Sword Exchange Pavilion

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A small question mark slowly rose over Chu Liang's forehead. He could not help saying, "Master, Jade Sword Peak holds the greatest power among all the peaks. It has nearly a hundred disciples, including several renowned Golden Core Realm cultivators. They truly have the best chance of seizing the chief disciple position. As for me... I only broke through to the Divine Intent Realm a few days ago."

The chief disciple was the public face of every generation of Shushan. Naturally, competition for such a position was fierce.

And the Chief of All Peaks was the most prestigious and powerful among the masters of the thirty-six peaks. Since the Four Mountain-Guarding Elders could not become sect leader, the Chief of All Peaks could be said to be the foremost candidate for the next sect leader.

As for Empress Feng...

She was a notorious scourge of Shushan, famous throughout the martial world for her drunkenness, fighting prowess, and explosive temper. Back then, she had forcibly fought her way into becoming a peak master with her formidable cultivation. Yet the Shushan sect leader had never dared assign disciples to her, fearing she would lead the young astray.

In the end, she had personally picked up Chu Liang, who possessed cultivation talent, while descending the mountain to uphold justice. That was how she took in a disciple, leaving others with nothing to say. She had probably discovered after trying it that taking disciples was no fun at all, because she had never taken a second disciple.

Now she suddenly wanted her one lone seedling to compete for chief disciple—and even seize the Chief of All Peaks position... Even Chu Liang himself was a little stunned.

How did she dare to dream that big?

Then Empress Feng walked over and patted his shoulder. "You don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. There should be at least half a year left, so just prepare well... If you really manage to become chief disciple, your master definitely won't shortchange you. Whatever you want, we can discuss it..."

Hearing that, Chu Liang glanced at Empress Feng's chest.

"Eugh—" Empress Feng's gaze suddenly turned dangerous. She pointed at him. "What are you thinking?"

"Master, don't misunderstand." Chu Liang said, "This disciple merely meant that Master has already staked such a treasure as the Phoenix Blood Jade. This disciple will certainly do his utmost to prepare; that is beyond doubt. It is just... this matter is indeed somewhat difficult. If this disciple fails when the time comes, I hope Master will not blame me."

"Oh, you were looking at the jade." Empress Feng touched the jade pendant at her chest and chuckled.

She added, "Anyway, just treat it as something you need to get done. If you become chief disciple and I become Chief of All Peaks, there'll be a great deal of resources flowing our way... When that happens, master and disciple can split the proceeds three-seven. Wouldn't that be wonderful..."

Imagining that beautiful future, she could not help letting out a trembling laugh.

"Heh heh heh heh heh..."

Chu Liang walked out of the pavilion. After calming his emotions, he headed for his next destination.

Shushan's main peak, Heavenly Peak.

Among Shushan's thirty-six peaks, Heavenly Peak was home to Infinite Palace, where the sect leader resided. It was also something like the capital, with the sect's important halls all located there.

With a pinch of his fingers, Chu Liang formed a hand seal. The bracelet transformed into a flying sword and shot before him with a whoosh. He stepped onto it, and in an instant, its sword light had left Silver Sword Peak.

Flying on a sword!

The wind thundered past his ears. Beneath his feet stretched a boundless white sea of clouds, while the thirty-six peaks poked out from it, some majestic and some strangely steep, like ingredients rolling in a hotpot broth.

Streams of light darted among the mountains, all of them Shushan disciples hurrying back and forth. Those who could not fly could scarcely take a single step here. Occasionally, spirit birds and immortal beasts howled past, forcing disciples riding sword light to scatter aside. Anyone who could afford to raise such enormous creatures as mounts was either a peak master or an elder-level senior, or else came from an extraordinary background. It was hardly worth it to brush against one of them.

Within the Shushan Sect, disciples needed to complete tasks for the sect in exchange for the resources required for daily life and cultivation. The place for accepting such tasks was the "Sword Exchange Pavilion."

In the cultivation world, gold, silver, and jewels were meaningless to most cultivators. Thus, the currencies circulating through the martial world were usually general equivalents such as spirit stones used for forging and smelting, pills that aided cultivation, and versatile talismans.

Among them, spirit stones were the hardest currency.

Therefore, within Shushan, coins forged from spirit stones also served as the sect's currency. In the earliest days, the manufacturing process had been quite crude: spirit stones were simply ground round and cut in half. Back then, they were called "round spirit stones" because of their shape.

But round spirit stones were too simple, and disciples soon began making inferior imitations, causing harmful effects. The sect therefore improved the process, carving spirit stones into elaborate, exquisite butterfly shapes called "butterfly stones."

Yet butterfly stones had a problem: their craftsmanship was too complicated, making mass production difficult. As the sect developed even slightly, supplies could no longer keep up. In the end, Shushan's sect leader at the time came up with a solution. Spirit stones were fashioned into simple little swords, then infused with a thread of special Sword Qi. This made them easy to produce and impossible to counterfeit. They were called Sword Spirit Stones.

Over the following thousands of years, they evolved into the "Sword Coins" used by Shushan today. That was also where the name "Sword Exchange Pavilion" came from.

Sword Exchange Pavilion, second floor.

The imposing Sword Exchange Pavilion actually had only three floors. Yet its immense area and lofty dome made it appear exceptionally grand. Most affairs were handled by steward disciples recruited for the task, though several steward elders were stationed upstairs every day. Some difficult problems still required them to step in personally.

Chu Liang came to one of those elders' quiet rooms.

"Elder Shen, I've come to bother you again." As soon as he entered, he greeted him with a smile.

"Ha, Little Chu." Inside sat an old man in broad robes and wide sleeves. He was plump and somewhat bald, but carried an otherworldly air and wore a beaming smile. "How is this a bother? You're back so soon. Looks like that last task went very smoothly?"

"Thanks to your good fortune, it went fairly smoothly. I came today to turn it in." Chu Liang replied.

"Alright, no rush. Let's play a round first." With a sweep of Elder Shen's wide sleeve, a chessboard and two pots of pieces, black and white distinct, appeared on the table before him.

"Last time I was lucky enough to win one game against you, Elder Shen. It seems you weren't convinced." Chu Liang did not refuse. He sat down directly, smiling.

"Of course not. I went back and pondered it for a long while. I've already found a way to break your game." Elder Shen placed the first piece.

"Then the old rules apply. If you lose, Elder Shen, you must reveal a little inside information to me." Chu Liang said with an obedient expression.

Half an hour later.

The sunlight had climbed a little higher.

The smiling youth tucked both hands into his sleeves and looked at the old man opposite him, who stared at the chessboard in deep thought. "Elder Shen, it truly is a dead end."

"Hiss..." Elder Shen scratched his smooth bald head, glanced at the board a few more times, then finally tore his gaze away. Shaking his head, he said, "You brat... You always look smiling and harmless, as though neither man nor beast could be harmed by you, yet on the chessboard every step is a killing move, every piece a blade. You truly are decisive and ruthless..."

"Ah, it was only luck. There were several times in the middle when I nearly lost everything." Chu Liang said.

"Ah, I'm old... I can't compare to the sharp vigor of you young people." Elder Shen leaned back and patted his belly. Then he asked, "Other than turning in your task, you came to accept a new one too, right?"

"Yes, but there are the most tasks for the Divine Intent Realm—hundreds upon hundreds. I don't know how to choose." Chu Liang said.

"Let me think... You like demon-slaying tasks. A fairly good one..." Elder Shen pondered briefly, then raised a hand. From a row of tally tubes behind him, one tally flew out and landed in his palm. "Take a look at this one."

Chu Liang accepted the tally and saw a line of small characters on it.

"Capture a demon at Ming Manor in Xingzhou City."