After leaving, Duàn Yì did not continue wandering about. Instead, he went straight back to the inn to check out. He would rather find another inn with a slightly worse environment than continue staying here.
Fortunately, the fat innkeeper was probably still with Young Miss Zhou and had not returned, so everything went smoothly.
Early the next morning, Duàn Yì packed his luggage and headed directly for Shalu Mountain outside Daming County, where the Golden Cauldron Sect's mountain gate was located.
Shalu Mountain began in the northeast of Daming County and stretched southeastward. Its five nearly parallel rolling ridges were graceful and varied, resembling five sika deer, hence the name Shalu.
According to Yuè Jiāo Nú, the Golden Cauldron Sect was one of the three sects on Shalu Mountain. It was the strongest and most renowned, occupying three main peaks, while the other two sects, the Green Crane Sect and Heart-Questioning Nunnery, occupied the remaining two.
Walking at a hurried pace, Duàn Yì finally arrived at the foot of Shalu Mountain's path shortly before noon. He climbed step by step along the man-made bluestone road and eventually reached the Golden Cauldron Sect's mountain gate.
The Golden Cauldron Sect's two gatekeeping disciples wore earthy yellow robes and carried swords. They were chatting idly in fits and starts before the stairs.
When they suddenly saw a poorly dressed youth, his face drenched in sweat, approaching with a bundle on his back, their previous laziness immediately turned to vigilance. Their swords remained sheathed, but they gripped them in their hands and held them across their chests defensively. The slightly younger one said in a low voice,
"Who goes there? This is the Golden Cauldron Sect's sacred mountain gate. Unauthorized entry is forbidden."
In truth, they had already guessed that he was another foolish boy with wild fantasies of taking a master, as there had been far too many such examples in the past. Neither of them thought much of him.
Seeing this, Duàn Yì hurriedly spread his hands to show that he meant no harm, then said cautiously,
"Two young heroes, I have come up the mountain to seek refuge with family. I am looking for someone named Bái Xī Wén. I have a token; I am not here to make trouble."
When Duàn Yì and Yuè Jiāo Nú had discussed coming to the Golden Cauldron Sect to take a master and learn martial arts, they had already considered what identity he should use to go up the mountain. Duàn Yì's identity was unusual, after all. If Qū Dōng Liú noticed anything amiss, he would certainly die.
In the end, combining Yuè Jiāo Nú's description of Bái Xī Wén with the relevant information, they decided he would go up the mountain under the pretense of seeking family, directly naming Bái Xī Wén rather than going through the Golden Cauldron Sect itself.
The token was easy enough to arrange: it was one of Yuè Jiāo Nú's silk handkerchiefs, a gift Bái Xī Wén had given her back when he had pestered her relentlessly. He would surely recognize it.
Furthermore, Bái Xī Wén clearly knew Yuè Jiāo Nú's current circumstances. Once he saw the handkerchief, for her safety, he would certainly not raise an alarm and let Qū Dōng Liú notice anything unusual. That would complete the first step of the plan.
At that moment, Duàn Yì was playing the part of a poor youth who had reached the end of the road in his hometown and had come specifically to rely on a successful relative. In essence, it was not entirely an act. Aside from the family connection, he truly had come to cling to Bái Xī Wén's thigh.
"Family? Martial Uncle Bái has been alone on this mountain for so many years. Since when did he suddenly have a relative? Who exactly are you? Speak!"
One of the mountain guards clearly did not believe Duàn Yì's story. His expression turned stern, and with a ringing clang, he drew the sword in his hand. It gleamed beneath the noon sun as he demanded,
"I truly came to seek family. If you do not believe me, you may take me directly to Bái Xī Wén. If he does not recognize me, then you may kill or carve me up as you please."
Naturally, Duàn Yì refused to show weakness. He stiffened his neck and answered firmly, his gaze yielding not in the slightest.
What a joke. This man was clearly trying to bluff him. If he so easily revealed his own background, why had he come to this Golden Cauldron Sect, where danger lurked on all sides?
"Enough. Put your sword away. This youth's eyes are clear; he does not seem to be lying. How about this? I will take him to see Martial Uncle Bái. You remain here and keep watch. It is settled."
The other gatekeeping disciple, who looked somewhat older, had been observing Duàn Yì from beginning to end. Seeing that he truly seemed confident, he came forward to smooth things over.
Within the Golden Cauldron Sect, the person with the greatest authority was naturally the sect leader, Qū Dōng Liú. But in terms of the highest martial arts and greatest prestige, it was none other than the elder Bái Xī Wén.
"His background is still unclear, so we should not offend him. If he truly is Martial Uncle Bái's relative, and you and I deliberately make things difficult for him today, he may one day seek private revenge. Junior Brother, listen to me. Sheathe your sword."
When the older disciple saw that his junior brother had not put away his sword, he walked over and forcibly pressed it back into its scabbard while whispering into his ear.
Seeing that the man was finally no longer swords drawn and bows tensed, Duàn Yì inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He had not expected that the King of Hell was easy to provoke while the little demons were difficult to deal with. He had nearly been turned away outside the mountain gate.
Duàn Yì then followed the Golden Cauldron Sect disciple guiding him up the mountain. As they walked and chatted, he learned some information.
This man was named Wáng Jīn Guì. He and the person who had guarded the mountain with him were both personal disciples of the Golden Cauldron Sect expert Hé Shū Huái. Hé Shū Huái was Bái Xī Wén's senior brother and, like him, one of the Golden Cauldron Sect's six great elders. His martial arts were formidable, far beyond the ordinary.
In Duàn Yì's understanding, guarding the gate was generally dirty, exhausting work that should be done by outer disciples. It should never have fallen to personal disciples. Only after Wáng Jīn Guì explained did he understand the obstacle within.
The mountain gate was a sect's first line of defense. The disciples guarding it naturally could not be weak. Besides protecting the gate, they also represented the Golden Cauldron Sect's reputation. Thus, the Golden Cauldron Sect's mountain guards had always been personal disciples of various experts, taking turns on duty. If Bái Xī Wén accepted Duàn Yì as his disciple in the future, sooner or later it would be his turn to guard the mountain as well.
After chatting in fits and starts for some time, Wáng Jīn Guì suddenly realized that he had revealed quite a bit of information, yet apart from knowing that the youth was called Duàn Yì and had come to seek family with Bái Xī Wén, he knew nothing else about him. A strange feeling rose within him. This kid had such meticulous thoughts.
As they went up the mountain, they did not see a third person. In the end, Wáng Jīn Guì led Duàn Yì to an exceptionally orderly building on the rear side of the mountainside. It resembled a residence within the city, with copper studs the size of teacups gleaming on its gate. Yet the lone house seemed somewhat desolate.
Wáng Jīn Guì did not step forward to knock. Instead, he stood roughly six or seven meters from the gate and called out,
"Disciple Wáng Jīn Guì requests an audience with Martial Uncle Bái."
Duàn Yì stood not far from Wáng Jīn Guì. Hearing that voice, his ears buzzed as though someone were speaking into them through a horn, making him deeply uncomfortable. Yet his heart stirred.
The man was not shouting himself hoarse; he was merely speaking normally. Yet his voice was exceptionally loud, and it would have been no problem for it to spread out and cover the entire building ahead. He had clearly used some sort of technique, or perhaps directly infused it with true qi. That was why it was so miraculous.
If there was anything that interested Duàn Yì at that moment, it was internal energy.
Internal energy, like battle qi, magic power, chakra, little universe, and other such powers, was a supernatural ability beyond ordinary human understanding. Beyond its extraordinary destructive force, it also had all kinds of marvelous effects, such as prolonging one's life.
He had braved such danger precisely to obtain a method for cultivating internal energy. Now that he had directly experienced the wonder of internal energy through Wáng Jīn Guì, how could he not be excited?
Before long, the vermilion-lacquered gate opened from within. A man in white emerged, his steps light and floating. As though weightless, he drifted gracefully before Duàn Yì and Wáng Jīn Guì.
Duàn Yì carefully examined the man in white. He looked to be in his thirties, with shoulder-length hair. He was tall and thin, his skin slightly dark. His features were not particularly handsome, but they were reasonably regular, and his scholarly temperament gave him an air of refined courtesy.
But the moment he opened his mouth, he gave himself away. That earlier refined air vanished without a trace.
"It's Jīn Guì, is it? What do you need from me?
Where did this boy toy crawl out from? Damn it, you clearly know I hate it most when someone is better-looking than me, yet you brought him right before my eyes. Are you itching for a beating?"
Clearly, this was the Bái Xī Wén Yuè Jiāo Nú had mentioned, and one of the people from whom Duàn Yì hoped to learn profound martial arts. Yet he did not seem particularly reliable.
He even claimed to hate anyone more handsome than himself. At most, his features were regular; he could not be called handsome at all.
"Hehe, Martial Uncle, you jest. This youth came up the mountain specifically to find you. He says he has come to seek refuge with you and is related to you.
I had no choice. Seeing how certain he looked, I brought him to meet you. Could it be that Martial Uncle does not know him?"
Wáng Jīn Guì's expression changed slightly. He glanced at Duàn Yì from the corner of his eye and, seeing no nervousness on his face, relaxed inwardly.
Bái Xī Wén was puzzled. He had gone up the mountain to learn martial arts at a young age. While he did have some distant relatives, they were so distant that they could hardly be considered family, and he had not seen them for anywhere from ten to twenty years. Who would come to seek refuge with him? Could this man have some other motive?
Duàn Yì, however, remained unhurried. He took a pale pink silk handkerchief from the small bundle on his back. It still carried a faint fragrance. He handed it to Bái Xī Wén and said respectfully,
"This is a token my elder sister gave me. She said you would understand the moment you saw it."
Wáng Jīn Guì saw clearly from the side that it was merely an ordinary woman's handkerchief, nothing remarkable. Yet the instant Bái Xī Wén saw it, he seemed as if struck by lightning. His expression became agitated, and his eyes looked as though he had seen a lover from whom he had long been parted.
Neither he nor Duàn Yì saw Bái Xī Wén move at all, but the handkerchief had already fallen into Bái Xī Wén's hand.
Then they saw Bái Xī Wén, like some pervert, rub the handkerchief against his cheek, take a sniff, and look utterly intoxicated, sending chills down both their spines.
If outsiders saw that the Golden Cauldron Sect's foremost expert behaved like such a lovesick creep, would that not make him lose all face?
Wáng Jīn Guì grew even more suspicious. Judging from Martial Uncle Bái's actions, this was surely some token from a lover.
Adding the age difference between Bái Xī Wén and Duàn Yì, as well as the slight resemblance in their eyebrows, he suddenly felt as though he had uncovered some heaven-shaking secret.
"Could it be, could it be that this youth is Martial Uncle Bái's illegitimate son outside the sect, and he has now come knocking? Good thing we did not make things difficult for him at the mountain gate just now."
Before you continue