Dao Of The Salted Fish

94. They’re just children

The next day...

“Stop, where do you think you’re going, disciple?”

Just as Wen Zhihao was lifting-off with the flying cart and his charges, an elderly-looking male cultivator pushed the cart back down with a heavy qi slap.

Wen Zhihao inwardly frowned, barely stopping the cart before it could slam into the ground. The children in the cart shivered in fear, doing their best to hide behind Wen Zhihao.

“Senior Elder, may I please understand what you mean?” Wen Zhihao asked politely.

The male cultivator, surnamed Luo, looked at him with a hint of mockery. “A peak-stage Golden Core disciple…running away?”

Wen Zhihao inwardly rolled his eyes. He wasn’t at peak stage! “If I may correct you—”

“You are a disciple of the Golden Sun Sect! We give you resources, and yet you want to run away? Or are you going to join the demonic cultivators?”

Wen Zhihao’s lips tightened. He pushed back against the domineering qi from the other cultivator. “Forgive this junior disciple, but I don’t know what’s happening.”

Senior Cultivator Luo’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “Tch, as expected of one of Elder Liu’s disciples! You don’t need to know! All you need to do is to listen to the orders of your elders.”

Wen Zhihao’s eyes flickered to the space behind the other cultivator. His heart lifted when he saw Sun Fuyu flying towards him.

The elderly-looking cultivator continued, “Leave those mortals in their buildings. All inner-sect disciples are to meet at the West Gate. Don’t make me drag you there in chains!”

“I will make my way there,” Wen Zhihao conceded.

“Hmmpf.” With a snort, Senior Cultivator Luo glared at Wen Zhihao, glared at the children and teenagers in the cart, and glared at Sun Fuyu.

“You, disciple Sun! You need to go to the West Gate too!” he ordered Sun Fuyu. “Pah, that disciple Lin should be doing this instead of dragging his feet!” The cultivator stomped away, continuing his rampage on unsuspected disciples.

Sun Fuyu immediately ran up to Wen Zhihao. “Wen-ge,” he said in a low whisper. “There are war preparations. My mission was cancelled because all inner sect disciples are required to contribute…”

Realisation struck Wen Zhihao. “With the demonic sects, isn’t it?” he murmured.

“En.”

Fuck, was this the infamous righteous-versus-demonic war that happened in xianxia dramas? Didn’t the protagonists, Lin Yijun and Zhou Sheng, already make up?

Wen Zhihao exhaled, clearing away his frustrations. There were likely other factors involved. He shouldn’t unjustly pin the blame on Lin Yijun and Zhou Sheng.

He turned to the scared children and gave them a reassuring smile. His qi spread over them, calming them down.

“It seems that you have a holiday,” he said to the young ones. “I’ll take you all to Grandma Liu. You get to have fun!”

The little ones nodded. The older teenagers weren’t so easily convinced, but Wen Zhihao gave them comforting head-pats.

Liu Jing was surprised to see her children and grandchildren return so soon.

“It seems I can’t take them to school today,” Wen Zhihao said apologetically.

While Wen Zhihao gave each child one last hug, Sun Fuyu went up to Aunty Liu.

In a little private corner, Sun Fuyu quietly told her about the upcoming war between the sects.

Aunty Liu Jing’s brows pinched with worry. “You’re both just children, they can’t let you fight—”

“We’re inner-sect disciples,” Sun Fuyu said somberly. “The sect should be safe, but just in case…” Sun Fuyu took out all the defensive talismans that Wen-ge had given him. “Keep these.”

“Xiao Fuyu…”

“I’ll be fine, and I’ll protect Wen-ge,” Sun Fuyu said firmly.

Aunty Liu sighed lightly. “Stay safe.”

Liu Jing watched Xiao Wen and Xiao Fuyu leave the kitchens, flying on their swords over the buildings. She watched until she couldn’t see even a speck of them.

They were two inner sect cultivators, with rank and prestige and power far beyond Liu Jing’s own, but they were so young. If she could take their place, she’d do so in a heartbeat.

My children, come back alive.

Numerous golden robed inner-sect disciples gathered at the West Gate of the Golden Sun Sect, many with frowns on their faces.

Hu Jingyan caught Sun Fuyu’s attention and waved them over into a group with the rest of Liu Zhongmin’s disciples, plus Zhang Wu.

Sun Fuyu and Wen Zhihao descended and stepped down from their flying swords.

“Good morning,” Wen Zhihao greeted everyone.

“Hu-shijie, Gao-shixiong, Zhang-shixiong…” Sun Fuyu greeted his seniors one-by-one.

Hu Jingyan looked at her young little Sun-shidi, feeling a pinch in her heart. “What happens next, let your shijie deal with it, okay? Stay away from the fighting.”

Sun Fuyu’s eyes lowered slightly, silent. It was clear that he didn’t want to agree.

“—You’re here?” Lin Yijun hurried over to them, frowning when he saw Wen Zhihao. There was a tightness to his jaw, and his hair had a slight sense of disheveledness—on anyone else, his hair would be impeccable, but not on Lin Yijun. “Disciple Wen is a non-combatant, you should not be here.”

Wen Zhihao raised his eyebrows. “A senior cultivator told me to come here on no uncertain terms—”

“Senior Cultivator Luo,” Sun Fuyu said helpfully.

“Cultivator Luo?” Lin Yijun’s eyes flashed. He briefly closed his eyes, forcing down the annoyance and weariness.

Wen Zhihao’s eyes softened. “Here, Senior Lin.” He produced a fresh hot meat bun and a bamboo flask of spiritual water. “This will give you energy, don’t be polite.”

Lin Yijun stared at the food, his mind immediately returning to Zhou Sheng. “Thank you,” he said tersely. He accepted the food, but placed it in his spatial storage rather than eating it. “Disciple Wen—”

A sudden heavy, domineering aura pressed down on the entire area. The weakest inner sect disciples fell to their knees with painful thuds.

Elder Wang looked down on the junior disciples gathered, their heads tilted up to him as though he was a god from the heavens. “Satisfactory.” He pulled back his aura.

His eyes narrowed when he saw Lin Yijun standing with Liu Zhongmin’s bunch. “Cultivator Lin Yijun, lead the way.”

Hu Jingyan met Elder Wang’s gaze fearlessly. “Lead? Where is Elder Liu and the other Elders?”

“Are you questioning me, Disciple Hu?” Elder Wang casually released enough of his aura to make Disciple Hu’s knees tremble. “Elder Liu is required to stay back and defend the sect.” Elder Wang flicked a sleeve and the gate opened. “Cultivator Lin, you may proceed.”

Elder Wang’s gaze was like a burning iron on the back of Lin Yijun’s neck.

Lin Yijun pulled himself together, a coldness settling in his eyes. “Disciples, mount your swords,” he commanded.

Wen Zhihao and Sun Fuyu’s gazes met. Silently, they mounted their swords, rising up, close enough to hold hands if they wished. But they didn’t, not with the sharp gazes behind them.

The young inner sect disciples were trapped between Senior Cultivator Lin Yijun in the front and Elder Wang and a group of other senior cultivators at the back. They could only swallow their anxieties and follow Lin Yijun towards the battlefield.

94. They’re just children

The next day...

“Stop, where do you think you’re going, disciple?”

Just as Wen Zhihao was lifting-off with the flying cart and his charges, an elderly-looking male cultivator pushed the cart back down with a heavy qi slap.

Wen Zhihao inwardly frowned, barely stopping the cart before it could slam into the ground. The children in the cart shivered in fear, doing their best to hide behind Wen Zhihao.

“Senior Elder, may I please understand what you mean?” Wen Zhihao asked politely.

The male cultivator, surnamed Luo, looked at him with a hint of mockery. “A peak-stage Golden Core disciple…running away?”

Wen Zhihao inwardly rolled his eyes. He wasn’t at peak stage! “If I may correct you—”

“You are a disciple of the Golden Sun Sect! We give you resources, and yet you want to run away? Or are you going to join the demonic cultivators?”

Wen Zhihao’s lips tightened. He pushed back against the domineering qi from the other cultivator. “Forgive this junior disciple, but I don’t know what’s happening.”

Senior Cultivator Luo’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “Tch, as expected of one of Elder Liu’s disciples! You don’t need to know! All you need to do is to listen to the orders of your elders.”

Wen Zhihao’s eyes flickered to the space behind the other cultivator. His heart lifted when he saw Sun Fuyu flying towards him.

The elderly-looking cultivator continued, “Leave those mortals in their buildings. All inner-sect disciples are to meet at the West Gate. Don’t make me drag you there in chains!”

“I will make my way there,” Wen Zhihao conceded.

“Hmmpf.” With a snort, Senior Cultivator Luo glared at Wen Zhihao, glared at the children and teenagers in the cart, and glared at Sun Fuyu.

“You, disciple Sun! You need to go to the West Gate too!” he ordered Sun Fuyu. “Pah, that disciple Lin should be doing this instead of dragging his feet!” The cultivator stomped away, continuing his rampage on unsuspected disciples.

Sun Fuyu immediately ran up to Wen Zhihao. “Wen-ge,” he said in a low whisper. “There are war preparations. My mission was cancelled because all inner sect disciples are required to contribute…”

Realisation struck Wen Zhihao. “With the demonic sects, isn’t it?” he murmured.

“En.”

Fuck, was this the infamous righteous-versus-demonic war that happened in xianxia dramas? Didn’t the protagonists, Lin Yijun and Zhou Sheng, already make up?

Wen Zhihao exhaled, clearing away his frustrations. There were likely other factors involved. He shouldn’t unjustly pin the blame on Lin Yijun and Zhou Sheng.

He turned to the scared children and gave them a reassuring smile. His qi spread over them, calming them down.

“It seems that you have a holiday,” he said to the young ones. “I’ll take you all to Grandma Liu. You get to have fun!”

The little ones nodded. The older teenagers weren’t so easily convinced, but Wen Zhihao gave them comforting head-pats.

Liu Jing was surprised to see her children and grandchildren return so soon.

“It seems I can’t take them to school today,” Wen Zhihao said apologetically.

While Wen Zhihao gave each child one last hug, Sun Fuyu went up to Aunty Liu.

In a little private corner, Sun Fuyu quietly told her about the upcoming war between the sects.

Aunty Liu Jing’s brows pinched with worry. “You’re both just children, they can’t let you fight—”

“We’re inner-sect disciples,” Sun Fuyu said somberly. “The sect should be safe, but just in case…” Sun Fuyu took out all the defensive talismans that Wen-ge had given him. “Keep these.”

“Xiao Fuyu…”

“I’ll be fine, and I’ll protect Wen-ge,” Sun Fuyu said firmly.

Aunty Liu sighed lightly. “Stay safe.”

Liu Jing watched Xiao Wen and Xiao Fuyu leave the kitchens, flying on their swords over the buildings. She watched until she couldn’t see even a speck of them.

They were two inner sect cultivators, with rank and prestige and power far beyond Liu Jing’s own, but they were so young. If she could take their place, she’d do so in a heartbeat.

My children, come back alive.

Numerous golden robed inner-sect disciples gathered at the West Gate of the Golden Sun Sect, many with frowns on their faces.

Hu Jingyan caught Sun Fuyu’s attention and waved them over into a group with the rest of Liu Zhongmin’s disciples, plus Zhang Wu.

Sun Fuyu and Wen Zhihao descended and stepped down from their flying swords.

“Good morning,” Wen Zhihao greeted everyone.

“Hu-shijie, Gao-shixiong, Zhang-shixiong…” Sun Fuyu greeted his seniors one-by-one.

Hu Jingyan looked at her young little Sun-shidi, feeling a pinch in her heart. “What happens next, let your shijie deal with it, okay? Stay away from the fighting.”

Sun Fuyu’s eyes lowered slightly, silent. It was clear that he didn’t want to agree.

“—You’re here?” Lin Yijun hurried over to them, frowning when he saw Wen Zhihao. There was a tightness to his jaw, and his hair had a slight sense of disheveledness—on anyone else, his hair would be impeccable, but not on Lin Yijun. “Disciple Wen is a non-combatant, you should not be here.”

Wen Zhihao raised his eyebrows. “A senior cultivator told me to come here on no uncertain terms—”

“Senior Cultivator Luo,” Sun Fuyu said helpfully.

“Cultivator Luo?” Lin Yijun’s eyes flashed. He briefly closed his eyes, forcing down the annoyance and weariness.

Wen Zhihao’s eyes softened. “Here, Senior Lin.” He produced a fresh hot meat bun and a bamboo flask of spiritual water. “This will give you energy, don’t be polite.”

Lin Yijun stared at the food, his mind immediately returning to Zhou Sheng. “Thank you,” he said tersely. He accepted the food, but placed it in his spatial storage rather than eating it. “Disciple Wen—”

A sudden heavy, domineering aura pressed down on the entire area. The weakest inner sect disciples fell to their knees with painful thuds.

Elder Wang looked down on the junior disciples gathered, their heads tilted up to him as though he was a god from the heavens. “Satisfactory.” He pulled back his aura.

His eyes narrowed when he saw Lin Yijun standing with Liu Zhongmin’s bunch. “Cultivator Lin Yijun, lead the way.”

Hu Jingyan met Elder Wang’s gaze fearlessly. “Lead? Where is Elder Liu and the other Elders?”

“Are you questioning me, Disciple Hu?” Elder Wang casually released enough of his aura to make Disciple Hu’s knees tremble. “Elder Liu is required to stay back and defend the sect.” Elder Wang flicked a sleeve and the gate opened. “Cultivator Lin, you may proceed.”

Elder Wang’s gaze was like a burning iron on the back of Lin Yijun’s neck.

Lin Yijun pulled himself together, a coldness settling in his eyes. “Disciples, mount your swords,” he commanded.

Wen Zhihao and Sun Fuyu’s gazes met. Silently, they mounted their swords, rising up, close enough to hold hands if they wished. But they didn’t, not with the sharp gazes behind them.

The young inner sect disciples were trapped between Senior Cultivator Lin Yijun in the front and Elder Wang and a group of other senior cultivators at the back. They could only swallow their anxieties and follow Lin Yijun towards the battlefield.