WBICDPH Chapter 124

Chapter 124: A Fool Dragging the Tiger Down

At the sight, everyone in the assembly hall was shaken to the core.

Their eyes widened in disbelief.

Dengwen… this was Dengwen!

The divine pressure it had just released was unmistakable—proof enough that it wasn’t a fake. And yet, this legendary artifact, passed down for thousands of years, had just been shattered by Fang Yunzi right before their eyes!

Wasn’t this the sacred treasure that protected Piaomiao Pavilion? She destroyed it just like that—had she gone mad?!

Worse still, Dengwen was the core of the mountain’s protective array. If the sword was gone, then—

Before anyone could even voice the thought, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled.

Fragments of spiritual energy began seeping up from below—the unmistakable sign of the formation collapsing.

Lin Jin froze. He glanced at the shattered pieces of Dengwen on the ground, then at Fang Yunzi. His mind went blank. He couldn’t make sense of what was happening.

The demonic cultivators outside were already poised to break in. Fang Yunzi knew that. So why would she deliberately destroy Dengwen and dismantle the formation, putting everyone in danger?

Unless…

A realization struck Lin Jin, his pupils shrinking.

At that moment, a Piaomiao Pavilion disciple stumbled into the hall. His face was pale, his legs trembling so badly he nearly collapsed. His eyes darted anxiously to Jiang Zhenfeng before finally landing on Fang Yunzi.

“Senior Sister! Pavilion Master! The protective formation just collapsed! The demons—they’ve all broken in! We can’t hold them back—some of the senior brothers and sisters have fled, others have already died! Senior Sister! Pavilion Master! What do we do?!”

His words hit the crowd like a bucket of boiling water, snapping everyone back to reality.

But instead of rushing to stop the invading demons, their first reaction was to turn on Fang Yunzi.

“Fang Yunzi! You knew destroying Dengwen would collapse the formation—why did you do it?! Are you trying to drag us all down with you?!”

“That’s right! You, master and disciple, are both vicious! One colluded with demonic cultivators to seize power; the other destroyed the mountain’s defense out of spite! Truly venomous women!”

“I knew this sword trial was a trap set by your Piaomiao Pavilion—you planned to wipe us all out here!”

The hall erupted into chaos.

Meanwhile, Mu Shan stayed out of it. Inch by inch, he edged backward, his small eyes darting around. While everyone focused their anger on Fang Yunzi, no one noticed him slipping away along the wall and quietly exiting the hall.

Outside, demonic patterns and spiritual energy clashed in midair, sparks flying.

Just as the disciple had said—the protective array was gone. The demons moved freely through Piaomiao Pavilion, encountering no resistance.

Mu Shan hurried toward the mountain’s edge, his heart racing with excitement. He could hardly believe how smoothly everything had gone.

Fang Yunzi—that madwoman. Jiang Zhenfeng had risked everything to retrieve Dengwen for her, even smearing her own reputation to enter the sword pavilion… and yet Fang Yunzi had actually shattered it in a fit of spite.

Now the formation that had protected the mountains for thousands of years was gone. Piaomiao Pavilion was nothing more than meat on the chopping block, ready for Xiao Lancheng to carve up at will.

Fang Yunzi… you’ve truly brought this upon yourself.

Grinning to himself, Mu Shan hurried forward. All he wanted now was to find Xiao Lancheng and pledge his loyalty once more—so he could stand behind him and reap the rewards.

At the edge of the battlefield, chaos reigned. Mu Shan avoided the fighting entirely, heading straight outward until he spotted the extravagant throne surrounded by demons.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he rushed forward and dropped to his knees in a deep bow.

“Greetings, Lord!”

“A clever man arrives, hm?”

Xiao Lancheng’s tone lifted slightly. He tilted his chin.

“Rise.”

“Yes!”

Mu Shan beamed, his face full of flattery.

“Congratulations, my lord! Piaomiao Pavilion and all its cultivators are now yours for the taking!”

“My congratulations to you as well.”

Xiao Lancheng smiled gently and rose from his throne, accepting a fresh cup of tea from Han Xiao.

“You’ve waited a long time for this day, haven’t you? At last, your wish has been fulfilled.”

He extended the teacup to Mu Shan, who eagerly accepted it with repeated thanks.

“Yes, yes! When you allowed Jiang Zhenfeng into the sword pavilion, I worried she might ruin your plans—but your foresight is unmatched! Not only did Dengwen not become an obstacle, it made everything easier! And would you believe it? My junior sister Fang Yunzi actually destroyed it herself—how foolish!”

He gulped down the tea in one go, wincing at the heat, yet still forcing a grin.

“This must be Miss Han Xiao’s work—what an honor to taste something so exquisite!”

Han Xiao ignored him completely, her eyes cold behind her mask.

“It is her work. I’m glad you like it.”

Xiao Lancheng smiled as he watched Mu Shan finish the entire cup before asking casually:

“It must be quite chaotic in Piaomiao Pavilion right now. Why did you come out?”

“Oh, very chaotic—they’re all busy blaming Fang Yunzi.”

Mu Shan chuckled strangely.

“I came to reaffirm my loyalty! I’ve contributed quite a bit to your plan, so our agreement still stands, right? Once everything is settled, the position of Pavilion Master—”

“Hmm?”

Xiao Lancheng raised a brow, cutting him off.

“That agreement doesn’t stand.”

“…What?” Mu Shan’s smile froze.

“Has no one ever taught you?” Xiao Lancheng said lightly. “Never make deals with a Heavenly Demon. We abandon people whenever we please.”

Still smiling, he conjured a short blade and spun it between his fingers.

Then, he pressed the tip lightly against Mu Shan’s shoulder—not piercing the flesh, but steadily pushing him backward.

Mu Shan’s eyes widened.

Only now did he realize—his body had gone completely rigid. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move. His connection to his spiritual core had been severed. He couldn’t even summon energy to defend himself.

All he could do was watch as Xiao Lancheng pushed him back step by step—until he lost his balance and tumbled down the steps, crashing hard onto the ground.

Xiao Lancheng wiped a faint trace of blood from the blade with a handkerchief and said casually:

“Han Xiao’s craft is excellent, isn’t it? After all, she’s not just skilled at making tea—poison is her true specialty.”

He put the blade away, walked over, and crouched beside Mu Shan.

“Mu Shan… have I ever told you how much I despise fools? Especially fools who think themselves clever.”

His smile deepened.

“You said so much just now—didn’t you notice anything wrong? Why did Fang Yunzi destroy Dengwen? Do you really think she’s as stupid as you?”

He sighed lightly.

“I prefer dealing with intelligent people. And you don’t qualify. Of everything I asked you to do over the years, how many did you actually handle properly? You couldn’t even deliver a simple sacrificial vessel without losing him—so now he stands against me.”

He shook his head.

“And yet, after everything, you’re still dreaming of becoming Pavilion Master? For that petty position, you betrayed your sect, colluded with demons, and handed over everyone’s lives on a platter. Truly pathetic.”

Standing, he stepped back and glanced at the low-level demons nearby.

“His cultivation is decent. His spiritual energy should be nourishing. He’s yours—enjoy.”

The demons had been eyeing Mu Shan greedily all along.

Though demons didn’t need to eat, a cultivator’s body—especially a powerful one—was incredibly beneficial.

They surged forward in a frenzy.

Mu Shan’s eyes were bloodshot. Though his body remained rigid, it trembled uncontrollably.

He saw the monsters approaching—twisted faces, hungry eyes.

They looked at him like prey.

He wanted to scream—but terror locked his voice in his throat.

This isn’t right…

This isn’t how it was supposed to go…

Xiao Lancheng had promised him—help him, and he would become Pavilion Master.

He would crush that woman beneath his feet, repay the humiliation she caused him, make her regret ever rejecting him!

He, Mu Shan, was the one destined for greatness!

Fang Yunzi, Jiang Zhenfeng—none of them mattered—

—crunch.

A spray of blood burst as the demons tore into him.

Fang Yunzi stared at the shattered pieces of Dengwen at her feet, her expression calm.

The accusations around her felt meaningless.

“You guessed right,” she said at last, looking up at one of her accusers.

The man blinked, confused.

“Guessed… what?”

“This sword trial was a trap—to gather you all here so Xiao Lancheng could wipe you out in one stroke. You were right about that.”

Her tone was utterly composed.

The man’s face went pale.

“But you were wrong about one thing.”

She smiled faintly.

“It wasn’t my disciple Jiang Zhenfeng who colluded with the demons. It was Mu Shan… who already slipped out of this hall.”

A pause.

“And me.”

She stood, casually kicking aside the shattered fragments. Metal clinked sharply against the floor.

“I’m the Pavilion Master. Did you really think I didn’t know Dengwen was tied to the formation? You think you’re the only ones with brains? Why do you think I destroyed it? For revenge?”

Her eyes narrowed, cold as winter frost.

“No.”

Her voice turned icy.

“I did it so all of you—this cultivation world, this entire world—would be buried along with my Piaomiao Pavilion.”