EBE Chapter 28 The origin of 3 religions
Chapter 28 The origin of 3 religions
"Well said! Tieyi, let's have a drink together once you've recovered!"
“Count me in, Young Master Tie. I, Mo Wensang, will be your friend.”
"I'm coming too!"
The sincere and passionate feelings of young people can often forge life-and-death bonds with just a word of approval. Tie Yi's words drew cheers, and the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect all took a liking to this forthright young man who trusted them.
Fei Xi watched her junior brothers laughing and joking happily with a smile on her lips. The safety of everyone in the sect was her greatest wish. However, deep down, without realizing it, a sense of unease and guilt, which she couldn't quite put into words, welled up inside her.
*
It's possible that Cui Chou was involved in the Sanhe Town incident, as the imperial court didn't send anyone else to investigate the whole affair. Lord Jia announced that remnants of the Demonic Sect were plotting something in Sanhe Town, causing immense suffering to the people. Fortunately, the three factions saw through their scheme, eliminated the demons, and saved the people of Sanhe Town.
The notice didn't mention how many people died; the entire notice focused on showcasing the demon's wickedness and how the three factions of heroes, with their wisdom and courage, fought against the demon. It also emphasized how the Xuehai Academy rescued people.
The literati who wielded the pen felt proud, as if they could be invincible simply by relying on their scholarly spirit. Xuehai Academy was thus elevated to a pedestal.
Teahouses and restaurants everywhere were praising the righteous spirit of the literati, and the people were also in high spirits because of this trend. The city was filled with laughter and joy. Who remembered the innocent people who died in this calamity?
Turning a funeral into a celebration—truly befitting the government.
After discussion, it was decided that Ren Yaofei's body would be personally escorted to the Huicheng Sect by Yin Zhengyi and Tie Liang, the Iron Sect Leader. As the former senior disciple of the Huicheng Sect, why did Ren Yaofei possess multiple sect's secret martial arts manuals? They wanted to thoroughly "ask" the Huicheng Sect!
The two caused a scene at the Huicheng Sect, but apart from the suspicious-sounding statement that "Brother Ren goes to the Heavenly Temple to fast and bathe for a week every year on the third day of the third lunar month," they didn't get any other useful information.
"Hahaha, that's great! I never expected that Brother Yin, who usually seems like an inflexible old scholar, would be so impressive today, wielding his whisk and beating up those snobbish idiots! I'm truly impressed!"
Along a mountain path, a burly man with broad shoulders and a thick waist laughed heartily. Beside him stood a middle-aged Taoist priest with an air of otherworldly wisdom, whose reserved and serious face inspired awe at first glance.
The Taoist priest moved with the speed of the wind, and the teasing of his companions did not faze him in the slightest. However, his calm tone betrayed a hint of eager anticipation for his return:
"Iron Order, let's hurry on our way. At our current speed, we should be able to return to Nanxuan City before the Lantern Festival."
"Indeed, I wonder if my young master has woken up yet. This time, we owe a great debt to Xi, otherwise I wouldn't know how to explain to the Lord of the Fortress."
The burly man was incredibly strong and possessed excellent lightness skills, catching up with his companion in the blink of an eye. He was the one who had orchestrated the young master's journey to uphold justice; if anything were to happen to the young master, Tie Liang would not hesitate to atone with his own death.
The Taoist priest glanced displeasedly at the burly man beside him, his face seemingly saying, "This is my girl, how dare anyone else call her that?" But a rare smile quickly appeared on his face, like a parent showing off their outstanding child. He clearly wanted to tell everyone that his child was the best in the world, but the words he uttered had a Versailles-like quality:
"Since Young Master Tie called her Senior Sister, Xi was just doing what a Senior Sister should do."
"Ha, my young master always has a good eye for people!"
Unlike the Taoist priest, the strong man praised his young master directly. The Taoist priest, upon hearing this, said nothing more and quickened his pace.
The two traveled through the night, unlike their journey on the official roads. On the return trip, they rode horses where there were roads, and relied on their agility to navigate where there were none. They endured wind and rain, sleeping in the open and taking shortcuts, finally arriving back in Nanxuan City on the twelfth day of the first lunar month.
Upon entering the city, the two sensed that the atmosphere on the streets was different from usual. It was not yet the Lantern Festival, and the New Year celebrations were not over. Normally, apart from people visiting relatives and friends, there wouldn't be so many people from other places on the streets, and most of these people were martial arts practitioners.
The two, with their excellent hearing, exchanged a glance and listened carefully to what the passersby were saying as they hurried toward the sect's headquarters.
Will Zen Master Hongfa and True Lord Baoyi really attend this grand gathering of the origins of the three religions?
"Today I saw the monks of the Jie generation from Pudu Temple. These monks never usually come down the mountain; those who uphold the Dharma are all lay disciples. Seeing them this time, it seems that Zen Master Hongfa has really come!"
“Master Hongfa, those with the right destiny can still see him at Pudu Temple. It has been almost ten years since Baoyi Zhenjun appeared in the martial arts world, hasn’t it? I still remember his move, White Rainbow Piercing the Sun, when he destroyed the Demon Sect.”
"Brother, you actually participated in that great battle! You are truly a hero of our time!"
"Oh, no, I'm just a nobody, nothing to brag about. How dare I call myself a hero?"
The conversation along the way quickened their pace towards the sect's headquarters. An inexplicable unease slowly grew in Yin Zhengyi's heart. A grand gathering of the three schools of thought? He had overheard Xi Yatou and the Master's conversation and assumed it was just an exchange meeting among the younger generation, with a few highly respected elders serving as referees.
Looking at the scale and lineup now, what exactly is Xi Yatou planning to do?!
The best restaurant in Nanxuan City, Yuekelai, has been booked out by one person on the entire third floor today.
The waiter carefully carried a pot of Longjing tea and four delicate dishes of tea snacks to the third floor, only to bump into two pretty young girls with their hair in double buns. The arrogant young woman in yellow, upon seeing a stranger, immediately drew her sword and stabbed at the waiter.
"You thief, what are you doing standing there so furtively!"
Seeing her companion making reckless moves, the girl in pink quickly stepped in to stop the girl in yellow.
"Shishu, he is the waiter of this shop. We martial arts practitioners cannot kill civilians. Have you forgotten that? Do you want to cause trouble for the master?"
"Hmph, just ordinary people. Even if I kill everyone in this shop, it won't mean anything to the owner."
The girl in yellow, who had been kicked out along with the girl in pink and was looking for someone to vent her anger on, was now not only unable to vent her anger but also being lectured. Her beautiful face was contorted with rage. She knew the girl in pink was right, and that her master might not necessarily condone her behavior. But she refused to admit it and had to argue back a couple of times before she was satisfied.
The waiter was so frightened when the sword was thrust at him that he dropped the plate, knelt on the ground, and kept crying out, "Heroine, spare my life!"
Tea and pastries were spilled all over the floor, making the delicate treats filthy. A hint of disgust lurked in the pink-clad girl's eyes, yet her tone remained gentle:
"Did I scare you? Clean this place up and get out of here. Our master doesn't need anything. Swords have no eyes, and no one is allowed to come up and disturb us, including your shop staff."
Although the waiter cursed inwardly at the two maids for behaving so arrogantly, he dared not show it on his face. He quickly knelt down, tidied himself up, and retreated.
"I really don't know why the owner would come to such a dilapidated and shabby place. Look at what kind of rubbish that waiter brought out just now. Even a dog wouldn't eat it. And this is supposed to be the best restaurant in Nanxuan City!"
“It’s normal that there aren’t any good things in remote and impoverished areas. Our host’s guests have arrived, so let’s quickly prepare tea and serve it to them. Go and get that set of Nanyang white jade tea set.”
Knowing their mistress's pickiness, the two pretty maids dared not complain any longer and followed the girl in pink to get busy with their tasks.
The best private room on the third floor of Yuekelai is called "Fishing Boat." A man in white sat by the window. He was tall and slender, with an ethereal air, like a celestial being descended to earth. His features were sharply defined, with striking eyebrows and bright, deep-set eyes. He was gazing out the window, seemingly looking at something, a faint, eerie light gleaming in his abyss-like pupils.
Sitting opposite him was a madman, a playful smile playing on his lips. Seeing his friend remain silent, he licked his lips, looking on with an air of anticipation.
"Why aren't you investigating how the manual was leaked? What are you doing in Nanxuan City?"
The man in white stood up, his steps light and graceful. He gripped his sword tightly, and in a flash, he leaped down the stairs, leaving his friend with only a cold utterance:
"Anyone who has seen the manual will be killed without mercy!"