Demanding an Explanation

What exactly was the Chiyou Banner? That was the question troubling Li Feng and Zhao Yue'er. Though Zhao Yue'er had read more than ten times as many ancient texts as Li Feng, she still had no idea what this vicious weapon from primordial legend truly was. She only knew of the divine artifacts and immortal treasures spoken of in legend. As for this number-one demonic divine artifact, she truly had no clear concept of it.

Li Feng was even worse off. He nearly threw his arms around True Man Qingquan's thigh and wailed loudly, "Martial Grandfather, what in the world is that thing? How could my luck be this good? I casually tore off a piece of wrapping cloth, and it turns out to be some Chiyou Banner? If this thing is really so powerful, why didn't Martial Uncle and the others notice anything wrong when they were in the cave? Hey, hey, hey, Martial Grandfather, don't leave! Tell me what that thing is!" Like a monkey, Li Feng clung to True Man Qingquan and refused to let go no matter what.

True Man Qingquan had no choice but to give a hasty explanation. "The so-called Chiyou Banner was a magic treasure used by Chiyou Demon Lord, the greatest demon in Heaven and Earth, to summon the demons of the world. Once this banner is activated, Heaven and Earth change color, and all the world's yin and baleful energies swarm toward it. Used offensively, it can destroy everything within a thousand li in an instant. Used defensively, it can form a world of its own, impervious to all things. Legend says that Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan used the Xuanyuan Sword, one of the Divine Artifacts of the Nine Provinces, exhausting all his power before finally breaking the Chiyou Banner and forcing Chiyou into a direct battle. He ultimately won that battle and destroyed that great demon who had sworn to destroy all things between Heaven and Earth."

True Man Qingquan continued, "It was precisely because that sword strike shattered all the essence within the Chiyou Banner that its divine effects were completely lost, turning it into an ordinary scrap of cloth. Those demons happened to pick it up in their confusion, yet failed to recognize its worth, and hung it in their cave abode as a wall tapestry."

Tilting back his head, his face smeared with tears and snot, Li Feng asked, "Martial Grandfather, are you collecting junk or something? That thing was already destroyed by old Yellow Emperor himself, and you still treat it as treasure? You hurried back to Qingyun Flat like a thief, as though you owed tens of thousands of taels of silver outside. What use does this thing still have?"

True Man Qingquan gave a bitter smile. "How would you know that the Chiyou Banner vanished from Heaven and Earth after Chiyou's death? Yet according to legend, it is much like our sect's One Yuan Pearl: a mass of spiritual energy formed when Heaven and Earth first separated. Though Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan shattered its essence, its source remains. As long as we refine it anew according to our sect's Cultivation Methods and use the One Yuan Pearl to restore its spirituality, it will become a supreme magic treasure capable of rivaling the One Yuan Pearl."

"In all the world, only our Yiyuan Sect's One Yuan Pearl and the Nuwa Furnace, whose whereabouts are unknown, can repair the Chiyou Banner. Our Yiyuan Sect can use the One Yuan Pearl to gather Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy and slowly restore the Chiyou Banner. The Nuwa Furnace, meanwhile, possesses the supreme wonder of reincarnation and creation; it can let the Chiyou Banner completely return to its source before taking form again. That would save far more effort than our method. Still, if we refine it properly, our sect will gain another treasure to guard its gates in the future. This is a matter of great importance."

Li Feng shouted, "You said that thing is some demonic divine artifact, and what it gathers is yin and baleful energy. Won't our Yiyuan Sect become a place shrouded in gloom and thick with ghostly air? If it attracts ghosts and monsters here, we'll have to hire Maoshan Daoists to exorcise them. We'd be taking after our neighbors."

True Man Qingquan trembled with rage. "Utter nonsense! What ghost or monster would dare come to our Yiyuan Sect? And how could a magic treasure refined by us still retain the Chiyou Banner's original appearance? Once we refine it with our wondrous methods, the Chiyou Banner will naturally become like the One Yuan Pearl, gathering Heaven and Earth's primordial energy—the most righteous and pure spiritual energy in all creation. Where would any ghostly air come from?" After pondering for a while, True Man Qingquan explained, "A magic treasure born of Heaven and Earth becomes evil if it later comes into contact with murderous and baleful energy; if it later comes into contact with immortal spiritual energy, it becomes good. The Chiyou Banner has now lost all its spirituality, which happens to make it convenient for us to cultivate it with Daoist wondrous methods. In the future, it will naturally become an immortal-grade magic treasure."

Having finished lecturing Zhao Yue'er and Li Feng, True Man Qingquan ignored Li Feng, who was still hugging his thigh, and shouted, "Three junior brothers, quickly open the Hun Yuan Yi Qi Cave. The five of us will join forces and add another magic treasure to our Yiyuan Sect. Junior Sister, arrange the daily routines of the disciples. There is no need to worry about Liu Xingzi and the others. I am only worried that Yue'er and Fengzi will stir up trouble for us... Yue'er, you must properly complete the lessons your Mother arranged for you, and supervise Fengzi as well. Do not let him cause trouble outside and ruin the Yiyuan Sect's reputation. Do you understand?"

Zhao Yue'er widened her eyes and nodded very seriously, secretly rejoicing within. Ha, all you old fogies are going into seclusion to refine a magic treasure. Hehe, which of the remaining senior brothers would dare control me? Won't Qingyun Flat be my world then? Hehe... A strange smile spread across her face, making the scalps of the ten Yiyuan Sect disciples beside her tingle.

True Man Qingquan nodded. After pondering briefly, he said, "Liu Xingzi, among all the disciples on the mountain, you are the oldest and have been in the sect the longest. During our seclusion, you will handle all sect affairs. Should any fellow cultivators come to visit us, turn them all away and say that the five of us are in deathly seclusion and cannot receive guests. Do you understand?"

Liu Xingzi stepped forward, made a Daoist salute, and replied, "This disciple understands. Martial Uncle, please rest assured."

True Man Qingquan nodded in satisfaction. After arranging various matters one by one, he finally looked helplessly at Li Feng, still clutching his thigh. "Fengzi, Fengzi, why are you always hugging your Martial Grandfather's leg? Let go quickly. Your Martial Grandfather needs to enter seclusion and refine a magic treasure... Hey, let go! Let go!" Li Feng clung desperately to True Man Qingquan. He was now slightly taller and more muscular than True Man Qingquan, yet True Man Qingquan did not dare use force to shake him away. He could only keep jerking his leg, and the sight of the two of them was utterly comical.

Li Feng shrieked, "Martial Grandfather, it's easy enough for me to let go, but you took away all that gold, silver, and jewelry. Fengzi won't let go even if you beat him to death. You're not short of money, so why are you clinging to that huge bundle?"

True Man Qingquan froze. He slowly glanced at Li Feng, shook his head, and flicked his sleeve, smashing the bundle weighing over ten thousand jin onto the ground. With a point of his finger, the Chiyou Banner floated up at once, while a huge pile of gold, silver, pearls, and other valuables appeared on the ground. Li Feng chuckled a few times, swiftly released True Man Qingquan's leg, and pounced upon the pile of gold and silver. Damn it, I really did choose the right sect. If it were any other sect, offending the sect master like this would probably get my backside blooming. Yiyuan Sect is better—hehe, no one in the whole family has any temper.

Xie Yuezi and the others focused their attention on the Chiyou Banner. Sure enough, there was a tiny crack in its surface, and threads of bright light still flowed outward along the loose fibers around the crack. True Man Qingquan smiled. "This should be where Senior Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan split it open with one sword stroke. Judging from this, the demonic soul essence within is still leaking out. Good. This will save us at least ten years of tempering with true fire. If we only need to refine the Chiyou Banner's source, we should be able to emerge from seclusion in roughly three years."

As he spoke, Chen Songzi hurried over and made a Daoist salute. "Senior Brother, the cave abode has been prepared. Second Senior Sister has already taken the One Yuan Pearl into the cave abode. We are only waiting for you to preside." As he spoke, Chen Songzi opened his eyes wide and glared fiercely at Li Feng. Li Feng lay atop the heap of gold and silver, clutching two pearls in his hands, acting as if he had not seen Chen Songzi's glare at all.

True Man Qingquan shook his head and instructed, "When refining such an important magic treasure, sooner is better than later. We will enter the cave abode for seclusion shortly. During our seclusion, to avoid suffering the Chiyou Banner's backlash, we will have no awareness of anything outside. Therefore, all of you must cultivate quietly on the mountain and absolutely must not provoke trouble. Do you understand? Liu Xingzi, later, lead several junior brothers to seal off all of Qingyun Flat. Hmm? Activate the Great Five Elements Exterminating God Array in the sky and guard strictly against anyone disturbing us."

After a pause, True Man Qingquan took a small open-mouthed jade bottle from his robes and tossed it to Liu Xingzi. "This contains the Divine Transformation Aurora Ray refined by your Martial Grandfather at the Little North Pole. The instant it touches the body, it corrodes the opponent's primordial spirit. It will not stop until one side dies; it is vicious beyond compare... This magic treasure must not be used lightly. If you encounter another incident like the last time, when you were pursued back to the mountain, use it without hesitation. Do you understand?"

Liu Xingzi's hand trembled, and he hurriedly replied, "Yes, this disciple obeys."

Li Feng's eyes rolled toward the so-called Divine Transformation Aurora Ray, and he could not help pondering, That old Daoist looks so grave. Its power must be incredible. Steal it—what a fine thing. But how can I do it without being noticed? I can only wait for an opportunity. Those five old fogies will be in seclusion for three years, anyway.

True Man Qingquan hurriedly finished all his arrangements, gave Zhao Yue'er instructions for quite a while longer, then cast Li Feng a glance and hurried toward the sky-piercing peak west of Qingyun Flat with Chen Songzi. At some point, a cave abode radiating golden light had appeared halfway up the mountain. The two flew into it, and the entrance immediately closed, leaving the mountain looking like one seamless slab of stone.

However, as True Man Qingquan passed by him, Li Feng overheard him say a few words to Chen Songzi. "This disciple Fengzi... sigh, he truly is difficult to teach. If only Master were here. If we handed him to Master and sent him to the Little North Pole for instruction, he would surely achieve far more than under our teaching."

Chen Songzi softly replied, "Fengzi does not seem to have much heart for cultivation, but we cannot casually let him descend the mountain either. We can rest easy when the other disciples descend the mountain, but if he goes down even once, he will surely turn Heaven and Earth upside down. Still, that is fine. Once we emerge from seclusion, we can judge Fengzi's cultivation and decide whether to send him down the mountain to recruit a few more disciples."

Li Feng gritted his teeth in fury. "Two old geezers—one can't wait to get rid of me, while the other is preparing to use me as cheap labor. In the end, both of you are too lazy to look human. Damn it, if I let you have your way, then I'm not Li Feng. Hmph, other than Qingyun Flat, I'm going nowhere. You want me to recruit disciples? Fine. I'll move the entire Golden Dragon Gang in here and see whether you'll be happy to teach them."

Over there, Zhao Yue'er had already gone looking for Liu Xingzi, shouting, "Second Disciple Brother, what kind of magic treasure is this? Let me look at it. Let me play with it."

Liu Xingzi hurriedly stuffed the Divine Transformation Aurora Ray into his robes and repeatedly made Daoist salutes as he begged, "Little Junior Sister, dear grandaunt, spare your senior brother. You can have anything else you want, but this Divine Transformation Aurora Ray was refined by the three Martial Grandfathers at the Little North Pole to ward off heavenly demons. How can it be casually used as a toy? It would be terrible if someone were accidentally hurt." Xie Yuezi and the others had already moved far away from Zhao Yue'er, afraid that this little junior sister, suddenly free of restraint, would come looking for trouble with them.

Zhao Yue'er fell silent for a while, then the corner of her mouth suddenly curled into a strange smile. "Fine, I don't want your ghostly magic treasure anymore. But you can lend it to me for a few days, can't you? I swear I absolutely won't use it recklessly on other people. Don't worry, I definitely won't use it carelessly... Are you giving it to me or not? Are you? If not... Ninth Senior Brother, that batch in your furnace..."

Liu Xingzi clapped a hand over Zhao Yue'er's mouth and hurriedly said, "I'll give it to you, I'll give it to you! Isn't that enough? Why are you shouting? Junior Sister, you must be careful. This thing can easily hurt people if mishandled. Never activate it casually to play with it." Liu Xingzi was filled with regret. How had that little girl discovered that, in a moment of curiosity, he had ruined Gu Lingzi's batch of medicinal pills by adding an extra burst of fire? If Gu Lingzi learned that his furnace of spirit pills had been destroyed because Liu Xingzi had been curious and playful, wouldn't he fight Liu Xingzi to the death?

With a wicked grin on her face, Zhao Yue'er grabbed Li Feng by the ear and bounded away. Li Feng squealed in pain, "Martial Aunt, hey, Martial Aunt, you... ah... that hurts, Martial Aunt! Don't run! My gold, my silver! Wait for me to pack it up, Martial Aunt, Martial Grandmother, let me pack it up! What if someone steals it while it's lying there?"

Liu Xingzi shook his head. Xie Yuezi shook his head. Gu Lingzi gave Liu Xingzi a puzzled look, rolled his eyes, and shook his head. The nine Yiyuan Sect disciples said nothing further. They flew into the sky, dividing into five positions. The nine formed hand seals for the five elemental spiritual arts of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, drew upon their true qi, and released it in all directions at once. The five small mountain peaks in the sky spun madly nine times, spiritual light flashed, and with a crisp clang of a bell, the largest central peak abruptly rose more than a thousand zhang before vanishing into thin air.

Auspicious clouds drifted in layers and spiritual light shimmered in waves as all of Qingyun Flat was covered by an immense barrier of light. Then, as Liu Xingzi and the others changed their hand seals, even the visible spiritual light and auspicious clouds vanished without trace. The skies and mountains of Qingyun Flat returned to normal; only the great central peak and the five small outer peaks had disappeared.

Liu Xingzi clapped his hands and shook his head. "All right, junior brothers, we may disperse. Why do we need to be so cautious? So long as we keep an eye on that little grand-uncle Fengzi and he does not go outside to stir up trouble, how could our Yiyuan Sect encounter any problems? Demonic and unorthodox cultivators would not dare come to our gates, while righteous sects might only send one or two visitors occasionally. There will be no trouble at all."

The nine disciples nodded together, chuckled and laughed a few times, then dispersed just like that.

In the mountains, one never noticed how swiftly time passed. Xiao Longzi emerged from seclusion again, but when he saw Li Feng waiting for him at the entrance, he immediately slapped his forehead and said with a grin, "Ah, Fengzi, I was just about to give you some instructions. Listen properly to your Martial Uncles. As for your Master's Golden Core, hehe, haha, your Master is continuing his seclusion. You must work hard... Those who seek the Dao must not be greedy, must not be wrathful, and must not speak falsehoods. You must remember that."

Before Li Feng could say a word, Xiao Longzi flicked his great sleeve, and the stone door before him slammed shut, neatly leaving Li Feng outside. Li Feng shook his head and sighed. "I really chose the wrong Master. It was hard enough for me to show some kindness for once, yet he wouldn't appreciate it. Sigh, being a good person is hard. This young master should keep being a bad person."

Zhao Yue'er suddenly leaped out from behind him and shouted, "You won't be a good person—you want to be a bad one? Hmph! Come with me. Little Cat found a fine place with lots of ten-thousand-year Stone Stalactites inside. I have no idea how it squeezed through those rock crevices. Hurry up and let's see if we can find anything good. Mother said that if enough ten-thousand-year Stone Stalactites accumulate, they might produce some especially precious treasures."

Li Feng's eyes lit up. Grabbing Zhao Yue'er's hand, the two swiftly swept out of Xiao Longzi's Alchemy Room, where he was in seclusion. The moment they left, a narrow crack quietly opened in the door to Xiao Longzi's Alchemy Room. Xiao Longzi poked out his head and glanced around for a long while before cautiously emerging. After setting restrictions on the Alchemy Room's door, he turned into a clear breeze and flew away.

More than a hundred li east of Qingyun Flat, within a deep gorge, Little Cat stood upright on its hind legs, waving both forepaws about before a group of fierce tigers. The fellow seemed to be mocking its kin for only knowing how to walk on four legs. The tigers stared blankly at Little Cat walking upright, their eyes nearly popping out. Little Cat roared several times toward the sky, then viciously slapped a mountain rock with one paw. With a crack, the huge ox-resting boulder was smashed entirely into powder. The tigers trembled all over and fearfully lowered themselves before Little Cat.

Little Cat was still reveling in its pride when Zhao Yue'er arrived, pulling Li Feng along on their flying sword. She shouted loudly, "Little Cat, hurry and take us there! What are you showing off here for? You're so impressive, truly impressive. Shall I call Senior Brother Chi Chengzi over to see just how much you've improved?"

Little Cat shuddered all over and hurried forward ingratiatingly. It rubbed its large head against Li Feng's thigh several times, then gave Zhao Yue'er a soft roar, seeming to complain that she had not left it even a shred of dignity before its kin. Zhao Yue'er impatiently said, "Stop making noise. Your kin cannot understand human speech; do you think every one of them is a monster like you? Hurry up. Where is that place with the Stone Stalactites?... If you dare deceive me, Little Cat, I'll pluck every hair from your tail."

Little Cat gave a few low grunts, ignored the tigers, turned, and shot into the gorge at high speed. Zhao Yue'er smiled and tugged Li Feng along, and the two rode their swords after it. Li Feng cried inwardly, Heavens, heavens, this Martial Aunt seems to be getting more and more attached to me. Hehe, wonderful, wonderful. Once this young master finds an immortal maiden for a wife, I'll make those bastards drool themselves to death... Ah, what a pity. By the time I cultivate a Nascent Soul, I wonder whether those bastards A Zhu and the others will still be alive.

The two merged into a single streak of sword light and followed Little Cat like lightning into the dark gorge. Seeing Little Cat leave, the dozen or so tigers on the ground immediately leaped up and scattered in all directions like rats.

At this moment, there were exactly ten Yiyuan Sect disciples remaining at Qingyun Flat, counting Xiao Longzi. Aside from Ling Houzi, whose whereabouts were unknown, and the eldest brother, who was still traveling below the mountain, this was the most complete gathering of Yiyuan Sect disciples in a long time. Xie Yuezi smiled. "Who would have thought that because of that little brat Fengzi, we fellow brothers would gather together this time?" Indeed, because each of them wished to teach Li Feng a lesson, these old Daoists had unusually refrained from entering seclusion for so long. Once Xiao Longzi had adjusted his inner breath and emerged, the ten of them finally gathered together.

Gui Xinzi cheerfully brought out three jars of fine wine. The fellow brothers sat beside a small pool, opened the jars, and began drinking deeply. A breeze passed by, and leaves and flower petals gently drifted down upon them. For a time, their hearts felt incomparably unburdened. Chi Chengzi was plump, and after drinking several bowls of old wine, he began to feel heat spreading through his body. Unable to help himself, he loudly recited, "Cultivate it in oneself, and its virtue becomes true; cultivate it in the family, and its virtue becomes abundant; cultivate it in the village, and its virtue grows lasting; cultivate it in the state, and its virtue becomes rich; cultivate it under Heaven, and its virtue becomes universal..."

Liu Xingzi said with a smile, "Cultivate it under Heaven, and its virtue becomes universal. That is the saying of sages. We mere cultivators can only cultivate ourselves. Heh, among the hundred righteous and demonic cultivation sects, how many can truly influence all under Heaven? From ancient times to now... Hm?" Liu Xingzi abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes gleaming as he stared into the northern sky.

The other nine disciples also stood, frowning toward the north. At the distant northern horizon, two streaks of golden light flashed faintly and sped toward them like wind and lightning. Behind those two sword lights, over a hundred streaks of multicolored sword light pursued them. The foremost dark, gleaming sword light continuously shot out flecks of cold radiance, raining them down upon the two golden lights ahead. The two golden lights still appeared to have ample strength, but merely wheeled and darted away, dodging the pursuing dark light without any intention of striking back.

Yi Xingzi, a Yiyuan Sect disciple of the same generation as Liu Xingzi, frowned and asked, "Second Disciple Brother, it's Eldest Brother and Ling Houzi. Whom did they provoke? Why are so many people pursuing them?"

Lei Zhenzi lived up to his name. He gave a cold laugh and shouted, "Who cares who they are? Last time it was a group of demons; this time, whatever their background, what of it? Our masters are in seclusion, but that does not mean we are easy to bully. Let's show them some color... Look at those hundred-plus sword lights. At least half of them are flying solely by relying on fine swords; they have not even completed the Qi Induction realm, yet they dare come to our Yiyuan Sect and make trouble."

Liu Xingzi's face darkened like still water as he instructed in a low voice, "Stay calm for now. Let's first see what divine being dares run wild on our Qingyun Flat. Junior Brothers, open a gap in the Great Five Elements Exterminating God Array and let those people behind them in. Hmph. Save them from saying that our Yiyuan Sect bullies others and won't even let them through the door."

Two flashes of golden light flickered. Ling Houzi, fuming, followed behind an old Daoist who looked well over a hundred years old, his face covered in wrinkles, his hair and beard entirely silver-white, his brows hanging straight down to the corners of his mouth. Liu Xingzi froze for a moment, then strode up with a laugh and saluted him. "Senior Brother Ling Guangzi, you're back? Judging by your physical manifestation, your Nascent Soul cultivation has already reached the final stage of 'Spirit Nurturing.' Your essence is wholly drawn inward, and you are on the verge of comprehending the Great Dao of Spirit Division, aren't you? I never expected that after a little over six years apart, Senior Disciple Brother would have advanced to such a realm. You are nearly catching up to our masters in cultivation."

Ling Guangzi looked over Liu Xingzi and the others, then returned the salute somewhat slowly. "All the Junior Brothers are here? Then the twelve disciples of our Yiyuan Sect are finally all gathered... Oh, you're Junior Brother Liu, right? I was wondering why you looked so familiar. I was the one who brought you up the mountain back then... Ah, Junior Brothers, your foolish elder brother greets you."

Xie Yuezi and the others hurriedly returned the salute. Ling Houzi, meanwhile, began shouting at the top of his lungs. "What's the point of all this bowing back and forth? Boss is so single-minded about cultivation that he's gone muddleheaded! With one sword strike, he split apart the last disciple of the Heart Sect's sect master from the Emei Sect. Now Old Daoist Wu Shen, the Heart Sect's sect master, has led people here to chase us down, and you're still not getting ready to fight?... Don't look at this old Daoist. I was prepared to reason with them too, but they wouldn't listen to reason! They insisted I was protecting Senior Brother. Without another word, several hundred flying swords came killing toward us. Senior Brother just stood there dumbfounded, preparing to explain things clearly. If I hadn't dragged him away, he'd have been chopped into eighteen pieces already, and his Nascent Soul would have been taken away to drink with."

Ling Guangzi scratched his head and spread his hands. "Liu Xingzi, what do you think we should do? I truly didn't know that the one collecting inner cores and Nascent Souls to refine pills was from the Emei Sect. Had I known, perhaps I would have held back a little. But I didn't know how heavy my strike was, either. None of the masters told me that once I was near the Spirit Division stage, the other party would not even be able to dodge a single sword strike... This time, I really do not understand why things have become so serious. What do you think we should do?"

Liu Xingzi frowned. Ling Guangzi—whose title was Lingguang, yet whose mind was muddled beyond measure—could have provoked a few demons and devils, and that would have been one thing. But how had he managed to provoke the Emei Sword Sect, one of the great orthodox sects like their own?

The Emei Sword Sect was now divided into the three branches of Heart, Intent, and Spirit. The Heart Sect was precisely the most powerful of them, and Old Daoist Wu Shen was renowned for his thunderous temper. Now that his last disciple had been killed, there was clearly no way to settle this peacefully. If their masters were not in seclusion, there would be no problem—but now...

Even as Liu Xingzi was still pondering, Old Daoist Wu Shen—clad in a black daoist robe, with black beard and hair, his face shaped like an ancient moon—was already shouting from the sky, "You there, old Daoists! No matter what sect you belong to, after killing someone, do you think this can simply be let go? Call out your elders and have them speak with me!"

Behind Old Daoist Wu Shen, more than a hundred streams of sword-light came flying over. Those with deep cultivation floated behind Old Daoist Wu Shen, while those who had not even crossed the threshold could only hover atop their flying swords, relying on the power of their treasured blades to weave through the air. Yet the ones shouting the loudest were precisely those disciples flying about on the strength of their swords. They clamored all at once, "That's right! A life for a life, a debt repaid in coin! Old Daoists, stop hiding and come out at once!"

Liu Xingzi let out a long sigh. Looking once more at the blank-faced Ling Guangzi, he shook his head speechlessly, then sprang into the air to meet them.