Chapter 98:
Entering Chunyang Monastery

 

THE SHEER POWER contained within the name “Yan Wushi” was clear from the reactions of everyone on the scene.

Any one of the five experts who’d ambushed Yan Wushi would have been enough to crush everyone there, let alone Yan Wushi himself—someone who’d gone through that kind of ambush and been declared dead, only to reappear alive and kicking in front of everyone afterward. He’d practically become the kind of monster only heard of in legends.

The innkeeper was a sharp man. When he saw how powerful that single sentence of Zhao Chiying’s was, so much so that it’d frozen everyone in the room, he rushed to nod and bow. “This lowly one forgot,” he said, smiling. “I will tell the chef to send it over right away. Please wait a moment, just a moment!”

Yan Wushi’s fingers caressed the rim of his cup for a moment, but Shen Qiao reached over and held them down. He had seen through his intentions with a glance—he’d done this to stop him.

Though that person had wanted to steal their seats, he hadn’t done any real harm in the end. If Yan Wushi attacked, the man would certainly be injured, if not killed. Then his companions would want revenge. As they needed to hurry along their way, why seek out trouble for themselves?

Yan Wushi gleaned these notions from Shen Qiao’s eyes, and he gave a lazy smile. “I’ll spare him this time, for your sake.”

Earlier, he’d yet to finish what he was saying when that loudmouth impudently interrupted him, and so when he had been stroking his cup, he really had possessed murderous intentions. But now he changed his mind. He sent the cup flying with a featherlight touch, and it buried itself right before Er Deming’s foot, which was still midstep.

Er Deming’s expression had gone stiff the moment he’d heard Yan Wushi’s name. He didn’t move again, and his face was pale and bloodless.

His companion behind him wasn’t blind either—when he saw the situation, he quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Sect Leader Yan, my younger brother is young and ignorant, as well as rude and reckless. We beg you to forgive his offenses.”

Yan Wushi sat completely motionless, calm and composed. Just this was enough that no one doubted his identity. It would take great courage to impersonate the Huanyue Sect Leader. After all, few people in the world could have the guts to offend practically every single major sect as he did, all while those offended sects were unable to do anything to him.

When everyone else saw Er Deming’s bearded face described with the words “young and ignorant,” they all fought to restrain their laughter.

“Young and ignorant?” Yan Wushi repeated the description, his tone meaningful. “But this venerable one sees a big, burly man. Is he mentally lacking, perhaps? Not right in the head?”

“Pfft!” Immediately, there were people who couldn’t hold back their laughter.

“What did you say—” Er Deming was about to explode, but his older brother sealed his acupoints and grabbed his shoulders, stopping him from moving. Then he smiled apologetically at Yan Wushi. “That’s right, my little brother is indeed mentally ill. Sect Leader Yan is a magnanimous man; please do not sink to his level!”

This man was the Taohua Pier Master who’d submitted to Hehuan Sect. They’d been flourishing in the jianghu as of late, but he still knew whom he could and couldn’t afford to trifle with. Right now, it looked like Hehuan Sect had suppressed Huanyue Sect, crushing what momentum they had and greatly diminishing Huanyue Sect’s power within the demonic discipline. But a starving camel was still larger than a horse. If they angered Yan Wushi—never mind whether or not Hehuan Sect would actually step up to help the two brothers—they’d first have to pay with their humble lives today.

Yan Wushi appeared to have seen through his thoughts. He gave a small smile, and the Taohua Pier Master instantly felt his hair stand on end.

“Since he has mental problems, he should stay home properly instead of running amok outside and offending others in your stead. With him like this, you must be exhausted.”

The corners of the pier master’s mouth twitched, but he was forced to agree. “Sect Leader Yan is right. This one will discipline him once we get back and command him to reflect on himself. I will be sure to not let him out so carelessly again!”

Now that he’d finished speaking, he was terrified that Yan Wushi might change his mind. He ignored the way his brother was practically boring a hole through him with his stare and quickly dragged the man away.

They’d rolled in like fire or wind, rash and reckless, and only a moment later they were fleeing in disarray. The sheer contrast caused everyone on the scene to glance at each other.

Shen Qiao shook his head. In truth, few people had noticed that when Yan Wushi had sent the cup flying, a tiny shard of porcelain had broken off, which struck right at one of Er Deming’s acupoints. The location was so tricky, they probably wouldn’t be able to unseal it themselves. Perhaps they’d even have to return to look for Yan Wushi.

“If they return to look for you, would you actually unseal the acupoint for them?” Shen Qiao asked. “Why do something so excessive?”

Yan Wushi smiled. “They won’t look for me—they’ll go crying to Hehuan Sect. That way, won’t it save me the trouble of searching for them?”

Right after saying this, he rose from his seat. Before everyone else could regain their senses, Yan Wushi had already gracefully slipped away. They all assumed that he’d gone to chase after the group from Taohua Pier, and they couldn’t help but lament over their misfortune. Why did that group choose to offend this fiend, of all people?

Despite this, due to the arrogant impression Er Deming had left on everyone, some were secretly pleased.

After the meal, the youthful Fan Yuanbai and Zhou Yexue felt somewhat restless. The two informed Zhao Chiying that they were going out on a stroll together. Zhou Yexue also invited Li Qingyu, only to unexpectedly receive a cold rejection. He said he wanted to train in his house, and Zhou Yexue found herself embarrassed. Unable to let go of her pride for the time being, she left with a sullen expression.

Zhao Chiying hadn’t known of Yan Wushi’s plans. When she saw that he didn’t return, she couldn’t help her confusion. “Where did Sect Leader Yan go?”

“He has other matters to attend to,” said Shen Qiao. “He won’t be traveling with us anymore.”

Zhao Chiying nodded. Her heart was already heavy with worries, so she didn’t have the mind to ask further.

Though Hehuan Sect and the Buddhist discipline were rather influential these days, most sects were unwilling to associate themselves with either faction. Hehuan Sect had a terrible reputation, and though the Buddhist sects had Buddhist Master Xueting and the Zhou Dynasty standing behind them, the Daoist sects, especially major ones like Chunyang Monastery, could never seek influence and connections through them. Thus, the Sword Trial Conference was incredibly timely—as soon as they heard the news, many people hurried there from all over. A fair number of rising stars wanted to use this chance to make a name for themselves. Meanwhile, the various sect leaders, being more experienced and reserved, were considering forming an alliance with Chunyang Monastery to avoid the instant annihilation Zhongnan Sect had suffered.

Having endured that tragic crisis, Bixia Sect had fallen greatly in strength, and they were currently very weak. Zhao Chiying didn’t aspire to crush everyone present, but she’d been troubled by the lack of talent at the sect for a while. Hence, she hoped to put on a stunning performance at the Sword Trial Conference and give Bixia Sect’s reputation a thunderous boost. This would allow them to restore their strength. But as for how to make this wish come true, they’d need to consider and discuss the matter further.

Fan Yuanbai and Zhou Yexue were only average martial artists—this was easy to see by simply contrasting them to Li Qingyu. He was around the same age they were, yet he’d already entered the ranks of first-rate martial artists. Given some time, he was sure to achieve great things. Zhao Chiying couldn’t help but envy Yi Pichen’s good fortune once more.

As a sect with some amount of history, Bixia Sect didn’t lack for profound martial arts techniques. What they lacked was workable talent capable of comprehending such profound martial arts.

An entire day flashed by as Zhao Chiying remained inundated by thoughts and concerns. Early the next morning, everyone washed up, headed downstairs to eat, then set off for Qingcheng Mountain.

This time, they didn’t make any further stops during their journey but arrived at Qingcheng Town, at the base of Qingcheng Mountain, in one push.

The town was already packed full of martial artists on account of the Sword Trial Conference. Chunyang Monastery had sent people to Qingcheng Town to wait to receive them. Upon seeing guests, they’d ask for sect and background and enter it into the registry before escorting them up the mountain, group by group. But there were simply too many people; the scale was beyond their expectations. Many people were forced to line up outside the mountain gates to wait their turn.

Li Qingyu brought Shen Qiao and the others to that gate, then rapped his sheath against the desk to alert the person sitting there, hunched over and writing.

The man raised his head, then gasped and quickly stood. “Li-shidi, you’ve returned!”

It wasn’t just him; the nearby Chunyang Monastery disciples responsible for receiving guests all walked over to greet Li Qingyu.

Li Qingyu cupped his hands. “Zhao-shixiong, Cao-shixiong. Is Shizun on the mountain?”

“He is,” said Zhao-shixiong. “The representatives from Linchuan Academy and Kuaji Commandery’s Wang family have both arrived. The abbot is currently entertaining them himself.”

Li Qingyu nodded. Without another word, he led their party right through the mountain gates.

Zhao-shixiong quickly stopped him. “Li-shidi, who are the ones with you? Please report their sect, that way I can register them. This is my responsibility, so I ask for Shidi’s understanding.”

Li Qingyu had made great achievements in martial arts. Now, he was already implicitly a leader for Chunyang Monastery’s younger generation, so even those two shixiong had to treat him with utmost politeness. Unfortunately, while his martial prowess was incredible, his interpersonal skills were somewhat lacking.

Li Qingyu gave a slight frown. “They’re the guests that Shizun asked me to bring.”

The clear implication was, “There is no need for you to know any more than that.”

Shen Qiao could tell that he was about to upset them, so he spoke up first. “This is Bixia Sect Leader Zhao, and the two behind her are her disciples. This humble Daoist is Shen Qiao, a wandering priest.”

Zhao-shixiong showed little reaction to “Bixia Sect,” but his expression shifted when he heard the name “Shen Qiao.” “May I ask if it’s Daoist Master Shen from Xuandu Mountain?”

Shen Qiao nodded. “Indeed.”

Zhao-shixiong quickly cupped his hands, his face seeming to glow. “So, it was Daoist Master Shen! This one was disrespectful. Please enter, Daoist Master Shen and our respected guests. I will send someone ahead to report to Shizun!”

“Zhao-shixiong, I can take Daoist Master Shen and the others up the mountain myself.”

Zhao-shixiong smiled. “Li-shidi may not know that Shizun left instructions earlier: if we were to see Daoist Master Shen and Sect Leader Zhao, we must send someone to tell him so that his esteemed self can personally greet them. You can take them there via the main path; they can admire the scenery on the way there. I’ll send someone along the side path with a report to Shizun.”

Though he said, “Daoist Master Shen and Sect Leader Zhao,” anyone could tell that his courtesies were entirely directed at Shen Qiao. But as Zhao Chiying possessed a calm and steady mentality, she felt no dissatisfaction at this.

When he heard that it was Shizun’s instructions, Li Qingyu naturally said no more.

The people waiting in line saw how they’d been given priority for entering the mountain after only a few words with Chunyang Monastery’s disciples, and they inevitably raised a clamor. “We’ve been waiting here for a long time. So we’re less important just because they have personal connections? If you don’t understand even the courtesy of ‘first come first served,’ why is Chunyang Monastery even holding a Sword Trial Conference?”

Zhao-shixiong acted neither haughty nor apologetic. “The good brother has misunderstood. Chunyang Monastery isn’t holding the Sword Trial Conference; we’re simply lending our venue to Liuli Palace so they can. We are also only here to assist with maintaining order. Since you’ve come to Qingcheng Mountain, you must follow our rules. As for these guests just now, one of them is Xuandu Mountain’s Daoist Master Shen, while another is Bixia Sect Leader Zhao. The third is our own sect’s Li Qingyu-shidi. Li-shidi is under Shizun’s orders to personally take those honored guests up the mountain. If you have any dissatisfaction, please wait until you meet with my shizun, then you can tell his esteemed self in person.”

Qingcheng Mountain’s Li Qingyu. The name of this rising star had long been renowned throughout the land. First, he’d dueled the sect leader Yu Ai on Xuandu Mountain, and though he’d lost by a single move, his fame had exploded. Afterward, he wandered the jianghu and fought first-rate experts like Duan Wenyang. Though he hadn’t won all his battles, he was good enough to match his opponents. When one considered his age, these were incredible, shocking achievements. Nowadays, the name “Li Qingyu” resounded within the jianghu, bright and clear, not much inferior to the world’s top ten. Countless unmarried maidens and powerful jianghu families all saw this young and promising disciple of Chunyang Monastery as an ideal future husband or son-in-law.

However, if the mention of Li Qingyu’s name only made people gasp in understanding, it was Shen Qiao’s name that shook their expressions entirely. First in disbelief, then some looked on with shining eyes, just like Zhao-shixiong. Naturally, no one complained about Shen Qiao’s party being given priority anymore.

In the past half year or so, he’d done many things: killed the man with a fetish for making human-skin masks, Huo Xijing, and sent Kunye to the underworld with his sword on Mount Tai. After Yuwen Xian had entrusted his orphaned son to him, he’d also fought his way out of a heavy siege and brought Yuwen Song to safety, even killing two elders from Hehuan Sect. As news of these events gradually spread, his current reputation had grown to be no less than Li Qingyu’s—in fact, it was even greater than when he’d still been the sect leader of Xuandu Mountain.

Though there were also people who didn’t trust these reports of Shen Qiao’s abilities, thinking that most of the rumors had been exaggerated, some of these incidents had happened in full view of the public such as Shen Qiao fighting his way out of Chang’an as well as him beating back Yu Ai and the others in the royal capital of Tuyuhun. There were quite a few witnesses to these events.

Today, Hehuan Sect was tremendously influential, and they’d crushed many sects and weaker wandering martial artists to the point of misery. As a result, everyone greatly revered and admired Shen Qiao, who had both the ability and courage to oppose Hehuan Sect. Shen Qiao didn’t know that during this time, his fame had been rising day by day—the wretched image he’d had in the past had long since vanished completely. Though Liuli Palace had yet to release their rankings, rumors that Shen Qiao’s martial arts had recovered completely had been circulating the jianghu for some time. It would be no great upset if he ascended to the top ten rankings.

As Yan Wushi constantly kept track of news from outside through a mutual exchange of information, he naturally knew of these changes. But on Mount Tai, Shen Qiao had remained singularly focused on his own training and on teaching his disciples, thus isolating him from the dust of the mortal world. So he naturally had no idea.

Li Qingyu truly made for a rather poor guide. As he led Shen Qiao and the others up the mountain, he’d offer explanations of the scenery they saw, yet he lacked eloquence, and his explanations were also dull, flat, and without any embellishment whatsoever. The listeners couldn’t help but wish to cover their ears—just viewing the scenery by themselves would have made for better entertainment.

It was one thing for Shen Qiao and Zhao Chiying, whose profound discipline and cultivation meant that they’d never forget their manners, but by the time they reached Chunyang Monastery, neither Zhou Yexue nor Fan Yuanbai could hide their expressions of abject misery nor their sighs of relief that it was over.

A middle-aged man dressed in Daoist garb was standing in the monastery square in front of an incense burner. His hair was as black as ink, and he held a horsetail whisk in one hand. Behind him stood several disciples—it wasn’t a small welcoming party.

The man in front was, of course, Chunyang Abbot Yi Pichen.

Shen Qiao swept a glance over them and recognized a familiar face behind Yi Pichen: Linchuan Academy’s Zhan Ziqian. Zhan Ziqian had also spotted Shen Qiao; he cupped his hands at him and smiled.

Shen Qiao inclined his head toward him, sending a small smile in greeting.

Li Qingyu quickly came forward and gave the deepest of bows. “Shizun, this disciple has returned!”

“No need for courtesies, Mingchen. This trip has been hard on you.” Yi Pichen intimately called his beloved disciple by his courtesy name as he pulled him up. Then he walked over and cupped his hands at Shen Qiao and Zhao Chiying. “Daoist Master Shen and Sect Leader Zhao have come a great distance,” he said with a smile. “You’ve graced our humble monastery with your brilliant presence. This humble Daoist is greatly honored and wishes to invite you inside for a chat.”

With Yi Pichen’s current status, his coming out to receive them personally was an incredible show of respect. Zhao Chiying had even been worried that he’d snub them. While her own personal reputation wasn’t an issue, the reputation of Bixia Sect was. Now, as she witnessed Yi Pichen’s exemplary conduct, the complete opposite of Li Qingyu’s brusqueness, she couldn’t help but silently praise his generosity.

After everyone exchanged their pleasantries, Yi Pichen formally introduced Zhan Ziqian to them.

Zhan Ziqian held a fairly high position within Linchuan Academy, but the sect’s most favored disciple was Xie Xiang, who hadn’t appeared this time. Ruyan Kehui had only sent Zhan Ziqian as his representative, which was enough to indicate a certain attitude.

Yi Pichen led Shen Qiao and the others inside. There they saw that several others were already seated within.

“These are the second and third young masters of Kuaji Commandery’s Wang family,” said Yi Pichen.

The two young men didn’t rise from their seats but only raised their sleeves a little in greeting.

They’d been speaking with Yi Pichen earlier, but when news came that Shen Qiao’s group had arrived, only Zhan Ziqian and Yi Pichen had left to welcome them. It was obvious that the Wang family found neither Bixia Sect nor Shen Qiao worthy of association. Their contempt was crystal clear.