Chapter 66 The True Inheritance of Qingxiao

Summer sunlight streamed into a guest courtyard within the Qingxiao Sect. Outside the courtyard, the clamor of cicadas echoed. Li Yang was practicing his spear in the courtyard, stirring up gusts of wind that buffeted the courtyard walls.

Zhao Linglong, dressed in a green robe, entered the courtyard gate. She looked at Li Yang and couldn’t help but ask, “Cousin, you’ve been staying at the Qingxiao Sect for so long, why don’t you go out and explore? The Qingxiao Sect changes daily, it’s quite interesting.”

Hearing this, Li Yang didn’t answer, remaining focused on his spear practice, which left Zhao Linglong feeling helpless.

Months had passed since that battle, and Li Yang still hadn’t emerged from the gloom, not even bothering to talk to her.

She understood what Li Yang was thinking; even though she had saved him, his heart was still filled with a sense of betrayal.

Before this, Li Yang often showed her his martial arts and spoke of various grand ambitions. If she were Li Yang, she would also find it difficult to accept this fact, especially since Li Yang’s self-esteem far surpassed hers.

Zhao Linglong walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down, recounting the changes within the Qingxiao Sect during this period.

“I heard that the Sect Master has taken another Disciple, and their talent is extremely high. At just five years old, they are already hailed as the future number one of the Qingxiao Sect. I wonder if the Qingxiao Sect is deliberately creating hype or if they are truly that formidable.”

“I also saw two Qingxiao Sect Disciples sparring. Honestly, the Qingxiao Sect’s martial arts are different; that sword-controlling technique makes me want to learn it.”

“Have you heard of Zhu Yan? This woman is a renowned scholar from Guzhou Prefecture, skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her poetry and prose are widely circulated in Zhongtian Prefecture, and many aristocratic youths speak highly of her. The most crucial thing is that the maid by Zhu Yan’s side is not simple.”

Although Li Yang was practicing his spear, his attention had already been drawn to her.

He was actually full of curiosity about the Qingxiao Sect, otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed at the Qingxiao Sect for so long.

Zhao Linglong saw through his thoughts, a faint smile appearing on her face, and continued to recount her experiences within the Qingxiao Sect.

A long time passed.

Zhao Linglong was tired of talking. She stood up, ready to leave. Before she left, she suddenly remembered something and said, “Oh, right, Yang Jueding built a martial arts arena halfway up the mountain for Qingxiao Sect Disciples to spar with Jianghu martial artists, stopping short of injury. It’s quite interesting. There’s a young man named Qin Ye who has already won twenty matches. I heard he’s the Sect Master’s second Disciple. If your hands are itching, you can go try it too.”

After she had left for a while, Li Yang finally stopped practicing his spear.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze directed at the azure sky, and murmured to himself, “Why are you also named Li…”

He couldn’t forget the scene that day when Li Qingqiu descended from the sky on an eagle, which overturned his understanding and made some of his beliefs begin to waver.

He stayed at the Qingxiao Sect not just to heal his injuries; he wanted to calm down.

Perhaps, he should go out and see what the Qingxiao Sect is truly like now… Zhongtian Prefecture, Imperial City.

As the Imperial City of the Great Li Dynasty, its ancient name was Zhenyang, Zhenyang City, founded a thousand years ago, having experienced five Dynasties, rising and falling with the years, witnessing the evolution of the human world.

With the establishment of the Great Li Dynasty, Zhenyang Imperial City once again ushered in a prosperous era.

Feng Dai, dressed in a dark official robe, stood on the pavilion, gazing at the infinite scenery of this ancient city. His hands were clasped behind his back as he watched the sunset over the city.

Although he had been in the Imperial City for some time, whenever he had a moment, he liked to come here to admire the city’s beautiful scenery.

This pavilion was four stories high, splendidly decorated, with red brick roofing, eaves like Dragon heads, and redwood pillars, grand and imposing. The streets below were bustling with people, carriages passing through, and an endless stream of commoners, merchants, and Martial Forest figures. Every time Feng Dai came here, he had an unreal feeling.

In Guzhou Prefecture, no city could be as prosperous or as beautiful as this.

Feng Dai’s heart was also in torment. The commoners here lived in luxury, praising the current Your Majesty’s civil and martial achievements and his compassion for the people. This was an unprecedented prosperous age.

It was impossible for him to expose the emperor’s crimes. He also wondered, even if the emperor had committed sins, compared to his current achievements, those sins seemed insignificant.

Just as Feng Dai was feeling lost, footsteps sounded behind him. He knew who it was without turning around.

Jia Yi, dressed in the brocade uniform of the Heaven Protection Guard, quickly entered the room. He came to the table, sat down, poured himself a bowl of wine, and drank it in one gulp.

After drinking three bowls, he finally felt refreshed.

“The palace is getting more and more sinister. I’m afraid to go in.”

Jia Yi’s first sentence caught Feng Dai’s attention. Feng Dai turned to look at him and asked in confusion, “Why do you say that?”

Jia Yi waved at him, signaling him to come and sit down.

Feng Dai came to the table and sat down, then heard him say, “Didn’t Your Majesty invite all the Martial Forest Schools in the world to a banquet? Some gang leaders and Sect Masters never came out after entering the palace. Every night, there’s always someone crying, indistinguishable between male and female. Some say it’s ghosts crying.”

Hearing this, Feng Dai frowned and asked in surprise, “But there’s no such rumor in the city. Some School Leaders even show off in the city, saying they’ve seen the true face of the Saint, and Your Majesty has indeed appointed official positions to some Schools.”

Jia Yi shook his head and said, “That’s just a facade. As a Heaven Protection Guard, I know the situation best. Some Heaven Protection Guards even helped Your Majesty dispose of bodies, reportedly having died in the main hall.”

Feng Dai remembered Wu Baoyu’s words from back then. If the Demonic Sect was indeed founded by the emperor, then the emperor’s martial arts must be formidable.

Coupled with the emperor’s pursuit of the elixir of immortality, he couldn’t help but think in extreme directions.

“Today, the Heaven Protection Guard was merged under the Martial Ban Department. Life will probably not be peaceful from now on. You don’t know, the Martial Ban Department was established by the current Your Majesty after his ascension and is not under the jurisdiction of the Six Ministries, reporting directly to Your Majesty. While the Heaven Protection Guard was founded by the High Ancestor, and although it declined during the previous emperor’s reign, it still has historical foundations. So we often clashed with the Martial Ban Department on a daily basis. Now, we’re relegated to being subordinates to our rivals. How can life be good?”

Jia Yi sighed, and as he spoke, he poured himself another bowl of wine.

Feng Dai asked, “All of you Heaven Protection Guards are experts, and the rank a experts were former top scholar in martial artss and top experts. Even if you’re supervised by the Martial Ban Department, what can they do to you?”

Jia Yi glared and said, “Those guys in the Martial Ban Department are no worse than us in martial arts. It’s truly strange; I don’t know where Your Majesty gathered so many experts. These guys usually wear masks and prefer to act late at night. Even in the Imperial City, very few people know of their existence.”

“The head of the Martial Ban Department is called Xuan Gong. His martial arts are unfathomable. No matter how strong an expert is, he can easily kill them in front of him. A few years ago, I personally saw the number one martial artist of Southern Chu Prefecture from twenty years ago killed by him within three moves. His movement technique is like a ghost, and his palm strength is extraordinarily domineering.”

He couldn’t help but shiver when he thought of the scene at that time.

“How does this Xuan Gong compare to Sect Master Li?” Feng Dai asked curiously.

Jia Yi thought for a moment and said, “It’s hard to say, because neither of them has shown their full strength in front of me. But in my opinion, perhaps the only person in this world who can contend with Xuan Gong is the Qingxiao Sect Master.”

He remembered the feeling of facing Li Qingqiu and similarly shivered. He truly didn’t want to experience the torment of the Soul Capturing Incantation again.

Feng Dai frowned, his eyes filled with worry.

The world had just found peace; was the emperor going to cause trouble again?

He had to write to Sect Master Li, telling him to prepare early. If the emperor’s target was the Martial Forest experts of the world, the Qingxiao Sect would certainly not escape.

Recently, he had heard of the Qingxiao Sect’s impressive achievements in the Imperial City. He was worried that Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning would enter the emperor’s sight.

Jia Yi didn’t know what he was thinking and continued to complain bitterly. Outside of Zhongtian Prefecture, he, a Heaven Protection Guard, enjoyed boundless prestige, but within the Imperial Palace, he walked on thin ice, with no status whatsoever… The sun was bright, and the mountain breeze was slightly cool.

Li Qingqiu descended the mountain with Yuan Li and Zhao Zhen, and they were about to pass by the sword-sparring platform built by Yang Jueding.

Yang Jueding and Xu Ning had already been down the mountain for ten days. They also brought five Disciples, taking this opportunity to train these five individuals.

Li Qingqiu was very confident in them. Yang Jueding was an experienced Jianghu veteran, and Xu Ning had even seen blood. There should be no incidents within Guzhou Prefecture.

Walking out of the forest along the mountain path, Li Qingqiu saw dozens of people gathered around the sword-sparring platform. Besides Qingxiao Sect Disciples, there were also pilgrims, craftsmen, and Jianghu figures watching the excitement, cheering occasionally.

A group of Disciples patrolled the mountain daily, and for now, no one was causing trouble on the mountain.

Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow, his gaze directed at the sword-sparring platform. At this moment, two women were fighting: one was Liu Yan, Li Dongyue’s Disciple, and the other was a Black-clothed Woman whom he found familiar.

Soon, he recognized the Black-clothed Woman’s identity. Wasn’t this the Jianghu woman who had taken him to the Seven Peaks Alliance that day?

Although Liu Yan was at the Nourishing Origin Realm, First Layer, she was not Chai Yunshang’s opponent. Chai Yunshang also didn’t make her feel embarrassed. The two seemed to be sparring, but in reality, Chai Yunshang was feeding her moves, helping her to comprehend her own martial arts.

Li Qingqiu didn’t stop, and Zhao Zhen and Yuan Li were not interested in the sparring on the platform.

They walked down the mountain path. Seeing them, the Disciples immediately turned and bowed to Li Qingqiu.

Chai Yunshang noticed the Qingxiao Sect Disciples’ actions below the platform. Her gaze followed theirs, and her pupils widened.

It was him!

Chai Yunshang couldn’t forget the young man from several years ago who had ascended the mountain alone, killed Lü Taidou under the cover of night, and then left swaggering.

Although she didn’t know the young man’s name, she couldn’t forget his face.

“He’s a Qingxiao Sect Disciple? No, his status is very high.”

Chai Yunshang thought silently. She didn’t stop, withdrawing her gaze and concentrating on sparring.

Below the platform, Former Jianghu Expert noticed her gaze, so he turned his head to look. He saw the backs of Li Qingqiu and the two children.

“With two young boys following him, could he be the Qingxiao Sect Master?”

Former Jianghu Expert wondered curiously. He had been at the Qingxiao Sect for some time. They had paid to stay temporarily, and although they hadn’t seen the Sect Master, they had heard about Li Qingqiu from the Disciples.

After Li Qingqiu and the two children disappeared into the mountain forest leading down the mountain, Former Jianghu Expert decided to follow them.

He wanted to find an opportunity to plead with Li Qingqiu, to see if the Secret Manual in his possession could persuade Li Qingqiu to take Chai Yunshang as a Disciple.

After walking down the mountain path for about two li, Former Jianghu Expert suddenly saw Li Qingqiu stop, holding the two children.

“Li’er, Zhen’er, today your Master will teach you how to deal with bad people, how about it?”

Li Qingqiu’s voice suddenly rang out, startling Former Jianghu Expert, who was hiding behind a tree. He instinctively wanted to step out and explain.

“So, besides Jiang Zhaoxia and Xu Ning, the Qingxiao Sect has other experts. It seems our intelligence was correct; the Qingxiao Sect Master might have inherited the true teachings of True Man Qingxiao from back then.”

A cold laugh sounded, echoing through the mountain forest.

Former Jianghu Expert immediately crouched down, filled with surprise. Who dared to ambush the Qingxiao Sect Master at the Qingxiao Sect?