Chapter 98: Descending the Mountain and Journeying Far

The next morning, Li Zhongyuan and the two others bid farewell to the disciples of the Heavenly Mountain Sect. They packed their belongings and prepared to descend the mountain. By now, everyone knew that Li Zhongyuan and Lin Qingbi had been stripped of their disciple status by Duonan Sect Leader, severing all ties with the Heavenly Mountain Sect. This caused sighs and laments among them. They held a deep gratitude for the lives saved by Zi Lan and Li Zhongjun. Upon hearing the news, Zi Lan carried Li Zhongjun on her back to the Ronghuang Mystical Realm to plead with Duonan. Duonan refused to see them and closed the doors. Only the great disciple Song Changkong sent out a slip of paper bearing eight characters: “Consider the overall situation. This is the only way.”

The two returned crying bitterly.

The others took the matter calmly, but Zi Wuzhuo was heartbroken to the point of agony. These two were the youngest disciples of his Mingxin Cave lineage yet the ones with the highest martial cultivation. They had also saved his daughter and son-in-law from death, yet they were to be removed from disciple status with no recourse. Such pain was not something others could comprehend. Despite his years of self-cultivation rendering his heart as still as water, he could not help shedding hot tears.

Li Zhongyuan and Lin Qingbi did not wish to linger with farewells and sorrows. After bowing deeply to their masters, they mounted their horses with Lan Wutong and galloped down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, Li Zhongyuan could no longer contain his grief and cried out loudly. Lin Qingbi, however, said, “The sky is high, let birds fly; the sea is vast, let fish leap. Since we have left the Heavenly Mountain Sect, we naturally no longer need to abide by its rules. From now on, we shall roam the world, revel in grudges and enmities. How delightful!”

Li Zhongyuan was stunned. Lan Wutong frowned and said, “Sister Lin, the Heavenly Mountain Sect may not be your founding sect, but it did teach you martial arts, after all. There is some gratitude for the instruction, why speak thus?”

Lin Qingbi replied, “The Heavenly Mountain Sect did teach some methods of practicing martial arts, but what use is that? Once you learn the skills, the enemies would have long since died, and what would be the point of seeking revenge? The North Sect martial arts taught by Zhongyuan brother are quite useful, but unfortunately this is not what the Heavenly Mountain Sect taught me. From now on, I won’t hide it anymore. I have secretly practiced the Yijin Scripture long ago, and this internal energy is no longer the North Sect’s. One could say that apart from some connection in the North Sect’s martial moves with the Heavenly Mountain Sect, the rest has no relation at all. Even if there is gratitude, I risked my life to save two disciples of the Heavenly Mountain Sect, so that debt is cleared. From now on, no more debts owed! Today, as I bid farewell and take leave, it is because I feel that we had only been together for a few months of daily interaction, and there was still some friendship, which is why I felt sentimental.”

Li Zhongyuan said angrily, “How heartless you are!”

Lin Qingbi snorted, turned to him, and said, “Once I avenge my great enmity, we shall go to the jianghu and establish a great name for ourselves. In the future, we shall found a major sect. By then, we would be generation grandmasters, how much better than being disciples to others.”

Li Zhongyuan shook his head and said, “I haven’t thought so far. I only wish to avenge my parents, then find a place with no one around, till the fields and raise livestock, live peacefully all my life.”

Lin Qingbi sighed and said, “Zhongyuan brother, pity that your male body was only meant to live like an old woman, tending chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs, dying in the countryside. Forget it, our great enmity has not been avenged yet, so speaking of these things is too early. Let us put it aside for now and discuss later.”

Li Zhongyuan did not want to argue further about this matter, so he said, “Very well, let us proceed on our way.”

The three remounted and continued their journey. But along the way, there was nothing more to say. The atmosphere was silent and oppressive.

Lan Wutong could not endure this atmosphere and tried desperately to tell jokes and sing mountain songs to entertain them. Unfortunately, the two were still in a cold war, and the atmosphere never became lively again.

In such a depressed atmosphere, several days later they arrived in Chang’an. The three had their own concerns and were not in the mood for sightseeing. As they walked through the streets, Lan Wutong noticed a bundle of pheasant tails stuck on a South Goods store, which was the secret signal of a Golden Silkworm Cult spy.

She walked over and said, “Shopkeeper, do you have realgar incense? I need nine sections nine rings.”

The shopkeeper immediately came up with a smile upon hearing, “The nine sections nine rings are hard to find. Little me here has three sections three rings. Do you want them, miss?”

Lan Wutong smiled, “No need, I have seven sections seven rings here.”

The shopkeeper, seeing no one paying attention around, went around the counter to Lan Wutong’s side, hand in the sleeve with four fingers together, thumb raised, pointing down three times.

Lan Wutong smiled and nodded. This was because in the market, the shopkeeper could not worship, so used hand signals to greet.

The shopkeeper brought her into the study room, immediately kneeling and bowing, “This one greets the protective law adult.”

It turned out that in the Golden Silkworm Cult, realgar incense indicated brotherhood within the cult, the number of rings on the body indicated rank, and the number of sections of the waist ribbon indicated status. Nine sections nine rings were the identifier for the cult leader, seven sections seven rings for the protector. The shopkeeper with three sections three rings was a mid-to-low level small head in the cult. So upon seeing Lan Wutong, he quickly bowed.

Lan Wutong said, “No need for formalities. I ask if there is news of the cult leader.”

The shopkeeper respectfully said, “Reporting to the protective law, half a month ago the cult leader ordered someone to pass a message to this one. She is now residing in seclusion at Jingshui Manor in the suburbs of the capital. She says you have not contacted her for two years, and she is very worried. She specially instructed me to watch out. Also said if this one sees you, convey that you should go to Jingshui Manor to see her.”

Lan Wutong nodded and stood up to leave. The shopkeeper said from behind, “Sending off the adult.”

Coming out from the South Goods store, Lan Wutong told the two, “I have urgent matters to go out. Do you want to go with me?”

Li Zhongyuan and the others were already extremely bored, so they immediately agreed. The three galloped out of the capital straight to Jingshui Manor.

Arriving at Jingshui Manor, it was already early the next day. The manor was just a small, insignificant manor. Surrounded by green trees, it was quite quiet.

Lan Wutong dismounted and went to the manor gate, pressing the secret signal and lightly knocking. But no one opened the door.

Lan Wutong secretly called it bad. The leader’s secluded place, strict defenses, how could there be no response? She immediately retreated a few steps and leaped onto the wall.

Seeing the courtyard empty. It was morning meal time, but the back kitchen had no trace of smoke.

Li Zhongyuan and Lin Qingbi saw the movement and followed up. They jumped down the wall, came to the courtyard, saw the courtyard empty, Lin Qingbi said oddly, “Did the shopkeeper lie?”

Lan Wutong shook her head, “The sect above and below the cult respect the cult leader with awe and loyalty, daring to deceive no small matters. It must not be a lie. Perhaps, within this half month, a great change has happened at Jingshui Manor, and the shopkeeper, not summoned, dares not arbitrarily pay respects, so unaware.”

It was still Lin Qingbi who saw, spotted the anomaly in the pine tree in the courtyard. The pine tree branches and leaves lush, but one branch’s leaves withered and fell. She leaped up, used hand to break it. The branch fell, it turned out someone had cut it and re-glued with bone glue.

At the same time, Lan Wutong also discovered large patches of blood traces buried in sand soil. She immediately turned pale, murmuring in mouth, “Could it be that the cult leader met with misfortune?”

Li Zhongyuan said, “I have long heard that the Golden Silkworm Cult leader’s martial arts are extremely high and proficient in poison and gu techniques, probably not so easily at a loss. Perhaps she temporarily withdrew.”

Lan Wutong looked at the more and more blood traces buried under sand, could not help her heart jumping wildly. The three gradually walked to the front of the main room. Here, signs of being hacked and chopped with blades and axes became more obvious. Lan Wutong said, “Let us go inside to take a look.”

She reached out and pushed open the door. Seeing inside the room, tables and chairs overturned, obviously after a fierce battle. But no corpses found in the room. Even discarded swords and blades not found. Searching all the way through three courtyards, all in mess, but no valuable clues. Came to the last courtyard of Jingshui Manor.

At this time, Lan Wutong already had tears streaming down her face. Her heart was filled with anxiety, fear, and anger. She did not know how terrifying enemies her sisters and clan had encountered, nor what exactly person wanted to poison their hands. Suddenly, a very slight sound entered the ears, the three held breath and listened quietly, fearing to miss any movement.

“Su” another very slight sound came, “someone injured, he is dripping blood!” Lan Wutong cried out, “Just in the last room.” She at this time already lost composure, completely lost the vigilance a jianghu person should have.

Ran a few steps to the door, extended hand to push open the door. Just as the door was about to open, Li Zhongyuan heard a sound, a sound that should not be here, it was the sound of a mechanism activating. With a “ka” sound, from the door shot out more than ten feather arrows.

Lan Wutong was tormented by grief until her soul left, these ten plus feather arrows had long calculated the opponent’s dodging position, how could she dodge them. At this critical moment, Li Zhongyuan no time to think, immediately leaped forward with both palms out, strong wind surged out, the powerful palm wind instantly knocked aside the feather arrows that had shot to Lan Wutong’s nose tip, hard sideways, his palm force extremely thick, even the door frame was affected by the palm wind, with a “huala” collapsed half of it. Lan Wutong was also sent flying back by the recoil, Lin Qingbi rushed from behind to catch her.

The sudden attack let Lan Wutong also wake up. At this time the door was wide open, a strong bloody smell diffused out. Inside the room right facing the door there was a table of eight immortals, on the table five hard bows fixed in a row with wooden stakes, bow strings tied with extremely thin silk threads to the door. If someone not knowing, just push open the door, then the feather arrows on the hard bows would shoot out. Beside there was a water bucket, a small hole drilled on the bucket, the water inside was dripping little by little, water drops falling to ground making “su” light sound. This was obviously a carefully arranged trap. If someone rashly entered, unless accident, would be shot into a hedgehog.

Lan Wutong to the things in front as if not seeing, her face like earth, walked into the room to the side door. The intense bloody smell indicated there were many corpses in the house. She urgently wanted to know whose corpses, but was very afraid to know. Silent for a long time, she finally made up her mind, summoned courage to push open the door.

“Ah!” Lan Wutong let out a mournful cry, body recoiled and fainted. Inside dozens of corpses dressed in Miao attire, piled messily together. The most terrifying scene she had imagined appeared right before her eyes. The nerves that had been stretched tight could no longer bear it.