Chapter 50

The Cangyu Sect of Kunlun is the oldest sect in the immortal cultivation world today. This sect originates from witchcraft, and legend has it that the predecessors of the sect were a group of ancestors who worshipped the Shen Nong Ding, and were the descendants of the celestial beings and mortals left on earth after the disruption of the heaven’s passage. Since ancient times, they have taken upon themselves to be the guardians of the Shen Nong Ding. They mainly practice magic, especially cold and ice magic, with the aid of weapons, elixirs, magical treasures, talismans and formations, so the Cangyu Sect has all kinds of weapons, and their practice is not limited to one type. Refining poisons, witchcraft spells and dual cultivation, apart from the fact that they don't blatantly seek to kill people for money, they do a lot of evil things.

Kunlun is located in the coldest part of Jiuzhou, and in the eyes of the people of the Central Plains, they were uncivilized barbarians. It was only after more sects gradually established in the immortal cultivation world, and became orthodox, that the Cangyu Sect began to interact with the Central Plains, absorbing Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, but remained generally closed. Later, when the Daming Zong clan unified Jiuzhou and ascended to the throne as emperor, the Cangyu Sect was unable to compete with the Zong clan and was forced to become a subordinate, before being formally incorporated into the current lineage of the immortal cultivation world.

The Central Plains sects did not like the Cangyu Sect at heart, thinking that they were crooked and evil, but they did not dare to offend them easily, both for fear of their strength and for the sake of Shen Nong Ding.

The so-called "Flying Plume Ambassadors" were the protectors of the Cangyu Sect's Sect Leader, usually the successor to the Sect Leader.

This year's Flying Plume Ambassador, Qi Meng Sheng, was not only the most gifted female cultivator, but also the best compared to men, and her beauty was very attractive. But rumor has it that she is vicious and merciless, called a demoness of the generation, and held the title of snake and scorpion beauty. Telling all cultivators under the sky to have a heart but no guts, and only dare to watch from afar.

At this moment, they saw a beautiful woman dressed in the grey clothes of a cultivator, with a few disciples stepping into the Taoist temple. Her costume was very different from that of the people from Central Plains, full of exotic charm. She was wearing a snow cloak of the same color, her figure was graceful and slender, with a broad forehead and fine eyebrows, and with the flesh of ice and bones of jade, like a tree full of silver branches on the frozen Kunlun Mountain, but still proud of the snow and facing the wind. Her grey is a clear, frozen ice spreading beneath a pale blue sky, cold and noble.

Zong Zi Heng used to think that Chu Ying Ruo was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but the one in front of him, the Flying Plume Ambassador, was also magnificent, but compared to Chu Ying Ruo, who was known as the world's most beautiful woman, they could only be described as a summer lotus and a winter plum, each with its own color and beauty.

The Chunyang disciples held their breath for a moment, and even Xu Zhi Nan, who was experienced and knowledgeable, was stunned.

People from the Cangyu Sect rarely visit the Central Plains, so Qi Meng Sheng’s beauty only existed in legends. Not many people have actually seen her, so it's no wonder the crowd was so shocked.

Qi Meng Sheng stood in front of him, with just the right amount of arrogance, and said, "Qi Meng Sheng of the Cangyu Clan, greets Your Highness, Ninth Highness and Xu Zhen Ren."

Xu Zhi Nan returned the greeting, "Greetings, Flying Plume Ambassador."

Zong Zi Heng nodded, "Flying Plume Ambassador is famous for her beauty. Looking at you today, I am truly amazed."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your compliments." Qi Meng Sheng said with neither haughty nor humble, "My traitor Chen Xing Yong of the Cangyu Sect has committed a heinous crime by brutalizing fellow cultivators, and has even put Your Highness and Ninth Highness in danger, I am truly ashamed."

Zong Zi Xiao snorted coldly, "You all used to hide and arrest him secretly for the sake of face. If he had been wanted in the immortal cultivation world earlier, he would have been caught long ago. Feeling ashamed towards us, then what about the cultivators who died in vain?"

Qi Meng Sheng said lightly, "Your Ninth Highness is right to reproach. Our sect has indeed been at fault. Our sect has been trying to get rid of this traitor. Thanks to the assistance of the two Highnesses and all fellow cultivators, he was finally caught."

"This time it should have been a joint effort to capture him, but we ended up nearly drowning alive, yet you guys didn't make any effort."

"Xiao Jiu." Zong Zi Heng scolded lightly and said, "Flying Plume Ambassador, right now there are more important matters than Chen Xing Yong."

"What is it?"

Xu Zhi Nan made the cause and effect clear in two sentences, "It is still impossible to guess the identity of that mysterious person. I have sent my disciples to look for my junior brother, but if my junior brother has really fallen into the hands of these miscreants ..."

"Don't worry, Xu Zhen Ren, my sect will do its best to save your junior brother." Qi Meng Sheng said, "Can I meet Chen Xing Yong first?"

Xu Zhi Nan was a little hesitant.

"I won't do anything to him until I save your junior brother." Qi Meng Sheng's gaze grew colder.

"Fine."

Qi Meng Sheng walked past the crowd and walked into the compartment where Chen Xing Yong was being held expressionlessly. Before closing the door, all they could hear was Chen Xing Yong's trembling cry of "Senior Sister".

Zong Zi Xiao turned his head to look at the closed door, lifted his foot and was about to go over.

Zong Zi Heng held his head down and dragged him back to his side, "Be obedient, don't run around."

"I want to go and have a look."

"Not good." Zong Zi Heng said to Xu Zhi Nan, "Brother Xu, if the other party has captured your junior brother, they will come to us of their own accord in order to save Chen Xing Yong. Right now, we can only wait."

Xu Zhi Nan sighed, "Chen Xing Yong is really cunning in various ways."

"But he was still caught by us. Evil cannot overcome good. Cheng Zhen Ren will definitely be safe ..."

A piteous scream suddenly came from inside the room.

Zong Zi Heng turned his head in surprise. Xu Zhi Nan frowned and took two steps back, then paused, thinking that with Qi Meng Sheng’s status, she will have a degree of seriousness.

A short while later, Qi Meng Sheng came out, "I wanted to ask about your junior brother's whereabouts, but it seems he won't talk easily."

"He relies on this to save his life, so naturally he won't open up." Xu Zhi Nan looked into the room, wanting to say something.

"I just broke his hamstring so that he couldn't escape."

Qi Ming Sheng's expression remained dull as she said this, causing everyone around to break into a cold sweat.

She added, "This is not a suitable place to stay for long. There is a Cangyu Sect property in a nearby town. Why don't we go and set up there?"

"That's good."

---

The group moved together.

When they arrived at the place, the Cangyu disciples who were stationed there presented a letter they had just received a while ago.

The letter read: South of the city outskirts, at Dayang Slope, between 1-3am. Bring Chen Xing Yong alone in exchange for your junior brother.

Xu Zhi Nan read it again in a whisper, as if chewing the words between his lips.

"Senior Brother, you absolutely cannot go alone."

"Yes Senior Brother, let's go together to save Senior Brother Cheng."

"It has been said above that I should take Chen Xing Yong alone." Xu Zhi Nan's sword brows knitted slightly, a layer of cold frost covering his handsome features, "I'll go and meet this mysterious man and see who he really is."

Zong Zi Heng said, "Brother Xu, I know you are worried about Cheng Zhen Ren's safety, but at times like this, the more calm you must be. You must leave yourself a good way out, both for Cheng Zhen Ren's sake and for the sake of Chunyang Sect."

Xu Zhi Nan was the next head of the Chunyang Sect, and it was no wonder that they were extra nervous.

"Don't worry, I won't act recklessly. Since I want to save my junior brother, I will also never hand Chen Xing Yong over."

"Does Zhen Ren have a plan?" Qi Meng Sheng asked.

Xu Zhi Nan nodded as he looked to his junior disciples, "Which one of you is a good practitioner of the Bone Shrinking Technique?"

The Chunyang Sect disciples immediately understood, "Senior Brother, me. Let me go."

"Bone shrinking technique?" Zong Zi Xiao said curiously, "Is it a technique that can change the skeletal structure and appearance? I have heard of it."

Xu Zhi Nan nodded, "The Yuanyang technique forges the physical body from head to toe, from the inside out, and changing the bones is a necessary cultivation."

"Are you guys thinking of ..."

---

The half-moon was high, and after the twilight had set in, the chill was biting, and at this time, ordinary people's homes were closed early. Dying to gather the warmth from the charcoal fire and keep it in the house forever.

But there was a knock on the door of Zong Zi Heng's room.

"Zi Heng, it's me."

Zong Zi Heng was meditating with his legs crossed. He opened his eyes, "Xiao Jiu, go and open the door."

Zong Zi Xiao went over and opened the door, and outside the door was none other than Xu Zhi Nan.

"Brother Xu, how are you guys getting ready?"

"All preparations have been done already, we'll leave in a few minutes."

"Do you need my help?"

"I do have a favor." Xu Zhi Nan looked at Zong Zi Xiao with a hesitant look.

Zong Zi Xiao immediately understood, and he said unhappily, "Do you have any sense of propriety? How dare you try to separate me talking to my big brother alone?"

"Xiao Jiu, don't be rude."

"He was the one who was rude in the first place."

"Ninth Highness is not to blame."

"Xiao Jiu, please step back for a moment."

"Big brother ..."

"Go on."

Zong Zi Xiao angrily walked away.

Xu Zhi Nan closed the door and said helplessly, "Zi Heng is as gentle as jade, but this Little Highness, however, who knows who he resembles."

Zong Zi Heng smiled, "He is still young, I will discipline him properly." He looked at Xu Zhi Nan, and was very curious in his heart as to what Xu Zhi Nan was looking for him for.

"Zi Heng, you should have heard of my origins."

Zong Zi Heng nodded.

"My father grew up aspiring to be from an immortal family, but unfortunately, his ancestors never produced anyone with immortal roots. Once I was born, there was a casual cultivator who came from nowhere and said that I had fantastic roots. My father was so happy that he rewarded him with a hundred taels of gold, and I don't know if he was there to scam money." Xu Zhi Nan smiled, "At that time, it was popular for wealthy families to send their sons to the Chunyang Sect, where they could get a strong body in exchange for a few years of training as a child. Chunyang Sect also didn’t care whether these children have immortal roots or not, and doesn’t even care whether they will continue to stay in Chunyang Sect after they’ve reached adulthood. Anyway, I've made a lot of money from this, so it's all good. So I went to the Chunyang Sect at the age of five, and just as the casual cultivator had said, I did have fantastic roots, and was even accepted by the master as an admission disciple."

Zong Zi Heng laughed, "Did your father regret it?"

"Yes, fortunately I am not the only son, so it is up to my brother to pass on the legacy. But my father was still unwilling, saying that if I want to cultivate immortality, he will support me. He even went to the Giant Spirit Villa to forge a good sword for me at a heavy price, hoping that I would cultivate another sect instead, but how could I let go of this cultivation, and how could I let down my master's utmost care and fostering? So this sword, in my hands, was wasted."

Zong Zi Heng had already realized what Xu Zhi Nan was going to say, and he was at a loss for words.

With a wave of Xu Zhi Nan's large hand, a precious sword in his Qiankun pouch appeared in his hand.

The scabbard was forged in white jade, engraved with inscriptions and relief carvings, but was not inlaid with any gold or silver jewelry, giving it a noble and elegant appearance. Xu Zhi Nan handed the sword in front of Zong Zi Heng: "Draw it out and take a look at it."

Zong Zi Heng's pupils were already dark and large, and now his eyes glowed, making him look even more radiant and handsome. A little blushing and a little exhilarated, he grasped the hilt of the sword with one hand and with a swish and a clear sound, the light of the silver blade stood out in the dim candlelight.

Zong Zi Heng carefully examined the sword and simply loved it: "A good sword, a really good sword!"

Xu Zhi Nan said, "This sword comes from the hand of Master Ran of the Giant Spirit Villa, a good sword matches a gentleman, Zi Heng, I will give it to you."

Zong Zi Heng's heart beat like a drum, he looked down at the sword and did not reply for a moment.

Xu Zhi Nan was careful and well-thought: "Zi Heng, this sword has become dusty with me. It is really a great grievance for it. If you let your imagination run wild, thinking that it is a loss of pride for you to receive it, and pretend to evade, that would be to belittle both you and me."

Zong Zi Heng lifted his head and looked at Xu Zhi Nan frankly: "Brother Xu, I will not think that way. I like this sword very much. It may be able to accompany me for the rest of my life. If I pretend to evade, I will lose my charm. Thank you, I will return the favor of this sword."

Xu Zhi Nan smiled, "Alright, it is considered that I've found a good home for it, and my father will be very happy when he finds out in heaven."

"Thank you, and thank your father too."

"Don't mention it again. Hey, give it a name."

Zong Zi Heng stroked the blade with infinite tenderness and his eyes were full of emotion, "I like orchids the most, so why not, let's call it 'Jun Lan*'."

"Gentleman* like an orchid. Good, a good name."

Zong Zi Heng looked at his Jun Lan. His heart was half joyful and half sad. He never thought that a person with no blood relations would give him such a good sword, while his real father had hidden countless treasures, but was stingy in giving him even little things.

"Zi Heng, the time has come, let's set off."

 

 ----

*Jun Lan [君兰]---Jun = gentleman (君子) and Lan = orchid (兰花)

---remember Junlan Sword that Lan Chui Han uses? (Chapter 22) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

Edited on 25 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

 

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