Gulu gulu, Meng Qi drank the noodle soup heartily without any restraint, then gave the silver pieces to Old Man Xie and turned around, saying, “I wonder where the Zengxian Gate is. Could you two kindly lead the way?”
Since everyone was heading there just to witness the exciting martial arts contest, the young man wearing a heroic headscarf was somewhat reluctant to have Meng Qi follow, but he restrained himself to avoid ruining his image in front of his female companion: “It’s on Zengxian Mountain outside the city.”
The two were quite considerate. Seeing that Meng Qi had no horse, they didn’t mount their steeds either, choosing instead to walk slowly while leading their two fine horses.
“Brother, judging by your accent, you don’t seem to be from the Three Mountains and Four Waters region?” After concluding their discussion about the Heaven-Earth-People Rankings, the young girl suddenly realized, “Oh right, we are disciples of the ‘Cutting Flow Sword Sect’ from Qi Shui. My name is Wu Qinxin, and this is my senior brother, ‘Soaring Across the Sky’ Shangguan Han.”
She had just entered the martial world and had yet to establish her reputation.
Though inwardly proud, Shangguan Han was mindful of his image and didn’t want to appear arrogant or impolite. He clasped his hands and said, “It’s just a respectful nickname given by friends. I’m afraid it sounds rather amusing to you. May I ask for your honorable name and where you’re from?”
That sounds better than my nickname… Meng Qi silently sighed, “My name is Meng Qi. I’m from the Divine Capital in Zhongzhou. I left home at a young age and have been living in Xiliang. Currently, I’m traveling around the martial world. People call me ‘Leisurely Sword.'”
His accent was influenced by residual instincts from his body, leaning toward the Zhongzhou dialect, so he claimed to be from Zhongzhou. Yet he had never actually been to the Divine Capital and knew nothing about it, fearing that he might be exposed if questioned further. Thus, he made up a story about leaving home early and living in Xiliang for years. Xiliang was the capital of the western province, and Meng Qi had passed through it on his way to the western regions, staying briefly and gaining some familiarity.
As for the nickname “Leisurely Sword,” it was naturally self-chosen, reflecting his aspirations and subtly protesting against nicknames like “Thunder Saber Crazy Monk” or “Wild Vajra.”
“Leisurely Sword, hahaha…” Shangguan Han chuckled but said nothing further, clearly thinking it was just an attempt by Meng Qi to elevate himself.
As for the surname Meng, he didn’t think much of it. After all, there were countless people named Meng throughout the land. Besides, Meng Qi wasn’t a towering giant with an eight-foot height and waist, just like himself, who bore the compound surname Shangguan, and no one would assume he was from the prestigious Shangguan Clan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.
Wu Qinxin had never heard of the nickname “Leisurely Sword” and naturally shared her senior brother’s thoughts. Still, she was supportive and said cheerfully, “Brother, your nickname sounds quite elegant and refined. By the way, I heard there are many Western merchants in Xiliang, with strange eye and hair colors, even descendants of gods and demons with a third eye between their brows?”
After mentioning that, she quickly shifted the topic to ask about Xiliang. She was genuinely curious, having never left the “Three Mountains and Four Waters” region since birth. Even beyond visiting relatives and her recent forays into the martial world, her usual range was limited to the vicinity of Qi Shui city.
“Xiliang indeed has few such sights, but I’ve crossed the Yumen Pass and visited the Liusha Gathering. There, I did encounter various strange descendants of gods and demons…” Meng Qi spoke with eloquence, having truly traveled far more extensively than this senior brother and junior sister pair.
Regardless of whether they considered Meng Qi a mere wandering swordsman, both Shangguan Han and Wu Qinxin, whose horizons were limited to the “Three Mountains and Four Waters” region, were quite interested in the distant Western Regions. They listened with rapt attention. Combined with Meng Qi’s firsthand experiences and his decent speaking skills, vivid images of a desolate land filled with yellow sands, rampant bandits, and strange people appeared before their eyes.
“One day, when I open all nine of my acupoints, I will definitely go to the Western Regions to hunt down those bandits,” Shangguan Han said fervently. However, he was also intimidated by the bandit forces Meng Qi described, believing he must open all nine acupoints before he could act freely in such a vast and dangerous land.
In the Central Plains sects, as long as the sect had a good lineage and other acupoint-opened experts to handle affairs, disciples were generally allowed to officially travel the martial world only after opening their acupoints. Major sects, being prominent and attracting many challenges, imposed even stricter rules. For example, Shaolin required that one of the Seventy-Two Supreme Skills must be at least moderately mastered before even the sixth acupoint could allow passage through the Copper Man Alley. Similarly, the Xijian Pavilion required that Jiang Zhiwei had to open six acupoints and master swordsmanship before she could descend the mountain.
Therefore, both Shangguan Han and Wu Qinxin had already opened their eye acupoints.
After showing off his knowledge, Meng Qi was quite satisfied with the envious gazes from Shangguan Han and Wu Qinxin. However, he dared not speak more lest he reveal his identity. He quickly changed the subject, asking, “I’m new to the ‘Three Mountains and Four Waters’ region and don’t know much about the Zengxian Gate and the Qinshan Sword Sect. Could you two introduce them to me a bit, so I won’t embarrass myself at the feast?”
“Although our ‘Three Mountains and Four Waters’ region has treacherous terrain and few arable lands, it has deep mountains rich in medicinal herbs and mineral resources. Many major sects are willing to cultivate relationships with us. The Zengxian Gate is backed by the Zhenyi Sect, while the Qinshan Sword Sect has pledged allegiance to a branch family of the Zhang Clan in Longnan. They are both top-tier sects in this region…” When it came to displaying their knowledge, and since it wasn’t a secret of the ‘Cutting Flow Sword Sect,’ Wu Qinxin spoke excitedly and eloquently.
The Zhenyi Sect was somewhat famous, founded by a lay disciple of a Grandmaster from the Zhenwu Sect who had gained a rare opportunity. Over generations, it had grown prosperous and had the Zhenwu Sect as its backing, making it a common major sect. The Zhang Clan of Longnan was one of the most prestigious families in the Great Jin Dynasty, possessing the “Yuwai Flame Sun Chapter” and the “Great Sun Burning Palm,” both supreme martial arts techniques of the Dharma Body level. However, the Qinshan Sword Sect couldn’t even approach the main family of the Zhang Clan of Longnan, as their strength and status were too far apart. They could only flatter a branch family of the Zhangs.
Meng Qi sneered slightly. The Zengxian Gate, a vassal of the Zhenyi Sect, and the Qinshan Sword Sect, a subordinate of a branch family of the Zhang Clan of Longnan, sounded rather low in status…
He came from Shaolin, one of the top martial sects in the entire land, and most of the people he associated with were of a similar level, such as the Zhenwu Sect of the Three Daoist Sects, the Xijian Pavilion and the Huanhua Sword Sect of the Six Sword-Bearing Sects, and even the young man from the Cui family, who was of noble birth and belonged to the Pingjin Cui Clan, which ranked alongside the Zhang Clan of Longnan and, after attaining the Dharma Body level, even surpassed them. His ‘archenemy,’ Gu Xiaosang, was the Holy Maiden of the Luo Sect, one of the Nine Evil Sects. Even the old weeping man’s lineage, though a bit lower in rank, was a powerful evil force that dominated the Western Regions. Therefore, upon hearing about the Zengxian Gate, a vassal of the Zhenyi Sect, which was itself a branch of the Zhenwu Sect, and the Qinshan Sword Sect, a ‘junior’ to a branch family of the Zhang Clan of Longnan, he couldn’t help but feel this way.
However, he soon chuckled at himself. After all, he had already been expelled from Shaolin, so he might be worse off than these sects with strong backing.
But he didn’t mind at all. With the vast sky and wide earth, free from any constraints and burdens, how carefree it was! Besides, even though he no longer had a sect, his companions did!
“I wonder which major sect your sect is close to?” Meng Qi asked casually.
Shangguan Han replied with a touch of pride, “Our sect shares a close bond with the ‘Luoxia Divine Sword Gate.'”
Fearing that Meng Qi might not know, he added, “The Luoxia Divine Sword Gate is one of the seven major branches of the Huanhua Sword Sect.”
That’s why Luoxia sounds familiar… Meng Qi muttered to himself, feeling a growing fondness for the Cutting Flow Sword Sect. After all, his senior brother Qi was also one of the chief administrators of external affairs in the Huanhua Sword Sect, though his strength lay in the Hun Tian Treasure Mirror rather than the sword techniques of the Huanhua Sword Sect.
After praising them a few times, Meng Qi continued to ask about the Zengxian Gate and the Qinshan Sword Sect.
Hearing his sincere attitude toward their sect, Wu Qinxin readily answered, “Six years ago, a strange stone fell from the sky, landing on the edge of Qin Mountain. Both the Zengxian Gate’s master, Hua Tiange, and the Qinshan Sword Sect’s leader, Ning Jidao, arrived at the same time. Both were grandmasters who had opened all nine acupoints, and they couldn’t resolve their dispute, so they agreed to have a contest between their sect’s outstanding disciples, limited to three participants, who could fight consecutively. The winning sect would be allowed to keep the stone for three years.”
“At first, the Qinshan Sword Sect won and studied the stone, gaining considerable benefits. However, since the time was still short, their gains hadn’t yet transformed into real strength before they faced a new contest. Hua Tiange then used the excuse that his son, Hua Lun, although a disciple of the Zhenyi Sect, should bear some responsibility for his father’s affairs, thus making him half a member of the Zengxian Gate. Therefore, he sent Hua Lun to fight. At that time, Hua Lun, at the level of opening two acupoints, used exquisite sword techniques to defeat three outstanding disciples of the Qinshan Sword Sect who had opened four acupoints each, making Ning Jidao’s hair turn white overnight,” Shangguan Han continued.
As they chatted idly, the three had already left the small Qin Mountain City and were heading toward Zengxian Mountain. Along the way, there were many martial heroes, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere, clearly indicating that most of the martial artists from the ‘Three Mountains and Four Waters’ had come to witness the spectacle.
Many among them greeted Shangguan Han familiarly, appearing to know him well, while Shangguan Han maintained a polite smile, neither too cold nor too warm.
Meng Qi was not surprised and asked about the matters he cared about: “Will Hua Lun be able to participate this time? You seem to favor the Qinshan Sword Sect more.”
Compared to the Zhang Clan of Longnan, Meng Qi felt a closer connection to the Zhenyi Sect, a branch of the Zhenwu Sect.
Wu Qinxin’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she said, “Because the Qinshan Sword Sect now has Huang Yun. Three years ago, he hadn’t even opened his ear acupoint and wasn’t chosen for the match, but now he has opened all six acupoints and has had a rare opportunity, mastering the essence of the Qinshan sword techniques. In one-on-one duels, he has defeated several elders from the ‘Three Mountains and Four Waters’ who had opened seven acupoints. People call him ‘Flying Cloud Sword.’ It’s even said that a branch of the Zhang Clan of Longnan has taken notice of him, believing that he has the potential to make it onto the People’s Rankings. Meanwhile, Hua Lun has been traveling and hasn’t gained much, remaining at the four-acupoint level. He’s already at a disadvantage in terms of cultivation level, not to mention sword techniques.”
“That explains it,” Meng Qi said, slightly eager. He had always loved lively scenes and duels. If it weren’t for his current need to avoid unnecessary trouble, he would have loved to test the strength of this ‘Flying Cloud Sword,’ who had the potential to enter the People’s Rankings. “I wonder what’s so special about this celestial stone?”
Shangguan Han spoke with great admiration, “Both the elders of the Zhang Clan’s branch in Longnan and the Zhenyi Sect personally examined it and said that the stone contains the blood of an ancient deity, which has evolved into incomplete and hard-to-recognize divine martial arts. If one meditates on it, different people will gain different insights. Over these six years, both the Qinshan Sword Sect and the Zengxian Gate have developed several extremely powerful sword techniques. Otherwise, how could Huang Yun challenge opponents above his level?”
“Divine martial arts… and neither the Zhang Clan’s branch in Longnan nor the Zhenyi Sect wanted it?” Meng Qi asked with some doubt.
“They definitely wanted it, but since it’s incomplete and hard to decipher, it’s not of much practical use. Moreover, the Zhang Clan’s branch in Longnan and the Zhenyi Sect also had to maintain their reputations. At most, they would send elders or disciples to observe it or secretly instruct disciples of the two sects to help them win the contest. For example, it’s said that Huang Yun received personal guidance from an elder of the Zhang Clan’s branch,” Shangguan Han said with a hint of jealousy toward Huang Yun.
Wu Qinxin shot her senior brother a disapproving look: “Even with guidance from experts, one must still be talented. I heard that the Zhang Clan’s branch in Longnan and the Zhenyi Sect aren’t particularly interested in observing the stone. Their main objective is to study it to determine its origin, so they can venture into the celestial realms and locate the remains of that ancient deity. That would be the greatest benefit of all.”
Meng Qi nodded slightly and continued chatting with the two. Before long, they reached the peak and arrived at the Zengxian Gate.
Inside the main hall of the gate, over a hundred banquet tables were set up, providing food for the martial heroes to come and eat as they pleased. The place was filled with the sounds of lively conversation and laughter, truly bustling with excitement.
Shangguan Han was quite well-known in the ‘Three Mountains and Four Waters’ region. As he walked around, many people came to greet him. Wu Qinxin, being the daughter of the master of the Cutting Flow Sword Sect, also received much attention. As for Meng Qi, he was completely treated as a follower.
After finally finding a round table with available seats, before they could even sit down, several martial artists at the table greeted Shangguan Han and Wu Qinxin with smiles. They also politely asked about Meng Qi.
“He is ‘Leisurely Sword’ Meng Qi from Xiliang,” Shangguan Han casually introduced.
The several martial artists nodded with understanding and then turned their attention back to chatting with Shangguan Han and Wu Qinxin.
Meng Qi didn’t bother with them, happily indulging in the feast. As for the information Wu Qinxin provided about these martial artists, he only remembered their general levels—some had opened four acupoints, some two, and others had reached the peak of Qi accumulation. This was his instinctive reaction after experiencing life-and-death situations.
Before long, the master of the Zengxian Gate, Hua Tiange, walked out, accompanied by his disciples. Though only fifty years old, he looked like an old man in his sixties, with almost all his hair turned white.
“Strange, he looks so worried. It can’t be that bad…” Meng Qi glanced at him and felt a stirring in his heart.
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