Chapter 23

There are four people who are recognized to be the pinnacle in today's immortal cultivation world and they are treated with the utmost respect.

Wuliang Sect’s leader Li Bu Yu, Chunyang Sect’s leader Xu Zhi Nan, Cangyu Sect’s leader Qi Meng Sheng and the Underworld’s martial judge Zhong Kui. Originally, in terms of seniority, power, and status, Zhong Kui, a casual immortal, could not be compared to the first three. It was hard to tell the difference without fighting until the magical treasure, the Eastern Emperor's Bell, was acquired by him and he was revered as the "number one man in the world".

In addition, the first three had all lived through the era of Emperor Zong, and Wuliang Sect had been related to the Zong clan by marriage. The current leaders of these centuries-old immortal families were all survivors of the Supreme Demon Zong Zi Xiao, so they were all secretive about the demon cultivators who stole cores and the Zongxuan Sword Technique. Even though Zhong Kui was an open-minded and unrestrained man, he had to bring someone up to Yunding to explain the Zongxuan Sword Technique when he learned that his disciple had used it.

It was only after Xie Bi An had noticed the seriousness of the atmosphere that he realized the main purpose of the trip.

Although Li Bu Yu was already a man with grey hair, he did not look aged in his posture. He looked thin and dignified, and he had an immortal and Taoist aura around him. The position of the head of the Immortal Alliance is actually the same as that of Emperor Zong back then, except that all the immortals no longer have to submit to him, nor do they have to pay taxes and tributes, and this position is not hereditary. It was only with justice that a century of peace in the immortal cultivation world was achieved.

All the families, except Zhong Kui, sent their juniors to send birthday gifts. When Li Bu Yu was seated at the main table, the juniors bowed and only took their seats when they were allowed to do so.

Li Bu Yu's hazel eyes swept towards Zhong Kui: "Zheng Nan, did you sleep well last night?" His tone was calm, even a little gentle, but he had a certain majesty about him.

Zhong Kui smiled, "I slept well when I drink well, thanks to Alliance Master’s wine."

"Where is your disciple? I heard that Impermanence was not feeling well yesterday."

Xie Bi An arched his hand and said, "Thank you for your concern, Immortal Lord, junior is not seriously ill."

Zhong Kui wondered, "What's wrong, why are you not feeling well?"

Xie Bi An said quietly, "I just had a little cold, I'm fine."

Li Bu Yu's gaze fell on Fan Wu She again.

Fan Wu She also looked at Li Bu Yu quietly and laughed coldly in his heart: he had already aged like this.

"Oh, this is my newly accepted disciple." Zhong Kui said, "From now on, these two disciples of mine will take up this impermanence position."

Lan Chui Han laughed, "One black and one white? That's wonderful."

Li Bu Yu said, "Zheng Nan, your two disciples not only have excellent roots, but they also have outstanding looks, and they are highly sought after by immortals. Where did you find them?”

Zhong Kui grinned, "I picked them up."

The crowd laughed along with him. It wasn't really funny, but Zhong Kui was obviously trying to avoid the important and dwell on the trivial. Who didn't want to sell face to* Heaven Master?

Li Bu Yu also smiled lightly, "I heard from Chun Gui that you had some misunderstandings at Fumenghui."

Song Chun Gui said, "Master, it was this disciple who was at fault. In order to investigate the murder of Senior Brother Meng, my apprentice wanted to bring these two young masters back to Yunding for questioning at Fumenghui, not knowing at that time they were the Impermanence."

Before Xie Bi An could prepare a step* for Song Chun Gui, Fan Wu She had already said nonchalantly, "It was indeed your fault, you started it first."

Lan Chui Han held back a laugh, only letting the corners of his mouth twitch slightly.

Song Chun Gui lightly laughed. Even the elders of various sects would be courteous when they met him, but this kid had dared to say he wanted to kill him the first time he held a broken sword. He was even more arrogant this time, but there’s nothing he could do about it, "Little Immortal Impermanence is right, it was me who started it first." He nodded at Zhong Kui, "I hope Heaven Master will not blame me.”

Zhong Kui crossed his legs and said with a plodding smile, "No worries, this little disciple of mine does not know the immensity of heaven and earth*. You have helped me teach him a lesson, I should thank you."

Li Bu Yu said, "Chun Gui, since you started it, you are the one who is wrong. Apologize to the two young immortals."

Song Chun Gui did not pretend and simply apologized.

Xie Bi An also apologized, "It was all a misunderstanding, we were also in the wrong. Zhen Ren has spared us."

"Since it’s a misunderstanding, it would be good to make it clear." Li Bu Yu looked at Zhong Kui with meaning.

Zhong Kui cleared his throat, "There is an important matter that I need to explain clearly to you in person. Before he took me as his master, he studied under a casual cultivator in Mount Qingcheng. That casual cultivator is probably an expert and has never revealed his name or origin, and now he has gone traveling. He didn't know that he practices the Zongxuan Sword. This is what Chun Gui saw.”

"Oh?" Li Bu Yu said, "Where is Mount Qingcheng and what are the characteristics of that expert?"

Fan Wu She was just about to open his mouth when Li Bu Yu added, "Chun Gui, get to know him in detail and go to Mount Qingcheng yourself. Make sure you find that casual cultivator, no matter where he is in Jiuzhou."

Zhong Kui lowered his head and sipped his tea, not making a sound.

Xie Bi An stole a glance at his own master and then at his junior brother, thinking to himself that this was more serious than he had imagined.

Li Bu Yu said slowly, "Zheng Nan, don't think I'm making a big deal out of it. I don't distrust your disciple either. This is a big matter, we must not be hasty. No matter who that casual cultivator is, we must find him and find out what's going on, so as to eliminate any future problems."

Zhong Kui said, "I understand your concern, so let's find out. I also want to know what kind of person he is."

Fan Wu She raised his chin and looked at Li Bu Yu, "Is Immortal Lord that afraid of the Zongxuan Sword?"

Li Bu Yu narrowed his eyes.

Xie Bi An shrank his neck. How could he restrain this junior brother who was not afraid of anything?

Zhong Kui looked at his young disciple with interest.

Li Bu Yu swept Fan Wu She a glance: "You are so young, don't you know the origin of the Zongxuan Sword?"

"Not everyone can become a Zong Zi Xiao even if they have exerted the Zongxuan Sword Technique."

There was an uproar in the room.

Li Bu Yu's gaze sank, and the atmosphere sunk along with him.

An elder of Wuliang Sect said, "Little Immortal Impermanence, is this a newborn calf that is not afraid of the tiger*, or do you think you are unscrupulous just because you are the disciple of the Heaven Master?"

Fan Wu She sneered, "I don't dare to hold myself, but I'm not like everyone else here who is afraid of a ghost who has been dead for a hundred years, so afraid to even mention his name."

Zhong Kui laughed loudly, "That's right, that Zong Zi Xiao served his sentence in the infernal hell for a hundred years and was reincarnated in the hellish path afterwards. Suffering from karma for eternity and never being able to get out of it again, why is everyone be so afraid?"

"The Supreme Demon relied on the human cores to supplement his cultivation, broke through the Ninth Chongtian of the Zongxuan Sword, and obtained two magical treasures; the Shanhe Sheji Map and the Xuanyuan Heavenly Secret Talisman." Li Bu Yu said indifferently, "All these, however, did not follow Zong Zi Xiao to hell. A great wind rises at the end of Qingping*, so we should take precautions."

Song Chun Gui said, "We juniors have only heard legends about that Supreme Demon, but master has personally experienced those darker times in the cultivational world. The human cores plus the Zongxuan sword could create a second Supreme Demon, so no amount of caution is too much."

Fan Wu She sneered darkly.

"Right, no amount of caution is too much." The crowd echoed.

Zhong Kui laughed, "Then let’s check. Wu She."

"Yes."

"You shall cooperate well."

"Yes."

"If it’s a misunderstanding, then it should be explained clearly." Li Bu Yu said, "Zheng Nan coming here this time, there should be more than that. About Ke Fei, do you know anything about it?"

"I'll talk to the Alliance Master in private."

Li Bu Yu nodded and sighed, "My junior brother fell very ill because of Ke Fei's matter, and people all over Wuliang Sect are on edge. In the end, there is not even a single clue."

"Master, your health is also not so good, and you have a banquet for guests in the evening, so you'd better go back and rest."

"Well, it's because I heard that you were sparring with Lord Lan, so I thought I'd come to take a look."

Lan Chui Han said, "I’ve made a fool of myself."

"Although Xinayue Pavilion is a new sect, with you as a rising star, your future is unlimited."

"Immortal Lord has over-complimented me." Lan Chui Han laughed, "With Brother Song, Wuliang Sect will have even more successors."

At these words, the expressions of the few Wuliang Sect’s elders and disciples present were slightly delicate.

Lan Chui Han was born with a delicate heart and has never made a mistake when it came to what he should say. When Xie Bi An looked at him with a smile on his face, he knew he was doing it on purpose.

After a moment's reflection, he understood the meaning of his words.

Li Bu Yu was already old. Although it is said that all immortal cultivators live a long life, but at this age the end was near. Over the years, he had gradually handed over the internal and external affairs of the sect to his disciples, and would perhaps also give up the position of Sect Leader in advance. Of his four disciples, Song Chun Gui is the youngest and most promising, and the most capable of carrying Wuliang Sect forward, but he is not as prestigious as his eldest brother, not as close as his second brother – who is Li Bu Yu’s son - and not as well off as his third brother, plus he comes from a poor background and is disabled. If he did become the leader of the sect, or perhaps even the leader of the Immortal Alliance one day, it is feared that the immortal families will not accept him.

The battle for the leader of Wuliang Sect is already raging in the dark, not only within the sect, but also among the immortal families.

And what Lan Chui Han said, represents the attitude of Xianyue Pavilion. As a newcomer, Xianyue Pavilion does not have so many intertwined relationships with the great immortal families yet and was eager to build up its own power, so it was mutually beneficial to support Song Chun Gui.

After the crowd had dispersed, Lan Chui Han came to invite him, "Bi An, come to my place for a cup of tea and let's catch up."

"Sure." Xie Bi An smiled, "Did Brother Lan receive the painting of a lotus on a mountain that I sent two months ago?"

"I received it, that one is too well kept by you."

"A precious mother plant like that, I naturally have to treasure it twice as much."

"When will you come to Jinling? I'll show you the new species."

"Great, I'll go there when I am free."

Fan Wu She followed the two of them, not caring whether Lan Chui Han had invited him or not.

When the three of them arrived at Lan Chui Han's residence, Lan Chui Han's attendant made tea for them.

Lan Chui Han said: “This is the freshly picked Longjing from this year. I had someone fetch water from the Mandarin Duck Pond. Didn't you say that the water from the Mandarin Duck Pond makes tea extra fragrant?"

"Yes, the world only says that the mandarin duck pond can invigorate blood and replenish qi, and can enhance cultivation, but I think this is just as good as drinking it. One year when I came to Mount Shu by sword flight, I used it to cook tea and rice, and it had a natural sweetness and tasted very good. In fact, I also wanted to try using it to water flowers, but unfortunately, I couldn't bring too much." Xie Bi An's eyebrows flew up and his smile glowed as he talked about something he was interested in.

Lan Chui Han smiled at Xie Bi An, his gaze gentle and bewitching. No wonder after the Jiaolong Assembly had become a big hit, countless female cultivators in the immortal world had been smitten with him.

Fan Wu She lowered his head and drank tea to hide his irritation.

"Brother Lan, what have you been up to lately?"

Lan Chui Han winked and teased, "Busy cultivating new orchids for you."

With a crushing sound, Fan Wu She crushed the teacup in his hand.

 

----

Translator Thoughts:

prepare a step*[准备台阶]--- Trying to end the embarrassing topic by changing the topic, so that people will not be too embarrassed. 

not know the immensity of heaven and earth*[不知天高地厚]--- an exaggerated opinion of one's own abilities

newborn calf that is not afraid of the tiger* [初生牛犊不畏虎]--- is a metaphor for young people who are not well-versed in the world, dare to speak and do without fear. 

A great wind rises at the end of Qingping*[大风起于青萍之末]--- The original meaning is that the wind is generated from the ground. At the beginning, it whirls gently on the head of the granny apple grass, and it will eventually become a strong and sturdy gale, that is, the gale develops from a small wind. Later, the metaphor indicates that the big influence and the big thoughts originated from the subtle and imperceptible places. Qingping is a type of plant: Lemna aequinoctialis 

sell face to* [买面子]---to obsequiously bequeath favors on behalf of another; to give face to somebody by doing favors on their behalf; to curry favor for a third party

 

Editor Thoughts:

Hi everyone~ It's been quite a while since I edited a chapter. 2 weeks or so? Just started a new job and work has been reallyyyyyy crazy T.T

As I was reading the chapter while editing it, I decided that I shall talk about water today! It's true when they said that water affects the taste of your tea/coffee when you make it you know. I like to make my own coffee from scratch and I've been hearing a lot on how using different kinds of water affects the taste (I normally use tap water though since its safe for us to drink from it and a bottle of mineral water can cost anything between 1-6 USD). Yup so this is the fun fact of the day and if you don't believe me, try it and leave a comment to tell us how it went!

As usual, if you liked the chapter, leave a like and comment! See you in the next chapter~ (hopefully next week, fingers crossed) 

Edited on 18 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

Edited on 2 Oct 21 (Limit)

 

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