Butterfly Effect 1

All the fellow disciples, along with the Guards both old and young, involuntarily held out their hands, raising their fingers before their eyes to inspect them.

Their mouths hung slightly open, eyes wide as they compared their own hands again and again with Ji Boying's broad yet not at all rough palms.

"Unbelievable—truly unbelievable!"

Chief Guard Zhang rose from his seat, his face full of shock. He bent forward slightly, craning his neck as he stared fixedly at Ji Boying's utterly unblemished palm.

To snap off an inch or so of an iron sword's tip required immense strength, explosive force, and control.

Especially when Ji Boying had merely flicked his hand and sent the broken sword tip flying into Mount Hua's bluestone ground.

It had clearly sunk half an inch into the stone.

Most crucially, Ji Boying's face was not red, nor was he short of breath. He showed no sign whatsoever of exerting his skill.

He had clearly only tried it casually, with plenty of strength still in reserve.

"I, Old Zhang, have roamed the martial world for many years and seen quite a few heroes and great men. Those capable of breaking an iron sword barehanded, aside from those who practice special palm techniques, all possess profound inner strength."

"But even those renowned heroes of the martial world could only break an iron sword in the middle. How could any of them, like Young Hero Ji, so casually snap off the sword's very tip?"

Chief Guard Zhang turned back toward Yue Buqun, his face brimming with admiration.

"As expected of a famous master's brilliant disciple—truly worthy of being the disciple of the Mount Hua Sect Leader, the Gentleman Sword. Every one of the martial-world heroes I spoke of was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, yet judging by their bearing, their inner strength was surely far inferior to Young Hero Ji's!"

Chief Guard Zhang was genuinely astounded now; these were no longer mere polite words.

He had heard that only two months after Ji Boying had gone up the mountain, he had fought and killed eighteen assassins below it, blood dyeing his light robe red and leaving several bloody footprints wherever he walked.

Naturally, he had praised this outstanding disciple of a famous sect.

Yet he had only thought that, no matter how exceptional such a junior might be, he was still young.

But today, with his own eyes, he had seen Ji Boying's flesh-and-blood fingers lightly snap off the tip of an iron sword.

Such profound inner strength was something even many first-rate figures in the martial world likely could not achieve.

As he escorted shipments far and wide, he had also witnessed battles among highly skilled martial artists.

There had even been first-rate martial-world experts who killed as readily as they breathed, displaying their might before crowds by breaking weapons with their bare hands.

But those people all had to let out a shout and gather their breath. It never looked easy, and they could only break the weapon in the middle.

Yet Ji Boying was so young, not even of age, and had only been on the mountain for a few months.

Even if he had started training in his mother's womb, he might not have cultivated such profound inner strength.

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, Chief Guard Zhang would certainly have thought someone was boasting or pulling a trick.

Ji Boying had thought of precisely that.

After breaking the iron sword, he had casually thrown its tip into the hard bluestone.

It was clear that this was genuine skill, without the slightest hint of deception.

Yue Buqun was somewhat surprised again, but he accepted it in an instant, and the surprise turned into a trace of pride in his heart.

Yue Buqun knew that at the beginning of this month, his disciple had begun practicing the Purple Mist Manual as well.

Though his youngest disciple had yet to report how far he had progressed, with such talent, merely getting started was the bare minimum.

Seeing his youngest disciple calmly display such profound skill—

If he put in a little more force and held his breath, he could clearly unleash even greater power, taking this display of skill to another level.

And if he used the Purple Mist Divine Skill, which amplified the power of inner strength, its might would rise another level still.

With skill like this, Yue Buqun felt that he himself might already be no match for his youngest disciple.

How could he not feel proud and delighted? Looking at Chief Guard Zhang's astonished, unworldly expression, he only wanted to tell him: my youngest disciple can be even stronger than this; this is merely one hair from nine oxen.

Just two months ago, he had thought that Mount Hua could likely be revived in only two or three years.

But now, it seemed Mount Hua could be revived immediately.

Give his youngest disciple another month or so, and after the New Year, his inner strength would steadily surpass Yue Buqun's own. Against Zuo Lengchan, he naturally would not show the slightest fear.

Of course, these were all Yue Buqun's own guesses. He suspected that his youngest disciple's skill was actually even greater—that what he had seen was only what the boy had allowed him to see, and there must be more that he had not seen.

All these smug thoughts filled Yue Buqun's heart, yet when they reached his face, they transformed into an utterly ordinary expression.

Yue Buqun merely smiled softly, warm and gentle, without the slightest impatience.

As though he did not care at all, he gently stroked the long five-willow beard before his chest.

He casually waved a hand and laughed. "My worthless disciple merely has a little talent. He is still unfit for refined company and has no experience in the martial world. Chief Guard Zhang will have to offer him much guidance."

That was an earthshakingly arrogant tone.

With Chief Guard Zhang's worldly experience from traveling north and south, Ji Boying's inner strength might not guarantee victory against any sect leader, but he could certainly exchange a hundred or so moves with the leaders of some sects smaller than Mount Hua.

This was firmly at the first-rate level of the martial world, yet Yue Buqun spoke of it with such breezy indifference. Chief Guard Zhang's reverence for the Mount Hua Sect deepened even further.

He hurriedly exchanged another round of polite compliments.

As the sun rose higher, Yue Buqun laid out a banquet atop Mount Hua to entertain Chief Guard Zhang and his group.

When had Chief Guard Zhang and the others ever received such treatment?

In the past, they had received Lin Zhennan's orders to deliver gifts to the Emei Sect.

Master Jinguang had at least met them a few times, exchanged a few words, and treated them to vegetarian fare.

As for the Qingcheng Sect, they had been turned away before even reaching the mountainside. They could not even say whether Qingcheng Sect's gates faced south or north. How could they not feel stifled?

The Mount Hua Sect belonged to the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects. Its name in the martial world was far greater than Qingcheng Sect's, yet it had been so courteous and had entertained them with such ceremony. How could that not set their hearts ablaze?

Both host and guests were thoroughly pleased.

After lunch, Chief Guard Zhang and the others prepared to take their leave.

Yue Buqun courteously urged them to stay a few times, but Chief Guard Zhang only said that they needed to return and report the good news to Lin Zhennan.

It was the twelfth lunar month now, and Fujian was a long way off. They still had to return home for the New Year, so Yue Buqun did not press them to stay.

Chief Guard Zhang and the others happily packed up a few things and prepared to depart. As for the several chests of gold, silver, and valuables—the New Year gifts—Yue Buqun accepted them all without exception.

Ji Boying felt a slight doubt in his heart.

He only remembered that, before the story began, the Fuwei Escort Agency had not even opened up the route to Sichuan. How had they come all the way to Mount Hua?

For the moment, however, he kept those doubts buried in his heart and said nothing. He had another matter in which he needed Chief Guard Zhang's help.

He hurried after them again and spoke with Chief Guard Zhang alone for quite some time.

Only after Chief Guard Zhang had readily taken the whole matter upon himself did Ji Boying turn back in relief.

The moment he returned to the House of Non-Action, he hurriedly asked Yue Buqun, "Master, what exactly is going on?"