Mount Qingding

"Then hurry it up." The young man knew better than to push too hard. Sancheng Huang immediately called out toward the counter, "Shopkeeper, another bowl of noodles, please." Before long, a steaming, aromatic bowl of noodles was brought over. Atop the neatly folded mound of noodles lay several half-finger-thick slices of pork, marbled with lean and fat, while chopped scallions floated in the clear broth. Just looking at it was enough to make one's mouth water. He lifted the bowl at once, picked up a slice of meat with his chopsticks, popped it into his mouth, and savored it slowly. Exhaling contentedly, he then began slurping up the noodles with relish. Yet after that bowl came another, and then another... Watching the bowls stack up higher and higher on the table, the young man grew impatient. "Why can't you just order more at once instead of ordering them bowl by bowl?" "Ah, please have some patience," Sancheng Huang replied. "I don't know how many bowls I'll end up eating, and if they're brought out all at once beforehand, they'll get cold. That would ruin the flavor." "Fine, just hurry up and eat." Sancheng Huang went on eating for over two hours. The bowls on the table were stacked high, and in fact, several stacks had already been cleared away by the staff. The young man tapped his fingers incessantly against the tabletop, impatience practically spilling from his face. At last... *Clack.* Sancheng Huang set down another empty bowl. He rubbed his belly, which showed virtually no change, and exhaled a long breath of warm air. "What a true delight. To think one could eat such authentic topped noodles here in Jibei Circuit." The young man said coldly, "Are you finished eating? If you are, then spit it out!" "Ah, apologies for keeping you waiting so long." Sancheng Huang bowed slightly toward him, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and straightened his posture. "Just now, that Mr. Guan Chi from Ferris Wheel Company approached me and inquired whether my coming to Jibei Circuit Center City this time was to seek out Chen-kun as an opponent." The young man couldn't help but sit up straighter. "What did you say?" Sancheng Huang said, "The truth, of course. I have indeed come to challenge Chen-kun!" "And then?" The young man stared fixedly at his face. "What else did that Ferris Wheel Company person say? Do they plan to make any moves?" "He asked if I needed Ferris Wheel Company to issue a challenge on my behalf, saying they could facilitate things for me. I replied that it was unnecessary." The young man waited a moment. Seeing that nothing followed, he looked at him. "That's all?" "That's all." Sancheng Huang gave an affirmative hum and said, "Though the exact wording may differ slightly, that was the general gist of the conversation. I see no reason to conceal it, though if you do not believe me, I have no way to prove it." The young man eyed him for a few moments, stood up from his seat, and walked straight out of the shop. Seeing that the young man hadn't generously paid the bill for him, Sancheng Huang muttered under his breath, then called over to the counter, "Shopkeeper, the check, please." The shopkeeper was a short, elderly man in his fifties. Hurrying over with quick little steps, he bowed and said, "Honored guest, the gentleman before you already paid the bill." "Is that so?" Sancheng Huang turned and returned the bow. "In that case, please bring me another bowl of soup." "Right away, guest, please have a seat." Outside the door, Sun Rao had been waiting the entire time. Initially, he had thought about washing his hands of this junior's antics, but the two of them were partners now, and the Bureau had assigned him to mentor the kid, just as he had once been assigned to mentor Chen Chuan. He couldn't simply abandon him, so he had had no choice but to follow. He had been on high alert the whole time, but things seemed to have gone well enough; no actual conflict had broken out between them. Seeing the young man emerge now, he let out a sigh of relief and whispered, "Do you have any idea how dangerous what you just did was?" The young man glanced at him. "You're too tense, Senior. He clearly came to Center City with a specific objective. Until that's accomplished, he won't do anything to us." Sun Rao said sternly, "Even so, you shouldn't put yourself in harm's way." The young man walked forward a few steps before turning his head. "If one lacks even the courage to face a formidable fighter head-on, how could one ever reach higher levels? "Senior, pure cultivation alone is useless. In your heart, you've already placed yourself beneath others. How can you talk about surpassing them?" Sun Rao said in a low, heavy voice, "All I know is that if you had been beaten to death today, you wouldn't have a future at all." The young man scoffed. "Then he would have been buried with me. He would die just like me. In certain respects, we are equal." With that, he walked straight toward their armored vehicle. Sun Rao caught up to him. "What did you find out in there?" The young man opened his boundary credential. "Senior Sun, lend me your channel. I need to report this to the Bureau." Sun Rao looked at him, then granted him access permissions. He waited while the young man relayed the information he had gathered back to the Bureau. Once the Ferris Wheel Company representative had left, there had been no signal jamming, so he had recorded the entire conversation. Before long, someone from the Bureau called back to confirm with Sun Rao. He said, "Yes, this information was gathered by Wei Yuji." The Disposal Bureau had already made conjectures regarding Sancheng Huang's purpose in coming here. Now that it was further confirmed, they immediately sent word to Chen Chuan so he could be prepared, and ordered increased surveillance on Sancheng Huang. Ni Xixi was the one who contacted Chen Chuan. After briefly explaining the situation, she checked the Bureau's latest updates and said, "In just this short span, news of Sancheng Huang coming to challenge you has already spread through the fighting circles. Ferris Wheel Company must have orchestrated this." Chen Chuan understood. They were trying to put him on a pedestal in public view so he would have no way to back down. Ni Xixi showed nothing but disdain for the tactic: "Useless little parlor tricks. Just ignore them." These were not the old days; there was no rule saying that failing to accept a challenge would leave one condemned. And even if people criticized him, with the sheer volume of information flooding in every day, who would even remember in a few days' time? Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, then asked, "Sister Ni, does the Bureau have contact details for this Sancheng Huang?" Hearing this, Ni Xixi asked, "You want to take the initiative to reach out to him?" Chen Chuan nodded. "Since he came looking for me, I might as well set a time with him." He smiled slightly. "To be honest, I'm quite looking forward to facing this opponent." As a fighter herself, Ni Xixi understood that mindset. Rather than waiting for the other party to come knocking, it was better to reach out first, seizing the initiative and psychological upper hand. Besides, she had confidence in Chen Chuan. She said, "Brother Chen, have you made up your mind? Alright, hold on a moment." Chen Chuan received Sancheng Huang's contact signal. The other man's avatar showed someone lying spread-eagled on a beach with a conical bamboo hat over his face. Taking a glance at it, Chen Chuan tried initiating contact. A moment later, the call connected, and a rather lazy voice came through: "I am Sancheng Huang. Might I ask who is calling...?" "Mr. Sancheng?" Chen Chuan said. "I am Chen Chuan." "Ah, Chen-kun!" Sancheng Huang's tone brightened instantly. Chen Chuan said, "I heard Mr. Sancheng entered Center City this time wishing to arrange a duel with me?" Sancheng Huang said, "Yes, that is indeed my intention." He added, "Chen-kun, this matter has nothing to do with Junior Brother Mashiba. He was sent out on a mission by our master, and even though he failed, he fulfilled his duty. As for me, I completed my training long ago. The hall didn't ask me to do anything. This is purely my personal decision." Chen Chuan said in a relaxed tone, "Whatever your reasons may be, Mr. Sancheng, I personally am very eager to exchange pointers with you." "So Chen-kun feels the same way," Sancheng Huang said with renewed enthusiasm. "In that case, Chen-kun, why don't we agree on a location?" Chen Chuan asked, "Where would you like to set it, Mr. Sancheng?" "I've only just arrived in Center City and am unfamiliar with many places, but I saw an isolated spot that is very suitable for an exchange," Sancheng Huang stated solemnly. "Mount Qingding, Moshen Temple." "Mount Qingding?" Chen Chuan nodded. "Since you have only just arrived in Center City, Mr. Sancheng, you should rest first. If it suits you, how about we set the duel for the morning of the day after tomorrow?" "Splendid. Chen-kun is very thoughtful; you have my gratitude." Sancheng Huang added, "The morning of the day after tomorrow, I shall await your arrival on Mount Qingding." "I will be there before nine o'clock that morning." After concluding his call with Sancheng Huang, Chen Chuan reported the duel's scheduled time to the Bureau, then returned to the training grounds to resume his previous exercises. The challenge had not rattled him in the slightest; on the contrary, it filled him with anticipation. An opponent like Sancheng Huang in particular—trained at Waves Hall and clearly gifted in mental cultivation—offered an ideal opportunity to temper his own mind. Two days passed in a flash. On March 6th, Chen Chuan changed into martial arts attire, took his Xuejun Saber, exited Xuan Palace Building, and drove to the foot of Mount Qingding. Though he had never been here before, he had heard of it. Back on the cruise ship, one of the fighters had hailed from this very Moshen Temple on the mountain. As a result, Wei Wusheng had come here and slaughtered everyone inside, including the temple attendant. With no suitable successor left to claim it, the entire site had been taken over by the Center City government. Because the area lay far from the urban core in a remote sector, it was currently in a semi-abandoned state. After parking at the foot of the mountain, he glanced at a gap in the guardrail at the base, stepped out of the car, passed through the opening, and headed up the stone steps. Not that much time had elapsed since the incident; apart from a scattering of dead leaves and dust, the steps and surrounding fixtures remained largely intact. When he reached the summit and stepped onto the plaza, he saw that Sancheng Huang had already arrived. The man wore Outer Ocean-style white ancient combat garments. His hair was neatly groomed, and at his waist hung a long sword in a black scabbard, lending him an air of great solemnity. Chen Chuan observed him closely. His mental cultivation was noticeably firmer and more restrained than Mashiba Masaru's had been, which was only to be expected. Disciples of Waves Hall were meticulously selected from childhood; those immature or lacking talent were weeded out long ago. By the look of him, Sancheng Huang was roughly ten years older than Mashiba Masaru, so it was only natural that his martial attainments were superior. Chen Chuan walked over unhurriedly and came before Sancheng Huang. Once he came to a stop, the other man gave him a solemn bow. "Chen-kun." Chen Chuan held his saber and cupped his fist. "Mr. Sancheng, I have come to keep our appointment."