit the three of them.

Of the remaining three techniques, Wu Jinliang selected the "Zhu Xiang Gong" which suited him best, chose Shen Moming for the "Shen You Jue" and Xiao Sheng for the "Tian Gang Zheng Fa".

Sometimes it's not that people choose the cultivation method, but rather that the cultivation method chooses people to cultivate.

Whether other members of the Mingshan Sect could cultivate the "Zhu Xiang Gong" was unknown. After Wu Jinliang succeeded, Shi Chun did not let anyone else try it. However, among those who tried the "Shen You Jue" and "Tian Gang Zheng Fa", only Shen Moming and Xiao Sheng were able to enter their methods, which can be considered as fate.

Previously, when others went out on business, Shen Moming was able to stay behind to guard the house so that he could focus on his cultivation.

Later, Xiao Sheng was able to run errands in Dazhi City, which was also related to his cultivation technique, which made him good at disguise. He could easily adjust his appearance, making it easier to secretly assist in his work. After mastering the technique, it became even more amazing, allowing him to master thirty-six kinds of transformations.

However, Xiao Sheng and Wu Jinliang have been missing and have not returned. No one knows where they went. Shi Chun, however, is aware of this. He knows that Wu Jinliang will definitely contact Xiao Sheng. In the past twenty years, Xiao Sheng has not shown his face, which means he must have been hanging out with Wu Jinliang. After all, Wu Jinliang has plenty of cultivation resources.

Once they get in touch with Wu Jinliang, they'll probably be able to find Xiao Sheng.

After saying everything that should and shouldn't have been said, Tong Mingshan still expressed concern about the war of amnesty, "Boss, is it out of necessity to sign up for the war this time?"

Shi Chun did not give a direct answer, but said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Seeing that he said that, Tong Mingshan didn't ask any more questions and said that he would go and tell everyone to find their own rooms and settle down first.

After he left, Feng Chi, who had already expressed his feelings, came over again and reiterated his support for Shi Chun's decision, saying, "Actually, participating in the war may not be a bad thing for the leader. After leaving the Divine Fire Domain, there was the search for the secret method of the Divine Fire, the fifth-grade immobilization talisman, and some other troublesome matters. It's not good to keep hiding. If you can take this opportunity to go ashore, you'll have rules to follow, and everyone will have to follow the rules on the surface, so they can't openly cause you trouble."

Speaking of immobilization talismans, Shi Chun looked into the distance, thinking that it was time to go to Wukang Mountain. No matter how he would hide after entering the battlefield, it was always good to be prepared. Having more immobilization materials on hand was not a bad thing.

"I reckon the higher-ups will find out soon that the boss has come to join the fight, and they'll probably contact me..."

As they were talking, two figures suddenly flew up the immortal mountain. After passing the guards, they locked their gaze on Shi Chun and walked over directly.

The newcomers were none other than Mulan Jin, dressed in green, and Mulan Qingqing, always dressed in white.

Feng Chi was sensible enough to know that Mulan was not someone she could easily defeat, and she was a little afraid, so she withdrew first.

When Mulan Qingqing arrived, she stared at Shi Chun's beard in a daze. She could tell at a glance that it was the result of Shi Chun's imprisonment over the years. The shame and regret in her heart made her purse her lips, and her breathing became a little unsteady.

She still vividly remembers the scene when Shi Chun saw her for the last time and said goodbye. He surrendered himself for her sake, which led to him spending twenty years in prison in that hellish place, and he almost got beheaded.

Shi Chun smiled and bowed to the two of them, "Qingqing, we meet again."

He could never say those beautiful words to someone's father in front of them again.

Mulan glanced around and immediately noticed that her daughter was quite agitated. Unable to bear it any longer, she looked up at the sky.

When I went to find my daughter earlier, she turned away and gave me the cold shoulder, acting as if she was determined to never see me again. But as soon as I said that Shi Chun was out and that I would take her to see Shi Chun, she immediately changed her attitude like flipping a book, and came obediently over. What kind of situation is this?

They say daughters are like birds that fly away when they grow up, and he'd certainly experienced that firsthand. His heart was filled with mixed emotions as he pondered whether he should find a chance to get rid of this scoundrel. "Are you alright?" Mulan Qingqing managed to utter this question after a long pause.

Shi Chun spread his arms and spun around, laughing, "It's alright. I'm used to being in prison. I've been there since I was a kid."

Mulan, unwilling to listen to his nonsense, interrupted, "I invited you to meet, not for you to reminisce. There are some things that need to be arranged in advance. Once inside, you should form a team so that things can proceed more smoothly."

Shi Chun asked, "Is this something we can decide?"

Mulan said, "These are minor matters. I will speak with the commander in charge in Heaven and have you all grouped together. The problem now is, who will be the leader of this group? You two need to discuss this now so I can make the arrangements."

Shi Chun didn't care; he was new to the area and didn't know much about things.

Mulan Qingqing had been preparing for this battle for a long time and had already figured out a lot of the situation, so she said in surprise, "A group of one hundred people should have many experts at the Earth Immortal level. With our cultivation levels, it's not appropriate for us to be the leaders, is it?"

To be honest, after the Meteor Shower Gathering, she had developed a phobia of being a 'leader'. The misery of that incompetent general dragging down the entire army was something she still dared not look back at.

Upon hearing this, Shi Chun nodded repeatedly. He was a man who wanted to hide away and didn't want to carry a bunch of burdens.

Mulan said, “If you’re not the leader, you have no decision-making power. If the leader tells you to go, you have to go. How your people are used is up to them. Aren’t your Mingshan Sect people also going to participate in the war? Are you willing to let them use their troops like mud? If the leader reports that you are cowardly or avoid battle, deserters will be executed without mercy once the war is lost! Otherwise, those who are forced in can find a place to hide until the end. If you become the leader, you will have a voice. Even if you desert, you can say it’s a tactic. As for whether you are qualified to be the leader, don’t worry about that. I will arrange it.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Chun instinctively tugged at his beard. It seemed that they had no choice but to take on the role of team leader, especially since the other party could help with the arrangements. He immediately agreed, saying, "Yes, yes, yes, Qingqing. We definitely have to do it. It's safer to keep our lives in our own hands."

He wanted to take the opportunity to go ashore, but if he joined the war, he would become a wanted deserter, which would be truly unbelievable. It would be better to escape before going in.

Mulan Qingqing immediately declined, saying, "You should do it."

Shi Chun glanced at Mu Lanjin, unsure whether to ask or agree, "Then I won't be polite?"

Mulan nodded immediately and said, "Then it's settled. I'll go make the arrangements right away." She looked at her daughter and asked, "Are you staying here, or going back to where you stayed before?"

Mulan Qingqing said generously, "Since we're going to stay in one group, let's stay here. It'll be easier to communicate."

Mulan felt a pang of sadness, hummed in agreement, and turned to leave.

Shi Chun called out, "Lord."

"Speak." Mulan, who was facing away, sounded inexplicably unfriendly.

Shi Chun said with a smirk, "Um, could you let me go out for a bit? I don't fight battles I'm not sure I can win; I need to make all the necessary preparations before the battle."

Mulan glanced at him indifferently and said, "You're not thinking of running away, are you?"

Mulan Qingqing understood immediately. Shi Chun had been forced to join the war by her father, but she also knew who her father was doing this for. She couldn't help but lower her head slightly, her expression darkening.

Shi Chun smiled wryly and gestured towards the Mingshan Sect group, "The Lord has also taken them into custody. Isn't that just a backup plan? Besides, I've already registered. How can I run away? Lord, I really need to go out and make some preparations. My things are all with Wu Jinliang. I have to find him. He won't show up unless I show myself."

Mulan thought for a moment and said, "You can't reveal your whereabouts now. Travel secretly, and someone will come to meet you later."

He glanced at his daughter sideways, then vanished in a flash.

After leaving the man and woman alone at the scene, Mulan Qingqing suddenly had a thousand words to say, but for a moment she didn't know what to say. She wondered if the other party's words from back then still held true after twenty years.

If he were to confess his feelings again, she was already mentally prepared to accept.

She would never mention another duel again; looking back now, she finds it all rather childish.

However, after spending twenty years in solitude, Shi Chun's mentality was no longer what it used to be. Even with a beautiful woman by his side, he no longer had the flirtatious nature to casually use sweet words with women unless necessary.

The two stood side by side by the railing, pointing out and chatting about the scenery of Tiandu. Shi Chun had never been here before and sincerely asked for advice, while Mulan Qingqing gave a detailed account.

Both of them had matured in their eyes and brows, no longer the boys they once were.

That night, three people came to the immortal mountain. One of them stayed behind, and Shi Chun disguised himself as that person. The three of them then went down the mountain together.

(End of this chapter)