Boisterous laughter echoed from the depths of the bamboo forest. Xiang Zuofeng's brow furrowed, and he quickly ordered his men to be on guard. In a short while, a young man wielding a wolf-toothed club led a group out of the bamboo forest.
Seeing him, Shu Han immediately thought of the Hungry Wolf Gang leader who had pursued him years ago. Xiang Zuofeng's brows furrowed even more, his hand slowly resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, he angrily said, "Gao Wuchuan, why have you brought so many people? Do you intend to declare war against Sky-aspiring Sect?"
Gao Wuchuan laughed and said, "Not at all. We have the same purpose as you, to invite the Immortal from Dragon Mystical Sect. But you beat us to it." He then turned to Shu Han and Goudan, bowed respectfully, and said, "I apologize for the delay and the disturbance caused by these crude people. I invite you to our Hungry Wolf Gang, where I believe you will find many of your former brothers."
Shu Han squinted, it seemed that the disciples of the Dragon Mystical Sect who had disbanded earlier had all been intercepted by the seven factions. He had hoped that the disciples could return home safely, but without Dragon Mystical Sect, the seven factions had come to divide the spoils.
"What do you mean!" Xiang Zuofeng unsheathed his sword and yelled, "The Immortal has already agreed to come to my Sky-aspiring Sect! Are you planning to ambush us halfway there?"
"Hmph! Ambush? Of course, we Hungry Wolf Gang wouldn't be so disrespectful to the Immortal, but to deal with your obstinate crowd, we won't be polite!"
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Shu Han held his hands in a salute and said, "Thank you for the Hungry Wolf Gang's kind intentions, but I have decided to go to Sky-aspiring Sect first. Please go back."
Xiang Zuofeng said triumphantly, "Did you hear that? Leave now! Otherwise, if the Immortal gets angry, there will be none of you left!"
Gao Wuchuan shook his head and said, "Don't say that yet, Immortal. The Hungry Wolf Gang is fortunate to have invited an Immortal with a high level of cultivation from the Dragon Mystical Sect. According to seniority, this person might be your senior brother. Shall we invite him to persuade the Immortal?"
At this moment, a wild wind blew through the bamboo forest, accompanied by an arrogant voice. "Ahahaha! I wonder which brother it is. After leaving Dragon Mystical Sect, would you like to come to Hungry Wolf Gang for a drink and to catch up? With my reputation, the Hungry Wolf Gang will definitely not treat you poorly!"
A Daoist priest came riding on the wind, and Goudan exclaimed, "It turns out to be senior brother Zhu, who has reached the eighth level of Qi Refining!"
Senior Brother Zhu laughed heartily in mid-air, "So it's junior brother Shu Sheng, and the one next to him is…" When his gaze landed on Shu Han's face, he suddenly turned pale, his wind-riding technique became unstable, and he fell from mid-air.
Gao Wuchuan was startled and quickly dismounted to help Zhu up. He asked anxiously, "Immortal, what's the matter?"
Shu Han leisurely said, "So it's Senior Brother Zhu, I haven't seen you for a month and you have joined the Jianghu faction."
Senior Brother Zhu was shaky and managed a weak smile, "It turns out to be Junior Brother Shu Han, I was wrong, I shouldn't have got involved in the Jianghu struggle. I hope you can forgive me, I will retreat immediately and no longer interfere in worldly affairs."
After saying this, he bowed to Gao Wuchuan and said, "Master Gao, I have realized that a cultivator should not bother the world. The previous agreement ends here, I'm leaving!"
After that, he rode on the wind and disappeared from everyone's sight in a puff of smoke. Watching Senior Brother Zhu leave in a sorry state, Shu Han sighed deeply. He had originally thought that once Dragon Mystical Sect was eradicated, Northern Yan would no longer be in chaos due to cultivators. However, these disciples of the Dragon Mystical Sect, accustomed to living a life of luxury and dominance, how could they not disrupt the world with their spells to gain status?
When Dragon Mystical Sect was around, they were mostly focused on cultivation and were restrained. But now that Dragon Mystical Sect has disbanded, these people, without restraint, would likely be more aggressive in their pursuit of fame and wealth.
When Dragon Mystical Sect was in power, the people suffered. When Dragon Mystical Sect disbanded, the people still suffered. Shu Han pondered, suddenly enlightened. The root of the people's hardship is not in Dragon Mystical Sect but in the people themselves. Because this world has no mercy for the weak.
Goudan watched Senior Brother Zhu flee the scene, whispering, "Brother Big Head, just let him go so easily? It seems to me he was just talking nonsense to you."
"That's enough. I can't control him!" Then Shu Han's gaze swept over the Hungry Wolf Gang, and Gao Wuchuan couldn't help but shiver. "Hungry Wolf Gang brothers, let us pass."
Gao Wuchuan swallowed, not really understanding what had just happened. As soon as Immortal Zhu met this man, he fled in a sorry state. But this man didn't seem to be very old, could his cultivation be even higher than Immortal Zhu's? Not daring to be rude, he immediately bowed and hurriedly led the team to leave.
Seeing that Shu Han had scared away a high-level Qi Refining cultivator with a single sentence, Xiang Zuofeng couldn't help but take a deep breath, somewhat regretting his rudeness just now. However, deep down he still didn't take the Dragon Mystical Sect disciples too seriously. From his experience over the years, no matter their cultivation level, their tactics were more or less the same. If their cultivation was slightly higher, they might be a bit more difficult to deal with. But they wouldn't have the overpowering power of the legendary Master Dragon Mystical.
After thanking Shu Han, Xiang Zuofeng continued to lead the team back to Sky-aspiring Sect. After a full day's ride on fast horses, the group finally arrived at the foot of the Sky-aspiring Sect.
Looking at the mountain gate of Sky-aspiring Sect, Shu Han couldn't help but ask, "How many Dragon Mystical Sect disciples have Sky-aspiring Sect recruited now?"
"In reply to Immortal Shu Han, Sky-aspiring Sect hasn't recruited many immortals. It can be said that we have recruited the least among the seven major sects, just five. However, with the joining of you, Sky-aspiring Sect will certainly not fear other sects!"
Shu Han smiled, "I haven't agreed to join Sky-aspiring Sect yet."
"You're joking, Immortal! Please!" Xiang Zuofeng gestured for Shu Han to go up the mountain, thinking to himself, once you've entered Sky-aspiring Sect, you'll have to agree even if you don't. You cultivators are indeed powerful, but without a sect, it's difficult to stand alone. Do you still want to put on the airs of your previous status as immortal?
Walking along the mountain road, Shu Han noticed traces of fighting all around, which seemed quite fresh. He asked, "Has Sky-aspiring Sect been attacked recently? Why are there traces of fighting everywhere?"
Xiang Zuofeng explained, "Ever since our old sect leader died on Yandang Mountain ten years ago, Sky-aspiring Sect has almost fallen apart. People with different opinions have been fighting for nearly ten years and gradually split into two factions, neither giving way to the other. A conflict broke out not long ago, causing heavy internal consumption in Sky-aspiring Sect, which is why we didn't recruit many immortals."
Internal strife? Shu Han couldn't help but worry about Mu Wan'er's situation.
Xiang Zuofeng said, "Since the chaos on Yandang Mountain ten years ago, the seven major sects have been oppressed by Dragon Mystical Sect. But under the lewd power of Old Demon Dragon Mystical, everyone dared not disobey. Dragon Mystical Sect plundered without limit, and it was almost impossible for the sects to sustain themselves. However, the Hungry Wolf Gang was the first to abandon the bottom line of Jianghu, officially becoming bandits and plundering everywhere, gradually recovering their foundation. They became the strongest among the seven major sects, and then the other sects followed suit, managing to recover slightly."
"Only our Sky-aspiring Sect suffered greatly, with expenditures exceeding income. The old sect leader stubbornly adhered to some Jianghu bottom line, which dragged Sky-aspiring Sect down. Later, everyone tried to unite and resist, but the forces left by the old sect leader were too large, and the struggle lasted for ten years without a result."
Xiang Zuofeng said, "However, the result will come in the next day or two."
"Why?"
"There has been great loss due to the internal fighting in the sect. Everyone has agreed to resolve this according to Jianghu rules by comparing martial arts. The faction with the most skilled martial arts will be established as the new sect leader, and all factions will submit and govern Sky-aspiring Sect!"
Boisterous laughter echoed from the depths of the bamboo forest. Xiang Zuofeng's brow furrowed, and he quickly ordered his men to be on guard. In a short while, a young man wielding a wolf-toothed club led a group out of the bamboo forest.
Seeing him, Shu Han immediately thought of the Hungry Wolf Gang leader who had pursued him years ago. Xiang Zuofeng's brows furrowed even more, his hand slowly resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, he angrily said, "Gao Wuchuan, why have you brought so many people? Do you intend to declare war against Sky-aspiring Sect?"
Gao Wuchuan laughed and said, "Not at all. We have the same purpose as you, to invite the Immortal from Dragon Mystical Sect. But you beat us to it." He then turned to Shu Han and Goudan, bowed respectfully, and said, "I apologize for the delay and the disturbance caused by these crude people. I invite you to our Hungry Wolf Gang, where I believe you will find many of your former brothers."
Shu Han squinted, it seemed that the disciples of the Dragon Mystical Sect who had disbanded earlier had all been intercepted by the seven factions. He had hoped that the disciples could return home safely, but without Dragon Mystical Sect, the seven factions had come to divide the spoils.
"What do you mean!" Xiang Zuofeng unsheathed his sword and yelled, "The Immortal has already agreed to come to my Sky-aspiring Sect! Are you planning to ambush us halfway there?"
"Hmph! Ambush? Of course, we Hungry Wolf Gang wouldn't be so disrespectful to the Immortal, but to deal with your obstinate crowd, we won't be polite!"
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Shu Han held his hands in a salute and said, "Thank you for the Hungry Wolf Gang's kind intentions, but I have decided to go to Sky-aspiring Sect first. Please go back."
Xiang Zuofeng said triumphantly, "Did you hear that? Leave now! Otherwise, if the Immortal gets angry, there will be none of you left!"
Gao Wuchuan shook his head and said, "Don't say that yet, Immortal. The Hungry Wolf Gang is fortunate to have invited an Immortal with a high level of cultivation from the Dragon Mystical Sect. According to seniority, this person might be your senior brother. Shall we invite him to persuade the Immortal?"
At this moment, a wild wind blew through the bamboo forest, accompanied by an arrogant voice. "Ahahaha! I wonder which brother it is. After leaving Dragon Mystical Sect, would you like to come to Hungry Wolf Gang for a drink and to catch up? With my reputation, the Hungry Wolf Gang will definitely not treat you poorly!"
A Daoist priest came riding on the wind, and Goudan exclaimed, "It turns out to be senior brother Zhu, who has reached the eighth level of Qi Refining!"
Senior Brother Zhu laughed heartily in mid-air, "So it's junior brother Shu Sheng, and the one next to him is…" When his gaze landed on Shu Han's face, he suddenly turned pale, his wind-riding technique became unstable, and he fell from mid-air.
Gao Wuchuan was startled and quickly dismounted to help Zhu up. He asked anxiously, "Immortal, what's the matter?"
Shu Han leisurely said, "So it's Senior Brother Zhu, I haven't seen you for a month and you have joined the Jianghu faction."
Senior Brother Zhu was shaky and managed a weak smile, "It turns out to be Junior Brother Shu Han, I was wrong, I shouldn't have got involved in the Jianghu struggle. I hope you can forgive me, I will retreat immediately and no longer interfere in worldly affairs."
After saying this, he bowed to Gao Wuchuan and said, "Master Gao, I have realized that a cultivator should not bother the world. The previous agreement ends here, I'm leaving!"
After that, he rode on the wind and disappeared from everyone's sight in a puff of smoke. Watching Senior Brother Zhu leave in a sorry state, Shu Han sighed deeply. He had originally thought that once Dragon Mystical Sect was eradicated, Northern Yan would no longer be in chaos due to cultivators. However, these disciples of the Dragon Mystical Sect, accustomed to living a life of luxury and dominance, how could they not disrupt the world with their spells to gain status?
When Dragon Mystical Sect was around, they were mostly focused on cultivation and were restrained. But now that Dragon Mystical Sect has disbanded, these people, without restraint, would likely be more aggressive in their pursuit of fame and wealth.
When Dragon Mystical Sect was in power, the people suffered. When Dragon Mystical Sect disbanded, the people still suffered. Shu Han pondered, suddenly enlightened. The root of the people's hardship is not in Dragon Mystical Sect but in the people themselves. Because this world has no mercy for the weak.
Goudan watched Senior Brother Zhu flee the scene, whispering, "Brother Big Head, just let him go so easily? It seems to me he was just talking nonsense to you."
"That's enough. I can't control him!" Then Shu Han's gaze swept over the Hungry Wolf Gang, and Gao Wuchuan couldn't help but shiver. "Hungry Wolf Gang brothers, let us pass."
Gao Wuchuan swallowed, not really understanding what had just happened. As soon as Immortal Zhu met this man, he fled in a sorry state. But this man didn't seem to be very old, could his cultivation be even higher than Immortal Zhu's? Not daring to be rude, he immediately bowed and hurriedly led the team to leave.
Seeing that Shu Han had scared away a high-level Qi Refining cultivator with a single sentence, Xiang Zuofeng couldn't help but take a deep breath, somewhat regretting his rudeness just now. However, deep down he still didn't take the Dragon Mystical Sect disciples too seriously. From his experience over the years, no matter their cultivation level, their tactics were more or less the same. If their cultivation was slightly higher, they might be a bit more difficult to deal with. But they wouldn't have the overpowering power of the legendary Master Dragon Mystical.
After thanking Shu Han, Xiang Zuofeng continued to lead the team back to Sky-aspiring Sect. After a full day's ride on fast horses, the group finally arrived at the foot of the Sky-aspiring Sect.
Looking at the mountain gate of Sky-aspiring Sect, Shu Han couldn't help but ask, "How many Dragon Mystical Sect disciples have Sky-aspiring Sect recruited now?"
"In reply to Immortal Shu Han, Sky-aspiring Sect hasn't recruited many immortals. It can be said that we have recruited the least among the seven major sects, just five. However, with the joining of you, Sky-aspiring Sect will certainly not fear other sects!"
Shu Han smiled, "I haven't agreed to join Sky-aspiring Sect yet."
"You're joking, Immortal! Please!" Xiang Zuofeng gestured for Shu Han to go up the mountain, thinking to himself, once you've entered Sky-aspiring Sect, you'll have to agree even if you don't. You cultivators are indeed powerful, but without a sect, it's difficult to stand alone. Do you still want to put on the airs of your previous status as immortal?
Walking along the mountain road, Shu Han noticed traces of fighting all around, which seemed quite fresh. He asked, "Has Sky-aspiring Sect been attacked recently? Why are there traces of fighting everywhere?"
Xiang Zuofeng explained, "Ever since our old sect leader died on Yandang Mountain ten years ago, Sky-aspiring Sect has almost fallen apart. People with different opinions have been fighting for nearly ten years and gradually split into two factions, neither giving way to the other. A conflict broke out not long ago, causing heavy internal consumption in Sky-aspiring Sect, which is why we didn't recruit many immortals."
Internal strife? Shu Han couldn't help but worry about Mu Wan'er's situation.
Xiang Zuofeng said, "Since the chaos on Yandang Mountain ten years ago, the seven major sects have been oppressed by Dragon Mystical Sect. But under the lewd power of Old Demon Dragon Mystical, everyone dared not disobey. Dragon Mystical Sect plundered without limit, and it was almost impossible for the sects to sustain themselves. However, the Hungry Wolf Gang was the first to abandon the bottom line of Jianghu, officially becoming bandits and plundering everywhere, gradually recovering their foundation. They became the strongest among the seven major sects, and then the other sects followed suit, managing to recover slightly."
"Only our Sky-aspiring Sect suffered greatly, with expenditures exceeding income. The old sect leader stubbornly adhered to some Jianghu bottom line, which dragged Sky-aspiring Sect down. Later, everyone tried to unite and resist, but the forces left by the old sect leader were too large, and the struggle lasted for ten years without a result."
Xiang Zuofeng said, "However, the result will come in the next day or two."
"Why?"
"There has been great loss due to the internal fighting in the sect. Everyone has agreed to resolve this according to Jianghu rules by comparing martial arts. The faction with the most skilled martial arts will be established as the new sect leader, and all factions will submit and govern Sky-aspiring Sect!"
