Chapter 42: A Row of Little Bastards

At first, Feng Xi did not grasp the severity of the situation, but after hearing Jun Wen’s explanation, she was left dumbfounded.

"Fifth Senior Brother, I admit I destroyed the sword energy in the auxiliary cave, but the ones inside the Ten Thousand Sword Cave killed each other! This really has nothing to do with us!"

Jun Wen replied, "Do you think anyone would believe that?"

Feng Xi: "...No one would."

Anyone hearing this would think they were just spouting nonsense and trying to shirk responsibility. After a long silence, Feng Xi suddenly said, "Fifth Senior Brother, I’ve learned a lesson from this: always carry a recording stone. If there’s even the slightest sign of trouble, record it!"

Jun Wen: "..." *You still have the leisure to think about that? Start thinking about how to explain this to the Master and the sect!*

After a while, Jun Wen gritted his teeth and said, "Junior Sister, when we get out, just pin everything on me. I’ll take the fall. I’ve lived long enough anyway; being executed wouldn't matter. Once I’m gone, take good care of Master, and don’t let him grieve for me..."

Feng Xi rolled her eyes. "Fifth Senior Brother, when you encounter a problem, find a way to solve it, and stop with this nonsense. Tell me, how was the sword energy in the Ten Thousand Sword Cave created in the first place?"

Lost in his own self-pity, Jun Wen said with a choked voice, "I read in the sect records that it requires many masters of the sword to sense the energy within the Ten Thousand Sword Wall and guide a portion of it into the cave. Our Xuantian Sect currently has fewer than five such masters, but the records say it took three thousand people back then. So, Junior Sister, give up on that idea! Just do as I said—if I don't go to hell, who will? As long as you are safe, I will die without regrets!"

Feng Xi curled her lips. "Fifth Senior Brother, if you live to go out, Master and the others will surely see through you during interrogation. Why don't you just kill yourself now? I’ll bring your body out; that way, there will be no flaws."

Jun Wen: "..." *Suddenly, I don't want to die anymore.*

Seeing that he had stopped being stubborn, Feng Xi asked, "Fifth Senior Brother, that sword energy couldn't have turned on itself for no reason. Let’s recall what happened at that moment; maybe we can find a clue."

Jun Wen recalled, "You said you wanted to go to the Ten Thousand Sword Wall to retrieve a flying sword, and I said you could definitely do it. Then, I felt my own sword begin to hum, and after that, the sword energy went berserk. Junior Sister, do you think it’s possible that you’re so useless that the sword energy heard you were coming to take a sword and committed suicide out of sheer frustration?"

Feng Xi: ...If you can't say anything useful, keep your mouth shut!

She pondered for a moment, her gaze falling on the wooden sword she had discarded to the side. "Fifth Senior Brother, do you think this wooden sword could be the culprit? After all, I scolded it earlier!"

Jun Wen felt his Junior Sister must have gone mad with panic. This piece of junk wood wasn't even fit to be used as firewood, let alone capable of causing such a massive stir.

Feng Xi felt her idea was absurd as well, but now she had no choice but to treat a dead horse as if it were alive. She bit her finger and dripped blood onto the wooden sword, but there was no response. She tried a few more times with no success and had to give up.

Just then, the voice of the Little Black Ball echoed in Feng Xi’s consciousness: "Tsk, tsk, such a small matter has you two stumped? Beg me! Beg me, and I’ll tell you how to fix it." *Hmph! The brat still wants to control me? Look, the opportunity has presented itself! This time, I must make her beg me!*

However, after hearing its words, Feng Xi merely sneered. Immediately after, the Little Black Ball began to shriek in agony, and its flames of rebellion were instantly extinguished.

"Ma-Master! I was just joking! You want to separate the sword energy from the Ten Thousand Sword Wall, right? I can do that! Sword energy is, to put it plainly, residual will. So-called sword masters just make them feel a sense of kinship. As for me, I am the Spirit of Chaos, the Progenitor of All Things; naturally, the residual will in that sword energy feels close to me. So, as long as I act, I can easily separate the sword energy."

Feng Xi was too exhausted to even comment on the "Progenitor of All Things" part; as long as the sword energy could be separated, that was all that mattered. Thus, she went against her conscience and began to flatter the Little Black Ball. The Little Black Ball was so puffed up it nearly became a "Big Black Ball."

But to everyone's surprise, the sword energy in the Ten Thousand Sword Cave suddenly recovered, even stronger than before. Even the sword energy in the auxiliary cave returned. Jun Wen and Feng Xi were both stunned.

The Little Black Ball rolled its tiny eyes. *Which turtle-bastard is stealing my credit?* Finally, its gaze landed on the wooden sword. Because Feng Xi had dripped blood on it earlier, the sword was now marked with several red patterns. The Little Black Ball inexplicably found the wooden sword unsightly. *Hmph! Sooner or later, I’ll trick the brat into burning it!*

Regardless of its thoughts, Feng Xi and Jun Wen were overjoyed. They even speculated that the previous sword energy hadn't dissipated at all, but had merely taken a long rest. However, they dared not tangle with the energy in the Ten Thousand Sword Cave again, fearing more trouble.

They stayed in the auxiliary cave, fending off the sword energy with half-hearted moves whenever it appeared. Bored to tears, Feng Xi began to draw on the cave walls. She drew a row of little turtles. She even justified it, saying, "When some other Junior Brother or Sister is punished and sent here, they’ll have something to look at to relieve their boredom. I really am so helpful!"

Jun Wen: "..."

Soon, the three-day term expired, and the two were released. Upon exiting, they noticed the expressions of the patrolling disciples were off.

"What happened?"

The disciple gritted his teeth and said, "I don’t know which daring fool drew a row of little turtles on the Ten Thousand Sword Wall, and no method can scrub them off! Our Sect Master is absolutely furious! This is an insult and a provocation to our Xuantian Sect! The Sect Master is investigating it strictly! Once we find out who did it, we will make sure they die a death without a corpse, their soul scattered, and never to be reincarnated!"

Jun Wen: "..."
Feng Xi: "..."

The two exchanged a glance and scurried over to the Ten Thousand Sword Wall, where they saw the row of little turtles. They were vivid, lifelike, and lively. Feng Xi was on the verge of tears! How were these exactly the same as the ones she had drawn on the cave wall?

Suddenly, she turned and sprinted back. Seeing the patrolling disciple, she said, "Senior Brother, I left something in the auxiliary cave. Can I go back and retrieve it?"

The disciple looked troubled. "Junior Sister Feng Xi, without orders from the Dharma Hall or the Law Enforcement Hall, we cannot let anyone in privately. Tell me what you left, and I will go retrieve it for you."

Feng Xi certainly couldn't let him go in. She pretended to realize, with a careless air, that the item was in her storage ring, and hurried away. After putting some distance between them, she looked at Jun Wen with a solemn expression.

"Fifth Senior Brother, what is the fastest way to break the sect rules that will guarantee I get thrown back into the Ten Thousand Sword Cave?"

Jun Wen, of course, knew what she was planning—she wanted to go back and scrub off those little turtles. He scratched his head and suggested a few ideas, but Feng Xi rejected them all because they would damage her reputation.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Fifth Senior Brother, how about I go and burn off the rest of Elder Duanmu’s beard?"

Jun Wen: "..."