When Zhongwen spoke, it stirred another ripple among the crowd. Of the people present, more than half had previously encountered the Plum Blossom Sect. Unlike most other sects and their arcane arts in the world, the Plum Blossom Sect’s cultivation techniques were rooted in Thunder Magic, transcending the Five Elements, and were thus highly distinctive. Therefore, upon hearing Tao Zhongwen’s words, everyone turned their eyes toward Mei Qing.
Tao Zhongwen looked at Mei Qing and shook his head, saying, “Ah Nu, I must admit, your move of taking over another’s body was indeed brilliant. Had you remained hidden all along, I would never have guessed it was you. Alas, alas, you couldn’t resist the urge to reveal yourself. Though you managed to hold back for so many years, in the end, you still couldn’t help but jump out. Didn’t you consider how unique our sect’s techniques are? How could we possibly not recognize them? I suspect you didn’t expect that, even after all this time, I have never stopped searching for you.”
Mei Qing smiled lightly, about to speak, when suddenly a hoarse voice laughed from behind his ear: “Utter nonsense! I never expected the esteemed Master Dian to be such a fine actor. With your talent, it’s a shame you didn’t go to Fenzihutong to perform in plays and recite poetry.”
Everyone was startled and turned to look. The speaker was none other than Zhang Shisan, who was hugging his gourd of wine and staring straight ahead without looking sideways.
Tao Zhongwen sneered, “So it’s you. You claim to be Mei Qing’s master, so I suppose it was you who taught him the Plum Blossom Sect’s techniques? If that’s the case, please demonstrate a few of the sect’s arts for us.”
Zhang Shisan acted as if he hadn’t heard, raised his wine gourd, took a deep sip, and savored it for a while before leisurely saying, “There’s always a new generation of frogs in the well, thinking their own pond is the greatest in the world. He acts as if the Plum Blossom Sect’s techniques are the only superior ones, always eager to show them off. But what I meant, Master Tao, was not that. I called you a liar because what you said earlier about the death of Fan Meihua was complete nonsense!”
Zhang Shisan’s words struck like thunder, sending a jolt through everyone’s hearts. Earlier, Tao Zhongwen’s account of Fan Meihua’s death at the hands of Ah Nu had seemed logical and close to what many had suspected, so most present had believed it to be true.
Now, with Zhang Shisan suddenly calling Tao Zhongwen a liar, doubt crept into everyone’s minds, and their gazes shifted back and forth between the two.
“Oh?” Tao Zhongwen’s eyes gleamed with meaning. “May I ask, who exactly are you? From what I can guess, could you perhaps be from Mount Longhu? Only someone from Longhu, using the old pretense of the Celestial Master’s sect, could possibly have coerced all these fellow Daoists into coming here to cheer for you. But upon hearing that your sect’s Celestial Master couldn’t defeat my master, did you fly into a rage and jump out to argue irrationally?”
“Indeed, Master Zhang couldn’t rival the Plum Blossom Sect’s Fan Meihua, and I admit that fully,” Zhang Shisan replied bitterly. “However, Fan Meihua, a great cultivator of his generation, did not die at the hands of this Ah Nu as you claimed. Heh, Tao Zhongwen, do you really think no one in the world knows of your plot with your senior apprentice brother, that you schemed against your master and killed the Plum Blossom Sect’s Grandmaster? Do you really think you can just spout lies freely?”
“Who exactly are you?” Tao Zhongwen’s face remained calm, but his voice turned icy cold. “To slander others so brazenly without even revealing your true identity—do you think the world has no one capable of seeing through you?”
“You ask who I am?” Zhang Shisan narrowed his eyes at his opponent. “Actually, I’ve been wondering who you are myself. For over a decade, you’ve been like a ghost, impossible to track. Never did I expect that today, you would finally reveal yourself to me! Haha, Tao Zhongwen, if you knew who I really am, you’d regret it until your intestines turned green!”
With that, Zhang Shisan, who had been slightly hunched, suddenly straightened his back. His figure trembled slightly and then became tall and dignified. His face blurred momentarily, and when the crowd looked again, the previously unremarkable Zhang Shisan had transformed into a tall, refined middle-aged Daoist priest.
“It’s you!… You weren’t… dead?” Tao Zhongwen exclaimed in shock.
Mei Qing, seeing his immortal master suddenly change into this form, had a sudden realization. The others around him were all stunned, clearly recognizing Zhang Shisan’s true identity.
Li Daoding, the Wuding Immortal, was the calmest of all. As if he had already guessed who Zhang Shisan was, he murmured unconsciously, “So it really is you—the previous Celestial Master Zhang Yuchong. You really are still alive.”
Mei Qing was deeply shocked. Although he had suspected his casual master was a senior cultivator, he had never imagined someone of such great renown.
No wonder Zhang Shisan had always said he had deep ties to the Celestial Master sect but never claimed to be one himself. Mei Qing had previously speculated that perhaps Zhang had had a conflict with the sect or had simply chosen not to be bound by it. Now he realized it must have been because Zhang had first been stripped of the title of Celestial Master and then defeated by Plum Blossom Sect’s Fan Meihua. Ashamed, he had chosen to live a life of self-debasement and self-punishment.
At this moment, Master Ku smiled faintly and said, “Indeed, the old fool couldn’t let go until the very end, could he?”
Zhang Yuchong sighed and said, “They say letting go is the way—but it’s precisely because people cannot let go. If they could, they wouldn’t be ordinary mortals anymore.”
With that, Zhang Yuchong flicked his sleeve, and a small five-colored talisman spun out. But this talisman was not written on ordinary paper—it was a small plaque, neither jade nor metal, shimmering with five-colored lights and inscribed with an extremely mysterious Daoist sigil.
“The Celestial Master’s Talisman!” someone gasped.
Zhang Yuchong shook his head and sighed, “The Celestial Master’s Talisman… Alas, this talisman has not seen the light of day for fifteen years. Today, I reveal it only to prevent anyone from calling me a fraud.”
He then looked at Tao Zhongwen and sneered, “Master Dian, it’s been fifteen years since we last met, and you’ve made me search far and wide. Never did I expect that after wearing out iron shoes in vain, fortune would finally smile on me today. It’s you who have come right under my nose.”
He then turned his gaze and called out to Huang Guxu and Zhuo Wanchun in the distance, “Greetings to my Daoist brothers Yang Shang of Maoshan and Gu Xu of Geyao! After more than ten years apart, meeting you again brings back memories of our shared wine, peaches, and Daoist discussions. How nostalgic!”
Huang Guxu looked a bit embarrassed and simply bowed from afar.
But Zhuo Wanchun stepped forward, took Zhang Yuchong’s hand, and said, “Meeting you again in good health fills my heart with joy. Peach blossoms, spring breeze, a cup of wine, and ten years of night rain on the rivers and lakes. Alas, though people remain, the world has changed. Now, Shangyang and Brother Zhang have taken different paths. What a cruel twist of fate!”
Zhang Yuchong laughed heartily, “Indeed, Shangyang, you’ve always been straightforward.” Then he sneered again, “But Tao Zhongwen is no ordinary man. Associating with him is like making a deal with a tiger. Earlier, I mentioned how he and his senior apprentice brother plotted against their master, the Plum Blossom Grandmaster, leaving him without even a bone to bury. Can you really still stand by his side? If the truth of that matter were revealed, all cultivators in the world would shudder in disgust.”
Zhuo Wanchun sighed and raised his hand to stop Zhang Yuchong, saying, “Brother Zhang, let’s not speak of that matter. After all, Ah Nu’s crime was merely replaced by Shao and Tao’s. Even if he betrayed his master and destroyed his sect, what does that have to do with me or with Maoshan? You are such a clever man—why can’t you see through this?”
“What do you mean, Brother Zhuo?” Zhang Yuchong said coldly. “Are we Daoist cultivators really so blind to right and wrong, so indifferent to morality? Brother Zhuo, with such behavior, are you not afraid of falling into the path of demons and heretics?”
Zhuo Wanchun laughed loudly, “How laughable! Brother Zhang, I never expected that after so many years, you still don’t know where you truly failed!”
He shook his head and continued, “Let me ask you—was it because your Longhu Sect followed the will of Heaven and walked the righteous path that you became the leader of all Daoist sects back then? Or was it because Zhang Liusun used his personal strength to destroy the Divine Thunder Sect and intimidate all other sects, forcing them to bow their heads? What crime did the Divine Thunder Sect commit? What evil deeds did they do? To suppress others by force—wasn’t it your Celestial Master sect that first fell into the path of demons? And as for you yourself, what evil or heretical acts did you commit that led to your failure in summoning rain and the loss of your title? It was simply because your sect had lost the people’s hearts, and thus the retribution fell upon you, making you a laughingstock of the world! And now you dare lecture me about demons and heretics!?”
Zhang Yuchong sneered, “So, Brother Zhuo, you came here today with a purpose—not only to humiliate the Celestial Master sect but also to use Master Dian’s strength to elevate Maoshan as the new leader of the Daoist world?”
Zhuo Wanchun declared loudly, “Exactly! Our Maoshan and Gezao sects, together with the Plum Blossom Sect, wish to promote the Plum Blossom Sect as the state religion of this dynasty. Maoshan and Gezao will become allies of the Plum Blossom Sect, jointly leading the Daoist world, just as the Longhu Celestial Master sect and the Yuan sect did in the past. Those who willingly follow us will ensure peace for the Daoist sects, while those who overestimate themselves will meet the same fate as the Divine Thunder Sect!”
Zhang Yuchong laughed heartily, “Brother Zhuo, your boldness is admirable, but if you wish to rule by force, you must first possess the strength to back it up. With so many experts on our side, can you really afford to speak so arrogantly with only the three of you?”
Zhuo Wanchun remained unmoved, snorted coldly, and said, “Master Dian never acts without a plan. Since he dared to come here, he must have his contingencies. Brother Zhang, perhaps it’s time for you to recognize the situation. Master Dian is magnanimous and will not make things difficult for you!”
Seeing Zhuo Wanchun’s confident demeanor, Mei Qing’s mind filled with suspicion. The current balance of power was clearly in favor of the opposing side. Yet the enemy remained so calm—could there be another hidden scheme?
Mei Qing’s mind raced. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
“Father-in-law…” Mei Qing turned to look at Lu Bing and called out mentally. Lu Bing also turned to look at him, his eyes filled with the same realization.
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