Along the seemingly endless official road, a man dressed in a dark blue thin shirt walked slowly with a blade of grass between his teeth.
This hunched back, sword on his shoulder, and hands dangling over the blade—a posture that could be considered slovenly—exuded a certain dashing and unrestrained charm on him.
"The aroma of wine?"
This breath seemed to invigorate him; his brows lifted, and he straightened his back and puffed out his chest.
"There it is!"
Its toes touched the ground as it sped forward.
It was a high-speed ride on flat ground, yet it carried the lingering feeling of rock climbing.
Every step was steady, yet always carried the subtle movements of being ready to leap or change direction. Though the hand held the sword, the small movements never stopped, as if there were invisible obstacles ahead, or steep mountains to climb.
Even so, he was still very fast, seemingly walking close to the ground.
An ordinary person like this would have already fallen to the ground.
"Impressive Lightness Skill!"
At the end of the road, in a tavern, a burly man clapped his hands in praise.
"Wine, shopkeeper! Three catties of strong liquor!" The man in the thin shirt found an empty seat and sat down.
"You're a connoisseur, sir!" The shopkeeper quickly poured out the liquor. "Hengshui liquor has always been known for its long history, clear quality, and dryness. But the name 'Laobaigan' has even spread to other provinces."
"If we're talking about pedantry, I'm no match for those scholars, but when it comes to wine, I'm the best!" The man in the thin robe took the wine and drank three large bowls in one gulp. "Excellent! [Fragrance fills a thousand homes, its aroma travels ten miles when the jar is opened], truly worthy of being called Lao Bai Gan!"
"Impressive drinking capacity!" the burly man beside him exclaimed again.
After satisfying his craving for alcohol, the man in the thin robe looked at the burly man, his gaze lingering on the man's single-edged sword for a moment. "And you are, brother?"
"Are you a disciple of the Huashan Sect of the Five Peaks Sword Sects School?" The burly man did not answer.
"How did you know?" The man in the thin shirt trembled slightly, his sword already drawn.
"Linghu Chong Mount Hua?"
Upon hearing the burly man reveal his identity, the man in the thin robe followed his gaze and saw his sword. Near the hilt, on the blade, were engraved the five large characters "Linghu Chong of Mount Hua".
He then remembered that he was carrying a Huashan-style fine steel sword, and the blue silk tassels fluttering on the hilt had already revealed his origin.
"Brother, what brings you to reveal my identity?" Seeing the burly man's single sword lying idly on the table, about a foot away from his hand, Linghu Chong, confident in his own martial arts skills, sheathed his sword first.
"You don't know?" the burly man exclaimed in surprise. "The entire martial arts world now wants to befriend your Mount Hua. A divine being has emerged from Qingcheng."
"Qingcheng?" Linghu Chong frowned in disgust, the thirty blows he had suffered on his back still throbbing. "What does this have to do with my Huashan Sect?"
He subconsciously dismissed the Qingcheng Immortals as nonsense.
"This is not something I made up," the big man said. "The immortal came from Fuzhou City to Hengshan City."
"The newly appointed leader of the Qingcheng Sect, Li Renyong, along with a group of Qingcheng disciples, and the leader of the Huashan Sect, 'Gentleman Sword,' was with him."
"How could that be? Master is at Mount Hua. Even if he were to attend Uncle Liu's 'Golden Basin Hand-Washing' ceremony, he wouldn't pass through Fuzhou! My junior sister and I only parted ways in Hengyang." Linghu Chong questioned, "In terms of time, Master must have been with—"
He didn't say anything more; he suddenly realized that this was actually possible.
The master cared about his junior sister and followed her to Fuzhou.
"Ah, I almost forgot. Accompanying them are your junior sister Yue Lingshan, and Young Master Lin of the Fuwei Escort Agency, known as 'Jade Faced Startled Swan'."
"The heroes and valiant men along the way from Yanping, Jianning, Fuzhou, and Hengzhou all witnessed this firsthand."
"Only immortals can possess such grace; even if Pan An were alive today, he would have to turn away in shame upon seeing her."
"Unfortunately, I happened to be outside Hengyang City at that time and missed it."
"We can only head towards Hengshan City."
"Hmph! What 'Jade Faced Startled Swan'? I think it's 'Elm-wood Fly-startled'!" Linghu Chong ignored the news that the new leader of Qingcheng Sect had shaken the martial arts world, and focused all his attention on Lin Pingzhi, whose name was linked to his junior sister's and whose nickname alone suggested he was very handsome.
Even a burly man could detect the sourness in his voice.
However, like Linghu Chong, he mistook the immortal for a young-looking but white-haired old man and mistakenly believed that Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan were a couple.
"Young Master Lin's swordsmanship is indeed astonishing. In Hengyang City, he sliced seven teacups flat with a single stroke, without spilling a single one. The cut surface of the porcelain ring is incredibly smooth to the touch; I've touched it myself."
"Such miraculous swordsmanship, in the entire martial world, I'm afraid only Master Mo Da of [Xiaoxiang Night Rain] can achieve it!" the burly man exclaimed. "But Young Hero Lin is only seventeen or eighteen years old, barely twenty."
"Brother, can you do it?"
Linghu Chong's back hunched over again. "I can't do it. This Seventy-Two Styles of Bixie Swordplay is indeed unparalleled in the world."
"Yu Canghai must have stepped down as sect leader because he went to Fuzhou to avenge Chang Qingzi and ran into trouble."
"Perhaps even the [bear, wild boar, and the four beasts of Qingcheng]?"
He chuckled coldly a few more times, as if venting his frustration.
"Yu Canghai and his son, the Qingcheng Four Beauties, are indeed dead." The big man nodded. "A group of Qingcheng disciples took their bodies and headed towards Qingcheng in western Sichuan."
"It is said that they committed suicide because the old deity could not stand by and watch them kill innocent people indiscriminately."
"Also, before meeting that old immortal, Li Renyong's martial arts skills were mediocre among the disciples of Qingcheng."
"But afterwards, his martial arts skills improved by leaps and bounds, even surpassing Yu Canghai."
"This must be a righteous martial art similar to the [Star Absorbing Demonic Skill], capable of transferring power between different people."
"You mean," Linghu Chong said in disbelief, "That Li Renyong's skill came from Yu Canghai and the Four Beasts of Qingcheng?"
"Yes, otherwise, how could he have the skill to kill those two bears with a single palm strike?" the burly man exclaimed.
"What?" Linghu Chong naturally knew that the two bears referred to the [Desert North Twin Bears].
One was black, the other white; one a monk, the other a layman.
They were two notorious bandits who often based themselves in the northern deserts.
If the victim had carried the goods himself, the Desert North Twin Bears would have simply robbed him of his valuables, and that would have been the end of it.
If there were bodyguards from a security escort agency, then Shuang Xiong would often boil and eat the bodyguards.
It is said that those who practice martial arts have firm muscles, making their food extra chewy.
To be able to do such a horrific thing and still survive well in the martial arts world speaks volumes about his abilities.
"My surname is Tian," the burly man continued. "I'm revealing your identity so that I can use it to meet that old immortal and perhaps absorb some of his divine Sage Aura."
"Of course, of course." Linghu Chong took another sip of wine.
"Damn it, where did Tian Boguang go?"
On the way to Hengshan City, Li Lin felt extremely depressed.
Even though one of the three nuns not far away was a beautiful and radiant young nun who kept secretly watching him, he couldn't feel happy.
He separated from Yue Lingshan in Hengyang and waited outside the city, all for the purpose of killing Tian Boguang.
However, they only managed to catch up with Yi Lin.
It also distracted her, and instead of just slipping and getting her hands dirty while touching the mountain wall as in the original timeline, she almost fell off the mountain.
He happened to save her.
However, there was no trace of Tian Boguang, who should have appeared, within a radius of one mile.
Meanwhile, he was also followed by a very annoying monk.
That was Yi Lin's father Monk Bujie.
In the original timeline, after Yi Lin was kidnapped by Tian Boguang and taken to Huiyan Tower, he was actually following behind her the whole time. When Yi Lin recalled who Qu Feiyan was, he appeared in her memory.
As a result, he just watched, amused, as Linghu Chong nearly lost his life, and still had the mood to drink.
Even though Li Lin didn't like Linghu Chong, he still found it very strange.
What's even more bizarre is that the reason this monk Monk Bujie arresting Tian Boguang was that although Tian Boguang was a notorious womanizer and had tried to assault his daughter, it precisely showed that he knew how to appreciate his daughter.
Therefore, when Linghu Chong was fighting desperately, he was probably thinking happily, "Finally, someone appreciates my daughter's beauty. Not bad, let's fight, the more intense the better, it proves my daughter is beautiful enough."
"Brother Li, have some water." Yi Lin was naturally unaware of Li Lin's inner thoughts. Encouraged by her two senior sisters, she cautiously stepped forward, silently apologizing to Guanyin Bodhisattva for having harbored evil thoughts.
Yi Lin had a graceful figure, and even though she was wrapped in a loose black robe, her slender and beautiful appearance could not be concealed.
Combined with its clear and melodious sound, even ordinary plain water would probably taste sweeter than honey water to most people.
Even Li Lin showed a slight smile.
Outside the Liu residence in Hengshan City.
Four large lanterns were lit at the entrance, and dozens of people, some holding torches and others with umbrellas, were busy welcoming guests.
Some formed a human wall to shield those who braved the rain hoping to come and absorb some of the Sage Aura.
The sounds of bustling activity were incessant.
"It's really lively." Linghu Chong revealed his sword tassel from afar, thus gaining access to the only passageway—walking along the eaves towards the Liu residence.
Tian Boguang followed closely behind.
Amidst the envious gazes of the onlookers, they entered the mansion.
Stepping into the hall, one hears a cacophony of voices. Tables and chairs are crammed together, leaving almost no room to step. More than five hundred people are seated in various places, yet no one appears angry.
Everyone looked toward the empty main seat at the table next to the main table, the one that was least crowded and had enough space for several people to pass through.
"Master!" Linghu Chong also looked over.
Upon seeing that his junior sister was sitting in the main seat, far away from the fair-skinned and handsome man, a bright smile bloomed on his face.
"Senior Brother!"
Hearing Yue Lingshan call him made his feet feel numb, as if he were walking on Cloud Top.
So much so that he didn't notice the complicated expressions on the faces of his fellow disciples, including Lu Dayou.
He didn't even notice that his junior sister's beloved Bishui Sword was no longer by her side, replaced by a dark iron sword.
"Chong'er," Yue Buqun called out gently to his eldest disciple.
Along the way, he felt as if he had returned to the time when Mount Hua was still the foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains, feeling relaxed and without any pressure.
"Master." Linghu Chong was a little unaccustomed to it.
His master did care about him, but most of the time he saw him, he would scold him.
"Sit."
Following his master's instructions, he sat down nervously, only to realize that his seat was the furthest from his junior sister.
Seemingly sensing Linghu Chong's doubt, Yue Buqun smiled and said, "Lingshan is favored by Immortal Li, so naturally she must stay by his side." Then he changed the subject, "And who is this?"
Yue Buqun had practically watched Linghu Chong grow up and had adopted him for over twenty years, so he naturally knew that this disciple was a bit of a rascal, and when he got angry, only he and his junior sister could control him.
He certainly didn't want anything to go wrong today.
"Tian Zhongming," Tian Boguang said, "Is an old friend of Brother Linghu. He wants to meet the old immortal and absorb some of his Sage Aura."
"Oh?" Yue Buqun didn't have much doubt.
First, Linghu Chong was always on the go and couldn't stay still.
In the original timeline, when he was six years old, he even gambled with dice and drank old wine with Huang Bolu, the leader of the Tianlong Gang.
It should be noted that Huang Boliu was a senior figure in the Central Plains martial arts world, with over ten thousand disciples. He was known as the "Silver-Bearded Dragon" and lived in the area between Shandong, Henan, and Hubei provinces, in the lower reaches of the Yellow River.
He has so many friends that he can't even count them all.
Secondly, Mount Hua is not afraid of any difficulties.
Even if Immortal Li doesn't make a move, his [Purple Cloud True Qi] makes him fearless of anyone.
(He practiced the Evil-Repelling Technique, but the [Purple Cloud Art] is more like a sophisticated method of channeling energy. Before mastering it, when facing an enemy, one must process the energy on the spot, and one's own internal energy only possesses some of its characteristics.)
(At its initial stage, it is faint and indistinct, like soft clouds, but it accumulates strength and becomes extremely resilient. Later, it becomes overwhelming and unstoppable, which is the origin of this.)
(His [Evil Warding True Qi], after being processed using the [Purple Cloud Art], is still [Purple Cloud Qi], only its power even surpasses that of a fully mastered form.)
Linghu Chong thought to himself, "This Brother Tian is so heroic and we hit it off immediately. How can our friendship be considered 'old'?"
Linghu Chong has always been like this, with ideas that are different from others.
Therefore, in the original timeline, he did so many foolish things.
Seeing his master's wife, whom he regarded as a mother, being pinched on the face and verbally harassed by Ren Yingying's subordinates, he was initially furious, but then immediately hid in the bushes, not daring to breathe loudly. He thought that out of respect for Ren Woxing and the others, it was best not to fight with the members of the Demonic Sect.
At the Lin family's old residence, after witnessing two people, suspected to be members of the Demonic Sect, striking Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi's pressure points and ransacking the place, finding the [Bixie Sword Manual], they failed to act when they should have.
At this moment, snatching the sword manual back in front of his junior sister would not arouse any suspicion.
As a result, we have to wait.
The two men said they wanted to kill Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi, but they were thinking of waiting a little longer.
The two fled with the sword manual, and he only appeared and snatched it back when they left the old house.
It would be strange if they didn't suspect something under these circumstances.
From Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan's perspective, their senior brother was only concerned with the sword manual, and after he snatched it, the sword manual inexplicably disappeared from his hands. Then, he inexplicably gained a divine sword technique.
In the serialized version, Linghu Chong even watched Ren Yingying forcefully feed his father Yue Buqun the Three Corpses Brain God Pill in front of his adoptive mother Ning Zhongze's corpse. Before Ning Zhongze's body was even buried, he couldn't wait to embrace Ren Yingying, feeling incredibly happy.
But what's most outrageous is that behind every foolish act, there's a plausible, clearly explained self-logic.
Moreover, his principle of prioritizing righteousness is easily seen through.
Yue Buqun saw through Linghu Chong, but being naturally suspicious, he believed he had misjudged Linghu Chong after he displayed the "Nine Swords of Dugu" and gained the support of countless heroes at Wubagang. He thought Linghu Chong had been faking it all along.
Tian Boguang, Xiang Wentian, Ren Yingying, Fang Zheng, and Chongxu are all like this.
Just now, before Tian Boguang said those words, he had already anticipated that Linghu Chong would not expose him.
And that is exactly the reality.
Tian Boguang even sat next to Lu Dayou and listened to him boast about his senior brother, saying that his qigong was superb, that he could drink a gourd of wine in one breath without touching the spout, and that he even almost recited the complete formula of Huashan qigong. "Concentrate your spirit in the dantian, let your breath circulate in the purple palace, let your body be as if soaring above the void and surpassing Mount Hua, let your qi be as if soaring into the sky and shaking the Northern Star."
It was only after Yue Buqun glared at him that he came back to his senses.
Tian Boguang quickly and sensibly covered his ears, and then continued to chat with Lu Dayou.
He didn't glance at Yue Lingshan once while he was speaking.
He was indeed lecherous, but not as much as Yun Zhonghe.
He knew that if he looked at Yue Lingshan any longer, he would be unable to conceal his evil thoughts and might reveal his true colors.