Regressed Master: Raising The Son Of Heaven Isn’t Easy (Xianxia/Progression)

[Overload69]

After exiting Tiger Peak, Wang Yang and Gu Yingyue walked towards the outer sect. They planned to meet Wu Kexin and then gather back at Plum Peak with Sun Lingling and Hua Mei for a simple feast.


"You've improved a lot from before, Junior Wang," Yingyue said. "You're slashing a breath faster, and you've started to develop a sense of range."


"It was beaten into me." Wang Yang flashed an awkward smile.


"Beaten into you?" Yingyue tilted her head.


"Yeah… literally." He scratched his head.


"You say the funniest things."


"Well, I didn't mean to." Wang Yang could only laugh, recalling the thunderous punches he received from Hua Mei.


Talking with Senior Gu calms me down. The awkwardness he expected while talking about his unusual training wasn't there. The company made the difference.


Even if the following topics seemed mundane, he had fun talking with Yingyue. The two continued onwards in that pleasant mood, impervious to the onlookers. Until a roadblock appeared.


"I hate to interrupt your little date. I really do." A woman with luscious, flowy hair spoke with an almost mocking smirk.


"Now, would you be so kind as to give me some of your time, little ones?" Gu Fe asked, her sharp eyes locking onto Wang Yang and Gu Yingyue. "I need some answers."


Before they could respond, the older, more charismatic woman had guided them to a gazebo in Chrysanthemum Peak. The nature at the peak stayed untamed. Vines draped over the roof and flower petals invaded the cushiony seats.


"You've been here twice in a month," Gu Fe looked at Yingyue, "yet you didn't come by to see your senior? Did I offend you, perhaps?"


"…Vice Peak Master Gu… It's nothing like that." Put on the spot, Yingyue stumbled.


Gu Fe was a direct descendant of the Purple Cloud Sect's Gu family, her elder, in fact.


"Don't worry, I understand your plight." Gu Fe smiled, gesturing at the seats with her eyes. "Don't mind me and make yourselves comfortable."


"There's tea too?" Wang Yang muttered, his eyes lingering on the ceremonious teapot. The rustic pot had fine, black calligraphy wrapping around it like a snake.


"It may not be a high-quality tea, but my skills won't let you down." Gu Fe poured the steaming tea into black teacups with trained precision; not one drop more in any of the three cups.


Unlike Yingyue's fidgeting hands, Wang Yang took a sip of the tea without a shred of worry. The rich, smooth liquid danced on his tongue with fervor. He recognized the tea leaves, a staple among the common people of the continent, Pu'er Tea.


The tea he remembered, brewed by the temple priests, had an average taste because of the average tea leaves. However, the tea in front of him was elevated many leagues above it. Given that the taste of the tea didn't fluctuate with the tea leaf quality, it all came down to the brewer's skills.


"I don't even need to ask if you like it or not. It's written on your face." Gu Fe took a seat opposite the two, her hands on the table between them. "I like people like that."


"O-Oh… Thanks?" Faced with the enigmatic smile of the woman, Wang Yang could only rub the back of his neck. He didn't dare look Gu Fe in the eye for more than a moment. Those almost darkened pupils made him shift in his chair.


Noticing that, Gu Yingyue broke the silence.


"…Vice Peak Master Gu. Is there something you want from me?"


"It's not so much as I want something from you. It's just that, there's this string of incidents that have troubled me recently…" Gu Fe leaned her chin on her hands and smiled, "…and I think you can give me an answer."


"…If it's something I can answer, I will," Yingyue said.


"How very prudent of you." Gu Fe smiled. "You see, I think the Purple Cloud Sect is about to launch a secret offensive on the demonic sects."


"Are they?" Yingyue asked, her hand clenching beneath the table.


"Their movements have been rather erratic since the attack on our sect's caravan." Gu Fe continued. "Even if they came out unscathed from the demonic sect's schemes, thanks to our lovely Peak Master Li, their flow of goods has shifted drastically."


"I do not know such matters," Yingyue stated.


"Well, since it is my job, I know a bit too much. Purple Cloud Sect's usual trades are for high-quality goods, items of opulence in food, and comfort to make up for their lack of crop farmers and artisans." Gu Fe, however, pressed on. "However, after three incidents in the past three months, their flow of cash has become more veiled. The usual channels are working normally, but the hidden ones have shown their proper colors."


"…What incidents?" Yingyue barely held herself together.


"Well, I am uncertain what caused the first incident; beyond that, the head of household affairs, Steward Han, died around that time." Gu Fe placed her teacup upside down on the marble table. "The second incident, attempted assassination on Gu Jun, general of the Gu family's army, followed shortly after."


How does she know that? Yingyue gulped. Her master had placed a gag order on these incidents, not to mention the use of secret routes for supplies.


How could Gu Fe, all the way here in Azure Sky Sect, figure this all out? Especially after how cautious the Gu family was with these incidents.


Noticing the hint of panic in Yingyue's eyes, Gu Fe's red lips tilted upwards in a menacing smirk.


"My oh my. You can't break down so easily, dear." Her long, red nails drumming against the white birch table. "I haven't even mentioned the attack on the Commanding Officer of Gu Family's assassins, Zhi Rou, your maternal aunt."


"H…How do you…?" Yingyue's eyes widened.


"Come on, darling, you are asking a magician to reveal their tricks." Gu Fe pushed the polished wooden chair with her heels and walked around the table. Her gaze was steady like a predator stalking her prey. "But I won't mind divulging, granted you do the same."


Yingyue wanted to move. But long, slender fingers snaked up her hands. A sweet, enticing scent wafted over her shoulder. Gu Fe stood behind her, her smile visible from the teacup in Yingyue's hand.


"The targets, the methods, and the executions. These incidents are something I wanted to get involved in because a certain individual left enough inciting clues for me." With each word, Gu Fe closed in on Yingyue. "But you see, each clue leads to a dead end, and this particular individual likes to play with my feelings. Though I don't hate it that much."


Gu Fe had poked around this chain of events from the attack on Azure Sky Sect's caravan. Li Muchen's sudden involvement piqued her interest, followed by Bian Que's unannounced visit. She planned to find more about the incident via Azure Sky Sect's entourage, en route to receive compensation from Purple Cloud Sect for their help in resolving the misunderstanding with Frozen Flower Holyland.


I am the prime pick for such events, but the Grand Elder chose someone as timid as Long Lingxin. Gu Fe knew only two people in the sect who could change Li Xianquan's decision. One of them wasn't around, and the other had just resurfaced in the sect.


After confirming the return of Zhi Rou and Gu Yingyue with Li Muchen, shortly followed by Qian Yun's presence, Gu Fe felt something big stirring beneath the surface. So, she dug deep and followed her instincts. However, she needed someone involved to get to the root of it all because of constant sabotage.


Gu Fe noticed the tremble in Yingyue's shoulder; the young woman looked at the boy that had come with her. His head lay flat against the table, with eyes wide and lifeless.


"He is just taking a nap to give us some privacy." Gu Fe said.


"Now, sweetie." She leaned in, whispered in Yingyue's right ear with her low, alluring voice similar to a mermaid that dragged sailors into the abyss. "Won't you tell your lovely senior the truth?"


Yingyue's eyes shut down. She found herself unable to move, speak, or even think. Like a python had wrapped around her body, choking the life out of her.


Ding~!


However, Gu Fe's token rang. A melodious note from the zither she had allocated to one special person. Her hands retreated from Yingyue's shoulders.


"It looks like the big man is ready to talk," Gu Fe smirked, reading the name of the person who sent her the message.


With the intimidating force gone, Yingyue gasped for air. Gu Fe's attention had shifted. Her heels clacked against the stone path, moving away from them. However, she stopped about twenty steps away.


"Sweetie, put the sword training on hold and refine your poker face." Gu Fe advised, her voice as gentle as a mother, like the pressure from before was an illusion. "The people out there aren't as kind as me; take it from an experienced senior."


With the gust of cold air, Gu Fe vanished like fresh snow on a sunny day. However, Yingyue couldn't move. Even after five minutes when Wang Yang stirred awake, she stayed rooted in the chair.


"What happened? Senior Gu?"


Wang Yang's concerned words didn't reach Yingyue. Cold sweat ran down her face and body, soaking her silk robes. Her eyes remained wide open, too terrified to even blink.


"S-She's…" However, her quivering lips could only form one sentence. "…She's just like h-him."


"What?"


Wang Yang had no way of knowing, and Yingyue was in no shape to explain.


The icy hands that touched her shoulders reminded her of the shadow, a shadow that has chased her since childhood. The shadow that killed her parents and wrapped his cold, unfeeling fingers around her neck that faithful night.


Unlike what she expected, that shadow still haunted her.


The shadow of Gu Changge still fed on her fear.


***


On the eastern veranda of Plum Peak, an area with a high diversity of spirit flowers and trees, Li Muchen arranged some tea and snacks on the small tea table. Butterflies danced with the steam of hot water, and birds chirped on the window to accompany the rare sunny day in the freezing winter.


He had finished brewing the five finest tea leaves he had, a special blend of tea for his guest. And right on cue, a knock came from the main entrance. The gates opened, registering the familiar qi. The heels clacked in the distance, approaching at a measured pace.


"Is that Dang Hao blend?" Gu Fe said, taking in the fragrance from the teapot as she arrived. She turned to Muchen and sported her usual smile. "You prepared my favorite tea, Peak Master Li. Aren't you a romantic?"


"I heard from the grapevine that you enjoyed it, so I tried," Li Muchen said, maintaining a smile of his own. "Don't be too harsh on me if it's not good."


"You already get full points for trying." Gu Fe chuckled, helping herself to a cup. "This is delightful." She chimed after a sip.


"You're too kind," Muchen said.


"And you aren't, Peak Master Li." She closed in on him. "You've left me hot and heavy for months. I almost did something terrible, you know?"


"It couldn't be helped." Li Muchen cleared his throat.


"Everyone has their secrets, I understand." Gu Fe nodded. Arms crossed below the ample bosom. "And, as the fish that was hooked first, I have nothing to complain about."


"So, am I finally allowed to know the big plan you've created with the Gu family and Bian Que?" she asked with upturned eyes.


"Looks like I won't have to explain a lot."


"Of course, I pay special attention to Peak Master Li's activities."


"That makes me somewhat worried." He said.


"Don't. It comes from a place of love and respect." Gu Fe winked before her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "So, who is your target?"


Gu Fe had gone over the targets in her head. To her, the Demonic Sect cultivators that have laid low for the years kicked up this incident. And these set of Demonic cultivators had an obsession with the Gu family, showing an increased aggression and deviousness in their methods.


So, it wasn't a wonder to her that the target required Li Muchen, Qian Yun, Bian Que, and the Gu family together to crush them. Her heart thumped in excitement, a sense of exhilaration she hadn't felt in a century.


Finally, Li Muchen parted his lips to give her the answer she so desperately sought.


"The target is your father, Gu Changge."
...
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[Overload69]

From her birth, Gu Fe had heard about how great her father was. A benevolent and kind man who helped those weaker than him and spent his days outside of the family's luxury estate to save the poor and unfortunate. She had heard it from the maids, butlers, elders, and most of all, from her mother.


However, when she first met him at four years of age, darkness was all she saw within him—an endless darkness suppressed behind a fake smile.


A darkness that swallowed her mother whole right in front of her.


By the time she had a grip on her life, Gu Changge was kneeling on the execution platform. Bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair, not an ounce of his former dignity and regalness. She remembered that bitter day vividly. Even more so because that man smiled, looking at her.


It wasn't the fake and pretentious smile he showed her before, but a smile of relief that he didn't have to hide his ugliness.


Gu Fe still remembered that smile whenever she had good days as a reminder, a reminder that her work wasn't done.


"You don't seem too shocked hearing he is alive," Muchen said and took a seat opposite the calm Gu Fe.


"I knew he was." Gu Fe admitted, the day of execution still replayed in her head. "I spent three decades to find that bastard's empty grave."


"You still want revenge on him?" Muchen leaned on the chair. "You already got him executed once."


"It was through the Family Matriarch." Gu Fe was the one who alerted the family about Gu Changge's plan to devour Gu Yingyue, for her talents, and had him caught in the act. However, she didn't feel satisfied, not in the least.


"I want to twist his neck with my own hands." Gu Fe had made that her life's purpose.


The immense hatred she has for her father hasn't changed. Muchen sighed. Everything about Gu Fe had changed because of what her father did.


She left the Gu Family on bad terms, joined the Azure Sky Sect and climbed the ranks, established her network across the continent, and gathered immense funds and resources to realize her plans. She did all that in the past fifty years with the aim of revenge.


Muchen learned a lot about Gu Fe's life when he had a drink with her before regression. At that time, he didn't know that she was about to execute her plans against Gu Changge the next day.


Even if she died, she paralyzed Gu Changge from the waist down and wiped out three Demonic Sects under his control. Muchen thought of the smile Gu Fe had when he last saw her. A peaceful smile, unlike the calculating one she had now. Like she already knew her ending.


"So, my dearest Peak Master Li, do you really want to target him?" Gu Fe moved next to Muchen. "If you are doing it to woo me, there is no need."


"Partially." Muchen had gotten used to her half-serious, half-flirtatious comments in his last run.


"My oh my, I am certainly flattered." Gu Fe leaned into her chair. "But I am afraid I can't share this, even if it's you."


"It won't be easy to do this alone," Muchen said. "He'll only grow stronger with the demonic technique he has."


"I know. My only option is to kill him quickly. He is slippery like an eel after all. But that is my problem to deal with." Gu Fe placed her teacup on the table and stood up.


Gu Fe had stopped expecting help from others for a long time now. From the time her mother died, she had done everything in her power to alert the Gu Family, but no one believed her. The elders, even the patriarch, her grandfather, wouldn't take her seriously because Gu Changge's image had become that perfect.


Which family would try to go against one of their patriarch candidates with little to no evidence?


But even after she had them catch him in the act, it was too late. She knew the Gu Family would only become a burden, so she left and found a new place.


The family declared me a traitor when I tried to tell them he might be alive still. They couldn't even bear to look at me, the spawn of their greatest shame. Now that the blade has reached their neck, they react. Gu Fe looked at Muchen.


The swiftness and completeness of the plan laid out had to be his handiwork, and he was only stringing along the Gu Family for his purpose. Even if she knew that working with him would boost the chances of her success, Gu Fe couldn't agree. Not at this moment, at least.


But there is a way to make her agree. Muchen stood up.


Gu Fe was a merchant by trade and nature. She has had an interest in business since young, and a keen eye that could find profit even in the darkest annals. So, all Muchen had to do was to pitch an offer she couldn't refuse.


She was about to leave when Muchen grabbed her hand. He only had one chance, so he wanted to make it worthwhile. Because if she didn't see the potential in his plan, she wouldn't even bother coming over to talk.


"My My, Peak Master Li, you have been getting a bit too forward these days. Can't say I dislike it." Gu Fe could break free of his grasp, but she walked closer to him. Close enough for their nose to touch.


He would usually step back. However, Muchen remained unaffected by her tricks.


"Will killing him be enough?" He asked. "Will it rid you of all the years of hatred built inside you?"


Muchen already knew the answer, and he knew that Gu Fe knew too, but he had to ask. He had to bring this to her attention. Killing Gu Changge wouldn't resolve anything for Gu Fe. She hated him to the point of making his death her life's purpose, but achieving that goal with a sacrifice wouldn't amount to anything. It would only incur a loss.


Even if she kills him and lives, she would only feel empty. Muchen had been through this himself.


He had killed Gu Changge with his hands, choked the life out of him, but it didn't satisfy him. Emptiness and regret filled that burning rage in his heart. All he felt was sorrow for the lives lost. Gu Changge's death changed nothing about those who died at his hands.


At the end, regrets and long-term injuries were all he had.


That's why simple revenge won't work for someone like Gu Fe. Someone who had a greater emphasis on profit and loss.


He looked into her eyes and gauged the hidden anger behind those silent, gem-like eyes. The viciousness dripped nonstop from the moment he asked the question. So, all he had to do was verbalize the feelings she had suppressed to kill Gu Changge.


"Don't you want to crush his pride? Strip him of his dignity and show him that no matter what he does, even after using Demonic cultivation technique to boost his power and talent, that he is nothing more than a sniveling, worthless piece of shit?" He asked.


Her pupils dilated a millimeter, but went back to the usual calm. However, she noticed Muchen's sharp gaze had captured that momentary slip.


"Well…" Gu Fe sighed before laughing. "I thought I was the only one keeping a close eye on people."


"One doesn't have to keep a close eye on people for obvious things," Muchen said, sure of his observations. "Simple revenge won't satisfy you. Not after dedicating your whole life to it. You need something more, you deserve more."


He regretted not asking her more the day they shared a drink. Muchen had his hands full because Wang Yang had caused an incident on Dragon Isles and went missing with the Pheonix Saintess. But if he had only asked one question that day, maybe things could've ended differently for Gu Fe. Maybe she would've lived longer and had a fulfilling life.


It was the regret he had after killing Gu Changge.


Now, he had the chance to do that.


"You don't have to worry about Gu Changge slipping away this time." He faced her shrewd gaze and spoke with conviction. "I'll make it worthwhile."


He's been different since the caravan attack. A bit more direct… A bit more aggressive… However, this side of him is even more intriguing… She looked at Muchen, her eyes flashed for another moment, scanning his entire body.


Instead of his beautiful, picturesque face, she saw a white blank in the shape of his face. Even after a few breaths, it didn't change, it remained as calm as a lake. That was her sign.


"Gu Fe…" Muchen's hand still clutched her soft, slender wrist. "…give me this one chance."


"If you ask like that… I have no choice but to agree." Gu Fe looked at him with upturned eyes.


"What are you…" Before Muchen could finish, he heard porcelain plates clatter behind him.


He picked up the two female disciples, Ming Chyou and Hao Chang, from the Peach Peak a bit too late. All his attention was on convincing Gu Fe when the two entered the residence. He remembered Huang Bai speaking of sending a few dishes for the feast.


"W…We apologize, Peak Master Li, Vice Peak Master Gu…" Chiyou bowed repeatedly.


She wanted to pull back the wild Hao Chang, who entered without knocking, and somehow ended up overhearing a secret conversation.


"Oh my god…" Hao Chang covered her mouth, uninterested in the rules and plates she had broken. Her doe-like eyes shone at the gossip, "Peak Master Li confessed, didn't he?" she whispered.


Muchen's lips pressed into a hard line. His eyes turned to the culprit of the matter, Gu Fe. No matter how focused he was on her, he would know if a cultivator came this close to him in his residence, unless someone messed with his senses.


People will suspect things if we meet often for no reason. She winked at him with an impish smile.


We could've thought of a better reason, at least. Muchen answered telepathically.


You just set up the perfect mood for it with your intense gaze and words. Your title of Lady Killer isn't unwarranted. Gu Fe giggled.


Muchen didn't know if he should feel relieved that she had agreed, or dismayed that she had tricked him so soon after the alliance.


"Let us talk more over dinner." Gu Fe, however, flew away like a butterfly. Full of splendor and beauty.


"They are about to have dinner later… hey, isn't that just in that novel?!" Hao Change muttered, too invested in the apparent love story painted before her eyes.


"Shut up, Chang." Chyou wanted to disintegrate out of shame and envy.


This is going to be annoying to deal with. Muchen noticed the shining eyes of the sect's famous gossiper, Hao Chang, and sighed.


However, the annoyance was dwarfed in front of the benefits. Now that Gu Fe had agreed to join in, he had a critical card in his hand to deal with Gu Changge. Even this misunderstanding that Gu Fe had created would indirectly help him secure the second card he needed.


Muchen helped Hao Chang and Ming Chyou clean up the mess, sending them away without a word. Now that he had most of his cards on the table, it was time to make his second contact with Gu Changge.


He sat down on his bed, his eyes locked on the red dot floating over a map. Fu Yuzhe had just arrived at Gu Changge's new hideout.


Time to reel the fishes in.
...
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[Overload69]

Fu Yuzhe hadn't returned to the Azure Sky Sect since Muchen caught him. The young man had to roam around to different cities, going coast to coast, to gather information and give out commissions to clans and sects proficient in information gathering on the man's behalf.


Li Muchen didn't want to bring him back because Zhao Jun would make a move if he did. After the last incident, the haughty man had his eyes on Fu Yuzhe and would stop at nothing to get information out of him if he appeared in the sect. Even if away on his personal matters, the Sky's Sword's influence in the sect wasn't anything to scoff at.


That's why Muchen had him out of the sect, away from the eyes of spies from the demonic sects and Zhao Jun's loyalists.


Currently, the young man treaded through a shallow undergrowth, minding rocky pitfalls disguised by coarse sand and the year's first snow. Snow was all that covered the lands of Jinxiu plains for the past millennia. This land once used to be green with grass and meadows, millions of humans and animals traveled from all over the continent to enjoy the lively trade cities that dotted this vast piece of land.


However, not a single strand of life grew here after the Major Sects leveled the place. In a great battle, the thousands of cultivators eradicated the cesspool of demonic cults that grew like moss beneath the city. The rivers of blood and mountains of flesh cursed the land itself. Making it impossible for it to bear even an iota of life.


Gu Changge had summoned Fu Yuzhe here because he repurposed a secret base in the ruins of Corpse King's Manor. Yuzhe traveled a vast distance to the north in the arid land, entering a forest of rocky, eroded pillars that seemed to reach the clouds. The musty, pungent smell had him cover his nose as the eerie silence gave him the chills. All of their previous encounters happened in Fu Yuzhe's house, where he held his younger sister hostage.


However, the hideout had changed along with the abrupt summons. The suddenness of the situation left Yuzhe's teeth clattering.


He didn't notice it, did he? Did another one of his spies find something out? I-Is my sister safe? Yuzhe's fear grew with each step, sending chills much more intense than the waist-high snow through his bones.


After he passed a thousand pillars and walked over a frozen black stream, Yuzhe found the enormous iron double door hidden away in a mountain cleft.


Unlike the usual goons, he met eyes with the two fierce men covered in fur and leather, their entire bodies wrapped in green bandages. Their gray, foggy pupils stood out in the black sclera, the only visible part of the creatures. The shaggy hair and beard smelled every bit as rotten as he imagined.


A man on the right, one with maggots crawling in his sparse hair, handed Yuzhe a black blindfold, and the woman on the left closed the cold shackles on his arms.


A pungent scent rooted in the piece of cloth assaulted his nose, but he held on and wrapped it around his eyes. Although dirty and smelly, the cloth was an artifact that blocked his spiritual sense.


Yuzhe was as helpless as a normal human with a blindfold. He had his strength, but steel chains locked his qi; he had no way to defend himself. He flinched at the slimy, cold flesh grabbing his hand. Yanked forward, he heard the iron door creak open, wailing like ghosts.


Snow vanished as he treaded on an uneven floor, a warmth soaking into his body from the silk shoes. The hand in front pulled him, no matter if he stumbled over the holes and bumps along the way, almost taking him around in circles for a good hour before they stopped in a certain cavern.


Stench of rot subsided as his guide left him and walked away, pushing him through an open door. Yuzhe stumbled a little but found his footing on the smooth flooring, wiping his forearm off the sticky liquid, unsure if he could take off the blindfold or not. Just then, a hand snaked around his shoulder.


It was the touch of the man he hated.


"Long time no see, Brother Fu…" Gu Changge chimed, but his enthusiasm soon died down. "Ugh, have you been too busy to wash?"


He looked Yuzhe up and down. No matter how unwell he seemed, his black clothes seemed of fine silk, and his hair was orderly with a wooden essence. However, the rotten stench persisted with a mix of floral perfume.


"It is from the jiangshi who guided me," Yuzhe said, going over the script he got before coming here and the information he pieced together so far.


"How perceptive of you, Brother Fu." Gu Changge forgot about the smell and circled Yuzhe. He worked together with his associate demonic cultivators and bought corpse soldiers for himself. He had kept human contact to zero ever since moving to this base, unless the person was of great importance to his plan.


A fast heartbeat, sweat trickling down his forehead, clenched fists, and a shaky voice. He could feel the fear radiating off Fu Yuzhe. It pleased him very much.


"So, do you have what I asked for?" Changge asked, taking a seat in that empty but cold cavern.


"Yes, we know who will lead the disciples from each major sect for the Eastern Martial Meet, aside from Frozen Flower Holyland." Yuzhe conjured a scroll from his storage ring and handed it over. Muchen had given him answers to questions Gu Changge would likely ask in advance.


How Muchen predicted this? He didn't know.


However, his primary job was something else. It was to lead the conversation in a certain direction.


"Those bitches always like to be mysterious." Changge clicked his tongue. He never had pleasant memories of the people from Frozen Flower Holyland.


His eyes slid over the names, some he scoffed at, while at others he smiled.


The scroll had the names of the elders who would lead teams from their respective sects for the Eastern Martial Meet and their cultivation levels. The information belonged to the Azure Sky Sect's information vault, so it had credibility, along with the information Changge gathered from his network.


"The person with the highest cultivation is in the middle of the Golden Core Realm. Haha, this bunch of trash." Gu Changge couldn't contain his laughter. The righteous sects had shown such an enormous gap because of their complacency. However, one name caught his attention in the nameless rabble.


"Li Muchen? He is attending?" His brow furrowed a bit as he tried to recall the information he had on him. He had heard of the name once or twice during his time in the orthodox faction. More than that, he was a top priority target given to him.


The man had a unique reputation because of a few feats he pulled off in his younger days, but overall, he was only below average. The only noteworthy thing he could remember about Muchen was his travels across the continents for sword training before he became the first Peak Master of Azure Sky Sect, the third highest seat of authority in Azure Sky Sect after the Sect Leader and Grand Elder.


Gu Changge never put the man in his eyes because of his mediocre talents. The guy was a well-known recluse who rarely saw the limelight. But this news was good for him; the tortoise was finally leaving his shell.


"He is the ugly duckling of Azure Sky Sect's upper echelon…" Gu Changge flipped through the information with a cocksure smirk. "I heard he only got the Peak Master position because his Master insisted? I bet most of the sect hate his guts."


Why wouldn't they? Anyone would get pissed if someone weaker than them jumped ranks based on connections alone. The cultivation society was one where the bigger fist ruled. In such a world, Muchen had no hands. He was stuck in the third realm of Gold Core even after 250 years. If it wasn't for his status, he wouldn't even be a mid-level elder in the Major Sects, let alone a Peak Master.


Gu Changge knew how famous each disciple of Sky Mending Saint was, each more talented than the last, aside from Li Muchen, of course. With overwhelming talent came confidence, and with that, friction between talented people to see who would stand at the peak.


Li Muchen, even if the first disciple, wouldn't exert much of a presence in front of his talented juniors. Since he got an easy road to a position of power, the others were bound to hate it.


"Everyone in the sect respects him from what I have seen." However, Yuzhe gave the opposite answer. Starting the script handed to him.


"They do?" Gu Changge's smirk dropped.


"Aside from a minority of elders, everyone from the Peak Masters to the servants who sweep the roads holds him in high regard. Everyone from the Major Sects knows it." Yuzhe said, unsure of what the purpose of this was, but he dared not deviate.


"Wait… you are telling me those aren't just fake rumors the sect spread to sugarcoat suppressing Li Muchen into seclusion?" Changge tossed the scroll; his eyes narrowed.


"They are real. The Peak Masters hold him in high respect and even ask his advice, especially the Grand Elder, who Peak Master Li raised as his little brother." The more he spoke, the more confused Yuzhe became.


Why was Li Muchen giving this information away? Even if people knew that Li Muchen and Li Xianquan were like brothers despite no blood ties, the former even giving his surname to the latter, what was the point of painting this picture in front of his enemy?


However, Yuzhe couldn't notice the red in Gu Changge's eyes. Each line of how many respected the man was sent blades right through him.


"Ridiculous…" Changge muttered, massaging his temple. "How can a pathetic little bastard like that be…"


No one knew this yet, but there were people Gu Changge hated more than those who outclassed him in cultivation talent.


People who had lesser talents than him, but did better than him. Those were the people he couldn't stand the most.


Li Muchen was the prime example of that. He had bottom-of-the-barrel cultivation talent for the Major Sects. However, he received the position of Peak Master, equivalent to a major family patriarch in the Purple Cloud Sect, with everyone's respect and acknowledgement in the truest sense. Muchen knew the notions Gu Changge had of him, so he used that against him.


What Changge ignored was that Li Muchen was the first disciple of the Sky Mending Saint and Azure Sky Sect. Seventy percent of current elders in the sect started as disciples and learned under him. He was also present or had a hand in the recruitment of the other thirty percent.


If the current disciples, elders, and Peak Masters were the building blocks of Azure Sky Sect, then Li Muchen was the foundation of the sect alongside the Sky Mending Saint. That's how big his presence was, but the man had kept himself hidden because of it.


But Li Muchen knew Gu Changge more than Gu Changge knew himself. It was thanks to mind games and plots that the two had designed to rope the other party in. A deadly game the two shared over a century.


"A fucking lucky bastard…" Gu Changge's eyes turned red, his aura flaring. He abhorred such an existence the most. "His disciples are also joining the Martial Meet, right?"


"They are. They won first and second place in the new disciple trials." Yuzhe added.


"First and second place, huh? Seems like they have a bright future." Gu Changge chuckled, twirling his dark crimson token in his hand. "It'd be a pity if something happened to them, wouldn't it?"


"…" Yuzhe's lips pressed into a hard line. Sweat trickled down his forehead as footsteps neared.


"This is usual business, Brother Fu. If something happens to the kids. They have their incompetent master to blame." Changge said.


"…Indeed." A knot formed in Yuzhe's stomach. He couldn't understand anything. Why would Li Muchen do this?


But he didn't have to wait long to get the answer.


"Brother Fu, I can rely on you, right?" Gu Changge asked. The weight of the aura alone was crushing the young boy.


"I'll try to fulfill any orders," Yuzhe answered, fighting back his turning stomach.


"I knew you'd always be on my side," Changge smirked. "The task isn't too hard, so it won't put you in any real danger."


The other spies in Azure Sky Sect have either stopped responding or been silenced. He is the only one who is doing his tasks right now. Although Gu Changge had his reservations, he couldn't afford to be picky in the current situation.


He had something to prove. Above all, he had to make up for the losses. And he could never see someone like Fu Yuzhe defy him.


I have his lifeline in my hands. Fu Yuzhe was his only choice till he found more useful pawns. So, he planned to squeeze every ounce of use from him.


"Get me in contact with someone in Azure Sky Sect who hates Li Muchen to the core. Their rank doesn't matter." Gu Changge said.


"I think…… I might know someone who fits the bill." Yuzhe swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke the lines given to him. "Elder Ling of Sky Peak. They recently had a dispute because of Peak Master Li's second disciple."


"Aren't you a well-prepared guy, Brother Fu? I'll keep your hard work in mind." Changge said, guiding Yuzhe to the cavern entrance. "I hope you continue to show the same enthusiasm at the next task."


After Fu Yuzhe left with the corpse, Gu Changge slouched in his chair, drinking wine from a porcelain cup. He looked at the jagged roof of the cavern without murals in disdain; however, his lips curved up in a smile. This sudden meeting netted him a lot of information he didn't expect.


The Elder Ling Yuzhe mentioned knew Gu Changge as well as he knew him. The cunning old fox had quite a few deals with him over the years, but he never gave away his hidden ambition. Thanks to Yuzhe, it all unraveled like a roll of silk.


Li Muchen was a priority target he planned to take down after the Eastern Martial Meet; now he sat at the top of the list. His death would not only shake Azure Sky Sect's Foundation but also help Gu Changge set up a pawn in the sect's upper echelon. All this while clearing the important task given to him by the leaders of the Demonic Cultivators. It all fell right into his lap.


It's nothing personal, but at this Eastern Martial Meet, I am going to tear you and your disciples apart, Li Muchen. A grimy smirk splayed his face as thousands of cloudy red eyes dotted the darkness behind his chair.


Everything was in place for him. All he needed to do was wait for the perfect time to pounce.
...
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[Overload69]

When the blindfold unfurled, Yuzhe found himself at the cleft. The enormous iron door that he had entered before vanished along with the guards. Even if he tapped at the eroded rock face or used spiritual sight, all attested it to be a normal cleft.


However, not even 200 steps from the cleft, a series of words formed before him using his qi.


Cavern number 367.


"Son of a…" Yuzhe ate his words and traveled back to Azure Sky Sect, fearing that the man would hear him.


Even with an extensive map, it took him a day to navigate the complex set of tunnels running beneath the sect. He could only curse in his mind and walk through this ant-hive-like structure until he reached his destination.


This cavern differed from the past ones. It had a small house and a stream of clear water. There wasn't an earthy, moldy smell wafting around here. Muchen, standing by the stream, didn't turn to him and started his usual questions.


Yuzhe had met Changge a lot more than he would've liked in the past month under the guise of direct reports, as instructed and predicted by Muchen. His controller deemed it important as he marked the alternative meeting place in his notebook with intense focus.


He hasn't gone back to Rat's Nest yet. Do I need to put more pressure on him? No, that could be counterproductive. He will go there on his own. I'll have him walk into that place on his own feet so he doesn't get alarmed. Muchen finished noting down the new information and cross-referenced it with the data he had. Things moved down the determined paths thanks to machinations.


"Will it be okay?" Yuzhe, fidgeting until now, asked. "Me monitoring Wu Kexin?"


"What is the problem with it? I've talked with her and her Master. She won't make it hard for the little spies around the place, so you can all match your stories. It'll solidify your position in Gu Changge's camp." Muchen looked up from the book in his hand and met the confused eyes of the youth.


"He is about to contact Elder Ling…" Yuzhe clenched his fist. A wave of unpleasant memories passed by, making him swallow the words.


"What of it?" Muchen, however, stayed unfazed.


"Don't you know what that'll do? Elder Ling is corrupt. If you let this happen, th-"


"Then what?" Muchen cut his words short. "They will scheme against the sect? What do you think they were doing this entire time you fed them information? Do you have any idea how much blood is on your hands?"


"It was for m-"


"Yes, you did it for your sister." Muchen cut him off once again. "So, don't think, just do what you are told." He turned around, facing the stream. "You should be used to it by now."


Yuzhe opened his mouth, but no words came out. He felt winded, even more so, angrier. He walked away with a bitter taste in his mouth, remembering each of the tasks he had done for Gu Changge and what came of it.


After he vanished into the dark tunnel, Muchen stored his notebook and turned to his right.


"What do you think?" He asked to the gray boulder beside him.


"Of your wonderful performance? I have nothing but praise. I would've believed your anger was real if not for my eyes." Gu Fe's words echoed as the veil of mist lifted to reveal her.


"The boy's mental state. How was it?" He moved the topic along.


Muchen had asked her to observe this exchange with Fu Yuzhe as they had reached a critical point in their plans, and he didn't want any unexpected variables. Thanks to her special eyes, Gu Fe excelled in reading people's mental states. A bloodline talent she inherited from her mother.


"He fears you greatly, but also hates you." Gu Fe said.


"That'll do for now." Muchen nodded. "However, there should be more."


"Guilt… a lot of it is bogging the boy down. But that's not what you are looking for, right?" Gu Fe asked, taking a seat on the rock without a care for her royal purple robes.


"Guilt is useless if it doesn't stop you from making the same mistakes," Muchen said.


Gu Fe found herself intrigued as the plot woven by Muchen came together, one string at a time.


He put it all on the line—his disciples, his sect, his connections, his reputation, and even himself—for the sake of completing a plan. Such dedication to the task showcased his willingness to go beyond what normal people would for his goal. A trait Gu Fe liked more than anything.


"So, what's the next move?" She asked, a delightful smile on her lips.


Muchen mirrored that smile. "In the meantime, I need you to pick off the Demonic sect's spies from Purple Cloud Sect and put more pressure on the ones in our sect, kill them a week before Eastern Martial Meet by picking one off at a time to make it natural."


"If we do that, Xiao Fu will be the only one who can provide Gu Changge with information." Gu Fe mulled over it. "That's a risky move."


"It would've been, but Gu Changge is desperate for results. You've seen how much of a pushover Fu Yuzhe is. He is the perfect prey for people like Gu Changge," Muchen explained. "He already has Yuzhe's weakness in his hands. So, he'll have to rely on the fear he has built in the boy's psyche to control him."


"Like you want to?"


"No. I do not have enough time to build fear in him." Muchen crossed his arms. "But I plan on using something much worse."


"What is that?" Gu Fe leaned in, eyes gleaming at the hidden side of Azure Sky Sect's beloved Peak Master Li.


"Guilt, of course," Muchen answered.


"As expected of you." Gu Fe almost broke into laughter.


"How do you plan on keeping the disciples safe?" She had learned the full plan to help with setting things up.


Although she found the idea practical, it had its risks.


"I'll have to call in a few favors. So, I plan to wipe the slate clean." Muchen said. He knew the risks; that's why he prepared for them.


"Why are you targeting my father?" Gu Fe wanted to understand what misgivings Muchen had about Gu Changge.


It couldn't be over something as simple as the Caravan attack. That was but an excuse. Nothing else popped into her mind that could put the two at odds. So what was it? That question has dominated her thoughts since she found out about his involvement.


She stood up from the rock, swiping the dust off her buttocks. "Is it out of hate? Revenge?" Gu Fe sauntered over. "A burning sense of justice, perhaps?"


Muchen smiled. Hate? Of course, he hated Gu Changge. The word hate wasn't enough to do it justice. However, he had gotten his revenge for what that guy did. Inadequate as it may have been, he had closed that chapter. And the last thing he could harbor in this world was a sense of justice. He had only one reason to target Gu Changge this time.


"Miss Gu, what is the quickest way to silence a rebellious group?" He asked.


"The quickest way would be to make an example out of their ray of hop… I see." A grin formed on Gu Fe's red lips.


Each eye of hers reflected a different side: white/good for the right and black/evil for the left. Most people had one inherent side that was the underlying reason for their lifelong choices. Gu Fe could peer into this hidden side of people. A side they didn't know about themselves until they hit rock bottom.


Most people, and cultivators at large, had a clear side. Either white or black. Momentary decisions could change the disposition based on the situation, but they had one side at rest. However, Muchen was different.


Even at rest, he lived on the border between good and evil. A being that could tread both paths at the same time without crossing the line. Gu Fe found charming since their first meeting.


If he makes an example out of Gu Changge, the demonic sects that are trying to rise behind him would go back to silence. Even if they try to wrestle for control later, the Sect Alliance will force them to an end. And he plans to eradicate the demonic sects of the continent like that. Sky Mending Saint had pushed the demonic sects into hiding. Now, the disciple wanted to put an end to it.


She chuckled at the realization that it wasn't a simple act of revenge or disdain. He wanted to crush the bugs that were trying to crawl out of the ground.


Muchen had meticulously planned Gu Changge's downfall to send a message to his backers. Even she was a piece on the board he had prepared. However, it didn't bother her. He gave her a front-row seat for the demise of the person she hated most.


Unlike her five-decade-long preparation, Muchen had connections and experience spanning over two and a half centuries.


"Very well, I shall wait for that moment dearly." Gu Fe smiled, her eyes focused on the letter Muchen wanted her to send to the Southern Continent.


***


After the incident on Chrysanthemum Peak with Gu Fe, Li Muchen's disciples had to cut the celebratory feast short because of Yingyue's condition.


Sun Lingling didn't mind if the feast happened or not. She went back to training. Wang Yang and Wu Kexin were more focused on tending to Yingyue until Qian Yun arrived and took her away.


In the end, only Hua Mei enjoyed the dishes, walking away with a hymn of satisfaction.


"And, to pay for that meal, I am here to give you two extra training till the departure day for E.M.M." Hua Mei came blasting at sunrise.


"I don't think we need the help!" Wang Yang had to face the punches before he could wash his face. The only thing that shook off his drowsiness was cold, hard strikes to his organs.


"I am in your care again, Senior Hua." Sun Lingling had cultivated through the night again and stayed out of the little demon's range, ready for another practice session.


"You are getting used to this speed," Hua Mei smiled, the back of her fist connecting with Wang Yang's forearm.


She used the physical abilities of a cultivator in the 2nd stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. Because of the extra power she had from her strong base level, this level should overwhelm Sun Lingling and Wang Yang.


However, Sun Lingling had learned her lesson about attack range. She had become adept at keeping her distance through trial and error. Wang Yang, too, could block her attack or dodge them sometimes; he acted as the shield for his senior, who did the attacks. But his success rate was 10%. Much higher than Hua Mei liked.


"Let us kick it up a notch." She grinned, ignoring the cold sweat on Wang Yang, who had to take the full brunt of it all.


"Why do you target my face this much?!" Wang Yang shed tears at the dinner table. Only the hot noodles could numb the pain he went through.


"Because you are lacking." Hua Mei did like picking on him, but Wang Yang indeed lacked combat experience compared to Sun Lingling.


While Wang Yang had black eyes like a panda and a busted lip, Sun Lingling only had small, purple bruises on her right hand and left leg. Hua Mei didn't target him alone; he couldn't adjust to the new speed in time like his senior sister and ended up with more hits.


Before, he would've ended up with a few broken bones, but he only got surface-level injuries today. Maybe I can increase the intensity a bit more. Hua Mei found the situation intriguing, and as a first-time teacher, she didn't know restrain.


"What happened, Junior Wang?" Sun Lingling asked the shivering Wang Yang; he had stopped in his tracks while pouring tea.


"I don't have a good feeling." He glanced at the grinning Hua Mei from the kitchen.


However, the previously laughing kid now broke out in cold sweats, giving him a scare. She jumped from her stool, sending it flying like the jade bowl she ate from. Her eyes filled with unbridled panic, which they had never seen before.


"Run, you two!" she shouted, leaping towards the window like a cat.


Before they could react or assess the situation, the air in the room came to a halt. The tumbling chair, rolling bowl, spilled red broth, flapping curtains, and the three humans all froze in their tracks.


What is this? Sun Lingling felt the wind squeezed out of her lungs.


Incredible pressure crushed them, like a mountain. She moved her eyes and noticed the woman standing in front of Hua Mei.


A crimson qipao hugged her body, a dragon embroidered with golden thread wrapped around the woman's figure; a jade hairpin held her long, white hair together in a bun. In that stopped world, she alone moved, her heels clacking on the wooden floor.


Her eyes, greener than the purest of jade, locked onto Hua Mei in a menacing glare.


"So, this is where you were, you little rascal." She said, folding the red fan emblazoned with a fierce tiger.


Who is she? Sun Lingling hadn't seen this woman before, but she reached for Hua Mei like second nature, linked with the gaudy way of restraining them, and covert movements.


An assassin! I have to contact Master.


Sun Lingling tried to move, but even her breath had stopped at that moment. Movement was out of the question. Meanwhile, the woman in red grabbed Hua Mei by the ear, leaving the kid helpless.


"W-Wait! S-Stop Mom, owwww!" Hua Mei's helpless cries bounced off the silent walls.


Sun Lingling and Wang Yang looked at each other, one more confused than the other.


M…Mom?


Neither of them expected the lady of Tiger Peak, Hua Mingzhu, would burst in like this.
...
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[Overload69]

An awkward hour had passed since Hua Mingzhu entered the main estate of Plum Peak. She sat in a chair at the dining table, the red-eared Hua Mei beside her, with eyes darting all over like a mouse confronting a cat.

Sun Lingling and Wang Yang sat across the table and watched the little demon get her punishment in ear pulls and light smacks on the shoulder.

"I apologize for my rough methods." Her crystal-clear voice broke the silence; her voice sounded plain yet pleasant to the ear. "I have to be hard-handed because of this slippery rascal here." She pinched Hua Mei's cheek.

"Mom, please, you are embarrassing me…" Hua Mei's protests quieted down after a not-so-subtle glare from her mother.

"What choice do I have when I find that you've been skipping your lectures and training for the past month? Why don't you tell me what I ought to do with you, hmm?" When Mingzhu entered closed-door cultivation, Hua Mei got a free pass to do whatever. The little girl learned how to run away from the woman best known in the art of escape, her mother. So, Mingzhu's methods had to be overbearing to catch her.

Receiving no answer from her defiant daughter, she continued. "It's good that you aren't causing too much trouble and just playing over at your uncle's place. But you ought to attend your training and have meals prepared at the estate. They are important for your growth." Her eyes narrowed when she noticed Hua Mei glaring at Wang Yang.

"Am I making myself clear, Mei Mei?" Her voice dropped to a threateningly low tone.

"Y-Yes, Mom." Hua Mei sat up straight like a soldier at attention. Even her father feared that commanding tone, let alone her.

I have never seen her like this. Wang Yang saw firsthand how scared Hua Mei could be of someone. A complete 180 from her usual brazenness.

The little demon he feared had turned into a quivering mouse in front of her mother. Of course, she warned him not to laugh, gesturing that she would slice his neck if he even dared to joke about it. But Wang Yang wasn't that dumb. He planned to laugh at her in secret whenever she gave him a hard time to ease the pain of her punches.

"With that dealt with… You two are the disciples Li Muchen chose himself?" Mingzhu's eyes swept over Wang Yang and Sun Lingling. "I have to say I am a bit disappointed, especially with you." She singled out the former.

"W-What did I do?" Wang Yang asked.

"For starters, I can list about 200 mistakes since I arrived," Mingzhu said.

"2-200?!" Wang Yang almost fell off the birch stool.

"Indeed, but if I summarize them, it all comes down to a lack of vigilance, inexperience, and naivety. Not exactly qualities of a great talent," Mingzhu said, her cold eyes examining every inch of the two disciples.

"Unlike Sun Lingling over there, you weren't fast enough to react when I arrived. However, you were the first to let go of your suspicion the moment I identified myself." She pointed at Sun Lingling with her eyes again. "That kid over there still holds her sword near, while you didn't even take it out. Your guard is so low that I could kill you with chopsticks even if I were in the same cultivation realm as you."

"Well…" Wang Yang scratched his head, "I saw Senior Hua's reaction and thought she would definitely recognize her mother."

"Hmmm… you seem a bit slow in gathering information, too; that's the lack of experience I talked about." However, Mingzhu didn't take that response well. She continued, tugging on Hua Mei's cheek. "This kid here has followed housemaids three times, thinking it was me. She is as unreliable as they come when identifying people."

"It's not my fault that you disguise yourself, Mom, ouch! That hurts!" Hua Mei winced at the twist of her mother's fingers.

"I have to, so you know how to find me. What if someone is impersonating me? Worse yet, wearing my skin to deceive you?" Mingzhu pulled her hand away. "I want you to be safe and alert in such situations, that's why I want to train you well. Yet here you are frolicking around instead of going to lectures."

The air in the room seemed to have turned somber. Hua Mei pouted, unable to give a retort to her worried mother, while Wang Yang and Sun Lingling watched from across the table, unsure if they should be listening to this.

However, a gust of wind entered the room through the open window. The cool wind washed away the awkward air and brought hope to Hua Mei's face.

"Still so hard on the young ones, aren't you, Sister-in-law?" Li Muchen leaned against the pillar with a smile. "Why don't you let them off this once?"

"Hearing you say to let people off is concerning." Mingzhu didn't even look back, but stood up with a scoff. "I suppose getting disciples has changed you, Li Muchen."

"Well, people change, don't they?" Muchen said, gesturing at the kids to go away.

Hua Mei was the first to slip away, blowing her uncle some kisses and words of gratitude. Sun Lingling and Wang Yang also left promptly. Now, only Muchen and Mingzhu remained in the room.

"People do change with time. I am the prime example of that." Mingzhu looked over her shoulder, "But I haven't seen a case where the person becomes a puppet made of metal after four months."

"…" Muchen smiled in the quiet room.

"Looks like it still isn't enough to fool a Peak Nascent Soul Realm expert." The voice came from the window. A veil of silk lifted, revealing Muchen resting on the windowsill.

Muchen wanted to test the limits of what realm he can use the current version of the puppet on. Yae removed her invisibility and jumped on him from the puppet.

"A puppet and a fox beast. You are up to no good again." Mingzhu shook her head in displeasure.

"I am just helping Chen Zhipeng test stuff out," Muchen said.

"You expect me to believe you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart? I'd believe a Demonic cultivator becoming a Buddha over that." Mingzhu had known him for that long, longer than she liked to admit.

She looked at the fox perched on his shoulder, the little furball licked itself clean like a normal house cat. However, something deep stirred in its clear eyes. It wasn't like any normal tamed demonic beasts. It had a hint of intelligence, a sharp sense of reason that it tried to veil under the mannerisms of a beast.

This one is sharp. Yae alerted Muchen.

That's why I need her help. He smiled at the inquisitive gaze that dug into him. This woman in front of him would help get the second power he needed. In a way, she was the only way to get in touch with them discreetly.

"Are you up-to-date on the recent happenings?" Muchen asked.

"Do you think I've lost my touch after becoming a mother?" She asked, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"You've been in secluded cultivation for six months now." Muchen shrugged.

"I came out at sunrise. That's enough time to familiarize myself with your shenanigans." She added dryly. "Planning to get three major sects together against the Demonic cultivators using the Eastern Martial Meet, you have certainly outdone yourself this time."

"The Purple Cloud Sect and our sect have real reason to retaliate, but where is the third sect you talk of?"

"Don't act coy with me. The very reason you are having this useless chatter with me is to involve the Frozen Flower Sect." Mingzhu scoffed.

Even she read the reports over three times to make sure there weren't any mistakes in her eyes. The way Muchen had set things up had a big hole; he handled the personnel through the Purple Cloud sect, information through the Azure Sky Sect, but there was a hole in the plan still. A hole that only another Major sect could fill. He never had any plans of getting involved with the Temple, so only one major sect remained.

"You need a strong deterrent at the Eastern Martial Meet. The Frozen Flower Sect is the only force left that can protect an area against a large force with their special formations." Mingzhu concluded.

However, her conclusion was off by a mile. "I don't need the entire Frozen Flower Sect," he said, "I only need you to contact one person."

"You only want to call Princess Han?" Mingzhu's hand stopped. "I thought you wanted her to be an intermediary with the Frozen Flower Sect and acquire their cooperation?"

"No, she alone will be enough." Muchen smiled.

Involving the entire Frozen Flower Sect would cost a lot more than he planned to give up. And, the sect itself rarely took part in the happenings of the martial society. They liked to live by themselves, not bothering with the power struggle or flattery that ran rampant outside. Even then, they had become a Major Sect because of their long history and powerful leaders who carried the legacy over a millennium.

Muchen only needed Han Yue, the next sect leader of the sect, for this plan. The one unmatched in her realm.

The top echelon of the Demonic Cultivators aren't interested in the happenings of the Eastern Continent right now. Muchen wanted to make full use of that situation.

Those high-ranking monsters had no reason to intervene or even watch the Eastern Martial Meet themselves. Because doing so would net them no benefits. In simpler words, there wasn't a fish big enough for them to jump into the waters.

The stronger the cultivator, the higher they'd aim. Just like a human doesn't bother to stop and see what the ants were doing, they wouldn't come over to kill the young disciples and weak elders who would gather for the Eastern Martial Meet. They would only focus on the things that are a threat to them at that moment. That's why they were using another's knife to kill.

This is how the underdogs thrive. And it is the exact reason Wang Yang is such a dangerous existence; he is the ultimate underdog that only emerges when he has enough power. Muchen had seen Wang Yang grow at an abnormal pace because of his luck, and by the time the higher-ranking cultivators noticed him as a threat, he reached a level where he could fight back against them.

If this world was a novel, then Wang Yang is the protagonist who goes through the weak-to-strong progression. He enters every fight as an underdog and comes out victorious. Muchen always thought that while teaching him, because he ticked all the boxes for a cultivation protagonist. He had the talent to soar unnoticed, luck to get opportunities, and blessed with connections most would only dream of by simply taking a stroll on a sunny day.

But Muchen's recent actions had stirred the pot, and his current actions were also out of the ordinary. Thus, he wanted to do things without attracting any attention so that the surface looked calm for the unaware prey that would come in. The moment they do, the predator under that calm water would have its feast.

"There is one thing I don't understand," Mingzhu said, rapping the varnished table with her index finger. "Don't you have an artifact to contact Princess Han yourself? Why are you going through me?"

"Well…" Muchen looked away, almost embarrassed.

"My my…" Mingzhu didn't miss that change in his eyes. "They say that if given long enough, even the devil can develop a conscience."

Muchen scratched his head, unable to retort. It had been a century since he last contacted Han Yue, even though she had given him a personal artifact that stabilized the overflowing yin qi in his body, which doubled as a communication device. It would feel weird to contact her out of nowhere for a favor, at least that's how normal people would think.

Muchen, on the other hand, was as shameless as they came.

"You are embarrassed, or so you want me to think," Mingzhu smirked, resting her chin on her hand. "As the next sect leader, all of her actions are monitored by the elders, especially her contact with the outside world. And on the list of people not to let her get close to, your name is at the top. Your attempt to contact her would be interrupted, so your plan will fall through. That's why you got me here by keeping Mei Mei engaged with your disciples, isn't that right?"

"I am not proud of that." Muchen sighed. "Why do those elders even hate me that much? It's not like I did anything to them, at least I don't remember it."

"Well, you almost took away their greatest treasure. Of course, they'd be wary of you," Mingzhu said.

"Stop slandering me. I did no such thing." Muchen said.

"Now I see where my husband got his cluelessness from." She shook her head. "Anyway, you want me to pass your message along, right?"

"Yes." Muchen's expression shifted to seriousness. "To make up for it, I have the payment ready."

He placed a book with a light green cover. It had freckles of blue and white with a crimson thread binding the pristine white paper. The title, written in bold and strong strokes, read, Baking for Dummies Part 3.

"This one covers confections Mei Mei likes, including the cake I made for her last birthday." He added.

"At least you aren't an idiot when it comes to this." Mingzhu swiped the book with a satisfied nod. "I have received the payment. I shall complete this job within three business days."

"There is one more thing, Sister-in-law," Muchen said, pointing to the west wall. "Can you let Mei Mei be here till we leave for the Eastern Martial Meet. I'll see to it that she completes her cultivation lessons."

"Hm…" Mingzhu looked at the training ground beyond the west wall.

There, Mei Mei had spars with Muchen's disciples; however, she laughed and joked around, enjoying the process she normally saw as a chore to get over with. Mingzhu had been observing the changes in her daughter since this morning. It wasn't grand, but still noticeable to a mother.

"You better not let her slack off." Mingzhu stood up.

"I won',." Muchen said.

She nodded and, after another look at the training ground, vanished in thin air. In one burst, she had escaped Muchen's spiritual sense's range, reaching the outermost edge of the Plum Peak.

"They called her the silent storm for a reason." He stood up with a smile.

Now, he had most things in order and wanted to focus on the last thing before the Eastern Martial Meet.

"Ah, Master…" Wang Yang jumped to his feet when Muchen landed on the practice ground, followed but the vibrant leaves.

Sun Lingling and Mei Mei stopped sparring and gathered in front of him.

"Wang Yang and Sun Lingling, you two are now ready to learn Martial techniques. So, I will give you the ones best suited for you now." He said.

It was time to strengthen his disciples to the next level.

....
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[Overload69]

"Master, where are we going?" Wang Yang asked, following Muchen in the complex hallways of the main residence.


After telling them that he'd teach them new techniques, Muchen told Sun Lingling and Hua Mei to wait in the lecture room and led Wang Yang to the basement. They navigated a series of complex hallways made of plain wooden floors and white walls, making numerous turns and passing by a number of sliding doors.


"To your new training space." He led the way, passing two books to his confused disciple.


"Five Element Sword Technique? Storm Steps Technique?" Wang Yang read the title etched with gold on the white covers, his head tilting in confusion as soon as he opened the first page. Was this the language he spoke or some witchcraft?


"These are the techniques you will be learning in this room till the Eastern Martial Meet." Reaching the hallway's end, Muchen opened the heavy iron door. The red, wide as a person, door creaked and gave way to the inside.


"Here?" Wang Yang found the room, twice as big as the training ground, empty.


It had white walls and a floor, no windows or lights. Square panels that also served as illumination devices and wind circulation covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. There wasn't a single cushion in sight, let alone food in there, just pure white. How was he supposed to stay her for weeks?


"This is your rations." Muchen handed his disciple a storage ring, which had simple food and necessities in there. He showed him behind which panels the bathroom and toilet were, and moved to the main point. "The techniques I have given you are both of Heaven Grade High Rank. You will have to learn them on your own using this room."


"On my own?" Wang Yang asked, and he could barely understand a word.


"It is my way of testing you. I'll show you the techniques a few times, then it is up to you to learn." Muchen knew Wang Yang's potential, but he had gone too easy on him. He didn't want to spoil him into dependency; that's the type of teacher he hated the most because that dependency destroys talents.


Training disciples was like keeping a sword; you had to polish them and care for them, but not make them ceremonial pieces that only look good. A good sword had to be sharp and ready to cut, and a good disciple had to be confident and self-sufficient.


The current test was to give Wang Yang a glimpse of doing things on his own. It was Muchen's way of preparing the young bird's wings before it had to take a plunge down the ravine.


No matter how much the mother bird protects its young ones, it would have to jump down to soar above the clouds. And whether it can do that or not depends on the young one's wings.


"Let's start with the Five Element sword technique." Muchen drew his sword, a pristine white blade without a smudge of impurity. It was a thin but long blade, glowing under the white light. "It's a sword technique of an ancient clan hailing from the Southern Continent, The Zenith of Swords. A sword technique created by a genius blessed with immense talent and a spiritual root that allowed access to the five elements."


"So, like me…" Wang Yang's eyes stuck to the movement of his Master's sword.


It moved so slow, yet at a frightening speed, like a river flowing through the forest. He could hear the calm river just from Muchen's movements, even while standing underground. However, the wall behind his Master shone bright red.


It's not the wall! It's fire! Wang Yang's eyes widened at the crescent blade of flames launched at his master's defenseless back.


"Like you, the creator of this technique also had control over five elements." Muchen remained steadfast even after knowing about the attack. "The five elements are the basis on which this universe exists; they are the cornerstones that hold everything together. They feed and overcome each other, thus maintaining balance. That is the key to existence."


Wang Yang saw a veil of water covering Muchen's blade. The sword that moved awfully slow a moment ago snapped like a whip. The water blade extinguished the fiery attack like putting out a candle.


"90% of spiritual roots are connected or derived from the five elements." Muchen continued as more attacks came in from the walls. "As someone with a spiritual root that can control all elements, you must take advantage of the situation."


Muchen's blade glowed crimson, melting the iron spikes hurled towards him.


"A person with a wood element spiritual root can only use attacks from that element." A silver hue covered the white sword, chopping through the spears of wood. "If they meet a metal spiritual root user, they would be at a severe disadvantage."


"In this game of scissors, rock, and silk. You have the privilege to look at your enemy's hand and throw the perfect counter." The blade turned into a wooden whip and pierced through the barrage of hardened rocks.


Amazing… Wang Yang stood in awe as Muchen absorbed a torrent of water with an earthen wall and shot it back at a flame ball, coming back full circle.


"However, your enemies would've honed their one element to perfection and would have methods to deal with counters. Unlike them, each element will need your equal attention, a jack of all trades." Muchen sheathed his sword after a few more rotations of the attacks, explaining to Wang Yang the push and pull between the elements. "But I don't want that mediocrity from you; I need you to be the Master of all. For that, you need to train harder than anyone else."


Faced with the wall of information and heavy expectations, Wang Yang finally spoke.


"You can also use all elements, Master?!"


"…It's called morphing." Muchen, already used to such an attitude, continued. "After studying the concept of change in formations, you convert qi into corresponding elements by brute force. It uses up a lot of qi depending on your element's relationship with the element you are trying to use. It doesn't see much use aside from alchemy and formations."


"Ohhh! That's amazing." With his curiosity satisfied, Wang Yang looked at the book in his hand with a smile, a silent determination blooming inside him. "I'll work hard and learn this, Master."


"Good. Focus on these well, they will be the foundation of your way." Muchen chose those two techniques for Wang Yang's start after a lot of thought.


Combat techniques were as important, if not more important, than cultivation methods for some people. For Wang Yang, someone who faced battles at every turn, his combat techniques made a huge impact on his survivability. Before regression, Muchen could only get Wang Yang started on a simplified version of the Five Element sword technique he found in a ruin, but this time, he had the actual legacy of a previous sword emperor, courtesy of Wang Yang himself.


"Storm steps… This sounds strong?" Wang Yang read the title of the second book. The technique Muchen hadn't performed for him yet.


"That book is a test for you. If you can master this technique to entry level by the Martial Meet, I'll teach you its sister technique, Storm Sword, too." Muchen gave a healthy push to his disciple by waving the carrot.


"Really? I'll do it then." Wang Yang nodded, full of enthusiasm.


A technique had three levels of mastery: entry, intermediate, and completion. The higher the mastery, the stronger the technique became. The Storm Steps and Storm Sword techniques belonged to a previous sword saint. High technical techniques that reigned at the top of Divine Grade. Trained to completion, they rivalled Immortal-grade techniques. Wang Yang was the one who found them in a grotto-heaven and used them even in his later days.


The reason he had brought them out now was simple.


Not too hard, but not too easy either. A challenge that's right between boredom and danger, a challenge he can immerse himself in. Those types of challenges will help unlock Wang Yang's potential. That was the reason Muchen had stayed extra careful not to spoil the young boy. He didn't want him to get used to the ease and security of having his master around. Life was unpredictable after all.


I need to have him face danger, but also prepare him just enough to overcome it. That's why I can't leave him out of the Martial Meet and go alone; that's why I didn't stop him from entering the sect trial, and that's the reason why I won't be able to stop him from going on his adventures even if I know the dangers he will fall into. Maybe if I were strong enough, I could've done something about the dangers, but I don't have that type of strength. I only have knowledge. So, I have to use it and light his way so he won't stumble because of the dark. Muchen made his silent vow, knowing the storm that would come after his plans succeeded.


"This booklet has the controls of the rooms. Be careful while using it." Muchen left a final piece with Wang Yang and left.


Closing the iron door behind, Muchen sighed. He looked at the elegant inscriptions of the ceiling for a moment. The path ahead seemed thorny, yet he started walking without looking back. He was past reevaluating now; there wasn't enough time even if he wanted to.


"I've given Sun Lingling her techniques… Given Kexin training to do while I am away… Discussed things with Gu Fe and Qian Yun… Now, I only have to talk with Zhipeng about the puppet before I can get back to cultivation." Muchen took out the booklet he had used to keep track of things of current events while branching out possible futures from that point on.


Even if not perfect… I have to prepare as much as I can for any possible deviations. He had to make sure things went down the path most beneficial for him.


Lost in thought, he reached Chrysanthemum Peak, unaware that his actions had already caused ripples in places even he failed to take account of.


***


Southern continent. A landmass created by the forceful union of numerous smaller lands in the forgotten age. It had numerous mountain ranges and valleys, lush forests in the north, and vast flatlands in the south that stretched into the horizon.


The land flourished in business with its numerous ports. The nexus of roads that led inwards had first-class security and numerous cities dotting the lush lands. However, the continent had an even more well-known name. Zenith of Swords.


The name wasn't because of the numerous sword clans across the continent or their long history that spanned several millennia. It also wasn't the fact that sword cultivation was first devised on this continent and that the land here birthed the first sword saint.


The reason people called the southern continent Zenith of Swords had to do with a sword clan that settled there 900 years ago.


A sword clan, now better known as Divine Sword Valley.


Although they were still considered newcomers in the sword cultivator community of the southern continent, they controlled over 50% of the land with over 30% of the cultivators under their banner. No one dared test their might anymore; it had long become a fact that they were one of the strongest sects across the five continents, and the strongest on the southern continent.


In the sect's capital city, Ken, the clean, tiled roads usually saw a storm of chatter, but at that moment not a word came out. Early spring wind bounced in an awkward silence between the tall pagodas and vast estates; not even birds dared to chirp. The passerbys, whether they be elders, disciples, or even locals, all stood in silence and gave way to the man with short white hair.


His gold eyes looked around, yet he didn't say anything. He already knew the reason for their silence. No matter how clueless one may be, they'd know when their emotions riled up, especially sword cultivators who were more attuned with their own inner workings.


It's been decades… yet that bastard still gets on my nerves. The man, described as fair-faced by his admirers, touched the ugly frown on his head in hopes of smoothing it out. But the thought of the person made it worse.


'Sun Lingling has joined the Azure Sky Sect of the Eastern Continent under Li Muchen's tutelage.'


The once kind and approachable face turned demon-like at the mention of the name.


No matter what I offered that girl, she rejected it. And now she joins under him? Isn't that directly saying that I am worse than him?! The man would've pulled his hair out if he weren't in public. He could only picture Li Muchen's triumphant grin, and it pissed him off. It pissed him off so much he could explode.


"When it comes to sword cultivators, I am the best after my Master… Any sword cultivator would give their life to learn a day under me… and yet…" Noticing his emotions spiraling out the man calmed himself by chanting scriptures, but as a non-believer, it didn't help him much. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."


He didn't mind her rejection, not one bit. In fact, when he heard she planned to travel to the eastern port city, he gave her the most luxurious carriage one could get and helped her get a seat on an airship that would take her to the Eastern continent so she wouldn't face too many troubles on her travels. Still, the man had one gripe with Sun Lingling.


"You could've at least chosen someone else, why him of all people?! He isn't even a sword cultivator!" He almost threw his sword to the ground out of rage, like he was a fake.


A soft, gentle voice came from the left as soon as he entered his estate and had his little outburst.


"Young Master… even if you are at home, please refrain from acting like a hooligan."


The woman had a notable scar running down the left side of her face, but even that wasn't enough to hinder her decadent beauty. The red robe on her matched her flaming red hair she kept in a bun. The air around her vibrated, almost distorting her figure.


"Xie… sorry, I was just not paying enough attention." The man took a deep breath and calmed himself down.


The woman with him had grown up side by side with him and taken care of him his entire life; that's why he felt comfortable letting his true thoughts out when he reached home, because only she was there. However, things have changed lately in the past few years.


"Even at home, please be wary. There are many eyes on you, as the successor of Divine Sword Valley." Xie said, bowing politely.


The white-haired man with golden eyes was none other than Xiao Miaorui, the next sect leader of the Divine Sword Valley and the one who had dueled with Li Muchen in the past and saw him as a rival.


"I'll be more careful… Has Master returned yet?" Miaorui asked, entering the main pavilion.


"No, Sect Leader is still in the Sword Valley. We have no information on when he will return." Xie considered her next words for a moment before speaking. "But we have a bigger problem than that."


"What is it?" Miaorui asked, watering the Rainbow gaem flowers in his personal garden, because of his raging emotions because of Li Muchen, he had turned to gardening as a way to calm down. And after 40 years of constant work, he finally made his favorite flowers grow in his yard.


"Young Master Xi has gone missing," Xie said.


"That stupid disciple of mine does it often. Where is he off to this time?" Miaorui already had some countermeasures in place for such events, examining the delicate stems of his flowers.


"The Eastern Continent. The note said 'I am off to see that scary sword cultivator you always talk about." Even the usually calm Xie felt a headache rising. "He gave the surveillance team the slip by acting like he was in closed-door cultivation, then escaped using the shadow cloak. By the time the team noticed, he boarded the airship you bought him and reached the eastern port city, Kari, and should be on route to the western port city of the Eastern continent, Dhruv."


"I should've known that bastard was up to something!" Miaorui placed his watering can down and cracked his knuckles. Veins popped out of his forehead and neck because of his troublemaker disciple. "I'll get him back before he makes an incident."


"Young master, it isn't advisable for you to leave in the absence of the Sect Leader," Xie said, stopping him before he flew off.


With the Sect Leader unavailable, it came to his successor to look over the sect matters and safety. Above all, he had to be the figure of authority and a deterrent for anyone who had ill will.


"Damn it… There is that bastard brother of mine to worry about, too." Miaorui clenched his fist. Every time he saw the scar on Xie's face, his blood boiled. "Put Team Red Hawk on the tracking that idiot down. I'll go to the Sect Hall and handle things."


"As you wish, Young Master. Please take the day off and relax. I have prepared your favorite drinks and food at your station in the Sword Palace. Please leave any paperwork for the Pavilion Heads." She said.


"Thank you," Miaorui said.


Watching leave, Xie looked at the sun above her head and let out a sigh. Miaorui was a handful growing up, but his disciple had turned out even more of a problem child. However, there were ways to deal with normal problem children, just that Miaorui's disciple wasn't the average troublemaker.


"The future seems full of troubles. May the Sword God bless us with good luck."


...


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[Overload69]

In the heart of Xianxi Province, two female cultivators met in the private room of a well-known inn used by cultivators. Even with faces covered in veils, their radiance wasn't hidden. However, the entranced men didn't dare make a move, no matter how drunk they were.

The purple cloud on the sleeves of the first woman, coupled with her piercing gaze, had them thinking twice before they breathed near her. So, even if the second woman had kind eyes and an approachable ambience, they dared not move from their spot and shrank behind their wine cups.

"No matter where we go, it's the same dirty eyes." The woman with the purple cloud on her sleeves grunted when they reached their private room.

"Well, it is in the nature of men to chase beautiful women. Like bees to flowers." The second spoke, taking a seat on the plush cushion opposite her companion. "Not everyone is a well-behaved gentleman like Senior Li."

"You sure like to talk a lot about him, Gu Fe… On second thought, where the fuck is that bastard off to while I am running around like a headless chicken here? Does he take me, Qian Yun, as a joke?!" She broke into a hysterical fit, stomping on the ground. Luckily, she held back or the inn would've collapsed with everything within a 10-mile radius.

"Surely not. Brother Li is just busy with some things, that is why he sent me to help with the preparations." Even Gu Fe didn't know what Muchen was up to at that moment; however, she knew he wasn't wasting time.

"That is what worries me." Qian Yun sat down next to Gu Fe. Her eyes locked with the woman in a serious gaze. "Why have you, of all people, joined in?"

"You do live up to your name of the No Manner Qian."

"What?!"

"Well, the reason I decided to join…"

"Hey! Don't just gloss over that first bit! Who dares to call me that?!" Qian Yun protested.

"I joined because I have something to gain from this endeavor." However, Gu Fe continued undeterred. "The family that kicked me out, I want them to thank me for my generous help in dealing with their dark history. I want them to bow their head to the one they discarded and revel in their inner turmoil as they rot within their shame and disgrace."

"Are you…… alright in the head?" Qian Yun grimaced.

"Do you think the sane can survive this world?" Gu Fe asked, but then shook her head. "Let's get to the main subject. How's the search progressing?"

"It is… bad actually." Qian Yun also shifted gears. "No matter where we look, there isn't any trace of them buying supplies. Not even in the remotest mountain villages or the black market, it's like Gu Changge and his force don't rely on food from the outside."

"You suspect self-sustenance then?" Gu Fe asked.

"Even that will have its limits. To go against the major sects at once, they'd need a sizable force, to feed and arm them, they'd need a lot of land, and it's not like they can make weapons from dirt. We've already scouted such possible locations in our territory, you've done your due diligence in Azure Sky Sect's territory, 90% of the Frozen Flower Sect's territory is not suited for agriculture, and the remaining is under heavy supervision… That only leaves us with two places." A frown formed on Qian Yun's forehead.

"The Temple in the west and the Hundred Sect Alliance of the north." Gu Fe closed her fan and set it on the table. "Intruding on the Temple's territory is not possible, but I doubt they'd let any demonic cultivators gather. They hate them the most, since they live by karma."

"That leaves us with the Hundred Sect Alliance… Their case is trickier than the Temple." Qian Yun sighed.

After witnessing the meteoric rise of Azure Sky Sect as the fourth major sect, the minor sects around the continent came together and formed their own union in fear of getting crushed between the four giants. That's why they were more territorial than the Temple when it came to major sects.

"If we try to force things, they'll make a scene and alert the enemy. Why does doing good have to be so hard!" Qian Yun huffed in anger, biting into the dumping like a fierce tiger.

"Good is subjective. To us, it may look like we are doing good, but if the masses raise arms, it makes us the wrongdoers." Gu Fe said, in this case, the Hundred Sect Alliance had the masses in spades.

"That sounds like something a Demonic Cultivator would say." Qian Yun said.

"Oh my, I have been caught! What shall I do?" Gu Fe swayed, shedding fake tears with fabricated panic.

"Knock it off."

Qian Yun scoffed and drank her tea, oblivious to the sharp eyes on her companion. Since their secret meeting started, Gu Fe couldn't wrap her head around one thing.

Why hasn't Li Muchen told them about Gu Changge's base in Jinxiu plain?

Brother Li isn't one to chase glory… if someone else has a higher chance of catching Gu Changge, I am sure he would share the information. But he had kept Qian Yun in the dark, but told me about it, then sent me to meet with Qian Yun. A dim light appeared in Gu Fe's dark, abyss-like eyes. She opened her fan and hid the smile on her red lips. I see, this is a test to see if I can understand his plans.

Muchen told Gu Fe his plans, but he had kept his thought process and reasoning hidden. He sent Gu Fe to Qian Yun with that information as a means to test her decision-making and morality. Qian Yun knew that an attack would happen at the Eastern Martial Meet, and she worked towards preventing the attack by finding the enemy force before it happened.

However, Li Muchen already planned to let the attack happen so he could catch the hand in the shadows, Gu Changge. Even if it came with risking the lives of innocent youngsters, he was willing to take that gamble.

Now, he wanted to know if Gu Fe shared the same sentiment in both heart and mind.

Gu Changge, my father, is cautious by nature. He already expects the sects to look into food supplies all over their territory in hopes of sniffing him out. However, his army consists of Jiangshi, the undead; they do not need food. Even then, he should've left some traces and dogs in the Hundred Sect Alliance's territory as an alarm of the sects closing in. It would be better if no one fell for it. But that isn't what you want, is it, Brother Li? Gu Fe looked at the mumbling Qian Yun, almost with a hint of mischief in her eyes. You need someone to fall for the meticulous trap prepared by the Gu Changge and give him a false sense of control.

The disciples, Qian Yun, Gu family, me, and even Gu Changge himself, we are all pieces on your chessboard. She snapped her golden fan shut, a grin splitting her face. Just who are you playing against? What do you plan to achieve? I can't wait to find out.

"Why are you snickering to yourself like that?" Qian Yun, finally noticing Gu Fe's behavior, tilted her head.

"Interesting, so interesting…" However, Gu Fe's eyes burned purple. Her gaze was so passionate that even the people on the other side of the wooden wall in front of her felt a chill creeping up their spines.

"She's finally lost her marbles…" Qian Yun jumped to the other side of the table and hid behind a pillow.

"Please don't treat me like a pervert. Even I have a heart, you know?" Gu Fe chuckled, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "I was a little too excited after putting the pieces together. Would you like to hear?"

"I am tempted to say no." Qian Yun placed the pillow on the wooden floor and sighed. "But it seems too important to miss out on."

"As Brother Li said, you have nice instincts." Gu Fe conjured a stack of papers from her storage ring and slid it across the walnut table, "This is all the suspicious transactions that have happened in the Hundred Sect Alliance in the past year, farmers, hunters, mountain villages, peddlers, merchants, smugglers, and even sects trying to make a quick buck, it's all here."

Qian Yun looked through the papers with keen eyes, and with each turn of the page, her eyes turned colder. Although not said outright, the transactions showed missing and stolen goods with little to no effect on the people involved. Worst yet, the local sects did nothing to investigate further, and all cases closed in rapid succession, with no traces of the wild animals and bandits that caused the damage all over the territory.

"The sects up north have allowed the Demonic cultivators to live in their shadows… Have they gone insane?!" Qian Yun shook in anger, holding herself back from ripping the papers to bits.

"The north never forgot the purge of Jinxiu plains, even if the major sects did it with good reason. To them, the destruction of their economy's crown jewel is evil. They still hold grudges over the two sects up north, almost major sects, the orthodox alliance eradicated for colluding with the Demonic Sects." Gu Fe said, her expression between a scoff and sheer indifference. "That is why they allowed the remnants of the Demonic cultivators to fester in their territory till they launched an attack on the Genius generation, the Battle of Jingyuan pass, hoping that the attack would destroy the major sect's future potential."

"But the damage stayed at a minimum because Han Yue and Li Muchen held on till help from the sects arrived." Qian Yun remembered the gruesome sight because she too witnessed it first-hand. That terrible battle still sent chills down her spine.

"After that, the major sects entered the north again with force and flipped the entire place on its head. Every Demonic cultivator and the people who helped them were publicly executed. That's how the unorthodox sects, who used to hold 30% of the continent's territory, became a shell of their former self in a mere decade." Gu Fe shook her head, almost in pity. "Now, some of the Hundred Sect Alliance have allowed the defanged beast, the demonic cultivators, to regrow their fangs. While the orthodox sects have gotten used to peace, the Demonic cultivators have changed their method of attacks. The caravan attacks and the recent happenings in the Gu Family, for example."

"They want to create a divide between the Major Sects and pit them against each other… Those bastards want to kill using a borrowed knife." Qian slammed the table with her fist, turning it into dust. "Even though I don't like praising that bastard, Li Muchen did good catching things early on."

"Indeed, it's almost like he knows what the future holds, or as he says it, guiding the enemy down the path most advantageous to oneself." Gu Fe smiled, remembering the first time she heard him say that.

"It's creepy, right?" Qian Yun pointed out.

"But I find it rather attractive." Gu Fe tilted her head.

"There's something seriously wrong with your head, like real serious."

"Leaving that aside." Gu Fe stood up from her seat. She wanted to end this meeting early today. "I have some connections up north. I can open routes to the suspicious areas, what do you say?"

"You can?"

"Well, nothing money can't do."

"Please do so, we can't let them go through with their plan." Qian Yun said, her eyes resolute. "I'll storm the place myself if I have to."

"Well, I can't say no after seeing you so passionate." Gu Fe chuckled behind the fan.

Brother Li, it's no good that you have all the fun. So, I'll have some too. Gu Fe left the inn with a jolly mood.

Seven days remained till the start of the Eastern Martial Meet and the final confrontation with Gu Changge.

***

Chen Zhipeng's Personal Lab, Chrysanthemum Peak.

In the glorified warehouse littered with all types of artifacts and trinkets, Chen Zhipeng sat in front of a puppet. However, under the cold blue light of the overhead bulb wasn't a puppet made of metal and wood, but one made from spasming red flesh and pure white bones.

With every stab of Zhipeng's silver needle, the flesh on the puppet's forearm twitched, the muscles contracted, and the fist closed. When he moved the needle to the palm, each prick to the designated acupoint moved the fingers and thumb. The toes moved the same way, and so did the facial muscles.

"The movements imprinted in the core are responding to physical stimuli. Now, for the mental ones…" Zhipeng, with dark circles under his eyes, yawned. He cared not for the drool on his lips and the lack of focus in his eyes. He continued to complete his commission, full of passion and determination. "Connection, Initiate!"

Strings of Qi jumped from his body and attached to the skinless puppet. Twelve strings of Qi, each landing on the proper meridian and allowing the flow of Qi between him and the puppet.

Chen Zhipeng examined himself from the puppet's eyes while also looking at the puppet himself. The two viewpoints that used to give him nausea at first had become second nature now. Confirming the proper functioning of the eyes, he moved to test the next part.

"Man, you look handsome even when tired. The dark circles and messy clothes just aren't enough to hide your excellence!" Li Muchen's voice came from the puppet's mouth.

"I know you'd get it one day, partner, ehehe!" Chen Zhipeng chuckled by himself for a good minute before moving to the movement test.

He found his joy in this after working nonstop for the past weeks. Li Muchen wasn't satisfied with the metal puppet because catching it was much easier for high-ranking cultivators, which became even more evident after Mingzhu saw through him at a glance.

So, Chen Zhipeng and Li Muchen racked their brains to make the near-perfect puppet, one indistinguishable from a normal human. The answer came with the question. Make the puppet with a human.

Using samples from Li Muchen's body, Chen Zhipeng grew muscles, tendons, nerves, bones, and even organs, thus creating a Li Muchen that replicated the insides of the real Li Muchen. The only thing missing was a brain, but the control terminal was to take its place.

"We even fitted it with a barrier that reflects Qi sense like a normal cultivator would. It is, without doubt, our best piece!" Chen Zhipeng admired the puppet after fixing a copy of Li Muchen's skin on the puppet.

"I don't give out compliments to others often, but my partner is one fine-looking man." Chen Zhipeng nodded smugly in front of Li Muchen's naked puppet.

After a quick stretch and a gourd of water later, Zhipeng looked at the dim corner of his lab. The real Li Muchen floated in a glass chamber, submerged in a crimson liquid. He had been in there for a week, taking in oxygen from the metal tube inside his mouth.

"Wake up, Partner, we have to show the world our masterpiece." Chen Zhipeng cracked his neck and turned around, his eyes holding the soul of a craftsman. "Onto the next one I go!"
...
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[Overload69]

Since his regression, Muchen faced a lot of problems stemming from his weak body. Although a majority of those problems arose from his new spiritual root, it hindered his abilities a lot. But he couldn't deny the limits of his own flesh.

From the limit on his cultivation, even with Yae, to his body failing to keep up with the destructive techniques he used against Shu Huang. Muchen knew that if he didn't fix this issue soon, it would become the very bottleneck that would strangle him to a halt. A state where he wouldn't advance further, nor have the time to rebuild himself stronger.

Qi cultivation, even though it strengthened the body, didn't have it as the main goal. A person born with a high-ranking spiritual root would have a body and meridians capable of handling it; however, Muchen wasn't blessed enough.

To not reach such a cliff, he turned to the only method he knew that could help him at least bring his body up to par. A method that was once looked at as heretical. Created by the stubbornness of mankind, who refused to accept their limits because of something as superficial as talent. Crazed fanatics who pushed the limits of their body to supplement their lower cultivation talent and outlasted powerful opponents.

Muchen took a page out of the Body tempering cultivators of the past, the Asuras of the Iron Temple. A sect long buried in the river of time.

These cultivators studied nature. The qi beasts and spiritual herbs, they scrutinized every ounce of these species that broke out of their molds. Qi beasts and spiritual herbs all started as normal creatures; however, with a special way of living, they broke through the limits of their species and were born anew.

How was it that these creatures cultivated? They had no intelligence to read or memorize, they had no will to put effort, nor did they have time to chant mantras and practice forms.

So, how was it that they became stronger?

Cannibalism. The act of devouring one another till the last survivor. The law of the jungle had rewarded the perseverance and will to survive of these creatures.

These discoveries divided the Cultivation society into the Orthodox and Unorthodox cultivators as they are today. The latter started to use the method of cannibalism on fellow humans, feeding on the essence and gathering as much of it as they could, while the former refused to let such evil go by.

However, the Iron Temple found a different path.

A hundred Qi Beasts from a hundred different species from the lands, skies, and the seas. Ground and reduced with a mixture of a hundred spiritual herbs from a hundred different kinds, all condensed and refined with a formula that took a century to complete. Creating the Hundred-year elixir, a super-refined essence of the living.

I got the items at a lower price thanks to Gu Fe, but it still blew through ¼ of my yearly profit. Even with his immense funds, Muchen could only dry his eyes at the mountain of gold he had to use.

This extreme cost was the reason such a method wasn't sustainable for everyone. That's why the Iron Temple faded into obscurity. They only left behind their legacy, which Wang Yang happened to find while looking for a place to sleep in the southern wilderness.

Muchen, now submerged in that elixir, gritted his teeth. The fiery red liquid, as hot as magma bursting forth from the core of a volcano, surrounded him. The scathing burn had stripped his skin a dozen times in one day. Even with the elixir's creation, the sheer difference between beasts and humans made its use harder, excruciating.

However, he continued to absorb the boiling qi in the elixir and pumped it through his body. The scalding qi passed through his organs, muscles, tendons, bones, and skin, causing damage the entire way. Boils, holes, and burns appeared all inside him.

He paused in that moment and waited for the rampaging qi to settle down in his body before absorbing it into the parts it damaged and healing them using the new energy. Then he repeated the process all over again, tempering his body like a chunk of iron in a furnace. Heating it and molding it into his desired form with a hammer, giving himself impeccable hardness and strength.

Thanks to Chen Zhipeng's help, he didn't have to resurface for oxygen, nor did he have to worry about the container breaking open because of the toxic elixir. He could stay submerged for days and keep going forward single-mindedly.

Before Muchen's regression, he always struggled to stay in battle longer. His body couldn't handle the techniques he had, and the force alone ripped him apart if not for his stubbornness to stop. That inability to overcome his physical limits was the very reason for his demise.

Now, he had the chance to build himself up stronger. A stronger body that would withstand more pressure and allow him to stay in fights longer. Such a future was within his grasp now since the will had always been within him.

So, even if his lungs burned, even if his skin melted off, even if the heat made his stomach burst, even if his very blood boiled in his veins. Muchen didn't stop, not for a second.

To stop the sect from suffering, I have to go through this pain. As a mediocre cultivator, I have to go through suffering to get power beyond my destiny. This was Muchen's protest, a protest against the fate this world had imposed on his loved ones.

He had already mapped his physical body into his soul. No matter how grave the injuries would be, he'd only need time and pills to recover. He'd recover and become even stronger than before, more resilient than before. No matter the pain or pressure, he wouldn't break.

Each second felt like an hour, but Muchen persevered. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes flowed into hours. Before what seemed like an eternity, the oxygen in the pipe connected to his mouth stopped; it was a non-verbal cue.

Muchen climbed out of the transparent tank, his hands nothing but bones held together by Qi. The moment he landed on the ground, the cold air prickled into his exposed, steaming muscles.

With a burned scalp and half his face bare bones, his eye slipped out of the socket, but he put it back in. Even now, he didn't show a shred of pain on his still face.

"Man… you've seen better days." Zhipeng found Muchen's current look fascinating. Especially when he saw the way new flesh appeared one fiber at a time, forming his usual handsome face one layer at a time.

"Was I late?" Muchen's voice turned hoarse, nothing like the breezy, gentle tone he had. He didn't have the capacity to track time inside the elixir. All his mental power went into regenerating his body and circulating the rampant Qi around.

"You have enough time to make a dramatic entrance," Zhipeng smirked. Giving his friend a new set of special clothes that he prepared.

Running his fingers through his now growing hair, already four inches long, Muchen looked at his belongings with a smile. Even if he had the pressure of making his plan succeed, not a hint of nervousness clouded his heart now. His body grew stronger. His realm was the 9th level of the Golden Core Realm. Only one step remained now.

It is time to enter the main stage. With extreme power bursting from his body like an untamed beast, Muchen exited the Chrysanthemum peak, piercing through the air like an unrelenting arrow.

***

Eastern Gate, Outer Sect City.

From the moment of sunrise, even before that, an undercurrent of excitement had flowed throughout the Azure Sky Sect's disciples. The day the young disciples left for the Eastern Martial Meet had arrived.

The city, bursting with vitality, welcomed the disciples with open arms. Stalls offered breakfast for free, weapon and pill shops ran heavy discounts, attracting many. With street performers doing auspicious dances and the disciples receiving a day off from training, a small-scale festival had sprung up in the Outer Sect city.

However, the disciples who would leave for the Eastern Martial Meet didn't have the luxury to enjoy this. They all gathered at the docking station on the eastern gate of the city. Among the towering white pillars and green stairs, dozens of wide ships of wood and metal floated in the air like they weighed nothing. Workers loaded and unloaded crates full of goods from the ships, while many people embarked on them to reach their destination. This resulted in a never-ending flow of ships entering and leaving the docking station in droves.

In front of a medium-sized ship on the southern side of the docking station, disciples for the Eastern Martial Meet gathered. And unlike most of them, Wang Yang hadn't seen a flying ship before. While his peers boarded the ship, engaging in excited chatter and youthful fervor, his eyes followed the path of every ship that flew into the clouds like a child encountering a bird for the first time.

"To think country bumkins like you had the honor of becoming a Peak Master's disciple. You must've used up the luck of seven lifetimes." Lie Feng flicked his hair with a disdainful look. "Wouldn't you agree, Miss Sun?"

"…" Sun Lingling, however, paid him no mind.

"I mean… I do feel like I am lucky to be here today." In her stead, Wang Yang answered the snide comment with honesty.

He knew his inadequacies more than anyone else. He knew how lucky he was to be in his position, but he planned to make good use of that luck.

"I'll become a cultivator worthy of my position or die trying." Wang Yang had worked hard and trained nonstop since the incident at Jade Pavilion. He understood how much his inability affected others around him.

"Well said, Brother Wang. Truly well said."

Wang Yang turned to look at the guy he had seen after the Sect trial. The fourth-place holder, Zhang Jun. A disciple of the Lotus Peak.

With short, shiny purple hair and sharp purple eyes, the young man walked up to the odd trio with a measured smile. But when Wang Yand didn't answer, he continued with a little bow.

Even if they joined the sect in the same year, Wang Yang was a disciple of a Peak Master while Zhang Jun's master was an elder in Lotus Peak. Even as new disciples, their standings were different.

"Apologies, I resonated with what you said so much that I forgot my manners. Should I address you as Senior Brother Wang?" Zhang Jun asked.

"No, no, just call me, Brother Wang. We are both new disciples, Brother Zhang." Wang Yang smiled; he wasn't too good at keeping up with formality as someone from the countryside.

"You are as easy-going as I've heard, Brother Wang." Zhang Yun smiled and slung his arm around Lie Feng. "Please forgive this fool, too; he is too passionate and often overdoes things."

"Jun, you shan't belittle my perfection with such drivel. Everything I do is perfection." Lei Feng crossed his arms, his face defiant. However, he didn't push Zhang Jun away.

"As you can see, Brother Wang, he is a complete idiot." Zhang Jun laughed before his voice took a serious tone. "But I have to warn you, Brother, please be careful on this trip."

"Why?" Wang Yang tilted his head.

"Just like this fool here, a lot of people will keep their eyes on you." Zhang Jun gestured towards the ship.

A group of five disciples, two from Lotus peak, one from Peach peak, and two from Sky peak. The third male and two females made an odd group; however, their eyes dug into Wang Yang. Scrutinizing his every move.

"You can already see the main team of Eastern Martial Meet locking onto you."

Unlike the disciples chosen from the Sect trial, the actual disciples chosen by the Sect Elders were all elite talents from the seven peaks.

Wang Yang followed his gaze and found another group of ten seniors, 6 men and four women. Their gaze wasn't as hostile as the first group. But so sharp that Sun Lingling wondered how Wang Yang had missed it until now.

"Wait! Is it because I was loud earlier?"

"No, it's because you are Peak Master Li's student." Zhang Jun smiled. "Truth is, they have all tried to become Peak Master Li's student, but failed like many others before them."

"Master is a bit too famous. But I guess I understand why they'd have a problem with me." A wry smile hung on his lips.

"Not just you, Brother Wang. The rumor is that some Foundation building realm disciples tried dueling with Senior sister Sun, but went back in shame. So, they can accept her since she is capable enough in their eyes." Zhang Jun glanced at the expressionless Sun Lingling; she didn't confirm or deny his words.

"But you don't have to worry, Brother Wang. Since Peak Master Li is leading the team, they won't try anything openly." He turned back to Wang Yang.

But before Wang Yang could express his relief, a burst of energy in human form landed right next to him.

"Junior Wang, it's good to see you made it!" Hao Chang burst forth from the cloud of dust and hugged him.

The scene, as simple as it looked, sent waves of emotion across everyone watching. Some of the seniors on the deck couldn't believe their eyes.

I heard they had gotten friendly on Wang Yang's ride to the Sect before. But I didn't know he got this close to Senior Hao. Zhang Jun had to re-evaluate his understanding of Wang Yang from that alone.

After all, a connection between Peak Master's direct disciples didn't form easily, even if the two had the same status. It was akin to keeping two swords in one scabbard.

"Senior Sister Hao, what are you doing here?" Happy to see her, Wang Yang also smiled.

"I am the leader of the disciples for this Martial Meet, aren't I amazing? Tell me I am amazing!" Hao Chang puffed up her abundant chest with a proud smile. Her bubbly nature, the sheer opposite of the other seniors who glared at Wang Yang before.

"It's a shame Kexin couldn't join. I wanted to discuss the eighth volume of 'The Valleys Where Two Paths Meet' with her." She said, holding the new release of the series in her hand.

"Master made me read this one; it was so good."

"Right! I couldn't sleep after that last cliff hanger, but it was worth waiting!"

As Hao Chang and Wang Yang dived deep into the novel, Huang Bai watched the young disciples from a distance, blending into the workers of the flying ships. The hubbub reminded her of the old days when they would cause a ruckus right before journeys with their Master. However, her eyes searched for the main source of trouble in her mind these days, but the man wasn't there.

Three incense sticks' time passed over the appointed time, yet he didn't arrive. Li Muchen, her senior brother, had always made a point to be punctual. In the years she had known him, he had never been late.

All disciples had boarded the flying ship, ready to leave for the Eastern Martial Meet. In their mind, the elders and Li Muchen might already be inside. So, they kept to themselves as the ship rose in elevation.

When the ship approached 3 kilometers in altitude, a shadow landed on the deck. The flapping silk robe and uncombed hair flowed with the wind; his style didn't match the calm and collected demeanor Huang Bai knew. But what surprised her the most was the aura around him.

"Apologies, I lost track of time while cultivating."

The bloody, crimson aura clung to the air and oppressed everyone on board. Huang Bai had only seen such an aura around her second senior brother, Hua Jiahao, when he came back after slaughtering thousands of Qi beasts.

The last place she expected it to be was around Li Muchen.

What happened to you, Brother?
...
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[Overload69]

Cool air blew onto the ship from the starboard, but the atmosphere on the deck remained tense. The disciples looked at Muchen, half terrified and half in awe.

The aura emanating from his body made them sweat, like they faced a beast king that had eaten thousands. They could almost taste the blood on their tongue even if he stood far from them.

To them, Muchen was a person they wanted to learn from. Even if he remained hidden and didn't give off the domineering aura that cultivators of his status had, they respected him as a teacher. But now they had to accept it.

When the time comes, he can be domineering too! The female disciples on the deck were especially smitten with this raw, powerful side of him. The male disciples stunned by the ferocious spirit.

As his popularity skyrocketed, Li Muchen faced his disciples in one corner.

"Did you two get enough practice with the techniques I gave you?" He asked. His tone still gentle, but the air around him made his disciples nervous.

"I… still need time with the Seven Rivers movement technique." Even the usually unfazed Sun Lingling couldn't make eye contact. She, too, had only seen the normal, sagely side of him, so the whiplash threw her off.

"I, uh, well…" Wang Yang was nervous too, but for a different reason. He couldn't make substantial progress with the techniques he got. They were much more complex to figure out, and he was a step away from entry-level mastery still.

With the current momentum his Master had, Wang Yang steeled himself for a punishment. But Muchen only showed his usual smile.

"No problem, the journey will last a week, you can use the training rooms on the ship till then. If you don't understand anything, you can ask me." Muchen knew the issue would get resolved with a few pointers.

Maybe because the gentle smile contrasted so much with his unkept appearance, it had a much stronger impact than usual. Wang Yang nodded with newfound confidence, while a female disciple from Tiger Peak collapsed in the back.

"Such perfection is hard to match, even for someone like me!" Lie Feng continued his posing as Muchen left the deck.

In the private chambers provided to him, Muchen sat on the wooden stool carved out of spiritual wood and faced the silver mirror. He took the wide-toothed wooden comb from the cupboard next to the mirror and, with slow, measured movements, slid the comb through his silky, ink black hair. His hair reached the middle of his back before, but because of the rapid growth after exiting the Hundred-Year elixir, it had reached his calves now.

As Muchen debated whether he should cut his hair or not, his junior sister arrived in the room, unnoticed by the people outside.

"Need some help, Senior brother?" Huang Bai asked, undoing her disguise. The face of the old, wrinkly lady lifted with the mist.

"If you wouldn't mind." He handed her the comb.

With a pair of scissors in hand, Huang Bai started to snip his hair. She reduced the length one part at a time in the back and adjusted the shape of the bangs in the front and side. In the end, she brought his hair together and used a silver butterfly clip to hold it in place. Seeing him from behind, a smile appeared on her lips, too.

"This takes me back. You used to care for my hair like this, Senior brother." Huang Bai once belonged to an influential noble family, so she had to get used to taking care of herself the hard way.

"You taught me so many things, and I watched you from close by because I too wanted to be like you, a calm and dependable senior that always has his juniors' backs." Huang Bai looked at Muchen's reflection in the mirror. "But it's because I've been watching you, it's hard to ignore the change."

With the hair out of the way, his face came into full view. He still had that strong, steadfast look on his face. Just like the senior brother she knew and respected. However, his eyes weren't the same.

He had a strong will reflected in those eyes before, an unrelenting grit that never wore away. No matter what the world threw at him, he would overcome it. He had that confidence in his eyes, and that brightness inspired her. It was the reason she turned from a helpless girl to a Peak Master.

But now, there was melancholy within those clear eyes. A hidden sadness that seemed to overflow with regret whenever he looked at them, whenever he looked at her. She noticed it first during the disciple selection ceremony, but it became more apparent after he came back from the trip with his disciples.

Seeing that look in her respected brother's eyes had kept her awake for weeks. So, she decided to confront it.

"What are you trying to do, Brother?" She asked.

Muchen matched her eyes in the mirror's reflection and smiled. It was the smile he had on when they first met 200 years ago.

"Just trying to be a reliable senior brother." He said.

No matter how much he tried to mask the regrets and pain he went through before regression, Muchen knew that he couldn't hide it from two people. First, his master, and second, Huang Bai. Both had an incredible gift of reading people because they had a highly empathetic nature, due to their spiritual roots.

Since he expected himself to get caught, Muchen decided to make sure he only revealed a little bit rather than the entire truth. He didn't need to talk about the regression. He didn't need to talk about the grim future. He only needed to talk about what he saw for the current future.

All things considered, he knew the limits of working alone well. Muchen had the knowledge of the future and the intelligence to create plans around said knowledge. But he lacked the power and trusted people to carry out those plans. That was why he had to involve others in his attempt to catch Gu Changge. If he had the power, he could waltz into the enemy base and deal with them. But he couldn't.

The risk this time wasn't high either, but it would skyrocket in the future. He needed his trusted juniors, his sect behind him, to bring his vision into reality.

To do that that he had to share the future he had seen, but he couldn't present it as Li Muchen, who had regressed. He had to present it as the predictions of the meticulous Li Muchen that always planned, the Li Muchen whom his juniors were most familiar with.

"Bai'er, I'll tell you what I have been doing for the past few months." He held her hand, making her sit in the chair beside him.

"Please do." Huang Bai, feeling that her words got through, had a look of relief on her fair face. She expected him to be more stubborn, but she was glad he wasn't. Time had indeed changed her Senior Brother a lot from what he was a century ago.

She heard Muchen's story. A timeline of events as they had happened since his regression, but with a mix of coincidences to tie up the loose ends and holes. To Huang Bai, who thought she had gotten the truth out of her secretive senior brother after a heartfelt conversation, she had no choice but to believe it.

"So, Senior Brother happened to catch the Demonic cultivators during the caravan attack because you have been keeping an eye on them, and found out more information through them, uncovering their plot. After that, you dug deeper and happened to catch the assassination attempt on Gu Yingyue, orchestrated by the now revived Gu Changge. And this Gu Changge is being controlled by the Demonic sects that escaped from Master back then?" Hearing the turn of events, a deep frown formed on Huang Bai's forehead.

"Yes. Those old monsters withdrew from the Eastern Continent because they failed to deal with Master and The Temple; the current demonic sects left here were but small fries. They all live in hiding, fearing the Major sects." Muchen sighed. The peace that followed turned the sects complacent; the cultivators drank alcohol and visited red light districts more than they did practicing their techniques these days, and if that wasn't enough, they had turned on one another, always looking for a chance to profit. "Now that Master has stopped appearing as much, the old monsters have moved their hands. They are using Gu Changge to stir up the sects and create conflicts within us, and while the peace drunk cultivators turn on one another, the demonic sects overseas would enter the fray."

"They've been brewing this plan for years, and we didn't even notice. I am ashamed. But why isn't brother contacting the sect for reinforcements? Why didn't you tell us?" She asked, trying to understand Muchen's motivations. If he chose to do it this way, there must be a reason for it.

"Because I didn't have strong evidence, most of it has been my conjecture from the information I have gathered for the past few years. My theory was only proven by the attack on the caravan, so I dug deeper and found the schemes behind the sand. I planned to reveal more after I've got conclusive evidence that the Demonic Sects from overseas have a hand in this."

"Brother, why are you treating us like strangers? We would've believed you even if you didn't have evidence. We could've helped you with this." Huang Bai folded her arms, upset at his actions; however, she didn't raise her voice.

"We have clear roles, Bai'er. Master gave you four roles in the front; you are the lights who guide the sect to a bright future and protect the peace. I, on the other hand, work behind the scenes to eliminate the threats in silence and bury the traitors." Muchen didn't have the talent like his junior disciples, but his master respected his intelligence and capabilities when it came to scheming. "If it wasn't for you four causing a ruckus, I wouldn't have become a Peak Master either. Even now, I am doing the job assigned to me, while you all carry your duties marvelously."

"But you told me about this now. So, you must need my help, right?" Huang Bai smiled. He could've brushed her off, but decided to share the details. Living around him for so long, she had become accustomed to his non-verbal cues.

"You have included the Purple Cloud sect, even brought Han Yue from Frozen Flower Sect, but haven't told anyone else from our sect aside from Gu Fe. You've also left the Temple and Hundred sect alliance out of the loop." Thinking over the information given to her, Huang Bai reached the task she had to do in a few moments. "Since you expect a traitor on the inside, you want me to keep an eye on the people of the Hundred Sect alliance. Because if the attack doesn't happen, the traitor would be from Purple Cloud or Gu Fe, and if the attack happens as usual, someone from the Hundred Sect Alliance has leaked the location of the Eastern Martial Meet. Correct?"

"Splendid." Muchen smiled. "I'll feel at ease with you on the case."

"Brother should've shared it from the start." Huang Bai chuckled, covering her red lips with the black of her hand. "It's like Brother Hua said, we may be strong alone, but together we are unstoppable."

"Yeah… that we are." Muchen almost flattered, but gave a composed wave as Huang Bai left.

Muchen couldn't tell his juniors about his regression. He wanted to, but couldn't. He convinced himself that they won't believe him and lock him up. But that wasn't true. They would believe it if he said so.

But they would ask him what he saw, what they were doing in the said future. And, he'd have to tell them about what happened.

Maybe if they had fought together, if he had worked harder at bringing them together, he wouldn't have witnessed each of their funerals and lived in regret. One of them couldn't even get one because he couldn't find the body.

Even now, the memories haunted him. He didn't want to, no, he had to make sure that such a future didn't happen. Especially the incident that started their nightmare, the downfall of Huang Bai.

To do that, he had to eradicate the root cause of that incident. That's why he guided her into joining him for the Eastern Martial Meet and assigned this task to her.

He didn't like manipulating her, but even if it felt selfish and dirty, Muchen wanted to make sure he wouldn't fail.
...
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[Overload69]

The week-long journey to Qingliu mountains, or to the city closest to the mountains, was tedious for the young disciples. Even if they did long travels often, the sheer excitement and nerves of heading to a big gathering, one where they'd represent their sect, kept them from sitting still.

So, even if there were cultivation rooms on the ship, the disciples paced around the place like anxious chicks. Many trained, many dreamed of getting the benefits they'd get from performing well, and giggled around.

Most Elders, the low-level ones that joined Muchen, looked over the disciples and helped them if they had any trouble or needs. Elder Hui, the one in charge of making sure the disciples got ample rest, felt her stomach turn from anxiousness.

If only they were like Peak Master Li's disciples. Those two have been so well-mannered. Not at all like this Disciple Hao. The woman with greying hair looked at the cheerful girl beside her, a sharp but hidden glint behind the closed eyes.

"But you know… then I was like 'You can't park there, sir' but instead of laughing, the carriage driver got mad at me and cursed me out! Isn't that totally wrong? Like, why would he curse me out? I was only trying to lighten the mood after I saw his wagon flipped." Hao Chang waved her hands around while relaying her story, her face changing with every word and line. "Isn't that like, so bad? Did I do anything wrong?"

"No, no, the wagon driver overreacted."

Of course, he'd flip out if you rub salt in his wounds. Elder Hui had to put up with this for the entire week because other disciples scattered, making up excuses of training or resting whenever they saw Hao Chang strutting around. The woman was a chatterbox with endless energy.

Just as her ears were about to fall off, Wang Yang walked into the dining area and noticed Hao Chang. He came over with a huge smile.

"Senior Hao, you were here for lunch?"

What lunch? She has been here since yesterday's dinner! Elder Hui thrashed around in her mind. If Hao Chang wasn't the head disciple of Peach Peak, she would've reprimanded her. But as a smart and weak person of a lower standing, she had to accompany her young superior—one who surpassed her in rank and cultivation—to drinks even if all she mustered were nods with 'yes, you are right'.

"No, we were just having so much fun talking, I forgot about the time, ehehe~." Hao Chang rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish grin.

I was aware of every second. Elder Hui couldn't even get angry anymore.

"Senior Hao, you're free, right?" Wang Yang asked.

"Yeah. What can I help you with, Junior Wang?" An infectious smile spread on Hao Chang's face.

"Well, everyone is waiting for you on the deck. The ship is about to land." Wang Yang said.

He had stayed inside the cultivation room the entire journey. When an elder reminded him that their destination was close by, he came to the deck at the gathering time. But everyone waited for Hao Chang there, so he came to look for her.

"Oh! I totally forgot about that!" Hao Chang stood up, and the chair beneath her went flying back. But she caught it in time and slid it against the table in a swift motion before dashing for the door. "Let's go, Junior Wang, we can't be later than we are!"

"We? Ah! Goodbye, Elder Hui. I am sorry to interrupt you like that." After a bow of respect towards the elder, Wang Yang ran out too.

Such a good kid. Such a good junior. Peak Master Li, you truly know how to raise your disciples! Touched by the respect, Elder Hui dried her watery eyes as her aging heart started healing.

Out on the deck, Wang Yang rushed back into his place at the back of the group as Hao Chang stood in the front, apologizing to others for being late. Everyone just smiled and told her not to worry about it; the matter resolved itself in an instant.

"To think you would actually go and bring her back." Zhang Jun gave Wang Yang a thumbs-up. "Guess you aren't a Peak Master's disciple for nothing."

"Is it that impressive to call on someone when they are late?" Wang Yang tilted his head.

"Stepping on a cat's tail and stepping on a lion's tail are different. Even if the disciples here learn under esteemed elders of their peaks and enjoy benefits that normal disciples could only dream of, they are still like servants to the direct disciples of Peak Masters. And a servant wouldn't dare to call out their master's actions lest they have a death wish." Zhang Jun explained.

"You have no regard for the intricate hierarchy. What an uncouth existence." Lei Feng chimed in with his usual fervor. But on the inside, he felt impressed by that fearlessness.

"Hierarchy is good, but it can bog down progress too." A new voice joined them in the back; it was a member from the main team. "Even as seniors, we are still humans, and we can make mistakes. So, you shouldn't shy away from bringing it to light."

"Senior Liu…" Wang Yang recognized the young, hot-blooded man who led his caravan to the sect.

"You can call me Brother Liu, no need for formalities between men who have been through life-threatening battle." Liu Fu beamed like the sun above. "You should also say hello to Ting Ting… Wait a minute, where did she go?"

Wang Yang remembered the shy young woman from the caravan, too. She would jump at the mere rustling of leaves or sighting a wild rabbit. And true to her nature, she stayed curled up in a corner, far from the group, mumbling to herself with unfocused eyes.

"Why? How was I chosen? I don't want to go… I don't want to go… I don't want to go… I don't want to go…" She chewed on her uneven fingernails like a possessed person, the dark energy around her making people avoid the area.

"Looks like she is a bit on edge." Liu Fu laughed.

"A little seems like an understatement…" Zhang Jun muttered.

"It has been a short time, but you've grown a lot. I expect you to keep this up." Liu Fu patted Wang Yang's shoulder with a smile. He couldn't believe that the young boy he had guided to the sect would progress through the ranks so fast. It made him proud. "Be sure to leave your mark in the Eastern Martial Meet. If someone gives you a hard time, come talk to me."

"Thank you, brother Liu." Happy at the unexpected reunion, Wang Yang did a martial salute to his kind senior.

"Looks like everyone has gathered." The chatter on the deck died the moment Muchen's voice floated over.

Unlike his arrival on the ship, Muchen's gentle aura and elegant style had returned. His hair and clothes were in order, and even the smile on his lips seemed a tone softer than usual. Like the beast-like aura he had showcased before was an illusion.

"Yes, Peak Master!" The disciples cupped their hands and bowed, their hearts beating faster. Now, they could prove themselves in front of such a legend, a cultivator they looked up to.

Muchen seldom led disciples to such events; he tagged along in a disguise so no one knew of his involvement.

"At ease, kids. We will land in about an incense stick's time, but there has been a change in plan." Muchen said, much to the disciples' confusion. "There has been a problem with the Hundred Sect Alliance, so we will be waiting in Long City for six hours before leaving for Qingliu Mountains. You are to use the time as you see fit, but be sure to arrive at the city's western gate on time. You are dismissed."

Wang Yang saw Muchen leave and looked over the railing behind him. He could see dozens of golden pagodas peeking over the humongous white walls of the city. A stream of flying ships sailed on clouds and arrived at the last city nestled in the valley between two sky-high peaks.

The Long city was an important stop for flying ships heading west; it was the only city they could stock for supplies before entering the no man's land spanning three provinces. The city had a large population and a thriving trade market thanks to many merchants stopping by during transit. However, its docking area for flying ships was still smaller than the Azure Sky sect's. Even then, Wang Yang got lost in the vibrant streets of the city.

Hao Chang went away for a task with Li Muchen. Sun Lingling preferred to train in the ship's cultivation room. Liu Fu and Xi Ting left for a tea house with their fellow disciples. Lie Feng and Zhang Jun had a meeting with the City Lord. Left alone, Wang Yang decided to roam the city alone. However, there were too many people for a country kid like him.

"Authentic Tang Silk! You won't find a better quality for such a price anywhere on the continent!"

"A flaming sword born in the pits of hell! Come and check out Master Ning's latest work!"

"Young man! You look hungry. Come try the famous spotless snake soup, only two silver taels!"

Pushed around among the crowd of people, Wang Yang decided to go with the flow. Even if the exotic dishes and wondrous spices caught his attention, the river of people swept him away, and he ended up arriving at the western gate ahead of time.

"I can finally breathe." With the fresh air from the green meadows lying in the valley, Wang Yang sprawled on the grass bed below. As someone who grew up with nature, he felt at home.

"I better practice." Unlike the city's interior, the west gate didn't see much traffic. Not even a bird flew over this place.

Wang Yang took off his shoes and planted his feet on the bare ground. With the sword in hand, he closed his eyes and felt the earth below. The flow of Qi, the sturdiness, and the circulating life energy. He wasn't able to practice his earth element sword on the ship. Unlike fire, wood, and water, he found metal and earth to be the hardest forms to learn.

In the Five Element sword, Fire gave power, Water gave flexibility, Wood gave energy, Metal gave heaviness, and Earth gave robustness. Muchen taught him that even if one has two elements of equal purity, the mind subconsciously leans towards the more powerful one.

Wang Yang, who had felt the power that fire qi provided, had felt his mind leaning too it. That's why he had a harder time with Earth, an element that provided the least attack power.

If I don't fix it, I would never get to use my spiritual root to its full potential. Master must've given me such a technique for that reason.

Opening his eyes, Wang Yang lunged forward. His blade pierced through the air with a fiery qi. Then, with a twist of his forearm, he slashed sideways, forming an arc of water in his perimeter. Another step forward, and his sword's tip danced like a flexible vine with a forward thrust. By this time, Wang Yang felt his breath shaking, but planted his foot and brought down his sword to the ground.

With a boom, the sword, now thirty times heavier, blasted the ground and sent clumps of dirt in all directions. Down on his knee, Wang Yang huffed in the small crater he had created. His breathing fell apart, and so did his form, ending his cycle short.

Unlike normal sword techniques, the Five Element Sword Technique didn't use one element at a time. Rather, it created a system of slashes with elements. Slashes that created an endless series of attacks when lined up in different orders. A technique that had offense and defense, both in spades.

Wang Yang had been stuck on the basic cycle since he got the technique; his unfamiliarity with the earth element made it harder for him to control its output. He could do the earth element slash on its own, but not in a cycle because of the imbalance.

"One more time… I'll do it this time." He stood up, ready to practice again.

"Aren't you a diligent one? I suppose that's expected of Li Muchen's disciple."

Alert, Wang Yang swung around to the source of the voice. The muscular, white hair boy, no older than him, stood there digging into his ear. With a tattered white uniform and black pants, the young boy carried a curved blade as tall as him. The blade had no hilt, not even a handle; just naked steel wrapped in red ceremonial cloth.

I didn't even notice him. Wang Yang was sure he wouldn't have known if the guy hadn't announced himself.

"Why are you silent?" The boy squinted his green eyes, but that was until a smile split his face in half. "Don't tell me, you like to talk with the swords, too?"

"What?" Wang Yang stepped back at the sudden burst of Qi from him. A fierce air surrounded the boy, like a hungry beast.

"Good. Very good." The boy became more excited; he unwrapped the long blade and held the uneven end with his rugged palm.

Before Wang Yang could get a word in, the boy lunged forward. He swung the long blade with one hand in an upward diagonal slash.

He's almost as fast as Hua Mei. Wang Yang rolled back, the dirt staining his pristine white uniform.

However, the boy had vanished from his vision when his eyes went back to the spot.

A shadow spilled over Wang Yang's shoulder. A burning sensation on his neck. He couldn't look back, but he felt it. Like the instinct of an animal that sensed the predator's gaze.

"Storm Steps: First Step: Gale!"

The boy's sword cut through warm air, but his smile only widened. He perched the blade on his shoulder, not caring for the new cut on his uniform, eyes on huffing Wang Yang.

"That was a neat movement technique." The boy leaned forward, Qi gathering in his calves and feet. "Show me more of that!"

The qi in his feet exploded. The boy's body flew forward, leaving a crater behind. This time, he reached Wang Yang before the latter could even blink.

He wasn't using a movement technique before?! Wang Yang allowed the earth qi to fill his body and sword. With a firm stance, he met the oncoming blade with his sword, and a dull clank resounded in his ears as vibrations travelled into his arms. Heavy!

The powerful swing knocked him back; his form crumbled. Wang Yang rolled on the ground a few times before finding his feet. He stood up with numb arms, his fingers trembling.

I can't fight him. I'll get crushed. Since he understood his weakness, his brain worked to find a way to escape.

But the next attack didn't come. The white-haired boy stood a few steps from him; his face dripped with disappointment.

"You're only so-so. I got excited over nothing." The boy spat, finger in his ear. "Guess I gotta kill ya."

"Wait, what? Why are you even doing this?" Wang Yang stepped back. Why would the guy he had just met want to kill him? Why did he even start a fight to begin with?

"You're Li Muchen's disciple. My master always said that he was a …special swordsman, but I am not strong enough to fight him, so I fought you." The boy explained, with unnerving calm. "But you disappointed me. Instead of fighting me head-on, your thoughts were on defense and running away, plus your skills are those of an amateur at best. I could tell how weak your sword is from that one clash."

"A sword that isn't sharp is useless. So, die." The boy glared, taking a stance.

"Wai—!" Wang Yang saw the blade coming for his neck. He used the storm steps to move back, but a hand stopped him in place.

"Your moves are obvious." The boy's voice came from behind, the blade slicing through the air. "Just accept your end."

Wang Yang saw the figure in front of him disperse like mist. A searing sting spread on his neck. He knew the attack would land there, but he couldn't break away from the boy's grip. From taking an attack head-on, he knew he wouldn't survive even if he poured everything into earth qi and strengthened himself.

He wouldn't survive if he didn't do anything. If he was going to get cut, he'd cut the enemy too. Metal qi shaped around his sword and kept building up; the explosive fire qi burst into his body. He thrust the sword back, under his armpit, aiming for his enemy's throat.

"Did you think I would back away from this sloppy attempt?" The boy scoffed; he didn't even defend. "Let's see who lands the attack first."

However, both attacks stopped just shy of their targets.

The boy turned to his right and clicked his tongue.

A middle-aged man with a light stubble stopped them with two flying swords. He waved his one hand at them, his face flushed.

"So full of vitality and fighting spirit. How I envy you youngsters." The man wearing a floral uniform, reeking of alcohol, smiled.
...
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[Overload69]

The man with the floral uniform had observed the fight from the city towers. He chomped on grilled pork, enjoying the cold breeze blowing through his long, grey hair. At first, he thought the fight would make for good entertainment with his warm wine, but stepped in when the two youths showed real intention to kill.

"Fei Chao, piss off!" The white-haired boy was the one who showed anger first; his face twisted like he bit into a lemon.

"Kai, I can't have you killing fellow orthodox cultivators. It's not that I wanted to move from my perfect seat, just that your Master would've nagged me to hell and back if I didn't do anything." Fei Chao used the flying swords under his control and pushed the two apart. "Also, I heard something that I couldn't ignore."

"A sword that can't cut is useless, you say?" Using his left hand to draw the straight sword on his back, Fei Chao looked right at the young swordsman.

A left-handed swordsman? Still cautious, Wang Yang observed the rare swordsman in front of him.

Left-hand dominant people were rare, even rarer in sword cultivators. But the moment he noticed the swaying right sleeve, Wang Yang thought that maybe the swordsman in front of him wasn't a natural lefty.

"Did I say anything wrong? A sword has to cut, what else can it do?" Kai, still pissed, glared at the man.

"That's the thinking of a third-rate swordsman." Fei Chao, however, let his qi run through the sword with a calm smile. The qi that dispersed from his sword like steam from boiling water soon changed to a grey hue and enveloped the sword, forming a sharp edge.

Wang Yang has seen Sun Lingling's sword qi training. But unlike the stressful session he had seen, Fei Chao stood still in the grass, balancing the wine bottle on his head. He extended his sword forward like holding a bouquet; a normal motion with no effort. In the sword's path was a butterfly, but it didn't fly away. It flew over, sitting on the sword's edge, unharmed by the sharpness that gave him chills.

Sun Lingling could cut solid iron blocks with that, but the butterfly wasn't hurt. Wang Yang looked at the blade, possessed. Even the vigilance he had for Kai had vanished, taken over by genuine curiosity.

"A sword that only knows how to cut can't distinguish between friend and foe. Such a sword can never nurture a good, just warrior." Fei Chao shook the sword and sheathed it. The butterfly flew over and perched on his shoulder as he took a swig of his wine. "Kyaa! Wine tastes so good after showing off."

"Doesn't your mouth feel stiff from all that righteous crap?" Kai felt like he could vomit. After all, the real Fei Chao was the last person he wanted to hear talk about good or bad.

"Tsk tsk, to think the future of Divine Sword valley is like this." Fei Chao shook his head and turned to Wang Yang with a chuckle. "I apologize, young one, I should've stopped him earlier, but he was so excited to fight Li Muchen's disciple that he ended up targeting the wrong one."

"Wrong… one?" Wang Yang blinked; he almost fell over.

"Yes, he wanted to fight Sun Lingling but mistook you for her." Fei Chao looked at Kai, who was trying to make himself smaller.

"All that talk about how you'd know your rival by aura alone; this is what you get for not listening when I was giving you the information. Never mind attacking someone else, you even got the gender wrong." Fei Chao's hysterical laughter echoed.

"…Piss off." Kai turned away, his voice quieter.

"Well, there you have it. I just wanted to bring this arrogant kid a peg or two down. So, I let him go at you. Forgive me for that." Fei Chao looked at Wang Yang and brought his hand up since he didn't have one arm; the gesture looked a bit awkward with the wine bottle balanced on the index finger.

"Well…" Wang Yang felt conflicted.

On one hand, Fei Chao saved him. But on the other hand, he let Kai do whatever. However, the other party was much stronger than him. The fact that he got an apology had already gone past what he would get as a weaker cultivator.

"It's ok, elder, you don't have to do that." He faked a smile and bowed, wanting to get away from this duo.

"Man, you're such a good kid. I hope some brat learns from your example." Fei Chao slung his arm around Wang Yang's neck with a smile, pulling him along. "Come with me, I'll treat you to some nice lunch and drinks, all on me."

"Huh?"

Before Wang Yang could even mutter a word of protest, Fei Chao dragged him into the city. This time, the grey-haired elder took him to a part he hadn't passed through.

"Come on, young one, have one drink with me and you'll get hooked."

"You look cute. If you come with me, I'll give you some special services on the house."

In the alley full of color and vibrance, beautiful women in short, snug dresses with bare shoulders stood around the shops. Their eyes gravitated towards the innocent-looking Wang Yang among the crowd of old, lecherous men; many even tapped his shoulders to get his attention.

"Well, aren't you a popular one. Just like me when I was young." Fei Chao slapped Wang Yang's back with a holler. "Go and have some fun!"

"Eh… Well…" Even someone like Wang Yang understood what type of establishments these were. So, while he stood there poking his fingers, the women took a shine to him.

"I am sorry… but I am too young for this," he said, trying to slip away.

"Don't worry, young man, we have plenty of milk if you prefer that." A woman chuckled, hugging his arm.

"He's cute, isn't he. So innocent." Another squealed.

"He's totally my type." A young girl peeked from the balcony above.

Even with his refusal, two women dragged him inside the store, their faces lighting up under his youthful charm. Under the dim light, Wang Yang sat on the cushion like a statue between the two women. The one with a flaming red dress with a front slit poured him a bowl of warm milk. The one in blue, with a tear mole under her eye, wrapped her arms around his. Surprisingly, the establishment wasn't what he originally thought; at least not as bad as he expected.

"I can see you're disappointed, kid." Fei Chao laughed; the women on his side fed him fruit and drinks with smiles, fawning over him.

"No… well… I wasn't really…" Wang Yang found himself in a tough situation. Even he didn't know if he felt relieved or disappointed in that moment. He knew such shops existed, but never had the chance to know more.

"This cutie has a naughty side." The woman in blue qipao chimed in, her grip on his arm tightened.

"He is a healthy young man, after all." The red dress smiled.

"Too bad for you, kid, the women here only join as drinking partners. If you want that type of thing, ask your master about it. He knows a lot about these kinds of establishments," Fei Chao said.

"My master does?" Wang Yang couldn't think of such an establishment and his Master in the same sentence; it didn't fit.

"Yeah. Women even paid him to drink with them. I envy him so much, if only I had his looks." Fei Chao shook his head, drinking down his jealousy.

"I don't think much would change even if you looked like me." The words floated over, attracting their attention. "Women don't just fall for the face, you know?"

Wang Yang froze. He looked up and saw his Master. The chatter around their table and the ones near them had stopped upon his entrance.

"Flashy as ever, aren't you?" Fei Chao smiled, seeing the four women at their table gawk at Li Muchen like they had seen a man for the first time.

"You're as carefree as ever. I thought you'd change after becoming a sect master, but here you are drinking instead of the meeting at City Lord's mansion." Muchen waved away the woman who guided him to the table with a pouch of spiritual stones.

"I don't like formal meetings; they make me hurl." Fei Chao looked to the woman beside him and coughed, opening his mouth for the chocolate-covered almonds. But the two didn't even notice him. He poured himself a drink and waved him away. "You always ruin my drinking time with your mug."

"Must be hard having an old face." Muchen smiled. "Now, would you go to the city lord's mansion, or should I follow you around to every establishment you go to?"

"Handsome bastard…" Fei Chao almost spat up his drink. If Muchen followed him, no woman would give him the time of day; he had experienced it several times when they travelled together.

"Time's ticking," Muchen said.

"Ok, ok. I give." With a heavy sigh, Fei Chao stood up.

"You go ahead. I'll handle things here." Muchen smiled at Fei Chao while he passed him. "Don't even think that you can hide from me in this city. I'll know no matter which shop you go into."

Fei Chao left the establishment, cursing and grumbling. Muchen gestured for Wang Yang to follow him and turned to leave. But the woman at the table, the one next to Wang Yang, grabbed his hand.

"Handsome, why don't you drink with us? We're running a special discount—thirty… no, fifty percent off!" The woman in the red dress leaned closer, her eyes sparkling like she had found a jewel.

In her line of work, she had dealt with plenty of snobs and tiresome drunks, but men like Muchen—elegant, refined, almost prince-like—were rarer than phoenix feathers in this city. Just this once, she would even sacrifice her commission for the chance to share a drink with him.

"Yes, yes!" The woman in blue added quickly. "Our shopkeeper is the kindest! If you drink twenty bottles, the rest will be free!"

Muchen chuckled softly, placing his hand gently over the woman's hand.

"I would love nothing more than to share a drink with you lovely ladies," he said, his smile warmer than the sun outside. "But I have urgent matters to attend to. When I return, I'll drink as many cups as you want as punishment for making you wait."

"You swear?" the red-dressed woman asked, her heart fluttering at his gentle tone.

"I swear."

Her cheeks flushed. "Then I'll be waiting. If you don't come… I'll jump from the rooftop."

Muchen stepped back, his gaze never losing its warmth. "And I'll be waiting below to catch you. Until then, see you."

Just like that, Muchen freed himself from the women in the establishment. He had learned that running away forcefully would do no good, plus muscle memory kicked in, so he fed her some cheesy lines to make his escape.

Following him out of the colorful street, under constant offers from women, he saw Muchen handle them with a smile. Wang Yang looked at his master with blinking eyes. Like he saw a ghost.

"If you have a question, you should ask," Muchen said.

"Is it true that Master went to a lot of such establishments before?" After seeing the scene from before, Wang Yang could see the truth.

"When I was on the western continent, yes. This culture is much stronger there; every inn had such services, so that wasn't much of a choice. Plus, the women there were great at gathering information." Muchen explained.

"Is it also true that the women paid you to drink and eat with them?"

"…I was robbed there, so I had to accept such offers. A human can't exactly survive on air and dew after all, especially when you cultivate." Muchen sighed; he needed to deal with Fei Chao properly after this.

That makes sense, even my appetite has increased threefold. Wang Yang nodded, confirming his curiosity.

"Leaving that aside, I heard you had a scuffle with Kai?" Muchen turned to his disciple.

Truth be told, he didn't expect such an outcome. The very fact that Kai came here went beyond his calculations. Not to mention him attacking Wang Yang like that. He could never predict that.

The two, who became lifelong friends and rivals after their first meeting, had met 20 years earlier and almost killed each other. Muchen still didn't know how or why Kai came to the Eastern Martial Meet. He was on the Eastern Continent last time, too, but he only stayed at Fei Chao's sect and didn't leave the place.

But this time, he followed Fei Chao and even attacked Wang Yang. More than the threat to his disciple's life, Muchen could see how the encounter had shaken Wang Yang. Fighting beasts and sparring with other cultivators was much different than facing real enemies that showed unbridled hostility. It was the turning point of what made or broke warriors.

"I am sorry, I couldn't do well and had to be rescued again." Wang Yang said, clenching his fists.

So, it is bothering him.

Wang Yang's earlier light-hearted question and his going along with Fei Chao were ways his brain tried to smother that uncomfortable truth. But it didn't last in front of Muchen's direct question.

Muchen had expected such feelings of inadequacy to hit Wang Yang soon, but his battle with Kai only quickened the realization.

In a cultivation society, fame came with pressure to perform. If the performance didn't match the title, the cultivator got crushed into oblivion by the jealousy and violence of the masses. Even someone as clueless and new to the cultivation society, Wang Yang, had become aware of his special position and the expectation that came with it.

Lei Feng made him realize what would happen to people related to him if he were weak, and Kai made him understand what would happen to him if he couldn't carry the weight of his title. Death would embrace him before he could even blink, and if he died, he'd only have his weakness to blame for it.

He felt his chest tighten. Fear. Like everyone, he too feared death. Wang Yang didn't want to die. He wanted to run away, back to his village and live peacefully by tending to the vineyards and cattle like he had before he took that test on a whim of his childhood friend.

But when he looked at his Master, the day this man saved him flashed before his eyes. Then Muchen took him as his disciple, even though he was lacking. Even if others gossiped, his Master never made him feel lesser. Muchen always treated him the same as his senior sister, the one everyone hailed as a genius.

However, that favor would run out if he kept making a fool of himself. No matter how kind a person was, no matter how much they wanted to help, if the person they helped didn't improve, they'd stop.

"I will become better. I won't let you down again!" Wang Yang shouted. It wasn't for himself; it was for his Master. He wanted to repay the trust that Muchen had in him, so that his time and energy weren't wasted.

Muchen looked at Wang Yang and nodded. Even though he knew the hidden potential of his disciple, he couldn't say it outright and coddle the young man. Wang Yang showed explosive growth for someone who had only started cultivating a few months ago, and Muchen could say that there was no need for him to compare with other geniuses at this point.

But he didn't, because the fire in Wang Yang's eyes was the only thing that would turn that potential into real power. Comparison was the thief of joy, people said. But Muchen thought that was the biggest limiter. Comparison was what pushed people to cross their limits and reach the sky; it made them go beyond the sky and become stars above the heavens.

Sure, one had to be cautious, sure, there was a risk of spiraling after failure, but that risk came with the pursuit of success, it came with the high of succeeding. Without risks, there would be no rewards, only average gains.

And Muchen knew that Wang Yang was the only one who could reap every reward from the jaws of risk.

"Do your best. I know you will succeed." He placed his hand on Wang Yang's shoulder. It wasn't sophistry; Muchen had every bit of his expectations placed on his disciple.

The same disciple who would become the hope of this dying world, that's what his disciple was. The one favored by the Heavens.
...
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