An Unforgettable Eccentric
Rumble...
The waves crashed against the cliffs on both sides, the booming sound mingling with thunder, drowning out the sounds of horse bells and people talking on the shore.
Wearing a veiled hat, Ye Xingge stood in the pavilion by the rocky cliff to take shelter from the rain, and could only hear the crackling and muffled thunder.
Beyond the stone pavilion lies the Han River, which is three miles wide, with a few boats coming and going on the water, many of which fly flags from various factions in the north and south.
Across the Han River lies Suzhou, where one can see a towering, precipitous peak that pierces the clouds, with many characters carved on its cliff face.
The first path is "Sun and Moon in Harmony," representing the yin and yang harmony of the ancestor of Martial Emperor Mountain.
The second inscription is "Strive for Perfection," written a thousand years ago by an elder of the Li Clan, the ancestor of Chancellor Li, who was also the foremost person in the land at that time.
Furthermore, there are many characters on it, all of which are the calligraphy of the legendary scholars who Gold List throughout history.
Each of these people once dominated their era, but they all perished in the long river of time. Some even left behind only a few words. As a warrior from later generations, seeing these words inevitably evokes feelings of emotion.
However, Ye Xingge had come all this way, clearly not to admire famous historical sites.
He traveled from Yongzhou Prefecture to Jingzhou by land route, and the 800-li express courier service took only one day and one night.
Upon his arrival, the Great Beauty Luo sent him the latest news from the Inspection Bureau:
According to an informant, Yellow Beard Pan Zhuo traveled south by boat from Lance Wind City with five companions. The day before yesterday, they passed through Shamen Port on the upper reaches of the Han River. If nothing unexpected happens, they will pass through the Martial Emperor Mountain area today. The boat is a cargo ship and is flying the flag of the Northwest Merchants Company.
Seeing this, Ye Xingge went directly to the Mountain-Viewing Pavilion along the Han River to wait for his prey. He had been waiting for half an hour, and because he was getting a little bored, he asked:
"Yu'er, how much longer do you need?"
Hongyu, too, had been traveling all day, and sighed softly in his ear:
"It's still a hundred miles to Han River Bay, and the rain is too heavy to travel."
"Take your time. Once you get there, check into your room and take a shower first..."
"Tch~"
"I care about you, why are you spitting on me?"
Hongyu knew exactly what fate awaited her after they met up that night.
Hongyu, determined to remain arrogant for as long as possible, maintained her demeanor as the female sect leader.
"Get your job done, I'm hanging up now."
Ye Xingge shook his head and smiled, then took out the United Hearts Plaque, slapped it hard on his Three Feet One, and poked out a smiley face.
And the Judicial Review Bureau.
Luo Xuanqing sat in his spacious office, frantically organizing the affairs for the next two weeks, thinking about leaving as soon as possible, as if his heart had flown away with that brat.
Although she had tried to flirt with United Hearts Pendant, Ye Xingge had to carry the Wind-Traveling Talisman with her when she went out, so she could only take the initiative to contact him when she was free.
Luo Xuanqing waited for an unknown amount of time, and when he heard the shock of Qingtao being hit, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
But soon, Luo Xuanqing transformed into an icy female boss, and after a moment's thought, she slapped her hand:
[How dare you! Believe me or not, I'll come and beat you up right now!]
[I just reported that I've arrived at Martial Emperor Mountain, but haven't found the target yet.]
[Be careful in your actions. If you're unsure, wait for me to come over. I'm busy at the yamen right now, so don't overthink it...]
Ta-da-ta-da...
Ye Xingge leaned against the stone pavilion, a slight smile playing on his lips as he interacted with the Great Beauty Luo across the distance, his gaze sweeping across the river.
As a result of the strong winds and heavy rain, the target ship did not arrive. Instead, the sound of horses' hooves and voices could be heard from the official road behind:
"Sir, we've arrived..."
Ye Xingge looked back and saw a group of people stop on the muddy official road.
Outside the ranks were eight cavalrymen, wearing rainproof cloaks and straw hats, and judging from their bearing, they were all quite skilled.
In the middle was a vermilion carriage, quite spacious. As the procession stopped, an elderly man in a scholar's robe and a young woman stepped out of the carriage.
The old man was dressed in a blue and white brocade robe and wore a square scarf on his head, exuding an extraordinary air.
The woman's attire was quite unique; she wore a black outer and red inner horse-face skirt with cloud patterns outlined in gold thread, and a dark red upper garment with gold tassels hanging from her waist.
A ringless sword hung from her waist, and her whole outfit was quite heroic. Her long, jet-black hair was tied into a high ponytail and secured with a headband.
As for her appearance, she had slightly immature almond-shaped eyes, fair and delicate skin, well-defined features, and an excellent figure. She possessed an air of nobility, giving the impression of being, well...
A newly-adult royal female knight, or a princess who enjoys wielding swords and spears?
Ye Xingge looked at the two, who seemed to be father and daughter, and appeared to be of noble birth, but their clothing did not reveal their identities. When the two approached, he did not look at them much, but simply put away the sign, held the knife, and continued to wait for his target.
"This is Martial Emperor Mountain. My father went up there once when he was young, hoping to challenge the Eight Immortals Formation, but unfortunately he failed at the first level."
The speaker was an elderly man in a scholar's robe.
The Eight Immortals Formation is a folk saying.
Martial Emperor Mountain ranks first among the Three Northern Mountains. Its masters throughout history, though not the best in the world, have all been among the First Rank- ranked. As a result, countless people come to learn from it, travel there, or become its disciples.
To block these people, Martial Emperor Mountain built eight Daoist School on the path leading up the mountain; only those who could defeat all of them could see the true Buddha.
Those who fail at the very first hurdle are those who don't even get inside...
?
Ye Xingge blinked, finding the older generation quite interesting.
The woman walking beside him was probably visiting for the first time; she put away her umbrella as soon as she entered the stone pavilion and looked around in the distance.
"Martial Emperor Mountain commands the martial arts world in the north, yet he remains secluded amidst the chaos of war. In my daughter's eyes, he is nothing more than a fame-seeker."
"The Three Northern Mountains view the conflicts of the three dynasties as internal strife, and this impartiality is a good thing. Otherwise, we..."
As the old man in the scholar's robe finished speaking, he noticed a young swordsman standing silently beside him, clutching his sword. He stopped talking and turned to look at the stone pavilion.
The Mountain-Viewing Pavilion was quite spacious, and all eight guards entered it to take shelter from the rain. Normally, lone martial artists would leave to avoid getting involved in trouble.
But this straw-hatted swordsman was truly bold; he stubbornly stayed close, showing no intention of leaving.
The elderly man in the scholar's robe didn't want to send them away, so he asked:
"Young friend, are you also enjoying the view here?"
Ye Xingge was actually prepared to jump off the cliff and escape into the water at any time. Hearing this, he laughed:
"Yes, may I ask who you two are?"
"Ah, you've come from Jingzhou City, doing some small business. Young friend, you seem to have a good foundation. Which school or sect do you belong to?"
"I live nearby, I'm just an ordinary person, I don't belong to any sect or faction."
"Oh..."
Seeing that Ye Xingge carried no luggage but a knife, the old man in the scholar's robe guessed that he was also from the neighborhood and didn't ask any more questions. He then chatted with his daughter.
"Beyond the mountains, more mountains rise; beyond the towers, more towers stand. In this world of martial arts, the first thing to learn is 'a sense of awe.' The Three Mountains and Seven Eminences have stood for a thousand years, not because they sought fame and fortune..."
The girl in the horse-face skirt glanced at Ye Xingge's appearance a few times and felt that this person was not an ordinary nobody, but since they didn't know each other, she didn't say anything.
Both sides Mountain-Viewing Pavilion.
Ye Xingge listened to the father and daughter discussing their affairs while also trying to determine their identities. Ye Xingge, the torrential rain continued, and a merchant ship appeared upstream on the river.
The merchant ship was over six zhang long, with a superstructure in the middle, and flew the flag of the Northwest Merchants Company. Two or three people could be seen walking on the deck.
Ye Xingge observed carefully and found that the ship's model and flag matched the intelligence perfectly.
Seeing his target arrive, Ye Xingge didn't waste any time. He raised his hand and pressed it against the stone pavilion railing, then leaped out in a 'Dongguan Boy' style, plummeting vertically down the cliff more than ten zhang high and crashing into the surging river.
Thump--
Water splashes everywhere!
The eight guards behind him, who were also secretly observing the young swordsman, were all taken aback when they saw this scene. They quickly ran to the railing and looked down to examine him.
"Hey?"
Why did he jump off the cliff?
"Brother?! What's this... Are you coming back?"
Where are they?
The father and daughter, who were talking, had just been amused by the nimble way the young man flipped over the railing.
Upon discovering that there was a sheer cliff several dozen feet high outside, the two were initially surprised, but then simultaneously peered out to search:
"Father, what does this man intend to do?"
"Well..."
The old man in the scholar's robe was named Dugu Changxin. He came from the Eight Pillar States of Hezhong and was now one of the five heads of the Eight Pillars Hall. Dugu Xuan, the son of the eldest princess, should be called his uncle.
The woman's name was Dugu Yan, a rising star among the younger generation of the Eight Pillars Hall. She was on her way to gain experience in the martial arts world within Within the Pass, and also to take care of some business in the Central Plains with her father.
The father and daughter had originally planned to the Mountain-Viewing Pavilion on their way, but they never expected to encounter such an unforgettable person as soon as they arrived!
At this moment, Dugu Changxin searched in the turbulent river, but after a long time he still hadn't seen the creature surface. He stroked his beard and sighed:
"Perhaps he's troubled by love. Young people like that are impulsive. Your uncle was foolish back then, insisting on following the Xiao Family. And look what happened—he's been a live-in son-in-law in Yongzhou his whole life, constantly being watched and guarded against..."
Dugu Yan saw no sign that this person was troubled by love, and replied:
"Was it because we outnumbered him and surrounded him, leaving him no way to retreat and not daring to show weakness, that he escaped by water?"
"It can't be that bad, can it?"