Chapter 32 032 Shen Zhiwei is extremely cunning

Shen Zhi smiled slightly: "How could I trouble Lord Ling? The Bixia Sect has just advanced to the next level and we don't have many connections. Now that we've just advanced, we're short of resources, so we've had to ask our old acquaintances for help. They're all just old friends from the first level of heaven. It's not easy to gather some resources to support the Bixia Sect's operations and expenses. Fortunately, we're all of one mind."

Jiang Bin was shrewd; after a moment's thought, he understood Shen Zhiwei's strategy.

The right thing to do is to lend money to those in need.

Even if someone is obsequious to superiors, if their foundation is weak, no matter how much they try to please others, they won't be taken seriously. Take Xie Qingyu, for example; even though Sect Leader Xie admires Shen Zhiwei's beauty, he might not be willing to support Shen Zhiwei's career.

Ultimately, there are too many people eagerly seeking resources, giving Sect Leader Xie a wide range of choices.

In contrast, the smaller sects in the first level of heaven are different; it's human nature to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak. The Bixia Sect has successfully advanced in its realm, and now that Shen Zhiwei is gathering resources for development, the smaller sects in the first level of heaven are also trying to curry favor and climb the social ladder.

The reason why the female protagonists in these romance stories all rush to offer warmth to the male protagonists when they are down on their luck is simply this.

Shen Zhiwei did tell a good story after all.

No wonder when the distribution was made, Shen Zhiwei didn't care about the spirit stones and medicinal herbs, letting Nan Yulou take most of them and quickly sending Nan Yulou away.

Otherwise, if Nan Yulou continues to stay in the Bixia Sect, it will really be a big problem. Putting aside everything else, the Tianchi Sect will definitely have a reason to interfere in the internal affairs of the Bixia Sect.

Shen Zhiwei then said that everyone was of one mind, and that the person who owed money was the boss. Given the expected value and sunk cost, those minor sect leaders of the first level would definitely be of one mind with Shen Zhiwei.

Wasn't Shi Miaoxue engaged in planting and management in the first level of heaven? This would greatly assist Elder Shi's work.

This Shen family member is far too shrewd.

Jiang Bin looked at Shen Zhiwei's beautiful yet vulgar face, and his eyes darkened.

As far as Shen Zhiwei was concerned, everyone was an old friend, so he could just put on an act here.

Jiang Bin is a ruthless and calculating person, and now he has a deeper understanding of Shen Zhiwei.

This Sect Leader Shen is quick-witted, shameless, and not very morally upright; it will probably take a lot of effort to deal with him.

However, Shen Zhiwei only had a little over a thousand disciples, and she, as a half-immortal cultivator, was of some importance. She was far inferior to the sect masters of the second level who had tens of thousands of disciples.

Jiang Bin didn't think she could compare to him.

After the initial test, Jiang Bin began the more in-depth test: "However, Sect Leader Shen is indeed incredibly lucky. He has only just advanced in his cultivation level, and disciples have already come to join him. In the past few days, there have been about a hundred people coming and going, haven't there?"

Shen Zhi smiled: "Pavilion Master Jiang, you've been secretly watching me?"

The number of disciples in the Bixia Sect did increase after the sect advanced to a higher realm. This was not because Shen Zhiwei told a good story, but because it happened to coincide with the Yaoguang Sect being shut down by Jiang Bin.

Of the nearly five thousand disciples of the Yaoguang Sect, about seven hundred were killed by Jiang Bin, leaving the remaining four thousand disciples without owners.

Jiang Bin destroyed the Yao Guang Sect's Heart Tree, subdued the Yao Guang Sect's Grand Elder Mei Fei, and ate the lion's share. In this battle, he recruited more than 2,000 people, bringing the total number of disciples in the Liuli Pavilion to over 15,000.

The remaining two thousand disciples, though they had lost their will to fight, were unable to accept the situation emotionally and flocked to other sects.

Even the newly advanced Bixia Sect benefited and got a share of the spoils.

However, the Bixia Sect was small in scale and had just advanced to a higher realm, so it only added a little over a hundred new disciples.

Even a small mosquito is still meat, and Jiang Bin, not being a magnanimous person, was quite displeased by this.

He orchestrated the destruction of Yaoguang Sect, and he bore the infamy, but everyone shared in the benefits, including Shen Zhiwei, who had just advanced to the Bixia Sect.

Jiang Bin was naturally not happy about it and felt it was unfair.

However, this soup wasn't exactly delicious.

Shen Zhiwei spoke eloquently: "It's nothing more than the sect adding a hundred or so rogue cultivators. The Bixia Sect isn't very big, so there aren't actually many people who came."

This means that the Bixia Sect didn't really benefit from the situation, so Jiang Bin doesn't need to focus his attention on them. If Jiang Bin is still angry, he can always seek help from someone else.

Shen Zhiwei's words make some sense, but Jiang Bin is not one to reason.

It was precisely because the Bixia Sect was weak that Jiang Bin deliberately targeted them.

Jiang Bin smiled and said, "I don't care about anything else, but I heard that Fairy Mei Yue's younger sister, Mei Wei, was also taken in by the Bixia Sect. Sect Leader Shen, this is not right. I know you are just kind-hearted and have a soft heart. But our disciple Mei Fei was once the Grand Elder of the Yaoguang Sect and knew that the Mei sisters murdered the former sect leader. I think you should hand her over and give Mei Fei's former master justice."

Jiang Bin was obviously lying through his teeth. The deceased Fairy Mei Yue had a very good reputation, and everyone knew that this was not the case.

However, this is hard to explain.

Especially since the Bixia Sect had just advanced to a higher realm, and Shen Zhiwei had not stayed in the second level of heaven for long before, she was not really qualified to say that she understood these grudges better than others.

Jiang Bin smiled, but as he approached, a glint of light appeared in his eyes.

Having just destroyed Yaoguang Sect, no one would think Jiang Binzhen is kind.

Jiang Cui watched with amusement, knowing that the true intentions were about to be revealed and her brother was finally making his move against Shen Zhiwei.

All that tenderness and gentleness just now was a lie; what Jiang Bin is about to unleash is a ruthless and vicious move.

If Shen Zhiwei doesn't hand over Mei Wei, it's exactly what he wants, providing the Liuli Pavilion with a pretext to attack the Bixia Sect.

The factions in the second level of the sects always need to have a legitimate reason for fighting and killing each other.

Just like when they harassed the Yaoguang Sect, they tried all sorts of ways to provoke and cause trouble, leaving those Yaoguang disciples exhausted both physically and mentally.

The destruction of Yaoguang Sect serves as a cautionary tale, something Shen Zhiwei could not possibly be unaware of. Moreover, Bixia Sect, which had just advanced to the next level, had only a little over a thousand disciples and was no match for Liuli Pavilion, which had over fifteen thousand disciples.

This Shen is a smart person; she can weigh the pros and cons in her mind.

If it were someone else, Jiang Cui guessed that they would hand over Mei Wei to avoid giving Liuli Pavilion a pretext to cause trouble.

Who among those who can lead a region isn't shrewd and capable? The ability to be flexible and adaptable is a basic survival skill.

However, Jiang Cui estimated that Shen Zhiwei would not do that.

Jiang Cui didn't think that the greedy Sect Leader Shen had any conscience or sense of justice. In her opinion, it was mainly because of Shen Zhiwei's persona.

If Shen Zhiwei really hands over Mei Wei, then things will be easy to handle. Jiang Bin will kill Mei Wei on the spot on the auspicious day of the Bixia Sect's official opening.

Such a bloody gift is enough to cool the entire Bixia Sect down.

The Bixia Sect had only just entered the second level of cultivation, barely establishing itself, when rogue cultivators came seeking refuge, yet Shen Zhiwei, the sect leader, couldn't protect them. What would others think of this?

Those disciples of the Bixia Sect who are so fanatical about Shen Zhiwei now, seeing this scene, will probably have their admiration dampened.

The disciples of the Bixia Sect certainly wouldn't feel particularly righteous, and would also think that handing over Mei Wei was the right thing to do. They weren't familiar with each other, so they probably wouldn't feel any protectiveness. They wouldn't blame Shen Zhiwei for betraying Mei Wei, but they would likely suddenly realize just how weak the Bixia Sect was now.

A mere thousand or so disciples found themselves among a group of powerful figures in the second level of heaven; their faith was shattered, followed by fear.

The human heart is something that is quite important to the Bixia Sect today.

Someone as skilled at storytelling as Shen Zhiwei certainly wouldn't make such a mistake.

This puts Shen Zhiwei in a dilemma: whether to hand over the goods or not.

Now that things have come to this, Shen Zhiwei has no choice but to take the third path.

That is to deny taking Meiwei in, but secretly send Meiwei away.

Shen's decision to take this step was exactly as her brother had predicted.

According to Jiang Bin's calculations, when Shen Zhiwei is in a dilemma, he will most likely make excuses in this way.

Now that Jiang Bin knows Shen Zhiwei's next move, he will naturally make arrangements accordingly.

Jiang Bin would then produce a lot of evidence that Shen Zhiwei could never have imagined, including witness testimonies and physical evidence, all of which were present, thus strongly proving that Shen Zhiwei was harboring Mei Wei.

So it's no different from Shen Zhiwei handing over Mei Wei voluntarily, except that she suffered a humiliating beating for nothing, and Shen Zhiwei might even be in a worse state.

In Jiang Cui's view, her brother was a man of great cunning.

Only by anticipating the opponent's next move can one secure victory.

The Jiang siblings came to Bixia Sect today for two purposes.

Murder ruins one's public image.

The pursuit of Mei Wei ruined Shen Zhiwei's public image.

According to Jiang Bin's calculations, if the Bixia Sect operates in the second level of heaven for another two years, its disciples will surely calm down and realize that their situation is not good.

However, it wouldn't hurt to speed up the process.

Of course, every step Jiang Bin took to succeed was carefully calculated.

For example, he surrounded Mei Wei but did not kill her, and even prevented the ruthless Elder Mei Fei from eliminating her completely. It was only by letting her go that Mei Wei was taken in by the Bixia Sect.

What does this show? It shows that success is by no means a matter of luck.

As expected, Shen Zhiwei and the two began to make excuses: "The two sisters, Mei Yue and Mei Wei, have received great kindness from Sect Leader Mei and have been carefully cultivated by him. I never expected them to betray us so heartlessly. It is truly intolerable."

Shen Zhiwei went along with the rumors and gossip, without defending the two Mei sisters.

Jiang Bin couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Shen Zhiwei had been sharp-tongued in front of Xie Qingyu before, but now she wasn't so assertive. It seemed that she was just putting on an act in front of Sect Leader Xie.

He guessed that Shen Zhiwei would make excuses according to the script, but she didn't.

Shen Zhiwei: "So I detained Mei Wei and sent her to Yuanyuan Heaven."

Jiang Bin was taken aback.

Shen Zhiwei said righteously, "Killing one's master is a serious crime, not to mention that the two sisters have received great favors from Sect Master Mei. I heard that without Sect Master Mei's support, their lineage would not be so prosperous. It's simply outrageous. Pavilion Master Jiang, don't think that family scandals should not be aired in public. You are just too easygoing. This kind of thing definitely needs to be set as an example."

Jiang Bin seemed to have been punched several times and was completely disoriented. He blurted out, "Why send Mei Wei to Yuan Yuan Tian?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had asked a stupid question.

But Shen Zhiwei didn't think he was stupid. She explained to Jiang Bin seriously: "The Ling family of Yuanyuan Heaven is in charge of the Heavenly Punishment Platform and oversees the immortal sects of the four realms. Mei Yue committed the serious crime of murdering her master by disobeying her superior. Mei Wei, as an accomplice, is also guilty of an unforgivable crime. Therefore, she is sent to the Yuanyuan Heavenly Punishment Platform for severe punishment."

Ling Qingshu stood to the side. As the mistress of Ziyun Palace, she had a good relationship with Shen Zhiwei, and even personally came to congratulate the Bixia Sect on the opening of the Second Heaven. Despite this, Ling Qingshu didn't seem to have any intention of actively protecting Shen Zhiwei. When Shen Zhiwei and Jiang Bin were exchanging heated words, Ling Qingshu didn't interrupt.

However, having said all that, Ling Qingshu, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally, interjected at just the right moment: "Ling Bingchen, who is now in charge of the execution platform, is of noble character and has always been selfless and fair."

Fearing that Jiang Bin might not think too much, Ling Qingshu added, "I am also from a collateral branch of the Ling family, so I know a little about it. Master Ling is definitely not someone who seeks fame and fortune."

The worst thing is not knowing that you have some connections and relationships on this side.

Jiang Bin was furious, his face darkened, and he didn't care if people saw his cold expression.

"A trivial matter has been blown up all the way to Yuan Yuan Tian. Sect Leader Shen certainly has a lot of leisure time."

Shen Zhiwei seemed taken aback for a moment, then showed a hint of apology: "So that's what Pavilion Master Jiang meant. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have had to go to all this trouble. But the person has already been sent away and can't be brought back."

Shen Zhiwei gave her a look that said, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Shen Zhiwei even added, "It makes it seem as if I'm deliberately trying to cause trouble for Liuli Pavilion."

Jiang Bin said sarcastically, "Could it be that it was my oversight?"

Shen Zhiwei blurted out, "Sect Leader Jiang, there's no need to blame yourself."

A fire ignited in Jiang Bin's heart. Although he sometimes feigned anger, he wasn't necessarily really angry inside. However, Shen Zhiwei was quite capable, repeatedly provoking Jiang Bin to the point of infuriation.

Jiang Bin secretly became wary, wondering if Shen Zhiwei was doing this on purpose.

He then needed to calm down.

Shen Zhiwei said that's what he said, but Jiang Bin had other methods.

Although Jiang Bin let Mei Wei go that day, he secretly planted a blood curse on Mei Wei's body.

There are three Zi Gu in total. One of them is hidden in Jiang Bin's hands, and the other two are given to two disciples of Liuli Pavilion, who keep a close watch on them day and night.

Jiang Bin secretly activated the Zi Gu to search, but to no avail, indicating that Mei Wei was at least not within a hundred miles.

Jiang Bin was secretly furious.

This sect leader looks quite amiable, but he's surprisingly quick on his feet.

I can only hope that the two Liuli Pavilion disciples who are monitoring Mei Wei will not make any mistakes. Jiang Bin is very strict with his subordinates, and he will not let them off easily if they make any mistakes.

As his thoughts raced and he plotted, a hint of ruthlessness crept into Jiang Bin's brows.

The two Glazed Pavilion disciples in the distance, each holding a blood gu, couldn't help but shudder, a hint of fear creeping into their hearts.

Both were at the Jade Liquid Realm and held considerable status within the Glazed Pavilion. However, Jiang Bin was known for his strictness and would never forgive his subordinates for their mistakes.

A sudden chill swept over them, and the two of them shivered slightly.

As the clouds dispersed, Yin Wujiu suddenly appeared, his pitch-black pupils reflecting two ghostly figures. He lowered his eyes, his dark gloves trailing a wisp of hair as he moved slowly, as if brushing away fallen petals.

The glass bottles in the two men's arms shimmered with an eerie light, indicating that the Blood Gu worms were stirring restlessly.

“The insects of the Glazed Pavilion.” He said softly, and before the last word had even finished, the two figures froze on the spot.

A crimson dot quietly bloomed between their brows; flesh and blood became soil, bones became branches, and a crystal-clear flower sprouted. The petals unfolded like the patterns of shattered glass, gleaming eerily in the moonlight.

One of them raised his hand in vain, his fingertips freezing before they even touched his forehead. He watched helplessly as his companion's body began to melt away from his brow, like spring snow meeting the sun, silently transforming into a stream of light. The flower, however, bloomed even more brilliantly, burning brightly on the dissipating skin.

In the blink of an eye, both of them turned to dust, leaving only two crimson flowers floating in the air, which Yin Wujiu tucked into his sleeve.

Yin Wujiu opened his palm, where a translucent Gu worm lay dormant. The mother Gu sensed the annihilation of her offspring Gu and trembled gently between his fingers.

He folded his fingers together, his dark gloves reflecting the cold moonlight.

The mother Gu that was taken from Meiwei's body was also shattered to pieces.

Beside her, a pretty female cultivator had tears streaming down her face, but she didn't seem afraid at all; instead, she seemed to be secretly relieved.

Mei Wei hated these disciples of the Liuli Pavilion to the core.

She figured that Elder Yin of the Bixia Sect must also be a half-immortal, otherwise he would never have been able to so easily kill two cultivators at the Jade Liquid Realm. However, Sect Leader Shen was always low-key, and no one else had ever heard of him.

Mei Wei was initially worried that Bixia Sect's disciples had only recently reached the realm of cultivation and had a weak foundation, and might hand her over to them.

This is such an unexpected and delightful surprise.

Looking at Yin Wujiu, she suddenly felt a pang of sadness. If Yaoguang Sect had always had a half-immortal cultivator in charge, things would never have turned out this way.

At least Jiang Bin would consider it carefully.

Those bitter feelings rose in Meiwei's heart, making her feel very uncomfortable.

Thinking of her elder sister's death, she felt pain and regret.

The last time she saw her elder sister was during an argument and quarrel with Mei Yue. She loudly accused Mei Yue of being disappointing.

Mei Wei's talent was not as great as Mei Yue's, but the two sisters had always had a very good relationship, and she greatly admired her older sister.

However, Yaoguang Sect was not as powerful as before, but the elder sister humbled herself and followed the arrangement, trying to climb the social ladder by marrying Xie Qingyu and becoming her concubine.

Jiang Bin said he wanted to take her as a concubine, and under the persuasion of the Grand Elder, Mei Yue agreed.

Once high and mighty, Mei Yue was like a goddess in the eyes of the Yao Guang Sect disciples, but now she willingly becomes a plaything for men.

So many people are extremely disappointed in her!

There's been a lot of gossip about this, both openly and secretly, within the Yao Guang Sect.

Sister, do you know how filthy and disgusting those comments are, and how vividly they describe them?

Sister, you should be more independent and not be so pathetic.

At that time, Mei Yue's cheeks were also flushed red. She was extremely embarrassed and angry, saying that it would be fine if these words came from someone else, but why did they have to come from her own sister?

Mei Yue believes that everything she has done is for the sake of Yao Guang Sect!

Mei Yue is truly heartless!

The sisters' last meeting ended unhappily amidst this argument.

Then, the living and the dead are separated.

She received news of Mei Yue's death.

Like a bolt from the blue!

Mei Fei, the former Grand Elder of the Yao Guang Sect, betrayed the sect and killed his elder sister. Such fratricide likely caused Mei Fei some remorse, which is why, when he eliminated Mei Wei, he loudly defended himself: "It was Mei Yue who lacked discernment. She had already promised to serve Jiang Bin, and Jiang Bin deliberately made things difficult for her, so what if he forced her to marry a coachman? Couldn't she have feigned compliance and maneuvered around him?"

"It's one thing for her to throw a tantrum, but she insisted on drawing her sword against Jiang Bin. She was only thinking about her own momentary pleasure and didn't care about the lives of the other disciples of Yaoguang Sect at all."

"And I! I am the one who endured humiliation and carried the lives of the entire Yaoguang family on my shoulders, protecting them completely."

Mei Fei spoke these words with a ferocious expression and extreme urgency.

He has become like a demon, utterly terrifying!

Mei Wei's tears fell in streams, her face streaked with tears.

Of course she would regret it, wondering if it was because of what she said that her older sister was so stubborn in front of Jiang Bin.

The elder sister was a simple person with a strong sense of responsibility. She thought she was saving Yaoguang Sect, but all she got in return was a barrage of accusations, even from her own younger sister.

What does this make Mei Yue think?

Mei Yue was gifted from a young age, so her elders carefully nurtured her, causing her to focus all her energy on cultivation and become ignorant of human relationships.

What does she know about maneuvering and backstabbing?

When Mei Yue was praised to the skies, she was naturally very happy and felt that she had a responsibility to the entire Yao Guang Sect.

Later, Elder Mei Fei gossiped and tried to persuade Mei Yue to submit to the sect. Mei Yue found this to be somewhat reasonable and thus agreed.

Actually, my older sister is naive and doesn't understand anything.

The wind whistled across Meiwei's cheeks. She closed her eyes, letting the tears slide down her face, her cheeks feeling cool.

She was much younger than Mei Yue and not as talented, but she knew more than Mei Yue.

After running away for a few days, Mei Wei gradually came to her senses.

Seven hundred disciples of Yaoguang Pavilion died in battle, two thousand scattered, and another two thousand joined Liuli Pavilion and became its disciples.

While there are some fiercely independent individuals, most people are not so determined to fight to the death.

After the sect leader's death, all of this became the responsibility of my elder sister.

The disciples of Yaoguang Sect were seething with anger at being humiliated and suppressed by Liuli Pavilion. Since Mei Yue's actions were somewhat inappropriate, all their anger was directed at her, leading to numerous criticisms of their elder sister.

Amidst these endless accusations, I felt extremely embarrassed and wronged, so I couldn't help but join in criticizing my older sister.

Criticism is the easiest thing to do, but perseverance is not. After my sister died, not everyone died in battle. Some fled, but quite a few surrendered.

It's not shameful to stay alive.

But she lost her family, her own sister.

If Mei Wei were to choose again, she would definitely grab her elder sister's hand and turn around and leave, getting as far away from this mess at Yaoguang Sect as possible.

Such is the will of Heaven, beyond human control; without a half-immortal cultivator, the Yao Guang Sect is destined not to last long.

The older sister chose to compromise and didn't owe anyone anything.

Tears slid down her lips, tasting bitter and astringent. Meiwei hated herself.

She suddenly reached out and fiercely wiped away the tears on her face.

The past is gone and cannot be undone; all that Meiwei can grasp now is the future!

She should no longer place her hopes on, or fantasize about, what if the Yao Guang Sect had another half-immortal cultivator back then?

That would be just like the disciples of Yaoguang in the past, expecting someone to save them, and if that person is unable to save them, they would blame and insult them in every way.

She has to rely on herself now.

At least do your best, use all your strength—

She's after her revenge!

When Mei Wei collapsed at the gate of the Bixia Sect that day, the door creaked open, and Shen Zhiwei appeared in front of her.

“I met your sister once, and I was very saddened to hear of her death. The Bixia Sect cannot keep you here, but we can arrange for you to hide in the first level of heaven, where you can live peacefully.”

"But if you don't want to escape—"

Shen Zhiwei raised her snow-white, jade-like hand and pointed a path for her.

“You can go to the Yuan Yuan Heavenly Punishment Platform. I’ll think of a way to arrange it for you so that you have a chance to cry and plead in front of Ling Bingchen, the master of punishment.”

"As for how to file a complaint, I can teach you."

Meiwei then raised her sleeve and rubbed her face haphazardly a few times.

Yes, she is not allowed to cry, and she cannot cry.

The Yaoguang Sect's core tree has been destroyed, and it has been completely wiped out.

But she couldn't let the murder of her family go unavenged; she had to seek justice for her loved ones' deaths!