pertwk Page 352
Page 352
Mu Changlan said, "Young Master, we've only met by chance. How could Sister Xia casually discuss such matters with others?"
Xiahou Jinxuan looked dejected and murmured, "It was just a chance encounter..."
Despite her seemingly cheerful demeanor, Mu Changlan was actually quite uneasy about this turn of events. Unlike Xie Cangxing and Xia, she had always harbored ulterior motives.
Accepting Xie Cangxing and Xia as disciples of the Shu Mountain sect was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Chu Yang.
Xie Cangxing was originally connected with Mount Shu. He was Li Xiaoyao's junior brother and a true elder of Mount Shu. However, due to the influence of the great fusion of the world background, he is now just an ordinary martial artist.
It is only natural to let him return to the temple.
As for Xia, she was originally a stillborn infant from a major earthquake more than ten years ago. Her soul was forcibly kept in her body by Mo Yi, the Great Elder of the Yaksha Clan in the Demon Realm, and Long Ming, the Yaksha King.
She is not a living person in the normal sense, so her sensory abilities such as taste, smell, and touch are only about 20% to 30% of those of an average person. Alcohol is the only thing she can feel, so she likes it very much.
So-called illnesses are simply rejection reactions between the soul and the body.
Besides Xia, Mo Yi also used the Soul Binding Technique to control Xiahou Tao, the second head of the Xiahou family, who is Xiahou Jin Xuan's uncle and the younger brother of Xiahou Zhang, the head of the Xiahou family.
Xiahou Tao also perished in the great earthquake more than ten years ago. He and Xia were chosen by Mo Yi at the same time, but Xia was abandoned because she was an infant at the time and had little value. It was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Xiahou Tao, on the other hand, became a complete puppet of Mo Yi, lurking in the Xiahou family for many years, using the Xiahou family's influence to gather intelligence on the human world.
He even taught Xiahou Jinxuan all his magical skills.
After so many years of getting along, only Mo Yi himself knows how much affection he has for the Xiahou family.
Mu Changlan was traveling with Xiahou Jinxuan and others on a paid mission to provide intelligence to Mo Yi, but she was unaware of the reasons behind it.
Chu Yang took Xia as his disciple to guard against the Yaksha clan.
The Yaksha tribe is quite pitiful, because the water veins of the Demon Realm have dried up, and the countries within the Demon Realm have fallen into war. The Yaksha Kingdom happens to be located on the passage between the human and demon realms, making it a common target of several other countries.
For the Yaksha race, they only have two choices: either find a way to restore the water veins of the Demon Realm, or they can only migrate to the human world as a whole.
Mo Yi used the Soul Binding Technique to travel to the human world precisely to have a backup plan.
The passage between the human and demon realms is the Divine Demon Well to which Xu Changqing and the others were previously sent by Chonglou.
More than a decade of painstaking planning was less effective than Chonglou's casual wave of the hand; it's truly lamentable.
Chonglou, the lord of the demon realm, seems to never care about the life or death of the demon beings. He only cares about two things in his life.
Zi Xuan, and also the exhilarating battle.
When faced with hardship, Chonglou would only say "survival of the fittest."
Having such a Demon Lord is incredibly unlucky for Mo Yi and his companions.
The merger ceremony naturally turned into a formal apprenticeship ceremony.
Based on the principle that whether you're herding one sheep or a flock, it's all the same, Li Xiaoyao, Lin Yueru, and other disciples who hadn't previously held an apprenticeship ceremony joined the formal apprenticeship ceremony at Chu Yang's suggestion.
The scene instantly became lively!
The oppressive atmosphere caused by the Demon Lord's appearance has lessened considerably.
Just when the guests thought Chu Yang was going to take on a disciple himself, the new sect leader started doing some baffling things again.
Without even asking, he assigned Xie Cangxing, the oldest among them, to be the Sword Saint's disciple.
Considering that Lin Tiannan and the Sword Saint were sworn brothers, Lin Yueru also became the Sword Saint's disciple, and even his last disciple.
Li Xiaoyao and Xia were assigned to the Drunken Sword Immortal's sect. One was destined for it, and the other loved drinking, which probably suited the old drunkard's taste perfectly.
Jing Tian and Liu Jinyuan became Qingwei's disciples.
Although Jing Tian has a high talent for martial arts, he is somewhat tired of fighting. In addition, Chonglou keeps pressuring him, so he doesn't even want to hold a sword anymore. He might as well learn some magic.
Liu Jinyuan was aiming for the position of Imperial Preceptor. He needed to learn not only magic but also how to govern the country, things that only Qingwei, as the sect leader, could teach him.
After all, governing Mount Shu is no less difficult than governing a country; everything here concerns the well-being of all people.
As the apprenticeship ceremony drew to a close, the guests' expressions became playful.
If the Supreme Elder accepts disciples, doesn't that mean that Li Xiaoyao and the others will be of the same generation as Chu Yang and Xu Changqing as soon as they enter the sect? What kind of mindless sect leader in the world would do such a thing?
Only this extremely eccentric Sect Leader Chu!
"This is truly eye-opening."
Shang Fengzi shook his head and chuckled, but secretly he was looking forward to the future of Mount Shu. He dared not say how good it would be, but it would definitely be very interesting.
Compared to Shang Fengzi, Feng Yao of the Qionghua Sect disliked Chu Yang's behavior as the sect leader. In her opinion, his actions were far too frivolous.
She secretly resolved to keep her distance from the Shu Mountain Sect from now on.
With the apprenticeship ceremony concluded, the first step of the merger ceremony was completed, and the much-anticipated feast time followed.
Led by Xu Changqing, the disciples of Mount Shu began to invite the guests to the main hall.
He ate and drank as he pleased, and Chu Yang no longer needed to speak; he had free time to move around.
However, as soon as he stepped off the platform, he saw Qingwei and the Sword Saint leading several elders toward a group of guests.
Taoist priests, Buddhist monks, and some people dressed in clothing similar to Miao clothing.
It was the same group of people Chu Yang had met in Yuzhou City before, but he missed them because Lin Tiannan suddenly appeared.
During the commotion, this group of people stood at the very edge, seemingly oblivious to what was happening, so Chu Yang naturally didn't notice them.
"Ah Yang, come here for a moment, let me introduce you to a few people."
Qing smiled and waved to Chu Yang.
Chu Yang walked over, and although he didn't understand why, he still bowed to the people around him.
"They are righteous comrades from the Central Plains. The Central Plains is located south of the Ten Thousand Mountains in the Southern Frontier. It is not easy for them to come here. You must remember this kindness!"
"The three leaders are Dao Xuan, the sect master of Qingyun Sect; Yun Yilan, the valley master of Fenxiang Valley; and Master Puhong, the abbot of Tianyin Temple."
"Among them, Qingyun Sect has a deep connection with my Shushan Sect. Its founder, Qingyunzi, was once a disciple of Shushan and they are of the same lineage."
Qingyun Sect, Fenxiang Valley, and Tianyin Temple are the three major righteous sects in the world of Zhu Xian.
The protagonist, Zhang Xiaofan, grew up in the Qingyun Sect and is a disciple of Tian Buyi, the head of Dazhu Peak. He also possesses the supreme martial art of Tianyin Temple—Dafan Prajna.
Possessing the strengths of two organizations sounds impressive, but it's also a significant taboo, so he usually doesn't dare to reveal it.
"I wonder how you all managed to cross the Hundred Thousand Mountains to reach the Central Plains?"
Chu Yang was very curious about this question. It was easy to explain the Qingyun Sect, since they knew sword control techniques. But how did the Fenxiang Valley and Tianyin Temple fly over here?
"Fenxiang Valley is different from ordinary sects. We are located in the Ten Thousand Mountains and guard a secret passage that leads to the Central Plains. It is difficult to open on ordinary days and requires the combined strength of three sects."
"The merger of the two sects of Shu Mountain is a rare and momentous event in the cultivation world, and we naturally do not want to miss it."
The old valley master, Yun Yilan, explained with a smile that although the accent sounded distinctly different from that of the Central Plains, it did not hinder communication.
As soon as Yun Yilan finished speaking, Abbot Puhong of Tianyin Temple exclaimed, "I never expected to see such a worldly place on this trip, that I would actually be able to see a legendary figure like the Supreme Demon Lord."
"The Central Plains truly live up to its reputation."
Dao Xuan Zhenren stroked his beard and laughed, "Sect Leader Chu is truly a dragon among men. He actually managed to win over that high and mighty Demon Lord. He has truly vented the pent-up anger of us righteous people!"
Chu Yang cupped his hands in a humble manner and said, "I only managed to win two games by chance, thanks to some tricks."
Dao Xuan Zhenren shook his head and said, "That is not true. There are many people in the world who can make perfect plans, but who can gain an advantage over the Demon Lord? Sect Leader Chu, don't be too modest."
Chu Yang smiled but remained silent.
"Alright, we're all family, so let's stop with self-praise. Junior Brother Daoxuan, Elder Yun, Master Puhong, please bring your disciples and follow me."
Qing smiled and took over the conversation, leading the people from the three factions to the main hall.
Since none of the three sects originated from the Central Plains, it would be most appropriate for Qingwei to personally entertain them in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Inside the main hall, people were exchanging toasts and drinks, and the place was bustling with activity.
Many of the younger disciples would occasionally look up at Chu Yang, who was seated in the main seat, with varying expressions—some envious, some jealous, and some admiring.
This Sect Leader Chu, who is about the same age as them, is now almost at the pinnacle of power in the human world. His words and actions can even determine the safety of all living beings.
It's like two people are both twenty years old, but one is already the world's richest person, while the other is still tightening screws in a factory.
The disparity is indeed so great that most people find it hard to accept.
Even so, the insurmountable gap between them remains, and it will not change according to anyone's will. This is the greatest injustice, but also the greatest fairness.
Chu Yang didn't care how others looked at him, and was busy chatting with Li Xiaoyao and the others, showing no airs of a sect leader.
His arrogance just now was nothing but an act for outsiders. A new broom sweeps clean, and he has to make a show of it to avoid unnecessary trouble.
During the conversation, everyone talked about their plans.
The Sword Immortal of Wine wanted to live in the Seven Saints Palace with Anu and Ming Yuanqing. The Seven Saints each had their own territory, so this would not trouble anyone.
Some disciples may not be able to adapt well to the changes at Shushan in this regard.
Anu had no objection to this; on the contrary, she was very excited. After all, Nanzhao was just a small country. She had been to almost every place in her life, so she might as well stay in the Central Plains and play.
Most importantly, after Zhao Ling'er inherits the throne, she will not have time to play with her. Under Shi Gonghu's tutelage, Tang Yu will eventually become a pillar of the country and will also be unable to spend every day with her.
Right now, only the Drunken Sword Immortal can accompany her on her travels.
Li Xiaoyao frequently travels between Mount Shu and the Nanzhao Kingdom. Since he has the sword-controlling technique, it's not a difficult task. However, Zhao Ling'er is due to give birth in a few months, so he will probably stay in the Nanzhao Kingdom for a long time.
Zixuan plans to settle down in Yuzhou City and become neighbors with Jingtian and the others.