"Face?" Several people burst into laughter, "I thought the senior disciple of Qianji Sect was so formidable. Turns out, without Elder Zong Yi, he's nothing. To be robbed and left with only his underwear while staying at an inn, isn't that a disgrace to Qianji Sect?"
"You... judging by your attire, you're a disciple of the Canglang Sect, aren't you?"
"That's right, we are disciples of the Canglang Sect," the man said proudly. "Our Canglang Sect played a vital role in the encirclement and suppression of the demons. Unlike your Qianji Sect, which only knows how to hide in the back and snatch credit."
"We simply don't wish to kill indiscriminately."
"Kill indiscriminately?" The man's face flushed with anger. "The demons commit all sorts of atrocities, and you think they are innocent? Are you trying to shield them?"
"The demons have been eliminated. Not all members of the Five Poisons Sect are demons. Why must we be so ruthless?" Bai Chen retorted. As hateful as the demons were, the disciples of the Five Poisons Sect were innocent.
"The Five Poisons Sect harbored demons, a heinous crime deserving of death!"
"You..." Bai Chen gritted his teeth, "I have no desire to argue with you."
The man blocked Bai Chen's path. "Where is Senior Disciple Bai Chen headed?"
"Get out of my way."
"Get out of my way?" the man sneered. "Who are you talking to like that? Who do you think you are?"
Bai Chen looked at the man before him, surprised. "What do you want?"
"Didn't Senior Brother ask me to lend a hand?" The man took a step forward and pointed below his crotch. "Crawl through my legs, and I'll help you out. I'll even give you some clothes. How about that?"
"You're pushing it too far!" Bai Chen's face flushed red and white with anger. Being robbed had already made him feel incredibly humiliated. He never expected a Canglang Sect disciple to add insult to injury and bully him. His fists clenched, making cracking sounds, wishing he could slap the man away.
"We are bullying you, and what can you do about it?" One of the disciples shoved Bai Chen. Caught off guard, Bai Chen nearly fell, eliciting hearty laughter from the group.
"Zou Shuang, are you just going to watch and not intervene?" Bai Chen finally saw Zou Shuang, who had been sitting nearby eating breakfast, and asked with a frown.
Zou Shuang leisurely continued eating his breakfast and said unhurriedly, "Bai Chen, the situation is not in your favor. I advise you to shed your arrogance. You are traveling alone now, without Elder Zong Yi's protection. Who among these people will acknowledge you?"
"I am the future sect leader of Qianji Sect!"
"Heh, I'm so scared," Zou Shuang replied sarcastically. "If you can return to Qianji Sect alive, you might become its sect leader. However, you're going to the Dongyue Forest alone, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Do you think, with your abilities, you can survive the Dongyue Forest?" Zou Shuang put down his chopsticks, stood up, and walked in front of Bai Chen. "Who would send their heir alone to venture into the Dongyue Forest? Are you sure you're not an abandoned son of Qianji Sect?"
Bai Chen frowned. He had intended to say he wasn't alone, but he didn't know Xiao Man's fate. If Xiao Man were in an even worse predicament, it would be better for him to bear the shame alone.
"I just want to temper myself, not be constantly protected. If I'm always protected, what happens when that protection is gone? Won't I be unable to survive?" Bai Chen forced himself to calm down, not letting these people provoke him. He was outnumbered and outmatched. If he clashed with them, he would likely suffer.
"So, you can survive on your own. Since that's the case, why not take the first step?" Zou Shuang lifted his robe. "Crawl through my legs first, or you might not be able to leave this place alive."
"Zou Shuang, are you declaring war on Qianji Sect?"
"Junior Disciple Bai Chen misunderstands. I just want to tell you that when the situation is unfavorable, you must learn to bow your head," Zou Shuang said with a cold smile. "If you don't want to suffer physical pain, you'd better crawl obediently. Otherwise, no one will pity you. I'm offering this because we know each other, and I want to find an excuse to help you."
"I don't need it."
"That's not up to you to decide." Zou Shuang's lips curled into a malicious smile. "His knees are too stiff. You two, help him."
Two men darted behind Bai Chen and kicked him behind the knees. Bai Chen lost his balance and knelt on the ground.
"You dare!"
The two men held Bai Chen down, forcing him to his knees. Zou Shuang walked to Bai Chen's front and squatted down.
"Dare? It seems you still don't understand your situation," Zou Shuang patted Bai Chen's face. "Do you know where this place is?"
"A nameless town."
"Precisely, a nameless town. Do you know why it's called that?" Zou Shuang saw Bai Chen's bewildered expression and realized he didn't know. "Because many people die here every year, and the deceased have no names. Over time, it became known as Nameless Town. Even if you die here, no one will investigate, because no one will know how you died or where you died."
"My master will not let you go."
"You're naive, and you still don't believe it," Zou Shuang lowered his voice. "Do you think anyone will know you were killed by me?"
"So many people are watching."
"They've seen things like this countless times. After they kill you, they might even try to get a share. And among these onlookers, there might be the very people who robbed you. Are you sure they will spread the word?"
Bai Chen looked at the onlookers. Every face showed a morbid interest, as if watching a good show. It seemed such scenes were common, even anticipated. They seemed to hunger for his humiliation, even his death, their eyes glinting with wolf-like ferocity, as if they wished to tear him apart.
Bai Chen finally understood. He had indeed been too sheltered, believing that black was black and white was white. He had not understood that evil exists everywhere, without reason. Su Dan Novel Network
"I'll give you one last chance. Crawl through my legs and bark like a dog three times, and I'll let you go. How about that?"
Bai Chen remained unmoved. The pride of being the future heir of Qianji Sect would not allow him to do anything that would bring shame to his sect. If he crawled today, Qianji Sect would never be able to hold its head high again.
"You dream!"
Bai Chen suddenly looked up and head-butted Zou Shuang fiercely. Zou Shuang's vision blurred, and he stumbled to the ground. After a moment, he got up and kicked Bai Chen down again.
"Do you really think you're still the high-and-mighty senior disciple of Qianji Sect? You're just a piece of trash now!" Zou Shuang, enraged, shouted, "You don't want to crawl? I'll make you crawl today! You two, force him to crawl!"
"Hurry up and crawl, hurry up and crawl," the surrounding crowd cheered. Nameless Town had disputes every day, and in such a remote place, watching fights became a great source of entertainment for them.