For a moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind. After weighing the pros and cons, he ultimately decided to sit back and observe, muttering to himself, "Daoist Li, this Senior Liu’s mana is far from what it used to be. You must ensure no flaws are revealed."
Zhang Yan followed Sister Guanrong to a desolate cliff. The place was overrun with withered vines and wild grass, cast in shadows where no sunlight reached, making it damp and chillingly eerie.
Sister Guanrong seemed unwilling to linger here. She wrinkled her nose and pointed toward a nearby cave mansion. "Brother Daoist, I won’t accompany you further. Senior Liu has an eccentric temperament, and I’d rather not see him. Go in yourself."
She produced a Dharma talisman and handed it to Zhang Yan. "If you get a chance to come out later, activate this talisman, and I’ll come to fetch you."
Zhang Yan nodded, cupped his hands in farewell, adjusted his robes, and strode toward the cave mansion.
As soon as he entered, a child approached him from the front, wearing a cold expression and saying, "Follow me."
The cave mansion towered ten zhang high and was spacious. The floors were paved with green jade, emanating bursts of cold air, while the stone walls were illuminated by bright pearls.
Following the child, Zhang Yan entered the inner hall, where he saw a diminutive Daoist seated cross-legged on a couch. The Daoist had two hair buns on his head, stood less than three feet tall, with long, white whiskers trailing to the ground. In front of him was a dried bamboo vine staff hanging a purplish-red gourd. On the side wall hung a portrait of a green-robed Daoist.
Zhang Yan’s gaze landed on the portrait. Though his expression remained unchanged, his heart trembled slightly. The Daoist in the painting was unmistakably Qi Yun Tian!
His thoughts churned as he further observed the Daoist’s appearance, quickly deducing the man’s identity.
Once, this Daoist was renowned among the Ten Sects of Xuanmen, a True Master of Tai Hao Sect—Han Gu Zhenren.
Zhang Yan knew of this figure because Qi Yun Tian had mentioned him in conversation.
During the Sixteen Sects Sword Competition, this Daoist had clashed with Qi Yun Tian. However, Qi Yun Tian’s superior skill not only defeated him but also destroyed his Nascent Soul, reducing him overnight from a tall, robust man of eight feet to a stunted old hunchback less than three feet tall.
Since that time, this True Master no longer maintained a mountain gate.
Zhang Yan had not anticipated that he would be meeting this person.
Master Han Gu squinted at him for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice, "No wonder I sensed your aura was different from that of ordinary cultivators. So, you cultivate the Path of Strength. It’s not quite as I imagined..."
Seeing nothing more of interest, he waved his sleeve dismissively. "You may leave."
Zhang Yan smiled casually, cupped his hands toward Master Han Gu, and turned to depart.
Master Han Gu furrowed his frosty brows. After some time, he murmured to himself, "No, something doesn’t add up. When did the world ever have a Path of Strength cultivation method ?"
The Path of Strength is not so easy to cultivate. True, those who tread this path are often no ordinary men. However, it depends heavily on one’s background and support—cultivating the Path of Strength demands far greater resources than the Qi Dao. Without backing from a noble family or the full support of a sect, it would be nearly impossible to produce someone of this caliber.
The more he dwelled on it, the more suspicious he became. Yet, he couldn’t brazenly summon Zhang Yan back. Instinctively, he reached out, seeming to calculate with his fingers.
But as he made the motion, his body froze, and he sighed inwardly, letting his hand drop dejectedly. If only he hadn’t attempted to pry into Heavenly Mechanism and deduce flaws in Qi Yun Tian’s Dao technique that day—perhaps his mana wouldn’t have suffered such a great decline, and his Nascent Soul wouldn’t have been shattered by Qi Yun Tian’s single Purple Cloud Divine Thunder.
Pondering gloomily for a while, he set out several bamboo divination tools and cast a hexagram. It was a simple act to pass the time, yet the resultant hexagram made him exclaim with a soft "hmm" as he stroked his beard, deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes burst open. "Where is the child?"
The child hurriedly ran back.
Master Han Gu took out a token and handed it to him. "Take this outside the mountain gate. If there is a disciple with the surname Yue there, deliver this token to him, and instruct him as follows..." He whispered a few words before waving his sleeve, saying, "Go."
The child was whisked out of the cave mansion by a gust of wind, disoriented. Upon regaining his clarity, he found himself outside the mountain. Looking up, he saw a flying carriage hovering in the air and shouted, "Are you surnamed Yue?"
Yue Hongzhang was on the flying carriage, bantering with several maids when he heard the voice. Curious, he glanced down. With a laugh, he said, "Where does this audacious child come from? A handsome little fellow indeed. Yes, I am Yue. What do you want?"
The child huffed, tossing an object toward him. "Catch."
Initially indifferent, Yue Hongzhang’s expression changed the moment he caught it. He quickly descended the flying carriage, disembarked, and approached, bowing low as he said softly, "Brother Disciple, pardon my ignorance for failing to recognize your identity. What instructions does True Master have for me?"
The child spoke boldly, "True Master instructs you—later, if someone emerges from within..." He paused, describing Zhang Yan’s appearance, "...you are to think of ways to test him. Best if you engage him in combat to uncover his secrets. True Master promises rewards afterward."
Yue Hongzhang pondered briefly, then replied without hesitation, "Brother Disciple, please report back to True Master that I shall not fail to carry out his instructions."
His words were loud and resolute, leaving the child satisfied. "Very well. Do it properly." Turning around, the child returned to the mountain gate.
Yue Hongzhang watched the child’s retreating figure, a faint ridicule surfacing in his eyes.
The maid beside him stepped forward, clutching his arm. "Young Master, that person the child spoke of—wasn’t he the one who was just with Gongsun Mian?"
Yue Hongzhang nodded. "Yes, that’s him."
The maid giggled. "What does Young Master intend to do to him?"
Yue Hongzhang sneered coldly, "Did I ever say I would deal with him?"
The maid gasped. "But Young Master, this is True Master’s command."
Yue Hongzhang smirked. "True Master my foot! That Han Guzi, back when Qi Yun Tian shattered his foundations, couldn’t even utter a word after his disciples were massacred by the Shaoqing Sect’s brutes. Now he wants to use me, Yue Hongzhen, as his pawn? He can keep dreaming."
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)