Amidst the sea of sycophantic flattery, Meng Hao walked straight toward the plaza.
By this time, quite a few disciples were already waiting there.
Upon seeing Meng Hao arrive, they immediately cupped their fists and bowed, their sycophantic voices instantly filling the air.
Meng Hao nodded slightly. Sweeping Zhao Hai along with him, he leaped onto the high platform atop the stone pillar in the plaza.
This was not his first time standing here, but it was the first time he stood here to distribute pills.
He swept his gaze over the crowd below, seeing eyes filled with admiration and reverence.
Gradually, Meng Hao's vision blurred. He remembered the year he had first come to this plaza; he remembered Wang Tengfei's arrogant humiliation, and he remembered many other things.
“Ring the bell!”
A moment later, Meng Hao took a deep breath and gave the order.
The tolling of the bell rang out, resonating within Meng Hao's heart and echoing throughout the Reliance Sect.
Soon after, Meng Hao saw a crowd of disciples running over from the distance.
Before long, the plaza was packed with Outer Sect disciples.
When the crowd saw Meng Hao on the high platform, they were startled and quickly cupped their fists, bowing in salute.
Among the crowd, the fatty was beaming with self-satisfaction, picking his teeth with a flying sword.
Beside him stood quite a few disciples, every single one of them fawning over him.
“Senior Brother Meng is distributing the pills again! Ah, I remember when he was just an Outer Sect disciple like us, yet today, he is already an Inner Sect disciple.”
“Senior Brother Meng has such an elegant demeanor. I heard he was once a scholar who even passed the imperial examinations, but he abandoned his official career to devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivation and join the Reliance Sect.”
“Now that you mention it, the very first time I met Senior Brother Meng back then, I already felt he was extraordinary.”
“Even during his battle with Wang Tengfei, I knew Senior Brother Meng would win.”
These murmurs and whispers drifted across the plaza, spreading in all directions. As they fell into Meng Hao's ears, he cleared his throat with a light cough.
That single, soft cough instantly silenced most of the Outer Sect disciples below. They all looked up respectfully at Meng Hao, who stood clad in a silver robe, looking like an immortal bathed in a faint, ethereal glow.
Among the crowd, Meng Hao spotted Zhou Kai looking on with a complicated expression, as well as Yin Tianlong, who forced a silent, wry smile. There were also several disciples at the fourth level of Qi Condensation, all of whom now looked at Meng Hao with instinctively fawning eyes.
Meng Hao even saw Cao Yang standing there, trembling with fear.
“Today, I, Meng, am distributing the pills. All fellow disciples should cultivate diligently and reach the seventh level as soon as possible.”
“I, Meng, look forward to that day, the day when our Reliance Sect will have even more Inner Sect disciples.”
Meng Hao spoke calmly.
He had originally been a scholar, so he naturally possessed a certain eloquence. Speaking effortlessly without any preparation, an invisible pressure settled over the hearts of everyone below.
This pressure did not stem from Meng Hao's cultivation, but from his status as an Inner Sect disciple.
“Senior Brother Meng's teachings are absolutely correct! We, your junior brothers, will engrave your words upon our hearts!”
Immediately, someone cried out, their face flushed with excitement as if they had just heard heavenly music, bowing repeatedly in obeisance.
Others quickly followed suit. A chorus of voices echoed across the plaza, making the scene appear quite harmonious at first glance.
Meng Hao took the storage bag from the attendant, opened it, and gave it a forceful sweep.
Instantly, a shower of medicinal pills and spirit stones flew out, landing right before everyone's eyes.
Next, he raised his right hand and retrieved an ivory-white pill from the bag.
A white mist swirled around the pill, and a rich medicinal fragrance diffused from it, glowing as if with the light of dawn.
"That... that's a White Spirit Pill!"
"This pill is highly effective for those at or below the fourth level of Qi Condensation. It hasn’t been seen in a long time, yet it has appeared once more today!"
Instantly, the breathing of everyone in the square grew heavy, their eyes locked onto the pill in Meng Hao’s hand.
Meng Hao swept his gaze over the crowd below.
Fatty grinned. He was no stranger to the White Spirit Pill; he even had a few in his own storage pouch, all gifts from Meng Hao.
"As you all know, this pill is extraordinary. I originally intended to bestow it upon a suitable disciple, but this Meng has always valued old friendships. Having just spotted an old acquaintance, I shall give it to him instead."
Meng Hao’s gaze settled on Cao Yang. Cao Yang instantly began to tremble all over.
With a flick of Meng Hao’s right hand, the medicinal pill shot straight toward him.
"I'm finished. This time, I’ll probably end up severely injured and bedridden for months," Cao Yang wailed inwardly, looking on the verge of tears.
Only now did he realize just how deeply Meng Hao held a grudge. Despite having risen to the status of an inner sect disciple, he still clearly remembered their past grievances.
The tension in the square gradually dissipated. Meng Hao flicked his sleeve, turned, and walked away, paying no heed to the scramble unfolding behind him.
Fatty quickly scurried over to Meng Hao's side, his face beaming with smug satisfaction. He even shot a warning glare at Zhao Hai, gesturing for him to keep his distance, as if terrified that Zhao Hai might usurp his position. Only then did he contentedly fall into step beside Meng Hao.
"Senior Brother Meng, shall we take a stroll around the outer sect?"
Fatty looked at Meng Hao expectantly, in much the same way Meng Hao had once looked at Senior Sister Xu.
Recalling the past, Meng Hao smiled and nodded.
The two walked ahead, leaving a dejected Zhao Hai to follow behind in silence.
Not far from the square, they saw Zhou Kai rushing to catch up.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Meng."
Zhou Kai called out hastily, his expression filled with unease and anxiety. Having offended Meng Hao several times in the past, he had initially assumed that Meng Hao, now an inner sect disciple, would carry himself with dignity and overlook past grievances. But after witnessing Cao Yang's fate today, panic had set in, prompting him to rush over.
Meng Hao glanced at Zhou Kai. Before he could speak, Fatty jumped forward and barked:
"What do you want?!"
"A few days ago, this Zhou acquired a treasure. The moment I saw it, I felt it shared a profound destiny with Senior Brother Meng and would suit you perfectly. I respectfully beg Senior Brother Meng to accept it."
Zhou Kai gritted his teeth, reached into his robe, and respectfully offered something to Meng Hao.
The fatty snorted, took it, and then handed it to Meng Hao with a grin.
Meng Hao took the storage bag, swept his eyes over it, and slipped it into his robe. He nodded to Zhou Kai, then turned and walked away, his face expressionless.
Seeing this, Zhou Kai felt helpless, but his heart still sighed with emotion.
“As expected of an Inner Sect disciple. Perhaps these things aren’t to his liking.”
As Meng Hao walked, Yin Tianlong sighed secretly from a distance, but quickly put on a beaming smile and ran over. He also said that he had recently acquired an item that he felt had destiny with Senior Brother Meng, and had intentionally brought it as a gift.
It was also a storage bag, containing fifty spirit stones. Meng Hao took it and frowned slightly.
“We are all fellow disciples. What do past grievances matter? There is no need for this.”
Yin Tianlong was startled, but immediately understood. In his heart, he cursed Zhou Kai for giving so much. Gritting his teeth, he produced another storage bag. Only then did Meng Hao nod.
Along the way, Meng Hao ran into several other people with whom he had past grievances, and it was always the same. Gradually, he accumulated more than a dozen storage bags.
“How was that? Did I do well? I already gave them some pointers earlier. If they want less trouble in the future, they have to bleed a little.” The fatty looked at Meng Hao smugly.
Meng Hao smiled and shook his head. He had felt that something was off today, and had already guessed what the fatty had been up to for the past two weeks.