Three Holy Mothers

"The vast sea laughs, the tides rise on both shores, the rise and fall of life drift with the waves, recording the present day. The heavens laugh, the tides of the world surge, who loses and who wins, only the heavens know. The red dust laughs, stirring up loneliness, the mundane world of red dust, impossible to forget..."

A clear, resonant song rose abruptly, then vanished with the wind, faint and ethereal, accompanied by the harmony of zithers and the tolling of bells. Lin Huang's inhuman aura suddenly stalled amidst this singing, and his eyes abruptly shifted from silver-white to black—deep, dark, and gloomy, yet erupting with light like a lightning bolt.

"Who is it?!"

This question was shouted almost simultaneously by Lin Huang and Ice-Sealed Sword Saint; the former was suspicious, the latter was furious.

"A song of High Mountains and Flowing Water to seek a kindred spirit. Besides Zither Saint Qin Qing, who else could it be?" Hong Ying bit down on his lollipop, his expression uncharacteristically grave. Clearly, the Zither Saint he spoke of placed immense pressure on him.

"The Three Holy Mothers." Ice-Sealed Sword Saint muttered through gritted teeth, his expression solemn.

"Three Holy Mothers, whoever stops me from killing Lin Huang today is an enemy of my Zhongnan Dojo. Are you certain you want to stand in my way?!"

"The Arbitration Bureau has recognized his sainthood."

"He is a Saint of the Human Realm."

"The Saint Agreement forbids us from slaughtering one another."

"Most importantly, he has earned my approval."

"This is Daqian Prefecture."

"So, get lost!"

Three voices, one sweet, one light, one cold and stern.

As the words fell, three graceful figures appeared in the air. One wore a purple gown, elegant and indifferent, cradling a five-stringed zither. Another wore black robes, her face cold and stern, her palms turning as she toyed with black and white chess pieces. The last was dressed in white with a scholar's cap, bright-eyed and white-toothed, dressed as a scholar, holding a Spring-Autumn Pen in her hand.

The three graceful figures, each with their own charm and demeanor, stood in opposition to Ice-Sealed Sword Saint and the others across the void.

"The Three Holy Mothers are here. It's fine now, it's fine."

Seeing the arrivals, Spring-Autumn King let out a long sigh of relief and patted Prefecture Lord Chen, "You old Chen, you actually lied to me saying the Three Holy Mothers wouldn't come. You scared the life out of me."

Prefecture Lord Chen was also greatly shocked; he had not expected Lin Huang to actually stir the Three Holy Mothers into action.

"Three Holy Mothers." Ice-Sealed Sword Saint's gaze was cold, "Others may fear you Three Holy Mothers, but my Zhongnan Dojo does not."

Saint Huolie and Saint Liehuo said nothing, merely unleashing their full momentum, standing behind Ice-Sealed Sword Saint with grave expressions.

"The Three Holy Mothers?" Lin Huang pondered.

As a resident of Daqian Prefecture, Lin Huang had naturally heard of the reputation of the Three Holy Mothers.

Ten thousand years ago, before Daqian Prefecture was called Daqian Prefecture, there was a Painting Saint whose cultivation was heaven-shaking. Later, he personally **trained three Saints, entering the Dao through zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. One household, four Saints, known as the Four Saints of Daqian. Later, the Painting Saint fell, and these Four Saints of Daqian were reduced to just the Zither Saint, Chess Saint, and Calligraphy Saint, which is how the title of the Three Holy Mothers came to be.

The Three Holy Mothers were all figures who attained sainthood five thousand years ago. Their cultivation was earth-shattering, and they held immense prestige in the Human Realm. Let alone Ice-Sealed Sword Saint, even his master, the Zhongnan Sword Saint who occupied the central hub, would have to respectfully address them as seniors upon meeting them.

Therefore, seeing the Three Holy Mothers intervene, although Ice-Sealed Sword Saint's tone remained tough, he knew in his heart that he likely wouldn't be able to kill Lin Huang this time.

"Why did you interrupt my human tribulation? To ruin one's path to the Dao is an irreconcilable grudge." Lin Huang spoke slowly, and with this one sentence, everyone was shocked.

Spring-Autumn King gasped, cursing loudly, "Lin Huang, are you sick in the head! The Three Holy Mothers are here to help you, how can you be so ungrateful!"

Lin Huang's expression was cold, "Sever the red dust, cross the human tribulation. In a moment, I could have attained the status of a demigod. A mere Four Saints, destroyed with a flick of a finger, what need is there for help."

The Three Holy Mothers looked at Lin Huang strangely, and Ice-Sealed Sword Saint and the others looked at Lin Huang with equal confusion.

Hong Ying bit through the lollipop in his mouth and chuckled, "Why so surprised? He's right. If the Three Holy Mothers hadn't interrupted just now, he would surely have crossed the human tribulation and attained the status of a demigod. As for us pieces of trash, we would indeed have had only death awaiting us."

Ice-Sealed Sword Saint and the others sneered, ignoring him entirely, their gazes fixed on the Three Holy Mothers, "Since he is ungrateful, Three Holy Mothers, why must you continue to protect him?"

"Besides, Calligraphy Saint, aren't you someone who hates evil with a passion? This Lin Huang caused one hundred thousand casualties just to attain sainthood; surely you wouldn't go against your own heart to protect him."

"That was a tribulation, and also a fate; it was suffering, and also a blessing. What sin does he have?" As soon as the Calligraphy Saint spoke, Lin Huang immediately recalled the person he had seen yesterday.

"Sophistry." Ice-Sealed Sword Saint sneered, his gaze shifting to Hong Ying.

"Don't look at me, I said I wouldn't make a move." Hong Ying shook his head quickly. The Three Holy Mothers were naturally not people who held their titles in vain. If he offended them for the sake of hunting down Lin Huang, he reckoned he would die a very ugly death.

Ice-Sealed Sword Saint took a deep breath, his face unsightly. Having come with such aggression, was he to leave in such disgrace?

Thinking this, Ice-Sealed Sword Saint looked toward the two Supreme Elders.

Saint Huolie nodded and stepped forward, his expression grave, "I have long wanted to learn from the Zither Saint's High Mountains and Flowing Water. Please."

"After all that talk, we still have to fight." Lin Huang sighed. He was no fool; from the words and actions of Ice-Sealed Sword Saint, he could see that there must have been something suspicious about his state just now. The Three Holy Mothers intervening to stop him certainly wasn't to ruin his future. It was just that the reason for it remained unknown for now.

Seeing that a battle was imminent, Lin Huang stepped into the void, blocking the path in front of the Three Holy Mothers.

"You still have much to learn."

"So watch from the side."

"To deal with him, one move is enough."

The Three Holy Mothers each spoke a sentence. Lin Huang only felt a resonant twang in his ears, and then Saint Huolie groaned, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. His face turned ghastly, and he was only kept from collapsing by the support of Saint Liehuo.

Ice-Sealed Sword Saint's face turned livid, and he flicked his sleeve, "Let's go."

"Lin Huang, you had best hide in Daqian Prefecture for the rest of your life, otherwise, I will have you dead."

Leaving behind a harsh threat, the aggressive revenge journey of Ice-Sealed Sword Saint ended in an anticlimax, slinking away in defeat, which gave Lin Huang a more intuitive realization of the strength of the Three Holy Mothers.

"Why help me?" Watching Ice-Sealed Sword Saint and the others leave, Lin Huang asked.

"Little Su says you are quite good."

"Furthermore, you are from Daqian Prefecture."

"Most importantly, you have no sect or affiliation."

"Therefore, become my disciple."

Lin Huang's face twitched; he had not expected the Three Holy Mothers to appear for the sake of taking him as a disciple.

Lin Huang laughed in extreme anger, "You are Sages, and I am a Sage as well. What could you possibly teach me?"

"Among three people walking together, there must be one who can be my teacher."

"As for the Three Steps of Treading God, you do not know a single step."

"Therefore, you have much to learn."

"It is also fine if you do not become my disciple."

"I will teach you for three days."

"In return, protect my Daqian Prefecture for a lifetime."

The words of the Three Holy Mothers were simple and direct, instantly moving Lin Huang.

Lin Huang had achieved sainthood through an unconventional path and was essentially like a tree without roots; he knew his foundations could not compare to those who had struggled for decades or centuries to become Sages, so Lin Huang was tempted.

However, asking him to take them as masters was absolutely impossible.

Thus, Lin Huang nodded, "Fine, teach me for three days. If I gain something from it, what does it matter if I protect this Daqian Prefecture for a lifetime?"

"Good."

"Follow us."

"There are only three days."

The Three Holy Mothers turned and left, and Lin Huang naturally followed.

The crowd below looked at each other in dismay. Spring-Autumn King hurriedly shouted, "Lin Huang, what about me? What about them? Do you want me to start a massacre and let blood flow like a river? Give me a word."

Lin Huang flicked his finger, and a message entered the mind of Spring-Autumn King, "Devote your life to protecting her for a lifetime. This matter, you know, and I know."

Spring-Autumn King took a deep look at Chen Ruo, nodded, and said nothing more.

In the blink of an eye, the figures vanished, and those present almost thought it had been an illusion. They looked at Prefecture Lord Chen, then at Spring-Autumn King. Wu Cheng's father took a deep breath, "Please, Prefecture Lord Chen, Spring-Autumn King, please take your seats."

Spring-Autumn King nodded, and Prefecture Lord Chen also smiled. The sound of string and bamboo instruments rose once more; the auspicious time had arrived, and it was a grand wedding indeed.