Disciples of the Heavenly Empress

Fang Jingru was the most accomplished at working a crowd. Once everyone had gathered, he introduced them one by one. Two other heroines had returned with the six women of Qingcheng: Flying Swallow Chu Jinghong and Three Talents Zhang Hui'er.

The women of Qingcheng all wore knowing expressions when they saw Wang Chong, giggling softly. Chu Qiuzi, however, looked perfectly composed. She smiled gracefully and said gently, "Young Master Wang, we meet again."

Wang Chong had, after all, tempered his thick skin. By now, he had regained his composure and replied with a smile, "There must be some thread of fate at work, bringing us together again just after we went our separate ways."

Chu Qiuzi had been full of resentment, but those words instantly dispelled more than half of it. "I was quite surprised as well," she said casually. Her lovely eyes roamed as she asked, "So you and Daoist Brother Fang are old acquaintances, Young Master Wang? How come I never heard about it?"

Wang Chong hurriedly coughed. "Brother Jingru did me a great favor. That was how I had the good fortune to meet him."

Well, he was still worried about his identity as a "lecherous bandit." Although he always felt he should not have transmigrated into one, quite a few details matched, so he dared not be entirely certain.

Wang Chong had said this to mislead Chu Qiuzi into believing he and Fang Jingru had known each other for a long time. Then, through his prior acquaintance with Chu Qiuzi, he could also give Fang Jingru and the others the impression that he knew the women of Qingcheng well. Each side would corroborate the other, and no one would suspect him.

Any beast of burden who had worked a job for a few years would have seen plenty of this sort of social maneuvering, even if they had never learned to use it. Exposed, it was not worth a penny; left unexposed, it let you find favor on every side.

Fang Jingru heard the veiled compliment in Wang Chong's words. He reckoned he really had helped Wang Chong by stopping that crowd of martial artists, so he chuckled. "A trifling matter, hardly worth mentioning." Meanwhile, he thought, Brother Wang Chong really is a proper disciple of the Wudang lineage. Those fairies from the Qingcheng Sect clearly know him well. Their elders must be acquainted.

Chu Qiuzi also took it slightly the wrong way. Although our Qingcheng Sect is also one of the Nine Daoist Lineages, we are all female disciples, after all. We aren't as familiar with the disciples of Wudang and the Celestial Master's Mansion as they are with each other. How ridiculous that we sisters actually suspected Young Master Wang of being the lecherous bandit White Chrysanthemum. We made fools of ourselves.

Qin Han and the others were all proud, high-spirited men, yet since gathering in the Chrysanthemum-Slaying Alliance, they had lost face twice in succession. The first time, Fang Jingru, Qin Han, and Zhou Yuchen had been knocked down by a little girl, and who knew how many people had laughed at them afterward. The second time was just now: even with all seven joining forces, they had failed to keep Qian Luoyi from escaping.

With tacit agreement, none of them mentioned their joint attack on Qian Luoyi before the women of Qingcheng. After introducing everyone, Fang Jingru suggested, "Our Chrysanthemum-Slaying Alliance has acquired a residence nearby, where we usually gather to discuss how to capture White Chrysanthemum. Receiving guests out here in the wilderness is hardly proper hospitality. Why don't we all head there together? We can also wait to see what news our allies out gathering information bring back today."

As the Qingcheng Sect's second senior sister, Chu Qiuzi held a very high standing. She nodded slightly. "We shall follow whatever arrangements you make."

Fang Jingru immediately led the way. Not wanting to draw attention, Wang Chong used the lightness art Soaring Clouds, Treading the Wind and hung back. Screened by her junior sisters, Chu Qiuzi also slowed a little until she was beside him. The Qingcheng Sect's lightness art made its practitioners resemble divine birds, graceful and elegant.

Chu Qiuzi struck up a conversation, asking about the Chrysanthemum-Slaying Alliance.

The Chrysanthemum-Slaying Alliance consisted of sixty-one outstanding young martial artists from the seven southern provinces. Chu Qiuzi did not know its full membership, nor was she interested in who belonged to it. She was merely looking for an excuse to talk.

How would Wang Chong know who belonged to the Chrysanthemum-Slaying Alliance?

Fortunately, he was clever. Rather than stubbornly forcing an awkward conversation about the alliance, he quickly switched to a subject he knew well and talked poetry with her.

This subject was exactly what Chu Qiuzi wanted. During her travels through the martial world, she often lamented that she had no kindred spirit. Whether studying or practicing martial arts, anyone who wished to reach a certain level had to put in grueling work. Among both great families and martial heroes, those accomplished in both letters and arms were exceedingly rare, while those who achieved nothing in either were plentiful.

Wang Chong, however, had received a proper higher education and possessed respectable academic qualifications. Earth's educational resources trounced this world's a thousand times over. Books that had given him headaches since childhood could serve as family heirlooms here. During their two-hour conversation last time, he had still been holding back.

Chu Qiuzi only felt that they were becoming ever more congenial. Before she knew it, she heard someone up ahead say, "This is Chrysanthemum-Killing Manor. Brother Liu Xiong is skilled in lightness arts, so he went back ahead of us to have a banquet arranged." She could not help smiling gracefully. "I'll come chat with you again tonight, young master." She quickened her movements slightly, rejoined her junior sisters, and floated away.

Wang Chong bared his teeth slightly and thought, I have to find out as soon as possible whether I'm White Chrysanthemum, Wudang's Mo Yuncong, or someone else entirely.

Logically, since I don't know Ice Soul Finger, I shouldn't be White Chrysanthemum. But I do know the Candle-Bearing Sword Technique...

How did this lecherous bandit White Chrysanthemum learn such a mixed bag of skills?

Among this crowd, Fang Jingru implicitly counted as half a leader. Adept at working a crowd, he had long since been surrounded by seven or eight people like a moon encircled by stars, and was now holding forth with vigor and confidence. Wang Chong was not quite so "attached" to him and did not join them. Instead, he calmly slipped into another small circle, led by Qin Han. Its members clearly all came from officials' families and had common topics to discuss.

Wang Chong did not think he shared common interests with these officials' sons. Rather, he felt these connections might prove useful before long. After all, he was still an unregistered resident without a proper job. These people all had the status of "classical civil servants" and would be a great help to his endeavor to "enter the civil service."

Besides, he had not spent the two days since his transmigration idly. He had already heard that this world's martial sects were different from those on Earth.

Martial artists were keen to accept the children of high officials, nobles, and wealthy households as disciples to strengthen their sects. They also accepted gifted children from poor families and placed them with people of status and learning as book attendants, servants, household retainers, or guards. First, this secured them a good livelihood; second, if those people soared to success, the resulting good ties would naturally benefit the sect. Associating with officials was not considered particularly shameful.

Back then, the eldest princess had joined Wudang and learned martial arts. When she raised her army, many Wudang disciples had followed her. It was precisely the wholehearted support of this greatest sect of the age that had enabled her to repel the armies of the eighteen steppe tribes. Even now, many Wudang disciples served as officials at court, all styling themselves disciples of the Heavenly Empress.

With his authentic Wudang martial arts and his apparent status as a proper Wudang disciple, it was only natural for him to get close to Qin Han. Even Qin Han's little circle found nothing surprising about Wang Chong joining them, and they were even somewhat friendly toward him.

After all, there were many Wudang men at court. This fellow called Wang Chong might have some powerful figure or high court official in his family. There was no point offending him.

Just as Wang Chong was shoring up his "social connections," he suddenly heard someone call loudly, "We've received wonderful news! Lotus Fairy Nan Xinlan has rescued Bright Pearl Fairy of Iron Pear Mountain Manor!"

At this news, Wang Chong instantly felt as though he had fallen into an icy cavern...

...Wang Chong: I should have killed her to silence her...

...Tie Mingzhu: No, you don't want to...

...Nan Xinlan: How can I clear my name and restore my innocence...