Chapter 6: Pool of Rebirth?

At this moment, Xu Sheng, who had witnessed the entire event, regained his composure, struggling to contain his surging emotions and the tumult in his abdomen, and lamented in a hoarse, mournful voice, "How could you be so cunning and despicable!"

Stepping forward, Zhou Li picked up the Ten Thousand Vermillion Spirit Ling Zhu Sphere that had fallen from the unconscious Li Ziqin's hands, and then picked up his own sphere that had dropped to the side. Afterwards, he pocketed both spheres and approached the stunned Xu Sheng, standing firm and amiably asked:

"Zheng Mo? You're not convinced?"

"You have no respect for the codes of jianghu!"

Maintaining a posture of contraction and expansion, Xu Sheng struggled against the pervasive Reverse Walking Powder in his body and the impending humiliation below the waist.

Clenching his teeth and trembling, his voice filled with desolation, "In my life, I, Xu Sheng, have never harmed the weak or the womenfolk, nor have I wantonly slaughtered the innocent. Grant me and that lad a swift end, and when I descend to the underworld, I won't report your names—it will be as if I took my life myself!"

At this point, Xu Sheng only wished to die quickly before breaking free, for in the jianghu, losing face was worse than losing life.

Most importantly, he wasn't just representing himself now, but also the face of the Horse Bandits. Should he really 'fly freely' in front of so many scholars and writers, once they left and embellished the tale, it wouldn't just be his own disgrace; the entire Horse Bandits gang might as well disband on the spot.

"The location of the Pool of Rebirth, where did your Second Commander go."

The snow-haired girl jumped down from the cage and stood with her hands behind her back, her mature demeanor strikingly at odds with her petite, cute appearance. Looking down at the man before her, she said coldly:

"If you speak, I'll destroy your meridians and strength, and then you can live out your days as an honest farmer—at least you'll keep your life. But if you don't..."

The glint of cold steel flashed in her hand as the snow-haired girl leaned in slightly, her breath as delicate as orchids, but her words were chilling to the bone:

"I'll let you experience the wonders of the human body and show these learned students whether a person can drown in their own filth."

"Convergence Imaging Stone, record beautiful deaths."

Zhou Li, who was nearby, took out a Convergence Imaging Stone from the Ten Thousand Vermillion Spirit Ling Zhu Sphere, capable of capturing images. He quickly crouched beside Xu Sheng, gave a victorious 'yea' sign and took a selfie with him, then he showed Xu Sheng the perfectly captured image and proudly said:

"Panoramic imagery, detailed capture, no anti-aliasing and exposure-proof, with clear colors and high resolution—ideal for vividly recording a good life. Of course, it can also record a beautiful death."

Immediately, Xu Sheng felt a chill in his limbs and his heart froze; he was not afraid of death, having been indifferent to his own life and death since joining the Horse Bandits, but he could not accept the possibility of dying in such a manner.

He could imagine, should he manage to escape death or die trying to break free, these scholars would definitely report his humiliating demise in a jesting fashion throughout the Great Da Ming, painting an exacting picture of his disgraceful death. It wasn't just a disgrace to him personally, but an enormous shame to the profession of Horse Bandits.

No, no, no!

"Beiliang Mountain... The Great River..."

Biting his teeth, Xu Sheng spoke word by word: "The Second Commander is in Beiliang Mountain, I advise you... do not provoke him, the Second Commander is not a person to be trifled with."

Having obtained the information she wanted, the snow-haired girl wasted no further words. She stretched out her hand and made a void gesture, and suddenly, Xu Sheng no longer needed to control his lower body, as he was pleasantly surprised to find it had gone numb.

"What did you do?"

Xu Sheng looked at the girl in front of him, his earlier panic gone, his expression very calm.

"The Reverse Walking Powder has broken through the meridians in your lower body. Soon, the Government Office will take you into custody. If, as you say, you have never killed the innocent, the Court of Judicial Review will naturally leave you a way out. Of course, you can forget about riding horses and banditry," the snow-haired girl finished speaking and, without acknowledging the dejected Xu Sheng, she turned to Zhou Li and said, "Brother, it is our good fortune to have your support this time, but the task I'm undertaking next is too dangerous for you. Please proceed to escort my younger brothers and sisters back to the Imperial Academy Mansion. There are people within the Imperial Academy who will thank you."

After finishing her words, the snow-haired girl quietly waited for Zhou Li's response. However, Zhou Li seemed to zone out for a moment, silent. After a pause, he glanced oddly at the nearby Xu Sheng, scratched his head, and said to the snow-haired girl:

"Escorting them isn't a problem, and it's just a matter of convenience to take these two things to the Government Office... It's just that... Forget it."

Zhou Li waved his hand and didn't finish what he wanted to say, but instead gave her a string of digits and continued, "My name is Zhou Li, and I run a Capture Demon Pavilion in Shangjing City called [Omnipotent Demon Subjugation]. If you need me, this is my Guiding Pigeon number, you can send a pigeon anytime, and I will respond to you."

"Thanks for the trouble."

The snow-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief, turned to the many students who were coming out of the cage and enduring their exhaustion, bowed slightly and said:

"Younger brothers and sisters, we part here. Be careful in the future and try to avoid these Little Dao with sharp gravels. Stick to the wider main roads; even if bandits capture you, you won't be jostled about so much."

After her strangely comforting farewell words, the snow-haired girl saluted Zhou Li and then said:

"Brother Zhou, my name is Tang Wan. I apologize for not having introduced myself earlier. When we meet again in the future, I hope we can have a drink and a joyous conversation. I would love to discuss in detail how you concocted your laxative."