Chapter 186: Taiyi Sect

Chapter 186: Taiyi Sect

How majestic is Mount Tai? Its green stretches beyond the borders of Qi and Lu.

Nature gathers all its divine beauty here, where yin and yang divide the dusk and dawn.

On Mount Tai, Zhao Changhe followed Xuan Chong up the mountain, taking in the scenery with keen interest.

Had it not been for the Wang family affair, Zhao Changhe might not have continued traveling with Xuan Chong. He would return to Mount Tai, while Zhao Changhe might have stopped in Xuzhou to see if this world had Xiapi or Xiaopei, to reminisce about the Duke of Pei and the Illustrious Virtue, and perhaps visit the White Gate Tower to ponder that wanderer of half a lifetime, wondering if he needed to learn from him.

In the present world, both places belonged to Jiangsu, yet he felt this region was nothing like Suzhou and Yangzhou, which he had just left.

But with the Wang family matter at hand, this nostalgic detour was skipped, and they headed straight for Qi and Lu. Langya, north of Xuzhou, was actually the seat of the Langya Wang clan, whose influence stretched to the East China Sea, encompassing the entire area, so their martial arts were also closely tied to the sea.

However, the Wang family had only just begun inviting people; the so-called birthday feast was still far off, so Xuan Chong invited Zhao Changhe to travel further north and visit his own sect.

Zhao Changhe thought to himself that he had roamed the martial world for so long—seen noble families, met guilds, encountered sects, kicked down martial arts schools, and even dabbled in the greenwood—yet he had never dealt with a conventional martial sect. So he gladly agreed, eager to broaden his horizons.

Besides, Mount Tai was well worth a visit.

His mindset had indeed changed. When he first left Mount Mang, he had no leisure for nostalgic reflection or sightseeing. But now he did, and with enthusiasm.

The baleful qi that had often tormented him had not flared up since Yangzhou. Logically, when he was in the Sword Emperor’s tomb, he was practically bathed in baleful qi and should have had an outbreak long ago, yet he remained unharmed. Tang Wanzhuang’s “calm down” had been a great help.

Initially, he thought that since Mount Mang had been shifted so far north, the geography of this world would differ greatly from the present one. But as his knowledge grew, he found that most places were no different; only Mount Mang’s situation was peculiar, possibly causing some changes in the He-Luo region. There must be a reason for this.

Culturally, there were some differences. For instance, Mount Tai here lacked the connotations of imperial sacrifices and religion found in the present world; it was simply a famous mountain. Originally, there were several large and small sects on the mountain, but after the Taiyi Sect’s leader, Guichen, entered the Earth Ranking, some small sects were annexed, and others moved away, leaving only the Taiyi Sect on Mount Tai.

In recent years, the Taiyi Sect had grown strong. Xuan Chong, a direct disciple, had reached the seventh level of the Mystic Barrier at a young age and was listed among the Hidden Dragons, now ranked tenth—a great honor, showing the sect’s thriving and orderly inheritance.

Perhaps due to the gentle nature of Daoist cultivation, Xuan Chong had never made much of an impression on Zhao Changhe, but that did not mean he was weak. He had been suppressed by Chi Li, but what level was Chi Li? Was it shameful to be suppressed by him? On the contrary, being able to exchange a few moves with Chi Li without being instantly killed was actually quite impressive—at least much stronger than Zhao Changhe had been at the time.

The character “Chong” seemed very dynamic, but in Daoist thought, it meant emptiness, void, and humility. Yes, it was the opposite of “Ying.”

Zhao Changhe’s interest in him was mainly due to his interest in Xuanwu.

—Xuanwu was a typical Daoist concept. The True Martial Emperor was Xuanwu.

Xuan Chong seemed to have a good friendship with Wan Dongliu, having stayed in Yangzhou for so long at Wan Dongliu’s place. Was it training? What about his master Guichen’s so-called Earth Ranking? Could the Chaos Chronicle recognize alternate identities? Could he be Xuanwu, playing two roles on the Chaos Chronicle?

Vermilion Bird, Xuanwu, and Maitreya must have real names, but the Chaos Chronicle did not show them, only listing them as “Vermilion Bird, Xuanwu, Maitreya,” meaning it recognized whatever name you used in battle.

So if one used another name, could one get multiple identities on the ranking? Or would it not recognize them, counting only one? Uncertain—he would try later.

Such a line of thought probably never occurred to most people in this world, but for Zhao Changhe, who had countless forum accounts and could argue with himself, nothing was impossible.

The only reason he doubted this judgment was that he felt it made no sense for Xuanwu to pose as the leader of the Taiyi Sect. The Four Symbols Sect developed secret high-level members; the young master of the Cao Gang was obviously significant, but what was so valuable about the Taiyi Sect that Xuanwu would deliberately pretend to be its leader? It even left him no time to manage sect affairs, shifting the burden to Vermilion Bird—that was unreasonable.

As he enjoyed the scenery and let his thoughts wander, he chatted idly with Xuan Chong, listening to him describe the sights of Mount Tai. It was quite enjoyable. Xuan Chong was gentle and pleasant to be around.

“Senior Brother, you’re back!” At the sect gate, the guarding disciples saw Xuan Chong and greeted him with respect and ease: “We were just saying the other day that you’d been gone so long, you should be returning soon.”

Other disciples laughed: “We’ve been looking up at the sky every day, hoping to hear news of your fame in Jiangnan, but nothing came.”

Xuan Chong raised his hand as if to strike, laughing and scolding: “What are you looking at the sky for? Do you think getting on the Chaos Chronicle is that easy? Do you think it’s like eating a meal, just a few fights and you’re on?”

The disciples jumped back and laughed: “Isn’t that Zhao Changhe like eating a meal?”

Xuan Chong glanced at Zhao Changhe, who stood nearby with a smile, apparently amused by this sect atmosphere and not interrupting.

Xuan Chong then said: “Is that a meal? Which of his achievements isn’t solid? Even the first time he made the list, which many disputed, saying such level-jumping challenges were achievable by many—but his was a level jump under the same system with disproportionate training time. Who else has done that? When you face a senior brother with an extra year of training in trials, aren’t you always beaten to a pulp?”

“Ah, his achievements are solid, no argument. But the thing is, he even said ‘How can I be absent?’—is that a neutral comment? It’s clearly a wish on his side. Some people suspect that if the Chaos Chronicle had a spirit, it might be in cahoots with him…”

Zhao Changhe finally couldn’t help but cough dryly. That remark… well, there was some truth to it. The intimacy of those four words was a bit exposed; at least it could be considered a wish.

But whether Blind Girl was the spirit of the book or not, her wishes might not be benevolent. He had no interest in that kind of relationship; he was more interested in smearing her face, but unfortunately, there had been no recent output.

The coughing finally caught the disciples’ attention, and someone asked: “Senior Brother, is this friend of yours? Please tell us his name. The sect leader has recently issued a strict order that no one of unknown identity may enter the mountain.”

“This is the one you were just talking about, who’s in cahoots with the Chaos Chronicle.”

“?”

Xuan Chong sighed in frustration: “The fools from the Wang family didn’t recognize him, at least because his blade was in the cabin and not on him. But now, with such a large blade on his back, what kind of brain would it take to discuss Zhao Changhe while he’s standing right there in that getup?”

The disciples stammered: “N-no, recently many northern men carry blades like that—it’s become fashionable. Some even deliberately put scars on their faces… Who would know it’s really him? Wasn’t he at Lake Tai just a few days ago?”

“And your senior brother was in Yangzhou a few days ago! What pig brains!” Xuan Chong laughed helplessly: “Can ordinary people even swing such a blade?”

“Ah, if they can’t swing it, they make wooden blades wrapped in iron, or hollow iron—there’s always a way.” The disciples stole glances at Zhao Changhe, their eyes showing a hint of admiration. Young people admired bold and heroic men, even more than they admired their own gentle senior brother.

It was no wonder that imitations had sprung up. Famous people always set trends. Back in the day, why did everyone talk about “fake Yue Hongling” at Mount Mang and in Yangzhou? Because there were really that many people dressed like that—finding a set of red female warrior outfits and red scabbards was easy.

Zhao Changhe was stunned for a moment, then suddenly overjoyed: “There’s such a good thing?”

Xuan Chong looked at him sideways: “Are you happy that you’re famous? Many people don’t like others copying them.”

Zhao Changhe’s joy was barely concealed: “I’ve always worried that my high recognizability was a problem. Isn’t this heaven’s help! The more people dress like this, the better—preferably everyone with a scar!”

Xuan Chong paused, shook his head, and smiled. It was true…

Then his smile faded. Ignoring the self-satisfied Zhao Changhe, he asked the guarding disciples seriously: “What happened? Why do you need to check names even when I bring someone in?”

The guarding disciples all shook their heads: “We don’t know either. Everything seems normal. If something big had happened, we wouldn’t be joking around.”

Xuan Chong nodded, then suddenly smiled at Zhao Changhe: “I was just wondering why I had a sudden inspiration to invite you to the sect as a guest… Now it seems, maybe there’s a case for you to solve?”

Zhao Changhe’s joy froze on his face. He almost wanted to throw the Demon Suppression Bureau jade token from his bosom down the mountain. Wasn’t this fate?

But now, he wouldn’t throw it away even if asked. Back then, what was his relationship with Tang Wanzhuang? And now? She had given him this jade!