Master

Realizing the newcomers meant trouble, Wu Ming immediately said to Zheng Lingxi, "Senior Sister, go to Sect Leader Temple and fetch Master. Tell him the Liu Family's troublemakers are here. I'll go down the mountain to receive them first..."

Before he could finish, a gentle breeze suddenly stirred behind him, carrying a weary, aged voice.

"No need. I'll go myself."

The next moment, Gu Bai had appeared before his two disciples as naturally as if he'd always been there.

Zheng Lingxi shuddered and shrank back. "M-Master, I was wrong..."

Gu Bai sighed. He didn't scold her, merely saying, "Prepare some tea and refreshments for our guests, then bring them to Sect Leader Temple... I don't blame you."

Then he turned to Wu Ming. "Come with me to greet them."

Before he could finish speaking, Wu Ming's vision blurred, and he found himself several li away, at the foot of Yan Mountain. Before him stretched a wilderness of jagged rocks, with a barely visible dirt road winding between them. Two old Daoists in blue robes stood shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the road, cupping their hands in salute to Gu Bai.

"With the Three Purities above, Liu Yi (Liu Li) of Dinghuang Prefecture pays his respects to True Person Gu Bai."

Then a slender, timid girl's voice came from behind the two old Daoists.

"I am Zhang Miao. I pay my respects to True Person Gu Bai."

Following the sound, Wu Ming caught sight of a familiar face.

A little over a month ago, beneath Dinghuang Tower in Wu City, a tall, alluring young woman had won the crowd's cheers by scoring over four hundred characters on her first attempt at the Human Emperor Scroll.

Though later contestants had soon made that achievement seem dim by comparison, Wu Ming still remembered her. Anyone chosen to serve as a foil for the Liu Family's Third Young Master was probably no ordinary person.

If the opportunity arose, he might as well see whether there was a side quest to be done.

He simply hadn't expected to see her again so soon.

As Wu Ming studied Zhang Miao, she too carefully raised her eyes to steal a glance at him... Their gazes met. The girl startled and hurriedly lowered her head, turning aside until only her crimson cheeks and ears were visible.

She was even more timid and shy than last time. That immediately gave Wu Ming a bad feeling.

No way...? This isn't the kind of side quest I wanted!

As he wondered, Master Gu Bai spoke unhurriedly. "Gu Bai, Sect Leader of Gujian, welcomes you three... May I ask what brings you here from so far away?"

The two old Daoists in blue robes glanced at each other. Liu Li spoke first. "We've come over a difficult matter. It is of the utmost importance. After much discussion, Dinghuang Prefecture could find no other way, so we sent for your help, True Person Gu Bai... We hope you'll lend us your aid!"

His words carried considerable weight, and he had adopted an extremely humble posture. Gu Bai couldn't easily refuse, so he said, "Please come inside and tell me more."

With a sweep of his sleeve, he moved the group to the entrance of Sect Leader Temple.

Liu Li praised him. "True Person Gu Bai, though you often call yourself a cripple, your divine abilities have hardly diminished since your prime! This Five Elements Evasion Technique leaves no trace as you come and go. It is truly impressive."

There was a pointed undertone to his words, especially the emphasis he placed on "leaves no trace."

Gu Bai acted as if he hadn't heard. He simply opened the temple doors and ushered them inside. After laying out prayer mats and an incense table, he asked, "So, what is this difficult matter that has brought three people from Dinghuang Prefecture to my remote mountain sect?"

Liu Yi couldn't help letting out a cold laugh. "Heh. True Person Gu Bai, do you really have no idea why we've come?"

Gu Bai answered calmly, "This old man has always been dull-witted. Please speak plainly."

Liu Yi said, "A month ago, Protector Elder Liu Xi of the Liu Family got into a dispute with you, then inexplicably vanished. No one has seen him alive or dead... Have you thought of anything, True Person Gu?"

Gu Bai didn't even raise an eyelid. "This old man had little acquaintance with True Person Liu Xi. I have no idea where he might have gone. If the Liu Family or Dinghuang Prefecture is looking for someone, you might ask a fellow Daoist skilled in divination. Forgive me, but I can't help."

Liu Yi's face darkened with anger. "Stop pretending you don't understand!"

Liu Li raised a hand to stop him and put on an apologetic smile. "Don't take offense, True Person Gu Bai. We've been under pressure from our superiors these past few days, and it's left us on edge, seeing phantoms everywhere. Since you don't know, we won't press you."

After a pause, he added, "Liu Xi's disappearance isn't the main reason we're here today. Dinghuang Prefecture sent us over the Taiyi Dharma Sword."

At that naked declaration, Gu Bai's expression darkened. "My disciple Wu Ming won the Taiyi Dharma Sword fair and square. The Mingren Jade from Dinghuang Prefecture proves his score. It's been less than a month, and now you intend to openly go back on your word?!"

Liu Li sighed. "True Person Gu Bai, let's speak frankly. We both know whether the Taiyi Dharma Sword was won so fairly. Your disciple's talent and score are genuine, of course. But can talent alone earn someone a Dharma Sword from Ranxiang Workshop? Where in the world do things work that way?"

Gu Bai said, "You set the rules. We merely happened to be there."

Liu Li countered, "True Person Gu Bai, you should know that 'happening to be there' was simply taking advantage of a loophole in the rules."

Gu Bai replied, "Were they rules, or unspoken rules? Besides, we cultivate the Immortal Path in secret and defy the heavens. Is that not also taking advantage of a loophole in the great laws of the world?"

Liu Li laughed. "Heh. I didn't know you were so eloquent, True Person Gu Bai... You're right. Some rules can't be spoken of openly, and exploiting loopholes is second nature to us cultivators. So if you insist on taking advantage of this one, we truly have no grounds to condemn you... But some things still need to be made clear."

As he spoke, Liu Li's smile faded. He explained gravely, "The prefecture's Dharma Sword wasn't a gift that fell from the sky. It was part of a plan laid by the Sanqing Immortal Sect for the Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion, which is soon to appear here. According to the prophecy deciphered by the sect from the Nine Prefectures Heavenly Records, the Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion contains an Immortal Pill and other treasures, but its mechanisms are perilous. Nine out of ten who enter will die... Only cultivators born in this region will have a better chance of survival."

"So the Three Purities issued an order: all of Qiongzhou was to mobilize and select young talents suited to exploring the Immortal Mansion. The most gifted among them would wield the Dharma Sword, cultivate the righteous path, and explore the Immortal Mansion... After the prefecture and prefectural governments fought to secure it, the sword finally ended up in Wu City."

"So the Taiyi Dharma Sword isn't some generous gift from the heavens. It's a grave responsibility and duty. Whoever holds this sword must be the first to charge ahead when the Immortal Mansion appears, risking life and limb for Qiongzhou's Immortal Path... True Person Gu Bai, do you think your Gujian Sect is qualified to shoulder that burden?"

As Gu Bai fell silent, Liu Li continued, "Of course, I know that no matter what, the sword was awarded to your disciple according to the rules. That shows he has some measure of Immortal Fate. Your disciple is exceptionally gifted, and it would be a pity for him to lose that chance. So we'll compensate him afterward..."

"That's enough. No need to say more."

Gu Bai sighed and interrupted Liu Li.

"Though this old man rarely goes down the mountain and knows little of the ways of the world, I can still understand a few basic principles... What you just said makes sense, but it isn't the whole story."

"I have one question. If the Taiyi Dharma Sword is so important, why didn't Dinghuang Prefecture simply choose someone and give them the sword? Why go to all the trouble of holding a public competition before everyone's eyes?"

At that, the smile on Liu Li's face slowly froze.

Gu Bai continued, "I remember Prefect Kong saying in front of all the distinguished guests from the great clans that the prefectural governor had expressly ordered the Taiyi Dharma Sword to be awarded without favoritism toward one's kin or enmity toward one's foes. It was to go to whoever proved most capable! At the time, people praised the Liu Family and the prefectural government for their openness. But perhaps the governor's words weren't empty talk after all? Was Dinghuang Prefecture forced to hold an open competition to recruit talent?"

Liu Li said nothing, but his dark expression answered everything.

"Thinking back on it afterward, my disciple and I knew nothing about the sword. We truly happened upon it by chance. And could that coincidence not also be Ming'er's Immortal Fate? Perhaps it was all already part of Celestial Master Sanqing's calculations? Perhaps the prefectural governor's order was simply obedience to a higher command?"

At that, Gu Bai smiled faintly. "Besides, I also thought: if the Immortal Sect was willing to bestow a treasure without regard to a person's background, asking only about their ability, shouldn't the one who won the competition receive other benefits as well as the sword? Otherwise, if some Rogue Cultivator from the wilderness won the treasure but lacked the resources to fully realize his potential, wouldn't that jeopardize the great undertaking of exploring the Immortal Mansion? So I wonder: where are the pills and talismans, sword arts and cultivation manuals that should have accompanied the sword?"

By now, the two Liu Family Daoists were livid. Liu Yi kept shooting murderous looks and tried several times to rise, only to force himself back down.

Gu Bai seemed not to notice. He sighed. "To achieve the Six-Layer Seal on his first attempt at the Human Emperor Scroll—that kind of talent is rare even in Qingzhou. Anyone capable of such a feat would immediately attract favor from all quarters, even if they were born of humble origins or descended from criminals... Of course, I never hoped to turn Qiongzhou into Qingzhou, so I didn't ask the prefectural government for anything over the past month. I only hoped we could each get what we needed and leave each other in peace. I never expected you to come knocking at my door..."

"That's enough!"

Hot-tempered Liu Yi finally lost control. He rose to his full height, pointed at Gu Bai's nose, and cursed, "You ungrateful old bastard! You're forcing us to—"

Before he could finish, his companion grabbed him and held him fast.

Golden light blazed in Liu Li's eyes, and a cold smile spread across his face. "True Person Gu Bai, what you've said is nothing but your side of the story. You have no proof, and no reason to support it... But we didn't come here to debate with you. In fact, the more specious your arguments, the more they show that you've been plotting this for a long time! That competition a month ago will only seem less convincing to everyone! The Taiyi Dharma Sword is of the utmost importance. It must never fall into the hands of sinister scoundrels like you!"

By then, both sides were poised for a fight, and the situation was about to explode.

Gu Bai sighed silently and raised his sleeve slightly. Within his patched gray Daoist robe, it was as though countless stars were twinkling...

But just then, Liu Yi suddenly tilted his head, wrinkled his nose, and muttered, "Where's that shaman stink coming from...?!"

Liu Li, on the other hand, seemed suddenly enlightened. With an amused laugh, he glanced toward the rear door of Sect Leader Temple. There was Zheng Lingxi, holding a tray of tea and refreshments as she cautiously approached along the shadows.

When Liu Li spotted her, the girl froze. The dishes and cups in her hands clattered together, and her little face turned pale with guilt.

Liu Li fixed his gaze on her and drawled, "On our way here, we saw a pack of Dog Demons at the foot of the mountain..."

"Hmph!"

Gu Bai gave a cold snort, cutting Liu Li off. His gaze grew sharp...

The next moment, a streak of golden light suddenly burst forth, instantly filling all of Sect Leader Temple and forcing everyone to squint.

Wu Ming had drawn his sword. The Taiyi Dharma Sword rang soundlessly and danced in his grasp, its light blazing in every direction, sharpening the boy's handsome smile like a blade.

"Everyone, how about you hear me out?"