Shangbing

The aftermath was tedious and complicated, but fortunately, Wuzheng took the lead to resolve any troubles with the authorities. With the assistance of the seasoned and widely connected Yang Shuling, everything could be handled properly. Zhou Wuji figured he would be of little help by staying, nor did he relish attending to such trivial chores. After letting Wuzheng and Yang Shuling know, he slipped away alone before dawn and returned to Canglong Temple. He napped at Canglong Temple until noon, then had Shangxin boil a tub of hot water so he could enjoy a thorough bath. Resources were scarce in this world, and firewood was a crucial commodity. Ordinary households used it sparingly for cooking, hesitated to burn it for heating, and were even less willing to waste it heating bathwater. Lately, Canglong Temple had enjoyed abundant incense offerings, so a mere bundle of firewood was nothing. Zhou Wuji had slain many people the previous night and had rummaged through a garbage heap to retrieve items, so he was anything but clean. After bathing and changing into fresh clothes from head to toe, he felt completely refreshed, clear and light inside and out. He ate lunch at the temple—just cabbage, tofu, pickled vegetables, and flatbread—yet it was simple, appetizing, and utterly satisfying. Following a brief post-lunch rest, Zhou Wuji changed into a mid-length coat and leather boots suitable for mountain trekking, donned the coir raincoat and bamboo hat left behind by his master, informed Shangxin, and headed into the mountains. Taking advantage of the Iron Clothes Guard's current disarray, he planned to inspect the cave abode on Lingming Peak. Zhou Wuji had visited Lingming Peak several times. On his last trip, he had killed two Yin-Yang Dao demonic cultivators here, taken opportunistic advantage of the scene, and exterminated a troop of red-furred long-armed monkey demons. It was from that troop of kindred red-furred apes that he had refined the Five Yin Pouch. Returning this time, he was on thoroughly familiar ground. On his previous journey, he had traveled quite slowly, but this time his pace was exceptionally light and brisk. He scaled heights and crossed ridges as if walking on flat earth. This was primarily because his physical constitution was now extraordinarily potent; his physical stat alone had reached 500. When he had ventured into the mountains last time, his physical stat had been a mere 150—a more than threefold difference. A threefold disparity was not simply a matter of strength and speed. It was like the difference between a three-meter giant and a one-meter child, spanning vast gulfs across every physical dimension. With such a powerful physique, Zhou Wuji could effortlessly handle the rugged mountain paths and the complex conditions of the forest even without circulating true qi. By nightfall, Zhou Wuji had already arrived at Lingming Peak. Armed with the precise location provided by Jin Chuan, Zhou Wuji found the cave on the northern slope with little effort. The cave entrance was rather wide, littered with loose stones and withered grass. A frigid night wind blew from the north, whipping the withered grass erratically and wailing in the depths of the cavern. Zhou Wuji did not rush inside. Outside the cave, he swallowed an inedia pill and regulated his breathing, waiting until his physical and mental states had fully recovered before activating the Six Yang Dharma Eyes. The deep, murky night grew transparent and bright, and the dim cave became clear down to the finest detail before his gaze. Zhou Wuji advanced along the cave for a dozen or so zhang, spotting residual traces of charcoal on the ground. Continuing another dozen zhang deeper, he saw mangled flesh, blood, and bones scattered across the floor. From the looks of it, several people had been mauled and eaten by wild beasts; the lingering blood and meat had already begun to exude a rotting stench. Further ahead lay a pile of collapsed boulders, obscuring what lay within. Jin Chuan had previously mentioned that for reasons unknown, the deep interior of the cave had suddenly caved in, killing many men. The surviving villagers had subsequently been silenced by them. The fallen rocks were piled in jagged layers, their depth unknown, making excavation no easy feat. After a moment's thought, Zhou Wuji activated the Heavenly Puppet on his arm. Under the guidance of the Thread-Guiding Art, the blue-green puppet transformed into a slender serpent and slithered through the crevices between the stones. The Heavenly Puppet was inherently capable of morphing into various forms; how it changed depended entirely on the manipulator's attainment in the Thread-Guiding Art, as well as their divine sense and true qi cultivation. Zhou Wuji had attained the mastery level in the Heavenly Puppet Technique. With his current divine sense, he could direct the Heavenly Puppet to assume simple outward shapes, such as a snake or a rat—though merely mimicking their silhouettes. These transformed shapes had numerous constraints, and Zhou Wuji could not yet manipulate them freely at will. He would never dare use such a move against cultivators. However, for scouting a collapsed cavern, it was perfectly suited. Even if his control slipped, he could simply recall it directly. Mimicking a serpent, the Heavenly Puppet wound its way downward through the gaps for a dozen or so zhang. Through the puppet, Zhou Wuji could "see" crushed stone and dirt, as well as the mangled, rotting corpses buried within. The sudden cave-in had buried seven or eight villagers beneath the rubble. Gaps always remained between collapsed rocks and earth. Zhou Wuji directed the serpent to press deeper, and before long, he "saw" a black stone stele. Most of the stele was buried, exposing only a single corner. He only judged it to be a stele based on prior experience. Zhou Wuji intended to steer the serpent closer to read the inscription on the stele, but before he could draw near, an intense sense of foreboding washed over him. Without the slightest hesitation, he recalled the Heavenly Puppet at once, thin strands of blue-green light snapping back into his left arm in an instant. Zhou Wuji spun on his heel and fled, beating a somewhat disheveled and flustered retreat from Lingming Peak. He bolted all the way to Xiuming Peak, not stopping until Lingming Peak was lost from sight. The first thing he did was cast the Pure Heart Divine Incantation, bestowing it upon himself three times in succession. Next, he cast the Golden Light Incantation, blessing himself three times as well. After applying six incantations, Zhou Wuji detected nothing amiss. He then condensed his sword intent to introspect his sea of consciousness, followed by focusing his Heart Tiger boxing intent. Sensing no discord in either body or mind, he finally let out a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether the depths of that cave were truly the abode of Tianji Shenjun, it was an extraordinarily sinister place. A terrifyingly powerful abomination was very likely sealed inside that black stele. Fortunately, it seemed to be slumbering, its presence deep and restrained. It was precisely because of this that he had only sensed something was wrong when the Heavenly Puppet actually caught sight of the stele. Daoist arts were specialized in subduing demons and suppressing abominations, much like water extinguishing fire. However, when the disparity in power between two sides was immense, that suppression would be reversed. Just like attempting to extinguish a burning cart of firewood with a single cup of water—the water would merely be vaporized by the blazing inferno. Even in its slumber, the abomination within the black stone stele radiated an aura as vast and unfathomable as an abyss, surpassing his own by a thousandfold. If he had truly disturbed the entity within, he would never have escaped with his life. Not just him—even Abbot Zhiyuan of the Branch Abbey would have thrown his life away here in vain. The cave abode was far too sinister. Whatever treasures lay hidden inside, they were not something he could touch. Zhou Wuji thought of the qi node beneath Canglong Temple. Perhaps there was some mysterious connection between it all. The qi node was buried deep underground. One would likely need to follow the subterranean river upstream to its source to penetrate the node's depths. He had originally planned to find time to investigate the node, as his master had passed away too abruptly to leave behind detailed explanations. Perhaps some secret was concealed within the qi node. Yet after today's experience, Zhou Wuji realized that such exploration was exceedingly perilous. The risks were uncontrollable, the rewards unknown; no mature, rational person would do such a thing. More importantly, he possessed the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment—the paramount slaughter divine artifact of the Daoist sects—giving him a steady path of personal advancement. He had no need whatsoever to court immense danger for uncertain gains. Only desperate souls driven to dead ends, or madmen and geniuses, would willingly gamble like that. Once Zhou Wuji thought through these points, he truly calmed down. Secret treasures and fortuitous encounters were nebulous and far-fetched; there was no need to pin great hopes on them. Once his cultivation grew strong enough, he could return to try his luck. As for whether the things in the cave might be taken by someone else, Zhou Wuji was not worried in the least. At the very least, none of the people in Yunyang Prefecture were capable of it. If an expert truly capable of subduing that stele did arrive, Zhou Wuji would readily bow to their superior prowess. *** By noon the following day, Zhou Wuji had already returned to Canglong Temple. Aside from Shangxin, no one knew he had gone out. Wuzheng had not yet returned, which showed just how tedious dealing with the aftermath was. However, Yang Tieying had arrived. Carrying simple luggage, he knelt the moment he saw Zhou Wuji and began kowtowing with forceful thuds. Yang Tieying had always devoted himself to martial training. He was somewhat proud by nature, yet remained a simple, straightforward youth. He had witnessed with his own eyes Zhou Wuji annihilating the throng of demons and slaying the Cold-Blooded Twin Fiends, and his own life had been saved by Zhou Wuji. Toward Zhou Wuji, his admiration had long since become absolute veneration. Once the family affairs were settled, Yang Tieying rushed to Canglong Temple to seek Zhou Wuji as his master. Not knowing quite what to say, he simply shouted "Master!" and kowtowed with all his might. Each strike hit the ground with a resounding thud, cracking the blue flagstones beneath him. If nothing else, his sincerity in seeking discipleship was indisputable. Zhou Wuji had not originally intended to accept disciples; his own standing was still tenuous, he was laden with secrets, and taking an apprentice along would bring plenty of inconvenience. Yet this time, the Yang family had been targeted by the Five Dragons Gang on his account. Yang Shuling had been sensible enough to send him advance warning, allowing him to resolve the crisis with ease. If the Five Dragons Gang issue was not settled, Yang Shuling would likely have had no choice but to flee far away. Whether out of reason or sentiment, he could hardly refuse to take Yang Tieying as his disciple. Zhou Wuji swept his long sleeve, lifting Yang Tieying up. "Rise. Today I will accept you into the sect as a nominal disciple." He pondered for a moment before speaking: "Your generation belongs to the Shang generation. Henceforth, your dharma name shall be Shangbing." Yang Tieying knelt once more and banged out three more kowtows. "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master, for bestowing my name!" Seeing the purplish bruises already blooming on the lad's forehead, Zhou Wuji pulled Yang Tieying up once again. "In the future, just speak your mind. There is no need to kowtow. Your master dislikes such displays." "Oh," Yang Tieying replied with naive obedience. After a moment's thought, he could not resist asking, "Master, what does 'Shangbing' mean?" "A superior divine weapon, meaning invincible and indestructible," Zhou Wuji said with a smile. "Your martial arts are formidable, so it suits you well." "Oh—" A look of delight surfaced on Yang Tieying's square-jawed face; he thought the dharma name sounded quite imposing. Seeing Yang Tieying's reaction, Zhou Wuji swallowed back the true source of the phrase—"the supreme art of war is to foil the enemy's schemes." Explaining that to the boy would be useless anyway. He might as well just let him fancy himself a superior divine weapon! Zhou Wuji summoned Shangxin and had him arrange lodging and other chores for Yang Tieying. The two boys were roughly the same age and shared a similarly simple temperament, and surprisingly, they hit it off right away. Zhou Wuji paid Yang Tieying no further heed, letting him practice his martial arts as usual. He estimated that someone from the Branch Abbey would arrive shortly to address the matter; involving the Azure Dragon Emissary of the Five Dragons Gang was no minor affair. How the issue would be resolved remained uncertain, and for now, he had no spare energy to instruct Yang Tieying. At dusk, Yang Shuling arrived at Canglong Temple alongside Wuzheng. The old man sought out Zhou Wuji in private and presented two thousand taels in silver banknotes, claiming it was merely an apprenticeship gift, while asking Zhou Wuji to be patient with Yang Tieying's impetuous nature. Zhou Wuji did not refuse; it was only proper for a disciple to offer gifts to his master. He inquired about Yang Shuling's plans, and as expected, Yang Shuling intended to return to his ancestral home for a time. The martial arts school in Siming County would have to close its doors temporarily. *** At the Branch Abbey, Zhiyuan had indeed only just received Wuzheng's message. After dismissing the messenger Daoist, Zhiyuan summoned Hall Master Yizhen to the Heart Inquest Hall and explained the situation. Yizhen furrowed his brows as well. Zhou Wuji and the others had just slain the Five Dragons Gang leader's younger brother, and immediately followed that by killing their Azure Dragon Emissary; this was undeniably troublesome. Although the Five Dragons Gang controlled the water transport, they had no power to dictate terms to the Branch Abbey. However, the Zhang family was already exerting pressure on the Branch Abbey from various angles. If they fell out with the Five Dragons Gang on top of that, it would put the Branch Abbey in an exceedingly disadvantageous position. Yet the Branch Abbey could not possibly bow its head and admit fault to the Five Dragons Gang. How to handle this was truly a vexing dilemma. Yizhen could only bow and say, "In this matter, the Five Dragons Gang provoked us first, so Wuzheng and Wuji cannot be blamed." Wuzheng was his personal disciple, whom he naturally sought to protect. Though he shared no close bond with Zhou Wuji, the youth was undeniably an extraordinary talent. Yizhen thought very highly of Zhou Wuji and was fully willing to stand up for him now. Zhiyuan sighed softly. "Chen Dalu is obstinate and fiercely protective of his own. Having suffered back-to-back losses, I fear he will not swallow this grievance." Yizhen noted, "Chen Dalu has been very close to the Zhang family lately. "Last time, it was Chen Dagou who sought to frame Wuji, only for Wuji and Wuzheng to break his gu art, causing him to die on the spot from the gu insect's backlash." He brought up past events once more precisely to emphasize that the Five Dragons Gang was the instigator behind everything, and that Wuzheng and Wuji were blameless. Zhiyuan pondered for a moment before saying, "Chen Dalu is, after all, a sixth-rank martial artist; he must not be underestimated. "We hold the moral high ground, but Chen Dalu is unreasonable. Has Wuji not already cleared his seven apertures? Go bring him back to the Branch Abbey, and first bestow ordination and the registers upon him. "Coordinate with the Main Abbey and request that the Celestial Master Mansion issue Wuji's ordination certificate as swiftly as possible." Yizhen nodded. If Zhou Wuji formally received ordination and the registers, securing the certificate granted by the Celestial Master Mansion, he would become an officially registered seventh-rank Daoist recognized by the imperial court. The difference between an officially registered, seventh-rank registered Daoist and an unregistered ordinary practitioner was night and day. Once Zhou Wuji obtained his ordination certificate, killing him would be equivalent to slaying a court official—a capital offense. As overbearing as Chen Dalu might be, he would inevitably harbor misgivings. Even if he went mad and struck at Zhou Wuji, as long as they secured evidence of his wrongdoing, the nature of the act would be entirely different. At that point, not even the Zhang family would be able to shield Chen Dalu! Yizhen remarked, "Wuji should have already opened his seven apertures, but matters on the Celestial Master Mansion's end tend to move slowly. "By convention, obtaining an ordination certificate also requires completing the Celestial Master Mansion's evaluation, which takes time as well." "Alas—" Zhiyuan sighed once more. Their Arctic Sect had waned in prestige, and the Celestial Master Mansion frequently made things difficult for them. Decades ago, when their sect leader had just advanced to a first-rank Celestial Master, such evaluations had been mere formalities; there had been no need to pander to or flatter the Celestial Master Mansion's envoys. The Branch Abbey was besieged from all sides in Yunyang Prefecture primarily because the Arctic Sect's decline gave the Zhang family an opening. Other organizations and factions were likewise scheming to use the Branch Abbey as a stepping stone. The mere thought of this left Zhiyuan deeply weary. In the final analysis, the Arctic Sect lacked a new generation of genius. A sect without a future was bound to be looked down upon by everyone. Moreover, because this sect held vast lucrative interests, it drew countless greedy gazes. Zhiyuan said, "Go make the arrangements. Have Wuji obtain his ordination certificate as soon as possible. "Wuji possesses superb swordsmanship, a measured mind, and has received the blessings of the Northern Emperor. Once he advances to the seventh rank, he will surely bolster our Branch Abbey's renown—" Yizhen was somewhat surprised; he had not expected Zhiyuan to hold Zhou Wuji in such high esteem. He solemnly voiced his agreement. Zhiyuan added with another sigh, "I will also write a letter to Chen Dalu. If he proves completely unreasonable, we will not show mercy either. I only hope matters do not escalate to such a stage—" Chen Dalu was a sixth-rank martial artist with thousands of gang members under his command; resolving him would not be easy. Waging war against such a massive force, the Branch Abbey would become mired in an intractable quagmire if they could not achieve a swift victory. It would also expose the Branch Abbey's vulnerability to other factions, inviting even greater trouble. Therefore, resorting to arms was the final option. In truth, Zhiyuan placed great expectations on Zhou Wuji. The Branch Abbey had no shortage of Daoists skilled in esoteric arts, but those truly capable of fighting and prevailing in battle were far too few. In particular, Zhou Wuji was a master of the sword with a decisive, lethal demeanor, yet held only a seventh-rank status. Having him step forward would confine any conflict to a manageable tier. Whether dealing with friction against the Five Dragons Gang, clashes with Golden Leaf Temple, or tit-for-tat confrontations with the Zhang family, having Zhou Wuji serve as their representative was perfectly suited. Regardless of success or failure, matters would not spiral out of control—