Chapter 14: The Vanished Ten

Ever since he’d adjusted to the new time zone, Lin Zhan resumed his morning exercises. Just as he stepped back inside after finishing his routine, he was greeted by a chorus of misery from within the room.

Owing to last night’s fierce brawl, the first Miscellaneous was the earliest to wake up. The second through the ninth Miscellaneous all looked utterly haggard; their faces were swollen and red, their bodies marked with bruises, and there was not a single spot on them that wasn’t in pain.

As for the tenth Miscellaneous, he still stared fixedly at Lin Zhan’s empty bed, as if all joy had vanished from his life in an instant.

From the first to the ninth, as well as the eleventh Miscellaneous—Lin Zhan himself—none of them paid any attention to the tenth. No one spoke to him; indeed, except for Lin Zhan, not a single glance was cast his way.

It was as if everyone had forgotten about their swollen, misshapen faces and the aches in their bodies. After rising, they joked and laughed together, acting as though nothing had happened the previous night.

As the nominal leader, captain, and senior brother, the first Miscellaneous led his junior brothers outside to meet the incoming Plum Blossom Hall group.

For this kind of work handover, there were no higher-ranking seniors present; the two squads handled all the reporting and transition themselves.

The A-Team from Plum Blossom Hall, led by their captain Wei Qinglong, swaggered arrogantly into the handover site.

Wei Qinglong was a punished inner disciple, once sentenced to serve in the Servant Hall for three years. After another infraction, two more years were added. If not for a senior brother protecting him, he would likely have been expelled from the sect long ago.

In truth, his five-year penalty had long since expired, but Wei Qinglong chose to remain in the Servant Hall. Here, he was unfettered and at ease, for no one dared meddle in his affairs. The routine chores were always left for the other squad members to handle.

In just a few short years, his former senior brother had become the most outstanding disciple on Sword Burial Peak—Ji Ming by name.

“Haha, what on earth happened to you all? You look like a bunch of pig heads! Did you poke a demon beehive or something?” Wei Qinglong halted several steps away, laughing uproariously as he pointed at them.

The team members behind him doubled over, laughing exaggeratedly—Lin Zhan noticed at once they were clearly currying favor with their captain; no one could possibly find it that funny.

“Senior Brother Wei!” The first Miscellaneous, being younger than Wei Qinglong, addressed him with proper respect.

Before each handover, both team captains would have received prior instructions from Steward Huo Yi, so everyone already knew each other’s identity and how to address one another.

Wei Qinglong’s squad was composed entirely of punished disciples—seasoned veterans of the Servant Hall.

Most information in the Servant Hall was passed down by the stewards, but much of it was also spread through conversation among ordinary disciples. Thus, tales of Wei Qinglong’s exploits made him a figure others preferred to avoid.

“Heh, Captain Miscellaneous, come here. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

After the basic handover was completed, Wei Qinglong threw an arm around the first Miscellaneous’ shoulders and led him aside, their conversation inaudible to the others.

Before long, the first Miscellaneous’ voice rose with agitation: “Senior Brother Wei, I’m afraid that won’t be possible. You can’t put us in such a difficult position…”

“What’s so impossible about it? Just swap someone in for a while and change them back later—no one will know.” Wei Qinglong dropped all pretense of secrecy, his tone openly threatening. “Even if a steward finds out, I’ll take full responsibility!”

The first Miscellaneous turned resolutely back to his squad, his expression grim.

“What’s wrong, Senior Brother?”

“What did the captain want?” Lin Zhan and the others asked.

Frowning, the first Miscellaneous told them everything—he kept no secrets from his brothers.

It turned out, Wei Qinglong’s team had been responsible for tending the spirit herbs in Scarlet Refining Valley last month. They’d learned that a century-old Ice Spirit Flower was about to bloom—calculations showed it would happen during the first Miscellaneous’ squad’s watch.

The century-old Ice Spirit Flower was a precious medicinal herb, exceedingly rare.

Wei Qinglong wanted to embezzle part of the flower for himself. Unfortunately, his own team had missed the timing, so he sought to plant a trusted confidant in the first Miscellaneous’ squad, tasked with watching over the bloom and seizing the opportunity.

Such dereliction and theft, of course, could not be permitted. It was hard enough to become a Servant Disciple on Flame Mountain—why risk implicating oneself in wrongdoing for another’s benefit?

“Well? Have you and your brothers made a decision?” Wei Qinglong pressed for an answer.

“Sorry, Senior Brother Wei, but we really can’t agree to this!” The first Miscellaneous refused firmly. The second through ninth, and the eleventh Miscellaneous—Lin Zhan—crowded around him, each expressing the same resolve.

If it was a fight he wanted, they were ready.

“Heh, you really are a stubborn lot. Get them! Beat these so-called Daisies into Sunflowers!” With a wave, Wei Qinglong led his men in attack.

Melee broke out instantly!

The ten greenhorn Daisies from Team C of the Servant Hall had yet to step into the world of cultivation; not one had started to learn any methods or skills. Their opponents, Team A from Plum Blossom Hall, had their cultivation sealed but remained physically formidable, battle-hardened, and rich in experience—a squad of eleven former inner disciples.

Numbers aside, in terms of combat prowess alone, the Daisies were utterly overpowered.

“Damn it, we can’t let the Daisies be looked down on!”

“Brothers, hold the line!”

“Don’t collapse! If we can’t beat them, let’s wear them out!”

The fight was brutal—nothing like the scuffles of last night. This was no practice bout among teammates; this was as fierce as a grudge match. The first Miscellaneous and his brothers fought with everything they had, clumsily resisting each fresh assault.

Their faces, already swollen like pig heads, took new blows, more agonizing than fresh wounds.

Yet again and again, they were knocked down—only to rise once more, indomitable.

Lin Zhan, with the awareness of a near-graduating police cadet, darted along the battle’s edges, making the most of sudden changes in speed and direction, keeping two Plum Blossom disciples busy chasing him in circles.

He even managed to shout warnings to his brothers:

“Second Miscellaneous, behind you! Seventh, watch your left! Ninth—ow!”

At last, one pursuer caught Lin Zhan, tackling him to the ground. The two adversaries leered as they raised their fists above his head, the fists looming ever larger in his sight...

Lin Zhan gave up resisting—there was no point. Instead, he tightly protected his head with both arms, curling inward as much as possible, silently repeating the first Miscellaneous’ rallying cry: “Wear them out!”

Bang!

The two doors of Team C’s Daisy Hall dormitory suddenly blasted outward, wrenched from inside by a tremendous force.

One door panel flew straight across the yard, striking the two Plum Blossom disciples poised to attack Lin Zhan dead-on.

The panel shattered on their bodies, sending them both spitting blood as they were hurled away.

The source was none other than the tenth Miscellaneous—the very one who’d tormented them all night long, fighting until he was spent. The elusive Tenth had returned!