Wudang Ascends

Meng Chen was willing to relent, and both Our Lady of Wudang and Zhao Gongming breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

They had long grown tired of the internal atmosphere within the Intercepting Teaching, but their words carried little weight and could change nothing. Daoist Duobao was the Eldest Senior Brother, holding an extraordinary status in the Intercepting Teaching.

Our Lady of Wudang even felt a flicker of excitement deep inside. She cared nothing for Daoist Duobao's face.

Our Lady of Wudang had dreams of her own.

A woman born between heaven and earth—how could she languish forever beneath others! If Daoist Duobao could be the Eldest Senior Brother of the Intercepting Teaching, why couldn't she be the Eldest Senior Sister? She wanted not only to wield the teaching's rules but also to succeed Master Tongtian as its leader once he retired.

Our Lady of Wudang had once thought that after Daoist Duobao took over as leader of the Intercepting Teaching, she would leave and establish a White Lotus Sect of her own, becoming a sect leader herself.

But now, it seemed she wouldn't need to go out and start from scratch. Meng Chen's move this time had handed her an opportunity.

Forced to kneel, Daoist Duobao's prestige would suffer a severe blow. In the world, there could be Disciples of Intercepting Teaching who knelt, but never a kneeling leader of the Intercepting Teaching. Even if Master Tongtian didn't care, the disciples had to.

Once she returned to the Intercepting Teaching, a little push would bring the neutral disciples to her side. Then they would petition Master Tongtian together, demanding harsh punishment for Daoist Duobao and his faction.

With such a perfect handle delivered to her door, if Our Lady of Wudang didn't use it well, she would be betraying her own dreams.

"Wudang, leave some leeway in all things, so we may meet again. We are fellow disciples—do you have to go this far?"

Daoist Duobao's voice was low, thick with warning. But anyone could see he was nothing but bluster.

Our Lady of Wudang cast a faint glance at Daoist Duobao. "Senior Brother Duobao, the Master entrusted you with upholding My Teaching's rules. You should know them better than I. Yet you knowingly break them. You are unworthy to enforce the rules, let alone stand as the foremost of the Intercepting Teaching's ten thousand immortals."

"Pfft!"

Daoist Duobao nearly spat blood from rage. He glared at Our Lady of Wudang, as if branding her image into his memory.

Just then, the eastern sky blazed with boundless purple vapor, celestial music swelled, and the phantom of Master Tongtian appeared above.

Seeing this, the disciples of both the Chan Sect and the Intercepting Teaching bowed in reverence, paying homage to Master Tongtian. No one could defy the majesty of a saint.

At the sight of Master Tongtian's manifestation, Daoist Duobao and his followers lit up as if they'd seen a savior.

Master Tongtian's left eye was like the sun, his right like the moon. His gaze swept over the crowd, taking in everything, and at the same time, he lifted the restraints on Daoist Duobao and the others.

"Duobao, Wudang spoke truly. You have disappointed your master too much."

Master Tongtian's words cut off all hope for Daoist Duobao and his faction. Their eyes went vacant as they stared blankly at him.

Daoist Duobao acted swiftly, dropping to his knees and prostrating himself, tears and snot flowing as he played the sentiment card.

"Master, it was the Chan Sect who pushed too far. The Chan Sect disciples said that our Intercepting Teaching is nothing but Hairy and Horned, Moist-Born and Egg-Hatched—unworthy to stand alongside them. When your disciple heard them insulting our Teaching, I acted with my junior brothers and sisters to defend My Teaching's honor."

He thought that with the bond between him and Master Tongtian like father and son, a show of remorse and using the Intercepting Teaching as a shield would surely earn forgiveness.

But that trick no longer worked.

"Duobao, say no more. Your master knows full well the grievances between you and the Chan Sect. I once intended to groom you as the next leader of the Intercepting Teaching, but you have proven too unworthy."

Daoist Duobao's face twisted in shock. Now he understood where that uneasy feeling had come from.

"Master, what wrong did your disciple do in protecting his fellow disciples?"

Daoist Duobao asked, unwilling to accept it, his voice cautious.

Master Tongtian's gaze was cold and sharp as he fixed it on Daoist Duobao, his voice dripping with endless disappointment. "Protecting fellow disciples does not mean ignoring right and wrong to act recklessly. As the Eldest Senior Brother, you should have led by example, guiding your juniors onto the right path. Instead, you indulged them in bullying the weak and stirring up trouble. If you hadn't been so permissive, would this conflict with the Chan Sect have landed you in such an awkward position?"

Sweat beaded on Daoist Duobao's forehead. He wanted to argue further, but before Master Tongtian, he couldn't get a word out.

Master Tongtian turned to Our Lady of Wudang, who grew even more reverent.

"Wudang, Duobao has formed factions and led violations of the rules. He is no longer fit to be the Eldest Senior Brother of the Intercepting Teaching. Your master hereby appoints you as the Eldest Senior Sister of My Teaching, to assist me in governing the sect."

Boom!

At Master Tongtian's words, the disciples of Daoist Duobao's faction turned ashen. They knew their good days were over!

Our Lady of Wudang was too upright—she couldn't tolerate a single grain of sand in her eye. If they broke the rules again, she would never let them off.

Thinking this, these disciples were flooded with regret. They had joined Master Tongtian to throw their weight around, not to be restrained.

Hearing this, Our Lady of Wudang's eyes blazed with boundless light. She quickly knelt to Master Tongtian and said, "Your disciple thanks the Master for his trust. I will not fail the Master's charge and will manage the sect's affairs well."

She glanced at Meng Chen and continued, "Just now, I have already discussed with Fellow Daoist Meng Chen that Duobao and the others will be punished according to My Teaching's rules. Fellow Daoist Meng Chen has promised not to pursue this matter further."

At this, Master Tongtian finally looked at Meng Chen. Watching the unruffled Meng Chen, a flicker of complexity passed through the saint's eyes. If only Meng Chen were a disciple of the Intercepting Teaching—but from the start, he had no intention of joining.

"What orders does the uncle-master have?"

Seeing Master Tongtian's gaze, Meng Chen gave a slight bow.

Master Tongtian sighed softly. "If Wudang and Zhao Gongming had continued to attack you, would you have suppressed the entire Intercepting Teaching, casting aside all bonds between the Chan and Intercepting sects?"

On this point, Master Tongtian had no solid proof—only a guess. He had simply seen how ruthlessly Daoist Duobao and the others had tried to kill Meng Chen, and that led him to this thought.

Feelings were mutual. If the Intercepting Teaching's disciples showed no mercy to the Chan Sect's, then the Chan Sect's disciples need not care about sentiment either.

Meng Chen's expression was calm as he replied, "Uncle-master, the Chan and Intercepting sects both belong to the orthodox Xuanmen. Your disciple naturally puts the bond between the two sects first."

Master Tongtian gave Meng Chen a long, searching look, then vanished into the sky. He had caught Meng Chen's implication—the answer was "yes."

After all, Meng Chen's reply was that he would put the bond first, not that he would take it as his guiding principle.