Chapter Thirty-Four: Leaving the Mountain (1)

Miao Shilin shook his head slightly; those were people as elusive as dragons—how could just anyone hope to meet them? After a long pause, Miao Shilin finally spoke in a solemn tone, “I came today to instruct you on an important task. The only granddaughter of Zhang Yuan and Zhang Da, the brothers who lead the Xuanqing Sect, was gravely injured while outside. Her wounds, they say, are severe.”

He glanced at Liu Lanzhi, then continued, “The Zhang brothers have always enjoyed close ties with our Miao Village. This time, they specifically sent someone to invite me to treat their granddaughter. But I’m old now, my time nearly up, and I simply don’t have the energy or focus to examine patients with care anymore. Lanzhi, your medical skills are a true reflection of my teaching, and I have great confidence in you. This time, you will go in my place. But you must remember—when you arrive at the Xuanqing Sect, conduct yourself with decorum; do not let the Miao family lose face. And do everything in your power to heal the Zhang family’s granddaughter. This will bring you great benefit in the future.”

The two listeners realized that someone had been hurt, and that person was the direct granddaughter of the Xuanqing Sect’s head. The Xuanqing Sect was one of the most formidable powers in the southern reaches of Jizhou, and rumor had it that a master cultivator in the Core Formation stage sat behind the scenes. Miao Shilin clearly considered this matter vital—his personal involvement proved as much.

Neither Che nor Liu dared be negligent. They quickly gathered their belongings and departed Miao Village on horseback. But as they left, they ran headlong into Yang Jian. Yang Jian’s gaze was cold and venomous as he assessed them, but seeing that neither Che nor Liu intended to acknowledge him only infuriated him further.

He cursed aloud, “Che Wuyou, you bastard—just because you have someone backing you, you think you can be arrogant? Let me remind you: it was your brother who killed our sect brother Zongbao. You are the enemy of every single person in Miao Village. We are irreconcilable. Remember this—one day, we will have our revenge, and your entire family will pay dearly.”

Noticing the change in Che Wuyou’s expression, Liu Lanzhi quickly tried to comfort him, “Wuyou, don’t pay any attention to him. He’s mad.”

Che Wuyou’s heart sank. Over the years, he’d heard far worse, but no matter how hard he tried to fit in, in the eyes of the Miao family, he would always be an outsider. He regarded the Miao family as his own, but to them, he was an enemy they could never forgive.

Hearing Liu Lanzhi call him mad, Yang Jian’s face darkened even more. That wretched girl was growing bolder by the day, showing him, her senior brother, less and less respect. Rage burned in his chest, but as he was about to vent his anger further, he realized Che and Liu had already ridden far off into the distance.

Yang Jian watched them go, clenching his fists in silent fury. “Six years have passed, and the three-year-old promise of that day is long overdue. Now, even the Huashan Sword Sect doesn’t care about your affairs anymore, and the Che family no longer concerns itself with your life or death. There’s no need for me to hold back as before. If I were to maim or kill you now, I doubt Master would say much—at most, he’d punish me a little. You’re not really one of us, after all. Master wouldn’t go so far as to do something extreme to his own disciple over an enemy.”

Thinking of his master, Yang Jian couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh coldly. “That old man’s lost his wits—he actually intends to hand the family leadership to a child! Is he playing games with the Miao family’s future?”

“Besides, my elder brother has toiled for the Miao family for so many years, and in the end, he’s left with nothing. It’s infuriating. But Master is old, and he doesn’t see things as clearly as he once did. His final days are near—he may not have many years left. When he’s gone, even if the Miao family is handed to little junior sister, we’ll see who the disciples truly follow, and who the ten thousand members of the Miao family will acknowledge as their leader. When that time comes, the Miao family will surely fall under my elder brother’s control, and I will become its true master.”

At this happy thought, Yang Jian’s scowl eased into a look of pride. “But when that day comes, what will I do with Che and Liu? That’s a headache. Liu Lanzhi still has Uncle Lin Feng backing her. And when you mention Che Wuyou, you have to mention another—Che Yeming. That one is truly terrifying. Six years ago, he was already at the mid-Returning Origin stage. Now, who knows how far he’s progressed with his talent?”

“Six years ago, he could sweep aside all of us, and even against my elder brother’s cultivation, he could come and go unscathed. Even when Zongbao led over a hundred of us in an ambush, he killed his way through and left at leisure. That battle cost us not only a genius like Zongbao but also my second brother, Yang Zhi—it was a disaster.”

At these memories, Yang Jian’s face grew cold again. Lin Feng and Che Yeming were both geniuses, far beyond what he and his brothers could handle. If only he could find a way to set them against each other, Che Yeming would surely meet a terrible end.

Suppose he spread the rumor to Che Yeming that his brother hadn’t died from a shattered sea of consciousness, but had been killed by Uncle Lin Feng. Would the proud and arrogant Che Yeming seek revenge? And if he told Uncle Lin Feng that little junior sister had been assassinated by Che Yeming, would the doting uncle not seek vengeance for her? Just thinking about it was enough to give him a headache.

Yang Jian watched the cloud of dust rising behind the two riders. Though they had long vanished, he grinned darkly after them. “Your days are numbered.”

For the past few years, Che and Liu had remained in Miao Village, focused on their cultivation. They’d hardly ever traveled far, so being sent out by Master Miao Shilin was an exhilarating change. Everything along the road seemed fresh and wonderful; they stopped and played often, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Any unpleasantness from their encounter with Yang Jian in the morning was quickly left behind in the joy of their journey.

Liu Lanzhi wore a dress of lake-green silk, her hair black as a waterfall, her skin as delicate as cream, her face round and indescribably lovely. Especially beneath the noon sun, her eyes were bright, her teeth pearl-white, and she seemed to glow with vitality. She laughed, riding a small red-striped colt, streaking across the vast grasslands like a crimson flash.

Che Wuyou rode a gray-black steed. Seeing Liu Lanzhi’s high spirits, even his usually wooden features softened with a smile. Watching her fly ahead, he spurred his own horse, chasing after her at full speed. The two of them swept across the grasslands like shadows in the wind, shrinking to black dots in moments.

As the wildflowers and trees blurred past, the fresh wind in their faces, their clothing and hair whipped about. In their headlong rush, they exchanged a glance and saw excitement in each other’s eyes. Liu Lanzhi, delighted, let out a peal of laughter and couldn’t help but sing, “Green hills rise and fall, shrouded in mist; clear waters ripple gently; a hundred flowers bloom as beauty plays her tune; under the bright heavens, all the world pays homage…” Her voice was soft and melodious, as if an oriole sang in a verdant valley, echoing across the clear, open grassland.

Che Wuyou stared at Liu Lanzhi’s beautiful face, entranced by her crystalline song, forgetting where he was, forgetting the passage of time. If only he could ride beside her like this, forever and ever—what more could he want in this life?

Noticing his dazed gaze, Liu Lanzhi felt both shy and pleased to have so moved him with her singing. She turned her head slightly, and after a moment, scolded him in mock annoyance, “Fool, what are you staring at… Come on, let’s see whose horse is faster!”

Che Wuyou started from his reverie, but Liu Lanzhi had already shouted and rushed ahead. He sighed, seeing her so far in front, and hurried to catch up.

They pressed their horses on, wasting no more time, and by mid-afternoon reached the main stronghold of the Xuanqing Sect. From afar, a booming voice rang out from atop Xuanqing Peak: “Who goes there? How dare you trespass on Xuanqing Peak! Dismount and surrender at once!”

At his shout, hundreds of armed men leapt from the flanking mountains, nocking arrows and aiming them at Che and Liu.

Seeing so many arrows pointed at her, Liu Lanzhi was annoyed. She had come with good intentions, to treat their young lady, and yet they greeted her with weapons—how was this reasonable? Angrily, she said, “We are from Miao Village, here to treat your sect master’s granddaughter. If we are so unwelcome, then we’ll leave.” With that, she turned her horse, motioning for Che Wuyou to follow.

The man who had shouted earlier was startled by her words. If they truly were here to treat the young lady, and he sent them away, he would be held responsible for any worsening of her condition—the sect master might well have him skinned alive. The consequences alarmed him, and he was about to offer more polite words.

But then another thought occurred to him: the young lady’s injuries were already grave, and even the two sect masters, with their medical expertise, were at a loss. How could these two children possibly help? They must be bluffing, trying to frighten him. If he, the renowned Brother Hongshun, were to be cowed by two kids, it would ruin his reputation. Besides, he hadn’t heard of the sect master inviting two youngsters from Miao Village to treat the young lady. Even if they were from Miao Village, so what? They were just juniors—how dare they speak to him so rudely!