Heir to the Bixie Swordplay

After Liu Zhiwei left, Ruan Xiang could no longer conceal the grief on his face. With a heart heavy with worry, he asked Steward Xu for advice,

"After all, the Golden Cauldron Sect is a famed school of Wei Prefecture, with deep foundations and great strength. A petty merchant like me cannot compare to them at all. If they insist on protecting Duàn Yì, what am I supposed to do?"

"Master need not worry. In my view, the Golden Cauldron Sect will certainly make Duàn Yì agree. After all, this concerns the face that a sect values above all else.

Taking a step back, even if the Golden Cauldron Sect refuses, we can wait until Duàn Yì comes down from the mountain before making further plans. He cannot possibly remain on the mountain for the rest of his life, can he?

Money can make even ghosts turn millstones. When the time comes, whether you hire experts to deal with Duàn Yì or assassins to kill him will be yours to decide."

With Ruan Xiang's intelligence, he should not have failed to think of such matters. But Ruan Dong's death had dealt him too crushing a blow, leaving him unable to think calmly. Steward Xu, after considering the matter again and again, did not find it particularly difficult.

"Master, there is one more matter we must prepare for early: finding an expert to duel Duàn Yì.

In my opinion, the Golden Cauldron Sect will never allow us to find some famous senior expert to deal with Duàn Yì. The disparity in strength would be too great, and there would be no need for a duel at all.

It would be better to start with the younger generation. That would also lessen Bái Xī Wén's resistance somewhat.

I have just thought of a candidate. This man has quite a reputation and has recently been in Daming County. If we hire him with a hefty sum, we may be able to move him."

Ruan Xiang found Steward Xu's words quite reasonable and felt slightly relieved.

Yet what concerned him more was whether this man could win in battle, take the sword-wielding right hand of Duàn Yì, vent his anger, and avenge Ruan Dong. He hurriedly asked,

"Who is this man?"

"Lin Bohui, the swordsman who has risen to fame across Wei Prefecture over the past three months. Though young, his martial arts are formidable.

Since entering the martial world, he has used a set of Bixie Swordplay to defeat seven somewhat renowned swordsmen in the region. Every battle was settled swiftly, never exceeding ten moves. He may be called an expert, and he is presently in the full blaze of his fame.

I have heard that this man delights in luxury and is exceedingly fond of women. Before and after every battle, he invariably indulges himself wildly in the local brothels and pleasure houses. Some even call him the Pink Swordsman.

If Master lures him with generous profit, you will certainly be able to invite him to act and defeat Duàn Yì. Moreover, he is currently in Daming County, saving us quite a bit of trouble."

Steward Xu was not a man of the martial world, but he had his own knack for judging people and things. Lin Bohui's record was impressive and his performances dazzling. He was certainly no man with an undeserved reputation, and Steward Xu considered him the foremost choice.

Ruan Xiang had originally been perplexed, but upon hearing the four words "Bixie Swordplay," a gleam flashed through his hawk-like eyes. He clapped his hands together and said,

"So he is an heir to the Bixie Swordplay. No wonder.

When I traveled as a merchant in Fuzhou, Lingnan in my youth, I once heard people speak of this martial art. Its prestige was immense. If he truly is an heir to the Bixie Swordplay, Duàn Yì will never be able to keep that hand.

Old Xu, I leave this matter to you. Go invite him to take action. Spare no silver—however much he wants, give it to him."

Seeing Ruan Xiang agree, Steward Xu bowed, then slowly left the room to send people in search of Lin Bohui's lodging...

Meanwhile, Liu Zhiwei returned to the Golden Cauldron Sect on Shalu Mountain. He directly brought the Cold Jade to see Qū Dōng Liú and conveyed the Ruan family's wishes.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, the Ruan family's words do have some merit.

If Junior Brother Bai taught Duàn Yì, and Duàn Yì were registered among the Golden Cauldron Sect's disciples, then his defeat of Ruan Dong with the sword would have been nothing.

But since he is not a disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect, if word spreads, it will inevitably damage the prestige of our sect. We must guard against it."

Within the vast Golden Cauldron Sect were one sect leader, two deputy sect leaders, six great elders, and nine fellow disciples taught by the same master. Each harbored his own thoughts.

Some were close, some distant, and some were even locked in deep conflict. Yet they shared one common point: protecting and strengthening the Golden Cauldron Sect.

Take Bái Xī Wén, for instance. Though he was deeply dissatisfied with Qū Dōng Liú's meddling in the affairs of the Moon Worship Palace, out of consideration for the sect's greater cause and the sect leader's authority, he did not dare act rashly. This was only because, in his heart, the weight of the Golden Cauldron surpassed everything else.

Now, whether intentionally or not, Duàn Yì had caused the Golden Cauldron Sect to lose face. That was an indisputable fact.

Behind the desk, Qū Dōng Liú reclined in his chair with his hands clasped together. Rather than answering Liu Zhiwei directly, he looked at the Cold Jade on the table and said,

"This piece of Cold Jade is only the size of a fist, yet it is bitterly cold. It must have been nurtured beneath solid ice in some land of piercing cold.

If an ordinary person obtained it and carved it into an ornament for viewing and handling, it would surely be a rare and precious treasure.

But in the eyes of martial artists, this object can calm the mind and prevent Qi Deviation during qi cultivation. It can also be carried on the body to dispel fire toxins and hasten cultivation. It is a true treasure.

Even among the Golden Cauldron Sect's collection, such an item is rarely seen. Do you think it is possible to use it to persuade Bái Xī Wén?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiwei first lowered his head in thought, then shook it and answered decisively,

"No. Though the Cold Jade is indeed a treasure, Junior Brother Bai's martial arts are exceedingly high. The power of his Invincible Treasure Codex is not only vast and tyrannical, but also incomparably refined. It surpasses even the Pure Yang Divine Skill. No matter how rare the Cold Jade may be, it can no longer offer him the slightest aid."

"Correct. But do not forget: this treasure may be useless to him, but it will be of great use to Duàn Yì.

I heard from Zhào Yù that the internal art this boy currently cultivates is the Ice True Qi Bái Xī Wén taught him. If that is true, then with this Cold Jade to assist him, it will certainly benefit his internal strength greatly.

You may take this Cold Jade to see Bái Xī Wén and tell him this.

If Duàn Yì agrees to this battle, this Cold Jade may be given to him to increase his strength.

If he refuses, I cannot force him to fight. But the Golden Cauldron Sect does not keep outsiders. Ask Duàn Yì to leave the mountain."

When Qū Dōng Liú mentioned Duàn Yì, he no longer showed the appreciation he had displayed in the main hall that day. Instead, his words were full of pressure. He continued,

"By the way, before you go to find Bái Xī Wén, make another trip to the Ruan residence and find out who the expert they have hired is. That way, you will have something to say when facing Bái Xī Wén.

Remember, if the expert the Ruan family hires is too outrageous, give them a hint or two. This is, after all, a duel—not a crushing martial contest with a predetermined outcome."

Liu Zhiwei understood. Since the Ruan family had proposed a duel, they had to make concessions as well. Otherwise, if they chose some old-generation expert who had been famous for thirty years, Duàn Yì could be crushed to death by sheer cultivation alone. That would be murder, not a duel, and Bái Xī Wén would never tolerate such a thing.

But if the candidate was suitable, the chances of making Bái Xī Wén and Duàn Yì agree to this matter would increase greatly.

As for who won and who lost, or whether Duàn Yì would have one hand severed, it no longer had much to do with him or the Golden Cauldron Sect.

The Ruan family wanted an explanation, and they had already given one. As for Duàn Yì, he had nothing whatsoever to do with the Golden Cauldron Sect.

"Still, Senior Brother, this Cold Jade is incomparably precious. If you used it to temper the Pure Yang Divine Skill, it would surely be of no small help. Is it not somewhat hasty to simply give it to Duàn Yì?"

The Pure Yang Divine Skill was supremely yang and supremely rigid, blazing like fire. Stimulated by cold qi, it would certainly circulate faster and enhance one's cultivation. Qū Dōng Liú did not possess Bái Xī Wén's internal cultivation, so this Cold Jade should have been an exceedingly rare treasure for his own training. Was it not too wasteful to hand it to an outsider?

"You need not concern yourself with these matters. Do as I say. Withdraw."

Qū Dōng Liú's expression changed, as if some knot lay within his heart. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Liu Zhiwei.

Only after Liu Zhiwei had left did Qū Dōng Liú cough violently several times, his face pale as snow.

He took from his robes a secret manual coated in gold powder, with the words "Pure Yang Divine Skill" written upon it. After gently stroking it several times, Qū Dōng Liú finally let out an unwilling sigh.

This skill was the Golden Cauldron Sect's divine art, passed down through generations. Throughout the sect's history, only the sect leader had been qualified to cultivate it. Its power was immense, but it was easy to learn and hard to master.

Since assuming the position of sect leader, he had risen before dawn and retired late at night, cultivating diligently and training bitterly. Yet he had still found it difficult to achieve Great Accomplishment. Moreover, during the battle at the Moon Worship Palace, he had been injured by Yán Susu's Bright Jade Skill, and more than half of his Pure Yang True Qi had been destroyed.

It could be said that before he was injured, this Cold Jade would indeed have been of great use to him. With it, refining his true qi by several degrees and then attaining the realm of true essence would not have been impossible.

Unfortunately, now that his Pure Yang True Qi was entangled with that Bright Jade True Qi, further progress had become impossible. To him, this Cold Jade was merely chicken ribs—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard—and served no further purpose.

"What kind of martial art is the Invincible Treasure Codex, exactly? Back then, although Bái Xī Wén's talent was exceptional, he was still beneath me. Yet in only a few short years, he surpassed me. It truly makes one curious.

Once I unite yin and yang with Bi Nu, reverse my primordial qi, and recover from my injuries, perhaps it will be time to turn my hand toward this art."

As the leader of a sect, yet not the Golden Cauldron Sect's greatest expert—it was truly a bitter irony. Qū Dōng Liú had long been dissatisfied with this. If he could obtain the Invincible Treasure Codex, perhaps he could finally vindicate himself.