Chapter 152: Qijiao Shang Huaitong (Part 1)

"Shouldn't be necessary, just look at how long it's been raining." Two men with slightly damp temples conversed.

"Sigh, actually, diverting half of Catch-Moon Lake really is a strategy that benefits a thousand generations."

"That's why it's a loss for the current generation."

"Hahaha."

"This matter doesn't look like it will succeed this year."

"Oh? But I heard the word from the Inspector's side has basically loosened."

"True, but the Wuhu Gang makes their living off this water."

"Is it up to the Wuhu Gang to decide?"

"Originally it wasn't, but they have another name now, called the Hundred Water Cave."

"Hmm, true."

Seeing Pei Ye listened to the voices in his ears, his eyes still fixed outside the pavilion.

People kept running into the garden, and the space under the pavilion was gradually becoming crowded. Suddenly, a familiar, broad figure entered his field of vision.

She was wearing somewhat dirty and old grey-white martial arts robes, her shoes were muddy, and her hair was damp and messy—not because it had been neatly combed and then ruined by the rain, but because it was messy to begin with; the rain just made it settle a little.

Zhang Junxue.

She had also come running quickly to avoid the rain and clearly hadn't seen Seeing Pei Ye. At this moment, there was one last spot under the pavilion, just enough for the broad woman to squeeze in, but Seeing Pei Ye saw the two girls in brocade clothes behind her frown and whisper something. Zhang Junxue's body paused for a moment, then she silently stepped aside, letting the two petite girls take shelter inside.

The rain was now as tight as a beating drum. Seeing Pei Ye frowned and was just about to raise his hand to call out to the woman when the crowd behind him suddenly surged and cleared. It turned out that Bowang Garden had hurriedly opened the Wind-Watching Terrace, which hadn't been fully prepared yet, inviting guests to go inside to take shelter from the rain.

This move was naturally welcomed. Seeing Pei Ye followed the flow of people inside and saw that the Wind-Watching Terrace was also mostly set up. Seeing Pei Ye took one look, and the scene inside far exceeded his expectations. He had assumed there would be some chairs and cushions, paired with tables and small side tables, but upon coming up, he saw nearly two hundred small wooden cabinets!

Supported by solid wood with gauze curtains hanging down, each invitation could claim one, and each could accommodate two or three people.

The servants were still nervously rushing about to finish up. The two entered from the east and walked to the far west side; this row faced the lake, truly a fine view. People were constantly sitting into the positions behind, and by the time they reached the second row of wooden cabinets, someone was already lying inside, with a pair of mud-caked boots sticking out.

The two sat down in this cabinet in the first row. Seeing Pei Ye didn't have an invitation, so naturally, he could only tag along with Li Piaoqing.

And in just this short while, the wind and rain outside had actually calmed down again, turning back into a drizzle.

"It's been autumn for so long, yet there's still this kind of weather," the young girl said.

Seeing Pei Ye nodded without answering; his gaze was still fixed on the entrance. Sure enough, after a short while, that familiar, broad figure walked in.

Then, immediately following her, two other figures walked in—Xiao Qiu and Zheng Dong.

The two of them also didn't seem to expect to see Zhang Junxue here. Xiao Qiu paused for a moment and acted as if he hadn't seen her. Zheng Dong's expression immediately turned cold, and he said something unknown. Zhang Junxue lowered her head, said nothing, but didn't move either, standing rooted to the spot.

Xiao Qiu and Zheng Dong passed her and walked toward this side.

"Son of a b*tch..." Zheng Dong curled his lip, a glob of spit seemingly about to be ejected, but it suddenly choked in his throat.

Seeing Pei Ye was already standing in front of him.

"What did you just say?" the youth said coldly.

"..." Zheng Dong stood stiffly, his face turning pale. "I, I didn't—"

Li Piaoqing looked over in surprise.

"—I, what the f*ck I say, is it any of your... damn business!" Zheng Dong's face suddenly flushed red. "You care... about so much?"

This tone was both tough and cowardly. Seeing Pei Ye frowned, and just as he was about to speak, Xiao Qiu said from the side, "Zheng Dong didn't say anything too excessive, Young Hero Pei."

"I didn't curse... I didn't curse her to her face!" Zheng Dong straightened his body. "Can't I tell the truth?"

"What truth are you telling?"

"... I asked her... short on dog food again? Who do you plan to bite this time?" Looking at Seeing Pei Ye's darkening expression, he shouted loudly in a panic, "She was an ungrateful wolf to begin with! Are you allowed to do it but not allowed to talk about it?"

This voice was perhaps a bit too loud; Zhang Junxue, who had already moved away at the entrance, stopped again.

"Xiao Qiu, is this not excessive?" Seeing Pei Ye turned his eyes to look at Xiao Qiu.

"It is not excessive," Xiao Qiu replied calmly.

At this moment, Li Piaoqing finally realized. She smiled and waved her hand, "Zheng Dong, come sit over here."

Faced with this sentence, Zheng Dong's feet moved at least three beats faster than his brain. His face flushed red like a persimmon as he walked over quickly, looking like a victorious rooster.

Suddenly, a scholar in Confucian robes stood up nearby, leaning forward to tentatively look at Li Piaoqing, "Could it be... Miss Li of Cuiyu, face to face?"

Seeing Pei Ye turned his head; he had seen these Confucian robes before, they were exactly the style of that academy. The scholar had no traces of martial arts training and had been looking around just now; he was clearly one of those "spectators" Li Piaoqing had mentioned.

"Hmm, and you are, Young Master?"

"Ah! To actually be able to meet you!" The scholar clapped his hands in surprise, feeling inexplicably excited to be in the midst of the "Martial World," losing his etiquette for a moment. He just turned his head to look around and asked, "I wonder if I can see Young Master Zhang Mozhu and Young Master Qijiao Shang Huaitong again..."

Li Piaoqing smiled, "Young Master Zhang Mozhu was just downstairs—"

It was as if someone had stepped on a vicious dog's tail.

"—Did you just eat sh*t with that mouth of yours?!" Zheng Dong, who was walking toward the right side of Li Piaoqing, turned back violently and grabbed the scholar by the collar.

Seeing Pei Ye turned his head in astonishment—ever since that conflict, this was the first time he had seen this kind of rogue-like viciousness on the young man again.

The scholar retreated in panic, and Xiao Qiu had already grabbed Zheng Dong's arm with a stern expression—"Xiao Dong!"

But the next sentence still roared out of the young man's throat without any reduction in volume: "What kind of rotten b*tch was Qijiao Shang Huaitong born from!"

The surroundings, and even the entire venue, went quiet for a moment.

The scholar's face turned deathly pale. Only now did he recall the rumors in the martial world that the Cuiyu Jianmen and the Seven Serpents Cave were at odds, but he hadn't expected it to reach such an intensity.

"S-sorry, it is my fault..." Thinking Zheng Dong was also a disciple of the Cuiyu Gate, he stammered, "Yes, Young Master Shang does indeed have a poor reputation, Miss Li is the one who is bright and clear."

"Don't listen to my brother's nonsense! He is not a disciple of the Cuiyu Gate either," Xiao Qiu said, raising his voice. "The direct descendants of the three sects each have their own merits; there is nothing to compare."

Zheng Dong wanted to speak again, but was forced back by Xiao Qiu's cold gaze: "Apologize!"

Zheng Dong just acted as if he hadn't heard.

Li Piaoqing also frowned and glanced at Zheng Dong, smiling gently at the scholar, "Apologies, you don't need to mind these things. See whoever you want to see. Young Master Shang, Young Master Zhang, no matter what the relationship is between us, it has nothing to do with others."

But the scholar looked at her blankly, as if he had suddenly found his direction.

"No!" he said with conviction.

"..."

"The harm of the Wuhu, the evil of the three sects, all started with the Seven Serpents, everyone knows it! The good name of Cuiyu, who doesn't know it? I often think, although Qijiao Shang Huaitong is temporarily strong, he is taking advantage of his age and cultivation, like a tree without roots, heavy but about to fall; although Miss Li is temporarily behind, she is like a fledgling bird about to fly—if a bird flies, it is always higher than a tree."

"Well said!" Zheng Dong turned anger into joy. "You book-readers really know how to talk!"

Li Piaoqing shook her head and smiled.

Suddenly, two crisp claps came from behind, and a lazy male voice said, "Indeed well said!"

Seeing Pei Ye turned his head to look; it was the man who had just been lying in the curtain who had straightened his body: "To be woken up by such high-minded arguments can be considered a beautiful thing."

He was dressed in black, tall and thin, with sharp and clean features, and a bridge of the nose that was excessively high. At this moment, he was looking over with a smile on the corner of his mouth.

Seeing Pei Ye had caught a fleeting glimpse of this face—the first time he entered the city, when he stood at the gate of Bowang Garden.

"Does the brother feel the same way?" the scholar turned back in surprise.

The man nodded: "This is truly a point that hits the nail on the head. The Cuiyu Jianmen has four hundred years of heritage, and the 'Jade Collection' has been tempered for a long time, worthy of being the sect's reliance; the Seven Serpents Cave was just a bunch of rabble when it was founded, and the 'Seven Serpents Sword' was just seven sets of sword techniques cobbled together by various people back then, barely polished for a hundred and eighty years, yet it still cannot hide its crudeness and does not belong in the halls of elegance—the Seven Serpents Cave may look like it's boiling with oil, but its most embarrassing point is that it lacks a true sword technique to establish the sect. Without this sword, there is no way to retain people, no way to cultivate people, and no matter how great the momentum, it will eventually vanish like smoke."

The scholar listened blankly: "... Your insight is truly high, may I ask if you are Young Master Zhang Mozhu?"

The man smiled: "My name is Qijiao Shang Huaitong."

"..."

"I helped set up the venue last night and didn't sleep much, so I'm taking a nap here, I'm truly sorry."

"Young Master Shang is being humble," Li Piaoqing said lightly.

"I am not being humble. Precisely because of this, the Seven Serpents Cave's need for an excellent sword technique is so urgent," Qijiao Shang Huaitong smiled, looking at Li Piaoqing.

Seeing Pei Ye raised his head—excellent sword technique, is "Snow Collapse" excellent enough? Is the "Jade Collection"... excellent enough?

The young girl looked back lightly: "The Cuiyu Jianmen will always be here."

Qijiao Shang Huaitong nodded and smiled: "Naturally, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to move house."

Only now did the scholar come to his senses, his face turning blue and white. Actually, his family background was good, and he had always been more curious than afraid of the martial world, otherwise, he wouldn't have come to this Pill-Singing Meeting today to watch the fun.

But Zheng Dong's appearance of wanting to hit someone just now really scared him—he had to be treated like this without saying anything, if he spoke ill of him in front of the Seven Serpents Cave's direct descendant... would he lose an arm?

"Sh-Shang, Young Master Shang, I spoke out of turn just now..."

Qijiao Shang Huaitong waved his hand: "What is out of turn? It is the truth, what is there that cannot be said. Miss Li just said it too, no matter what the relationship between the three sects is, everyone can speak freely."

"Young Master Shang! Today I finally know that hearing of a name is not as good as meeting the person!" The blood returned to the scholar's face, and a relaxed smile leaked out, "With such bearing, why worry that the Seven Serpents won't flourish?"

Qijiao Shang Huaitong smiled, and the scene was quite harmonious for a moment.

And so, a sharp thorn pierced in again.

"Truly f*cking strange," a rogue voice rang out coldly, "A pig crawling out of a dung pit can still turn into a human."

Xiao Qiu's expression changed drastically. He glared at Zheng Dong beside him, but although the young man's face was pale and his tone trembling, his pair of narrow eyes were staring fiercely at Qijiao Shang Huaitong, his lips almost bitten to the point of bleeding.

Qijiao Shang Huaitong was silent for a moment and said in a flat voice: "I just said I was woken up by his words, I just wanted to pretend I didn't hear your previous offense, why must you insist on bringing humiliation upon yourself?"

"..." Zheng Dong's whole body was trembling. He stared at Qijiao Shang Huaitong, saying nothing.

"Wash away humiliation with a blood sword to sever enmity. Since you have provoked me repeatedly, you must have prepared for this." Qijiao Shang Huaitong turned around and took a black sword from the curtain just now.

He drew out a section of the snow-white blade to look at it.

There was no blood on Zheng Dong's face, his hands and feet were cold and weak, but his eyes were still supporting him as he stared fiercely at Qijiao Shang Huaitong: "The smell of sh*t on you hasn't been washed clean yet."

Seeing Pei Ye, who had had a conflict with him, could imagine how difficult this courage was for the young man.

"Draw your sword," Qijiao Shang Huaitong said lightly.

Zheng Dong gritted his teeth. At this moment, a flush of blood surged back onto his face. He reached out to draw the long sword at his waist.

But he was pressed down firmly by Xiao Qiu's hands.

"Young Master Shang, my brother is young and ignorant!"

Qijiao Shang Huaitong just looked at Zheng Dong.

Li Piaoqing blocked in front of Zheng Dong without a word.

Qijiao Shang Huaitong raised an eyebrow: "What does Miss Li mean?"

"Zheng Dong's words and actions are all my intention," the young girl said.

"... Is Miss Li serious?"

"Serious."

"So this enmity and humiliation is counted on Miss Li? Is this the intention of the Cuiyu Jianmen?"

"It is."

Qijiao Shang Huaitong's voice suddenly turned cold, his gaze piercing Li Piaoqing: "Good! Then this life and death is between you and me—where is your sword?"

Li Piaoqing reached out to Seeing Pei Ye.

"No!" Zheng Dong shouted.

If Qijiao Shang Huaitong was already at the Sixth Life, how could Li Piaoqing be his opponent? How... could he so easily give him a reason to kill?

"One person does the deed, one person takes the responsibility!" Zheng Dong's eyes were red, struggling to draw his sword, but how could he escape Xiao Qiu's palm?

Qijiao Shang Huaitong suddenly smiled.

"You don't even have the power to decide whether you can draw your sword," he sighed, actually letting go, and the half-drawn blade fell back into the scabbard.

"How could I kill Miss Li?" He smiled, looking at Zheng Dong, "I won't kill you either, it's just some verbal disputes. We can solve it in another way—where are you from?"

The words "Zheng Shou" hung on his lips, but Zheng Dong looked at the man's expression, which could be called peaceful, and opened his mouth twice without saying it.

There were many people from Zheng Shou in the Seven Serpents Cave, and many people in Zheng Shou County were waiting to enter the Seven Serpents Cave every year.

The scene was quiet for a moment, Zheng Dong's face turning blue and white.

Qijiao Shang Huaitong looked at him with a faint smile, not forcing him anymore: "In terms of 'reality', others have to die for you; in terms of 'name', countless people have to be affected by you. Saying one person does the deed, one person takes the responsibility, yet you cannot take the slightest responsibility for your own words and actions—just a child who hasn't grown up."

"... Young Master Shang is righteous." Xiao Qiu cupped his hands and bowed his head, turning around and saying sternly, "Zheng Dong, apologize to Young Master Shang."

These words were no longer stern, but revealed an undeniable firmness.

Zheng Dong opened his mouth, his gaze subconsciously looking in one direction, as if asking for help, and as if seeking consent, but more of it was confusion.

He was indeed reckless, stupid, cowardly, ignorant of the big picture, and brainless, but as long as he received a signal from someone he recognized, he would execute it without the slightest hesitation.

Just like he had done for the past two years.

Li Piaoqing didn't avoid his gaze, but she just opened her mouth and said nothing.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 153 =====