Chapter Sixty-Four: Attending the Ceremony

"Old Wang, why are you so slow? The elder was just looking for you and got angry when he couldn’t find you!” Old Xian remarked as Wang Changsheng passed by.

“I know!” Wang Changsheng replied.

“Hurry up, Old Wang! You don’t know—the elder just called your name!” added Old Quan, his face beaming with a grin, since the elder hadn’t scolded him.

“I know!” Wang Changsheng repeated.

As he passed by Xiao Hui, the latter also started, “Old Wang, you don’t know—”

“I know, I know!” Wang Changsheng snapped, irritation rising.

He had already heard the elder calling for him when he reached the mountaintop. But his voice was nothing compared to this noisy lot. The disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect had evidently heard some good news, for the whole place was in uproar.

Xiao Hui watched Wang Changsheng’s retreating figure and muttered, “What’s going on? You really don’t know… This time you’re doomed…”

At the front, Wang Changsheng immediately saw that not only were several elders seated on the high platform, but there were more than usual. He wondered what major event could have brought them all out of their coffins.

But what caught Wang Changsheng’s eye most was one particular elder glaring at him as if wishing to devour him whole.

He could guess instantly—that must be Elder Zhang! Besides the eleven elders of the Corpse Refining Sect, there was no sight of the sect master, but on the other side of the platform, he also saw a group of cultivators seated.

A quick glance told him there were at least twenty or thirty of them.

“Judging by their attire, they’re not members of the Corpse Refining Sect… What’s going on?” Wang Changsheng wondered, perplexed.

One look at those cultivators, and it was obvious they didn’t belong to the sect. Moreover, their seats of honor on the high platform suggested they were important figures from other sects.

“What’s the Corpse Refining Sect up to, daring to invite cultivators from other sects?” Wang Changsheng was baffled.

Given the sect’s infamous reputation and their usual seclusion for fear of being attacked by the major sects, why would they now bring outsiders here?

“Wang Changsheng, what are you dawdling for? Get up here at once!” came a furious voice from the platform just as Wang Changsheng was still puzzling over the situation.

Wang Changsheng didn’t need to guess—that was Elder Zhang. One look at those eyes, full of murderous intent, left no doubt; only a deep-seated hatred could produce such a look.

“All right, all right, stop shouting at me! So noisy, as if any of you have any class,” Wang Changsheng grumbled in return.

He never showed Elder Zhang any respect. Even though Elder Zhang could crush him with a finger, Wang Changsheng believed that with Old Mou’s backing, dealing with Elder Zhang would be as easy as a slap.

“You!” Elder Zhang fumed instantly.

“You what?” Wang Changsheng sneered. “I love seeing that look on your face—wanting to smash me, but not daring to lift a finger!”

With that, Wang Changsheng leapt onto the platform.

He showed not a shred of courtesy toward Elder Zhang. If not for Old Mou, Elder Zhang would have killed him long ago; even now, he was probably plotting his demise.

Why should Wang Changsheng hold back?

If his own strength matched, and he didn’t have to rely on Old Mou, he would have finished Elder Zhang himself long ago!

Ignoring Elder Zhang, Wang Changsheng clasped his fists toward the other ten elders. “Greetings, honored elders.”

“Hmm,” Elder Yun nodded at Wang Changsheng, then turned to Elder Zhang with a grave tone, “Elder Zhang, the matter at hand is important.”

Hearing Elder Yun, Elder Zhang suppressed his anger and muttered in a voice only Wang Changsheng could hear, “Just you wait, boy. Don’t let me catch you alone, or—”

“Don’t worry!” Wang Changsheng deliberately raised his voice, scoffing, “I, Wang Changsheng, am the type who values his life. I won’t give you a chance. Wherever I go, I’ll take Old Mou with me!”

“If you don’t like it, or can’t stand me,” Wang Changsheng continued in a deep tone, “then just try and kill me!”

“Idiot!”

Elder Zhang’s aura began to surge as if he truly intended to kill Wang Changsheng.

Not only was Elder Zhang incensed by Wang Changsheng’s taunts, but even the other ten elders and all the disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect stared at him in shock.

“Is that really Old Wang?”

“He dares talk to Elder Zhang like that? He’s got guts… or just crazy…”

“If you had Old Mou covering for you, you’d be bold too…”

Wang Changsheng felt Elder Zhang’s oppressive aura and was nervous, but kept his expression unchanged. He wouldn’t lose face, because his trump card would always be Elder Zhang’s sore spot.

“So, what, you want to try something?” Wang Changsheng mocked. “How long do you think it would take Old Mou to get here?”

With that, he didn’t even bother to glance at Elder Zhang.

The mere mention of Old Mou’s name made Elder Zhang break out in a cold sweat.

People saw Old Mou shatter Elder Zhang’s corpse puppet with a slap, but they didn’t know Elder Zhang’s consciousness was attached to that puppet—how else could he control it and the coffin? Elder Zhang knew full well that his current cultivation, even if he trained for another century, would still be no match for Old Mou’s palm.

At the name of Old Mou, a fleeting hint of fear flashed in Elder Zhang’s eyes.

As for the visiting cultivators on the platform, none could make sense of what was happening. They had no idea what kind of game the Corpse Refining Sect was playing.

“Enough!” Elder Yun stood up and said gravely to Elder Zhang, “Let me handle this matter.”

He was giving Elder Zhang a way out. With outsiders present, Elder Yun wouldn’t necessarily have spoken up for him otherwise. The elders of the Corpse Refining Sect might dislike Old Mou, but they liked Elder Zhang even less.

“Hmph!”

Elder Zhang swung his sleeve and returned to his seat with a cold snort.

“Hmph!” Wang Changsheng echoed, snorting in return.

Did Elder Zhang think only he could snort?

Even if he lacked the strength, Wang Changsheng was determined to get under his skin.

“Coward!”

Wang Changsheng shot the word directly at Elder Zhang.

Once, Elder Zhang had called the other elders cowards in front of everyone for not daring to provoke Old Mou. Now, in front of all these witnesses, including outsiders, Wang Changsheng threw the same word back at him.

The other elders had only lost face within the sect, but today, with outsiders present, Elder Zhang had disgraced himself before the entire cultivation world.

“You…” Elder Zhang leapt up, roaring, “I can’t hold back anymore! Don’t stop me—today I’ll kill this brat!”

“Come on then! Why are you just standing there? If you have the guts, come here! If you don’t move, you’re a turtle!” Wang Changsheng shouted back, unafraid.

“No one try to stop me!” Elder Zhang was nearly beside himself with rage.

“Elder Zhang… No one’s stopping you…” Elder Yun quietly reminded him.

Indeed, no one was restraining him—Elder Zhang was just standing there, rolling up his sleeves with nowhere to go.

Elder Zhang had always been arrogant and unpopular; today, Wang Changsheng’s “coward” had struck a chord with the other elders.

“Enough!”

With outsiders watching, the elder seated at the center now stood and spoke authoritatively, “Such bickering is disgraceful! Elder Zhang, return to your seat!”

It was clear this central elder commanded great authority. At his word, Elder Zhang, though seething, could only slink back to his seat.

“Elder Yun, continue,” the chief elder ordered.

“Yes, Grand Elder,” Elder Yun replied.

He then turned to Wang Changsheng. “Steward Wang, you already know what’s happened, don’t you?”

From Elder Yun’s look of satisfaction, Wang Changsheng could tell he’d enjoyed Elder Zhang’s humiliation just now, though his own status would never have allowed him to do such a thing openly.

“To answer the elder… I don’t know…”

Seeing Elder Yun’s skeptical look, Wang Changsheng said helplessly, “Elder Yun, I truly don’t know. They all flew up here, but I had to climb. By the time I arrived, you’d finished talking, and only the others were left rejoicing. It felt like their group celebration was my solitary loneliness…”

As he spoke, Wang Changsheng glanced at the sect disciples.

Elder Yun was momentarily taken aback, at a loss for words.

“Well then, Elder Yun, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going…” Wang Changsheng turned as if to leave.

He already sensed something amiss. Seven tolls of the sect bell meant a major event. At a time like this, if it were an outstanding disciple being called up, that would make sense. But with Wang Changsheng summoned to the stage, and so many eyes upon him, it could only mean trouble.

“Wait!”

Elder Yun hadn’t expected Wang Changsheng to try to leave so casually, and sighed inwardly: Why did we ever assign him to the odd jobs hall? We’ve brought ourselves a little tyrant…

“This isn’t without reason. Let me explain once more,” Elder Yun said. “Do you see those cultivators seated over there? Most are prominent figures in the cultivation world, some even sect masters. Do you know why they’re here today?”

“No idea!” Wang Changsheng shook his head.

“They’re here to witness a ceremony!”