Chapter 63: Being A Senior Brother Isn't Easy

The captain prioritized efficiency, and meetings were no exception.

After Mou Yue finished outlining the internal structure of the Supernatural Revelation Club, its financial schemes, and its combat division's crimes, the captain tapped the table, drawing everyone's attention.

"We won't discuss other evil cultivators here; that will be addressed separately. Organizations that seek to disrupt social order, like this club, will keep resurfacing despite repeated crackdowns. We will have to face this as an ongoing challenge.

"For now, let's focus on the Supernatural Revelation Club, which serves as a representative case. Over the past two years, we've held numerous discussions on the impact of cultivators on public security. This case can be considered a model example, and the way we handle it will serve as a reference for similar situations in the future..."

***

Half an hour later.

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan watched as the high-ranking officials exited one after another. Eventually, only the captain and their small group were left in the conference room.

The mistress turned to them with a gentle smile. "This investigation wouldn't have been possible without your help. I don't even know how to thank you. If you have any requests or thoughts, just let me know."

Mu Wanxuan tugged on Wang Sheng's sleeve, prompting him to speak.

"There's no need for thanks, Mistress," he said. "We're just glad we could help. Besides, the real core members of the Supernatural Revelation Club are still at large. It's too soon to talk about gratitude."

"

Hmm...

That may be true—"

"Mistress," Wang Sheng interjected, "since our junior sister has been rescued, my senior sister and I would like to return to the mountain to cultivate. Taking down criminal organizations is the police's duty. As cultivators, we shouldn't get too involved in these matters."

The captain's brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes. Wang Sheng simply met her gaze with a calm, open, and sincere expression.

"Very well. I respect your decision." Mistress sighed softly and lowered her voice. "But before that, accompany me to see Chi Wen. I... don't know how to face her."

Wang Sheng sighed quietly. Was their mistress really going to hand their junior sister over herself?

Chi Wen had made a grave mistake, and no one could absolve her of it. Still, once their master had emerged from seclusion and learned of all this, what would he think?

Wang Sheng wasn't some impartial judge or a saint. He had come down the mountain to protect his master's daughter. Even at that moment, all he could think of was how to shield her from the consequences.

If blame had to be taken, he would bear it alone.

As they left the interrogation room, their mistress instructed two of her subordinates to retrieve Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan's belongings.

Before Wang Sheng went to Chi Wen's classroom, his hesitation made him leave Abyss Listener behind—a sign that he had underestimated his opponents.

After all, he hadn't expected that the supposedly disbanded upper echelon of the Supernatural Revelation Club would risk an ambush. He couldn't have imagined that Wei Chiyu would have the Three Scrolls of the Medicine God either, which in turn had drawn in two experts from the Yin-Yang Cult.

Inside the interrogation room, Chi Wen sat alone, occasionally brushing back her hair, wiping away tears, or sobbing quietly.

When the door opened and the captain walked in with an icy expression, Chi Wen's composure shattered. She burst into tears and rushed toward her only family member.

But what greeted her was her mother's left hand...

Slap!

The impact left five distinct finger marks on her face.

It wasn't just Chi Wen who was stunned—Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan were caught off guard as well, and the investigators outside the room fell into a brief silence.

"M-Mom...?"

"Now you remember I'm your mother? Do you even realize what you've done?!" the mistress shouted in anger. She raised her hand to strike again, but in the blink of an eye, Chi Wen was gone.

Mu Wanxuan had darted forward, snatching Chi Wen away and carrying her to the corner of the room in an instant.

At the interrogation room entrance, several investigators tensed, ready to intervene to protect their captain.

But Wang Sheng was faster. He stepped forward, blocking the mistress before she could make another move.

"Calm down, Mistress. Please, just take a deep breath. Your daughter was manipulated."

"Manipulated?! She took my money and used it to fund those criminals!"

The moment she erupted, the weight of her pent-up emotions came crashing down. Her eyes reddened as she pointed at Chi Wen.

"I should never have given you that name! Are you really this stupid, or are you just pretending?" Her voice trembled with fury. "Have all your years of education been for nothing? Have you lost your mind from studying?! If not for them, you'd be dead right now! Do you understand that?!"

Chi Wen broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably. Mu Wanxuan held onto her tightly, anxious but unable to find the right words. Wang Sheng also wanted to scold their junior sister, but their mistress's outburst made him step in to mediate instead.

"She was just an ordinary person before this. Her lack of information about cultivation made her an easy target. Mistress, please, just try to calm down."

He subtly gestured toward the investigators outside. Several of the older team members quickly stepped in to defuse the situation.

"Sis Chi, if it weren't for Little Wen, we wouldn't have even noticed the Supernatural Revelation Club, let alone get the chance to make a name for ourselves. She deserves some credit."

"Captain, don't be too hard on the girl. She was a victim too. She was tricked."

Amid their attempts at persuasion, a middle-aged man with a composed expression countered, "That's not entirely true. Yes, Chi Wen is a victim, but she is also a core member of the Supernatural Revelation Club. If she fully cooperates with her interrogation, she might be able to redeem herself. But if she chooses to remain silent..."

"Old Zheng! Chi Wen is a key witness in this case!" someone immediately interrupted.

"And we are the Special Authority Department," Old Zheng argued, stubbornly holding his ground. "We should understand the consequences of misusing privilege more than anyone. This matter must be handled by the book. The captain can advocate for leniency in evaluating her cooperation, but that's the limit."

Before the argument could escalate further, the captain raised her hand, silencing the room. Coldly, she ordered, "Old Zheng, you'll handle Chi Wen's interrogation. I want a report within two hours."

Wang Sheng frowned slightly, but the mistress was already headed for the door. Before leaving, she glanced at Chi Wen one last time. Though her eyes were filled with pain, she simply walked away.

Between duty and family, she had chosen duty.

Wang Sheng felt slightly disappointed. Only now did he realize that she was not quite what he had imagined.

She seemed to be handling the matter by the book, but in reality, her very presence ensured that Chi Wen would not face any serious consequences.

The mistress seemed more concerned about solidifying her authority within the investigation team and demonstrating her stance to her superiors than fulfilling her responsibilities as a mother.

If she had stayed, even if it was just to silently watch Chi Wen undergo interrogation...

Watching her leave in a hurry as if she were fleeing, Wang Sheng felt an even stronger urge to distance himself from all this.

For some reason, he recalled the image of his master standing on the courtyard wall, gazing into the distance.

If a child is not properly taught, the fault lies with the parents.

Chi Wen had been deceived, but their mistress was not without fault. Naturally, their master also bore some responsibility. As a disciple, if he could help their master make amends in some way without harming himself, he'd gladly take the chance.

Outside the interrogation room, the investigators exchanged glances.

Old Zheng exhaled slowly and muttered somewhat guiltily, "I was just stating facts."

"Dude!"

"She's the captain's only daughter, Old Zheng! You're on your own on this one."

"Gentlemen." Wang Sheng stood at the door. In a low tone, he asked, "Could you give me ten minutes alone with Chi Wen? It might help with the case."

"Of course. If you need any assistance, just let us know."

"Thank you."

Wang Sheng closed the interrogation room door, then turned to Chi Wen, who was huddled up and crying in the corner.

"Senior Sister, help her steady her spiritual consciousness and true essence. She needs to calm down first."

Mu Wanxuan nodded. "

Mm.

"

Humming a simple tune that she had once heard on the mountain, she gently patted Chi Wen's back, making warm, soothing qi seep into her.

Surely enough, Chi Wen's emotions soon stabilized. Mu Wanxuan helped her to her feet and guided her to the chair across from Wang Sheng at the interrogation table.

Their conversation, along with everything that transpired, was clearly transmitted to the adjacent monitoring room.

Wang Sheng let out a few compassionate hums as he waited for Chi Wen to raise her head.

"Chi Wen, let me start with something you probably haven't considered. Your school has quite a few Supernatural Revelation Club members, doesn't it?"

Chi Wen bit her lip as she nodded lightly. She looked fragile and pitiful.

"Do you know what's going to happen to them?"

She shook her head, a trace of uncertainty showing in her eyes. She looked drawn in.

Wang Sheng lowered and steadied his voice. "Their fate hasn't been fully decided yet. When they discussed it, my senior sister and I eavesdropped on them.

"The lightest punishment is constant surveillance. From their time in university to adulthood, they'll be unable to escape scrutiny. One of the harsher punishments was stripping them of their cultivation. However, since those two options require considerable effort and resources, another proposal was brought up: manage them collectively. Do you understand what that means?"

Chi Wen froze for a moment before biting her lip again. She shook her head and then stared at Wang Sheng with a conflicted expression.

"That's not possible... You're lying to me..."

"What would I gain from lying to you? I'm only your martial senior brother. We're not particularly close, and I have no ulterior motives." Wang Sheng spread his arms. "Perhaps you don't fully grasp the severity of the Supernatural Revelation Club's crimes. Let me give you a comparable example."

Chi Wen frowned. She pondered for a moment before nodding slightly, showing a willingness to listen.

Wang Sheng explained, "Let's go with firearms. The reason why guns are strictly regulated is that, in the wrong hands, they can easily harm others and endanger lives.

"You and your club members distributed cultivation techniques to anyone who could pay membership fees without considering their character, temperament, or mental issues. Do you understand the consequences of that?

"This is the true crime of your club—it goes far beyond financial fraud. Though it's not my place to pass judgment, it's undeniable. That's why the authorities are willing to consider extreme measures. Think about your classmates, Junior Sister."

Wang Sheng paused, watching as hesitation flicker across Chi Wen's face.

"Wei Chiyu came to kill you. You saw that firsthand. Do you still hold any hope for them? Do you still believe in loyalty? Worse, she risked exposing herself to come after you. That means you have information that poses a significant threat to the true leaders of the Supernatural Revelation Club.

"If you reveal what you know to the authorities, if you help put an end to the club, then you'll get a chance to atone for your actions. And you wouldn't just be saving yourself. You'd be saving your mother. As the captain of the Special Investigation Unit, she's tasked with investigating exactly this type of crime.

"You still have a chance to turn things around. Don't let her down. Think about your classmates, too. They only wanted to cultivate, not commit crimes."

Wang Sheng stood up and then sighed in relief. "I'll go talk to your mother again. If you make up your mind and come clean, I may be able to take you to the mountain to experience what true cultivation really is. While we're at it, you'll get to meet your biological father too."

Chi Wen's lips trembled as she watched Wang Sheng walk away. Covering her mouth, she broke into sobs again.

Wang Sheng gestured to his senior sister, signaling her to stay. He then turned and left the interrogation room.

Outside, he chuckled bitterly and then stood in silence for a while.

Being a senior brother wasn't easy.