Martial Cultivator

After experiencing this not-too-big, not-too-small incident, the disciples of Pinecreek Mountain became especially cautious over the following days, and no further troubles arose.

On the day before the Sixty-Year Gathering, Sage Bamboo Moon ended her cultivation and, unusually, gave a lecture under the moonlight to several disciples on the profundities of qi refiners’ cultivation.

The few disciples listened but were mostly confused; Sage Bamboo Moon’s teachings were too obscure, and they barely understood.

Sage Bamboo Moon did not mind; cultivation was a matter of individual fate. Moreover, the qi refiners’ path was naturally more aloof than that of other cultivators. She was not too concerned about these few disciples’ future achievements.

Only after the others had all stood up and left did Sage Bamboo Moon call out to Liang Jinjin with a smile and asked, “Jinjin, how much of what I said today did you understand?”

Liang Jinjin stopped and turned to look at this mountain lord, answering softly, “This disciple is slow-witted, only understanding about half of it.”

Sage Bamboo Moon smiled, “I truly wasn’t mistaken about you. I used to think you learned the Qi Observing Technique by chance, but later I realized that such coincidences don’t exist. If you have something others don’t, it must mean you have talent; we just didn’t see it before. After we carefully taught you, it’s clear, you may well inherit my legacy and take charge of Pinecreek Mountain.”

These lightly spoken words made Liang Jinjin nervous. “Master, this disciple probably isn’t capable enough to bear such a great responsibility.”

“Some things that are meant for you, no one can snatch away. And what’s not meant for you, no matter how hard you try, you can’t take.”

Sage Bamboo Moon glanced at Liang Jinjin and casually said, “But since you returned to the mountain this time, you seem burdened. What exactly happened in the desolate north? Is it something you can’t even tell me, your master?”

Liang Jinjin remained silent and bowed her head.

“Jinjin, you must understand that for qi refiners, cultivation is foremost. One must sever desires. Even if you met someone in the desolate north and had feelings, you should have made a decision early. If you keep delaying, you may lose your chance at the Great Dao.”

Having lived many years, how could Sage Bamboo Moon be unaware of her disciple’s hidden feelings. She had already investigated the past incident but found no concrete answers, only that the martial artist who saved Liang Jinjin seemed to be from Windspirit Mountain.

Regarding Windspirit Mountain, Sage Bamboo Moon had not received much information. She only heard that the martial artist Chen Wannian from Windspirit Mountain had recently left for Divine Capital to serve as an official.

Liang Jinjin still remained silent. Regarding this matter, she had never told anyone before, nor did she intend to tell anyone afterward.

Sage Bamboo Moon glanced at Liang Jinjin again, her eyes filled with complex emotions. In the end, only a hint of disappointment flickered across her face before she remained silent.

......

......

The first rays of morning sunlight spilled over the lake, making the water shimmer brightly. Qi refiners from all corners of the land left their residences and gathered together on a small island in the center of the lake, a human-made platform. Today was the Sixty-Year Gathering, and the seating arrangements for the major sects had long been settled. ɌΑNΟ𝐁ËꞨ

High above stood a platform built by Three Streams Manor. By tradition, the Manor Lord would personally deliver a speech at the Sixty-Year Gathering, summarizing the events of the past sixty years for the southern sect of qi refiners.

Compared to other sects, Pinecreek Mountain’s seat was not prominent, so their position was not near the front. After Sage Bamboo Moon took her seat, she looked up toward an even higher platform above.

On the mountain peak stood the Ancestral Hall of Three Streams Manor, a majestic tall building whose location and layout contained the flow of the heavenly dao.

The mountain where Three Streams Manor is located is not naturally suited for qi refiners. However, successive generations of Three Streams Manor disciples have altered the mountain and water formations, which has turned this place into the pattern most favored by qi refiners. This also benefits cultivation quite a lot.

At this moment, before the ancestral hall, Tu Beihai, the manor lord of Three Streams Manor, stood with his hands behind his back. Today, he wore a brand-new set of clothes; a dark blue long robe embroidered with white cloud patterns woven from cold cicada silk, forming a scene like blue skies with white clouds.

Qi refiners believe most in Heavenly Dao, and this blue sky with white clouds represents the word “Heaven.”

Tu Beihai folded his hands in front of his abdomen, then gently brushed off a tiny insect that had flown onto his sleeve before slowly speaking, “The Sixty-Year Gathering is truly a grand event for the qi refiner lineage that only happens once every sixty years.”

Tu Beihai spoke plainly, without any trace of excitement in his tone.

Behind him, someone slowly stepped forward and softly said, “Senior Brother, do you think we’re just a bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well looking at the sky here?”

Tu Beihai looked at the newcomer. He was a sword cultivator, his appearance middle-aged. This person was also his junior disciple named Zhang Nanting. After joining Three Streams Manor years ago, it was soon discovered that he had the talent for sword cultivation, so in addition to being a qi refiner, he was also a sword cultivator.

Because he cultivated both paths, Zhang Nanting had been in seclusion frequently in recent years, rarely appearing before other disciples of Three Streams Manor. Many younger disciples who recently joined didn’t know this senior of theirs.

“Junior Brother Zhang, it’s been a long time.”

Tu Beihai said with a smile as he looked at him. “The last time we met must have been about five or six years ago, right?”

Zhang Nanting nodded. He had been in seclusion for nearly that long, only coming out now for the Sixty-Year Gathering, just in time for this once-in-sixty-years event.

“I have not disappointed you, Senior Brother. A year ago, I stepped into Nepenthe. This past year, I’ve been stabilizing my realm and researching Sword Dao.”

Zhang Nanting said confidently, sword intent flashing in his eyes, already showing the air of a sword immortal.

Tu Beihai laughed heartily, “I knew long ago that Junior Brother had this ability, but I never expected Junior Brother to succeed so quickly. With you here, Three Streams Manor might really be able to shake off the ’southern’ word of the southern sect’s top qi refiners.”

Zhang Nanting didn’t continue along that line but instead asked, “I just came out of seclusion and heard that Senior Sister Wang has ascended[passed on], and that it somehow involves Great Liang. Why is that?”

Zhang Nanting had come up the mountain since childhood and was cared for by his senior sister at first. They were close, but he had been in seclusion often recently, so they met less. Before going into seclusion five or six years ago, he only saw his senior sister once.

Now after all those years, he had just come out and heard that his senior sister had died. Zhang Nanting immediately decided to avenge her.

But there were many details he still did not know, so he came to ask his senior brother, the manor lord.

Tu Beihai was silent for a moment before answering carefully, “No rush. After the Sixty-Year Gathering, I’ll explain everything to you.”

“Senior Brother, I can’t wait.”

Zhang Nanting looked at Tu Beihai seriously. His bond with his senior sister was deep and couldn’t be explained in just a few words.

Tu Beihai sighed and slowly said, “Your senior sister once took in a disciple named Guo Xi whom she favored deeply. A few years ago, I sent Guo Xi to explore the dragon vein of Great Liang in Tianqing County, Wei Prefecture, but Guo Xi was unfortunately killed by the local warden. Then your senior sister went to avenge Guo Xi but was blocked by Great Liang. That man went to the Divine Capital and didn’t die. Your senior sister waited outside the Divine Capital, hoping to kill him one day, but in the end, she died at his hands.”

“Who is that man? Where is he now?”

Zhang Nanting’s expression turned ugly, but was still quite surprised. He did not expect that his senior sister would die at the hands of a measly little warden of Great Liang.

“Junior brother, that man is now the Lord Warden Commander of Great Liang, one of the most formidable warriors of the younger generation. Even the Infatuation Daoist Temple don’t dare to provoke him. If not for that, he would have died by my hand long ago. Although you have become a sword immortal, this matter still requires long-term planning.”

Tu Beihai sighed. Over all these years, the most frustrating thing for Three Streams Manor was this matter.

“I won’t wait. I’ll go to the Divine Capital right now and kill that Lord Warden Commander to avenge Senior Sister!”

Zhang Nanting bit his teeth. This disciple of Three Streams Manor, who cultivated both the sword immortal and qi refiner paths, could wait no longer and was ready to descend the mountain immediately.

Tu Beihai said in a deep voice, “The Divine Capital is the Great Liang’ capital. Are there no great cultivators there? Junior Brother, rushing there like this is nothing but a death wish.”

Zhang Nanting had been fired up just now but finally calmed down at this moment. He glanced at his senior brother and said softly, “But Senior Sister treated me like a mother. I can’t not avenge her.”

“She was also my junior sister. How could I not want to avenge her? But now we need to plan carefully and come up with a practical solution. If you act recklessly and go to the Divine Capital, you won’t just fail to get revenge, you’ll lose your own life for nothing.”

Tu Beihai narrowed his eyes and patted Zhang Nanting’s shoulder with earnest words: “Junior brother, you must understand that losing your senior sister is already a huge loss for Three Streams Manor. You’ve just stepped into Nepenthe and become one of the few sword immortals in the world. If something happens to you now, how could I face our late master?”

“Listen to me: after the Sixty-Year Gathering, senior brother will discuss this thoroughly with you. We will make sure to take revenge!”

After saying this, Tu Beihai looked at Zhang Nanting’s expression. Once he saw the nod, he was satisfied and began to head down the mountain. Judging the time, it was about right.

“Junior brother, do you want to go together?”

Tu Beihai smiled, “Let them know that Three Streams Manor has produced a sword immortal.”

But Zhang Nanting just shook his head.

Tu Beihai didn’t push further and quietly descended the mountain.

......

......

Below the mountain, a crowd of qi refiners gathered. Tu Beihai slowly ascended the high platform and smiled slightly: “Once again we meet at the Sixty-Year Gathering. First, I thank everyone for coming. Three Streams Manor is deeply honored.”

His opening remarks were neither long nor short, and nothing new. Even though Tu Beihai spoke carefully, few would truly believe him.

“Our qi refiner lineage has seen many talents emerge in the past sixty years. To speak frankly, among the cultivators of the world, only our qi refiners are the orthodox path of Heaven and Earth. As for other cultivators, even those from the Three Schools, by my estimation, they are hardly impressive.”

“As for the martial artists, they are heretics, mere dirt-born...”

Tu Beihai spoke loudly and confidently on stage. Though his voice was not low, the qi refiners below still nodded one after another. Many knew it was an exaggeration, but few would ignore words praising themselves.

Seeing the response below was as expected, Tu Beihai nodded. The Sixty-Year Gathering may not really benefit the qi refiners directly, but if done well, it could improve the sect’s prestige.

Especially for Three Streams Manor, raising their standing through this gathering would be a big plus.

“Great Liang is becoming more overboard. You should unite, or else even we qi refiners may suffer bullying...”

”Manor Lord Tu!”

Just as Tu Beihai spoke, a voice suddenly rose from below.

“Manor Lord Tu talks big here, probably hoping we’ll fight his battles for him.”

A cold laugh followed, “Who doesn’t know Three Streams Manor provoked Great Liang back then, but lacked the guts to face the consequences? Saying such things only drags everyone else into this mess.”

The speaker was a white-haired elder from a southern qi refiner sect. His words were blunt and overbearing at this time, not hiding anything in the slightest.

Tu Beihai’s expression did not change. He replied calmly, “What have I said wrong? Qi refiners across the world should unite. After all, we share the same path and origin.”

A sneer appeared on the old man’s withered face: “Manor Lord Tu, you have a sharp tongue. In my view, instead of speaking here, you should figure out how to wash away Three Streams Manor’s shame. When your disciple was killed by that young Lord Warden Commander of Great Liang, and your senior sister went to seek revenge but was killed, why did I never hear you say a word to Great Liang?”

There is a saying: strike a person but not their face. This act of exposing old wounds completely tore the relationship between Three Streams Manor and the other party apart. No matter how good Manor Lord Tu’s temper usually was, at this moment he could no longer remain calm. He stared coldly at the old man before him and said, “These days, Three Streams Manor has other important matters to deal with. Once those are settled, we will definitely seek justice from Great Liang.”

The old man clicked his tongue and said, “Manor Lord Tu wants justice, but how exactly will you seek it? Who will do the seeking? Could it be Manor Lord Tu will storm into the Divine Capital and directly kill that young Lord Warden Commander? If that really happened, this old man will truly admire Manor Lord Tu.”

Tu Beihai frowned deeply, his expression darkening.

“Don’t talk about Manor Lord Tu storming into the Divine Capital. Just saying if that young Lord Warden Commander were right here, would you, Tu Beihai, dare to make a move against him?!”

The white-haired old man sneered with contempt. His sect indeed had a grudge against Three Streams Manor, though not to the point of completely breaking ties like this. It was only because before the Sixty-Year Gathering, the Three Streams Manor had seized a mining site they had been eying for a long time that this old man became so furious.

Otherwise, no matter what, he wouldn’t have spoken like this here.

“You old fogey, you insult Three Streams Manor too much. What about Chen Chao being here? If he really were here, I would skin him alive and extract his bones to avenge my junior sister!”

Tu Beihai’s face was ugly as he spoke through clenched teeth. Now that the white-haired old man had provoked him, there was no way he could just let it slide lightly.

As Tu Beihai spoke, before the white-haired old man could respond, suddenly a voice rang out from somewhere unknown.

But everyone heard it clearly:

“Who’s going to skin this official alive and extract my bones?”