Duan Zhengchun transmigrates to Yin Zhiping

"Junior Brother Yin, what's wrong?"

In the bamboo forest, looking at Duan Zhengchun who was staring at him expressionlessly, Zhao Zhijing couldn't help but swallow hard and asked nervously.

Duan Zhengchun smiled and slowly approached, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhao Zhijing by the neck, instantly pushing Zhao Zhijing against a cluster of bamboo poles!

With his throat being choked, Zhao Zhijing instantly turned pale as he looked at Duan Zhengchun. He was almost suspended in mid-air, struggling to breathe, his eyes filled with fear!

"Why didn't you help me just now?! Were you trying to use me as a tool to kill your rival?!"

Duan Zhengchun stared intently into Zhao Zhijing's eyes, his gaze filled with murderous intent!

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhijing was speechless for a moment, unsure how to explain.

In fact, Duan Zhengchun had already noticed when Zhao Zhijing and his men left Gumo Town!

Duan Zhengchun knew that Zhao Zhijing had led his men to hide in the bamboo forest earlier!

“I know everything you did and said on your journey to the west! I didn’t bring it up to your face because I was still leaving you some room to maneuver! But you are ungrateful and have repeatedly gone against me!”

"You really think I wouldn't dare kill you?!"

Duan Zhengchun stared at Zhao Zhijing and continued speaking.

He knew everything Zhao Zhijing did from the time he left Zhongnan Mountain, went to Zixia Peak, and then rejoined the team with Liu Chuxuan and the other two!

Besides Lin Zhiyuan, whom he deliberately left in the group, other disciples also told him these things!

After this journey to the west, the prestige of the name "Yin Zhiping" has far surpassed that of before, and many disciples are now completely convinced of his worth.

"Junior Brother Yin... let's talk this out. I admit it's all my fault..."

"But I really didn't mean to target you...and I never intended to hurt you...really..."

Zhao Zhijing was pale and struggled to grab Duan Zhengchun's right hand that was choking his neck, his eyes full of pleading.

"There's something I've never asked you. Before I entered the Western Regions, I met some people from the Jiaolong Gang. Some of them said that the reason we were exposed in the Northern Desert was because of you!"

"Did you already want to get rid of me back then?!"

Duan Zhengchun's face was icy as he asked the question again, gradually increasing the pressure on his right hand.

"No...no...Junior Brother Yin...someone is deliberately framing me..."

"Please, have mercy..."

Zhao Zhijing struggled, shaking his head and wildly trying to pry open Duan Zhengchun's right hand.

Duan Zhengchun squinted, hesitated for a moment, and finally let go.

Upon regaining his freedom, Zhao Zhijing collapsed to the ground with a thud, clutching his neck and gasping for breath, his face ashen.

Duan Zhengchun looked down at Zhao Zhijing, who was slumped on the ground, reached into his waistband, took out a wine gourd, and drank a few mouthfuls.

Zhao Zhijing slowly raised his head, looking at Duan Zhengchun who was drinking in front of him without any restraint, his eyes filled with unfamiliarity.

After swallowing a few sips of wine, Duan Zhengchun looked down at Zhao Zhijing again, his face expressionless.

"I didn't see anything!"

"Also, junior brother, don't be sowed discord by villains. The matter in the northern desert must have been fabricated by someone! If I really wanted to harm you, why would I have gone to such lengths to bring you back to Zhongnan Mountain?"

"Besides, I almost died in the northern desert. If I hadn't risked my life, how could I have made it back alive?!"

Zhao Zhijing quickly averted his gaze and explained loudly with a serious expression.

Duan Zhengchun withdrew his gaze, closed the wine gourd, and walked out while coldly saying, "I have never been interested in any position of sect leader. Don't try to cross my bottom line again, or I really will kill you!"

As he finished speaking, Duan Zhengchun had already walked away into the distance.

Zhao Zhijing finally breathed a sigh of relief, struggled to his feet, and slowly walked out of the bamboo forest. By this time, his whole body was soaked in cold sweat.

...

Aoki Town.

Duan Zhengchun, along with Zhao Zhijing and others, followed the contact mark left by Lin Zhiyuan to this small town not far from the border and entered an inn called Mofeng.

Before entering the town, Duan Zhengchun had already ordered Zhao Zhijing and others to change into local clothes and disguise themselves.

"Brother!"

As soon as I entered the inn, a young man dressed as a peddler immediately stood up from a table and quickly came to greet me.

Lin Zhiyuan.

Duan Zhengchun nodded without saying a word, glanced around, and followed Lin Zhiyuan straight up to the second floor, arriving at the door of a guest room.

Lin Zhiyuan leaned close to the door and gently knocked. Immediately afterward, he heard footsteps coming from inside.

As the door opened, Sun Bu'er appeared in the doorway. Seeing Duan Zhengchun and Zhao Zhijing safely rejoin the group, a relieved smile appeared on his face, and he immediately stepped aside.

Duan Zhengchun led Zhao Zhijing into the guest room and bowed to Liu Chuxuan, who was sitting inside.

Lin Zhiyuan silently closed the door, settled the ten disciples who had returned with him into other guest rooms, and then instructed the innkeeper to prepare some food.

"How is it? Have you found that group of assassins?!"

Upon seeing Duan Zhengchun finally return, Liu Chuxuan immediately stood up and asked him a question.

Duan Zhengchun nodded and said, "Don't worry, Uncle-Master, we've found it and brought it back."

As he spoke, Duan Zhengchun took the wooden box from his pocket and placed it on the table.

He had already hidden his wine gourd in his bag and placed it on his horse's back; Lin Zhiyuan would take care of it for him.

"That's great, you're not hurt, are you? I was worried you might be in danger, so I sent Zhijing with men to chase after you. After all, this is the Western Regions, not the Central Plains."

Liu Chuxuan patted Duan Zhengchun on the shoulder, nodded approvingly, and glanced at Duan Zhengchun and Zhao Zhijing respectively.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Duan Zhengchun smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more. He sat down on the chair next to him, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it silently.

Zhao Zhijing stood silently to the side, his head slightly lowered, not saying a word. His silence was completely unlike his usual reaction.

Liu Chuxuan didn't notice anything amiss. He picked up the wooden box on the table, slowly opened it, and then frowned, his brows furrowed with hesitation.

"Does Master Uncle know what this is? It doesn't look like jewelry, nor is it some kind of elixir. Why would that cult members go to such lengths to kill for it?"

Duan Zhengchun asked a question out of curiosity while drinking his tea.

Liu Chuxuan hesitated for a moment, then turned and handed the wooden box to Sun Bu'er beside him. After a moment's hesitation, he said seriously, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be a relic!"

"This is a sacred Buddhist object. Legend has it that it was formed after a great monk passed away and was burned in a fierce fire. It contains the wisdom and spiritual power of the great monk!"

"The reason that cult members went so far as to commit mass murder to steal this item must be because they have some ulterior motive!"

After taking the wooden box and examining it, Sun Bu'er nodded and said, "Senior brother guessed correctly, this should be a relic!"

Duan Zhengchun said, "Since it is a Buddhist sacred object, what does it have to do with cults? If it is not a rare treasure, what use would they have for it if they went to such lengths to steal it?"

Liu Chuxuan paced back and forth, shaking his head. "Then we don't know. But perhaps we can find the answer to our questions by meeting the eminent monks of Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions."

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengchun frowned and hesitated, asking, "Uncle-Master, have you decided to go to Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions?"

Liu Chuxuan nodded and said slowly, "Since we have already helped Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions retrieve this item, considering the past relationship between Shaolin Temple and Quanzhen Sect, we should personally return it. It is of no use to us if it remains in our hands."

"Moreover, the injured disciples, after days of travel, have not only failed to recover from their injuries, but have shown signs of worsening. They urgently need to rest and recuperate. Perhaps Shaolin Temple would be a good place for them."

"The reason I had everyone disguise themselves as a caravan to secretly find out where the Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions was located was also because I had this intention all along."

"Moreover, we are already far outside the Vajra Sect's sphere of influence, and we will soon reach the border town. They should not be able to pursue us anymore."

Duan Zhengchun frowned slightly but remained silent.

The reason he pursued the cult members was simply because he couldn't stand their brutal killing of Shaolin monks and decided to rid the martial arts world of this scourge. Taking back the relic was just a side matter; he never intended to personally deliver it to Shaolin in the Western Regions.

Moreover, the pursuit by the Vajra Sect will certainly not end there; his mission is to bring all the remaining people back to Zhongnan Mountain alive, and he doesn't want anyone else to lose their lives...