Chapter 92: On the Verge of Tears.

The scenery of the Sacred Sect was no less magnificent than those ethereal ancient forests deep in the mountains; here, everything was filled with vigor and vitality. Being within it, one could feel the pulse of life itself.

Lin Fan gazed at the five weed-removal workers he had carefully selected, feeling quite satisfied. He firmly believed that as long as he persisted, the Nameless Peak would surely shine with brilliance.

Within the Sacred Sect, Lin Fan had somewhat of a reputation, though certainly not a fearsome one. Among the sect disciples, many thought he might simply be an idiot.

Have you ever seen someone foolish enough to sit motionless on a rock for ten whole days?

Probably not, yet such a person indeed existed—this very person was the one who had been granted a peak by the Sect Leader, the one now residing on the Nameless Peak.

As for the indifferent, even disapproving glances from those around him, Lin Fan paid them no heed.

As for Zhang Er Gou and the others, they now strutted proudly, thoroughly enjoying the attention they were receiving from the crowd.

Just look! When had they ever been this noticed within the sect?

Look at the expressions in their eyes—those were looks of envy and jealousy…

It didn’t take much thinking to realize it was all because of their “leader.” After all, a leader is a leader; wherever he went, he radiated brilliance, dazzling the masses.

Zhang Er Gou began to regret his decision—he should have asked for more earlier. With such a powerful figure around, would that person dare to act recklessly against him?

From now on, he would be a peak disciple, a follower of the Most Honorable Elders. How could such a lowly servant status possibly suit him anymore?

Thinking of this, Zhang Er Gou lifted his head even higher, wearing an expression that screamed, “I’m awesome.”

Gradually, time passed—no one knew exactly how long.

Zhang Er Gou began to feel tired. He saw their leader still walking ahead, wanting to ask a question but hesitating, unsure how much longer their destination was.

Moreover, Zhang Er Gou slowly sensed something was off.

Which peak were they heading towards?

At present, the Sacred Sect was known for ten peaks: nine were controlled by the Most Honorable Elders, while the tenth was directly overseen by the Sect Leader.

But according to their current direction—northwest—could there be another peak there that he didn’t know about?

Gradually, the bustling scenery disappeared.

Weeds began to sprout along the roadside, and the once neatly paved brick path transformed into a steep, rugged stone trail.

“Leader, where exactly are we going?” Zhang Er Gou asked cautiously, fearing his impertinent question might displease their leader.

“Almost there, just ahead,” Lin Fan replied, pointing toward a towering mushroom-shaped peak in the distance.

Following Lin Fan’s gesture, Zhang Er Gou and the others looked up—and their faces instantly turned pale.

This was completely different from what they had anticipated.

“Lea… Leader,” Zhang Er Gou stammered, his voice trembling, “this mountain… this is the Nameless Peak, right? Isn’t it completely uninhabited?”

“Indeed,” Lin Fan smiled, “but it’s not called the Nameless Peak anymore—it’s now the Holy Demon Peak, granted to me by the Sect Leader. From now on, I will establish the Holy Demon Sect here.”

His eyes gleamed with a sense of pride as he added, “You all are the very first group of weeding disciples of the Holy Demon Sect. Once the Holy Demon Sect grows strong, you will be among its founding generation.”

“Ahhh…” Zhang Er Gou was stunned. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t at all what he had imagined. Wasn’t he supposed to be heading to one of the grand peaks?

How did it end up like this?

Staring at the dense, dilapidated stone steps before him, Zhang Er Gou suddenly realized he might be in serious trouble.

At the same time, the others who had followed Lin Fan began recalling a certain legend about the Nameless Peak.

It was said that the Sect Leader had granted the Nameless Peak to a fool who sat motionless on a stone, claiming he would establish a sect there.

Could this “fool” in the legend actually be the very “great figure” they had followed here?

In an instant, everyone’s expressions darkened—except for Zhang Er Gou’s. If that were truly the case, then they had been scammed.

Among the servant disciples, although they weren’t in the highest ranks, they at least had shelter, clothes, and food. With a bit of effort, they might even become outer sect disciples.

But now, following this man up the mountain meant everything would change.

There would be no place to live, no clothes to wear, no food to eat—it would all depend on themselves. The more they thought about it, the more they felt tricked.

What were they even doing here? If they had known beforehand, they would never have come.

“Alright, follow me,” Lin Fan said cheerfully, unaware of their expressions. Secretly, he was delighted. Once they reached the peak, he wouldn’t have to worry about them running off.

Coming was easy—but leaving wouldn’t be. Not until the work was done would they be allowed to go.

“Ow, Leader, my stomach hurts so badly—I need to find a restroom right away!” One of them suddenly cried out, clutching his stomach in pain.

Lin Fan looked slightly surprised, about to tell him to go ahead when another voice rang out.

“Ow, Leader, I just remembered—I left something important back at my old place. Wait for me, Leader, I’ll come right back once I get it!”

…

Lin Fan’s mind exploded with frustration. These guys were trying to pull a fast one on him—this… this was ridiculous.

As he was about to stop them, the other four, excluding Zhang Er Gou, turned around and fled like the wind.

Come on, who would choose to stay here instead of remaining a servant disciple? Zhang Er Gou must have had ulterior motives. They had thought this was some great opportunity, but it turned out to be hard labor.

If they truly followed this man up the mountain, they’d regret it for the rest of their lives.

“You guys…” Zhang Er Gou stood there, stunned, watching the four run off faster than dogs, his body trembling as he wanted desperately to shout.

Take me with you too!

But just then, he suddenly felt a chilling gaze fall upon him, causing his entire body to shudder.

“Oh, how could these guys just run off like that? Leader, please don’t be angry. I’ll go catch them right away!” Zhang Er Gou said fiercely.

Yet just as he was about to move, a soft, eerie voice reached his ears.

“Forget it. Let them go. Don’t chase them. If you return, I won’t be able to protect you anymore,” Lin Fan said calmly, though with a hint of helplessness. Still, he had Zhang Er Gou completely under his thumb.

Zhang Er Gou froze, suddenly recalling that when he left, he had arrogantly shown off in front of his enemies. If he returned now, wouldn’t he be beaten to a pulp?

Realizing this, Zhang Er Gou shivered and smiled brightly at Lin Fan, “Right, right, you’re absolutely right, Leader. Let them go. I’m still here, Second Dog is still here.”

“Good. Let’s go,” Lin Fan nodded.

At that moment, standing in place and watching Lin Fan’s back, Zhang Er Gou suddenly felt like dying.

What a disaster this was. He must have dug up his ancestors’ graves, and not even green smoke came out—only black smoke.

Zhang Er Gou was now utterly heartbroken, only able to hold back his tears and follow behind Lin Fan.