C10 Accident!!

What exactly is the weed?

Lee Si was puzzled.

Murong Chong was even more at a loss. With his esteemed status in the Outer Sect, he was typically the one to exchange points at the Points Pavilion, while the care of the spiritual fields was delegated to his subordinates.

Left with no other option, the two resorted to intuition, pulling out what appeared to be the least spiritual plants.

In a specific area of Moon Worshipping Peak, the landscape was draped in silver, resembling a glacial realm.

A woman in white, her eyebrows gently arched, gazed at a diminutive gray flower before her, touching it with utmost care.

Her voice emerged, as if the finest things in the world paled in comparison, carrying a chill laced with elegance, "Manjusaka, I have sought your location for over a decade. There are only two of you. For more than ten years, I've nurtured you with great care to aid in my breakthrough. Sadly, in harvesting you, I disrupted your spiritual energy. Now, you're barely clinging to life, and it's unlikely you'll mature again.

"For years, I've pondered whether my Extreme Cold Immortal Mansion is an unsuitable habitat for you. One of you remains here for continued convalescence, while the other has been entrusted to my new disciple, Hsu Qingqing, at another site on Moon Worshipping Peak. Unlike her fellow disciples, she possesses a rare water spiritual root, ideal for your nourishment. Yet, why have you shown signs of distress?"

This woman was none other than Leng Yunxian, the deputy leader of the Green Hill Sect.

Her cultivation had soared to the late Golden Core Stage, making her a matchless adversary to all but the Sect Master within the sect.

"Manjusaka thrives in symbiosis; has the other one encountered trouble?"

With this thought, Leng Yunxian beckoned with a slight gesture, and a verdant longsword, singing a crisp anthem, soared into her grasp.

Then, with a delicate step upon the earth, she shattered the surrounding ice shards, sending them scattering like a spider's web. The glacier quaked beneath her, ice blossoms swirling as she, a vision in white, surged forth on the winds of spiritual ice with breathtaking speed.

"Brother Lin, mission accomplished. Senior Sister Xu is sure to be impressed this time."

"Brother Xiao, you've certainly met our expectations. Should I start celebrating?"

Lin Xiao cast a brief glance at the herbal field, noting the duo's undeniable talent.

They had revitalized the field, reducing the number of sickly herbs and highlighting the more opulent ones, lending an air of refinement to the place.

"You've got it all wrong. Those opulent plants are actually weeds." Lin Xiao's plan was straightforward. Since he couldn't uproot them himself, he'd have Murong Chong and Lee Si do the dirty work.

Eventually, they would be the ones to take the fall for him, setting Hsu Qingqing up for misfortune.

The sickly herbs didn't look valuable, and simply removing them might not be enough to cause Hsu Qingqing any real trouble.

"Brother Lin, you're not trying to set us up, are you?" Murong Chong sensed something amiss, and Lee Si shared his disbelief in Lin Xiao.

Those luxurious herbs didn't look anything like weeds. Was this not a clear setup for disaster?

"If you don't trust me, then so be it. Head back down the mountain. I've done all I could; you're the ones squandering the opportunity."

"Lin Xiao, don't push it! I, Murong Chong, am a man of status! In the old days, you wouldn't even qualify to carry my shoes. I've lowered myself to brotherhood with you today as a courtesy, and yet you dare to deceive me? Believe me, I won't hesitate to take you down!"

"And I'm Lee Si. I used to be more favored by Senior Brother Qin than you ever were. You, Lin Xiao, should be calling me 'Fourth Brother'! And now, after I've acknowledged you as my superior, you repay me with such coldness!"

Lin Xiao's expression turned icy as he observed their fury.

One was Murong Chong, who had always scorned him and commandeered his woodshed. The other, a confidant of Qin Hao, had abandoned him when it mattered most.

Now that they'd caught on to the ruse, there was no more need for pretenses.

"Lin Xiao!"

At the moment Lin Xiao was poised to act, Hsu Qingqing arrived in haste, demanding, "Who are these two? How did they get up here?"

Lin Xiao's brow furrowed in frustration.

This was going to be a tough spot to get out of.

He hadn't anticipated his plan to make someone else the fall guy would backfire, and now Hsu Qingqing had caught on ahead of time.

"Senior Sister Xu, I am Murong Chong, the third disciple from the Outer Sect. I wish to follow you. Lin Xiao claimed he was taking us to Moon Worshipping Peak to serve you, in hopes of earning your favor. He instructed us to weed the spirit field, and we complied. But now, he's denying any involvement," Murong Chong said, bowing respectfully to Hsu Qingqing.

"Please, Senior Sister, hold him accountable. He's merely a Qi Training Third Layer lackey, far from deserving your esteemed recognition. I, Murong Chong, am different. I've reached the Qi Training Eighth Layer and am on my way to the Foundation Stage. I assure you, I am the exemplar among lackeys."

Lee Si chimed in, "Senior Sister Xu, it's me, Lee Si. Perhaps you don't recognize me, as you're familiar with Lin Xiao since he often delivers your messages. I was also a loyal follower of Senior Brother Qin Hao. But now that he's gone, I'm left without support and have come to seek your guidance.

"Senior Sister, Brother Murong isn't wrong. Lin Xiao has shown his true colors. I've looked out for him in the past, never expecting him to turn on us like this.

"It's one thing for him to harm me, but the real issue is the damage to your spiritual field. He wasn't satisfied with just weeding; he claimed we did it incorrectly and insisted on removing the valuable herbs. These herbs are majestic, beyond anything I've ever encountered. Merely gazing upon them felt like an honor, yet he ordered their removal, which surely is a significant loss to you, Senior Sister. Lin Xiao's intentions are dubious, to say the least!"

Now, Lin Xiao was filled with regret. He should have dealt with Lee Si much sooner.

True to his reputation as Qin Hao's most trusted lackey, Lee Si had a silver tongue that had now dragged Lin Xiao to the very gates of hell.

"My spiritual field!"

Hsu Qingqing's heart ached as if sliced by a blade.

Seeing those "weeds" that had been yanked from the earth, Lin Xiao witnessed Hsu Qingqing's fury for the first time. His guard went up another notch, and he braced himself, ready to strike and flee if necessary.

"Lin Xiao, you've landed yourself in serious trouble," Hsu Qingqing said, her eyes brimming with tears.

A faint, icy gleam emanated from the dagger concealed in Lin Xiao's sleeve.

"You hear that? You're in deep trouble now!" Lee Si declared, grinning broadly.

"A lackey will always be a lackey. Even with someone as exceptional as Senior Sister Xu shielding you, it's futile. You plot against us, and now you're the one who's doomed!" Murong Chong's cold laughter filled the air.

"You caught all that?" Hsu Qingqing asked Lin Xiao, her gaze filled with despair.

Lin Xiao nodded, his face void of emotion.

He had heard, and he was prepared to act—to eliminate these two turncoats and then make his escape.

"You should take this to heart!" Hsu Qingqing admonished as she clutched Lin Xiao's arm. Feeling the dagger in his sleeve, her face blanched with fear. "What are you planning to do?"

Lin Xiao felt like breaking down. Was today the day he was fated to flee, unable to deal with Murong Chong and Lee Si?

His secret weapon had been discovered by this interfering woman.

Hsu Qingqing snatched the dagger and flung it to the ground. "Lin Xiao, I won't let you do anything foolish! Listen to me. My master already came knocking, saying there was an issue with her medicinal plants. That's why I rushed over. Just look at the smugness on Lee Si and Murong Chong's faces. This is the price you pay for playing the good guy. You've been nothing but considerate, and what do they do? They're ready to drag you down with them even in their final moments!"

"Lin Xiao, it's my fault for not cluing you in sooner. The herbs in this spiritual field are all incredibly valuable. To my master, what seems opulent is actually quite ordinary. As an alchemist, she can have as many of those as she wishes. But it's the unassuming, ailing ones that are the true gems! Take the manjusaka, for instance—it's my master's pride and joy! These spiritually potent herbs are grown here solely to sustain such rare treasures!"

Hsu Qingqing picked up a withered herb that looked even less valuable than a common weed. "This is the manjusaka, the result of over a decade of my master's dedication. Lin Xiao, now that I'm here for you, your life is worry-free. You wanted to give your old comrades a better life, so you led them up to Moon Worshipping Peak in secret. Your intentions were noble, a testament to your generous spirit and loyalty. You even warned them not to pick the wrong plants, thinking of my well-being. But how have your brothers repaid your kindness?"

Lin Xiao was completely bewildered.

Could this really be happening?

Lee Si asked anxiously, "So, is what Lin Xiao said true? Are the good-looking ones actually weeds?"

Murong Chong's lips quivered, and he grew restless.

Was it possible that Lin Xiao wasn't deliberately making things difficult for them, but was actually looking out for their best interests?

Had they misjudged him, suspecting ulterior motives where there were none?

"Brother Xiao! I was wrong! I've misunderstood you! Please forgive me. How could I not have known how precious manjusaka is? Senior Sister Xu is going to be furious with me." Lee Si dropped to his knees and scrambled to cling to Lin Xiao's leg.

Murong Chong was equally terrified and pleaded with Lin Xiao, "I remember now, you mentioned cherishing old friendships. You truly did have our best interests at heart. Brother Lin, no, Brother Xiao, could you please put in a good word for us with Senior Sister Xu? I admit my mistake, I truly do. I beg you to think of our past friendship once more!"

"Scram!"

Hsu Qingqing shoved the two men aside. "Still banking on old friendship? Do you really think our Lin Xiao is so soft-hearted that you can push him around? You must have exploited your former camaraderie to manipulate him morally!

No one can save you now; these belong to our master, who will be here shortly. We'll leave it to her to decide. Lin Xiao, don't be scared. You didn't pull them out yourself. I'll speak on your behalf and hopefully, master will go easy on the punishment."

"Frightened?"

Lin Xiao looked pitiful as he rested his head against Hsu Qingqing's chest.

Her soothing scent enveloped him, and Hsu Qingqing hastened to reassure him, "Don't worry. I'll do everything I can to protect you, but I can't promise anything this time. The manjusaka is too significant. You've done so much for me. It's my fault. When you gave me that pill, I knew you were no ordinary person. You must have an alchemist of great skill behind you, which is why I entrusted you with the spiritual field. Indeed, you have a rare talent for spotting the true value in unassuming herbs. Unfortunately, you've been let down by these two scoundrels!"

"Frightened. Hold me a little tighter..." Lin Xiao's sense of injustice deepened.

"Don't worry, with me, your Senior Sister, by your side, I've got your back—even if the sky falls. This time, I'll shoulder the greater burden. I really did underestimate you," Hsu Qingqing said as she gently cupped Lin Xiao's harmless cheeks, gazing deeply into his eyes.

"You don't look like a villain at all. In fact, you seem like the kindest, most sincere person in the world—the epitome of goodness. I was so wrong about you, grossly underestimating your benevolence. Listen carefully: in the future, if you encounter people from your past, think twice before helping them. Some are deserving, but others are not. Your kindness has brought you this far, and I don't want to see it become your downfall."