World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 378: Hidden Concerns of the Daoist Sects
Had the Celestial Master not been present, Wang Sheng would have probably suspected that Shi Qianzhang had been possessed.
The moment Shi Qianzhang saw his Forefather Master, he instantly shed his usual lazy, careless demeanor, becoming a courteous, well-mannered, and sharp-eyed youth who respected his elders, cared for the young, and spoke gently. He bustled about fetching stools and wiping tables, behaving as if the very image of Longhu Mountains was his life itself.
He even showed the proper etiquette when he offered tea; he bowed at a precise 65° angle, arched his back, and held the tray high above his head with both hands. Kneeling beside the tea table, he waited quietly for the four seniors to take the cups.
Even Wang Sheng, whose composure was not easily shaken, found himself staring in disbelief.
With a stern expression, the Celestial Master scolded, "Enough. Stop embarrassing yourself. No one in the cultivation world isn't aware of who you truly are by now! Go stand in a corner and stay put!"
"Yes, Forefather Master!" Shi Qianzhang shouted in reply. He then ran to a corner and stood tautly facing the wall. He even seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiaomiao and Liu Yunzhi could barely stop themselves from laughing, while Wang Sheng found his respect for the Celestial Master rising. Considering he could terrify Shi Qianzhang into obedience, he was clearly the sharpest old ginger[1] of the Longhu Mountains.
To spare her white-haired "junior" disciples any further awkwardness, Xi Lian pulled Xiaomiao away upstairs, keeping her away from the tense atmosphere.
At the tea table, the three Daoist elders sat with dignity, while Qing Yanzi remained at the side to accompany them. He also called Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan closer. Wang Sheng sat beside his master, and Qing Yanzi checked his second disciple's pulse to examine his internal injuries. Mu Wanxuan sat obediently behind him, her gaze tense as she awaited her master's diagnosis.
"Don't rush into going back to cultivation. Just focus on resting for a while," Qing Yanzi instructed. "You exhausted not just your enchanted power or spirit but your very vitality, too. What exactly did you do?"
Smiling, Wang Sheng shook his head. "Nothing. The enemy was simply too fierce. Please don't worry, Master."
"I only have two disciples. How can I not worry?" Qing Yanzi frowned, which only deepened as he examined Wang Sheng more carefully. "Did you take your Nascent Soul out of your body? Did you forcibly draw on primal qi to unleash its power?"
Wang Sheng chuckled awkwardly and nodded. He had not expected his master to see through even this.
Qing Yanzi sighed. "You've endured way too much. We really were too late."
"This is the consequence of my recklessness, Master. I underestimated the Dark Faction's cultivators," Wang Sheng admitted.
He then pulled out the Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch that he had used before and placed it on the table. Yuan Pu Zhenren, the Celestial Master, and Qing Long stared at it.
"What is this?" the Celestial Master asked.
Wang Sheng casually answered, "The Dark Faction's second nuclear weapon."
Several talismans immediately appeared above the table and sealed the pouch.
"This is no ordinary item," the Celestial Master said. "No wonder we searched for so long without finding it. You had already hidden it."
Wang Sheng felt a flicker of relief. In the past, he had thought of the Celestial Master as cold and aloof since he was the foremost figure of the Hua Republic's cultivation world. To his surprise, the old master proved far more approachable.
He handed the Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch over to his master for handling. Qing Yanzi said he would deliver it to the authorities since there was a chance that they could learn something useful even from the Dami Empire's technology.
Meanwhile, Liu Yunzhi signaled from the kitchen to Mu Wanxuan, which she quickly understood. She soon walked over to him, took a plate of fruit and another of sunflower seeds, and placed them before the elders.
The great figures of the cultivation world began cracking seeds and discussing recent affairs. As pillars of the Daoist sects, news of their gathering normally stirred every corner of the world. However, under the pretext of visiting Wang Sheng to commend him, they finally had the chance to confer face-to-face.
Naturally, their discussions revolved around matters that concerned the fate of the entire cultivation world. They first spoke of external threats, each of the Daoist elders voicing his wariness toward the shadow dwellers of Sakura Island.
Afterward, they considered how to root out the remnants of the Dark Faction hiding in the Dami Empire while also sending a warning to the empire's schemers. Since the nation had formidable technology and military, an all-out war was unwise. But allowing them to attack without consequences was also unacceptable.
With emotion, the Celestial Master said, "The foreign troubles in the past few years had almost caused internal chaos, and the situation nearly slipped out of control. At the time, we were all waiting for a chance to break the deadlock. None of us expected you to escape from the Earth Qi Seal and cut through the knot like a swift blade, Fei Yu. Looking back now, it is truly heartening."
Noticing Wang Sheng was confused, Qing Yanzi smiled. "Do you remember what I once told you on a plane?"
Wang Sheng nodded quickly, though he was still trying to recall exactly what his master had said back then. "Yes, Master."
Qing Yanzi gently said, "Around four years ago, a great conflict erupted among Western cultivators. That was when the existence of the Blood Race's three ancient princes was confirmed. They all seemed as strong as Rebirth Realm cultivators, which brought immense pressure on the authorities and our cultivation world.
"We now know those three ancient princes looked impressive but had no real power. In reality, they were only on par with Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. Still, at the time, many feared that the balance between East and West had been broken since we didn't have Nascent Soul Realm cultivators yet."
The Celestial Master sighed. "That's right. The authorities were under tremendous pressure then because a war between our cultivation world and the Western practitioners could have erupted at any moment."
Yuan Pu Zhenren gazed at Wang Sheng. "Fei Yu, do you know which of your deeds stirred the entire cultivation world the most?"
"Please enlighten me, Grandmaster."
"It was when you slew an ancient prince in the seas of Gambi." Yuan Pu Zhenren sighed. "The Special Investigation Unit spread the news to every corner of the cultivation world. We old bones all breathed a sigh of relief.
"At the time, we were ready to join forces and challenge the Dark Faction's leaders, but before we even made our move, they had already begun seizing hostages and committing slaughter everywhere. Such creatures deserved merciless deaths."
Wang Sheng's face lit with realization. At last, he understood why the Dark Faction had been so desperate to eliminate him.
It all stemmed from him slaying the Blood Race's second ancient prince in single combat, tearing apart the Dark Faction's supposed invincibility. The devilish swords had merely been an excuse.
The Celestial Master smiled. "During moments of greatest pressure in the past years, I even considered relying on the fifteen grand elders. If such a precedent were set, though, it would inevitably lead to greater troubles. At the time, I could not decide, and the hesitation truly added many wrinkles to this old face."
Wang Sheng frowned. "Forgive me for being bold, but could there be real issues with those grand elders?"
"As the saying goes, you can know a man's face but not his heart. No one can guarantee that when they charged into the Small Nether Realm long ago, no one among them harbored corrupt intentions." Yuan Pu Zhenren frowned. "No one can be sure that when their souls were examined, they all still hadn't regained consciousness and deliberately concealed the truth."
Qing Yanzi added, "We have certainly found faint traces suggesting that we're missing something in previous years."
"In the past, most of the cultivation world called those grand elders 'Ancient Sinners,' yet they're rarely called that these days," Qing Long added. "Captain Qin of the Special Affairs Unit has repeatedly proposed sending them to subdue foreign enemies, which in itself is unusual."
Qing Yanzi said, "As far as I know, even the authorities once hesitated on this matter. After weighing every possibility, the higher-ups ultimately rejected Captain Qin's suggestion. My wife once remarked that his motives aren't wrong, but his methods tend to be extreme. Before I boarded the plane at Base Twenty-Eight to join the recent battle, I heard that he opposed our plan to rush ahead and give support."
Wang Sheng frowned. "If that's the case, then he has already become my enemy."
"You don't have to concern yourself with these matters," Qing Yanzi replied. "We've already dealt with the external threats, and all internal issues will resolve themselves. With the elders of our cultivation world guiding the course, it's only a matter of time before we produce a new generation of Rebirth Realm cultivators. When that day comes, our internal worries will disappear completely."
The Celestial Master smiled at Wang Sheng. "That's right. It seems this responsibility will eventually fall upon you, Fei Yu."
Unsure how to respond, Wang Sheng gave them a somewhat embarrassed smile. Showing humility now would seem insincere, and accepting it would seem arrogant. Staying silent to feign ignorance was the best choice.
Qing Long stepped in to ease the tension and also calmly point out a crucial detail that others had overlooked. "We must never forget that those fifteen grand elders are from ancient times. Back then, emperors ruled the land as 'Sons of Heaven.' The cultivation world regarded secular dynasties with disdain and rarely involved itself in worldly affairs.
"The grand elders feel no sense of belonging to the Hua Republic, and they do not understand what era this is. If they start interfering in the affairs of the cultivation world, we'd face consequences beyond reckoning."
The Celestial Master sighed. "That's precisely what worried me before."
The other Daoist masters each revealed their own unease. Fortunately, they didn't have to worry about it right now.
As the Daoist masters conversed, Liu Yunzhi quietly called out to Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan. They hurried over to help serve food and pour wine.
Wang Sheng, Shi Qianzhang, and Liu Yunzhi shared drinks through the first half of the night. Qing Yanzi and the three great Daoist elders continued the second half. For once, the villa was lively.
By the time the three Daoist masters departed, it was already four or five in the morning. Qing Yanzi instructed Wang Sheng to rest well and quickly left as well to handle follow-up affairs. The Sakura Island shadow dwellers' imminent attack on the Dami Empire's military was no small matter. As a leading figure, Qing Yanzi could not miss the battle preparations.
After Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan had seen the Daoist masters off, Liu Yunzhi and Shi Qianzhang also prepared to leave.
Xi Lian poked her head out the upstairs railing and called to them. "Everyone here gets a share. Come and divide the spoils!"
The group's spirits rose. Still mindful of their missing companion, Liu Yunzhi whispered, "Where's Huai Jing?"
"Doesn't his absence just mean we all get more?" Shi Qianzhang chuckled as he rubbed his hands together before hurrying upstairs. The moment the Celestial Master had left, his true nature had returned.
"Seriously, though, where did he go?" Wang Sheng asked.
"He probably returned to the Heavenly Dragon Temple," Liu Yunzhi replied.
Wang Sheng did not worry too much. After all, Huai Jing was already a grown man. He wouldn't get lost easily.
***
Base No. 28, Gobi Desert.
Buddhist light suffused a quiet corner. A young Buddhist master sat cross-legged, chanting sutras. Lotus flowers drifted around him, making Special Warfare Unit soldiers pause and watch.
What truly caught their eyes was not the chanting monk, though; it was the foreign girl seated before him, whose beauty seemed to have its own soft glow.
"Sariputra[2], form is not different from emptiness, and emptiness is not different from form. Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.
"Sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness are also the same. Sariputra, emptiness marks all dharmas. They neither arise nor cease, increase nor decrease, pure nor impure."
Huai Jing plucked a flower and smiled. He then looked at Dale and asked her softly, "Benefactress, what insight have you gained?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
1. A reference to the Chinese saying of "The older a ginger, the spicier it is." ☜
2. A monk known for his sharp intellect and deep understanding of Buddhist doctrine. ☜
