The Xie Family Head felt somewhat helpless.
But more than that, he felt that it was the norm.
Back when he was studying at the academy, he was already well aware of the temperament of the old man before him. He was someone who, when agitated, even dared to scold the former Dean. Now that he was the Dean, no one in the world could control him anymore. Naturally, he said whatever he wanted and scolded whoever he wanted as well.
The Dean rubbed his brows. He had long known he would not be able to change the thoughts of this old fellow before him. After a long silence, he slowly said, "I have only one request: let that girl do things according to her own will. If you can't agree to even this point, then I will demolish half of your ancestral hall today."
The Xie Family Head smiled and nodded, "Old Fogey, you need to think it through. Before she became your disciple, she had carried the Xie surname for over a decade. And evidently, she will continue to carry it."
The Dean sneered and said, "At this juncture, I'm really worried that you, old fellow, might be completely unconcerned with this matter anymore."
The Xie Family Head did not answer this question, he just changed the topic, "Play a game of chess?"
The Dean gave a cold snort and waved his hand to reject, "Do you really think I traveled all the way from the Divine Capital just to find you?"
He had naturally come all the way South for some other matter. That matter was very important, he had already done some things. Coming here could only be said to be passing by.
"Leaving Sword Qi Mountain, then wandered around the South, and finally arrived here. If you, old fellow, really came here specifically, it doesn't seem very plausible."
The Xie Family Head also did not feel that the Dean was lying to him.
The Dean did not want to waste his breath, turning around to leave.
When he entered the Xie Clan's residence, it was through the main entrance. Now that he was leaving, it would naturally be the main entrance as well.
"Remember to show a more pleasant expression. Otherwise, who knows what those eyes outside will see, or what they will imagine."
The Xie Family Head opened his mouth and said, his voice full of helplessness.
The Dean gave a cold snort and did not reply.
……
……
The Sublime Bright Sect was not too far from Rainwater Commandery; just a few hundred miles away. For cultivators, one day was enough.
Yu Xiyi and Chen Chao had killed many cultivators from the Sublime Bright Sect. Now, they were even heading to the sect to denounce them. If this were in a different context, where Chen Chao's cultivation was sufficiently high and his official rank was high enough, and if the Sublime Bright Sect was weak enough, then everything would be justified. However, it was apparent that the Sublime Bright Sect was not the small sect they might have imagined. Moreover, Chen Chao was not a grand cultivator. The laws of the Great Liang naturally would not hold much sway over the Sublime Bright Sect.
While Yu Xiyi believed that Chen Chao was long prepared for this, he still felt a bit uncertain as they headed towards the Sublime Bright Sect. Nevertheless, given his personality, since he had promised Chen Chao, there was no possibility of turning back.
In the morning light, the two advanced at a moderate pace. Surprisingly, in less than half an hour, they could already see the pavilions on the Sublime Bright Sect's mountain in the distance.
At this moment, Yu Xiyi finally believed that the young man in front of him was determined to carry out this plan.
It was not exactly a solitary endeavor, but still, two youngsters setting out to challenge a major sect?
Moreover, a Nepenthe cultivator was defending this mountain.
Yu Xiyi was curious about the source of this young man's confidence.
Looking as they were about to ascend the mountain, Chen Chao looked at Yu Xiyi, who seemed to be holding back words at the tip of his tongue, and asked with a grin, "Are you regretting it? It's not too late to change your mind. Being a sword cultivator, aren't you very skilled at fleeing using your sword? Besides, I'm here. If you want to leave, it shouldn't be too difficult."
Although Yu Xiyi understood that these words were mostly jest, he still furrowed his brows with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Chen Chao said, "Although that Daoist Master Ironcloud might not necessarily kill us as soon as we start climbing the mountain, let's assume for a moment that he does, even with all my preparations, wouldn't it be a shame if I can't execute them?"
Yu Xiyi said, "What's the point of saying all this now?"
Chen Chao said seriously, "I'm just setting the expectations first, so you won't blame me in the underworld when you die."
"If I really get implicated by you and die, I'll chase you down in the underworld and hack you 18 times every day."
Yu Xiyi's response was naturally sharp and defiant.
Chen Chao stopped talking and officially ascended the mountain.
The entire Sublime Bright Sect likely would not have expected Chen Chao to have the audacity to come to the Sublime Bright Sect in person. Therefore, as they made their way up the mountain, they did not encounter any obstacles. Chen Chao walked very slowly. It was not until they were almost at the mountain pass gates that they encountered two daoists guarding the pass.
"Halt!"
Those were two daoists dressed in ordinary blue daoist robes, who eyed Chen Chao and Yu Xiyi rather warily.
The Sublime Bright Sect was a major sect in the Cang Prefecture, so naturally, no one would dare to act unruly at the Sublime Bright Sect. Hence, prior to this, they would not care even if they saw outsiders at the mountain pass gates too. However, recent unsettling news from the mountain had made them rather nervous and vigilant. Otherwise, they would not have acted this way.
"Who are you?"
The two daoists looked at these two youngsters, sizing them up rather suspiciously. One was a young man in black with a saber at his waist, and the other was a youth in green robes. Although he was not armed, there seemed to be a special aura emanating from that youth, seemingly like a sharp sword?
Could he be a sword cultivator?
Those two daoists had rather low cultivation realms, they could not see through Yu Xiyi at all. But at this moment, they still appraised him seriously. As for Chen Chao, they naturally overlooked him.
Chen Chao did not care either.
Yu Xiyi glanced at Chen Chao and then took the initiative to say, "My master is a good friend of Daoist Master Ironcloud. I traveled here on this trip out to specially pay a visit to Daoist Master Ironcloud."
Yu Xiyi was aware that Daoist Master Ironcloud was currently in seclusion, so he casually said this to also test if the Daoist Master Ironcloud was truly in seclusion.
"The Sect Master is in seclusion. I'm afraid he won't be able to meet you."
One of the daoists let out a sigh of relief and spoke.
Yu Xiyi expressed some regret, "It's truly unfortunate. I wonder when Daoist Master Ironcloud will exit seclusion? For this trip, my master insisted that I must meet with him. I'm not sure if there's a chance for that."
That daoist was about to speak when he suddenly furrowed his brows.
Because, out of the two who had initially come together, only Yu Xiyi remained now. He was about to subconsciously look around when a scabbard struck his neck. His vision went dark and he immediately fainted.
The other daoist was the same.
Both of them collapsed on the mountain path.
Chen Chao said, "Let's go."
Yu Xiyi nodded. Given the cultivation realm of these two daoists, he could naturally kill them with a single strike if he drew his sword. But, he was not a bloodthirsty person. These daoists were merely just ordinary small fries in the sect. They had probably not done any wrongdoings either, so why kill them?
The two proceeded along the mountain path. After a short distance, Chen Chao led Yu Xiyi deep into the woods. Within the forest, they discovered a very concealed trail, overgrown with weeds. It was likely that no one had tended to it for many years.
Did this also mean that not many people knew about this small trail?
That was likely the case.
Yu Xiyi lamented softly, "You've really been here before."
He had been wondering about this question all along, and now he finally had a definite answer.
Yes, Chen Chao must have been here before. He was beyond certain now.
Chen Chao looked at Yu Xiyi and said nothing. He just parted the undergrowth, moving deeper into the mountain.
Walking behind him, Yu Xiyi frowned and said, "At this point, do you still feel that I can't know about this matter?"
Chen Chao replied without turning his head, "Stop talking. When the time is right, I'll tell you."
"Are you an abandoned disciple of the Sublime Bright Sect? Did you come up the mountain this time to reclaim the position of sect master that belongs to you?" Yu Xiyi was unrelenting, his curiosity quite clear.
Chen Chao was rather speechless but quickly asked, "Where exactly did you read all these stories?"
Yu Xiyi scoffed, "Don't the scholars of your Great Liang Dynasty like to write such stories? When I have nothing to do, I'll naturally have a read too."
Chen Chao fell silent. Indeed, among the scholars of the Great Liang Dynasty, many enjoyed writing such stories.
"You've got it wrong."
Chen Chao shook his head and only said this sentence at the end.
Yu Xiyi responded with an "Oh" and said, "So, you won't tell me what the truth is?"
Chen Chao repeated, "When the time is right, I'll tell you."
After saying this, the two continued along this obscure trail and quickly saw a pavilion standing in the distance, with many daoists coming and going out of it.
Chen Chao glanced at it and continued walking ahead. The path they were on was exceptionally concealed, Chen Chao was very certain that probably no more than three to five people in the entire Sublime Bright Sect knew about it.
Perhaps even the whole Sublime Bright Sect was unaware of this trail.
Thus, the two proceeded up the mountain unimpeded, without any obstacles. They soon left the dense forest and arriving at a high platform.
This platform stood at the summit and was very spacious. Its surface was engraved with countless stars. The patterns were very odd, making it look very special.
Unbeknownst to them, they had already reached the mountaintop.
Seeing the high platform with its countless star engravings, Yu Xiyi fell silent for a moment before saying, "This is the observatory. It's said that Daoist Master Ironcloud cultivates bitterly here daily because the Sublime Bright Sect's cultivation methods are related to the stars. But why isn't he here today?"
Everyone said that Daoist Master Ironcloud was cultivating in seclusion. But since this was the best place for cultivation, why would he not be here?
After Yu Xiyi sighed with vicissitudes of emotion, he lamented again, "You know that this path can lead straight to this place, doesn't that mean if someone knows about this path, the entire Sublime Bright Mountain would be completely unprepared if they wanted to do something?"
Even though Yu Xiyi was not concerned about something like the destruction of the Sublime Bright Sect, he could not help but feel rather emotional.
Chen Chao remarked, "Luckily, he isn't cultivating here right now. Or else, we'd have to die here."
When Chen Chao was talking, Yu Xiyi had been staring at him the entire time. Noticing that there was no trace of worry on his face as he spoke, this led Yu Xiyi to say angrily, "You think I'm easily fooled?"
Chen Chao responded with a simple "Mhm."
Yu Xiyi was incredibly angry.
However, Chen Chao ignored him and continued walking ahead, there was another hidden trail.
Yu Xiyi had nothing to say and simply followed.
Before long, he discovered to his surprise that he actually climbed a little higher. One had to know that the observatory was already the highest point of the Sublime Bright Mountain. But walking ahead actually led to an even higher point. What did this mean?
It must be the most important place of the Sublime Bright Sect.
Yu Xiyi said again, "You must be an abandoned disciple of the Sublime Bright Sect. Otherwise, how would you know about this place?!"
Chen Chao responded with just one sentence that left Yu Xiyi speechless, "If I were an abandoned disciple of the Sublime Bright Sect, how could they not recognize me?"
Right, whether was it the young daoist from earlier or the purple-robed daoists, none of them had expressed any recognition of Chen Chao. If Chen Chao had truly cultivated in the Sublime Bright Sect before, there was no way they would not recognize Chen Chao.
Yu Xiyi furrowed his brow slightly and actually discovered that he could not refute Chen Chao's words.
"Bringing you to a good place. If we're lucky, we might find quite a few treasures."
Chen Chao said with a smile, then walked all the way, and arrived in front of a stone wall.
Yu Xiyi followed him all the way and saw the smooth stone wall too.
Then, Chen Chao reminisced for a long time before pressing a certain part of the stone wall, revealing a keyhole.
Yu Xiyi said, "This requires a key."
Chen Chao nodded and said, "I know."
Then, he took a key out of his bosom.
Yu Xiyi was stupefied.
The Xie Family Head felt somewhat helpless.
But more than that, he felt that it was the norm.
Back when he was studying at the academy, he was already well aware of the temperament of the old man before him. He was someone who, when agitated, even dared to scold the former Dean. Now that he was the Dean, no one in the world could control him anymore. Naturally, he said whatever he wanted and scolded whoever he wanted as well.
The Dean rubbed his brows. He had long known he would not be able to change the thoughts of this old fellow before him. After a long silence, he slowly said, "I have only one request: let that girl do things according to her own will. If you can't agree to even this point, then I will demolish half of your ancestral hall today."
The Xie Family Head smiled and nodded, "Old Fogey, you need to think it through. Before she became your disciple, she had carried the Xie surname for over a decade. And evidently, she will continue to carry it."
The Dean sneered and said, "At this juncture, I'm really worried that you, old fellow, might be completely unconcerned with this matter anymore."
The Xie Family Head did not answer this question, he just changed the topic, "Play a game of chess?"
The Dean gave a cold snort and waved his hand to reject, "Do you really think I traveled all the way from the Divine Capital just to find you?"
He had naturally come all the way South for some other matter. That matter was very important, he had already done some things. Coming here could only be said to be passing by.
"Leaving Sword Qi Mountain, then wandered around the South, and finally arrived here. If you, old fellow, really came here specifically, it doesn't seem very plausible."
The Xie Family Head also did not feel that the Dean was lying to him.
The Dean did not want to waste his breath, turning around to leave.
When he entered the Xie Clan's residence, it was through the main entrance. Now that he was leaving, it would naturally be the main entrance as well.
"Remember to show a more pleasant expression. Otherwise, who knows what those eyes outside will see, or what they will imagine."
The Xie Family Head opened his mouth and said, his voice full of helplessness.
The Dean gave a cold snort and did not reply.
……
……
The Sublime Bright Sect was not too far from Rainwater Commandery; just a few hundred miles away. For cultivators, one day was enough.
Yu Xiyi and Chen Chao had killed many cultivators from the Sublime Bright Sect. Now, they were even heading to the sect to denounce them. If this were in a different context, where Chen Chao's cultivation was sufficiently high and his official rank was high enough, and if the Sublime Bright Sect was weak enough, then everything would be justified. However, it was apparent that the Sublime Bright Sect was not the small sect they might have imagined. Moreover, Chen Chao was not a grand cultivator. The laws of the Great Liang naturally would not hold much sway over the Sublime Bright Sect.
While Yu Xiyi believed that Chen Chao was long prepared for this, he still felt a bit uncertain as they headed towards the Sublime Bright Sect. Nevertheless, given his personality, since he had promised Chen Chao, there was no possibility of turning back.
In the morning light, the two advanced at a moderate pace. Surprisingly, in less than half an hour, they could already see the pavilions on the Sublime Bright Sect's mountain in the distance.
At this moment, Yu Xiyi finally believed that the young man in front of him was determined to carry out this plan.
It was not exactly a solitary endeavor, but still, two youngsters setting out to challenge a major sect?
Moreover, a Nepenthe cultivator was defending this mountain.
Yu Xiyi was curious about the source of this young man's confidence.
Looking as they were about to ascend the mountain, Chen Chao looked at Yu Xiyi, who seemed to be holding back words at the tip of his tongue, and asked with a grin, "Are you regretting it? It's not too late to change your mind. Being a sword cultivator, aren't you very skilled at fleeing using your sword? Besides, I'm here. If you want to leave, it shouldn't be too difficult."
Although Yu Xiyi understood that these words were mostly jest, he still furrowed his brows with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Chen Chao said, "Although that Daoist Master Ironcloud might not necessarily kill us as soon as we start climbing the mountain, let's assume for a moment that he does, even with all my preparations, wouldn't it be a shame if I can't execute them?"
Yu Xiyi said, "What's the point of saying all this now?"
Chen Chao said seriously, "I'm just setting the expectations first, so you won't blame me in the underworld when you die."
"If I really get implicated by you and die, I'll chase you down in the underworld and hack you 18 times every day."
Yu Xiyi's response was naturally sharp and defiant.
Chen Chao stopped talking and officially ascended the mountain.
The entire Sublime Bright Sect likely would not have expected Chen Chao to have the audacity to come to the Sublime Bright Sect in person. Therefore, as they made their way up the mountain, they did not encounter any obstacles. Chen Chao walked very slowly. It was not until they were almost at the mountain pass gates that they encountered two daoists guarding the pass.
"Halt!"
Those were two daoists dressed in ordinary blue daoist robes, who eyed Chen Chao and Yu Xiyi rather warily.
The Sublime Bright Sect was a major sect in the Cang Prefecture, so naturally, no one would dare to act unruly at the Sublime Bright Sect. Hence, prior to this, they would not care even if they saw outsiders at the mountain pass gates too. However, recent unsettling news from the mountain had made them rather nervous and vigilant. Otherwise, they would not have acted this way.
"Who are you?"
The two daoists looked at these two youngsters, sizing them up rather suspiciously. One was a young man in black with a saber at his waist, and the other was a youth in green robes. Although he was not armed, there seemed to be a special aura emanating from that youth, seemingly like a sharp sword?
Could he be a sword cultivator?
Those two daoists had rather low cultivation realms, they could not see through Yu Xiyi at all. But at this moment, they still appraised him seriously. As for Chen Chao, they naturally overlooked him.
Chen Chao did not care either.
Yu Xiyi glanced at Chen Chao and then took the initiative to say, "My master is a good friend of Daoist Master Ironcloud. I traveled here on this trip out to specially pay a visit to Daoist Master Ironcloud."
Yu Xiyi was aware that Daoist Master Ironcloud was currently in seclusion, so he casually said this to also test if the Daoist Master Ironcloud was truly in seclusion.
"The Sect Master is in seclusion. I'm afraid he won't be able to meet you."
One of the daoists let out a sigh of relief and spoke.
Yu Xiyi expressed some regret, "It's truly unfortunate. I wonder when Daoist Master Ironcloud will exit seclusion? For this trip, my master insisted that I must meet with him. I'm not sure if there's a chance for that."
That daoist was about to speak when he suddenly furrowed his brows.
Because, out of the two who had initially come together, only Yu Xiyi remained now. He was about to subconsciously look around when a scabbard struck his neck. His vision went dark and he immediately fainted.
The other daoist was the same.
Both of them collapsed on the mountain path.
Chen Chao said, "Let's go."
Yu Xiyi nodded. Given the cultivation realm of these two daoists, he could naturally kill them with a single strike if he drew his sword. But, he was not a bloodthirsty person. These daoists were merely just ordinary small fries in the sect. They had probably not done any wrongdoings either, so why kill them?
The two proceeded along the mountain path. After a short distance, Chen Chao led Yu Xiyi deep into the woods. Within the forest, they discovered a very concealed trail, overgrown with weeds. It was likely that no one had tended to it for many years.
Did this also mean that not many people knew about this small trail?
That was likely the case.
Yu Xiyi lamented softly, "You've really been here before."
He had been wondering about this question all along, and now he finally had a definite answer.
Yes, Chen Chao must have been here before. He was beyond certain now.
Chen Chao looked at Yu Xiyi and said nothing. He just parted the undergrowth, moving deeper into the mountain.
Walking behind him, Yu Xiyi frowned and said, "At this point, do you still feel that I can't know about this matter?"
Chen Chao replied without turning his head, "Stop talking. When the time is right, I'll tell you."
"Are you an abandoned disciple of the Sublime Bright Sect? Did you come up the mountain this time to reclaim the position of sect master that belongs to you?" Yu Xiyi was unrelenting, his curiosity quite clear.
Chen Chao was rather speechless but quickly asked, "Where exactly did you read all these stories?"
Yu Xiyi scoffed, "Don't the scholars of your Great Liang Dynasty like to write such stories? When I have nothing to do, I'll naturally have a read too."
Chen Chao fell silent. Indeed, among the scholars of the Great Liang Dynasty, many enjoyed writing such stories.
"You've got it wrong."
Chen Chao shook his head and only said this sentence at the end.
Yu Xiyi responded with an "Oh" and said, "So, you won't tell me what the truth is?"
Chen Chao repeated, "When the time is right, I'll tell you."
After saying this, the two continued along this obscure trail and quickly saw a pavilion standing in the distance, with many daoists coming and going out of it.
Chen Chao glanced at it and continued walking ahead. The path they were on was exceptionally concealed, Chen Chao was very certain that probably no more than three to five people in the entire Sublime Bright Sect knew about it.
Perhaps even the whole Sublime Bright Sect was unaware of this trail.
Thus, the two proceeded up the mountain unimpeded, without any obstacles. They soon left the dense forest and arriving at a high platform.
This platform stood at the summit and was very spacious. Its surface was engraved with countless stars. The patterns were very odd, making it look very special.
Unbeknownst to them, they had already reached the mountaintop.
Seeing the high platform with its countless star engravings, Yu Xiyi fell silent for a moment before saying, "This is the observatory. It's said that Daoist Master Ironcloud cultivates bitterly here daily because the Sublime Bright Sect's cultivation methods are related to the stars. But why isn't he here today?"
Everyone said that Daoist Master Ironcloud was cultivating in seclusion. But since this was the best place for cultivation, why would he not be here?
After Yu Xiyi sighed with vicissitudes of emotion, he lamented again, "You know that this path can lead straight to this place, doesn't that mean if someone knows about this path, the entire Sublime Bright Mountain would be completely unprepared if they wanted to do something?"
Even though Yu Xiyi was not concerned about something like the destruction of the Sublime Bright Sect, he could not help but feel rather emotional.
Chen Chao remarked, "Luckily, he isn't cultivating here right now. Or else, we'd have to die here."
When Chen Chao was talking, Yu Xiyi had been staring at him the entire time. Noticing that there was no trace of worry on his face as he spoke, this led Yu Xiyi to say angrily, "You think I'm easily fooled?"
Chen Chao responded with a simple "Mhm."
Yu Xiyi was incredibly angry.
However, Chen Chao ignored him and continued walking ahead, there was another hidden trail.
Yu Xiyi had nothing to say and simply followed.
Before long, he discovered to his surprise that he actually climbed a little higher. One had to know that the observatory was already the highest point of the Sublime Bright Mountain. But walking ahead actually led to an even higher point. What did this mean?
It must be the most important place of the Sublime Bright Sect.
Yu Xiyi said again, "You must be an abandoned disciple of the Sublime Bright Sect. Otherwise, how would you know about this place?!"
Chen Chao responded with just one sentence that left Yu Xiyi speechless, "If I were an abandoned disciple of the Sublime Bright Sect, how could they not recognize me?"
Right, whether was it the young daoist from earlier or the purple-robed daoists, none of them had expressed any recognition of Chen Chao. If Chen Chao had truly cultivated in the Sublime Bright Sect before, there was no way they would not recognize Chen Chao.
Yu Xiyi furrowed his brow slightly and actually discovered that he could not refute Chen Chao's words.
"Bringing you to a good place. If we're lucky, we might find quite a few treasures."
Chen Chao said with a smile, then walked all the way, and arrived in front of a stone wall.
Yu Xiyi followed him all the way and saw the smooth stone wall too.
Then, Chen Chao reminisced for a long time before pressing a certain part of the stone wall, revealing a keyhole.
Yu Xiyi said, "This requires a key."
Chen Chao nodded and said, "I know."
Then, he took a key out of his bosom.
Yu Xiyi was stupefied.
