My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 248 - The Scholar and Emperor Gaze at Each Other

Chapter 248: Chapter 248 The Scholar and Emperor Gaze at Each Other

Capital Road, Youfeng Valley.

As one of the seven major sects of the Great Yan Martial World, Youfeng Valley couldn’t be considered strong when compared to the likes of Zhenyi Sect or Yu Heng Sword Sect, but it was still slightly stronger than the Four Symbols Sect and Blue River Sect.

Add to that the fact that Valley Master Zuo Biwen had quite a reputation for benevolence in Jianghu, and with the support from the Empress of the Zuo Family behind him, Youfeng Valley held a significant status in Jianghu. There were not many who dared to provoke it.

Following the conflict between Buddhists and the Demon Sect, Zuo Biwen had been in closed-door cultivation within Youfeng Valley, seeking an opportunity to break through to the Grandmaster Realm.

Inside the valley, wisps of Cloud Dust Fragrance slowly rose up.

This fragrance, capable of cleansing the heart and clarifying the mind, was a rare aid for cultivation.

...

Footsteps approached from outside, and Zuo Biwen’s eyes opened slightly. Soon after, a voice rang out.

“Valley Master, there’s an important matter to discuss.”

It was the voice of the Second Elder of Youfeng Valley.

Zuo Biwen said, “Come in.”

Shortly after, an old man dressed in a black robe and boots entered, looking rather solemn.

The Second Elder of Youfeng Valley said gravely, “Valley Master, Great Heavenly Yang Ye Ding is planning to leave the mountain.”

Zuo Biwen was somewhat surprised. “What does he want to do by leaving the mountain?”

The name Ye Ding was naturally not unfamiliar to him. In his times active in Jianghu, Ye Ding had been even more famous than the current Xiao Qianqiu.

After all, Xiao Qianqiu liked to cultivate in the mountains and didn’t manage the secular affairs of Zhenyi Sect much. Ye Ding, on the other hand, was the actual Sect Leader of Zhenyi Sect, and had many battle achievements against various masters. Besides the suspected defeat to Qi Xuan Dao of the Black Ice Platform, no other losses were publicized.

In the eyes of the younger generation in Jianghu today, he had already become a legendary figure.

The Second Elder of Youfeng Valley presented an invitation, saying, “Elder Ye has widely issued a Heroic Invitation, calling heroes from all over the world to Blue Sky Island to resolve the enmity with the Demon Sect. This is the invitation sent to our Youfeng Valley.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo Biwen picked up the invitation to look at it.

The Demon Sect had received the ‘National Teaching Order’, or in other words, was officially listed by the Ministry of Revenue as a sect of Yan Country recognized by the Court. However, the enmity in Jianghu from twenty years ago was still unresolved.

Because An Jing had defeated the Exalted Vajra, everyone in the Great Yan Martial World felt threatened, and no one dared to say anything.

Now that Zhenyi Sect was taking the lead, naturally a collective response ensued, as the Demon Sect was a faction that people dreaded from the bottom of their hearts.

The Second Elder of Youfeng Valley said, “Valley Master, we also exerted effort in the past siege against the Demon Sect…”

“I know.”

Zuo Biwen let out a long sigh, “Elder Ye has issued this Heroic Invitation widely this time. It contains the personal vendetta of Zhenyi as well as the enmity between the Great Yan Martial World and the Demon Sect. Even if we at Youfeng Valley do not go to Blue Sky Island, we must still deliver the invitation into the hands of the Ghost Swordsman on behalf of Elder Ye.”

Zuo Biwen was greatly grateful that the Ghost Swordsman had once saved Zhao Xuening, so he was reluctant to go to Blue Sky Island. However, regarding the matters mentioned by Ye Ding in the invitation, he felt obligated to help.

The Demon Sect is the Demon Sect, and the Ghost Swordsman is the Ghost Swordsman.

If one day the Demon Sect were to return to Yan Country and wreak havoc to avenge the events of the past, wouldn’t Youfeng Valley be helpless on its own?

……

Blue River Sect.

Wang Yue sat in front of the great lake, gazing at the clear blue waters in front of him. The sunlight scattered upon the lake’s surface, creating a dazzling array of gleaming ripples.

By his side, a sweet-looking young girl curiously observed the lake water.

It was none other than Bai Lin’er.

She didn’t understand why her grandfather spent every day gazing at the lake water, seemingly entranced every time.

After some tens of breaths, Wang Yue lightly stretched his limbs and then glanced at the invitation on the side table.

“Liangdong.”

“Sect Master.”

The Peak Master of the Triple Peaks, Zhao Liangdong, responded softly.

Wang Yue chuckled, “Blue Sky Island is indeed a good place, huh.”

Zhao Liangdong said with some confusion, “I don’t really understand why the location wasn’t set at Xuanqing Mountain.”

Blue Sky Island was almost out of Yan Country’s border. Wasn’t it said to be about resolving the grudge between Yan Country and the Demon Sect?

Wang Yue glanced at Zhao Liangdong and countered with a question, “What do you think, how many people will respond to Ye Ding’s call?”

“Many.”

Zhao Liangdong pondered, “The Demon Sect has made many enemies, and Ye Ding is a renowned master with extraordinary influence.”

“Do you think the Ghost Swordsman will go?”

“I don’t think he will.”

“Not resolving the ‘enmity’ spoken of by Ye Ding would push you to oppose the Great Yan Martial World as before. Will you go or not?”

“This…”

Zhao Liangdong’s brow immediately furrowed.

Twenty years ago, the Demon Sect had withdrawn from the Great Yan Martial World because they had become the public enemy of Jianghu and were surrounded by the Xuanyi Guard.

After all, no sect today wants the Demon Sect to rise again. In the end, the Demon Sect and Buddhism are different.

Buddhism is protected by the Court, and Jianghu also hopes Buddhism can keep Zhenyi Sect’s arrogance in check.

However, the overbearing nature of the Demon Sect lingers in people’s hearts. Moreover, there are only so many places, so many people, in Jianghu; Buddhism’s eastern crossing has already pressured the interests of Jianghu. Should the Demon Sect re-enter the Great Yan Martial World, every sect would have to yield some of their interests again.

Who would want to!

Wang Yue said lazily, “You help me to send a reply to the Zhenyi Sect. Just say that the Blue River Sect has now closed its mountain and will not manage other worldly affairs. As for the matter of sending messages on behalf of the Great Yan Martial World, consent to it.”

Zhao Liangdong nodded slightly, “Yes.”

…….

In the teahouse, Cloud Dust Fragrance said.

Inside the teahouse, there sat a Taoist dressed in a Daoist robe.

Within the Jianghu, because of the Zhenyi Sect’s influence, the status of Taoists is extremely high; after all, no one knows whether the encountered Taoist is a master from one of the Zhenyi Sect’s temples.

Moreover, with the backing of the big tree that is the Zhenyi Sect, these Taoists have become accustomed to arrogance and despotic behavior.

Hence, many martial experts in the Jianghu would generally go out of their way to avoid Taoists.

The old Taoist in front of them had an ancient appearance, with his face covered in dense wrinkles, as though he would step into a coffin at any moment.

Besides that, there was a black umbrella next to him.

The old Taoist sat alone, ordering only a pot of tea and nothing else.

At the neighboring table, however, there were several Taoists wearing luxurious robes and purple gold crowns on their heads, each with an exquisite jade pendant at their waist.

Among them were both men and women, looking relaxed and comfortable, with a variety of pastries and teas before them.

Leading them was a middle-aged Taoist in green, seated next to a strikingly beautiful nun, who kept stuffing pastries into the middle-aged Taoist’s mouth with affectionate eyes.

Such a display of affection, so alluring and vulgar, seemed shockingly out of place on people who were supposed to be cultivating the Dao.

As the nun fed him pastries, she whispered softly, “Don’t forget about the Spiritual Origin Pill newly sent over, Temple Master Yue.”

“Of course, I won’t forget.”

The middle-aged Taoist pinched the nun, giving a lewd smile, “Once it arrives, I’ll reward you with one.”

The nun’s eyes were seductive, her breath fragrant.

“Temple Master Yue, as the nephew of Great True Person of Yu Dust, why would the Spiritual Origin Pills not be as plentiful as you desire?”

“Indeed, Temple Master Yue elevated from Fourth Grade Cultivation to Third Grade last year, who knows, you might even have the opportunity to step into the realm of First Grade in the future.”

The two Taoists beside him had long since grown accustomed to this and smiled obsequiously.

They dared not covet the Spiritual Origin Pills, but there might be a chance to obtain some Origin Opening Pills.

“First Grade!?”

A gleam flashed in Temple Master Yue’s eyes, “With a continuous supply of Spiritual Origin Pills, reaching First Grade is just a matter of time.”

To reach the realm of First Grade meant one could be considered a master in a domain within the Jianghu. Coupled with his connections, he might even have the chance to enter Zhenyi Mountain and cultivate the core Martial Arts of the Zhenyi Sect.

Thinking of this, Temple Master Yue felt a burning desire in his heart.

“The Spiritual Origin Pill is intended for the young rising generation. You, already in your thirty-ninth year of bone age, can hardly be considered among the young generation, right?”

At that moment, the old Taoist beside them spoke up.

Temple Master Yue’s heart jumped upon hearing this, and after a closer look at the old Taoist’s robe, he sneered, “What does a stray Taoist have to do with matters of my Zhenyi Sect?”

The other Taoists beside him, upon hearing the term ‘stray Taoist’, suddenly had a cold look in their eyes.

“You have some nerve meddling in the affairs of my Zhenyi Sect!”

“Could it be that you have a death wish?”

The teahouse patrons upon hearing this turned pale with fright, one after another standing up and retreating to a distance.

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The Zhenyi Sect was an entity that roamed without fear in the Great Yan Martial World.

The old Taoist’s expression remained as still as water as he said, “How so, did I say anything incorrect?”

Temple Master Yue gave a cold laugh, “To discuss the Zhenyi Sect is to court death.”

At that, he signaled to three Daoists nearby.

The trio understood and quickly rushed toward the old Taoist.

With two at Fifth Grade Cultivation and one at Fourth Grade, their skills were not profound, but they were more than enough to stand out in the Jianghu. In their eyes, dealing with this poor-looking stray Taoist should be effortless.

“Shhh, shhh, shhh!”

The next moment, three streaks of cold light shot out at an unimaginable speed.

The three Daoists from the Zhenyi Sect staggered, then simultaneously fell to the ground, each with a thumb-sized hole in their foreheads.

“You!”

The nun turned ashen upon seeing this, her face as pale as a sheet of paper.

She hadn’t seen clearly how the stray Taoist had made his move; it was as if in the blink of an eye, the three men were dead.

This stray Taoist was definitely a master!

Temple Master Yue was also shocked, but quickly regained his composure, “You dare to kill the disciples of my Zhenyi Sect?”

“Are you even worthy to talk about the Zhenyi?”

The old Taoist touched the umbrella beside him and said indifferently, “Disciples like you only spoil the rules of Zhenyi and tarnish its reputation. You deserve to die!”

As he spoke, the old Taoist moved his umbrella.

“Whoosh, whoosh!”

“Thud!”

Yet another two streaks of cold light shot out, and immediately, the Temple Master Yue and that female Taoist priestess lay on the ground.

“Shopkeeper, bury these people, here’s the silver.”

The old man took out several bits of broken silver and placed them on the table, then nonchalantly picked up his black umbrella and left.

The scene unfolded extremely quickly. With the suddenness of a thunderbolt, the old man killed two people, and many around had not yet come to their senses.

By the time the crowd regained their composure, the wild Taoist was already nowhere to be found.

…….

The silvery white moonlight spilled onto the ground, and the scent of the night pervaded the air, giving people a sense of dreamlike illusion.

Yujing City, Lv Sect.

An Jing planned to leave Yujing City in two days and decided to visit Lv Guoyong, the current number one scholar of the Confucian sect, before leaving.

“Knock knock!”

An Jing walked to the door and knocked.

Soon, a doorman stuck his head out and said, “Are you An Jing, Young Master An?”

An Jing asked in confusion, “Do you know me?”

The doorman smiled and said, “Master Lv has long given instructions, please come in.”

Hearing this, An Jing couldn’t help but laugh. He had not expected that his visit would have been anticipated by Lv Guoyong.

He had already visited the Lv Mansion several times, and even stayed there for a while, so he was familiar with the place.

After a short while, the doorman led An Jing to the banquet hall.

The hall ahead was brightly lit, and the clinking sounds of cups and toasts could be vaguely heard.

An Jing walked in and saw Lv Guoyong, dressed in white, sitting at the head of the table, holding a porcelain cup, while Zhou Xianming, with a flushed face, and Lv Fang, with a bitter smile, sat at the foot of the table.

“Greetings to Elder Lv.”

An Jing entered the hall and greeted Lv Guoyong with a clasped fist.

“Brother An, you’ve come at the perfect time. Join us for a few drinks,” Zhou Xianming’s eyes lit up as he briskly walked forward and grabbed An Jing’s sleeve. “I must win the top scholar title in this imperial examination. That would mean winning the titles of three examinations in a row, which is rare throughout history.”

Frowning, An Jing said, “Mr. Zhou, you’ve had quite a bit to drink.”

He was familiar with Zhou Xianming, who always drank with moderation; rarely did he become completely drunk, usually calling it quits after just getting tipsy.

But Zhou Xianming, holding his cup, laughed and said, “I haven’t drunk much.”

Then he sat down on his own, poured another cup of wine, and drank it in one gulp.

“Take a seat first.”

Lu Guoyong smiled and said, “Don’t mind him, let him drink.”

An Jing took a seat slowly and said, “Elder Lv knew I would come today?”

“Yes,”

Lu Guoyong nodded and said, “I knew not only that you would come, but also that Ye Ding of the Zhenyi Sect has already prepared to descend the mountain for you.”

Ye Ding’s descent had not yet spread widely; news in the Jianghu is often a step behind. In truth, such news has already been passed on through numerous channels.

Li Fuzhou received his news through secret letters from Human Sect spies delivered by falcons.

The fact that Lv Guoyong also knew about it indicated that it was no simple matter.

It’s known that Lv Guoyong does not have his own intelligence organization; his only source of information comes through the Court’s Heaven and Earth Net, and the Heaven and Earth Net belongs to the Human Emperor…

An Jing chuckled and said, “If he wants to descend the mountain, let him. Just because he considers himself the Righteous Path, does that make it so?”

Lu Guoyong poured himself a drink and replied, “Ye Ding has been the number one man of the Righteous Path for half his life. If not him, then who?”

These words were profound and thought-provoking.

If he were not the once number one man of the Righteous Path, then that would mean that those who had revered him were wrong. Would they admit their error?

An Jing kept silent, realizing that the Demon Sect’s return to Yan Country was not as simple as he had imagined.

He had thought that with the Human Emperor’s approval, the Demon Sect could return to Yan Country. Now, it seemed that it was not entirely the case. Ye Ding’s move was to lure him into a trap.

After pondering for a moment, An Jing said, “If I postpone the meeting again…”

“They won’t give you the opportunity,”

Lu Guoyong replied, drinking up the wine he had just poured. “This wine is truly good.”

This was an overt conspiracy. On the seventh day of the next month, if you do not attend the event on Blue Sky Island, it amounts to a lack of sincerity, and without sincerity, you become an enemy of the entire Jianghu. Then, the return of the Demon Sect is not about spreading the teaching, but rather falling into endless slaughter.

And then, the only option is to force submissiveness through killing, until no one dares to oppose the Demon Sect, until there’s no Righteous Alliance left, until no one dares to claim they are the number one person of the Righteous Alliance.

Does the Demon Sect have such strength?

An Jing shook his head, “That Blue Sky Island is very dangerous indeed.”

Lu Guoyong nodded, “Indeed, it’s dangerous.”

Ye Ding was forcing An Jing’s hand, wanting to kill him. The so-called resolution of grievances was just seeking a justified cause, because the twenty-one-year-old Great Sword Immortal cast a shadow over their hearts.

With swordsmen like that in the Demon Sect, who wouldn’t be afraid?

Lv Guoyong would not make choices for An Jing; he merely clarified the pros and cons.

After all, one must walk one’s own path.

An Jing understood in his heart, poured a cup of wine, and said, “Master Lv, please.”

“Please.”

Both drank up in one gulp.

An Jing said with a smile, “Master Lv is truly magnanimous.”

Lv Guoyong was just an ordinary man, now close to the age of ninety, still able to drink like this was truly rare.

Lv Guoyong glanced at his beloved disciple and smiled, “I promised to have a good drink with Xianming today.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

Zhou Xianming felt warmth in his heart.

Lv Guoyong gestured, “Bring more wine.”

Sitting below him, Lv Fang wanted to speak but hesitated, understanding his father’s temperament and knowing he could not be persuaded.

Next, a maid came up with several more jugs of fine wine.

The group clinked cups and passed them around, and soon the jugs were nearly empty again.

Zhou Xianming kept burping from the alcohol, his face even more flushed with red.

Lv Guoyong raised his empty wine cup and said, “The past is not important, the future is not important, what matters most is the present.”

Those words seemed to be addressed to Zhou Xianming, but also seemed meant for An Jing.

“The present?”

An Jing murmured to himself and then said, “Master Lv is right, the present is what matters most.”

“No one knows what they truly want until they have experienced everything—power, desire, kinship, love…. Only at the end will you know what you really want.”

“Yu Ying of the Zhenyi Sect was too immersed in power, and although he enabled the rapid development of the Zhenyi Sect and made it famous throughout the world, what is left after the waves of power recede? Nothing but corpses and emptiness.”

Lv Guoyong looked toward An Jing and said, “If one day you are able to do something for the people of the world, I hope you can do what is within your ability.”

An Jing raised his eyebrows slightly, then fell somewhat silent.

He had never thought of himself as tied to this world; he always felt he was an insignificant figure, only wishing that when he settles the affairs of the world one day, he could live peacefully and safely.

But now, the position he found himself in was unwittingly being pushed by the tide of events.

He was no longer the insignificant doctor from Yu State City, even a flutter of his wings could stir up a storm.

On his shoulders, he carried the hopes and lives of countless people.

His thoughts should also have changed accordingly.

An Jing said earnestly, “Master Lv, I understand.”

The elderly man before him sat in high authority, genuinely considering the welfare of the people.

“Hahaha.”

Lv Guoyong burst into hearty laughter and said, “One should not shoulder the great affairs of the world alone; its weight is too heavy for any one person to lift.”

Saying this, Lv Guoyong poured another cup of wine.

“Father!”

Lv Fang said in a low voice.

“Xianming.”

Lv Guoyong waved his hand and then turned to Zhou Xianming, “You have ambitions; I hope that you can fulfill them one day.”

Having said that, Lv Guoyong once again drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Zhou Xianming sat by the table, holding his empty cup, then burst into laughter, looking like he wanted to cry, but without a single tear flowing.

An Jing did not speak, only quietly observed Zhou Xianming.

From the beginning, he and Li Yue were doomed to have no future.

Li Yue practiced the Blood Spirit Technique and had not much time left, while Zhou Xianming was a genius, a prodigy of his time. If either had been without their status, perhaps there might have been a chance for a past together.

For men, love is like a tsunami, waves that can overturn a city.

That night, Zhou Xianming was thoroughly drunk, and in the end, it was An Jing who had to drag him by his clothes back to his room.

Lv Guoyong steadied himself on the railing, heading towards his own bedroom.

He never wanted assistance from others, even with Lv Fang standing right beside him.

Suddenly, he paused in his step and his cloudy eyes looked towards Yujing City.

The night sky resembled a dark blue curtain, sprinkled with twinkling stars.

Lv Guoyong spoke out, “It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed such hearty drinking.”

Lv Fang was startled and then also turned to look in the direction of Yujing City.

……