Visitors Arrive

"Third Junior Brother, Fourth Junior Brother, stop practicing for now. Master sent me to find you. Hurry along with me to the Main Hall," Qingyun called when he came up the mountain path and spotted Qinghe and Huang Xiao.

"Second Senior Brother, what's so urgent?" Qinghe asked, somewhat surprised by Qingyun's manner.

Huang Xiao looked equally surprised, hoping Qingyun would explain.

"Something important, of course. Sect Master Hu Guyi of the Iron Sword Sect has come to visit Master. We can hardly be absent," Qingyun said with a smile.

"True. That's what comes of having only the few of us in the Green Ox Temple. Other sects have hundreds or thousands of disciples, so naturally they don't need to send every last one out to keep up appearances," Qinghe said with a laugh.

"Third Junior Brother, do you think Master cares about appearances? Stop spouting nonsense all day." Though Qingyun gave him a mild scolding, he understood that this was simply Qinghe's nature. He was only joking in private.

"All right, Second Senior Brother, spare us the lecture. Sect Master Hu Guyi is an old friend of Master's. It really would be improper for us juniors not to pay our respects. Fourth Junior Brother, let's leave today's practice here and go meet Sect Master Hu. Oh, right, this will be your first time meeting him," Qinghe said.

"Senior Brothers, is Sect Master Hu someone of great standing?" Huang Xiao knew neither what sort of sect the Iron Sword Sect was nor who its sect master, Hu Guyi, was.

"Not really. The Iron Sword Sect is a third-class sect with a little over a hundred disciples, ranking near the bottom among third-class sects. Of course, even at the bottom, it's much livelier than our Green Ox Gate," Qinghe said with a smile. "But Hu Guyi and Master have been friends for decades, and our two sects have fairly frequent dealings and get along well. So when Sect Master Hu comes, we have to go."

"Who's stronger, Sect Master Hu or Master?" Huang Xiao asked.

"Master, of course. Still, Sect Master Hu's Iron Sword Sword Technique has earned him some renown in the martial world," Qingyun said with a smile.

"Master mentioned years ago that Sect Master Hu should be at the Second-rate Middle Grade realm. Master also said that unless he encountered some opportunity in the future, he would probably find it difficult to make another breakthrough," Qinghe said.

"Then Master is stronger after all," Huang Xiao said with a smile.

When Huang Xiao and the other two stepped into the Main Hall, five people were already seated inside. Sitting beside their master in a place of honor was a tall, burly old man with a dark complexion. As for age, Huang Xiao reckoned that his own master was probably older. Though he had never asked his master's age, he was likely seventy, while this old man appeared to be around sixty.

Since he could sit as their master's equal, he was presumably Hu Guyi, sect master of the Iron Sword Sect.

Three others sat below them. One was Qingfeng, while a man and a woman sat on the other side. The man was about Qinghe's age, somewhere in his twenties, and the woman wore red.

Hearing the movement at the entrance, they all turned to look. Once Huang Xiao saw the woman's features clearly, he could not help being momentarily stunned. She had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He had read passages describing beautiful women in books before-weren't those descriptions speaking of precisely the woman before him?

Perhaps because Huang Xiao was staring at her, the woman blushed slightly and turned her face away, while the man beside her shot Huang Xiao a glare.

"Ahem... come, come, why haven't you come over to pay your respects to your Martial Uncle Hu?" How could Xuanzhenzi have failed to notice Huang Xiao's lapse? He gave a light cough and broke the awkward silence.

Qinghe tugged at Huang Xiao, and the three stepped forward to greet Hu Guyi in unison.

"Good, good, good. Sit down, all of you. I know Qingyun and Qinghe, so this must be Senior Brother Xuanzhen's fourth disciple, Qingxiao?" Hu Guyi stroked the beard on his chin, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Your junior Qingxiao pays his respects to Martial Uncle Hu." Hearing Hu Guyi mention him, Huang Xiao hurriedly rose just after sitting down and spoke respectfully.

"Sit, sit, sit. There's no need for so much ceremony. Everyone, relax. Oh, yes, this is my eldest disciple, Liu Dacheng, and my daughter, Qingqing. Aren't you going to greet your senior and junior brothers?" Hu Guyi asked with a smile.

"Senior Brother Qingyun, Senior Brother Qinghe, I trust you've been well since we last met." Liu Dacheng hurriedly rose and cupped his hands toward the three of them. When he came to Huang Xiao, however, he paused noticeably before finally saying, "Greetings, Junior Brother Qingxiao!"

"My greetings to you, Senior Brothers!" Hu Qingqing said, gathering her skirts and curtsying to the three.

"All right. In fact, Qingfeng, Qingyun, and Qinghe are already acquainted with Dacheng. The only unfamiliar faces are your daughter and my youngest disciple. Now that everyone has met, you should all get to know one another better," Xuanzhenzi said with a chuckle.

"They're all juniors, and there isn't much difference in their ages. Naturally they'll grow close. Senior Brother Xuanzhen, I came this time intending to travel with you to the Huaqing Sect in half a month. You don't mind, do you?" Hu Guyi asked with a hearty laugh.

"It would be a pleasure to travel in your company, Junior Brother Hu. Stay here in the temple, then. Qingfeng, take your three junior brothers and prepare three guest rooms in a little while," Xuanzhenzi instructed.

"I'll go right away." Qingfeng hurriedly stood and gave Huang Xiao and the others a meaningful look. Understanding, they also rose and took their leave.

"Dacheng, Qingqing, you two go and help as well," Hu Guyi told Liu Dacheng and Hu Qingqing.

"Junior Brother Liu, Junior Sister Hu, you can leave these things to us," Qingfeng said with a smile.

"Senior Brother Qingfeng, you're far too kind. We should do it ourselves," Liu Dacheng and Hu Qingqing said.

Seeing their insistence, Qingfeng gave a slight nod and said no more, leading the way.

After Huang Xiao and the others had left, Hu Guyi's expression turned serious. He cupped his hands toward Xuanzhenzi and said, "Senior Brother Xuanzhen, there's another matter I came to ask your help with."

"Junior Brother Hu, is there anything you can't say between the two of us?" Xuanzhenzi asked with a smile.

"I'm ashamed to ask. This is how it is: my eldest disciple, Dacheng, has the best aptitude of all my disciples, and he has already reached the Third-rate Upper Grade realm. But I also know that with the cultivation methods of our Iron Sword Sect, he probably has no chance of breaking through to the second class. So I hoped to ask you for an Origin-Enhancing Pill." With that, Hu Guyi placed the two jade boxes beside him in front of Xuanzhenzi and continued, "Senior Brother Xuanzhen, these contain a hundred-year-old root of old mountain ginseng and a hundred-year-old root of he shou wu, which I had someone purchase at great expense. I hope these medicinal ingredients will be of some help to you."

"Junior Brother Hu, is there any need for such formality between us?" Xuanzhenzi said, pushing the boxes back.

"Senior Brother Xuanzhen, I know that refining an Origin-Enhancing Pill is exceptionally difficult, and gathering the ingredients is no easy task either. You must accept these. In truth, their value doesn't amount to even a tenth of an Origin-Enhancing Pill's. Please don't disdain them." As Hu Guyi spoke, he rose and prepared to kneel before Xuanzhenzi.