“Go!”
On the quiet, deserted mountain road at night, only a carriage was speeding downhill. Behind the coachman sat two young men. One, tall and burly, spoke with arrogance, “If you want to go down the mountain, just go by yourself. Why do you have to hitch a ride with us?”
The other one was thin and cold-faced, and his tone was even colder, “I’m riding in my senior sister’s carriage, not yours. Please make that clear, Feng Zuojun.”
“I’m the first loyal dog of senior sister. Her carriage is my carriage.” Feng Zuojun’s tone was somewhat proud.
“May I ask, how can you say such a shameful thing so proudly, Heavenly Dawn Cloud Realm’s junior sect master?” Xie Yuling asked.
“You think it’s shameful, I think it’s proud. Why? Because senior sister is strong. To acknowledge the strong, is to become strong. This is the way of our Heavenly Dawn Cloud Realm. That’s why we are the hegemon of Yunmeng Prefecture, while your Xie family, is just a stepping stone among the four major families.” Feng Zuojun mocked.
“Say that again.” Xie Yuling reached for his sword hilt.
“You’re stressing yourself out too much.” Feng Zuojun stretched out a finger and wiped his eye. “Just looking at your eyes makes me tired. Relax a bit, learn from your uncle who is famous all over the world, Xie Kanhua.”
The senior sister who had been closing her eyes to rest suddenly opened them.
Feng Zuojun knew he had misspoken and immediately shut up.
Xie Yuling turned his head and asked, “Senior sister, is my uncle really still alive?”
Senior sister took out a long sword that was beside her, suddenly drew it out, and gently slid her finger over the blade.
“Junyu.” Xie Yuling said solemnly.
“Huh~” Li Kui pulled the reins hard and stopped the carriage. He said in a deep voice, “Master Zhou Zheng.”
Zhou Zheng wore a green robe and stood in front of the carriage. He sighed lightly, “Go back.”
Li Kui handed the reins to Feng Zuojun and whispered, “On my word, you two will immediately go down the mountain.”
“I wanted to reason with you, so I called the third senior brother. But you left the mountain before he arrived. Since reasoning is out of the question, we have no choice but to fight. I’m the toughest and most outspoken among the senior brothers on the mountain.” Zhou Zheng’s voice slowly faded away. “So I’m here, to bring you back to the mountain.”
“Senior brother, speak louder, I can’t hear you clearly.” The voice in the carriage was very soft and sweet.
“I said!” Zhou Zheng suddenly shouted. “I came here, to take you–”
A sudden roar erupted, like a thunderclap exploding in the forest. The leaves rustled within three miles, and both Feng Zuojun and Xie Yuling inside the carriage were startled and fell to the floor.
“What a powerful Buddhist lion’s roar.” Feng Zuojun gritted his teeth.
Zhou Zheng’s expression did not change. He watched Li Kui walk down from the carriage and said slowly, “Li Kui, you have been forbidden from martial arts for ten years. Do you want to break your vow today?”
“I met the young lady, and it also happened to be ten years.” Li Kui still had his usual honest smile. “Ten years ago, the young lady took me, who was dying, up the mountain. Ten years later, the young lady wants to go down the mountain. I naturally have to send her down. You always say, appreciate kindness, release hatred, hatred is short-lived, kindness is enduring. I’m doing nothing wrong, right, Master Zhou Zheng?”
Zhou Zheng nodded, “Indeed, you’re not wrong.”
Feng Zuojun got up from the ground, took a deep breath, and asked his senior sister in surprise, “Li Kui knows martial arts?”
Xie Yuling wiped the sweat from his forehead, “Just that one Buddhist lion’s roar, he must have at least thirty years of internal energy accumulated.”
Senior sister just shook her head, “I’m seeing it for the first time too.”
Zhou Zheng stretched out a palm, “The Academy, Zhou Zheng.”
Li Kui put away his honest smile, and his slightly hunched body slowly straightened up. “Jun Ziya’s renegade disciple, Li Gui.”
“Li Gui!” Feng Zuojun trembled all over. “The Li Gui who betrayed his sect for the love of the Demon Sect’s holy maiden!”
“It is said that Li Gui was the designated successor of Jun Ziya, and many martial families came to propose marriage to him. But he fell in love with the Demon Sect’s holy maiden, and even killed three elders and more than ten senior brothers for her in the end…” Xie Yuling said in a low voice. “The rumors in the martial world said he was already dead, but he has been hiding in the academy all this time.”
“Third Young Master Xie, you should travel more, and listen less to the martial world’s gossip. When I left my sect, I did not kill anyone. I only exchanged one move with my sect master, and they let me go. If I really killed anyone, with Jun Ziya’s rules, how could I live until today?” Li Gui gently rotated his right hand, and purple palm energy swirled around his palm. “Back then, my sect master ranked thirteenth on the Jianghu’s Heavenly Martial Rankings, and I did not lose to him. Master Zhou Zheng, what about you?”
“The disciples on the mountain do not enter the Golden List, but the second senior brother once went down the mountain and ranked third on the Heavenly Martial Rankings. I admit that I am far inferior to him in martial arts, but after years of hard work, I finally hope to be on par with him.” Zhou Zheng lightly jumped and broke off a branch from the phoenix tree above his head. “I was in a hurry when I left, and did not bring my sword, so I will use this branch as a sword. Please!”
“Good.” Li Gui’s entire right arm was now enveloped in the ghostly blue palm energy, like a layer of armor. With a sudden leap, he charged towards Zhou Zheng, aiming a devastating blow at his head.
Zhou Zheng lifted the branch in his hand and lightly tapped it on Li Gui’s right arm.
The faint blue palm energy dissipated in an instant, and a trace of surprise appeared on Li Gui’s face. Then Zhou Zheng’s branch was already pressed against his chest.
“Ten years without practicing martial arts, you’ve regressed a lot,” Zhou Zheng said calmly. “It’s over.”
Li Gui smiled, “Master Zhou Zheng underestimated me too much.”
Zhou Zheng lowered his head slightly and noticed a faint glimmer of blue light at the tip of the tree branch. Immediately, he withdrew his hand and took a quick step back. The branch fell to the ground, crumbling into a pile of dust.
“Miss, you go first.” Li Gui shouted loudly.
Feng Zuojun quickly grabbed the reins and looked back at his senior sister. Senior sister nodded, and Feng Zuojun did not hesitate. He whipped the reins and rushed down the mountain.
Zhou Zheng sighed lightly, “You are harming senior sister.”
“Seeking kindness, gaining kindness.” Li Gui attacked Zhou Zheng with a fist.
Zhou Zheng flipped over and jumped on a big tree behind him. He shook his head,“You are also pursuing an outcome, right?”
“Yes.” Li Gui let out another lion’s roar, and the big trees in the woods began to sway.
Zhou Zheng raised both hands lightly, and the branches on the trees around him broke off at the same time, falling beside him and spinning with the wind. He swung his hand down sharply, and hundreds of branches fell like flying swords.
“So this is the Everlasting Flowing Sword created by the second gentleman?” exclaimed in admiration. “Everything in the world can be used as a sword. Good!”