Chapter 760: Appointment at the Mingzhu Shuixie

This was Seeing Pei Ye's first contact with Yun Lang Mountain. It was indeed an otherworldly sect, just slightly different from what Seeing Pei Ye had imagined.

All along, the Yun Lang in Seeing Pei Ye's heart had been relatively gentle and light. It was hard to say where this impression came from—perhaps because of the feeling from Miss Ming, perhaps because this sword sect resided high on Cloud Mountain and never extracted anything from the world, but instead established the Dao Enlightenment Society, a benefit-spreading endeavor.

And that Shao Shao Jian Jun had let Miss Ming wander the world to question the sword alone. Although third on the Crane List was already a top expert in the world, considering Miss Ming's status, her strength actually seemed immature.

The river was deep and the lake was quiet, easy to break a dragon. At least after Seeing Pei Ye got to know her, the woman had encountered two life-threatening dangers.

Therefore, in Seeing Pei Ye's vague impression, Yun Lang was a sword sect as light as clouds. They did not care about nothing, but they truly took everything more lightly—worldly power, sect reputation, and life and death—their own life and death, and the life and death of their own young master.

Just as Grandpa Yue said before he died: "You cannot reach the extreme of the sword, so Yun Lang Mountain is not your place." The only thing this high sword sect truly cared about was probably the sword path.

Even though such a serious thing happened in Kongdong last year, Seeing Pei Ye did not see any cruel counterattack. Kongdong was still standing there well, and was even still in the Dao Enlightenment Society.

And now, Yun Lang's general temperament was roughly consistent with what Seeing Pei Ye had imagined. They were indeed light, just not gentle.

Or at least this senior Wen Suoqu was not gentle enough.

Yun Lang would not send two Heavenly Towers to follow the young Shao Shao Jian Jun, but since the young Shao Shao Jian Jun had been ambushed, Yun Lang would not be stingy with a counterattack.

And the extent of this counterattack was not determined by anger, nor was it affected by friendship. It only made all the Jianghu sects see that if they colluded with the dark side of the Jianghu and plotted against Yun Lang disciples, then for at least twenty years, they should not think about catching their breath.

Yun Lang could of course have sent a letter to Kongdong in advance, then Kongdong would not even have come to the Divine Capital this year, and could have maintained a bit of dignity.

But Yun Lang did not do that.

So Seeing Pei Ye thought, Yun Lang was not a "good old man." It integrated the sword sects and established the Dao Enlightenment Society, perhaps for the prosperity of the world's sword path, but not to take care of these late-coming swordsmen and sword sects.

This sounded like the same thing, and doing it was also the same thing, but it was truly not the same thing.

When he stood up today, Seeing Pei Ye realized this point.

Yun Lang's attitude toward Kongdong was unchangeable; it was a sect-level ban, and the fact that everyone in the garden was silent was precisely because of this.

This was not the time to talk about friendship or make jokes. In terms of the huge power mastered by the sects, each one was equivalent to a country within a country. When Yun Lang read out the decree, that was the attitude of the entire Yun Lang, and all offenses were offenses against Yun Lang.

But Seeing Pei Ye himself also had some

unchangeable things in his heart.

He remembered Ji Changyun, remembered Bai Tianqu, remembered the dark Kongdong seventeen peaks that had been eaten into a lotus pod, but he also remembered Zhang Meiqing's final words, remembered Xu Shang, remembered Kong Lanting's clean eyes.

He knew very well that what he was doing was a direct offense to Yun Lang. He did not argue the truth, did not want to overestimate his own strength to mediate, and absolutely refused to use his relationship with Miss Ming as a raft.

He was also not feeling injustice for Kongdong. There was no such good thing in the world as expecting the waves that crashed back to be regular and restrained after actively doing evil.

It was just that after Wen Suoqu finished saying "Under Yun Lang's eyes, one must not encounter Kongdong," Zhang Jingbi stood stiffly on the pool, and he just had to stand up and say, "Jingbi, I will practice the sword with you."

Although in anyone's eyes, this move was close to a provocation.

Senior Wen Suoqu was better than imagined. He not only answered him but also explained to him why Yun Lang had to do this—that was actually giving him a chance to repent. Before this, Seeing Pei Ye had thought this old man would ignore him.

But he still walked onto the pool surface.

So Yun Lang fulfilled its warning.

This Yun Lang senior was not angry at Kongdong at the beginning, nor was he angered by him later. What he did was the same as always.

If Yun Lang were slightly less otherworldly, there would be a much better way to handle this matter today.

They could have learned Kongdong's attitude first, or they could have met Seeing Pei Ye first. Seeing Pei Ye was a party to last year's affair. Many people did not know, but Yun Lang of course knew. Even Seeing Pei Ye's current studies at the Sword Academy relied on Yun Lang's recommendation letter.

If they had been more slick, the two sides would not have been at daggers drawn in full view of everyone. Even if the youth had already stood up, the great senior could easily have found a reason to pass over this matter for the time being;

If they had been more cruel, Seeing Pei Ye's qualification at the Sword Academy should also have been stripped.

But neither of these two things happened. From this, Seeing Pei Ye recognized this otherworldly Yun Lang in his first contact.

After he sat back, the garden remained silent for a long time. If there were still people who did not recognize him because of the sword-breaking topic just now, now the entire garden must have remembered the name Seeing Pei Ye impressively, and it was foreseeable that it would spread to the entire Divine Capital after today.

A person who directly offended Yun Lang.

Actually, Seeing Pei Ye felt that there was no talk of offense between him and Yun Lang. Since Yun Lang had not treated him, Seeing Pei Ye, specially before, naturally there was no talk of holding a grudge now. It was just as light as always.

However, thinking about it, most people would not think so. People would say in astonishment, do you know that Seeing Pei Ye who has never shown his face? He is truly an arrogant person. In order to protect Kongdong, he actually provoked Yun Lang in public and angered the world's number one sword sect.

Because it could already be seen now.

The sword banquet dispersed, and swordsmen from different sects left their seats to mingle.

?? The central tables were naturally the most eye-catching celebrities. But Seeing Pei Ye, who had just broken the topic with one sword and shocked the whole garden, was completely ignored.

There were many gazes cast on him, but not a single one came over to talk. Kongdong also did not come over. Before they left, they looked over from afar, Ji Zhuowu cupped his fists in a salute to him, and Guan Qianyan looked at him with red eyes.

Seeing Pei Ye smiled and bid them farewell.

Except for…… Seeing Pei Ye turned his head and looked at He Yaoyao. The woman was still earnestly hiding behind him.

He took a step, and she followed a step.

Thanks to the power of Seeing Pei Ye's current demonic reputation, many admirers did not dare to come and find her, which made He Yaoyao greatly relieved and very satisfied.

Seeing Pei Ye was also very satisfied with this sword-discussion partner, so he temporarily allowed her to take shelter.

Seeing Pei Ye intended to return to the Sword Academy, but just after turning around two high stones, a beautiful figure came to meet him, white skirt and cloud bun, it was Shi Zanxue.

"Shi Gu Niang."

"Where is young hero Pei going?"

"Where else, back to the Sword Academy."

Shi Zanxue tilted her body and leaned forward slightly, looked at the woman behind Seeing Pei Ye, and asked curiously: "Back to the Sword Academy…… do you want to take true disciple He back to the Sword Academy as well?"

He Yaoyao opened her eyes wide, not expecting that she would still need to speak when Seeing Pei Ye was beside her. She paused for a while: "Shi, Shi Anxiang, good, happy to see you."

Seeing Pei Ye turned his head and said: "I didn't ask her—are you willing to go back to the Sword Academy with me?"

"……Anything…… is fine."

Shi Zanxue smiled, and her gaze moved back to Seeing Pei Ye's face: "Young hero Pei, is the pot of wine gifted earlier still to your taste?"

"Delicious, delicious." Seeing Pei Ye smiled, "I hadn't drunk enough yet when I was dragged up by true disciple He. Now if I go back, I'm afraid there won't be a drop left."

"Sorry." He Yaoyao said.

Shi Zanxue smiled at him, then raised her sleeve, holding an identical jade pot in her hand: "I still have half a pot here, can I invite young hero Pei to drink together?"

The four directions were silent, and Seeing Pei Ye carried his sword and walked down to the pond.

Wen Suoqu nodded and said in a flat voice: "Since that is so. Before I die, Seeing Pei Ye must not enter within a three-hundred-mile radius of Yun Lang Mountain. All Yun Lang swords within the Daoqi Society must not be practiced."

Seeing Pei Ye did not speak, nor did he look back. He stood on the pool, no different from when he had been guiding the disciples of Little Yun Mountain just now, performed a sword salute casually, and carried the sword on his back.

"Please. It has been several months, let me learn the sword techniques of Colorful Mist Peak." Seeing Pei Ye smiled slightly.

At the moment the youth stepped onto the pool surface, Zhang Jun suddenly perceived his cold, stiff body again, as if the youth were a heat source.

He gripped the sword in his hand; at this moment, he thought he should have left earlier and should not have dragged Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye into the water. But the youth's calm, smiling eyes were looking at him, and he suddenly felt that this kind of pushing and polite posturing had lost its meaning. He pursed his lips and raised the sword in his hand.

"... Kongdong's Zhang Jun, person clumsy and sword inferior, please give me your guidance, Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye."

Zhang Jun was a descendant of Colorful Mist Peak, practicing "Phoenix Mountain Singing".

Seeing Pei Ye had seen this sword technique before when he was at Kongdong. At that time, Seeing Pei Ye could tell that Zhang Jun practiced very diligently, but he really did not use it very well; now, only a few months later, his attainments in this sword technique had advanced by leaps and bounds, and more importantly, Seeing Pei Ye could now understand this sword technique as well.

Its structure became very clear in Seeing Pei Ye's eyes. After a few rounds, Seeing Pei Ye had roughly figured out Zhang Jun's position, pointed out the flaws he had spotted one by one, and helped him analyze how to learn it well in the future.

This was the quietest sparring session since the sword banquet today, and the clear sound of sword blades colliding could be heard all the way to the corners of the garden.

"... Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye. You, you actually didn't have to speak up for me. After today, we probably won't participate in sword gatherings anymore... and it even implicated you in offending Yun Lang." Zhang Jun said in a low voice.

"What offending or not offending, it's not worth talking about, they are all small matters." Seeing Pei Ye smiled and said in a low voice, "If it weren't for your father, Zhang Meiqing, not being afraid of offending the Sect Leader, not being afraid of offending the Lianxin Pavilion, I probably wouldn't have had my life to stand here today, and the Bright Shao Shao Jian Jun might have really encountered a disaster."

He paused and restrained his smile: "There is a saying from Peak Master Zhang that I have always engraved in my heart. If you are grateful, I hope that one day in the future when you hold the reins of Colorful Mist, you can also mention it from your heart from time to time."

"What?"

"It is not the conduct of chivalry."

"..." Zhang Jun was stunned.

"Preserving oneself through wisdom, fearing strength and coveting profit... is not the conduct of chivalry." Seeing Pei Ye patted his shoulder.

Zhang Jun actually had not taken in Seeing Pei Ye's teachings on sword path, but these words provided another kind of support, causing the youth's neck to straighten up. Until he finally left the pool and sat back in his seat, his posture remained upright.

Seeing Pei Ye likewise carried his sword back to the seven seats by the pond.

This time when he sat down, no one greeted him. After

a moment, He Yaoyao beside him finally squeezed out a sentence: "Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye, what you said is wrong."

Seeing Pei Ye was stunned and looked at this woman in the yellow skirt: "True Disciple He, how is it wrong?"

He Yaoyao was a bit embarrassed, hesitated for a while, and said in a low voice: "That last move of 'Phoenix Mountain Singing' that True Disciple Zhang Jun used was actually not bad, because it has to connect to the next sword technique. You, you must have never read Kongdong sword theory, that's why you said others used it redundantly..."

Her voice grew smaller, and she hurriedly added: "Of course, Young Hero Pei, your level is very high, everything else you said was very precise."

Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a while and said: "True Disciple He."

"Ah?"

"Let's be friends."

"... Ah?" He Yaoyao was stunned, a bit sad, "So we weren't friends?"

The pavilion above was also quiet for a long time.

After a while, someone said in a low voice: "If Yun Lang doesn't like Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye, then I won't like Yun Lang."

"Exactly, and they even forbid Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye from going to Yun Lang... Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye wouldn't care to go anyway."

"Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye is really good."

"Yun Lang... what's so great about Yun Lang..."

Although everyone was attracted by Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye's brilliant personality at this time, the momentum of speaking harsh words was not very strong.

After all, Yun Lang's reputation was really too great... especially that Glazed Shao Shao Jian Jun. They only knew Seeing Pei Ye through Cui Zhaoye's introduction, but long before they cared about Jianghu sword affairs, they had already heard the name "Ming Qitian".

Extremely young, extremely beautiful, extremely formidable, and with a clear and transparent mind... her supporters in the Divine Capital numbered in the millions.

It was still President Little Li who straightened up from the railing. Her whole spirit looked very good, and she smiled: "Look, I said it early on, Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye is not lecherous, nor is he addicted to fame and profit. Not being from a high gate, nor being a beauty, Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye is just a heart of chivalry."

Qu Xin said out of the blue: "Exactly, much better than Ming Qitian's 'Bright Mirror Ice Mirror Heart', isn't she just a wooden person."

Everyone immediately echoed: "Exactly!"

Li Piaoqing hurriedly interrupted. She actually still liked the Bright Shao Shao Jian Jun very much in her heart, but she couldn't take the lead in defecting to the enemy at this time, so she changed the subject: "I see the sword banquet is about to disperse. For the rest of the afternoon, the swordsmen will be free to come and go in the garden. I will go help Tianshan with some organization, and everyone can go down too. You can go talk to whoever you want to see—of course, don't bother them."

"We want to see Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye!."

"Can we see Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye?"

"President Little Li~~"

This was clearly the question everyone cared about most.

Li Piaoqing smiled: "That is of course. You don't need to go find him, we will go invite Young Hero Seeing Pei Ye over—if he has time."

On the platform

a burst of surprised cheers erupted immediately, chattering into a group.

Li Piaoqing gave a few instructions and then left first, agreeing to return in a while. Cui Zhaoye gave everyone a few instructions and was about to go downstairs when she felt someone poke her from behind.

She turned her head and saw Qu Xin standing quietly behind her, holding up a hand with a flat expression: "President Cui, you should take a rest. I will go invite Seeing Pei Ye."

"..."

Cui Zhaoye narrowed her eyes. These words were indeed very appropriate, but she always felt that once Li Piaoqing left, the presence of this little medicine lord from Mount Tai Medicine Hut suddenly became much stronger.

"I can find him, I know the scent on his body." Qu Xin thought for a while, "I can also invite He Yaoyao over, we are very familiar."

"You are familiar with Huang Yunxian?" Cui Zhaoye was slightly stunned, but after thinking about it, the two sects were indeed not too far apart, so she nodded, "That would be best. If it's done, I'll record a merit for you."

"Please rest assured."

"Some of them are even the power-holders of Tianshan." Shi Zanxue turned her head to look at the sparkling water surface, "Needless to say, if there is a suitable opportunity, they would be willing to kill young hero Pei and take the Heart of the Western Court back into their own hands."

Seeing Pei Ye nodded.

"But the ascension of the Master of the Western Court cannot be achieved by snatching." Shi Zanxue said.

"In the previous thousands of years, the Heart of the Western Court did not appear. Why was that? Last year, various parties fought for it, but only young hero Pei had neither foundation nor power. Why did the Heart of the Western Court fall to you?" Shi Zanxue said, "Young hero Pei, you asked me if I am an envoy for recruitment or a powerful minister establishing an emperor…… I am neither. If I must say, I am probably a scholar who adheres to the old traditions."

She turned her head back and looked at him quietly: "The throne of the Great Tang must be chosen by the Heavenly Qilin; the Master of the Western Court is also not selected through slaughter. 'Morning as the Wang Mu's envoy, evening returning to the Three Dangerous Mountains', I am such a person, young hero Pei. I believe that who can be the Master of the Western Court was decided by the Wang Mu of the West four thousand years ago. We have our own faith and persistence, which is precisely where Tianshan differs from secular sects."

"Even now, except for the Eight Steeds and Seven Jades, those who believe in this myth in Tianshan are less than one in ten…… I still invite you to ascend to the position of Court Master."

"I know young hero Pei is frighteningly weak right now, not even a finger of the world's power-holders. But if young hero Pei wishes to pursue this power, that is just one path. If it doesn't succeed, I will be shattered to pieces with you. Heaven and Earth can testify." Shi Zanxue gently raised her wine cup, "This is my ambition."

Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a moment: "We have met for a long time, today counts as our first acquaintance, Shi Gu Niang."

He raised the wine cup on his table: "So Shi Gu Niang was afraid that I would be kind-hearted and return the Heart of the Western Court directly, that's why you used power and greed to tempt me at the beginning."

"Is young hero Pei not the kind of person who returns things to their original owners?"

"I am, but I never felt this thing belonged to Tianshan." Seeing Pei Ye smiled, looking at the slightly stunned Shi Zanxue, "I exchanged it from Yang Yan with a snow sword; I also took it from Master Sui. They both said they believed in me, so they gave it to me."

He clinked the wine cup against the woman's with a "clink" and drank it all: "I will be this master, Shi Gu Niang, I will trouble you to help me…… Now, let's see who is frighteningly strong." ===== CHAPTER 761 =====