Niu Yuanshan, one of the nine great deacons of the outer sect, appeared in the dungeon.
Chu Huaixu's little housekeeper was by his side, looking at the young man with a worried expression. When she saw the wound on his arm, another layer of frost instantly covered her already ice-cold face.
"He's injured!" Han Shuangjiang's heart tightened.
When Chu Huaixu saw Niu Yuanshan, he instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
Before he transmigrated, the goofball players had already dug up everything there was to know about [The Organization]. Later on, many players even started making memes out of it, not only reciting the [Organization's] Admonitions by heart but also constantly saying "this comrade" and "Loy—alty!"
Just a moment ago, Chu Huaixu had also been cheekily thinking, "Comrade, save me! Loy—alty!"
But once he was actually in the dungeon, with the change in environment, the atmosphere immediately intensified. He was actually a little nervous.
Old Niu, you'd better not be late!
Fortunately, Niu Yuanshan appeared at just the right moment. This made Chu Huaixu silently swear, "From now on, I'll joke about the memes, not the man."
Old Niu, you're a good man.
What was touching was that after Niu Yuanshan walked closer, the first thing he did was stand in front of Chu Huaixu. This thick-browed, large-eyed middle-aged man had an upright and incorruptible face, but he was actually half a head shorter than Chu Huaixu and slightly hunchbacked. But for some reason, he gave off an immense sense of security.
Before shielding the young man behind him, he even gave him a gentle smile. It really felt like he was one's own elder.
Han Shuangjiang quickly walked forward and asked with concern, "You're injured."
"It's fine, a small scratch," Chu Huaixu said, not caring at all.
The old man named Liu Tianfeng frowned deeply. "Niu Yuanshan?"
He never would have imagined that the other man would actually come here. And with such a hostile tone! This was a huge departure from the Niu Yuanshan in his memory.
But that was how it was.
The real Dao Gate deacon: slacks off at work, orders subordinates around, abuses power, completely lawless.
The fake undercover deacon: responsible at work, diligent and dedicated, acts with fairness, works like an ox.
Niu Yuanshan had been an undercover agent in the Dao Gate for years and years. He really was like a willing ox. But the ridiculous thing was, the workplace is just like that. The more work this spy did, the less others did. Seriously, if it weren't for Niu Yuanshan, this outer sect would fall apart!
Liu Tianfeng, as a fellow Outer Sect Deacon, had worked with him for so many years and understood Old Niu's temperament. The man was a good old boy. Therefore, he never could have imagined that this old ox would one day say such words!
"How dare he say I wield great authority!" A nameless fire rose in Deacon Liu's heart.
It's a strange thing. When a good old boy who has done a lot of work for you suddenly curses you out, your first reaction is to get angry.
Liu Tianfeng and Niu Yuanshan were about equal in strength, both at the Great Perfection of the third realm. They had never sparred, so it was unknown who was stronger. As fellow deacons, Liu Tianfeng had more seniority; in fact, he was one of the most senior among the nine deacons.
He looked at the uncharacteristically defiant Old Niu with displeasure and said in a deep voice, "Niu Yuanshan, are you trying to stand up for him?"
Spiritual energy surged, and the pressure of the third realm spread throughout the dungeon. The air itself seemed to solidify, making it difficult to breathe.
"So what if I am?" Beneath Niu Yuanshan's thick brows, his eyes narrowed, and spiritual power began to ripple from his own body.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the dungeon became tense enough to draw swords.
Liu Chengqi and Liu Chenggong, the two cousins, looked at each other. The former was grinding his teeth in anger, unable to believe this dead dog surnamed Chu actually had someone protecting him. The latter, besides being surprised, was still marveling at Han Shuangjiang's beauty. She truly was a national beauty!
—"You really can't blame my cousin!"
With the atmosphere already this tense, both deacons were in a position where it was difficult to back down.
Liu Tianfeng roared, "Niu Yuanshan! Think carefully, this child severely injured my son!"
"I already know the full story. It was clearly Liu Chengqi who was in the wrong first," Niu Yuanshan did not yield.
In his eyes, this newcomer from [The Organization] had done nothing wrong. Although he didn't know that Han Shuangjiang possessed a Profound Yin Physique, which required a blood drop to be tested, he could tell from that day how much importance Li Chunsong placed on this woman.
Old Niu was no fool. He was certain that the Sixth Elder's regard for this young woman was higher than his regard for the newcomer from [The Organization]. Therefore, he was certain that she was absolutely a chosen daughter of heaven. Sure enough, she had already broken through two apertures right after entering the sect. There was no harm in Chu Huaixu befriending her.
"When I deliberately arranged for their residences to be next to each other, it was actually a hint."
"He must have understood," Old Niu thought, feeling gratified.
In his view, although Chu Huaixu acted with flamboyance and had injured someone right after joining the sect, it was not without reason. At the very least, he had established a righteous persona. A character like this might just be appreciated by the Dao Gate's higher-ups.
Niu Yuanshan had seen the ruthless side of this foxy-faced man. The man was already dead, and he still had to suffer a few slaps. In his opinion, the fact that his esteemed son was still alive and kicking, and could even plot revenge, already meant that Chu Huaixu had held back.
At this moment, with his beloved son and nephew watching, it was difficult for Liu Tianfeng not to be firm.
"Niu Yuanshan, even if you protect him, you can only ensure his life is safe. However, he must still be punished!"
The old man shot forward and reached out, trying to snatch Chu Huaixu away.
The thick-browed Niu Yuanshan raised an arm to block, as immovable as a great rock. After a brief clash, he retreated backward with Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang, not wanting to reveal too many of his own techniques. He said, "Deacon Liu, are you sure you want to do this? Without even asking me for the reason first?"
Hearing this, Liu Tianfeng snorted coldly. "If you have something to say, spit it out!"
Niu Yuanshan transmitted his voice to the old man, so only he could hear:
"Let me give you a hint. Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang were personally brought up the mountain by the Sixth Elder."
"What!" The half-white-haired Liu Tianfeng trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale.
...
...
In the Dao Gate, the inner sect and the outer sect were separated by what seemed like a natural chasm. Li Chunsong was an esteemed Inner Sect Elder, a peerless expert of the seventh realm. He could crush Liu Tianfeng to dust with a flick of his finger, and with a single word, he could have him stripped of his deacon position.
The old man had thought Niu Yuanshan was Chu Huaixu's backer and was already extremely surprised. Who would have thought that the other party's backer was much, much higher than he had imagined! It was one of the highest in the entire Dao Gate, and even the entire Eastern Continent!
Liu Tianfeng had been in the outer sect for many years and was the most senior deacon, a wily old fox among wily old foxes. If Chu Huaixu had been a peerless talent, a once-in-a-century prodigy, his fear would actually be less. But he was just a low-grade Spirit Embryo!
"What kind of trash Spirit Embryo is worthy of the Sixth Elder personally bringing him up the mountain?"
The more it was like this, the more Liu Tianfeng felt that their relationship must be unusually deep. The worse his aptitude, the stronger the connection!
"With Niu Yuanshan's mild temperament, for him to stick his neck out this time, could it be that the Sixth Elder had already instructed him to take good care of them?" The old man's mind raced with speculation, and the more he thought, the more something felt wrong.
He even started to size up Chu Huaixu, to see if he resembled the Sixth Elder... Alright, he's much more handsome.
"Then could he be the son of an old friend of the Sixth Elder?"
Liu Tianfeng's expression began to shift between cloudy and clear, his mind filled with various suspicions.
Seeing his expression, Niu Yuanshan said, "Deacon Liu, can I take him away now?"
How could Liu Tianfeng dare to stop him? He even clasped his hands towards Niu Yuanshan and said, "Thank you for Deacon Niu's tip just now."
Old Niu really is still the same Old Niu, a good old boy. He was saving me!
Niu Yuanshan nodded with satisfaction and turned to look at Chu Huaixu, as if to tell him they were leaving together. But his gaze fell upon Chu Huaixu's arm.
"You're injured?" he asked.
Without waiting for Chu Huaixu to reply, Niu Yuanshan turned around again and looked back at Liu Tianfeng and the others. A thick, honest smile spread across the thick-browed, large-eyed middle-aged man's face.
"It seems we can't just leave like this now," he said.