Chapter 718: Inventory of the Heavenly Grand Masters: Green Ox, the Storyteller, Dongxuan

“Lord Guan, you may not know, but though I brought several guards when I left the capital—some of whom are experts of the Middle Three Realms of Martial Dao—and though I myself possess modest martial skill, I thought myself perfectly safe.”

Lady Gongsun lightly brushed her sleeve, still bearing traces of shock on her brow: “Yet as we passed a tavern along the Capital Road, we encountered a band of outlaws holed up inside. Though I had disguised myself, an old man wielding a peachwood staff fixed his gaze upon me and insisted I join him for a drink.”

“That fellow’s peachwood staff looked ordinary, but his strikes were brutally fierce—within three or five moves, he overturned every one of us. The situation was dire!”

She turned her gaze to the hooded woman beside her, her eyes filled with gratitude: “Had it not been for your noble rescue, I fear I would already be dead.”

Lady Gongsun smiled bitterly and shook her head: “Now, beyond Bianjing’s walls, dragons and snakes mingle—spies from every nation, martial sects all converging on the Capital Road. This situation leaves me no choice but to turn back.”

Her gaze shifted subtly, studying the hooded woman, her crimson lips parting: “Your grace saved my life, yet I still do not know how to address you.”

From beneath the hood came a voice, clear as a oriole’s cry yet brimming with bold spirit: “Martial folk do not trouble themselves with empty formalities. I am Lu Hua—call me by name.”

“Lu Hua,” Lady Gongsun murmured softly, her willow-brow furrowing. The name felt strangely familiar—a Daoist in attire—but she could not recall where she had heard it.

What troubled her more was that this person’s voice sounded no older than twenty.

She recalled again that startling scene: the girl seated calmly on a bench, casually snapping a branch from a tree, striking from afar—seven or eight burly men wielding weapons were driven back, then forced to their knees.

Such effortless mastery could only belong to the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao. Even the prodigies among the Nine Surnames were not so young.

By now, you likely understand why Lady Gongsun arrived at the courtyard with Lu Hua.

Lu Hua escorted Lady Gongsun back to Bianjing, and under the guise of the Purple Xiao Pavilion’s courtesan, entered the city openly.

Remember, Bianjing is now under full lockdown—everyone entering or leaving must undergo strict scrutiny.

Lady Gongsun’s eyes flickered: “Then I shall boldly address you as Master Lu.”

Her gaze turned to you, luminous: “Strange indeed—Master Lu, upon entering the city, came straight to Lord Guan. How do you two know each other?”

You paused, then smiled: “To be honest, I share the same fate as Lady Gongsun—we’ve both been saved by Master Lu.”

Before you finished speaking, a laugh slipped from beneath the hood—a sound like ice cracking on a frozen lake. Lady Gongsun blinked in surprise; throughout their journey, this woman had remained as cold as frost, sparing every word.

Another woman in the room, a Daoist nun, frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of her teacup: Could it be that Xie Guan has ties to the Daoist sect? No wonder she spared my life that day at Misty Lake.

Since Lu Hua entered Bianjing, all three True Ones within the city have been summoned.

The Daoist nun, having old ties to a scholarly academy, had long resided there—and now received the summons from the Three True Ones.

Yet who could have imagined the Celestial Master himself had riskily entered Bianjing?

And that he came for Xie Guan? This only deepened her confusion.

The Daoist nun then spoke: “The martial rogue Lady Gongsun described, wielding a peachwood staff, is almost certainly Wen Buren of the Balin Gang—a river transport guild. He uses a peachwood staff, which conceals a hidden longsword, though his skill is crude and far below the Upper Three Realms.”

“In the wider world, he might be considered a regional expert, but here in the capital of Da Qi, he’s merely a third-rate figure.”

The Daoist nun had long resided in Bianjing, and since she could not easily access the elite martial talents of the Imperial Prince’s court, the scholarly academy, or the Nine Surnames, she had no choice but to deal frequently with martial outlaws.

Over time, she came to know not only the martial sects of Da Qi, but the entire martial world with intimate familiarity.

Lady Gongsun quietly observed this unfamiliar Daoist nun—though both were women of the Dao, where Lu Hua radiated bold vitality, this woman carried an air of distant, icy serenity.

She marveled inwardly: Women who cultivate the Dao are rare enough—but these two were both profoundly skilled, and in their speech, they subtly deferred to Lu Hua.

“The Balin Gang?” Lady Gongsun frowned. “I recall they are a guild from the Poyang Lake region—how dare they act so brazenly in Bianjing?”

Years of flood control had carved out the plains downstream, and left behind only Poyang Lake.

The Daoist nun’s wide sleeves stirred slightly: “The Balin Gang means little. Wen Buren is weak. His dominance over Poyang Lake stems from the man behind him… who has likely already arrived in Bianjing.”

Lu Hua named a name: “The Land Dragon—Du Guosheng.”

The Daoist nun’s expression turned grave as she slowly nodded: “This man ranks among the Heavenly Grand Masters—far from ordinary.”

You nodded slightly; you had heard his name before.

He was the rising tide of the martial world in the last jiazi, known as the “Land Dragon,” stirring the entire martial realm.

Lady Gongsun’s lips parted: “But I heard he crossed the sea with the Master a hundred years ago, seeking immortality.”

Her eyes still held lingering fear: “Thank heaven I never encountered the real man.”

The Daoist nun said: “Now, as heaven’s winds gather in Bianjing, how could he stay aloof? He is a figure of the past jiazi—slightly younger than the Demon Master and Lotus Pool, but his conduct is upright. If you truly meet him, nothing will happen.”

“Yet his methods are no less formidable than theirs. He is called the Land Dragon because he was once an ordinary monk of the Heavenly Dragon Temple. His master, Master Wenxin, was a great Buddhist sage who took him in as a child. But Wenxin betrayed the temple for personal affection, was punished by the Buddhist order, and eventually died in despair.”

“Du Guosheng inherited his true teachings, trained secretly within the temple for years, and finally broke through the Eighteen Bronze Warriors’ formation, renounced his vows, and descended the mountain. Yet who could have imagined—he returned to the Heavenly Dragon Temple in his layman’s garb, single-handedly subdued a hundred high monks, and with his finger as brush, inscribed a scathing epitaph upon the temple’s golden plaque: ‘Master Wenxin is the supreme of Heavenly Dragon; all others are crumbling earth and worthless dogs.’”

“The Heavenly Dragon Temple—and the entire Buddhist order—were shaken. No one expected this obscure little monk possessed such talent and power.”

“Coincidentally, since then, the once-preeminent Heavenly Dragon Temple fell into decline.”

“Later, after renouncing his vows, he married and had children. The Balin Gang was founded by his only daughter. He grew bored, and re-ordained, returning to the Buddhist fold.”

“He renounced the world three times, returned to lay life three times, and eventually drew the wrath of the Demon Master, who hunted him down. Yet on the run, he attained enlightenment in martial Dao and ascended to the Ninth Realm.”

“A year later, he reappeared—now walking the world as both teacher and friend to the Demon Master.”

You smiled slightly; given the Demon Master Xu Jiangxian’s capricious nature, such conduct was entirely plausible.

“Fifty-five years ago, he broke into the Buddhist holy land and stole twelve sacred sutras. The Buddhist order erupted in fury, and fourteen arhats joined forces to pursue him. He then kidnapped thirty scholars from the Academy and imprisoned them on an island in the heart of Poyang Lake. Seventeen Confucian masters of the Academy sailed overnight to besiege him.”

“In that battle, Du Guosheng fought twenty martial grand masters and ten Yangshen cultivators. Eight hundred hectares of Poyang Lake turned crimson. At the brink of death, he ascended to the rank of Heavenly Grand Master, securing his invincible title of Land Dragon. Thirty years ago, he emulated the Master and sailed east seeking immortality—then vanished.”

Lady Gongsun nodded: “Some enthusiasts have ranked the Heavenly Grand Masters. Excluding the Master himself, the Academy’s four masters occupy the top four positions.”

“The Demon Master of Changsheng Heaven, the Lotus Pool Master of the Southern Buddhist Kingdom, and the Land Dragon Du Guosheng.”

“The Three True Ones’ Dongxuan True Person, the Storyteller Tianji Zi, and Li Qingdi—the second greatest swordsman in the world.”

The Daoist nun spoke solemnly: “Ten in total—known as the Ten Heavenly Masters.”

“Dongxuan True Person needs no introduction—he was the previous Celestial Master of the Three True Ones, a contemporary of the Demon Master and Lotus Pool Master, who carved out a legendary reputation in the martial world.”

“Tianji Zi is the most mysterious. Some say he is an old man, others a child, even a woman. He has debated with the Demon Master and clashed with Du Guosheng—his skill is clearly equal to theirs. He has been known since the time of the Second Master’s travels, and has not been seen in the martial world for over two hundred years.”

When speaking of the final name, the Daoist nun hesitated: “Li Qingdi—originally Lu Qingniu—was once a disciple of the Three True Ones, but became obsessed with martial Dao, broke into the Living Dead Tomb to seek his ancestors’ scriptures, and repeatedly stained his fellow disciples’ blood with his sword.”

“On Zhongnan Mountain, during a great snowfall, the then Celestial Master of the Three True Ones expelled him from the sect, forcing him to swear: ‘Never again set foot on Zhongnan Mountain; after death, do not dare appear before the ancestors of the Three True Ones; never use the Lu surname again.’”

“He knelt before the mountain gate for seven days and seven nights before descending. Since then, he has wandered the world under the name Li Qingdi, wielding a sword named Peach Blossom.”

“He is a contemporary of the Demon Master and Lotus Pool Master. He once challenged the Second Master and was defeated, yet proclaimed himself the second greatest swordsman in the world—the peak of the martial world for a century. Now he has vanished. Some say he is in the northern frontier; others claim he has drowned in wine at a tavern.”

“In the martial world, his reputation is excellent—he never kills innocents, and if he encounters a skilled swordsman, he will offer guidance. If you truly meet him and offer him a good pot of wine, he will help you resolve a violent feud.”

From the Daoist nun’s expression, it was clear she held Li Qingdi in high regard—you suspected she may have met him herself.

Moreover, you detected a deeper intrigue: these Ten Heavenly Masters, who dominate the world, all have ties to Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, or the Demon Sect—either the foremost masters of the orthodox Three Teachings, or the brilliant rebels who broke from them.

Lady Gongsun’s gaze flickered. This Daoist nun knew the secrets of the Ten Heavenly Masters as if reciting family history—even Li Qingdi’s blood oath on Zhongnan Mountain. Her origins must be extraordinary.

You spoke slowly: “According to this Daoist’s account, the Heavenly Grand Masters of the world have now all gathered beyond Bianjing’s walls.”

The Daoist nun nodded, turning to you, choosing her words carefully: “Lord Guan, my name is Lu Ruyun.”

You were startled. Among the Three True Ones, only true Dichuan high adepts bear the surname Lu—like Lu Hua.

Lu Ruyun continued: “Beyond the Ten Heavenly Masters, there are several near-Grand Masters—all at the Ninth Realm of Martial Dao, the Tenth Realm of Primordial Spirit, just one step short of forming their True Core: the Buddhist monk Shengxin, who has not descended for a thousand years; the Great Qin’s War Butcher Han Baijia; the Slave Sword Sect’s Sheng Jiu; the Wanderer King of Changsheng Heaven; and now, Ban Sheng of the Crimson-Eye Army.”

“Yet that one step is the difference between heaven and earth. If they truly faced the Ten Heavenly Masters, they would have no chance to flee.”

You found this odd: even Great Qin, Changsheng Heaven, and the Buddhist Kingdom each have ‘near-Grand Masters’—yet the mightiest Da Qi, with its illustrious Nine Surnames, has none. Why?

Lu Ruyun guessed your confusion: “You are not the only one who wonders this. Even among common folk and martial outlaws, many think the same—especially those who love to compare.”

“Thus, in the markets of Great Qin, there is a saying: ‘The Four Masters have devoured the Nine Surnames.’”

A cryptic phrase—unthinkable to utter in Bianjing—yet already a common jest in Great Qin.

Lady Gongsun, who had been in the western pavilion, was startled upon hearing this, glancing around nervously, fearing eavesdroppers.

Su Xiang has held supreme power in Da Qi for too long.

You smiled: “After all, the Academy’s four masters occupy four of the Ten Heavenly Masters’ seats. Add the Master himself—and Da Qi remains the world’s greatest. There is nothing wrong with that.”

Lady Gongsun added smoothly: “So, even counting these near-Grand Masters, the total number of Heavenly Grand Masters barely reaches twenty!”

You could not help but think of one man—Xie Hong. Even if he has not reached the Grand Master realm, he must be among the very top, on par with the near-Grand Masters.

Lu Ruyun sensed that the woman did not grasp the terror of a Heavenly Grand Master—she merely thought them powerful martial dragons.

If these ten gathered beyond Bianjing’s walls, even a hundred thousand armored troops would be unable to withstand their might.

A Heavenly Grand Master has long transcended the mortal realm. One man destroying a city is no exaggeration; one hand toppling a nation is no jest.

In recent years, signs have emerged that sects backed by Heavenly Grand Masters secretly control the fate of nations—the Southern Buddhist Kingdom’s Dongsheng Sect, Changsheng Heaven’s Xu family, Great Qin, and the Academy—all follow this pattern.

Now, these figures capable of stirring heaven and earth have gathered in Bianjing—like dragons converging, tigers crouching.

Lu Hua frowned: “The Balin Gang has reached the Capital Road—this means Du Guosheng has arrived. Otherwise, how could a mere third-rate guild dare act so brazenly in Bianjing?”

“Lotus Pool Master has marched north with the Buddhist Prince. The Demon Master must be hiding among Changsheng Heaven’s troops. Tianji Zi and Li Qingdi’s whereabouts are elusive—but given this concerns transcendence, they will not stay away!”

“The Third Master and Fourth Master are already within Bianjing.”

You realized Lu Hua had either deliberately or accidentally omitted one name—the previous Celestial Master of the Three True Ones, Dongxuan True Person.

Perhaps Dongxuan True Person has already arrived in Bianjing. This pillar of the Daoist sect has not set foot off Zhongnan Mountain in a hundred years.

Given the matter concerns transcendence, how could the Three True Ones afford to be careless?

PS: Attached is a picture of Lu Hua—bonus chapter!

(End of Chapter)