# Chapter 1070: Watching the Great Fire from Across the River
Today, Ya Mountain had visitors.
A man and a woman. The woman was one of the latest martial arts masters to rank among the world's top ten—Gu Yange of Pipa Peak in Youzhou.
Lin Jiangxian's four direct disciples consisted of two at the Stopping Realm and two at the Mountaintop Realm.
The senior disciple, Zhao Hechong, was the one who truly managed Ya Mountain's affairs. He was a Stopping Realm martial artist who had long established his reputation.
The second disciple, Qi Huajian, was respectfully called Madam Qi by those on the mountain. She was a plump woman with great charm, also at the Stopping Realm.
Zhu Mouren of Ruzhou and his close friend, Sect Leader Lu, had respectively praised Madam Qi as "plump and seductive" and "cold and beautiful."
Additionally, there were Zong Xuequan and the youngest disciple, Song Yue—both were young Mountaintop Realm martial artists.
Rumor outside said that the reason Senior Disciple Zhao Hechong had not been listed in the martial rankings was because Lin Jiangxian had once warned Bingjie Mountain in advance: if his senior disciple made the list, then Bingjie Mountain's martial artists would never need to be listed again. Of course, this claim was unverified and impossible to confirm.
The key point was that Lin Jiangxian had only accepted these four disciples, yet every single one had become a martial arts giant.
Speaking of Yuan He, the previous temple master of Xuandu Temple with the Daoist name "Qingyuan," his "aptitude" in accepting disciples was truly enviable.
But Yuan He's direct disciples—among the seven including Wang Sun and Sun Huaizhong—had been preceded by several earlier batches, totaling nearly twenty over time.
Lin Jiangxian, however, had accepted four martial arts prodigies within just sixty years.
Thus, some joked that if Master Lin were more diligent in taking disciples, Bingjie Mountain would have to cry poverty. Or if he took one direct disciple per prefecture, they would first learn boxing from Master Lin for twenty or thirty years, then return to their hometowns to establish branch halls of Ya Mountain. With just a little carelessness, the situation might become "half the world's martial fortune belongs to Ya Mountain."
This was common knowledge.
But such talk couldn't be spread carelessly; everyone understood this tacitly.
One of the visitors, Gu Yange, was engaged in a boxing sparring match with Ya Mountain's Song Yue. Though they differed by one realm, the challenge had been initiated by Song Yue herself.
Two female martial arts masters, sparring behind closed doors.
Naturally, it wasn't a life-or-death struggle; they stopped at the touch.
A senior mountain figure who had brought Gu Yange here sat cross-legged on a cushion. He appeared young, extremely handsome, with a folding fan in hand. Nodding approvingly, he remarked, "Female masters really are a pleasure to watch when they fight—truly a feast for the eyes."
Daoists cultivated through self-reliance, relying on spiritual awakening. Open one aperture, and a hundred open—it depended on enlightenment.
Martial artists climbing higher truly depended on diligent, steady progress—relying on hardship.
Whether his friend Master Lin was on Ya Mountain or not didn't matter at all to Zhu Mouren. As long as Madam Qi and Miss Song were there, that was enough. One alone would have made the trip worthwhile; both being present was a bonus.
On Ya Mountain, all four of Master Lin's direct disciples—including the youngest, Song Yue—two men and two women, were outstanding.
Gu Yange's punches were light and agile, while Song Yue's boxing intent was heavy and profound. Zhu Mouren watched without blinking. Every twist of their waists on the training ground, every shift and turn of their bodies, was a beautiful scene.
As a great cultivator with excellent eyesight, each time the two women "locked hands," the rippling, undulating scenery was especially breathtaking.
During the pause when they simultaneously exchanged a breath of pure true qi.
He finally turned his head and said to Madam Qi, "On this long journey, I passed through the Qingshen Dynasty. Prime Minister Ya wasn't there, but Bai Ou still greatly admires Master Lin."
After all, no matter how many beautiful sights there are in the world, they could be divided into two types: dynamic like flowing water and static like mountains. Madam Qi was simply sitting there, her curves exquisite, her peaks undulating—an endlessly beautiful scene.
Facing Zhu Mouren's forced conversation, Madam Qi only nodded without replying.
If he added any more nonsense, she would use her ultimate weapon—simply calling out this Daoist's true name.
The once-in-a-century ranking of the world's top ten was hosted by the Immortal Staff Sect in Yongzhou. Others tried to follow suit, but none could command universal respect. As for the once-in-sixty-year martial arts evaluation, it was handled by Bingjie Mountain, a neighbor of the Immortal Staff Sect. In the once-in-a-century ranking, the top five were easy enough, but for the rest, with the cultivators' Dao hearts, they didn't care much about rank order. Even those who didn't make the list caused no historical uproar. However, the tenth spot often sparked external debate. So the Immortal Staff Sect used a clever trick: they often named several candidates for the tenth position, varying in number—sometimes five, sometimes two or three. Generally, as long as the eleventh spot was convincing enough, the arguments among the mountain folk were minimal.
As a result, for about a thousand years, there had been an unquestionable "tag-along"—this Daoist from Ruzhou.
Legend had it that every time the new ranking came out, he would visit Xuandu Temple for a drink. Upon meeting, they would exchange pleasantries and confide in each other.
One was fifth in the world, the other eleventh. And Sect Leader Sun was also the leader of the world's Daoist sword immortal lineage, while this Daoist happened to be a sword cultivator as well.
Fortunately, this great cultivator was easygoing and good-natured, with countless Daoist names. His natal flying sword was named "Dou Cai" (Colorful Pattern). He was a mountain-peak cultivator who, despite being a sword cultivator, had almost no record of using his sword. He was a carefree recluse among the scattered immortals, taking disciples but never founding a sect.
However, he had once compiled several highly "non-mainstream" monographs specifically elucidating the academic principles of ferry boats and sword flight. The books were full of obscure terminology incomprehensible to anyone outside the art—things like "small-radius turns," "large and small angles of attack," "central axis," "cloud layer airflow distribution and velocity"...
This cultivator's name was strange: "Zhu Mouren" (A Certain Zhu).
He had given himself numerous Daoist names—no fewer than twenty. Of course, the Jade Capital didn't recognize them. This Daoist, as free as a cloud or wild crane, enjoyed traveling through the various prefectures. He wouldn't stay permanently in one place but would spend anywhere from sixty to a hundred years in a prefecture, accepting a varying number of direct disciples. He first judged by his own affinity with them, then by their aptitude. Each time, he would hide his identity and change his Daoist name. Every new name was extremely ethereal and celestial.
In truth, "Zhu Mouren" was just a self-appellation. Because his real name was rarely used, young cultivators nowadays mistakenly thought this was his actual name. His true name was impossible to ascertain.
The number one figure in Ruzhou was the mortal martial artist Lin Jiangxian—no question about it.
In earlier years, the three sect leaders of Jade Capital already occupied three spots in the world's top ten. But the Azure Essence World had fourteen prefectures, so they could only compete for the remaining seven spots. As luck would have it, averaging out, that was exactly one person per two prefectures.
Because Ruzhou had Master Lin, Zhu Mouren, originally the number one cultivator in Ruzhou, was overshadowed. Fortunately, Zhu Mouren never cared about such things. It wasn't reluctant acceptance; he genuinely didn't value this kind of fame. Zhu Mouren was a member of the royal family of Ruzhou's second-largest dynasty, yet he was friends with both the founding emperor of the Red Gold Dynasty and its current monarch. He was also an unregistered guest elder of Ya Mountain and a close friend who had bonded with Lin Jiangxian at first sight. This was probably a major reason why Ruzhou had been so peaceful for the last two hundred years. The two largest dynasties coexisted peacefully, and both the mountain and mortal worlds were harmonious.
Zhu Mouren and Lin Jiangxian were completely different types of handsome men. This Flying Ascension Realm great cultivator—who had never won a single fight and was famous for his "all-loss" record—had a somewhat yin, delicate beauty. His phoenix eyes seemed naturally to carry affection.
Lin Jiangxian's blue-robed figure landed at the edge of the training ground. Gu Yange and Song Yue stopped their punches almost simultaneously.
Lin Jiangxian said, "This kind of sparring is useless—just going through the motions. From now on, Gu Yange, don't suppress your realm. Song Yue, don't hide your secrets either. Sparring isn't a game."
Zhu Mouren clapped and laughed, "Exactly right."
When masters spar, they don't necessarily get injured. But if they have a fight, it's reasonable to have clothes slightly disheveled, a bit exposed here, unable to fully cover there.
Zhao Hechong and Madam Qi were about to rise and make room for their master. Lin Jiangxian waved his hand and casually sat beside Zhu Mouren.
Zhu Mouren smiled, "Master Lin rarely stays on Ya Mountain."
Lin Jiangxian chuckled dismissively.
Zhu Mouren considered himself to have two best friends: Master Lin of Red Gold Dynasty and Prime Minister Ya of Qingshen Dynasty. One was like a close neighbor; the other shared his temperament. Each led the refined style for a thousand years.
To take a Daoist name that no predecessor had used and wasn't clichéd was extremely difficult for people of this era. Very difficult indeed.
One had to admit that Jade Capital governed both strictly and broadly. Especially with the existence of that Dao Number Two, the Azure Essence World enjoyed peace, particularly the stability of the mortal nations. Not even the Wild World or the Righteous World, let alone the Western Buddhist Kingdom, could compare with the Azure Essence World.
In all fourteen prefectures, secular dynasties and nations large and small—almost all major wars were "seizing the moment." In the final years when Yu Dou, the Second Sect Leader of Jade Capital, was about to step down as "Sect Leader," they began planning and deploying. "Armies move only after provisions are ready." Then they struck within the hundred years when Lu Chen was in charge of Jade Capital. By the time the Great Sect Leader took over, the major battles were basically over, just in time for recovery. Occasional border conflicts or a nation's division and unification would also be put on hold in the final years, with both sides reaching a tacit understanding—because Yu Dou was about to take charge of Jade Capital again.
Historically, some major dynasties that had fought with red eyes beyond control, without exception, received a bucket of cold water from Jade Capital.
This "cold water" might be a magnificent rainstorm of spells, or of course, a rain of swords from the Purple Qi Tower.
Only mountain-peak cultivators understood a certain hidden, far-reaching intention of Jade Capital: the Five Cities and Twelve Towers, especially Yu Dou's lineage, was meant to some extent to restrain the vigorous development of the "Military Strategist" tradition.
Regardless, since the world was generally peaceful and Jade Capital's rules were strict, cultivators who could be called "idle clouds and wild cranes" naturally increased in number. Besides cultivation, there were many things to do, much to accomplish.
In any case, there was no need for too much scheming. They could spend time on poetry, lyrics, songs, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. When stillness gave way to a desire for action, they could travel the world, leaving behind a string of legends, strange tales, and immortal stories.
For example, Zhu Mouren had a Daoist name called "Green Duckweed." At first hearing, it didn't seem particularly elegant. But with the line "I feel my heart has no affairs; a small fish leaps from the green duckweed," its meaning became entirely different.
Many cultivators suddenly realized that those studying the Dao would indeed benefit from knowing some poetry and lyrics and reading more miscellaneous books.
Zhu Mouren had many confidantes, both in mountain immortal mansions and in the mortal martial world.
One more thing: the Third Sect Leader of Jade Capital always felt that he and Zhu Mouren were extremely good friends.
But Zhu Mouren had been trying for years to distance himself from Jade Capital's Sect Leader Lu. He told almost everyone: "I'm really not familiar with Sect Leader Lu. We've met, that's all. 'Friend' is an exaggeration, let alone 'close friend'..." The result was counterproductive. The more he explained, the more confused things became. He was almost forced to announce to the world through the mountain-and-water gazette that he didn't know Lu Chen at all.
This wasn't Zhu Mouren being pretentious. It was simply because of Sect Leader Lu's reputation... Let's just say: Xuandu Temple officially declared that anyone who was a friend of Sect Leader Lu was their honored guest.
Zhu Mouren said with a grin, "Ma Quxian, the senior disciple of Pei Bei, has recently fallen from his realm."
Lin Jiangxian treated it as just an interesting piece of news.
It was like a well-off adult with deep resources hearing that a neighbor's child had succeeded, made money, acquired property, or had gotten into a fight outside and come home bruised and battered.
Naturally, he listened and moved on.
The senior disciple Zhao Ke asked in confusion, "Senior, how did you come by this information?"
Zhu Mouren smiled faintly, "Don't worry about that. A mountain man has his own clever means."
For cultivators in the Azure Essence World to learn about affairs in other worlds, there were generally only three ways. One was through the mountain-and-water gazettes issued by Jade Capital, which occasionally mentioned major events in other worlds. The Five Cities and Twelve Towers each had their own styles and characteristics. Relatively speaking, Nanhua City and Shenxiao City focused more on news from the Righteous World, while the cities and towers under Yu Dou's lineage emphasized the Wild World.
For instance, Daoxuan Mountain, which had once connected to the Sword Qi Great Wall, was an excellent source of information. Jade Capital would select relatively important news and inform the world.
Another way was through long-distance travel across worlds, like Sun Huaizhong of Xuandu Temple, returning home and bringing back certain inside information. But how many Flying Ascension cultivators in the Azure Essence World were currently "in foreign lands" remained a mystery. Probably no one except the three sect leaders of Jade Capital could claim to know for sure.
The last method was relatively secret and had many restrictions. It involved the "sub-sects" established in the Righteous World by the three lineages of Jade Capital's sect leaders. Those Daoist Celestial Lords, for whom meeting their lineage's sect leader was harder than ascending to heaven, would burn incense in their ancestral halls and "incidentally" mention a few Righteous World matters that didn't violate prohibitions or rules.
But almost all Righteous World Celestial Lords and high-ranking Daoist sects were extremely cautious in this matter, afraid to reveal too many secrets.
Moreover, if certain secrets considered taboo by the Confucians were leaked, did anyone really think the Central Earth Confucian Temple wouldn't investigate?
The returning cultivators from the Azure Essence World to the Righteous World—the Second Sage, Su Zi, Liu Qi, and Cao Zu—were just the ones already revealed.
Historically, there had been Daoist sects that quietly sank into obscurity in the Righteous World. This was the Confucian Temple deliberately saving face for Jade Capital.
Just take the Second Sage. Not long after entering the Confucian Temple, he personally visited a sect temple in Liuxia Prefecture that belonged to Yu Dou's lineage in Jade Capital. The Second Sage reached the mountain gate, without wasting a word, removed the plaque, then went to the ancestral hall and summoned all the Daoists who had seats there. What exactly was discussed, outsiders didn't know. But as a result, this large, prosperous Daoist temple was reduced to a "forbidden area" forced to close its mountain overnight.
It was said that before Jade Capital could relocate the temple's entire registered Daoist roster to the Azure Essence World, they were forbidden to descend the mountain as Daoists. The only way down was to voluntarily renounce their Daoist status, no longer being Daoists. Whether they became wild cultivators in the mountains and swamps or joined other sects, the Confucian Temple wouldn't interfere. Of course, if anyone had the nerve to try renouncing their Daoist status with the secret plan of one day restoring their Jade Capital lineage registration, the Confucian Temple wouldn't stop them either.
But with the temperament of Yu Dou, the patriarch of this lineage, any Daoist who did such a thing could imagine the consequences.
As a result, this temple, which had completely lost its incense offerings, remained in a state where Daoists could only leave, not enter. From an initial eight hundred ordained Daoists, it had dwindled to less than thirty, still holding on stubbornly.
There was a piece of gossip whispered only among mountain-peak cultivators: Dao Number Two had considered, besides reclaiming Daoxuan Mountain along with the world's largest mountain-character seal, also taking this mountain temple back into Jade Capital. But this required dealing with the Righteous World's Confucian Temple.
Then, at the foot of the plaque-less temple mountain, a certain Confucian Temple attendant sage appeared. What was most astonishing was that this Confucian Temple sage, who hadn't appeared in the mortal world for a long time, was not only a direct disciple of the Ultimate Sage but one of his most valued disciples.
Of course, this was one of those secret matters with no evidence to verify its truth, suitable only as a drinking-table appetizer.
Without any doubt, it had first been spread by Daoist Sun. If anyone went to verify it with Daoist Sun, he would certainly say, "Don't talk nonsense. This poor Daoist never speaks ill of others behind their backs or spreads gossip."
Zong Xuequan made no effort to hide his schadenfreude, snickering, "How did Ma Quxian fall from his realm? It wasn't from twisting his ankle while walking, was it?"
In the Central Earth Sacred Province of the Righteous World, Pei Bei, known as the "Female Martial God," had four disciples: Ma Quxian, Dou Fenxia, Liao Qing'ai, and Cao Ci.
As for the distinction between "nominal" and "direct" disciples, regardless of how Pei Bei herself counted, outsiders regarded them as a lineage of boxing techniques.
These four pure martial artists were one Stopping Realm, one Mountaintop Perfection, and two Far Travel Bottleneck.
If there were no major surprises, aside from Cao Ci, the other three were either at perfection or bottleneck. Perhaps within a few years, the situation would become "two Stopping Realm and two Mountaintop."
Thus, the "two Stopping and two Mountaintop" produced by Master Lin would inevitably be slightly inferior—after all, Pei Bei's disciples included Cao Ci.
Zhu Mouren advised with heartfelt sincerity, "Brother Zong, this creepy laughing habit of yours—if you can change it, please do. Only villains in books laugh like that normally."
Qi Huajian smiled sweetly and said, "Senior, don't keep us in suspense."
Since the beauty had asked, Zhu Mouren immediately smiled and replied, "Secret Agent Chen came looking for him. As for the specific reason, outsiders don't know. It was a boxing match, and Chen beat Ma Quxian so badly he couldn't fight back. Hmm, it was about the same as when your master fights someone of the same realm."
"Unfortunately, this fight was relatively discreet and didn't gain much fame. Secret Agent Chen didn't spread the word, and Ma Quxian certainly wouldn't discuss it. Since neither party talked, outsiders could only guess."
"In the next Azure-White Debate, including Bai Ou, you all seem to favor Cao Ci. I'm different."
Zong Xuequan said sourly, "Senior Sister Qi talks about Cao Ci all day—perfect in every way. I still can't believe there's such a flawless person in this world—perfect in martial techniques, virtue, and manners!"
Among the three fellow disciples, both senior and junior sisters favored Cao Ci. The youngest was fine—she evaluated him as a pure martial artist judging boxing. But Senior Sister Qi? She just looked at his face.
In the Confucian Temple's Merit Forest, two peers had a public "Azure-White Debate."
In the Azure Essence World, although everything heard was secondhand, the mountain-middle had their views, and the mountain-peak had their insights. At the mountain peak, opinions were divided into two camps. Some great cultivators believed Cao Ci would charge ahead and leave a large gap between himself and Chen Ping'an. Others thought Chen Ping'an might have a chance to catch up from behind, surpass Cao Ci, and break into the Eleventh Realm earlier.
Zhu Mouren threw a glance at Zong Xuequan—brothers, we share the same taste.
Zong Xuequan grinned, showing white teeth ominously.
Zhu Mouren had many peculiar sayings that were widely circulated.
For example, when someone lamented that the fairy maiden they admired had married, Zhu Mouren would console them, "Isn't it better that she's married?"
There were also similar lewd remarks like "In a two-on-one fight, never lost," and a whole basket of them.
Of course, Zhu Mouren denied it every time: "No, I absolutely never said that."
Zong Xuequan glanced at Zhu Mouren and couldn't help but use sound-condensation technique to whisper to Qi Huajian, "Senior Sister, be careful. This guy's full of bad intentions. He's been after you for a long time. And he's the type to turn his back once he's had his way. He has a mountain of confidantes—too many to count."
Zhu Mouren's expression changed slightly: I treat you like my own brother, and you're treating your brother as a letter of surrender?!
A boxing match with no suspense about the outcome.
Gu Yange was ranked among the world's top ten martial artists. Without suppressing her realm, fighting Song Yue, who was still at Mountaintop Realm, there would be no suspense.
Since the master had spoken, Song Yue dared not hold back anything. She displayed all of Ya Mountain's secret boxing techniques and her own unique moves.
Unfortunately, she still had an obvious gap compared to Gu Yange. Inferior in skill, Song Yue was finally hit in the chest by Gu Yange's punch, sliding backward several ten feet. Stubborn by nature, Song Yue forced a breath of pure true qi, stomped the ground, and stood swaying. She wanted to cup her fists in salute, but suddenly blood flowed from her seven orifices. She couldn't utter a word and could barely raise her arm.
Madam Qi laughed angrily, "This girl! Even when she loses, she has to be stubborn. Not afraid of leaving lasting consequences!"
Zhao Hechong said, "There's half a punch left."
Standing in the center of the training ground, radiant and spirited, Gu Yange took a deep breath, reached back, and brought her braid around to the front.
In an instant, Song Yue collapsed limply to the ground.
It turned out that traces of martial true qi left inside Song Yue's body suddenly clashed along several key meridians, causing her to faint on the spot.
Zong Xuequan was alarmed. Did this mean that as long as Gu Yange's punch touched the body, it planted a hidden danger inside the martial artist's body?
If Gu Yange wanted to kill, would his junior sister's body explode like a firecracker?
Zhu Mouren's thinking was always different from ordinary people's. He looked at the braid hanging in front of Gu Yange's chest, like a stream flowing between opposing peaks.
This was the uniqueness of Gu Yange's boxing technique. Her ancestors had been coroners and minor officials for generations. Besides inheriting her family's knowledge, wherever there was a battlefield, she would go. Gu Yange was also skilled in internal observation. Though not old, she had divided the human body's bones and meridians into mountain ranges and river systems, and the energy chambers into lakes, each named separately, forming her own system. So in Zhu Mouren's eyes, she was a true martial arts master who had developed her own path. As for Qi Guan and Yu Qing of Bingjie Mountain, who were also on the same list, they relied more on inheritance and talent. The gap between them and Gu Yange of Pipa Peak wasn't in the one or two rankings but in the height of their "martial arts path" and the depth of their research into martial arts.
Gu Yange cupped her fists, "Forgive any offense."
According to Zhu Mouren, Master Lin valued etiquette and fairness above all. If you went to great trouble crossing several prefectures to teach Song Yue a lesson, as her master, he would definitely reciprocate.
Lin Jiangxian smiled faintly, "For the next sparring session, let's change the format. Gu Yange partners with Qi Huajian; Zhao Hechong partners with Zong Xuequan. The one who falls first loses."
Among the four, only Zong Xuequan was a Mountaintop Realm martial artist.
Gu Yange frowned slightly.
So she wasn't partnering with Zong Xuequan?
Did this mean Zhao Hechong's boxing was better than hers?
Zhu Mouren clapped and laughed, "Excellent, excellent! Truly a rare martial arts spectacle in a century."
Madam Qi stood up, instantly transforming into a completely different person.
She lightly made a fist with one hand and gently twisted the joints of her fingers.
Zhao Hechong's expression remained calm. He first cupped his fists in salute to his master, then walked slowly toward the training ground.
Zong Xuequan interlaced his fingers, twisted his neck, and said with a grin, "Senior Sister Qi, this is a rare opportunity. Let's agree upfront: punches and kicks are fine, hit anywhere, just don't hit the family jewels!"
Madam Qi smiled, "No problem. I'll still drink at your wedding, after all."
She first "woke up" the fallen junior sister Song Yue—essentially by using a punch to disperse the lingering boxing intent left by Gu Yange. Then, with two fingers together, she tapped various points on Song Yue's body, driving the fine boxing intents scattered like loose strings throughout her body toward some unimportant "mountain ranges and rivers." Song Yue would have to regulate her own qi to deal with these "rebellious subjects."
Song Yue's face was pale as she stumbled back to her original spot. Zhu Mouren quickly smoothed things over, "Miss Song actually didn't lose by much. Especially those moves you created yourself—it was only a matter of realm..."
Song Yue completely ignored him.
Lin Jiangxian glanced at his youngest disciple.
Song Yue immediately cupped her fists toward Zhu Mouren in apology.
Lin Jiangxian said, "First, watch the boxing carefully. While recovering, think it through clearly—understand where you truly lost. For anything you can't figure out on your own, ask Gu Yange. Three days later, you'll spar with Zhao Hechong again. Switch roles—you mimic Gu Yange's techniques."
Song Yue obediently replied, "Understood, Master."
Zhu Mouren was envious. He could never get such well-behaved disciples.
Song Yue's greatest martial arts aptitude lay in "stealing."
Put more nicely, it was imitating other masters' techniques and even their boxing intent.
Lin Jiangxian asked, "Before coming down the mountain, I told you to carefully observe three types of people: ordinary mortals who haven't learned boxing, outer-discipline disciples at the Body Refining Realm who just started learning, and physical energy realm martial artists who have achieved minor success in boxing. Any insights?"
Song Yue said guiltily, "Master, I observed them. Very carefully. But I couldn't figure anything out."
Lin Jiangxian said, "An ordinary mortal's entire body has stiff muscles. In the insider terminology of boxing masters, when they walk, they are 'forcing it.' Because common people have 'turbid qi'—they can't separate pure from impure—so their qi is in a chaotic mass. For those just learning boxing at the Body Refining Realm, and then at the Qi Refining Realm, the turbid qi transforms into pure qi, becoming increasingly gentle. This is similar to how qi cultivators seek immortality by pursuing 'lightness' for flight."
What was "family tradition"? Oral transmission and heart-to-heart teaching? This was it.
Seeing Miss Song getting more and more confused, Zhu Mouren couldn't bear to see a beautiful woman troubled, so he took the initiative to remind her, "By the same logic, the feeling Master Lin truly wants you to remember is the process of collapsing after being 'hit' by the half-punch Gu Yange concealed in your body. This near-extreme relaxation of the body, even if forced—if a martial artist can accurately capture it and continuously imitate it, remaining in this almost natural, mysterious state even when not sparring—that would be an unknown benefit. Similar to a qi cultivator's 'return to simplicity.' Perhaps this is the main purpose of Gu Yange teaching you."
Lin Jiangxian nodded.
Zhu Mouren twisted his folding fan, "Miss Song, also pay attention to what Master Lin calls 'chaotic mass.' This is a great knowledge, a great realm. As for the specifics? Zhu Mouren is not a pure martial artist, so I can't say. I only know that Master Lin's guidance in boxing always has a clear target."
Song Yue had to carefully observe the sparring on the training ground while earnestly listening to her master's teachings and Zhu Mouren's pointers.
On the training ground, four truly favored children of heaven, martial arts masters.
In this relatively rare sparring, Zhao Hechong was protecting Zong Xuequan, while Gu Yange and Madam Qi—both masters of the same realm and longtime friends—cooperated seamlessly.
Gu Yange, who occupied Pipa Peak in Youzhou without founding a sect, was ranked eighth in the world's martial arts rankings—one spot higher than Yu Qing of Bingjie Mountain. Her true age was unknown.
She and Qi Huajian, Lin Jiangxian's second disciple, had met by chance in the martial world. They had been close friends for years. Every time Madam Qi traveled far, she would make a special trip to Pipa Peak.
Zhao Hechong thought that Senior Zhu came to Ya Mountain to help Gu Yange make connections, so she could ask Master Lin for guidance in boxing, and also to see the second and youngest junior sisters.
Qi Huajian was a "hostage swordsman," following the same martial path as the martial artist Qi Gu of Qingshen Dynasty. Simply put, her punches went to extremes, specializing in killing qi cultivators.
So people often joked to Qi Gu, "Are you a distant relative of Madam Qi?" Qi Gu would then echo, "I'd love to cling to her coattails."
Beautiful women and beautiful women walking together often resulted in subtraction.
But if it was addition, then it meant both were truly beautiful.
On the training ground, poor Zong Xuequan was in agony. He couldn't count how many hand-blade strikes he'd received from Senior Sister Qi. The feeling was like having one's muscles slowly twisted with a knife.
Added to that, Senior Brother Zhao Hechong would occasionally punch him to help dispel Gu Yange's hidden boxing intent.
Zhu Mouren commented, "Brother Zong can handle it! Looks like he's fighting three opponents. A Mountaintop Realm master alone against three Stopping Realm masters—if this gets out, it'll be a beautiful story."
Zhao Hechong reached out and grabbed Zong Xuequan's head from the side. The latter was sent flying sideways. Zhao Hechong exchanged a punch with Qi Huajian, then was struck by Gu Yange at the Shuitu point on his neck using two fingers in a strange sword technique—helping Zong Xuequan take the damage. This acupoint was quite crucial. In martial arts, it was called "Water Heaven and Earth," also known as the "Little Heavenly Gate." It meant that earthly true qi rose like water vaporizing and ascending to heaven. At this point, heaven and earth met, functioning as an opening and closing mechanism. But Zhao Hechong seemed to use some secret boxing technique to instantly suppress the chaotic qi-blood phenomenon—first boiling, then freezing—by separating a powerful stream of pure true qi, restoring smooth flow on the true qi path.
As for the Four Du acupoint on his arm, which had been "grazed" by her fist energy when he exchanged punches with Qi Huajian, Zhao Hechong gritted his teeth slightly. As a return gesture, instead of retreating, he advanced, suddenly accelerating his body forward, and hit the retreating Qi Huajian on the side of the face with his elbow. The blow made his second junior sister's head shake. Qi Huajian's eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins, and blue veins bulged on her forehead. Fortunately, this wasn't in vain. Gu Yange, still with two fingers together in sword-finger form, moved extremely fast, striking Zhao Hechong's Shen Dao, Ling Tai, and Zhi Yang points on his back in quick succession from top to bottom. The sound was as loud as a temple bell ringing...
Bystander Zong Xuequan's scalp tingled—Gu Yange really didn't hold back! If he had taken those "finger strikes," wouldn't he have fallen from his realm?
In truth, the one truly fighting one-against-three was Zhao Hechong. According to Master Lin's rules, junior brother Zong Xuequan was just a burden, only making Zhao Hechong hesitant in his punches.
Zhao Hechong could certainly gamble—could he knock down one opponent before Gu Yange or Qi Huajian knocked down Zong Xuequan? But the problem was that they were both Stopping Realm masters with synchronized minds, cooperating perfectly. Especially Junior Sister Qi, who was a "hostage swordsman" with exceptional physical resilience. Even Zhao Hechong wouldn't dare claim his physique was more stable than Qi Huajian's.
Of course, the most important reason was that this sparring was just sparring.
The final result was that Zhao Hechong was knocked to the ground by the combined effort of Gu Yange and Qi Huajian. Though he lost, he wasn't humiliated. His breathing was still steady. He lightly patted the ground and rose gracefully, standing firm.
Zong Xuequan, on the other hand, felt like his whole body was falling apart.
Lin Jiangxian nodded, "That's enough."
The four returned to their seats. Gu Yange reached out and gently held the braid hanging in front of her, adjusting her breath.
She glanced at Zhao Hechong. As expected of Master Lin's senior disciple.
Qi Huajian tidied her hair at the temples and her clothes. Some of Senior Brother Zhao's punches just now seemed to disregard their fellow disciple bond.
Zong Xuequan winced in pain. All his fame was destroyed in an instant. He'd probably be teased by Junior Sister Song for the next whole year.
Song Yue's eyes sparkled, "That Azure-White Debate in the Righteous World—too bad I can't witness that peak sparring in person."
She had heard so much about Cao Ci that her ears were numb.
Plus, that young Secret Agent who was gaining fame—now there was another peer to compete against.
Actually, not exactly a competitor—it was someone she had to surpass in this lifetime. After all, they were said to have already reached the Stopping Realm, Returning to Truth layer.
She simply couldn't imagine how two martial artists around her age could have such high realms and such grand boxing techniques!
Gu Yange nodded.
She admitted that if she sparred with Cao Ci, she would definitely lose.
But could she at least try against Chen Ping'an, who had lost to Cao Ci several times?
Madam Qi's voice was naturally charming, with a unique softness, "After all, Cao Ci is better looking."
Zhao Hechong laughed, "Cao Ci's boxing intent is balanced, peaceful, and flawless. It's like when Zheng Juzhong of Bidi City plays chess—there are never any 'immortal moves.' For a martial artist facing him in battle, it must be despairing. Especially for older martial artists of the same realm—every time they go down, it feels like they're playing a handicap game. It's both despairing and boring. And it's destined that you can't learn Cao Ci's boxing spirit."
"On the other hand, Chen Ping'an's boxing can be said to be at the furnace of perfection. He has incorporated the strengths of various masters and schools, walking the path of 'eating from a hundred kitchens.' To be able to forge them into one furnace is extremely rare."
"If I had two opportunities to spar at the same time but had to choose one, I would definitely pick... Cao Ci!"
Song Yue asked in confusion, "Senior Brother, why is that?"
Zhao Hechong smiled faintly, "If you lose to Cao Ci, you lose. You're destined not to learn anything, so just accept that. Losing to him isn't shameful. But having a real spar with Chen Ping'an—whether you win or lose—you'll suffer a loss. As for why it's a loss? Others might not understand, but Junior Sister Song, don't you?"
Anyone with clear eyes could see that Chen Ping'an's losses to Cao Ci were getting more and more respectable each time.
Song Yue rolled her eyes at her senior brother.
Zhu Mouren asked curiously, "Master Lin, what do you think? In the next hundred years, who will be higher and who lower?"
Lin Jiangxian said, "I've never seen either of them, so it's hard to judge."
Zhu Mouren changed the question, "Then in the next match, who will win and who will lose?"
Lin Jiangxian said, "Cao Ci will definitely win again."
In fact, in Lin Jiangxian's view, if one only regards it as pure martial artists sparring, Chen Ping'an might never surpass Cao Ci in this lifetime. Whether in martial arts height or boxing strength, Chen Ping'an would always be half a step behind Cao Ci.
At the end of the martial path, half a step is the divine position.
Zhu Mouren said cheerfully, "That settles it. That settles it."
On the Righteous World side, there was an "invincible game" concerning Cao Ci.
In recent years, within Ruzhou, someone had been running a betting game.
Half the reason Zhu Mouren took this trip was for this matter. Since he had nothing better to do, he could earn a little money.
If things went bad, no problem—it was a certain bank in Ruzhou running the betting game. What did that have to do with Zhu Mouren?
Zhu Mouren remembered something and said, "On this trip, I met Xu Xuyuan. On that Lock Island in Leize Lake. We drank wine with entertainers together."
There was an ancient prefecture in the Azure Essence World called "Lu Chen," which was a giant lake with four islands, hence called "Little Four Prefectures." Two lake masters presided over it.
One, with the Daoist name "Tai Yi," surnamed Wang, and another, a female lake master with a true form as a serpent named Lei Yu, had divided the waters, each occupying half.
Wang, whose surname was Wang, and Lei Yu—both were senior cultivators with long Daoist ages—were among the latest candidates for the world's top ten.
However, the name of the giant lake had never been settled. Wang named his half the Qian Lake and Kun Lake.
Lei Yu didn't care about the other's territory, simply naming her half of the giant lake Leize.
Wang's personal dojo was on Laoshan Island, his ancestral hall on Tianchi Island. His favorite pastime in cultivation was raising geese. He lived for a long time by the banks of Xin'an River.
Lei Yu's dojo was on Meifeng, with a summer residence opened on Longshan.
Lin Jiangxian smiled and asked, "What do you mean?"
Zhu Mouren commented, "A very interesting person. At that Lock Island banquet, besides Lake Master Lei Yu, there was Yang Qing of Mountshou Pavilion. This Xu Xuyuan clearly wanted to take everything, and didn't hide his intentions. The fact that Yang Qing didn't beat him to death shows he was lucky and blessed."
Zong Xuequan sneered, "Daring to provoke Yang Qing of 'Shen Lou'? Doesn't this guy know when to die?"
Song Yue, however, asked curiously, "Xu Mian and Xu Yingning are both quite old. I heard Xu Xuyuan is less than a thousand years old. Are they really biological siblings?"
"Of course they are. Absolutely true."
Zhu Mouren lowered his voice, "Aren't you curious about who their parents are?"
Zong Xuequan whispered, "I only heard their father was a great cultivator who briefly reached the Fourteenth Realm. He was disciplined by a certain Jade Capital Sect Leader, fell from his realm, then went into hiding and was forbidden to show his face?"
Song Yue asked doubtfully, "Can you fall from the Fourteenth Realm?"
Zhu Mouren laughed with his mind voice, "Whether he fell or not, I'm not sure. But I only know that this senior greatly respects that Jade Capital Sect Leader. He always felt that the methods of the other two sect leaders in governing the world were too soft and their words too wordy. Because those two sect leaders were too easygoing, the Azure Essence World wasn't peaceful enough."
Madam Qi laughed, "No wonder they named their two daughters that way—this senior must have been holding back anger."
Zong Xuequan spoke without restraint, "Having two such outstanding daughters, why have another son who has cultivated for nearly a thousand years and is only at the Jade Abyss Realm? Male preference over female?"
When it came to the truly fortunate lucky ones, the Azure Essence World universally recognized four.
Daoist "Shan Qing"—through Sect Leader Lu Chen accepting disciples on behalf of his master—rose to heaven in one step, becoming the Dao Ancestor's closed-door disciple. He now managed all Daoist lineage affairs of Jade Capital in the Five Colors World.
Xu Jun, a ghost who had become a Dao companion with Zhao Ge, was undoubtedly number one. Dacheng Sect and Liangjing Mountain had already started preparing to establish a sub-sect, and Xu Jun would then be the master of four sects.
Daoist Sun's comment on this matter hit the mark: "There's no sect feud that can't be resolved by a wedding banquet."
Mi Zei Wang Yuanlu was fortunate enough to become a disciple of Bixiao Cave Master.
According to Daoist Sun's impartial words: "A melon rind trying to be clever—a steamed bun turned upside down shows its big face. From now on, even wanting to die will be hard."
Sword cultivator Xu Xuyuan.
With a pair of twin sisters, female cultivators who had jointly become candidates for the world's top ten. The elder sister, Xu Mian, was the master of Qingni Cave Heaven, the ancestor of the Dressing Female Official lineage. The younger sister, Xu Yingning, was the master of Tianrang Bliss Land, the founding ancestor of the Curtain-Raising Red Hands lineage. And Xu Xuyuan was their biological younger brother. Additionally, Xu Xuyuan was said to be an unregistered disciple of Shanyin Visitor "Tai Yi" Wang, and had become sworn brothers with two people: Luo Yi, the founding emperor of Hengyang Dynasty with the title "Fire Official," and Wu Xi, the "Shade-Covering Marquis" of Youshan Kingdom in Peizhou.
Two biological sisters, one mentor, two sworn brothers—all five were among the Azure Essence World's ten candidates.
Thus, this person had two widely circulated sayings in the Azure Essence World: one given by Temple Master Sun, and one that Temple Master Sun claimed was said by Sect Leader Lu.
"Xu Xuyuan: Completely Reliant on No One," and "Self-Reliant Young Master Xu."
The Azure Essence World had long been accustomed to this: for interesting people and entertaining matters, if Daoist Sun didn't say a few impartial words, no matter how much others talked, it never felt quite right.
Zhu Mouren shuddered and admonished sternly, "Young man, watch your words!"
At that moment, a vast aura wrapped around the entire Ya Mountain like mist.
Qi Huajian's expression changed slightly, and she glared fiercely at her blunt junior brother.
Song Yue even felt her breath catch.
Lin Jiangxian smiled faintly, "Since they dared to give birth, why fear outsiders' gossip?"
The aura, like a vast heavenly tribulation enveloping Ya Mountain, grew heavier.
Lin Jiangxian narrowed his eyes, "Senior, if a grain of your mind consciousness doesn't withdraw from Ya Mountain territory, don't blame me for reciprocating at Jintong Dojo."
A moment later, Ya Mountain returned to a clear, peaceful atmosphere.
Clearly, this great cultivator's mind consciousness had withdrawn from Red Gold Dynasty territory.
Zhu Mouren sighed, "Brother Zong, you've really stepped into it. This calamity! Fortunately, Master Lin is here at Ya Mountain."
This senior Daoist official from the same era as Wu Zhou had several ultimate techniques up his sleeve that were truly astonishing. One of them could instantly turn the earth into a watery marshland.
He could also build a wind corridor and water pavilion, dwelling inside as a Daoist, eventually refining a dharma sword of "Boundless Mundane World."
Of course, this person had reached the Fourteenth Realm by harmonizing with the earth's geography—a grand undertaking that amazed everyone: "Vermilion Canopy Covers the Prefecture!"
About a thousand years ago, a Daoist from Zhu Prefecture, facing his approaching end, painstakingly managed for over a thousand years, closed himself for harmonization in an instant.
It was precisely because this act disrupted the landscape of an entire prefecture and violated the rules established by Jade Capital that his friend Yu Dou came bearing a sword.
Wearing a dharma robe and holding an immortal sword, Sect Leader Yu Dou directly knocked this newly ascended Fourteenth Realm Daoist back to the Immortal Realm.
At the same time, the originally connected Qingni Cave Heaven and Tianrang Bliss Land were also affected. Yu Dou severed their connection with a single sword strike and then decreed that the cave heaven and bliss land seal their mountains.
If one spoke of heavenly heart and selflessness, when Yu Dou claimed to be second, no one in the Azure Essence World dared to claim first.
But all this was old history from a thousand years ago. And that Zhu Prefecture Daoist official—from successfully harmonizing to instantly falling from his realm—took less than an incense stick's time, all very covert.
Zong Xuequan turned to look at his master.
Lin Jiangxian said calmly, "Once you've healed your injuries, go down the mountain. Visit Jintong Dojo, walk around there, then return to Ya Mountain."
Zhao Hechong and the others were fine—they were used to it.
As an outsider, Gu Yange stood speechless.
Zong Xuequan swallowed his saliva, cupped his fists, and accepted the order.
Lin Jiangxian said, "Gu Yange, while you're on Ya Mountain, we'll spar two matches."
Gu Yange's face lit up with spirit, and she cupped her fists solemnly, "Junior begs Master Lin for guidance!"
Zhu Mouren was relieved. He had fulfilled the beauty's trust. The Ya Mountain trip was a complete success.
Actually, he had met Gu Yange halfway. Since their destination was the same, they traveled together. Unfortunately, they hadn't exchanged many words along the way.
It wasn't because his appearance was poor or his skills insufficient—it was because Gu Yange simply didn't seem to like men. What could he do? Turn into a woman?
As the leading Daoist official of Ruzhou, he had once been the Number One Scholar of the Jiaqian Dynasty in Ruzhou. His talent was naturally excellent. Then, through the tradition of "catching a husband from the ranked list," he became a royal consort.
He was the admirer of the world's most proud man—"Carriages and crowns fill the capital, but the man stands alone in sorrow." See, what well-written lines! Zhu Mouren always felt that half of Bai Ye's poems were tailored for him.
The group left the training ground and moved to a place for drinking. As for Song Yue, she was dragged away by Senior Sister Qi Huajian to soak in a medicinal vat.
Gu Yange asked, "Senior Zhu, are you familiar with Daoist Sun of Xuandu Temple?"
Zhu Mouren carefully replied, "We know each other. Not too familiar."
"Then forget it."
"Miss Gu, do you have some personal grievance with Xuandu Temple in Qizhou? Or do you have a request for Temple Master Sun, who's never been fond of receiving guests?"
"Nothing like that. I just wanted to thank Daoist Sun. But Daoist Sun hasn't been at the temple for the past few years, so I've never had the chance to meet him. He probably doesn't even remember me now. If I rashly went to Qizhou to visit, I'm afraid I'd still be turned away at Xuandu Temple."
Zhu Mouren breathed a sigh of relief and immediately changed his tune, "Though Temple Master Sun and I aren't too familiar, he has invited me to drink there. As the old saying goes, 'arriving early is worse than arriving by chance.' If Miss Gu is willing, you can accompany me to Xuandu Temple soon."
With Temple Master Sun, you can be unfamiliar, or you can be very familiar.
Lin Jiangxian maintained a blank expression, too lazy to expose his friend's boasting.
Sun Huaizhong had no real friendship with Zhu Mouren. At best, it was slightly better than a nodding acquaintance.
For mountain-peak cultivators, they did meet frequently. But strictly speaking, their relationship was average—quite average.
First, they weren't the same type. Zhu Mouren liked to pretend to be refined, while Daoist Sun hated speaking in a polished, flowery manner.
Second, every time Zhu Mouren visited Xuandu Temple, it was because he had no choice. Whenever Temple Master Sun got tired of his own wine, he would call for Daoist Friend Zhu of Ruzhou to come drink together.
Additionally, the old temple master, every time he saw Zhu Mouren, would grab his arm and earnestly repeat: "Daoist Friend, why not go back to using your original name 'Zhu Dazhuang'? You're always seeking novelty, but isn't there an obvious one? Why ride a donkey while searching for a donkey?"
Would Zhu Mouren agree?
If he wasn't solidly the number eleven spot and couldn't beat the steadfast number five in the world, Zhu Mouren would want to grab the other's head and shout, "Explain clearly—how is this a 'beautiful tale' to be remembered for eternity!"
It seemed that to travel to Qizhou with Gu Yange, Zhu Mouren was truly willing to go all out—even walking into a trap. As soon as he entered Xuandu Temple's front door, he'd be walking out the back. As long as the wine he brought wasn't good enough or abundant enough, his true name "Zhu Dazhuang" would be known not just in Qizhou but probably throughout the entire world.
After drinking, Zhu Mouren pulled Lin Jiangxian out for a walk.
Zhu Mouren smiled, "That Xu Xuyuan has received the secret copy of the third chapter of 'Su Wen.' So he's skilled in Zhu You medicine—truly deserving of the description 'exquisite and peerless.'"
Lin Jiangxian nodded, "He has hope of proving the ancient Golden Immortal body. Impressive."
Zhu Mouren marveled, "For Master Lin to call someone 'impressive'—my precious wine wasn't wasted."
Lin Jiangxian said, "If you have something to say, say it."
Zhu Mouren asked a taboo question that only a close friend would dare ask: "How do you plan to deal with Zhao Hechong and those secondary disciples? Do you have any thoughts?"
Not to mention Zhao Hechong, Lin Jiangxian's senior disciple. The others, though not pillars, were all middle-strength forces of Ya Mountain—either at the Far Travel Realm or the Golden Body Realm.
The fact that some had stolen boxing techniques from Master Lin or from Ya Mountain was secondary.
His friend Lin Jiangxian had never been narrow-minded about boxing techniques. He was just too lazy to teach. When he encountered good seedlings outside, he was very willing to point out the way or even teach a few moves.
The problem was that from indoor disciple Zhao Hechong to those secondary disciples, they all had countless connections with Jade Capital. Among them, several—at least two—still maintained secret contact with Jade Capital. This included senior disciple Zhao Hechong. If such a thing leaked, it would be a thunderbolt for Ya Mountain and the Red Gold Dynasty.
Lin Jiangxian remained silent.
Zhu Mouren sighed—so he still hadn't figured it out.
Zhu Mouren had seen three times when Zhao Hechong, using the pretext of sect business, secretly met with Jade Capital Daoist officials specifically responsible for patrols across the prefectures.
The first two sightings were nearly thirty years apart, showing considerable patience on both sides.
It showed how seriously Zhu Mouren took Ya Mountain.
The number of times he had secretly followed Zhao Hechong away from Ya Mountain and Red Gold Dynasty might have exceeded one hand.
The first time he saw them furtively meeting, they were discussing how to secure Zhao Hechong's position as senior disciple, how to handle Ya Mountain's affairs, how to deal with the Red Gold Dynasty's emperor and ministers to win Master Lin's favor. They discussed learning true boxing from Master Lin while also holding real power, and especially being careful of that Zhu Mouren... One gave instructions, the other listened humbly.
That secret meeting ended amicably.
But the second time they met, after discussing business, Zhao Hechong started complaining—he was no longer a greenhorn. Zhao Hechong was already a Mountaintop Realm martial arts master.
At that time, the Jade Capital Daoist official seemed to have brought along a Daoist of the same age and hometown as Zhao Hechong. But this young Purple Qi Tower official never spoke a word.
The last time was two years ago. From the tone of voice, it was Zhao Hechong's first time actively requesting that the other party come to Ruzhou. That Purple Qi Tower official didn't show up—he was in seclusion.
Zhu Mouren was just that bored. Since he had nothing better to do, he had to find ways to pass the time.
Seeing that Lin Jiangxian still wouldn't speak, he shook his head with a laugh, "To an outsider, it's both infuriating and amusing—and a little pitiful."
To have been an undercover agent for so long—Zhao Hechong had it rough.
He remembered that at that time, the frustrated Zhao Hechong, after drinking in silence, threw down his wine pot and cursed at that relatively unknown but not weak Jade Capital Daoist official, "Are you telling me I have to become the second-generation sect leader of Ya Mountain?"
Lin Jiangxian finally spoke, "It's not just Senior Disciple Zhao Hechong. The second disciple, Qi Huajian—on the very day she formally became my disciple, she revealed her identity. She came to Ya Mountain in Ruzhou at the behest of a certain Celestial Immortal from Lingbao City. The two boxing manuals she first studied were also gifts from Lingbao City Daoist officials—all so she could one day enter Ya Mountain and learn boxing from me."
"According to the agreement, within thirty years, all the boxing techniques she steals from me must be returned to Jade Capital's Lingbao City. After that, Qi Huajian will have no connection with Jade Capital."
"She dares to steal, and I dare to teach. I want to see if Jade Capital can produce half another Lin Jiangxian within the next hundred years."
Zhu Mouren laughed helplessly, "Are all four of your direct disciples agents arranged by Jade Capital?"
"Not quite. Zong Xuequan and Song Yue have simple backgrounds—no connection with Jade Capital."
Lin Jiangxian said calmly, "Even if they were all agents placed by Jade Capital beside me—so what?"
Don't forget—this Master Lin could also say he'd help the Leap Moon Peak by calculating when they should come down the mountain.
Zhu Mouren was deeply impressed, "You really can let it go. I definitely couldn't do that."
Between his fingers appeared a special charm coin, ground into a square shape. On one side was carved an eclipse of the sun; on the other, an eclipse of the moon.
Ordinary copper coins pass through many hands, thus carrying heavy yang qi. This charm coin in Zhu Mouren's hand was ranked third among the world's top ten "famous springs."
The charm coin rolled between Zhu Mouren's fingertips.
Lin Jiangxian suddenly apologized, "Sorry."
Zhu Mouren laughed freely, "Sentimental. That's not something Master Lin should say. Take it back. Take it back quickly. I'll pretend I never heard it."
Silence for a moment. Zhu Mouren gently spun the charm coin as he walked to the peak of Ya Mountain. The view was open—barely visible in the distance was the capital of Red Gold Dynasty, which had no curfew, a sea of lights like a fireball in the night sky. His expression was complex. "To be honest, the head of a certain Jade Capital city-tower invited me to visit. He personally promised that if I would go and follow their arrangements, I could not only be his deputy but also—crucially—have hope of walking a great path. As for who it was, I won't say. Just following the rule that business is business, even if not concluded, goodwill remains."
"I have to admit—I was tempted."
Lin Jiangxian smiled faintly, "Temptation is human nature. Not being tempted would be strange."
In the Azure Essence World, there was an ancient saying with no evidence: "Beyond Jade Capital, one prefecture, fourteen."
This saying could be interpreted in two ways. One: of the fourteen prefectures, each prefecture, responding to fate, could produce a Fourteenth Realm cultivator.
This wasn't a fixed certainty, but it was a kind of opportunity guided by heaven's will.
Another interpretation: within the territory of one prefecture, only one Fourteenth Realm could appear. It was absolutely impossible for two to coexist. A single prefecture's land, no matter how large like Qizhou or Youzhou, simply lacked the "destiny" to support two Fourteenth Realm great cultivators.
For example, Wang Sun and Sun Huaizhong of Xuandu Temple in Qizhou. The latter, when traveling to other worlds, once lent one of the four immortal swords—"Tai Bai"—to Bai Ye of the Righteous World.
Besides having compatible temperaments with Bai Ye, Sun Huaizhong also believed that his senior sister Wang Sun, with the Daoist name "Empty Mountain," would surely reach the Fourteenth Realm. Sun deliberately left Xuandu Temple and Qizhou territory, essentially giving way in advance. Zhu Mouren and those mountain-peak cultivators understood perfectly: that time Daoist Sun traveled far, it was likely during a critical period of Wang Sun's seclusion. Unfortunately, it turned out that Wang Sun had failed to harmonize successfully.
So in this Ruzhou, because of Lin Jiangxian and Ya Mountain, it almost completely cut off Zhu Mouren's slight possibility of breaking through his bottleneck.
Although Lin Jiangxian wasn't a qi cultivator, the flow of a prefecture's fortune didn't care whether you were a martial artist or a Daoist official.
Zhu Mouren asked curiously, "Is it possible that in the future, the fourteen prefectures of the Azure Essence World will simultaneously produce fourteen Fourteenth Realm cultivators?"
Lin Jiangxian shook his head, "Absolutely impossible."
Zhu Mouren pressed on, "Then how about not at the same time? Within the next thousand years—or even two thousand—could there be that many Fourteenth Realm cultivators?"
"Like a village of fourteen families. Fortune rotates. Each family will have their turn. The only difference is whether it comes early or late."
Lin Jiangxian laughed upon hearing this, "Lu Chen once said, 'Small knowledge cannot match great knowledge; a short life cannot match a long one.' So wait a little longer. You are a cultivator—believe that there will always be a day when light shines through the darkness."
Zhu Mouren hesitated repeatedly, but still couldn't help asking with his mind voice, "Master Lin, what are you preparing to do?"
Lin Jiangxian smiled but said nothing.
"Lin Jiangxian, we've known each other for so many years. Can't you still tell me?"
"I also never ask you, 'Who do you need to defeat to be satisfied.'"
Zhu Mouren sighed, "Master Lin, Master Lin—talking with you is truly dull."
Lin Jiangxian reached out and tapped the green bamboo railing at the mountain peak. He smiled and said, "Fanning a fire with the wind requires little effort. Going with the flow yields twice the result with half the effort."
Zhu Mouren grasped the square charm coin. Time passed slowly, he had been unrestrained, indulgent in wine and women, his writings known to all. Then it was enough to win just once, and he could be immortal for eternity.
Not seeking the reality of eternal life with heaven and earth, but seeking the immortal name that shines with the sun and moon.
So for now, he still had to live a while longer—he needed at least one more realm.
Zhu Mouren said, "There's something I need to discuss with you."
Lin Jiangxian brushed his hand across the railing, "Speak freely."
Zhu Mouren said, "If the world truly falls into chaos, with several prefectures of the Azure Essence World engulfed in war, I will try my best to ensure Ruzhou's peace. But I'll need Master Lin and Ya Mountain's help."
Lin Jiangxian nodded, "You've spoken of the easy matter. Please continue with the difficult one."
Zhu Mouren said, "If one day, when a certain matter hangs in the balance, and the situation in the world is deadlocked, I hope Master Lin can lend me a hand to break the deadlock as soon as possible, so that the mortal world can return to peace—one day earlier is one day better."
Lin Jiangxian said, "No problem."
Several prefectures, a great fire spreading across the plains.
Ruzhou would temporarily stand by, watching the fire from across the river.
In truth, for Lin Jiangxian and Ya Mountain, Zhu Mouren's easy matter and difficult matter were exactly reversed.
As the last Sacrificial Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, Lin Jiangxian was nothing more than a true pure martial artist—not a qi cultivator, and certainly not a sword cultivator.
As Chun Yang Lu Yan had said directly to Chen Ping'an, "Master Lin's boxing is very high, but his sword technique is even higher."
And Lu Chen had also said to someone, "With or without a long sword in hand, it's two different Lin Jiangxians."
Old Man Yang of the medicine shop often read a travelogue compiled by a foreign sword immortal. When the old man met Ning Yao back then, he had mentioned this matter.
The Sword Qi Great Wall had three officials: the Sacrificial Official goes first, then the Punishment Official. Following naturally would be "everything is ready, only the east wind is needed"—just waiting for the Hidden Official to appear.
Although Lin Jiangxian didn't hold high hopes for Chen Ping'an in the Azure-White Debate with Cao Ci, he was still willing to wait and see regarding the sword technique achievements of Secret Agent Chen.
Zhu Mouren flicked his sleeve, stepped back several paces, made a Daoist hand seal, and bowed his head, saying solemnly, "Ruzhou Daoist Official Zhu Dazhuang, hereby thanks his close friend Master Lin!"
Lin Jiangxian returned the salute with cupped fists.
Zhu Mouren straightened up, feeling refreshed. For now, with nothing urgent, he was like a carefree little immortal.
Lin Jiangxian suddenly said, "You and Gu Yange don't need to go to Xuandu Temple to find Daoist Sun. If you truly want to see him, head straight to Jade Capital instead."