Zhou Wuji chuckled to himself. He missed Sky Silk Sword so much that he started to have wild thoughts.
Given Yin Le's status, her entering the mountain would surely cause a stir. Someone had already notified him to go and greet her; it was impossible for him to wait here so casually.
After being ambushed by barbarians at Golden Sands Fort, Yin Le probably wouldn't dare to use the White Dragon Fish costume again.
Even if she wanted to travel discreetly, her guards probably wouldn't have the guts to take responsibility.
"It must be Yan Baoying." Zhou Wuji immediately guessed the guest's identity. He had only met Yan Baoying when he came to Chuyang, so it made perfect sense for her to come up the mountain to visit him.
Sure enough, Yang Tie Ying said, "Master, it's that Miss Yan, and she brought two attendants with her."
Zhou Wuji asked Yang Tie Ying to welcome the people in, while he went into the room to change his outer clothes.
That day, Su Wuyi barged in without giving him time to change his clothes.
After changing his clothes, Zhou Wuji returned to the main hall with a whisk in hand and met Yan Baoying.
Yan Baoying wore a dark blue sleeveless jacket over a matching ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her hair was styled in a high bun adorned with a gold hairpin, and she was dressed elegantly and dignifiedly.
She could wear a man's blue robe in the city, but to dress like that at the Northern Pole Academy would be too casual and extremely impolite. Although the Great River Association was a Jianghu gang, it had quite a history.
The gang's top leaders all held extremely high status and were particular about appearances in their actions and conduct.
Upon seeing Zhou Wuji emerge, Yan Baoying rose and gracefully curtsied, saying, "I apologize for my unauthorized visit, True Person."
" Miss Yan is an honored guest, why do you say that? Please have a seat."
Zhou Wuji gestured for Yan Baoying to sit down.
Shangqi the tea, carefully placed it down, and then bowed and left.
This was also Yan Baoying's first time visiting Fallen Blossoms Studio. She looked around and saw that the room was very simple, with only a calligraphy hanging in the central hall.
She didn't understand calligraphy, but she felt that the large characters were bold and unrestrained, quite imposing.
Aside from that, the courtyard's greatest strength lies in its tranquility and serenity, making it truly an ideal place for spiritual cultivation.
" Miss Yan had arrived a few days earlier, she could have seen the entire forest of peach Peach Blossom..."
Zhou Wuji didn't know what Yan Baoying was there for, so he just chatted casually for a bit.
Yan Baoying nodded in agreement, and then explained, "I've been busy dealing with gang affairs these past few days and haven't had time to visit True Person." She paused and said, " True Person reminded me to be careful of that Sixth Rank cultivator. We investigated for a month and discovered that he had actually joined the Heavenly Ghost Sect and had become Devil Cultivator."
" The Heavenly Ghost Sect was behind White Forest's affair, which alerted the evil spirits and caused so many deaths."
Yan Baoying spoke, she rose again and gracefully bowed. "If it weren't for the True Person reminding us, we would have all been deceived by this Devil Cultivator."
Zhou Wuji reached out to help him up, saying, "I also feel that things are strange; it doesn't seem like an accident."
"It would be ideal if we could find out that the Devil Cultivator were behind the evil deeds."
He initially thought the cellar was only about ten feet deep, but it was actually far from where the evil spirits were hiding.
If the restriction hadn't been broken, the evil spirits wouldn't have been able to emerge so easily.
So many people have died in the village; it must have been done deliberately.
As for who this person was, it was hard to say. So, as he left, he gave a reminder.
Yan Baoying and her group investigated diligently and uncovered the Devil Cultivator, which explained the whole situation.
"If it weren't for the True Person's guidance, we would still be in the dark. If this Devil Cultivator isn't dealt with soon, he will definitely become a major threat."
As Yan Baoying spoke, a servant presented a bamboo box and respectfully placed it on the table. " True Person, this is a golden silk raincoat and bamboo hat from the Great River Association, woven from Dragon Whisker Grass and Golden Scale Snake. It can ward off water, fire, swords, and even ordinary heavy crossbows cannot penetrate it. It can also repel insects and mask odors. It will still be somewhat useful for traveling the world."
Yan Baoying smiled sweetly, "It's a unique craft of our Great River Association. It's a rough product, so I hope True Person won't find it offensive."
Zhou Wuji opened the bamboo box, inside which was a set of straw hats and raincoats.
Unlike ordinary straw raincoats, both the hat and the raincoat were black. He reached out and touched them. The raincoat was made of a soft, fine, and thick material.
The straw raincoat and bamboo hat are not imbued with runes and are not Law Artifact. They are simply made of special materials that make them more protective than heavy armor.
The Great River Association is a gang that makes a living on the river. Possessing armor is a serious crime, and the Great River Association n't dare to do that.
They used straw raincoats as armor, which was a clever trick. They were also inconspicuous in daily use.
" Miss Yan's kindness is truly appreciated, so I'll accept it."
Zhou Wuji thought this thing was good, and it would be very convenient to use when traveling.
Law Artifact artifacts and treasures, imbued with runes, are certainly useful, but the runes themselves can attract the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and also easily reveal one's whereabouts.
The golden-threaded raincoat and bamboo hat do not have this problem, making them very suitable for concealing one's tracks.
Yan Baoying was overjoyed to see Zhou Wuji accept the gift. The worst thing about giving a gift is when the recipient refuses it; that's troublesome. Zhou Wuji's acceptance signifies a further step forward in their relationship.
She thought highly of this extremely handsome young Daoist priest and was willing to place her bet on him.
If Zhou Wuji could really become the leader of the Northern Pole Sect and First Rank Celestial Master, this relationship would be incredibly valuable!
Zhou Wuji accepted the gift and was in a good mood. He chatted with Yan Baoying for a while and inquired about the Great River Association.
It wasn't until noon that Yan Baoying took her leave. Zhou Wuji personally saw her off at the gate...
After seeing Yan Baoying off, Zhou Wuji went to the Tianji Hall and bought two pairs of Nine Silk Cloud-Stepping Boots, both of which were Fourth Rank Law Artifact, costing ten thousand taels of silver per pair.
Thousand Spirits Mountain is bound to have all sorts of poisonous insects and thorns, and it's easy to get injured if you don't protect your feet.
The Nine Silk Cloud-Stepping Boots are also woven with nine silk threads, making them sturdy enough, and they also contain a Flying Cloud Technique.
When activated at a critical moment, it can make the body feel as light as a cloud.
A pair of boots costs ten thousand taels of silver, and only a very few people can actually afford them.
Zhang Dingyang, the deputy leader of the Great River Gang, gave him 10,000 taels of gold. In addition to the 2,000 taels of gold that had been seized, he still had more than 30,000 taels of silver in his hands, and he also had 90,000 taels of silver deposited with the Zhiyuan priest Zhiyuan.
Buying two pairs of Nine Silk Cloud-Stepping Boots was nothing to him. Back at Fallen Blossoms Studio, Zhou Wuji checked all the items he needed to take, making sure nothing was missing, before packing them into his Five Spirit Pouch.
The next day, Zhou Wuji went to the Heavenly Pivot Hall and found the Palace Master True Person Zhiming, saying that he wanted to visit the Thousand Spirits Mountain Secret Realm.
True Person Zhiming didn't say anything, only reminding him that Thousand Spirits Mountain was dangerous and he should be careful.
The Thousand Spirits Mountain Secret Realm is quite dangerous. Usually, each sect sends experts to lead a group of people into the Thousand Spirits Mountain to search for spiritual items.
Only cultivators of the Fifth Rank are qualified to enter the Thousand Spirits Mountain Secret Realm alone.
Each branch generally does not limit the number of members, as long as one is willing to take the risks.
Given Zhou Wuji's status and position, True Person Zhiming didn't particularly like this young outsider, he wouldn't impose any restrictions on him.
After Zhou Wuji left, True Person Zhiming sent someone to summon the head monk Zheng Wukong.
Before long, Zheng Wukong strode into the side hall and bowed respectfully from afar.
This man had thick eyebrows, a square face, and a tall stature. He wore a purple-gold robe, had a long sword at his waist, spoke in a deep voice, and his demeanor exuded a decisive and forceful air.
"What does Grandmaster want with me?" Zheng Wukong was a Zhiming disciple of the Zhiming lineage and had a very close relationship with True Person Zhiming, so he spoke more directly.
True Person Zhiming asked, " Zhou Wuji has been here for several months; have you seen him?" " True Person Hongde, what a prestigious title!"
Zheng Wukong said with some disdain, "What's the point of seeing such a charlatan?"
"That's a bit of an exaggeration. Zhou Wuji was granted the title of 'True Person' by imperial decree, which means he has his own abilities."
True Person Zhiming shook his head slightly. Although he disliked Zhou Wuji, an outsider, he admitted that the man's demeanor and bearing were truly extraordinary.
If it weren't for the fact that his own disciple Zheng Wukong was True Disciple Candidate, he would definitely have supported Zhou Wuji.
There was no other way at the moment. The competition for the True Disciple Candidate was extremely fierce. He only hoped that Zhou Wuji would understand the reason and compete with the True Disciple of other lineages instead of fighting among Tianshu and Wukong.
Zheng Wukong sneered, "What sword that can shatter a thousand armies? Even Fourth Rank martial artist can't do that, how could a mere cultivator do it? That's impossible!"
He frequently traveled and was well aware of the power of large armies.
Even the strongest martial artist among the Fourth Rank would not possess such skill. It's unknown what trick Zhou Wuji used to deceive the princess and gain false fame.
Just by observing the method of transmitting the Dao through the Water Mirror, he knew that Zhou Wuji was cunning!
True Person Zhiming didn't want to argue with Zheng Wukong about these things. He frowned and said, "You can look down on Zhou Wuji's character, but you shouldn't underestimate his abilities."
"He rose from a small Daoist temple to this academy in just over four years. And you sum it up with the words 'deceitful and fraudulent'?!" Zheng Wukong was reprimanded by his grandmaster. Although he still disagreed in his heart, he still lowered his head and bowed his eyes, adopting a respectful posture.
True Person Zhiming knew that this young man was stubborn and wouldn't listen to anything he said.
Zheng Wukong was far superior to his peers from a young age and never suffered a major loss, which fostered his extraordinary self-confidence.
True Person Zhiming said, " Zhou Wuji going to the Thousand Spirits Mountain Secret Realm. You can go with him and see for yourself. At least see if he's as good as he seems."
"Let's see how well the other True Disciple Candidate are progressing."
Before Zheng Wukong speak, True Person Zhiming warned him sternly, "You must never take the initiative to attack Zhou Wuji. He is, after all, a member of the Heavenly Pivot Lineage. If you fight him, the other six lineages will only laugh at us."
Zheng Wukong nodded vigorously. "I understand."
True Person Zhiming added, "The final evaluation will be conducted at the end of the year two years from now. Zhou Wuji only has a year and a half to go, and he is two years behind you in this aspect. That's a huge gap."
" Zhou Wuji is cunning and resourceful. He will definitely do his best to catch up. Let him fight with the other True Disciple Candidate. You just sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight."
" Zhou Wuji really manages to get ahead of you, then it's not too late to suppress him..."
Zheng Wukong voice, "Grandmaster, there's no need for these tricks. I will definitely win the first place and advance to the True Disciple!"
True Person Zhiming's expression was somewhat complicated: "It's good that you have this ambition." "I'm not being arrogant. Su Wuyi, Wang Wuying, and Fang Wuli are just there to make up the numbers. Zhou Yichun, and Shui Wushang Kaiyang Yuheng is a martial arts fanatic who only knows martial arts but not the Dao."
" Ye Wugong of the Army-Breaking Lineage is even more mediocre and not worth worrying about..."
Speaking of these True Disciple Candidate, Zheng Wukong's face was filled with pride, and he was extremely blunt in his comments.
Seeing Zheng Wukong and carefree demeanor, True Person Zhiming felt somewhat gratified.
A real man who wants to achieve great things must be confident and assertive; this is not a weakness.
Confidence and arrogance are sometimes the same thing.
The criteria are simple: success is confidence, failure is arrogance...
With his support, seizing the True Disciple shouldn't be a problem!