Chapter 27: Lin Pingzhi

The world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.

While Lu Qingshan and Han Li were exchanging messages in the chat group, Yue Buqun had already led the Huashan Sect to Hengshan, preparing to attend Liu Zhengfeng’s “Washing Hands in Gold Basin” ceremony.

After noticing Lu Qingshan and Han Li’s chat logs, Yue Buqun felt a growing sense of urgency.

Among the five members of the chat group, the group owner Lu Qingshan held the highest cultivation base and status, and possessed vast resources—merely a fraction of which could greatly accelerate others’ progress.

Of the remaining four, Han Li, who possessed the Sky-Piercing Vase, was undoubtedly the most favored, able to trade the Dew of Creation for abundant resources from the group owner; although Pang Bo lacked Han Li’s fortune, his world was also of extremely high level, making cultivation and strengthening far easier.

Only Yue Buqun and Cao Cao inhabited worlds of low rank, scarce in resources—even after the chat group upgraded their worlds, they still needed vast external aids to continue cultivating.

And within the chat group, the one who could best aid them was unquestionably the group owner Lu Qingshan!

To continue obtaining resources from Lu Qingshan in the future, he must find a way to maintain their relationship.

Last time Lu Qingshan appeared, even Cao Cao had prepared a gift—yet Yue Buqun had prepared nothing, leaving him deeply frustrated.

“Fortunately, the gift I prepared for the group owner will soon be in my hands!”

Thinking this, Yue Buqun immediately rose and led the Huashan Sect members out of the inn toward Liu Zhengfeng’s residence.

When Yue Buqun’s party arrived at the Liu residence, the Liu disciples on duty rushed inside to report.

Soon after, Liu Zhengfeng, beaming with joy, hurried to the gate with his disciples to welcome Yue Buqun inside.

It was nearly noon, and guests from all directions had begun arriving.

Among them were Zhang Jin’ao, deputy chief of the Beggar’s Sect; Old Master Xia of the Zhengzhou Liuhe School and his three sons-in-law; Old Iron from Shennü Peak in Sichuan and Hubei’s Three Gorges; Pan Hou, chief of the East Sea Sand Sect; Shen Dao Bai Ke and Shen Bi Lu Xiusi of Qujiang’s Two Friends, and others…

Upon hearing that the Huashan Sect’s Sect Master had arrived, these guests all stepped out to greet Yue Buqun.

Yue Buqun, who greatly enjoyed making friends, smiled and exchanged pleasantries with everyone—even those obscure or of dubious reputation—without displaying the haughtiness of a Sect Master.

Thus, the crowd surrounded Yue Buqun as they moved toward the main hall.

At that moment, a hunchback hidden among the crowd witnessed this scene and heard many martial artists praising Yue Buqun as the “Gentleman Sword.”

Overcome by a sudden impulse, he shoved through the people ahead and rushed straight to Yue Buqun’s side, then knelt down and banged his head repeatedly on the ground: “Master Yue! You are the renowned Gentleman Sword of the martial world, and the Huashan Sect is a righteous great sect—please uphold justice for my Fuli Escort Agency!”

“Fuli Escort Agency?” Yue Buqun blinked in surprise.

Although Yue Buqun did not recognize the hunchback, merely hearing “Fuli Escort Agency” revealed the man’s identity.

Lin Pingzhi!

In the original fate, this man had once become his disciple, married his daughter Yue Lingshan, and ultimately murdered her before defecting to Songshan Sect!

To be honest, in Yue Buqun’s eyes after reading The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Lin Pingzhi’s nature was still quite righteous.

Not only did he stand up to the Qingcheng Sect on behalf of Yue Lingshan disguised as an ugly woman, but even when Fuli Escort Agency faced disaster and he was starving, he never used his martial arts to harm ordinary people.

Lin Pingzhi’s eventual corruption was, in fact, partly due to Yue Buqun’s own scheme to seize the Lin family’s Bixie Sword Art.

Yet now that Yue Buqun had joined the Multiverse Chat Group and had already reached the Master Realm, he had no intention of ever scheming for the Lin family’s Bixie Sword Art again.

But Yue Buqun had not expected that, despite never sending anyone to Fuzhou City, Lin Pingzhi had still escaped Qingcheng Sect’s grasp and arrived at Hengshan just as in the original plot.

At that moment, Lin Pingzhi quickly revealed to everyone present how Qingcheng Sect’s Yu Canghai had destroyed Fuli Escort Agency.

“Master Yue!”

Lin Pingzhi continued bowing his head: “Please uphold justice for my Lin family!”

All present turned to look at Yue Buqun, eager to see how the “Gentleman Sword” would respond.

“Child, rise first.”

Yue Buqun said calmly: “This is a conflict between your Fuli Escort Agency and the Qingcheng Sect—I, as an outsider, cannot properly intervene.”

Yet behind Yue Buqun, Yue Lingshan, moved by the Lin family’s tragedy, stepped forward two paces and said: “Father, this man is pure and filial—why not take him into our Huashan Sect?”

Hearing this, Lin Pingzhi, still kneeling, felt Yue Lingshan behind her father was like a celestial fairy.

Instantly inspired, he bowed his head again: “I beg my Master to accept me as a disciple—I shall strictly obey your teachings, uphold the sect’s rules, and never dare to defy your orders!”

Hearing this, Yue Buqun felt a strange twist of fate—how had things come full circle to this very moment?

Should he accept Lin Pingzhi as his disciple?

In truth, whether Lin Pingzhi before him or Qingcheng Sect’s Yu Canghai, neither mattered to Yue Buqun now!

The only thing he cared about was how the others in the chat group—especially the group owner Lu Qingshan—would view him after learning of this.

“Enough.”

After careful thought, Yue Buqun finally made his decision, then looked at Lin Pingzhi and said: “I can accept you easily—but have you informed your parents? Do they consent?”

Hearing this, Lin Pingzhi’s heart leapt with joy, and he bowed again: “My father and mother would be overjoyed to have me taken in by my Master—they would never refuse! But they are now captured by Qingcheng Sect’s evil bandits—please, Master, rescue them!”

“Enough, rise. I accept you as my disciple.”

Yue Buqun continued: “As for the feud between your Fuli Escort Agency and the Qingcheng Sect, I will take action once I’ve gathered the facts.”

Seeing Yue Buqun accept Lin Pingzhi as a disciple, the host Liu Zhengfeng stepped forward and said: “Congratulations, Master Yue, on gaining such a worthy disciple—please enter the main hall for tea!”

Saying this, Liu Zhengfeng led Yue Buqun’s party toward the main hall.

In the following time, more martial artists arrived.

By noon, all Five Mountain Sword Sects except Songshan had arrived.

Liu Zhengfeng rested briefly in the inner chamber while his disciples welcomed guests, directing cooks and servants to set up nearly two hundred banquet tables.

The feast began immediately, with Tianmen Dao Ren, Sect Master of Mount Tai, already politely deferring the seat of honor to elder masters.

At that moment…

Bang! Bang!

Two gunshots rang out from outside, followed by loud music and the clanging of gongs and shouts of “Clear the way!”

Hearing the noise, Liu Zhengfeng hurried out to greet them.

A corrupt official, flushed with drink and lust, stepped into the courtyard and announced loudly: “Imperial decree! Liu Zhengfeng, receive the edict!”

Seeing the official, Liu Zhengfeng knelt immediately to receive the decree.

Many guests secretly despised Liu Zhengfeng for spending silver to buy the military rank of “Colonel,” yet he remained calm, beaming with smiles, and invited everyone to be seated.

Soon after, Liu’s servants began serving dishes and pouring wine.

At that moment, Liu Zhengfeng’s disciple Mi Weiyi brought forward a small table covered in brocade; another disciple, Xiang Danian, carried a golden basin gleaming brilliantly, filled with clear water, and placed it squarely upon the table.

Amid firecrackers, Liu Zhengfeng stepped forward, bowed to all guests, and raised his fists in greeting.

Everyone rose in return, but upon hearing Liu Zhengfeng speak of “eating the ruler’s grain, serving the ruler’s cause” and “loyalty and righteousness cannot both be upheld,” the guests who had come to cheer fell silent.

Liu Zhengfeng, undeterred, continued: “Disciple Liu Zhengfeng, honored to be accepted into my Master’s sect, have failed to glorify Hengshan Sect—I am ashamed! From this day forth, Liu will wash his hands in gold, devote himself to official service, and no longer involve himself in martial world grudges. If I break this vow, may this sword be my example.”

With that, Liu Zhengfeng flipped his right hand and drew a long sword from behind his back.

He gripped the blade with both hands and snapped it cleanly in two, then let the fragments fall—two soft hisses, and the broken pieces sank into the courtyard’s blue bricks.

Seeing Liu Zhengfeng’s resolve, the Five Mountain Sword Sects no longer tried to dissuade him.

Liu Zhengfeng then smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to dip his hands into the golden basin before him.

(End of Chapter)