Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 196 Family and Public Affairs
Song Xian only knew that every time he saw this grandfather, he must have a request, so he felt a little impatient: "What is it! Grandpa?"

"Your uncle has been bullied. My dear grandson and his wife, you must stand up for him!" Old Man Hu shouted loudly, as if he had really suffered a great injustice.

"Uncle? Isn't he in charge of the sect's finances? Who can bully him?"

Song Xian was half-believing and half-doubting. Hu Qiang, the son of Hu Laodi, was in charge of the sect's mundane finances. There were hundreds of relatives and family members of the sect's disciples, and all their food, drink, defecation, and all their income and expenditure were under his control.

Originally, Song Xian did not assign him a position. With his vision, he naturally saw that Old Man Hu and his uncle were not people who would keep to themselves. Therefore, he just wanted these two people to stay in peace, give them more gold and silver, let them live a prosperous life, and did not want them to interfere in the affairs of the sect.

But Old Man Hu was shrewd and seeing that Song Xian was not easy to fool, he bypassed him and found Su Zhirou alone to ask her for a position.

How could Su Zhirou know so much? Knowing that it was Song Xian's grandfather, it was of course difficult to refuse, so she agreed to let him manage the families of the sect's disciples and be responsible for financial matters.

She had said it all, and Song Xian couldn't take it back, so Hu Qiang got the position. In the past few years, he abused his power to deceive his superiors and subordinates, and engaged in various kinds of corruption and embezzlement, and no one dared to report it to Song Xian.

"It's not your eldest uncle, it's your youngest uncle. Xiaobao was bullied." Old Man Hu said with a look of deep sorrow: "My dear grandson, you know Xiaobao well. He has been well-behaved since he was a child. But because he is your uncle, some people are jealous and dislike him. They have ganged up on him and are bullying him. My dear grandson, you must stand up for him!"

"Grandpa, don't be anxious. Tell me clearly, what happened? How did others bully him?"

Just as Old Man Hu was about to speak, the butler came hurriedly outside and reported, "Master, Immortal Master Liu Yun wants to see you. He has something important to report."

"Go, go. Can't you see I'm talking to my virtuous grandson? How tactless of you to butt in." Old Man Hu instantly became furious, his expression changed, and he scolded the man as if he was the master.

Song Xian knew something was wrong at first sight. Liu Yun was the disciple responsible for teaching the sect's children who had not yet achieved transcendence. Hu Xiaobao was currently practicing at the mountain gate. Old Man Hu had just said that Hu Xiaobao was being bullied, and Liu Yun came at this time. It must be related to this matter.

But Old Man Hu looked guilty and obviously didn't want the two to meet. There must be something wrong.

Bring Brother Liu directly here."

"Yes." The butler responded and left.

"Oh! My dear grandson, Liu Yun is in cahoots with the guy who bullied Xiaobao. You must not believe what he says!" Old Man Hu panicked and spoke quickly.

Seeing his eyes flickering and his panicked look, Song Xian already knew what was going on. "Since he's here for this matter too, why is Grandpa afraid to see him? Why don't you two just talk it out face to face?"

"I... I'm not afraid of seeing him, my dear grandson! You don't know, this guy is not a good person. He must have slanderous words to harm Xiaobao."

Old Man Hu was really panicked. He had a son in his old age, and the son was a gifted one, so he had spoiled him since he was a child and valued him more than his own life.

"Okay, Grandpa, please sit down first! We'll talk to you when someone comes."

Old Man Hu had no choice but to sit down anxiously.

Soon, a short man in his thirties came in. It was Liu Yun, who was in charge of teaching the disciples who had not yet reached the mortal stage to practice. He glanced over and saw Su Zhirou sitting there like a fairy, and quickly lowered his head.

There are more men than women in Hunyuan Sect, and there are very few female cultivators. Su Zhirou is a natural beauty with a charming figure and an unconcealable spring in her eyes and eyebrows, which makes people's hearts flutter at first sight. Especially when she is with Song Xian, her eyes always follow him, and her gaze is as soft as water, as if it is about to overflow.

Many male disciples of Hunyuan Sect secretly coveted her, but because she was the wife of the sect leader, they could only hope for her but not get her. They would only have desecrating illusions of her in their minds in the dead of night. If they met her, it would be like seeing a goddess in heaven. They wanted to see her but dared not.

Liu Yun lowered his head and glanced at Old Man Hu standing beside him. The ripples in his heart skipped a beat again.

He came this time to report the conflict between Hu Xiaobao and another child who had not yet achieved transcendence. Hu Xiaobao relied on his status as the uncle of the headmaster and had always been lawless. He had gathered a group of children since he was a child and became the king of children. He did a lot of bullying against the weak. Other children were like mice seeing a cat when they saw him.

Since being sent to the mountain gate for training this year, he has always maintained his usual naughty and unbridled habits, and even he does not respect him much.

They formed gangs among the children who had not yet achieved transcendence and bullied other children. Liu Yun usually turned a blind eye to it just because of his relationship with the headmaster, but this time they went too far.

Perhaps because they had been bullied for too long, one of the children exploded and started fighting with Hu Xiaobao.

Although Hu Xiaobao was arrogant, he was young and short, and was no match for the tall boy.

He has always been a devil, always bullying others. But this time he got hurt and actually pulled out a knife to stab someone.

The first rule of the sect is that disciples are strictly prohibited from killing each other.

Although the two have not yet achieved transcendence, they have also entered the mountain gate. Now a murder case has occurred. Liu Yun did not dare to conceal the matter. Because of the relationship between Hu Xiaobao and Song Xian, he came to report. Unexpectedly, Old Man Hu had arrived first.

He also knew that Old Man Hu loved his son the most, and he would definitely not say anything good. They were grandfather and grandson, and the distance between them was not enough to separate them. He wanted to point out Hu Xiaobao's faults in front of Old Man Hu, but for a moment he found it difficult to speak.

"Greetings, Master." Liu Yun bowed and saluted, his mind racing with thoughts about how to start the conversation.

"Brother Liu, please take a seat. What brings you here?"

"Master, I failed to discipline my disciple properly, which led to a vicious fight between two disciples who had not yet reached the mortal stage. I have come to apologize to you."

Song Xian glanced at Old Man Hu, his expression expressionless: "Is it about Hu Xiaobao? Who did he fight with?"

"Hu Xiaobao had a fight with one of Lin Jian's disciples who had not yet reached the mortal realm, and stabbed him." At this point, Liu Yun didn't care about anything else. Even though he was in front of Old Man Hu, he had to tell the truth.

"what?"

Song Xian was a little shocked and frowned immediately. He didn't expect the matter to be so serious. Hu Xiaobao was so bold and presumptuous that he attacked his fellow disciples with a knife at such a young age. The first rule of the sect was that fellow disciples were not allowed to fight or kill each other. Violators would be sentenced to at least imprisonment and at most death.

Since the establishment of Hunyuan Sect, there has never been a case of infighting among fellow disciples. Now, the first incident has happened to his uncle.

"You're talking nonsense." Old Man Hu couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up, pointed his finger at Liu Yun's nose, and shouted, "It was clearly Lin Jian who was bullying my Xiaobao. Xiaobao was no match for him, so in his panic he touched the knife and accidentally slashed him."

"Why are you speaking for Lin Jian and confusing right and wrong? What are your intentions? Did you receive any favors from Lin Jian?"

When Old Man Hu realized the seriousness of the matter, his face changed. After accusing Liu Yun, he turned to Song Xian with a pleading look.

"Xian Sun, I was just about to tell you this. Our Xiaobao is innocent. He is the one being bullied."

"Lin Jian is a tall and strong man. Not only is he older than Xiaobao, he's also taller and stronger. How could Xiaobao stab him with a knife for no reason?"

"He bullied Xiaobao repeatedly. Xiaobao got angry this time, so I just got the knife and hit him."

"Lin Jian wasn't injured in any vital areas. He suffered all this on his own. It has nothing to do with Xiaobao." Song Xian's face was as gloomy as water. "Senior Brother Liu, what exactly happened?"

"What happened is just what I just said. Two disciples were fighting, and Hu Xiaobao stabbed Lin Jian with a knife. Lin Jian has been sent to the room, and I have bandaged him to stop the bleeding." In front of Old Man Hu, Liu Yun had to choose his words carefully.

"Brother Liu, it is a serious crime for fellow disciples to kill each other. This kind of thing has never happened in our sect so far. You must tell me the whole cause and effect, and don't hide anything." Song Xian said coldly, with obvious dissatisfaction on his face.

"Yes, Master. The cause of this incident is that Hu Xiaobao has been accustomed to being the king and the boss among the disciples who have not yet reached the mortal stage. Because of his relationship with you, no one dares to provoke him and they all avoid him. This time, he pestered Lin Jian again, demanding that he ride him like a horse. Lin Jian could no longer tolerate this, and a fight broke out between the two. This time, Hu Xiaobao suffered a slight loss, so he went back, got a knife, and stabbed Lin Jian in the back when he was not prepared."

Liu Yun was already unhappy with Hu Xiaobao, who was so domineering at such a young age and relied on his relationship with the headmaster. He didn't even respect him even though he hadn't yet achieved transcendence. Now that he had received Song Xian's order, he no longer concealed anything and told the truth.

"Nonsense, you are talking nonsense. It was obviously Lin Jian who bullied our Xiaobao. Why are you talking nonsense?" Old Man Hu yelled and even walked in front of Liu Yun, as if he wanted to settle the score with him.

"Grandpa." Song Xian shouted softly, his face stern: "Stop messing around."

Old Man Hu immediately became as wilted as an eggplant hit by frost. He was still afraid of Song Xian.

"So, this isn't the first time Hu Xiaobao has bullied a fellow disciple. Senior Brother Liu, you're in charge of the cultivation of the sect's non-transcendent disciples. Why didn't you report or handle their conflicts? Why did you let them get to the point of resorting to violence?"

"It is all due to the poor discipline of the disciples. I am willing to accept the punishment."

"How should we deal with those who harm our fellow disciples?"

Before Liu Yun could answer, Old Man Hu's face turned pale and he stammered, "My dear grandson, my dear grandson, it's not like that..."

Before he could finish his words, Song Xian interrupted him coldly: "There are no grandchildren or grandfathers here, only the master and his disciples."

"Yes, yes, Master." Old Man Hu spoke incoherently: "Master, I beg you, don't punish Xiaobao, he knows he is wrong."

Seeing Song Xian's cold expression, unmoved, and looking at Su Zhirou as if she were a lifeline, he knew that this granddaughter-in-law was easy to talk to, so he pleaded, "Granddaughter-in-law, Xiaobao is still young and doesn't understand. Please persuade him for me. I will kneel down for you, I will kneel down for you."

He was about to kneel down after saying that. Su Zhirou was startled when she saw this. She quickly stood up and waved her hands repeatedly: "Grandpa, please don't, please don't. My husband, this is just a child making trouble, and it's his first offense, so don't bother with him."

Song Xian was also somewhat helpless. He finally understood that even a judge could hardly judge family affairs. He couldn't really make Old Man Hu kneel down and beg him.

"Senior Brother Liu, you are responsible for teaching these people. Tell me! How should we deal with them?"

Seeing this, Liu Yun knew that Song Xian was trying to make a big deal out of it. "I think these children who haven't yet transcended into the mortal realm aren't official disciples of the sect, so it's not fair to punish them according to the sect's rules. Furthermore, Hu Xiaobao is a first-time offender, and he hasn't caused any serious consequences, so he should be given a lighter punishment. A reprimand and a month of confinement will suffice."

"No, that's too light a punishment. Give him fifty strokes of the cane, good ones. And lock him up for another six months."

Old Man Hu shouted again, "Xian, no, Master. How could Xiaobao's tiny body withstand fifty blows? He would be beaten to death. Please forgive him!"

After saying that, he looked at Su Zhirou pitifully.

"My dear, the child is too young. Let's be lenient with him. Fifty strokes of the cane is too severe. We will teach him a lesson in the future."

"Brother Liu, hit him with fifty sticks, not one less. If he can't take it, just put it on the account and continue beating him when he's better."

After Song Xian finished speaking, he didn't want to listen to Old Man Hu's nagging anymore, so he strode out.

…………

Time flies by, and a few months pass in the blink of an eye.

April in Bianxi City is the time of spring and blooming flowers. The Beastmaster Sect's Foundation Establishment Selection Competition has been held as scheduled. This is a grand event held every ten years in Bianxi City. Not only will the best of the various sects and forces participate, but there are also countless people who come to watch the fun.

The Foundation Establishment Selection Competition competition venue in Bianxi City is located at the First Line Peak. Before the official competition day, the area around the First Line Peak has already become lively.

Many independent cultivators set up stalls nearby, and there was even a gambling house organized by disciples of the Beast Taming Sect at the southern entrance of Yixian Peak. They had long ago obtained the list of contestants from internal channels, and had marked the identities and cultivation levels of all the contestants on the gambling table.

Even before the official matches were confirmed, the gambling houses had already started a frenzy, with many people placing bets on the favorites to win the championship and the top four.

The competition will start on April 15th.

On that day, the entire Yixian Peak was crowded with tourists.

Fortunately, there were disciples from the Beast Taming Sect guarding the entrance and maintaining order, so that the entrance and exit were unobstructed. Otherwise, it would have been packed.

The competition venue of Yixian Peak is a wide flat ground with a radius of one hundred meters, surrounded by iron nets. The venue is like a huge iron cage for fighting beasts.

The competition does not require any level of cultivation, even those at the first level of Qi Refining can participate, but they must pay a registration fee of 500 spirit stones.

There are a total of twenty-eight people participating in the competition this time, which is less than expected. After all, the registration fee of five hundred spirit stones is still quite high, and those with low cultivation are reluctant to spend this price because there is only one spot.

The lowest level of cultivation among the participants was the eighth level of Qi Refining, and there were only three of them.

Two of them are core disciples of Luoyun Sect, and one is a direct descendant of the Kong family.

The three of them didn't care much about the two hundred spirit stones. They all participated with the attitude of giving it a try or learning from experience.

This time they can participate to accumulate experience and understand the intensity of the competition. Ten years later, when their cultivation has reached a higher level, it will be their stage to perform.

Among all those who participated in the competition, there were twelve cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining, from various sects and schools.

There are fourteen cultivators at the tenth level of Qi Refining, and George Lam is one of them.

In the Fengkou Casino, George Lam's odds of winning the championship were 1 to 18, which was considered a relatively high odds.

A total of six people from Hunyuan Sect came this time. As relatives and friends of the participating monks, they were allowed to enter the inner field to watch.

The so-called infield is actually the position slightly forward.

(End of this chapter)