A gentle breeze blew across the river as two women and a man stood in the pavilion.
Ye Xingge sighed deeply, trying his best to recount the hardships he had just endured, but the fact that his clothes were spotless and his hair was perfectly neat was truly hard to believe.
Wen Zhuohua could see the boy's good intentions, and after thinking for a moment, asked:
"Is Young Master Ye alright?"
Ye Xingge thought that it wouldn't be appropriate to go down without getting injured, so he rubbed his lower back.
"I was struck by a palm, but I took a pill and am temporarily fine. Thank you for your concern, Sect Leader Wen..."
Luo Xuanqing followed along, intending to mentor the newcomers, but ended up being labeled a "pretty face" and thought it would be better to stay in the capital and become a "welfare girl."
That way, she would at least have an alibi. Ye Xingge risked his life to come back, she, as the stronger person and his superior, would have a legitimate reason to discipline him.
This whole affair yielded absolutely nothing, and the aftermath will likely become—men should handle things outside the home, and women should keep quiet and remain silent...
Tsk~
Luo Xuanqing felt a little embarrassed, but after thinking for a moment, he got back to the main topic:
"Let's go back first. Neck Metal Dragon was cornered by me just now and used the ' Snake-Form Forest-Piercing Steps,' he seems to be from the Mountains and Rivers Association."
"Um?"
Ye Xingge was inviting the two to go first when he heard this and frowned:
" Mountains and Rivers Association?"
"Right."
Luo Xuanqing walked with one hand behind his back, his gaze solemn:
" The Snake-Movement Forest-Piercing Steps is one of the Mountains and Rivers Association's signature techniques; few in the martial world know it, and the opponent must possess at least the strength of Third Rank- tier martial artist..."
Ye Xingge frowned, sensing that something was amiss.
Even if you were Third Rank- tier member of the Mountains and Rivers Association, you'd at least be a core hall master.
If someone like that had secretly joined the Return to Origin Cult, his background should have been exposed long ago.
Meanwhile, Great Beauty, who was eavesdropping in the shadows, interjected:
"A few years ago, my master was ambushed by the imperial court because a high-ranking member of the sect leaked his whereabouts, but we couldn't find out who it was."
"Your affairs are top secret, known only to me and my master. Intelligence is handled by specialists, so there's no need to worry about leaks."
"If this is true, I'll go back and investigate the hall masters and protectors who have been acting suspiciously lately. It won't be difficult to find them."
Hearing this, Ye Xingge secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Remembering that his cheap mother-in-law had been betrayed by a spy, Ye Xingge felt that this person had to be brought to justice. He thought for a moment, then took out Li Wangchao's nameplate, gathered his energy, and stamped it with the following mark:
Where will we meet again after seizing the Fate-Robbing Saber?
Upon seeing this, the two large trucks immediately moved to either side of Ye Xingge, peering out and waiting.
As a result, a huge letter quickly appeared on the sign, filling the entire sign:
[roll]
Then the brand became invalid.
"Well..."
Ye Xingge frowned, feeling that it was really impolite to delete each other after insulting each other. Next time they met, he would have to deliver a few more blows.
"Once is never enough; a third time won't do. This group has learned their lesson."
Wen Zhuohua felt quite sorry for him and said with a smile:
"It's alright, Young Master Ye has already done a great job. I, Wen, have failed in my duty to discipline my children, and I was unaware that I had produced a traitor like He Lin. If it weren't for Young Master Ye exposing him, who knows what kind of trouble he would have caused in the future."
"I also received a message from the Inspection Bureau and happened to run into them..."
"Young master, please don't be so modest..."
After exchanging a few Wen Zhuohua's gaze fell upon the sign in Ye Xingge's hand:
"After the Return to Origin Cult's ' Star Plaque ' were seized by the Heaven-Observing Pavilion, a copy was sent to each of the major weapon-forging sects as a sample. The Mysterious Armament Pavilion has studied them for several years and has now made some progress..."
Return to Origin Cult appeared in the previous dynasty, but the Four Symbols Twenty-Eight Stars, Star Plaque, and other items emerged later.
While the Star Plaque are powerful for real-time communication, some elite soldiers can also do the same.
Its truly extraordinary feature lies in the fact that it does not occupy any of the five elements, cannot be Heaven-Observing Decree, is so cheap that it can be deployed to the grassroots level, and can be replaced at any time if it is lost.
In short, this plaque is not part of the system of famous weapons headed by the Twelve Divine Weapons; it belongs to a different system.
Therefore, the martial arts world speculates that the leader must be an extremely powerful weapon-forging master who wants to forge a thirteenth divine weapon with the power of a mortal.
Upon hearing this, Ye Xingge asked curiously:
"Did Master Wen also create this brand?"
Wen Zhuohua shook his head. "This item seems simple, but the intricacies behind it are so profound that even the top- First Rank expert of this era wouldn't dare claim to have fully grasped it. However, the Mysterious Armament Pavilion has existed for eight hundred years, and the elders within have indeed figured out some of its secrets..."
As they spoke, Wen Zhuohua took out two jade pendants from his bosom, one black and one white, with yin-yang symbols carved on the back and similar small squares on the front.
"This item is called the ' United Hearts Plaque,' which was created with reference to the [ Spirit Silk Binding Artifacts ] and by drawing on the techniques of the Star Plaque."
"However, limited by its craftsmanship, this item occupies the element of wood in the Five Elements theory, making it susceptible to the Heaven-Observing Pavilion. It can only transmit data bidirectionally, is quite expensive to manufacture, and is irreplaceable if damaged. It's also not very practical..."
Luo Xuanqing was well aware of how domineering the Return to Origin Cult's communication tokens were, and the imperial court had long been recruiting talented individuals, with the requirements being: cost within 100 guan, communication distance exceeding 100 li, and usability by ordinary soldiers.
This standard is much lower than that of the Return to Origin Cult, but the items made by the major sects of the time are so poor that they can only be described as being blinded by superstition; none of them meet the requirements for practical use.
For example, the Shangshui Sword Cottage even planned to run a specially made copper wire from Yongzhou to Jingzhou, and then use methods such as thunder resonance to transmit the sound.
Upon hearing this, Duke Zhang was prepared to give it a try, but the copper wire had only been laid a dozen miles when it was picked up by a wandering swordsman...
Seeing that Mysterious Armament Pavilion had come up with something new again, Luo Xuanqing asked:
What kind of effect can be achieved at present?
Wen Zhuohua handed the jade pendants to the two people respectively:
"This thing has yin and yang, and can only be connected between people with deep feelings, such as lovers, close friends, parents and children."
"And when you think of the other person while using it, they will 'sense' it, as if a close friend or relative is by your side."
"At night, they would dream of each other, but the dreams were beyond their control; once they realized they were dreaming, they would wake up..."
Let's dream together...
Luo Xuanqing, who came from Mount Jiuhua, roughly understood the principle: using famous weapons to bind each other's souls, and relying on the resonance of the seven emotions and six desires to transmit information. If the emotional bond is not deep, it is naturally difficult to have a telepathic understanding.
Ye Xingge took the jade token, examined it, and thought for a moment before saying:
"As long as it can transmit messages over long distances, no matter how demanding the usage conditions, it's priceless..."
Wen Zhuohua nodded. "That's true. However, this item is not yet perfect and can only be used barely. To reduce the cost, we still need to invest a lot."
"Since Lord Luo is here, you can take it and use it for now. You can mention it to Duke Zhang and Perfected Jiuhua when you get back..."
Upon hearing this, Ye Xingge understood the meaning—to take out the semi-finished product and ask the imperial court and the elders for research and development funding.
Luo Xuanqing naturally didn't refuse, and even wanted to try it out with the token in hand, but Ye Xingge was carrying Wind-Traveling Talisman, which clashed with the Five Elements and had no effect, so it was indeed not as convenient as the token from the Return to Origin Cult.
After Wen Zhuohua finished speaking, she glanced at Ye Xingge again.
Ye Xingge's performance was so extraordinary that no sect leader in the martial arts world could help but be amazed, and Wen Zhuohua was even a little envious.
As a sword-making sect, Mysterious Armament Pavilion has suffered from a lack of descendants, whether due to an ancient curse or the constant exposure to the furnace fire that damages sperm quality. Many of its past leaders have been women or sons-in-law.
Ye Xingge is First Rank shoo-in for the top spot. If he can win back the sect, Mysterious Armament Pavilion might be able to surpass Mountains and Rivers Association and River-Spanning Pavilion and once again become the leader of the Southern Jianghu!
But with Flower Judge protecting him closely, even if Wen Zhuohua risked his life, he couldn't possibly take the person away. After thinking for a moment, he simply asked:
"Young Master Ye, with your extraordinary abilities, do you have any ideas about the Zen discussion at Temple of Vast Compassion next month?"
On Zen?
Ye Xingge knew about this matter— Martial Emperor Mountain, Mount Jiuhua, and Temple of Vast Compassion were collectively known as the Three Northern Mountains, considered the leading force in the entire martial arts world, and representing the three major schools of martial arts, Daoism, and Buddhism.
In order to support the younger generation and consolidate their own position, the Three Northern Mountains take turns hosting events every year, which can be understood as a martial arts tournament.
Ye Xingge thought for a moment, then shook his head and said:
" The Han River serves as the boundary between the northern and southern martial arts worlds. Only northern sects can participate in such grand gatherings, as southerners are easily beaten in the past."
"I'm considered a southern martial artist, so I should participate in the conferences organized by the Mountains and Rivers Association and River-Spanning Pavilion..."
Wen Zhuohua shook her head and explained:
" The Mountains and Rivers Association has kept a low profile in recent years. River-Spanning Pavilion usually organizes such grand events. To avoid being overshadowed, River-Spanning Pavilion usually starts preparations only after the events in the north have been completed, so the timing doesn't conflict."
"As for the division between North and South in the martial arts world, its origin lies in the interests and inheritance of the major sects. Young Master Ye has no sect or faction and is considered a 'free spirit' in the martial arts world, regardless of North or South."
"But if the Mountains and Rivers Association sends a direct descendant to participate at Temple of Vast Compassion, it would be considered a challenge from the Southern forces. The Three Northern Mountains must send someone to stop them, or their reputation will be ruined..."
"Well..."
Ye Xingge felt there was no difference, and after thinking about it, he laughed:
"If I had the chance, I would definitely like to broaden my horizons..."
" Perfected Jiuhua will also be there. I remember the first time I met Perfected Jiuhua, I secretly disguised myself as a wandering hermit to go north and watch the excitement. Perfected Jiuhua discovered me and invited me to drink with him. Cloud and Rain Tower was also there at the time..."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, but I didn't recognize any of them. I just thought they were chivalrous women from the North, and we chatted and called each other 'sister.' Only after we finished drinking did I realize they were First Rank old devils..."
"Joke..."
As they chatted idly, the three headed towards the Mysterious Armament Pavilion...
Meanwhile, deep in the Jiangye region.
Hongyu hid in the woods, and after watching the two women and one man leave through her telescope, she picked up the jade pendant:
"Master?"
"Gurgle, gurgle?"
The familiar chirping of birds reached my ears.
Upon hearing the commotion, Hongyu immediately frowned, looked at the jade pendant, and adopted the dignified demeanor of a senior disciple:
"Why is it you? Is Master here? I have something to discuss with him..."
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..."
Hearing this, Hongyu figured her master had probably gone out on errands. Since her master was rarely seen, she wasn't sure why, so she put down the jade pendant and secretly chased after the three of them...
There's another chapter that might take a few hours to finish. I'm taking medication for acute pharyngitis and dozing off, so I haven't finished writing it yet.