Chapter 101:
Shimei

 

THE NEWCOMER WAS DRESSED in plain clothing, yet she was graceful and beautiful beyond compare. Her black hair was pulled into a tall bun and fastened by strings of jade. Shen Qiao wasn’t the only person whose attention was caught—most in attendance had their gazes ensnared by the sudden appearance of this unknown woman, and they all turned their heads in her direction.

She carried a longsword on her back, her spirits high and eyes bright. Yet her gait wasn’t feminine in the slightest, nor did she grow nervous under the onlookers’ gazes. She remained composed and assured, and when she entered together with the disciple from Chunyang Monastery, she swept a glance around. When she saw Shen Qiao, uncontainable surprise first appeared on her face, followed by surprised joy. She didn’t wait for the disciple guiding her to take her to Yi Pichen but instead flew toward Shen Qiao with a tap of her toes.

Shen Qiao had also just stood, and two pairs of eyes stared at each other. The girl darted over like a swallow returning to its nest, and she embraced him tightly.

The gazes of the onlookers instantly gained a peculiar slant.

“Zhangjiao7-shixiong!” The girl was completely unaware of their thoughts, nor did she care. She held him for a long time, until Shen Qiao patted her back. Only then did she let him go.

Hearing this address, Zhao Chiying knew that the girl must be a disciple of Xuandu Mountain: Shen Qiao’s shimei.

Sure enough, Shen Qiao led her over by hand and introduced her to Zhao Chiying. “This is my fifth shimei, Gu Hengbo. Wuniang,8 this is Bixia Sect Leader Zhao.”

In the past, Zhao Chiying had heard that Qi Fengge had five disciples: Tan Yuanchun, Shen Qiao, Yu Ai, Yuan Ying, and Gu Hengbo. There was only one female disciple, who naturally had to be the Gu Hengbo standing in front of her.

Looking at her now, the girl seemed to be carved of cold, noble jade. The aura of an immortal hung about her, lending Gu Hengbo an outstanding demeanor. She was indeed a lovely young lady.

Gu Hengbo and Zhao Chiying looked at one another, then Gu Hengbo laughed. “Your illustrious reputation precedes you, Sect Leader Zhao, though I didn’t expect to meet you here. Wuniang is so fortunate!”

It was clear that she knew her etiquette, but she’d been overcome with excitement when she saw Shen Qiao earlier and had been unable to take anyone else into account.

The two exchanged greetings, then Shen Qiao asked, “Wuniang, when did you arrive? Is Yu Ai here as well?”

Gu Hengbo shook her head. “No, we had a huge argument. I’ve been away from the mountain for a while, and I wasn’t planning to go back in the first place.”

Shen Qiao frowned. “What happened? Did he mistreat you?”

Gu Hengbo pursed her lips into a smile, as if the entire matter was of no importance. “It’s a long story, why don’t we talk about it later? I heard that a Sword Trial Conference was being held here, so I came up the mountain to see for myself. I didn’t expect to meet Zhangmen-shixiong here.”

When Shen Qiao heard her calling him “Zhangmen-shixiong” as before, he felt a great surge of emotion deep within his heart. “Very well. Let me take you to meet Abbot Yi first.”

Gu Hengbo naturally had no objections. She’d entered the sect somewhat late, so there was a significant age gap between her and her shixiong. Being the sect leader, Qi Fengge was incredibly busy, so it was impossible for him to personally guide his disciples each and every day. It had been Tan Yuanchun and Shen Qiao who’d taught Gu Hengbo most of her martial arts, and of the two, Shen Qiao spent more time with her. Therefore, Gu Hengbo treated this shixiong of hers like a brother and father both, and she adored and admired him deeply. They were much closer than the average fellow disciples.

Gu Hengbo was exceptionally beautiful, and many young male disciples couldn’t help but stare. Upon seeing how intimate she was with Shen Qiao, they all developed some misunderstandings, and even Yi Pichen was no exception. Only when Shen Qiao introduced her did he understand. “Sect Leader Qi was truly a pride of the heavens—even his disciples are all outstanding,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to meet two of them. When I think back to Sect Leader Qi’s magnificence in the past, I cannot help but find it heartbreaking!”

He’d always been adept with social situations. When he saw that Gu Hengbo had come alone, he didn’t ask the reason. After a few pleasantries, he learned that Shen Qiao and Gu Hengbo had just reunited after a long separation, so they must’ve had a lot to say to each other. He had someone place another seat cushion beside Shen Qiao, allowing the martial siblings to continue their conversation.

Shen Qiao and Gu Hengbo sat down, but he quickly found that she seemed absent-minded and easily distracted. “What’s wrong, Wuniang?” he asked, confused.

Gu Hengbo pulled herself together and shook her head, “It’s nothing. A-xiong has suffered a lot these days, haven’t you? While I was wandering about outside, I often heard news about you. I’m also at fault for my negligence. Back then on Xuandu Mountain, I was unable to see through that bastard Yu Ai. That’s why A-xiong had to suffer so much.”

“Back then, even I was completely in the dark, never mind you,” Shen Qiao replied. “The matter has already passed, so regrets are now meaningless. But how did you end up arguing so intensely with Yu Ai?”

“After you fell from the cliff, Xuandu Mountain was without a leader, but the situation didn’t descend into chaos—instead, it quickly stabilized beneath Yu Ai’s leadership. Everything was in good order, and several elders even mentioned that with your status unknown, Xuandu Mountain couldn’t be left without a leader for even a day. They decided Yu Ai should take over the position of sect leader.”

“It’s good that Xuandu Mountain didn’t descend into chaos.” This was the first time Shen Qiao had heard the event as described by a Xuandu Mountain disciple, with all its inside stories. Even now, he still wasn’t very clear on all the details. However, as Gu Hengbo tirelessly spoke, there was a sense of the fog lifting.

“At that time, I was ordered to stay on guard duty at Xuandu Mountain, so I was unable to personally watch your fight,” she went on. “When the news came, it was as if I’d been struck by lightning. I was panicked and at a loss, but when I thought about it carefully later, something seemed off, and I felt that there was foul play involved. Because we, or even most of Xuandu Mountain’s disciples, were all incredibly heartbroken over your accident, Zhangmen-shixiong. Only Yu Ai was resolute, his actions decisive and sweeping. Even though he looked sad on the surface, his behavior was terribly suspicious.

“After this incident, you returned to Xuandu Mountain once before, but Yu Ai couldn’t keep you there. Afterward, he said that you were colluding with members of the demonic discipline. At that time, Da-shixiong was there, but I wasn’t. Later, I saw that Da-shixiong seemed preoccupied and restless, so I took the opportunity to ask him, but he just hemmed and hawed and refused to tell me the truth.”

Tan Yuanchun had always been indecisive. He was well-known among Xuandu Mountain’s disciples for being overly accommodating, and a bit of a doormat. He regretted what had happened to Shen Qiao but was unable to take decisive action against Yu Ai. This wasn’t surprising behavior for him.

Gu Hengbo continued, “One time, I heard him talking to Elder Chai. They seemed to have anticipated the outcome of your duel with Kunye. I became even more certain that there was something more going on, that Yu Ai must have hidden something from us. It wasn’t until later, when they announced that Xuandu Mountain would be working together with the Göktürks, that I couldn’t help myself anymore. I questioned Yu Ai, to ask if he’d been colluding with the Göktürks for a long time, and if your fall from the cliff and severe injuries were related.”

Shen Qiao shook his head. “How could he admit to it if you asked him like that?”

Gu Hengbo smiled bitterly. “Of course he didn’t admit to it. Not only that, he was only pretending to appease me—that night he snuck into my room and attacked me. However, I realized it in time, then fought him and fled down the mountain. I haven’t gone back since.”

Shen Qiao was silent for a moment. “You’re a skilled martial artist, but you’re not a match for Yu Ai,” he said. “He also had full control of Xuandu Mountain then, and should have been perfectly capable of capturing you, yet he let you escape from the mountain. He still holds the friendships with his fellow disciples close to his heart, and that’s why he let you go.”

“Even if it’s true, he poisoned you, causing you to fall from the cliff and lose all your martial arts,” protested Gu Hengbo. “In my opinion, that little drop of kindness is just like a cat shedding false tears over a mouse. Da-shixiong is unable to tell right from wrong, so he chooses to hold a candle for the devil, assisting Yu Ai in his misdeeds. But I refuse to associate with him.”

“Then what about Yuan Ying? What happened to him?”

Gu Hengbo shook her head. “Before I left the mountain, I secretly left Si-shixiong a letter explaining this matter. I don’t know if he saw it, but I’ve heard no news of him since I left Xuandu Mountain.”

As the pair of martial siblings chatted, several matches took place at the competition site. Wang-sanlang was an arrogant man, but his martial skills were outstanding among the younger generation. After defeating Zhou Yexue, he won several consecutive matches, and even Su Qiao lost to him by one move; at the moment, he was unstoppable.

Gu Hengbo glanced at the competition site several times, then suddenly said, “When the tiger is absent, the monkey is king. I will fight him too!”

Then, before Shen Qiao could stop her, she entered the site and ran toward Wang-sanlang.

This dazzling beauty’s sudden appearance drew the entire audience’s attention. Wang-sanlang showed an arrogant attitude toward the others, but in front of Gu Hengbo, he looked flattered at the unexpected attention, and even demonstrated the modesty one expected from a noble family’s scion. “Swords and sabers care not who they cut, and I do not wish to hurt this celestial maiden. Why don’t we shake hands and make peace instead?”

Gu Hengbo indifferently responded, “So you didn’t come here to compete but to simply be a pompous snob?”

Wang-sanlang hadn’t anticipated this beauty to be so scathing. Humiliated, he snarled, “Of course not!”

Gu Hengbo drew her sword. “Then please begin!”

Zhao Chiying watched their fight, and though she was surprised, she also felt it was to be expected. “Your shimei is truly extraordinary—renowned masters produce brilliant disciples. She clearly shares the same source as Daoist Master Shen. Having seen both of you in action, you both shine even more!”

“Sect Leader Zhao is too kind,” Shen Qiao said modestly. However, he thought to himself that Wuniang wasn’t normally this impulsive. Her behavior now was somewhat strange.

Wang-sanlang was naturally no match for Gu Hengbo. A strike from her sword knocked his from his hand, sending it arcing through the air before falling to the ground blade-first, planting itself there. A disciple of Chunyang Monastery declared loudly, “Gu Hengbo from Xuandu Mountain defeats Wang Zhuo from Kuaiji Commandery!”

Only then did everyone realize who Gu Hengbo was. Wang-sanlang’s face looked somewhat pale, not only due to his own defeat but also at the news that the other party was actually Qi Fengge’s disciple. At a loss, he remained slightly dazed for a while.

Gu Hengbo sheathed her sword and returned to a standing position, but her face was devoid of joy. Instead of returning to Shen Qiao, she walked toward Yuan Zixiao, who was engrossed in scribbling down notes.

“You’ve been paying attention to Wang-sanlang for such a long time. Now I’ve won against him, but you won’t so much as glance at me?”

Yuan Zixiao didn’t even raise her head. Her brush moved over the paper like a swimming dragon. “You winning against him—wasn’t that the obvious conclusion?” she said.

Gu Hengbo sneered. “Fangzhang Isle’s Liuli Palace is truly so conceited. It’s one thing to leave without saying goodbye, but to pretend that you don’t know me when we meet? Could it be that I, Gu Hengbo, am too disgraceful for you to acknowledge?”

There was no one around Yuan Zixiao—Yi Pichen had specifically asked everyone to leave some space around her so as not to affect her record-taking. The two of them spoke in low voices, so it was difficult for others to hear clearly. However, this interaction made it obvious that the two were acquainted. They just didn’t understand why the conversation seemed so fraught.

At this time, two other matches had also been decided—the victors were Wang-erlang and a disciple of Chixia Sword Sect named Chao Yu. Those two winners were to fight each other next. Nowadays, swordplay was popular and prevalent throughout the land. Most people in the jianghu wielded swords, and these two were no exception.

The Chixia Sword Sect wasn’t a major sect, but as Chao Yu was able to stand strong amid many people, the sect must have had its own strengths. Though Wang-erlang possessed a fierce spirit and was a skilled swordsman, he was still unable to best Chao Yu after two hundred moves and ultimately lost to him.

Wang-erlang refused to release his sword; his entire body was shaken by his opponent’s internal energy. He staggered several steps back and almost collapsed into a sitting position. Chao Yu was gracious and flew forward to help his opponent, saving him from embarrassment. Though Wang-erlang was dissatisfied, he knew that there would always be someone better than himself. He cupped his hands and left the site unhappily.

The Kuaji Commandery’s Wang brothers had marched in like thunder, and now they were leaving with their tails between their legs. Compared to their previous appearance in the main hall, when they’d had their noses stuck straight up in the air, the difference was like heaven and earth.

Strength was everything in the jianghu, and it was clear that these fledglings had yet to acclimate to this. They might have had the backing of the Wang family, but in the end, their martial arts needed to do the talking. If they were lacking there, even if the heavens themselves came to support them, they’d still find themselves unable to lift their heads.

Wang-erlang looked at his younger brother with his stark-white face, then saw Shen Qiao sitting in the distance, motionless as a mountain and entirely at ease. He felt the sudden urge to ask Shen Qiao: back when Kunye defeated him in full view of the public, how had he managed to endure that sense of humiliation?

But other than the Wang brothers themselves, everyone else’s attention quickly shifted elsewhere. Chao Yu didn’t seek out Gu Hengbo but instead cupped his hands in the direction of the Chunyang Monastery’s disciples and said in a loud voice, “Chao Yu from the Chixia Sword Sect. Could I have the fortune of seeking guidance from Li-shaoxia?”9

This was an open challenge to Li Qingyu!

When the crowd heard this, excitement spread, and they all turned to look at Li Qingyu.

Chao Yu’s goals were very clear. Although Gu Hengbo was young, she was Qi Fengge’s disciple, which placed her in the same generation as Shen Qiao, and, strictly speaking, even Yi Pichen. Moreover, Gu Hengbo rarely appeared in the jianghu, so she wasn’t well-known. Even if he defeated her, few people would marvel, but Li Qingyu was different.

In the current jianghu, Li Qingyu was the younger generation’s most outstanding member. Previously, he had gone to Xuandu Mountain and lost by only one move to Yu Ai, which practically everyone had heard of. Later, at the Su residence, he’d also faced off against the Göktürk expert Duan Wenyang, who was the disciple of Hulugu himself. Li Qingyu had also lost by a narrow margin then, and Duan Wenyang was one of the world’s top ten. Though Li Qingyu wasn’t strong enough for the top ten, he clearly wasn’t far from it either.

When the challenge had named him, Li Qingyu naturally had no reason to avoid the fight. He picked up his sword and slowly stood up, then walked out from the crowd.

“Though your swordplay is indeed formidable,” he said to Chao Yu, “you still wouldn’t be able to defeat me within a hundred moves.”

Chao Yu had excellent self-restraint, but he still couldn’t help his expression of indignation when he heard these words. “I respect Li-shaoxia’s superb swordsmanship,” he said, “but aren’t these words a bit too much?”

“He’s correct.” A voice filled with laughter suddenly rang out in the venue, oozing ceaseless charm and numbing everyone down to their bones. “You are not his match. There are many things that can be discerned even without competing. Out of concern for your reputation, Abbot Yi can’t speak up easily and insult you. You need to have more self-awareness.”

Everyone turned to see a woman walking up the stone mountain steps. She was as dignified as a lotus, her demeanor elegant and ethereal. Yet at the same time, her words came with a touch of teasing and frivolity, a complete contrast with her appearance. The sheer discord between the two left the watchers temporarily disoriented.

“This one is…?” Zhao Chiying rarely left her mountain, so she naturally didn’t know who the woman was.

Shen Qiao said severely, “Hehuan Sect Leader Yuan Xiuxiu.”

Zhao Chiying jolted slightly. The name had struck her like piercing thunder.

At the same time, Yi Pichen also stood. “Sect Leader Yuan graces us with her presence. This humble Daoist wasn’t able to greet you personally; he begs your forgiveness.”

The moment Yi Pichen exposed the woman’s identity, many people’s faces suddenly twisted in shock.

The demonic discipline carried a resounding reputation, but if the one arriving had been Huanyue Sect or Fajing Sect, the others might not have reacted like this. That reaction was due to Hehuan Sect’s fondness for parasitic cultivation, where they consumed others’ yin energy to nourish their own yang, or vice versa. Who knew how many lives they’d taken this way? Moreover, due to the gargantuan power and influence the sect wielded, no one wanted to provoke them. Nowadays, when it came to Hehuan Sect, they had no need to fear others, but everyone else feared them.

Yuan Xiuxiu gave a lovely smile. “The ignorant are never guilty. Since the Sword Trial Conference is open to everyone in all the land, Abbot Yi will surely welcome me and not turn me away?”

One can never trust the enemy who comes with a smile. Behind her followed several disciples, all well-known members of Hehuan Sect—many people in the jianghu also recognized them.

Yi Pichen gave a slow nod. “All who come are guests; you are naturally welcome.”

Yuan Xiuxiu smiled. “Wonderful. There are quite a few old friends here today, and this one happened to be in the vicinity. I heard that some people believe our Hehuan Sect to be too aggressive and wish to form an alliance opposing us. Is this matter true? What do you think, Abbot Yi?”

If Yi Pichen confirmed it, he would fall into her trap. However, if he denied it, he’d look like too much of a coward, and others were certain to question his abilities. Yuan Xiuxiu’s actions made it clear she was here to stir up trouble.

When they heard her question, anger appeared on the faces of many, but their fear of Hehuan Sect’s power prevented them from speaking up.

At that moment, someone else said, “There’s no need for Abbot Yi to respond; this humble Daoist can reply on his behalf. Is Sect Leader Yuan asking these words out of guilt? Do you also feel that Hehuan Sect’s actions are inappropriate, and fear inciting the wrath of the public and igniting an uncontrollable fire? Is that why, after hearing the news, you quickly ascended the mountain so that you could quench the flames?”

The voice was calm, gentle, and reassuring, without feeling aggressive or forceful at all.

Yi Pichen understood that, as the host of the Sword Trial Conference and leader of the Chunyang Monastery, his identity made it difficult for him to reply. At this time, Shen Qiao hadn’t spoken to steal the limelight but to give him a way out. He immediately sent him a grateful glance.

Yuan Xiuxiu sneered. “How brave you are, Daoist Master Shen. You killed two elders from my Hehuan Sect, and I haven’t even come here to settle those scores. Instead, you dared to come up to me first?”

Someone else suddenly interrupted. “How strange. Why can’t someone kill people from your Hehuan Sect? It’s a pity I wasn’t present when Daoist Master Shen killed them, or I’d have cheered him on with gongs and drums! Everyone, if you really wish to form an alliance against Hehuan Sect, please allow our Huanyue Sect to join in as well. In my opinion, Daoist Master Shen is of noble character and prestige—he’s the most suitable choice as alliance leader!”

Accompanying this new voice, a young man appeared on the stone steps, waving a fan.

And who the hell was this, now?

Everyone felt that their eyes were getting overloaded.

But Shen Qiao’s head suddenly began to throb.