156: What's the point of Chapter 156?

Elder Wu of Medicine King Valley.

His expression was grim as his gaze swept over those few Qinglan Sword Sect Disciples, and he said coldly,

"What? You want to start something?"

As his gaze swept over them, those Disciples felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, and they couldn't help but retreat a few steps.

Elder Wu snorted and looked at the surrounded Medicine King Valley Disciple.

"What's going on?"

That Disciple hurriedly said,

"Elder, according to your instructions, I was first treating the wounded from Jinyang Sect and Qingxin Pavilion."

"These people... these people insisted on cutting the line."

Elder Wu frowned and looked at the Qinglan Sword Sect Disciples.

"Where are your Qinglan Sword Sect wounded?"

A Qinglan Sword Sect Disciple pointed to a patch of ruins not far away.

A dozen or so wounded lay there; some were moaning, some were unconscious, and others had faces as pale as paper.

Elder Wu glanced over and said indifferently,

"They are indeed seriously injured."

"But on Jinyang Sect's side, there are more wounded, and their injuries are more severe. You will have to wait."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

Just then, a voice came from behind the crowd.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, why such a hurry?"

Everyone turned around to see a middle-aged man striding forward.

It was Elder Gao, the Golden Core Elder of the Qinglan Sword Sect. He was the very one who had abandoned his post earlier for the sake of a Storage Pouch.

He walked up to Elder Wu and said with a fake smile,

"Fellow Daoist Wu, my Qinglan Sword Sect has quite a few wounded as well."

"Isn't your 'first come, first served' rule a bit too rigid?"

Elder Wu looked at him and said coldly,

"Does Fellow Daoist Gao have any brilliant insights?"

Elder Gao smiled.

"I wouldn't dare claim to have brilliant insights. It's just that the wounded of my Qinglan Sword Sect were also injured while resisting the Demonic Cult."

"Since Medicine King Valley has come to deliver medicine, you should treat everyone equally, shouldn't you?"

Elder Wu said,

"Treat everyone equally?"

"Fellow Daoist Gao, do you know how many wounded Jinyang Sect has? Three thousand two hundred. How many does Qingxin Pavilion have? One thousand seven hundred. And your Qinglan Sword Sect? Eight hundred."

He paused, his voice turning even colder.

"Jinyang Sect's fallen Disciples already exceed two thousand."

"Qingxin Pavilion has eight hundred fallen."

"And your Qinglan Sword Sect? Three hundred."

"Who is more severely wounded, and who has lost more? Do you not have a clue in your heart?"

Elder Gao's expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, those words are incorrect."

"Casualties aren't just calculated by head count."

"Although my Qinglan Sword Sect has fewer casualties, every single one of them is an elite."

"If these elites die due to a lack of medicine, the impact on the upcoming battle will be far greater than those ordinary Disciples of the Jinyang Sect."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding Jinyang Sect Disciples immediately erupted in anger.

"What did you say?!"

"What do you mean by 'ordinary Disciples'?!"

"Are the lives of my Jinyang Sect not lives?!"

Elder Wu's face also darkened.

"Fellow Daoist Gao,"

He said word by word.

"Those words of yours go too far."

Elder Gao, however, didn't care at all and continued.

"Too far? I'm just telling the truth."

"Fellow Daoist Wu, I won't make things difficult for you."

"How about this: give half of the Medicinal Pills to my Qinglan Sword Sect, and I'll leave immediately. Otherwise..."

He didn't finish, but his hand was already resting on the hilt of his sword.

Elder Wu laughed out of extreme anger.

"Otherwise? Otherwise what? You actually want to fight?"

Elder Gao gave a cold sneer and said nothing.

The two were in a standoff, the atmosphere tense to the extreme.

The surrounding Disciples retreated one after another, fearing they would be swept up in the conflict.

Li Changsheng stood in the crowd, watching this scene with mixed emotions.

Is this the Righteous Path?

The Demonic Cult hasn't even been repelled yet, and their own people are already starting internal strife.

For the sake of Medicinal Pills and who is "more important," they could actually say things like "ordinary Disciples."

Those Jinyang Sect Disciples, those ordinary Disciples who fought desperately on the battlefield—were their lives worth so little in Elder Gao's eyes?

He clenched his fists, then relaxed them.

Just then, an aged voice came from a distance.

"Enough."

Everyone turned around to see the Elder Matriarch Pavilion Master of Qingxin Pavilion walking over step by step, leaning on her staff.

Behind her followed several Golden Core female cultivators of Qingxin Pavilion.

When Elder Gao saw her, his expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly bowed.

"Pavilion Master."

Elder Wu also bowed.

"Pavilion Master."

The Elder Matriarch Pavilion Master walked between the two, her gaze sweeping over them before finally landing on Elder Gao.

"Fellow Daoist Gao,"

She spoke slowly.

"This old woman heard everything you just said."

Elder Gao's expression shifted.

The Elder Matriarch Pavilion Master continued.

"You said the Jinyang Sect Disciples are 'ordinary Disciples' and that their lives are worthless."

"Then let this old woman ask you: if those standing here today were Disciples of your Qinglan Sword Sect, would you still say such things?"

Elder Gao's lips moved, but he said nothing.

The Elder Matriarch Pavilion Master sighed.

"The Demonic Cult has not retreated, yet internal strife has begun. Are you worthy of those Disciples who died in battle?"

She turned around and looked at Elder Wu.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, regarding the matter of the Medicinal Pills, this old woman has a suggestion."

Elder Wu hurriedly said,

"Please speak, Pavilion Master."

The Elder Matriarch Pavilion Master said,

"Medicinal Pills are limited; that is a fact. But unfair distribution will only exacerbate the conflict."

"How about this: each Sect will receive Medicinal Pills according to the proportion of their wounded."

"The Qinglan Sword Sect has eight hundred wounded, which is thirteen percent of the total wounded, so they will receive thirteen percent of the Medicinal Pills."

"The same goes for Jinyang Sect and Qingxin Pavilion."

"In this way, while not everyone may be satisfied, it is at least fair."

Elder Wu pondered for a moment and then nodded.

"The Pavilion Master is wise. We shall do as the Pavilion Master says."

Elder Gao's expression flickered, but in the end, he also nodded.

"Fine, we shall do as the Pavilion Master says."

The internal strife was temporarily quelled.

But Li Changsheng knew that the rift had grown even deeper.

He watched as the Medicine King Valley Disciples began distributing the pills, noting how they prioritized the Jinyang Sect wounded and how their pace noticeably quickened when they passed by the Qinglan Sword Sect wounded.

Among the Qinglan Sword Sect wounded, some showed resentment in their eyes, some grumbled in low voices, and some simply closed their eyes, pretending not to see.

Li Changsheng walked over, squatted beside a wounded man, and began helping him with his bandages.

The wounded man glanced at him and suddenly said,

"Are you that... Li Changsheng?"

Li Changsheng nodded.

The wounded man sighed and said,

"I've heard of you. At the Exchange Meeting, you brought honor to our Qinglan Sword Sect."

"But tell me, for what are we fighting so desperately?"

Li Changsheng did not speak.

The wounded man continued,

"I was originally Cultivating peacefully in the Sect when I was suddenly sent here as reinforcements."

"As soon as I arrived, it was nothing but battle, and battle leads to injury."

"I finally waited for the people from Medicine King Valley, only for them to save the Jinyang Sect people first."

"I've been lying here for half the day, and all I got was you, a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, to bandage me."

He gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"For what? I really don't know."

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment before saying softly,

"To survive."

The wounded man was stunned for a moment, then he laughed.

"To survive... yes, surviving is the most important thing."

He closed his eyes and spoke no more.

Li Changsheng continued bandaging; his movements were steady, but his heart was in turmoil.

For what?

He was also asking himself.

From Qinghe Town to the Qinglan Sword Sect, from Qi Refining Level 1 to the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, he had been working hard to become stronger.

He thought that by becoming stronger, he could protect those he wanted to protect.

He thought that by joining a Sect, he would have something to rely on.

But what about now?

A Sect Elder could disregard allies for the sake of a Storage Pouch.

For the sake of Medicinal Pills, he could say things like "ordinary Disciples."

And those ordinary Disciples, those who were truly risking their lives on the battlefield, were questioning "for what" they were fighting.

He remembered Zhou Yuan's unwilling eyes before he died.

He remembered the Elderly Sect Master of Jinyang Sect's words about "being cannon fodder for your Qinglan Sword Sect."

He remembered the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley's helpless sigh.

He remembered the question from the wounded man just now.

For what?

He suddenly realized that he couldn't answer.