novel-bin Chapter 84 Songshan Sect, Line 1
Chapter 84 Songshan Sect, Line 1
In early summer, the official road outside Fuzhou City in the Ming Dynasty was scorching hot under the blazing sun, and even the horses seemed listless, let alone the people.
Zhao Yu led his newly bought green horse to a tea stall by the roadside.
Around a few dilapidated wooden tables sat a diverse group of traveling merchants and porters.
Zhao Yu casually found a corner by the window to sit down, ordered a pot of iced tea, and slowly drank it, resting his feet and listening to the news.
Tea stalls and taverns have always been the places where news flows most freely in the martial arts world. If Zhao Yu sits here a little longer, he might hear some rumors and gossip.
He had barely sat down when two fast horses galloped up from the roadside and suddenly pulled on their reins in front of the tea stall.
The horse's hooves kicked up a cloud of dust, drawing the attention of those around.
The two men in tight-fitting clothes dismounted and shouted in a gruff voice, "Waiter, bring two pots of tea and two plates of snacks."
The two sat down at the table next to Zhao Yu, wiped the sweat from their faces, and started chatting amongst themselves.
"Hey, have you heard? The Qingcheng Sect Leader, Yu, passed away in Fuzhou a few days ago." The scarred man on the left lowered his voice, his tone full of regret.
"How come I haven't heard about it?" Another tall, thin man shook his head. "A prestigious sect from Sichuan, I don't know why they came all the way to Fuzhou and lost their lives."
"Indeed, thankfully, Sect Leader Yue of the Huashan Sect arrived in time and repelled the demonic cultists, otherwise even the remaining disciples of the Qingcheng Sect wouldn't have survived." The scarred man said with admiration, "Sect Leader Yue truly deserves the title of 'Gentleman Sword,' his benevolence and righteousness are unparalleled. Not only did he avenge the Qingcheng Sect, but he also personally handled Sect Leader Yu's funeral. Truly a gentleman, so righteous!"
The tall, thin man nodded repeatedly: "Indeed, the title of 'Gentleman Sword' is well-deserved. The Qingcheng Sect has suffered a great calamity this time, but fortunately, they encountered Mr. Yue. Otherwise, the entire sect might have been wiped out."
Zhao Yu held the teacup and took a small sip.
Yue Buqun's reputation as a gentleman was indeed known to all, and his years of cultivation had not been in vain.
That's quite an impressive skill in creating a persona.
"If we're talking about good luck, it has to be that young head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of the Fuwei Escort Agency," the scarred man said with envy. "The Qingcheng Sect was unlucky, but he got a good deal and was able to become a disciple of the Huashan Sect. The Fuwei Escort Agency now has a powerful backer."
"That's right. So many people would kill to become disciples of the Huashan Sect, and yet the opportunity just happened to come to him. He's really lucky."
The two chatted for a few more minutes, and the topic turned to the Hengshan Sect.
"In a few days, it will be the retirement ceremony of Master Liu of the Hengshan Sect. All the major sects in the world will send people to watch the ceremony, it will be very lively."
"Exactly, we should hurry on our way. Maybe we can even join in the fun. If we're lucky, we might even catch the eye of the leader of a prestigious sect. That would be a real fortune!"
"That's right, hurry up, don't be late."
The two paid for the tea, mounted their horses, and rode away in a cloud of dust.
Zhao Yu put down his teacup, lost in thought.
Old Yue is still not giving up on the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual; he probably wants to try taking Lin Pingzhi as his disciple again.
With such perseverance, why is he so fixated on the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual?
Zhao Yu shook his head speechlessly.
Zhao Yu casually summoned a waiter, paid for the tea, and mounted his horse.
Looking northwest, I realized that if I were to go to Beijing, I would have to head north anyway, which would coincide with Liu Zhengfeng's retirement ceremony. So I might as well go and join in the fun.
Moreover, Zhao Yu was very curious about just how much his butterfly could affect the plot.
Zhao Yu gave a soft shout, and the green horse reared up and headed towards Hengshan in the northwest.
He traveled day and night, and occasionally took time to return to the Southern Song Dynasty to handle miscellaneous matters.
Lin Chaoying had only recently begun learning the art of disguise, and she still needed Zhao Yu's occasional assistance to make her disguise seamless.
Half a month later, Zhao Yu finally arrived outside Hengshan City.
It was morning, and the sun was shining brightly.
Hengshan City is located at the foot of Hengshan Mountain. The city walls are not high, but it is very lively.
People came and went at the city gate, mostly martial arts practitioners carrying swords and knives, all there to witness Liu Zhengfeng's retirement ceremony.
The Five Mountains Sword Sect is still quite famous in the martial arts world.
Reining in his horse, Zhao Yu looked up at the majestic Hengshan Mountain in the distance. The mountain peaks soared into the clouds, shrouded in mist, and appeared even more imposing under the sunlight.
Zhao Yu couldn't help but sigh, "Mount Heng is already so majestic; I wonder what Mount Tai must be like."
Now that he is the emperor, how could Zhao Yu not recall the story of the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai?
Unfortunately, after Emperor Zhenzong of Song, the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai became a joke.
Zhao Yu wondered if he could regain the face that the Zhao family had lost once he truly drove out the Jin invaders.
At that time, a trip to Mount Tai would have been perfectly legitimate.
Just as I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind me, accompanied by several rude shouts.
"Make way! Make way! What are you doing standing in the middle of the road, you blind fool!"
Zhao Yu frowned slightly and stepped aside to let him pass.
Dozens of riders galloped past, all dressed in yellow outfits, with long swords at their waists and fierce eyes.
As they passed by Zhao Yu, one of the men deliberately waved his riding whip in front of Zhao Yu's eyes a few times.
Most of the martial arts practitioners who came to participate in the "washing their hands of their martial arts" ceremony were quite polite, out of respect for the Hengshan Sect.
This was the first time Zhao Yu had ever seen someone so arrogant and domineering on his journey.
He slightly turned his right hand, and a slender silver needle fell into his palm.
These people are so arrogant and ignorant; they deserve to be taught a lesson so they know what it means to make a fool of themselves.
It's not right to take their lives, but it's right to teach them a lesson.
Just as Zhao Yu was about to release the silver needles, he heard the conversation of the people in front of him.
"Uncle Ding, Uncle Fei sent a message saying that he has found out the truth and will be joining us soon."
"Yes, Junior Brother Fei is very skilled. Let's go. He'll be fine."
Zhao Yu's heart stirred, and he withdrew the silver needles.
His surnames are Ding and Fei, and he's wearing a yellow shirt, plus the location Hengshan.
Besides Ding Mian, the Pagoda-Bearing Hand of the Songshan School, and Fei Bin, the Great Songyang Hand, who else could it be?
Since merging with his other selves, Zhao Yu's mental strength has greatly improved, and he has also recalled many memories from his previous life, naturally remembering certain details more clearly.
Those people thought that because they outnumbered others and spoke quickly and urgently while traveling, no one would hear them. Little did they know that Zhao Yu's six senses far surpassed those of others, and he had already guessed the clues based on just a few surnames.
Zhao Yu became interested. Since he had run into them, he might as well follow them and take a look.
The conspiracy of the Songshan Sect might just be something we can use to our advantage.
Zhao Yu dismounted, tied his green horse to the roadside, and then, with a light tap of his toes, used the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to silently follow after them.
His lightness skill had already reached a state of perfection, and his figure was unpredictable. The disciples of the Songshan Sect were only focused on urging their horses to hurry on their way and did not notice that someone was following them.
Zhao Yu followed them all the way to their stronghold.