Fight the Man, Not the Sword

The Flying Star Armored Horse Technique was very practical; Zhou Wuji was able to ride upstream on water and returned to Jingyang Upper Court before dawn.

Zhou Wuji was in a very good mood. Winning a sword was nothing special; the main thing was making a new friend and being inspired to write a poem. Whether it was good or bad, he felt happy reading it.

As for Lu Zhijing and all those messy, backstabbing affairs, I wonder where they've all been thrown to.

Back in his room, Zhou Wuji did his daily routine before washing up and going to bed.

In the morning, Zhou Wuji went to see Yigeng and briefly explained the situation.

Upon hearing the name Leng Wuming, Yigeng frowned. "I've never heard of Leng Wuming, but I've heard of Leng Wuyou."

"This girl is said to be only eighteen years old, but she is already Fifth Rank Perfection sword cultivator at the peak of her cultivation. Many people say that she will definitely be able to advance to the Third Rank before she turns thirty."

"He is a direct disciple of the abbot of Lingyun Upper Court, holding an extremely high position. Such geniuses are often arrogant and conceited, and act without any sense of propriety."

"Fellow Daoist, you should be careful when you travel in the future, after all, you are a sword cultivator..."

Sword cultivators are known for their lack of restraint in their attacks; this is a fact acknowledged by all seven sects of Daoism.

Zhou Wuji asked with some concern, "Wouldn't it be troublesome if I hurt Leng Wuyou?"

Yigeng was stunned. He knew that Zhou Wuji had advanced to the Fifth Rank, but sword cultivators were good at fighting. Not to mention that Leng Wuyou had already reached the Fifth Rank Perfection, far surpassing Zhou Wuji.

Seeing Yigeng's expression, Zhou Wuji couldn't help but laugh, "I was just joking, please don't take it seriously, sir."

Yigeng, this rough and burly man, couldn't help but smile wryly, "This joke isn't very funny."

"The sword cultivators of Lesser Yin and Greater Yin are both very fierce. They can easily sever a person's limbs. We still need to be careful."

Zhou Wuji asked earnestly, "Our seven sects are of the same blood and are practically family. Why are Greater Yin and Lesser Yin so ruthless?"

"Over the decades, such incidents have actually been rare; as far as I know, only three to five people have been truly injured or disabled."

Yigeng said solemnly, "But these sword cultivators are ruthless. Even if we hold them accountable afterward, the damage we suffered will be difficult to make up for."

"You have a bright future ahead of you, why bother competing with them? Focus on the Great Dao, and once you advance to the Third Rank, dealing with these sword cultivators will be a piece of cake..."

"Your words of wisdom, sir, are well understood. I have taken note."

Zhou Wuji nodded in agreement. Yigeng might have some ulterior motives, but he wasn't a bad person, and his advice was sincere.

The two went to the Demon-Expelling Hall and found the clerk, who recorded and filed the events at White Sand Bay, and signed and stamped the record.

Once this process is completed, you wait for the subsequent application for good deeds, which will then be approved by the head of the temple.

Yigeng knew that Zhou Wuji had offended the Lesser Yin Sect and was afraid that something might happen to him, so he told him to focus on his cultivation and not to go out for the time being.

After returning from the Demon-Expelling Hall, Zhou Wuji went to the Flying Profound Hall to find Zhiyuan and inquire about information.

The main purpose was to inquire about the True Person Zhihua, the reaction from the Heavenly Master's Manor's Mansion, and so on.

The old Daoist priest said with Zhiyuan I, a retired Flying Profound Hall, know about these things?"

"You must know about Lesser Yin and Greater Yin, right?"

Zhou Wuji briefly recounted what happened last night and asked Zhiyuan opinion.

"The seven sects of Daoism, no matter how much they fight amongst themselves, will never kill each other. Children may not know the gravity of the situation, but True Person of the Third Rank and above all know the bottom line."

The Zhiyuan priest sighed, "Actually, the entry of Lesser Yin and Greater Yin into Jingyang was also tacitly approved by our academy."

"There are several secret realms in Jingyang. Over the past hundred years, the earth's energy has been churning, and the monsters within these realms have become increasingly powerful. The Upper Court could no longer suppress them, which is why they allowed Greater Yin and Lesser Yin to enter."

Speaking of this, Zhiyuan also felt very ashamed. As a dignified Upper Court, it couldn't even protect a few secret realms.

Zhiyuan then added, "I'm more worried about you. You're always ruthless. You should show mercy to fellow Daoist practitioners. It would be very troublesome if someone were to die."

Zhou Wuji frowned, somewhat aggrieved. "Grandmaster Uncle, I've always been lenient with my own people, and I've never hurt anyone indiscriminately."

The Zhiyuan priest remained silent. Few people in the Upper Court knew Zhou Wuji, but he knew him very well.

This kid is extremely cunning and ruthless; all his enemies have died mysteriously, including the Zhang Household Yunyang.

However, the nature of this matter is so egregious that it is truly difficult to state it openly.

He changed the subject, saying, "You have exceptional talent and great potential, but you're young and sometimes prone to extremism."

"I told you about Lu Zhijing that day, but then I thought about it and realized it wasn't a good idea. Lu Zhijing is extremely selfish, but he's not that bad. Don't overthink it."

Zhou Wuji laughed heartily, "I've already thought of a solution!"

The Zhiyuan priest was not pleased but alarmed. He stared intently at Zhou Wuji with his old eyes and said, "Don't do anything foolish!"

Zhou Wuji smiled without saying a word; he wouldn't tell the old Daoist about the solution he had come up with.

It's not that I don't trust Master Zhiyuan, but this matter doesn't require his help. Telling him would be useless and might even risk leaking the information.

The old Daoist priest, Zhiyuan, was getting a little anxious. He said, "Listen to me, there is a peerless divine sword that anyone who meets certain conditions can use."

"Your enemy happens to be able to wield this divine sword. What you should be doing now is fighting for the sword and turning the tables on your enemy, not trying to fight the sword itself!"

The old Daoist priest said earnestly, "You must clearly distinguish who your enemies are; this is extremely important."

Zhou Wuji understood. The old Daoist had made a very simple point: sect power is a divine sword; Lu Zhijing can use it, and so can he.

Even if Lu Zhijing makes things difficult for him, it's because he has a grudge against Lu Zhijing. He has no need to go against the power of the sect.

He actually understood this principle, but he couldn't explain it as clearly and thoroughly as the old Daoist priest.

He said earnestly, "Grandmaster's analogy is excellent! That's exactly what I want to do."

Seeing Zhou Wuji's confidence, the Zhiyuan priest also believed in Zhou Wuji's wisdom and ability, so he didn't ask any more questions.

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After returning from the Flying Profound Hall, Zhou Wuji spent his days in his room reading books, all of which he had taken from the Flying Profound Hall.

He borrowed hundreds of books of various kinds at once; anyone else would not have done that, but Zhiyuan was the temple master.

Besides, most of these books are travelogues, diaries, and some novels, so nobody really cares.

When he had nothing else to do, Zhou Wuji would instruct Yang Tie Ying in martial arts and magic.

After consuming the Jade Liquid, this kid's innate foundation was altered. Furthermore, his simple mind allowed him to concentrate fully on cultivating magic Law Technique, leading to extremely rapid progress.

With Zhou Wuji's guidance, he was not far from reaching the Seventh Rank of perfection.

According to Zhou Wuji, Yang Tie Ying should have no problem advancing to the Fourth Rank. As for whether he can reach the Third Rank, that's hard to say.

The main problem is that he doesn't know much about the Third Rank, so it's too early to talk about it now.

After only two days, Zhou Wuji received an invitation. It simply stated that he had long admired the man's reputation and wished to get to know him, hence the presumptuous invitation to a banquet at River Moon Tower the next day. The invitation was signed by a man named Zhang Dingyang.

Zhou Wuji didn't recognize the person, but judging from the style and design of the gold-embossed invitation, he knew the person hosting the dinner was very wealthy.

Being able to deliver the invitation directly to him suggests they have some ability.

It just so happened that Wufeng, who lived next door, was there. He asked around and learned that Zhang Dingyang was the deputy leader of the Great River Gang, and was in his forties. He was said to be from a branch of the Zhang Household.

Zhang Dingyang was known throughout Jingyang City for his generosity and open-mindedness, and he loved making friends from all walks of life.

In Jingyang Commandery, many people don't know who the leader of the Great River Gang is, but almost everyone knows Zhang Dingyang.

Zhou Wuji was slightly surprised. Why was this person inviting him to dinner?

The two sides had no prior relationship, so inviting each other to dinner seemed rather inexplicable.

Could it be about the matter in Jade River County City?

Or perhaps we should arrange a meeting with him on behalf of the Lesser Yin Sect?

Regardless of the reason, he didn't want to deal with Zhang Dingyang.

He genuinely despised gangs; in this world, gangs have their own fertile ground and reasons for existence.

To enjoy the benefits of the Great River Gang, one must Great River Gang. This is the simplest of principles.

Zhou Wuji didn't want to get involved in these gang affairs, but he had even less interest in getting entangled with them.

He immediately instructed the young Daoist to return the invitation.

Wufeng stopped the young Daoist and advised Zhou Wuji, "Zhang Dingyang is no ordinary person. He has formally sent you an invitation. If you don't go, you will offend him."

"For such a person in the world, face is the most important thing."

Wufeng reminded him, "If you don't want to deal with people, just go have a few drinks and leave. Nobody can say anything about it."

Zhou Wuji said nonchalantly, "Who cares if he's angry or not? Sending me an invitation out of the blue is already quite presumptuous."

On the dock Jingyang City, the deputy leader of the Great River Gang stood with his hands behind his back in his own restaurant, watching the bustling dock outside.

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Zhou Wuji confiscated the invitation. Zhang Dingyang straightened his face and revealed a complex smile. He muttered to himself, "As expected of a cultivation seed Northern Emperor's Blessing, he doesn't care about us mortals at all."

He told his subordinate, "Go back and tell the Third Miss that the matter was not accomplished."

His subordinate bowed and agreed, but then he added indignantly in a low voice, "Zhou Wuji is ungrateful; he doesn't even give you face. He needs to be taught a lesson."

This person has been following Zhang Dingyang for a long time and understands Zhang Dingyang's thoughts very well.

One look at the man's sinister smile and you could tell Zhang Dingyang was angry.

Even Third Rank True Person would have to give the dignified Vice Leader of the Great River Gang some face.

Zhou Wuji was merely a deacon in the Demon-Expelling Hall of the Upper Court, not even considered a mid-level official.

Such a nobody dared to refuse the invitation, and Zhang Dingyang, who is very concerned about his reputation, must have been very displeased.

Zhang Dingyang glanced at his subordinate. "Losing the invitation doesn't have to lead to enmity. You brat, don't cause me any trouble."

The capable subordinate lowered his head and said, "Zhou Wuji doesn't give you face, he doesn't give face to the entire Great River Gang."

"You are very magnanimous, but I'm afraid that if the news gets out, it will embarrass you and the entire Great River Gang."

Zhang Dingyang laughed, "You've got a whole set of theories."

The capable subordinate bowed his head again. "Zhang Cheng of the Jade River said that Zhou Wuji received 20,000 taels of silver."

"He's a respectable Master Hongde, yet he's extorting money in private. If we take this to the Upper Court, Zhou Wuji will be in big trouble!"

Zhang Dingyang said, "Zhou Wuji helped us in the Jade River, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Zhang Dingyang's capable subordinate knew what he was thinking. He said, "Zhou Wuji just wanted to use us to wipe out the Blood Blade Gang. He even took 20,000 taels of silver from us. In a way, he still owes us."

Zhang Dingyang thought for a moment and said, "Alright, it's not a good thing for young people to like to take money without permission. Let's teach him a lesson this time..."

He considered for a moment and said, "However, we should wait. The Upper Court is very likely to protect this kid."

"Go find the inspector of the Heavenly Master's Manor; they're in charge of this..."