Chapter 438: Shenhuang Sect

Chapter 438 Shenhuang Sect

Li Si'an stared at the sky in utter bewilderment, feeling as though his face had been slapped swollen.

There really was such a person... Had he nothing better to do?

Zhao Changhe sometimes felt that the Chronicle of the Troubled World existed specifically to slap people in the face, or perhaps possessed a bit of malicious humor that intentionally timed its announcements. After all, the moment it broadcasted was not necessarily right after an event concluded... It was more like it watched what was happening over there while listening to you babble nonsense, deliberately holding back until you finished, only to casually drop a line just like this.

Just like back when he himself had looked down upon his eldest nephew, the Chronicle of the Troubled World seemed to deliberately time itself to show him, proclaiming that the great waves wash away the sand, and the gentleman is no mere vessel.

Li Si'an had only just said, "Who knows how Han Wubing fares today," and the Chronicle of the Troubled World immediately informed him that Han Wubing remained exactly as he had been.

This fit his stereotype of the blind woman perfectly—a belly full of petty malice.

But this time, Zhao Changhe felt greatly vindicated. He had just declared his belief that Han Wubing was still Han Wubing, and the Chronicle of the Troubled World had provided the proof.

This was not only proof of his own trust in Han Wubing, but also proof that this world of martial arts still retained that touch of brightness in its heart. There were always things to remind him of his original intent... Yue Hongling, Han Wubing.

Who said one cannot remain a youth... Though Old Han wasn't exactly young either~

Zhao Changhe unfastened his wine gourd, gestured toward the sky, and called out loudly, "Thanks, brother!"

Then he took a deep, satisfying draught, urged his horse forward, and said, "Let's go. How much longer to Mount Emei? Can we find lodging there tonight?"

Li Si'an followed behind, glumly muttering, "The convoy moves slowly, it will take a few days. Or you could ride ahead on a swift horse; you might arrive tomorrow, and you can wait for me at Mount Emei."

Zhao Changhe spurred his horse away, shouting, "Then we shall meet up ahead!"

Watching Zhao Changhe suddenly looking completely revitalized, as if injected with chicken blood, Li Si'an could only shake his head with a wry smile.

True enough, if someone had a friend who spent half a year searching everywhere for assassins for his sake, and then blocked them on the road to slaughter them just as they were about to find him, anyone would drain a grand cup of wine, their whole body boiling with hot blood.

...

In Zhao Changhe's impressions, Mount Emei was always associated with girls.

After all, Emei shared the same pronunciation as words for beautiful eyebrows, and when martial arts masters wrote of the Emei Sect, it was almost always an all-female sect, like the Emei Sect of Guo Xiang and Zhou Zhiruo.

However, Emei was a sacred Buddhist site, so in novels, it could only ever be a collection of Buddhist abbesses.

Yet in this world, Emei had nothing to do with Buddhism. Instead, it was a gathering place for the musclebound men of the Shenhuang Sect, which made the atmosphere feel a bit tense and sweaty when paired with the name Emei.

Early on, when Zhao Changhe was unfamiliar with this world, he didn't know where the Shenhuang Sect was located, and had assumed Situ Xiao was some tragic, heroic warrior from Yan and Zhao... Otherwise, upon meeting Situ Xiao, he would have surely asked him how long a beautiful woman's delicate eyebrows could last, though he wasn't sure if he would have been beaten up for it.

When he arrived at the Shenhuang Sect, it was noon of the following day. Yet, the place showed no sign of the heat of early summer, remaining as cool as spring.

Zhao Changhe temporarily shed his disguise as Wang Daozhong, reverting to his original appearance, and began ascending the mountain path step by step. Along the way, he frequently spotted sturdy men walking up and down the mountain. Upon seeing Zhao Changhe ascend, they would glare with fierce eyes, as if upon seeing such a tall man, they instinctively compared their muscles to see whose were stronger.

Since Zhao Changhe was still wearing the scholar's robe from his disguise as Wang Daozhong, his muscle definition wasn't apparent on the surface. After staring for a long time, the men felt that their own arms still seemed thicker, so they nodded in satisfaction and walked on with heads held high and chests puffed out.

No one asked Zhao Changhe what his business was, highlighting an air of casual indifference. In any case, if one wished to enter the sect, there would be mountain gate disciples to question them. If one was merely enjoying the scenery outside the mountain, what was there to ask?

Because in this world, absolutely no one dared to come to the Shenhuang Sect to stir up trouble... Even if someone did, it wouldn't be a youth like this; it would have to be Xia Longyuan arriving in person, or the northern barbarians invading...

The number one sect under heaven, and Li Shentong, fifth on the Heavenly Ranking—these titles were no joke.

Reaching the mountainside, a mountain gate stood tall, bearing ancient and unadorned characters: "Shenhuang."

This too was a sect that traced its lineage back to ancient divine powers, and was very likely the only sect in this world famous for body tempering... The way of body tempering possessed a majestic and glorious might; a physical body could withstand sabers and swords, and an arm could support a galloping horse. It conformed far better to men's muscle aesthetics than playing around with internal energy circulating in the shadows.

Well, the Blood God Sect could technically be counted as one too, but they weren't famous enough. Cult Leader Xue possessed some personal renown, though the details of how he acquired it were best left unmentioned...

The gate-guarding disciples sized up the approaching Zhao Changhe, exchanged looks, and both stepped forward with a bow, asking, "Could your honor be the Blood Asura, Zhao Changhe?"

Zhao Changhe smiled and replied, "I am. Is Brother Situ in? An old friend has come to visit, please pass word."

"Uh, First Senior Brother hasn't been in the sect recently. He went out to travel, saying that some idiots who used to be weaker than him are now ranked higher than him, and he can't stand it."

"...You really didn't need to repeat it in such detail."

The guarding disciple puffed out his chest and said, "First Senior Brother has also broken through a layer of the Hidden Treasury! When you meet again in the future, the matter will naturally be settled."

"I don't care what rank he can achieve, I'm saying I'm not an idiot... Forget it." Zhao Changhe said helplessly, "Is Sect Master Li in? I was entrusted by someone to bring him a few things."

The guarding disciple froze, his expression turning solemn, and someone immediately dashed off to deliver the message.

Before long, he came running back, saying, "The Sect Master invites Young Hero Zhao to meet him in the Guest Hall."

When he spoke, his expression had turned much more respectful. For a guest to be formally entertained by the Sect Master in the Guest Hall, was this a junior who merely associated with the First Senior Brother?

How ghostly. Normally, those on the Human Ranking were called grandmasters, among the top hundred in the world, yet it was impossible for the Sect Master to treat them with such gravity... Believe it or not, even if Wang Daozhong from the Earth Ranking came, the Sect Master might still give him the cold shoulder.

Zhao Changhe smiled and followed the disciple into the sect.

Along the way, bare-chested men were everywhere, honing their strength, lifting and swinging stone padlocks. It consistently made Zhao Changhe feel as though he had arrived at an ancient version of a gym... Unfortunately, there wasn't a single girl to be seen. It was exactly like the Blood God Sect; from top to bottom, not a woman in sight.

Truly bizarre. For you body-tempering men, shouldn't your energy be even more lacking an outlet, requiring romance and the harmony of Yin and Yang even more?

Perhaps well-experienced in knowing what guests were always surprised by, the leading disciple smiled and said, "We have no women here, stop looking. What kind of woman would join a sect like this, to train up a body full of sinewy muscles?"

"It's not that there are none... Tough women do exist..."

"The main reason is that it's also not good for us to lightly release our primal Yang energy; it greatly affects body tempering. For the sake of the moral climate, the Sect Master simply stopped accepting female disciples."

"Understood..." Zhao Changhe sighed, "Tragic. And here I thought Situ Xiao was some sort of wild rogue. Just this? Then how do you vent your energy?"

"Uh..."

"In addition, doesn't drinking too much affect you? I also like to have a few sips, but Situ's addiction to alcohol has reached the level of a drunkard. That can't be too good, right?"

"Initially, it was because body tempering is painful, used for pain relief. Later it became an addiction... In any case, with First Senior Brother's strength, alcohol no longer harms him, so it doesn't matter. Our Sect Master loves wine too."

"Pain..." Zhao Changhe increasingly felt that the essence of the Shenhuang Sect was remarkably similar to the Blood God Sect...

As they spoke, they had already arrived before the Guest Hall. Lifting his eyes, he could see a middle-aged man of ancient and rugged appearance standing outside the hall with his hands behind his back, watching the bustling, fiery scene on the distant martial arts field.

Sect Master of Shenhuang, Li Shentong.

Judging solely by appearance, Li Shentong didn't look much different from an ordinary old farmer. His looks were not handsome, and could even be considered somewhat plain, with a bronze complexion, simple clothing, and calloused hands and feet. Except, his face lacked the wrinkles and sorrow of old farmers; his forehead was broad and full, and his eyes flashed with majesty, sufficient to make anyone forget his plain appearance and attire, leaving only a striking, divine aura that pierced the soul.

As those electric eyes fell upon Zhao Changhe, Zhao Changhe could not help but feel a chill wash over his entire body, just like in the past before his cultivation had matured, when he was stared down by a ferocious tiger.

Yuxu seemed to have said "Li Shentong is more short-tempered"... Why unleash this short temper on a junior like me?

But Zhao Changhe did not avoid this frightening gaze, meeting it calmly.

Under this invisible pressure, the leading disciple beside him could not help but break into a cold sweat, bowing hastily before retreating in a hurry.

As the disciple withdrew, Li Shentong's pressure suddenly vanished, revealing a smile that one couldn't tell was a smile or not: "Not bad, you're a real man."

Zhao Changhe said, "Senior, what is the meaning of this imposing welcome?"

Li Shentong replied indifferently, "Just wanted to see what kind of opponent could make Situ refuse to yield and get all worked up... Back when he was a hidden dragon, whenever the names of Chi Li, Yue Hongling, and Cui Yuanyong—who were ahead of him—were mentioned, Situ would snort in disdain, calling them either skinny monkeys or women, saying he would surpass them sooner or later. Now when he mentions you, one moment he says an idiot only has three tricks up his sleeve, and the next moment he paces around with a grave expression saying he might not beat you... I have never seen Situ like this."

Zhao Changhe didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "That fellow. And here I was saying we're friends, but after all this time, he treats me as an opponent."

"For people like you, those qualified to be friends are inherently opponents. You are on good terms with Yue Hongling and Cui Yuanyong; back then, did you not have the desire to surpass them?"

Zhao Changhe said frankly, "I did. Including back then with Situ... During the time in Langya, he suppressed his cultivation to fight me. I thought to myself, one day, even if you don't suppress your cultivation, I will still defeat you."

"That is it. Precisely because of this spirit, competing with one another, does the martial path flourish." Li Shentong did not mind, turning to enter the hall, "Come in and sit... You said you brought something for me?"

Zhao Changhe followed him inside, pulling out a wine gourd, "Four months ago in the Kunlun Mountains, Senior Yuxu asked me to bring this to Sect Master Li."

Li Shentong took the wine gourd, sat down to examine it for a moment, and smiled, "Did he leave any other words?"

Zhao Changhe said honestly, "He asked whether the Sect Master would submit after drinking it."

The words had just left his mouth when he suddenly realized.

These two are also friends who secretly vie with one another.